Ghost Market

Xuanyuan stood by the window. The night breeze carried a hint of chill, stirring the hair above his brow.

To the east, countless lights glittered like stars scattered across the ground. Yet one of them shone brighter than all the rest in his eyes—the Li Family Blacksmith Shop.

A faint smile still played on his lips, but his eyes were as deep as an ancient well. They reflected the night beyond the window, and a storm soon to sweep across Luoyun City.

The City Lord's Mansion, Black Wind Mountain... One in the open, one in the shadows. Both forces believed themselves to be the Chess Player.

The City Lord's Mansion wanted to maintain stability, stamping out every destabilizing element before it could take root.

The bandits of Black Wind Mountain, meanwhile, wanted to build their strength in secret and strike Luoyun City a devastating blow.

They were all making their moves.

Unfortunately, they had no idea that a true observer had joined the game.

No—what fun was simply watching?

Xuanyuan didn't like being a passive spectator.

He preferred to step into the game himself, becoming the one who decided the Chess Pieces' fates—or even overturned the whole board.

"Black Heavy Iron... Mysterious Iron Heavy Hammer..."

He murmured the two phrases, his fingers tracing the cold window frame as if sketching an invisible weapon of death.

For a Body Cultivator, weapons were paramount. A good weapon that suited its wielder could boost their strength by thirty percent.

Since the leader of Black Wind Mountain was willing to pay such a high price and take such a huge risk to forge a weapon right under the City Lord's Mansion's nose, his ambitions were clearly considerable.

And that weapon, soon to be completed, was the first support of his plan.

Xuanyuan closed the