In the Cangwang Realm, Cang Sea Domain.
Long, long ago, this place had been the territory of dragons, but several catastrophes had swept through the Cangwang Realm’s history, and the Dragon Clan had failed to survive them, ultimately vanishing from the long river of history.
Later, most of the demon races on the landmasses of the Cang Sea Domain had moved to the Origin Spirit Domain, and more and more humans had settled here. During that time, relations between humans and the aquatic demons had been hostile, with both sides fighting for many years until, centuries later, the two races finally made peace. They set the date of the Leap Dragon Gate Ceremony on the day of that reconciliation as a commemoration.
It was said that during the Leap Dragon Gate Ceremony, the aquatic demons would summon a Dragon Gate using the secret method left behind by the Dragon Clan. Any from the Water Clans who leaped over the Dragon Gate could transform into dragons. Countless Water Clans looked forward to this eagerly, but the success rate of summoning the Dragon Gate was very low. In tens of thousands of years, the records in books mentioned only a scant few successes—fewer than could be counted on one hand.
Even so, this could not dampen the enthusiasm of the Water Clan demons. Dragons, like phoenixes, were Earth Immortals from birth, and their bloodlines were a shortcut to the Divine Realm. Success in transformation meant that the demon had knocked on the door to the supreme Divine Realm.
Thus, despite the slim hopes, every time this event came around, countless Water Clans rushed from all domains, waiting for that chance in perhaps one in ten thousand.
Merfolk Moon City was the starting and ending point of the ceremony, the closest place to where the Water Clans summoned the Dragon Gate. If the summoning failed, the few kings of the Water Clans would ride Dragon Carriages through the skies above Merfolk Moon City, scattering “blessings,” then circle several towns before returning.
These blessings were fragments of spiritual items from the deep sea, greatly beneficial to both humans and demons. Thus, even without the Dragon Gate manifesting, no one lost out by coming.
However, the Cang Sea Domain became far too lively during these times, especially Merfolk Moon City, which was packed to the brim. Finding lodging was difficult, so people and demons had to use all sorts of tricks, deploying various magical artifacts to create temporary shelters.
Of course, if one had none, it didn’t matter—shrewd merchants had spotted the opportunity long ago and set up stalls every year to rent or sell livable magical artifacts.
On the streets of Merfolk Moon City, many people hawked their wares, their stalls filled with various magical artifacts, spiritual items, and cultivation techniques. Most were ordinary goods, so picking out treasures required a keen eye.
At the mouth of an alley, a dozing stall owner suddenly felt two shadows block his sunlight. He opened his eyes and saw two female cultivators—beautiful ones who seemed to steal the sun’s glow.
One was cool and ethereal like the moon, the other warm and gentle like jade. Standing together, they inexplicably sparked thoughts of how perfectly matched they were.
But for the stall owner, what mattered more was that their clothes and accessories were all high-quality magical artifacts, marking them as from great clans or major sects—clearly not short on money.
He immediately flipped off his reclining chair nearby and saw the warmer, gentler-looking female cultivator browsing the pile of shells on his stall. He hurriedly introduced them: “These are shells from Dragon Pearl Shells! I risked life and limb to fish them out from an underwater secret realm! Only found on Dragon Veins! Top-notch stuff. Even though only the shells remain, feel them—these still hold abundant Dragon Vein spiritual power, perfectly usable in medicine…”
The stall owner hyped the shiny shells extravagantly, and the lingering spiritual power on them was indeed impressive. A less knowledgeable cultivator might have been fooled.
“A Que, do you like them?” Yun Heng saw Wen Qiwu lingering at the stall and assumed she fancied the sparkly little shells. She was already reaching for her storage pouch to pay.
“I promised those little ones I’d bring gifts when I left. I didn’t know what to buy, but these shells are perfect for decorating their nests. I’ll get some and see if the little ones like them.” Wen Qiwu picked up a shell. They were crystalline and translucent, mixed with two or three colors—quite lovely.
Back at Cloud Mist Mountain, the birds had been especially reluctant to see Wen Qiwu leave for a stretch. They’d clung to her whenever she stepped out, so she’d promised gifts upon her return.
Hearing this, the stall owner’s smile widened. Using “Dragon Pearl Shells” for decorations—definitely rich customers. He could jack up the price a bit.
“Stall owner, how much for these shells?” Wen Qiwu’s voice was soft, and she didn’t seem the type to haggle.
“These… all top-grade Dragon Pearl Shells. I won’t ask much—one superior-grade spirit stone per shell. If you take the whole lot, a hundred superior-grade spirit stones, or one immortal stone. This pile’s at least two hundred pieces. I just opened shop today—this price is just to make friends.” The stall owner looked pained, as if he’d taken a huge loss.
“One superior-grade spirit stone per shell?” Wen Qiwu chuckled lightly. “The whole lot for one mid-grade spirit stone. Deal?”
Ten mid-grade spirit stones made one superior-grade, and a hundred superior-grade made one immortal stone. He’d asked for one immortal stone; she’d slashed it to one mid-grade—the drop was massive.
The stall owner’s eyes bulged. “Are you here to cause trouble?”
“Passing off worthless Snail Pearl Shells as Dragon Pearl Shells and pricing them at one immortal stone—you think you can say that?” Wen Qiwu toyed with a shell. “I’m offering one mid-grade spirit stone because you polished them nicely. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even be worth that.”
Exposed, the stall owner flushed awkwardly. Though Wen Qiwu’s tone remained gentle, it now felt like tiny blades scraping his soul.
“I recall Merfolk Moon City’s City Lord set a rule long ago: selling fakes means compensating ten times the sale price.” Yun Heng’s icy voice made him shiver. It wasn’t blades—it was cold force throttling his throat.
Long ago, during Leap Dragon Gate Ceremonies, many humans and demons had exploited the chaos for scams and worse, making Merfolk Moon City a mess. Only after the new City Lord took over and set rules did peace return.
“Or do you want to settle it privately?” Wen Qiwu smiled ambiguously, pointing to the alley behind him.
There was an unwritten rule here: settle publicly or privately.
Public meant going to the City Lord for justice.
Private meant handling it between parties, as long as no big commotion.
The stall owner had picked this alley mouth deliberately; the dark depths were perfect for private dealings.
“No, no—a mid-grade spirit stone it is! I’ll pack them for you ladies and throw in a little extra.” The stall owner waved his hidden hand toward the alley, then smilingly packed the shells and handed them to Wen Qiwu.
As the guests turned to leave, a dark glint flashed in his eyes.
City Lord? She was just a paper tiger now, no threat. But these two had spotted his backup in the shadows. They were strong—not worth the trouble at this juncture.
…
“Senior Sister, didn’t you say Merfolk Moon City’s City Lord doesn’t allow trouble on her turf? That guy… he’s definitely scammed people before, openly setting ambushes. Doesn’t the City Lord care?” Wen Qiwu caught a faint whiff of blood and resentment from the alley—someone had died there recently.
When they’d first arrived in Merfolk Moon City, the atmosphere had felt off. Vendors still hawked, but few stopped to browse; people hurried along, avoiding lingering on the streets.
Gradually, Wen Qiwu noticed similar setups in many corners—far from the orderly city of legend.
Merfolk Moon City’s scenery was indeed beautiful, but now it seemed shrouded in gloom.
“I haven’t been in touch with Merfolk Moon City’s City Lord for a long time, and the message I sent her recently got no reply.” Yun Heng’s voice sank slightly. The city was the City Lord’s life’s work; she had no reason to let it descend into chaos. Yun Heng’s first thought was that something had happened to her.
“Shall we check the City Lord Mansion?” Wen Qiwu suggested. On the way, she’d heard the City Lord was Senior Sister’s friend; Yun Heng wouldn’t rest easy without seeing for herself.
Yun Heng pondered briefly, then nodded slightly. “Let’s go take a look.”
They’d known each other for years, after all. If something had truly befallen Merfolk Moon City’s City Lord, Yun Heng couldn’t stand idly by.
So they visited the City Lord Mansion first, but learned the City Lord had been injured in a sea secret realm and was in seclusion. All city matters, including the upcoming Leap Dragon Gate Ceremony, had been handed to the family juniors.
Perhaps the juniors couldn’t command respect, leading to the subtle unrest in Merfolk Moon City.
The butler asked if they had other business. Upon hearing of the stall owner’s deeds, he grew solemn and promised to report upward.
By the time Wen Qiwu and Yun Heng returned, the stall owner and his stall had vanished. Onlookers whispered he’d been taken by City Lord Mansion people, and more patrols now roamed the streets, uniformed with the mansion’s emblem.
The City Lord Mansion seemed to have restored order, but Yun Heng’s expression remained tense. It wasn’t the time to investigate deeply; she’d settle her junior sister first, then try contacting the City Lord.
“A Que, I’ll take you to our lodging first.” Yun Heng shielded Wen Qiwu, leading her from the noisy crowds.
“But can we still find an inn with rooms?” Wen Qiwu wondered. Reservations for the ceremony needed to be made far in advance; they’d arrived too late.
“The City Lord reserved a room for me here.” Yun Heng explained.
Merfolk Moon City’s largest inn was the City Lord’s business. Upon entry, a server apologized that no rooms remained; they’d need to look elsewhere.
Yun Heng handed over a jade token. Recognizing it, the server’s eyes widened, nearly blurting a title.
“Imm… ahem, the room the City Lord reserved for you has always been kept empty, but it’s the last one. Can the two of you share it?” The server grew even more deferential.
Everyone working here knew what that jade token signified. The innkeeper, close with the City Lord, had joked if she’d befriended the Immortal Venerable in her dreams.
And now she had come!
“A Que, it’s crowded here. You’ll have to squeeze in with me.” Yun Heng looked at Wen Qiwu with feigned reluctance.
With the special room aside, nothing else was left.
Wen Qiwu saw not reluctance in her senior sister’s eyes, but a spark of delight. A helpless curve touched her lips—Senior Sister’s little schemes were obvious. In this situation, she had no choice but to go along.
“Then we’ll share.” As soon as Wen Qiwu agreed, she caught the irrepressible joy in her senior sister’s eyes.
