Demon Ember Guild

Upon hearing Su Lan's words, Lin Qing instantly pieced together the whole story. It must have been that day at the Wilderness Inn, when he revealed his strength and slew a Third-Tier Late Stage martial artist with a single sword strike, that Skyvault Pavilion learned of him.

He had not deliberately concealed himself at the time, and the commotion had been rather great. It was only natural for Skyvault Pavilion to have gathered the information.

Seeing Lin Qing's expression soften, Su Lan's eyes immediately flashed with delight. She struck while the iron was hot, her crisp voice sincere as she continued:

"How about it, Young Master Xie Chen? Would you seriously consider joining our Demon Ember Guild?"

Lin Qing gently shook his head, his tone calm. "No need."

With that, he turned and prepared to leave directly.

Seeing that Lin Qing was leaving without the slightest reluctance, Su Lan immediately grew anxious. Her lotus steps shifted lightly as she swiftly circled in front of him.

"Hey, hey, hey, Young Master Xie Chen, wait a moment! Don't be in such a hurry to leave!"

The fingers gripping Lin Qing's longsword tightened slightly.

Su Lan raised her head and looked earnestly at the young man before her, so young yet terrifyingly powerful. She spoke each word distinctly:

"Our Demon Ember Guild is one of the top three major guilds in Wildgoose City. If you are willing to join us, you will avoid countless troubles in Wildgoose City in the future."

Lin Qing halted, his gaze falling on the young woman blocking his way. He asked mildly, "What troubles?"

He had only just arrived in Wildgoose City and knew little of the undercurrents flowing beneath this great martial city. He did want to hear precisely what troubles she meant.

Seeing that he was willing to listen, Su Lan immediately began to explain slowly, her tone growing more solemn:

"You are only nineteen, yet you already possess the terrifying combat strength of the Third-Tier Peak. Such talent is rare even once in a hundred years across the entire Summer Kingdom."

"Now, it is not only our Demon Ember Guild that wants to recruit you. The other major forces in the city have also received word and are already secretly planning to send people to win you over."

"You understand the saying that a tall tree catches the wind, don't you? For every person who envies your talent, there will be another who covets it."

At this point, Su Lan lowered her voice slightly, a hint of warning in her tone.

"Quite a few malicious people are even certain that you possess some great treasure. Otherwise, there is no way you could have cultivated to such a realm at your age."

"When open recruitment fails, they will harbor ill intentions in secret, waiting for a chance to strike and seize your opportunities."

"But if you join our Demon Ember Guild, you will have a solid layer of protection. Our guild can promise you this: we will never pry into the secrets of your past, nor covet any of the opportunities on you. We merely wish to give you a place to settle."

Every word of this was true, and it struck directly at Lin Qing's most pressing difficulty.

Hearing this, Lin Qing fell silent. His upright figure stood on the street as he sank into thought.

It had to be said that Su Lan's words had struck home. A nineteen-year-old at the Third-Tier Peak—anyone who saw him would think he concealed some heaven-defying treasure.

He also understood the principle that an ordinary man was innocent, but possessing a jade made him guilty.

After a moment, Lin Qing raised his eyes to Su Lan and slowly asked, "How does the Hidden Dragon Ranking describe me?"

This was also what he was most curious about at the moment—just how much of his information had the Hidden Dragon Ranking compiled by Skyvault Pavilion revealed?

Seeing that he had finally loosened up, Su Lan hurriedly replied, "The Hidden Dragon Ranking's record of you is quite simple: Xie Chen, nineteen years old, cultivation suspected to be Third-Tier Peak."

"The appended comment says that, on a moonlit night, someone disturbed your enjoyment of the moon. Enraged, you drew your sword and instantly slew a Third-Tier Late Stage martial artist with one strike. Your combat strength is extraordinary."

As her words fell, Su Lan could not help but chuckle. "Now the martial world has even given you a very elegant nickname—Moonlit Wanderer."

"Moonlit Wanderer..."

Lin Qing murmured the title under his breath.

He gathered his thoughts and stopped dwelling on it. Changing the subject, he looked deep into the bustling streets and asked in a low voice, "Where is Skyvault Pavilion in Wildgoose City?"

Su Lan was slightly startled, not expecting him to suddenly ask about Skyvault Pavilion. Then she pointed toward the west side of the city and carefully gave him directions:

"Follow this main street west, pass through three busy market streets, and on the most prosperous Skylark Street, the grandest pavilion is Skyvault Pavilion. You cannot miss it."

Lin Qing nodded slightly, his gaze tranquil.

"As for the guild, allow me to consider it first."

"Once I have made up my mind, I will give you an answer."

After saying that, he no longer lingered. Following the direction Su Lan had given him, he headed toward Skyvault Pavilion in the west of the city.

He passed through long streets teeming with people. Restaurants and tea houses lined the way, while martial artists came and went without end. Compared to Cloudmist Prefecture, Wildgoose City's prosperity was an entirely different world.

Before long, a magnificent and imposing pavilion entered Lin Qing's view.

It was completely different from the Skyvault Pavilion in Azure Sun County, which had been hidden in the Black Market, tucked away in a secluded corner, and kept an exceedingly low profile.

Wildgoose City's Skyvault Pavilion stood openly and unapologetically in the middle of the most bustling part of Skylark Street. The entire building was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, its upturned eaves soaring high. Beneath the lingering glow of the setting sun, its gilded roof tiles gleamed brilliantly, its decor luxurious and grand to the extreme.

People streamed in and out of the pavilion entrance. Even in daytime, Skyvault Pavilion's doors were crowded with guests.

Lin Qing adjusted his collar and stepped up the stone stairs. A servant standing guard at the entrance hurried forward, bowed, and led him to the door of a quiet, elegant private room.

As the wooden door opened, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted toward him.

The private room's furnishings were ancient and elegant, its table exquisitely crafted, and its soundproofing excellent.

The moment Lin Qing stepped inside, a black-robed figure seated across the table abruptly raised his head. Through the heavy black cloth, the figure seemed to recognize his identity at a glance.

A hoarse, muffled voice slowly sounded:

"Young Master Xie Chen, please wait a moment."

As the words fell, the black-robed man stood and withdrew through the private room's rear door.

Lin Qing sat down calmly and waited in silence.

Not long afterward, the rear door gave a soft sound, and a new figure slowly entered.

This person was likewise covered head to toe in a black robe, but compared to the previous man, his body was visibly hunched and aged. Even his steps carried the twilight weariness accumulated by the years.

The old man slowly walked to the table and sat down. From beneath the black robe came an aged voice, each word deliberate and crystal clear:

"Young Master Lin Qing."

Even though Lin Qing had deliberately tempered his state of mind, his heart still trembled slightly at this moment.

However, after a brief flash of astonishment, Lin Qing accepted it.

His identity as Xie Chen had originally been a false identity he purchased with silver from Skyvault Pavilion in Azure Sun County.

It was not particularly strange that Skyvault Pavilion could uncover his true name.

Lin Qing lifted his eyes toward the black-robed elder opposite him and came straight to the point, stating his purpose directly.

"I came this time to ask whether my ranking on the Hidden Dragon Ranking can be canceled."

This was his first purpose in coming here. Being pushed onto the crest of the waves did not suit his usual way of doing things.

The aged voice slowly spoke, carrying a trace of helplessness and the rigidity of rules:

"My sincerest apologies, Young Master Lin. This old man cannot comply."

"The Hidden Dragon Ranking and the Heaven Ranking are the core business upon which Skyvault Pavilion has established itself in the martial world. We do our utmost to ensure the authenticity and reliability of both rankings."

"This time, only because your identity as Xie Chen originated from Skyvault Pavilion did we make an exception and conceal quite a bit of your crucial information."

Lin Qing had expected this already and had not held much hope for it in the first place.

Since canceling his ranking was impossible, he did not continue to press the matter. Instead, he changed the subject and revealed the true purpose of this visit.

"Since that is the case, I will ask about something else."

"Within Wildgoose City, where can I obtain Fourth Tier cultivation methods?"

"And I need a large quantity—at least five or more."

Hearing this, the black-robed elder was clearly stunned. His tone carried a trace of surprise.

"Did you not already obtain a Fourth Tier cultivation method that day, Young Master? Why are you still seeking so many more Fourth Tier cultivation methods?"

Lin Qing's expression remained indifferent, neither sorrowful nor joyful.

"The Fourth Tier cultivation method I currently possess does not suit my own path of martial cultivation very well. I wish to gather more methods and compare them against one another."

The elder suddenly understood. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke and directly listed three avenues:

"Since you ask, this old man will give you three methods of obtaining Fourth Tier cultivation methods for free."

"First, plunder and seize them. Wildgoose City is home to many Third-Tier Peak martial artists, and even quite a few Fourth Tier experts. Most of them treasure various Fourth Tier cultivation methods. If you possess sufficient strength, you may take them from others."

"Second, the auction houses in the city. The mountains and forests outside the city are dangerous not only because of fierce beasts, but also because of countless desperate criminals. After they seize cultivation methods from those at the Third-Tier Peak or Fourth Tier, they put those Fourth Tier cultivation methods of unknown origin up for auction in Wildgoose City's auction houses."

"Third, purchase them directly from Skyvault Pavilion. One Fourth Tier cultivation method costs one million taels of silver."

Lin Qing was somewhat surprised.

"You sell cultivation methods too?"

The voice beneath the elder's black robe held a faint smile.

"Of course. We also sell martial skills. After all, the essence of both is information."

After learning of the three paths, Lin Qing did not stay any longer. He rose, bade the elder farewell, and left Skyvault Pavilion.

One million taels—of course he did not have that much! After looting the three people at the Wilderness Inn, the silver on him had risen back to one hundred thousand taels, but that was still far too far from one million.

Standing on the bustling, prosperous street where carriages and horses flowed like water, Lin Qing felt the evening breeze carry the warmth of everyday life as it gently brushed past him. Though the heavy night curtain shrouded heaven and earth, it brought no dim stillness.

The entire Wildgoose City was ablaze with lights. Shops and pavilions along both sides of the street had lit their lamps. Glass lanterns, revolving lanterns, and hanging lanterns stood layer upon layer, their warm golden glow stretching across ten miles of street, overlapping radiance driving away the blackness of night.

Pedestrians, carriages, and horses reflected amid the scattered lights. Shifting gleams danced through the roaring crowds, setting off the night of this great martial city in all its noisy prosperity.

The matter of cultivation methods could only be postponed for now. Lin Qing found an inn by the street and rested there temporarily.

Wildgoose City's prices were several times higher than those of Cloudmist Prefecture.

A few simple dishes and a single night's lodging cost him twenty taels of silver.

The night passed without incident. After resting for the night, dawn broke the following morning.

Lin Qing rose early, intending to visit one of the city's property brokers to rent a quiet little courtyard and settle down for the time being.

Yet who would have thought that the moment he stepped out of the inn, a familiar figure appeared before him once more?

Su Lan had been waiting outside the inn since early morning. The moment she saw Lin Qing emerge, she quickly stepped forward, anticipation in her eyes.

"Young Master Xie Chen, after a night of consideration, you must have made up your mind, right? Are you willing to join our Demon Ember Guild?"

Seeing this, Lin Qing was speechless.

After they parted yesterday, he had not seriously considered the matter of joining the guild at all. He had not expected Su Lan to be so anxious that she would wait here from early morning.

But upon careful thought, his current situation truly was extremely dangerous. The reputation of a nineteen-year-old Third-Tier Peak was far too eye-catching. In the eyes of others, he was a fat piece of meat holding a great treasure, and everyone wanted to take a bite.

If he could join a top-tier guild, it would be equivalent to gaining another protective umbrella.

With the guild standing behind him, more than half of the open recruitment attempts and secret schemes would be blocked.

And those powerful Fourth Tier experts who wished to secretly strike at him would also have to fear the force behind him to some degree.

Back when Lin Qing was at the Second-Tier Peak, he had already condensed the Blood-Essence River, granting him Qi and blood as vast and powerful as that of a Third-Tier Peak martial artist.

After breaking through to the Third Tier, his power of Qi and blood underwent another explosive increase. Coupled with his peerless control over his body, even against a Fourth-Tier Early Stage martial artist, he could fight—and perhaps not even fall into a disadvantage.

But Wildgoose City concealed crouching tigers and hidden dragons; its waters ran deep beyond measure. There were several Fourth-Tier Late Stage experts in plain sight alone, while no one knew how many top experts hid in the shadows.

With his current strength, it was still difficult for him to protect himself in this great city.

With this thought in mind, Lin Qing looked at Su Lan before him and said:

"Let's find a place to talk first."

Su Lan was delighted upon hearing this. She followed Lin Qing back into the inn, where they rented a private room and sat facing each other.

Lin Qing asked the question that concerned him most:

"If I join your guild, will I normally be required to act with the group and forbidden from going out alone without permission?"

This was crucial to him. He had always made his own arrangements for cultivation and did not wish to have his hands and feet bound by guild rules.

Su Lan immediately shook her head and answered earnestly:

"Not at all. Our guild does not have such rigid rules."

"Our leader and Uncle also usually act alone."

"However, you are only at the Third Tier now, so I do not recommend that you venture deep into dangerous places alone to hunt fierce beasts. But if you insist on acting alone, the guild will not interfere much. Everything will be according to your own wishes."

Hearing this answer, Lin Qing immediately let out a breath of relief inwardly.

Next, he asked a series of key questions concerning resource allocation and other matters.

Su Lan patiently answered each one.

Once all his doubts had received satisfactory answers, Lin Qing raised his eyes and slowly said:

"Since that is the case, then I agree."