Under the Gun

Night hung low, and Nine Treasures City blazed with lights.

A high-end couples' hotel funded by the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect stood in a bustling district, surrounded by crowds.

A sharp shower had just swept through Nine Treasures City, leaving the air damp.

The hotel's shimmering sign stood out against the night. At the side entrance, the automatic doors slid open without a sound.

A middle-aged man in a black robe slipped inside.

He pulled down his hat brim, glanced at the gold-embossed room card in his hand, then strode toward the elevator.

"520... An auspicious number."

The man muttered to himself as he entered the elevator.

In the room, Bird Bro lounged on the large bed, bored out of his mind. He tore into a strip of dried Soul Beast meat, eating as he grumbled.

"Owl's so stingy. Couldn't he have given me a few more Gold Soul Coins? Who knew hotels run by the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect were this expensive? One night here costs what an ordinary family spends in a month."

It was already his third day here, and he was penniless.

Bird Bro bit into the jerky. His mind drifted to the news he had heard while contacting the other Clones last night—

A beast called the Netherflame Duke had been stripped of everything. Those guys had done a fine job!

"Now that's satisfying!" He grinned and stuffed another large piece of jerky into his mouth.

"To celebrate a haul that big, I've got to treat myself to a proper meal tonight."

He finished the last of his rations and patted his stomach in satisfaction.

"That old bastard Main Body will reach Nine Treasures City tomorrow anyway. Then someone else can feed me, and I won't have to pinch pennies."

The thought lifted