Stella had a headache as she stared at the strange-looking ring of shadow in her palm.
"So, to summarize these last few hours of discussion," Stella massaged her temples, "You want Diana and me to head to the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion to get registered as bounty hunters. Are you sure that is a good idea?"
"Diana has already been registered as an Iron Seeker but needs to appear in person to be promoted to a Crimson Tracker. You, on the other hand, are yet to be registered. Nox is confident you should have no problems as the Lotus Informants are quite professional."
"Mhm, is there no way the Silverspires can register me like they did for Diana?"
"I asked, but apparently, doing it once was already straining their connection. It's a big deal to get a letter of recommendation from such a person. Don't worry, you will be fine. Climbing the ranks should be a breeze for you."
"What about registering in another city?"
"You can, but it will take me a while to reach another city, and apparently, the pavilion in Nightshade is the largest and offers the most missions that you will need to advance up the ranks."
Stella bit her lip. Diana is already ahead of me with the help of the Silverspires. If I wait around any longer, I will be stuck as an Iron Seeker while she is a Jade Sentinel. Not that I am jealous... but I will be left behind.
"Fine," Stella side-eyed Nox's shadow, "So after I register, I then use this shadow ring to have a meeting with your sister, who will likely try to kill us on sight, so we should bring Larry because she is scared of spiders?"
The shadow dryad slowly nodded her head.
"Larry will remain here for now,"Ashlock said,"I will portal him over when he is needed. Remember, we want to avoid too much attention until we can use Nox's family as a proxy. Okay?"
Stella fastened the jade mask to her face, "Don't worry, I can remain lowkey if I want to."
"Good. My presence over there is limited as my coverage of the city is still quite low, and I have no offspring to magnify my presence through, so you will be on your own for the most part. Do not attract the attention of the Celestial Warden. Now go quickly. I found a quiet place to make the portal."
Stella felt her ears pop as she stepped through the portal Ash had conjured for her to the Tainted Cloud Sect. Not only did the pressure change, the temperature was a few degrees colder.
"Has the sun moved further through the sky as well?" Stella mumbled as she shielded her eyes with her hand and glanced up. It had been afternoon a moment ago, but it was now evening. After a few hours of discussion and preparation with Nox and Tree, it felt weird to finally be here. This is my first time being so far from Tree.
"Ashlock did say that Nightshade City was over a thousand miles away," Diana said in a distorted voice as she stepped through the portal, which snapped closed.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Stella asked as she looked over her shoulder at Diana. Like herself, the demoness was wearing one of the jade masks they had looted from the bounty hunters. The masks were inlaid with a runic circuit that distorted one's voice and helped hide one's face.
"The sun appears in different parts of the sky as it travels across the realm. Since we covered such a vast distance, it's as if we went forward in time," Diana said as she walked past and flipped up the large hood of her black cloak. "Anyway, that's not important right now. We should be near the entrance to the Eternal Pursuit Pavilion."
Stella scrunched up her nose as a rat ran past. They were standing near the bins behind a restaurant, and it was filthy.
I'm so glad Ash forced me to change my clothing and even wear shoes. Stella thought as she looked down at the simple black slip-on that matched the dark cloak she was bundled up in. If only these darn masks blocked smells, that would be helpful right now.
"This area has a Qi gathering formation in a nearby building, so it was easier to mask the presence of my portal."Ashlock's voice rang in Stella's mind. "Walk down that alley to your right and then follow the street to the foot of the mountain that dominates the city's center. It's impossible to miss."
Stella flipped up her hood and nodded to Diana, "Let's go." The two moved in silence down the alleyway, and sure enough, once they were on a main street with a more open view of the sky, the mountain was indeed hard to miss. Not because of its size, as it was nothing compared to Red Vine Peak, but because it was covered in hundreds of ornate pavilions adorned in shades of jade, and even from here, Stella could feel the power emanating from the place. The air shuddered, especially around the top third.
Those are some impressive defensive formations. Stella thought as they shuffled closer through the busy streets. Dodging city folk going about their chaotic and short lives. I see why Ashlock dropped us off nearby. Wanting to avoid attention aside, it was likely impossible for him. My spiritual sense dissipates when it comes near the mountain, so there's no way I could make a portal from here to the entrance.
Before she knew it, they were at the gate. It towered over the guards standing before it, processing the many people passing in and out. The bounty hunters of the pavilion were easy to spot due to how they dressed and moved about compared to the more casually dressed merchants and other mortals who wished to enter.
"We don't need to wait in line. I can get us in," Diana said as she flashed the gold and black pendant with a phoenix symbol in her palm.
Stella pouted. Why does Diana get a recommendation letter and a pendant, but I must remain lowkey? Stupid Nox. If only she had removed the 6,000 Yinxi Coin bounty on me before turning into a tree. Though I would still need to watch out for the Celestial Warden. He knows I was the last person Nox went to see, so as time passes, he will grow suspicious of why Nox is missing. Ugh, what a pain.
Weirdly, she still felt a tinge of excitement. Here she was at the gates of an organization filled to the brim with people who would kill her the moment they learned of her true identity, and as fun as teaching Jasmine was, Stella felt herself getting rusty and impatient. Cultivation progress had slowed to a crawl, and instead of learning techniques, she had been teaching Jasmine the basics.
Stella grinned behind her mask as she passed a line of merchants and stood before a guard.
"Business with the pavilion?" The man wearing shining armor asked in a dull tone. He wasn't even focusing on them as his gaze lingered on the clipboard in his hand.
Diana released the slightest hint of pressure from her Star Core, startling the man enough to almost drop his clipboard.
The guard threw himself into a deep bow, not daring to look up. "Esteemed Elder, I apologize for my manners."
Diana's distorted laughter rang through the mask, "At ease, guard. I am no Elder."
The guard hesitantly straightened up and seemed nervous to say the wrong thing.
Stella glanced between the two and found the situation amusing. I wonder how the guard would react if he learned that Diana was in her early twenties and not some hidden Elder of a noble family?
The mask and the cloak made it impossible to tell anything about Diana's identity. The guard's only clue was her general body shape and strands of black hair that snuck out the hood of her cloak.
"May I pass?" Diana was holding out the pendant of a bounty hunter.
The guard glanced at the pendant before nodding, "Such power yet only an Iron Seeker? Ah, my apologies, that's none of my business. Step on through."
The pendant vanished into Diana's spatial ring, and she strode past the guard.
Stella went to follow, but an arm stopped her.
"Business with the pavilion?" The guard asked with a grin. His previous humble demeanor before Diana was gone in an instant, and it felt as if he was trying to pass on his humiliation to her.
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Stella felt her eye twitch. You know I am stronger than that woman you just waved through with your tail tucked between your legs? Should I flatten him to the ground with my pressure? Or perhaps chop off his arm as a snack for Tree...
"She's with me," Diana said with irritation, and the man's hand raised faster than it had fallen.
"A guest of the Esteemed Iron Seeker. Enjoy your stay, Miss. Next!"
Stella clicked her tongue as she walked past the guard. A wave of Qi washed over her as she phased through the main defensive array, and the lingering feeling of Ashlock watching her vanished.
It's going to be fine.
Stella felt her heartbeat quicken as she joined Diana on the other side, waiting on a wide paved road lined with trees that led to a square up ahead that looked like a sea of people.
"I could feel the ripples of Qi near your soul from over here," Diana hissed as they walked. "Remember, we are trying to be lowkey. I don't know what you were thinking, but harming a guard to the lowest level of the pavilion would achieve little. That guy was hardly a step above being mortal. I bet they get replaced all the time."
"Maybe if they had cultivators capable of detecting Qi fluctuations on the gates, they would have fewer casualties," Stella hissed back as they reached the square. "It's not my fault that the bored guard was trying to pick a fight with me."
Diana snorted, "If what Nox told us is true, most Iron Seekers are weaklings. I mean, look around. I can't see a single other cultivator here. It's all mortals moving between the pavilions. That blockhead guard likely took the job to feel superior to people with his meager strength."
Stella glanced around, and Diana exaggerated a bit. The odd cultivator wearing robes and masks was dotted among the hundreds of mortals flowing between giant pavilions.
It seems all pavilions in the lower third of the mountain are made of wood and stone, with decorations of white jade. Stella noted as they walked around the square's edge toward one of the smaller pavilions with an iron phoenix hanging over the door.
I wonder why the bounty hunters' pavilion is smaller than the rest. Stella recalled what Nox had told them, but she hadn't gone too in-depth other than explaining how to get past the guards, register, and where the Duskwalker residence was located. Stella scrutinized the other pavilions since there wasn't much else to do as they swiftly walked.
The largest pavilion that dominated the far end of the square had the words 'Trade Hall' written over a doorway wide enough for a dozen people to walk through side by side. This was precisely what was happening, as guards in shiny armor controlled the flow of horse-drawn carts loaded with goods into the building.
I could fit that entire horse, cart, and all its goods in my spatial ring. If everyone was using spatial rings, there would be no need to make the place that big. Stella sighed. Sometimes, she pitied mortals.
Other than the Trade Hall, there were a few other buildings, such as the Alchemy Hall and Smithy.
I should check out the Alchemy Hall later. I want to know the standard of our competition and their pricing. There also seems to be a place to sell fruits; I wonder what price Trees' would fetch?
"Are you sure about using your real name to register?" Diana asked, using her Qi to mask her voice. The area near the Iron Seeker's pavilion was quieter, and far more bounty hunters were standing around, so that was a smart move. "Using a persona would help you go unnoticed by the Celestial Warden."
"Yes, I am sure," Stella replied, using her Qi to portal her words straight to Diana's ears so nobody could hear them. "Other than Nox, nobody knows that the Celestial Warden is interested in me. So long as I avoid my name being brought to his attention, I will be fine. I could even lie to the man if our paths crossed and tell him that Nox is recovering from the curse."
"Hmm," Diana seemed skeptical, "Will that really work?"
"I don't see why not," Stella replied, "Any artifacts he uses to verify if she's still alive will show that her soul is still present in this realm, and I doubt he can leave here to verify."
"That's true. Such a powerhouse wouldn't leave this place unattended just to verify your words. At least until the Celestial Warden grows very suspicious."
Stella nodded, "Exactly. I will admit using my real name is risky, but I would argue using a fake name is even riskier. If someone found out, they could use it as blackmail against me because if they reported it, I would be exiled from the pavilion no matter how high ranking I get."
I did suggest using a fake name earlier, but Nox's shadow had shaken her head and told me through Ashlock that so much in the pavilion is tied to the reputation of a name. So, joining under a fake identity is one of the most severe crimes. Even if I became a Jade Sentinel, I would be exiled should I be discovered, which would be terrible as this is one of the best places for cultivators to sell their skills and make money.
Diana pushed the door to the Iron Seeker pavilion open, and they strode inside. Dominating the center of the room was a large white jade pillar encircled by a counter manned by numerous Lotus Informants. All of them had long lines except for a woman near the end who was serving a single person. Since it was the shortest line, they joined and waited.
"Look up there," Diana pointed at the jade pillar. Following her finger, Stella saw a long list of active bounties in golden letters. Searching down the list that went from high to low with Vincent Nightrose and the Silverspire Grand Elder at 100,000 Yinxi Coins alongside a few others in that range at the top. Further down, her gaze paused.
[Dead or Alive: Nox Duskwalker]
Target's estimated threat level: Star Core 9
Affiliation with Duskwalker Family: Nascent Soul Realm 6 [Pending Re-evaluation]
Bounty: 30,000 Yinxi Coins.
The bounty is placed by The Lunarshade Family. For more information, consult a Lotus Informant.
Stella noticed that the Duskwalker family was listed as a Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse yet was pending a re-evaluation. Nox did mention something about her family's downfall since her father died. I wonder what the new evaluation would be?
There was also a surprising number of high Star Core Elders in the 10,000 Yinxi Coin range, and then there was a slight drop.
[Death of Stella Crestfallen]
Target's estimated threat level: Star Core 1 [Unverified]
Affiliation with Ashfallen Trading Company: Star Core 9 [Unverified]
Bounty: 6,000 Yinxi Coins.
The bounty is placed by Nox Duskwalker, and the target is at the marked location. For more information, consult a Lotus Informant.
Do they think I am still in the first stage of the Star Core Realm? Stella let a small chuckle escape. How would they react if they found out I just stepped into the 6th stage?
The rest of the board had low-ranking bounties for mortal merchants and whatnot. Honestly, with only a name to go off, for the pay, they didn't even seem worth the effort. To her surprise, as she was still reading them, every name floated up a spot, and a brand new bounty appeared at the bottom for 20 Yinxi Coins. It was for the kidnapping of a mortal farmer's wife.
Who would even take on such a job? Stella wondered, but then she saw out of the corner of her eye three cloaked people who had been huddled around one of the many tables that littered the room stand up and leave. On the way out, she overheard one of them discussing the name in the bounty.
Trying to get a feel for their cultivation level was impossible as the defensive array heavily suppressed the flow of Qi, but if she had to guess, they were in the Qi or Soul Fire Realm at best.
What lowlifes wasting their pathetic cultivation to bully mortals for such little pay.
"Next, please!" The Lotus Informant rang a little bell to draw their attention.
Diana stepped forward and placed her gold and black pendant on the counter. "I wish to be promoted to the rank of a Crimson Tracker."
"Have you completed the requirements?" The brown-haired woman asked with a strained smile.
"What are they?"
The Lotus Informant's face fell, and she let out a long sigh, "Another upstart who thinks they are important. Listen here, cultivator. Very few ever make it to the Crimson Tracker rank, you hear me? Your cultivation stage is irrelevant, as we only want talented people. If you want to advance, you must complete ten missions and pass a combat test."
"Well, I haven't completed any missions."
The Lotus Informant gave a deadpan look, "Then we are done here." She rang her bell and called out, "Next."
Why is this woman so unprofessional? Stella frowned behind her mask. It was clear that the pavilion thought little of the Iron Seekers by how cramped and lackluster this pavilion was, but this was ridiculous.
"The Sage Advisor told me that I would need to come in person to be promoted to the Crimson Trackers," Diana said calmly. "Does this mean an honorable Sage Advisor lied to me?"
Much like the guard, the Lotus Informant's demeanor did a 180 as her eyes widened, "May I ask for your honorable name?"
"Diana Ravenborne."
"One moment, please," The woman crouched down and dug through a pile of jade slips before finding the one she was looking for. Getting to her feet and inserting some Qi, she read the words on the slip. "An honorable Sage Advisor did indeed put in a recommendation for you. Diana Ravenborne, you are approved to skip the necessary missions and can advance after completing the combat test, which will be held in the arena behind this pavilion tonight."
"Thank you," Diana replied simply and stepped aside. A few nearby tables began whispering among themselves, and because of their low cultivation, Stella could easily hear that they were displeased by Diana's usage of connections to 'cheat.'
I see the need for a proxy now. The Lotus Informants for the Iron Seekers are terrible at keeping their voices down in this busy room.
"How can I help you today?" The woman asked as Stella stepped forward.
"I wish to register as an Iron Seeker," Stella tried to use Qi to mask her voice, but an even denser defensive formation protected the Lotus Informants. I bet it's to prevent mind control techniques.
"Okay," the woman said, bringing out a jade slip and infusing some Qi into her fingertip. "I will need to know your name. Please note that if you use a fake name and it's discovered, you will be exiled and possibly even hunted down." Her eyes raised, and she stared straight at her mask. "And we wouldn't want that now, would we?"
Stella's spatial ring flashed, and a slip of parchment with the name 'Stella Crestfallen' written on it appeared. She passed it to the Lotus Informant in hopes that it would allow for a quiet registration.
The woman read the note, paused to look at something at the corner of the room, and then gave a sly smile, "Not every day I get a mute cultivator. Just nod if the name Stella Crestfallen works for you."
Mute? What is she on about? I spoke to her a moment ago...
Stella didn't need to be a cultivator to notice how the room suddenly became quieter, and far more heads stared into her back. A few groups even stood from their tables, and someone from the far end strode straight toward her.
What the hell is up with this loud-mouth Lotus Informant? Weren't they supposed to be secretive? Nox told me they would keep the mention of names to a minimum, and I even prepared this parchment slip just in case.
A sigh escaped her lips as she gave the stupid Lotus Informant a nod. Things just got tricky.
