Jin Yu rode through the crooked, winding streets without a map, letting instinct guide him. His gaze stayed cold, distant.
As he pressed on, he sensed a subtle shift in the air. The aura here was different from the entrance of the town, the oppressive lifelessness had thinned, replaced by something... active.
The place no longer looked entirely dead. People milled about, their faces mostly covered or shadowed by cloaks and hoods. But Jin Yu couldn't call them normal.
They walked upright and moved like humans, but they reeked of unholy Qi, tainted and unnatural, like corpses forced to breathe.
His horse snorted uneasily.
Jin Yu finally came to a stop in front of a tavern. At first glance, it looked no different from the many decrepit buildings lining the streets, its wood dark with rot, sign half-hanging, the door slightly ajar.
But the scent that wafted from within was sharp like smoke, blood, and roasted meat. Beneath it, something more subtle: metallic, like old coins… or dried blood.
He dismounted, his boots tapping softly on the dark stone as he approached the entrance.
Just as he reached for the door—
“You reek of arrogance,” someone muttered from nearby.
Jin Yu turned slightly. A man leaned against the tavern’s wall, face hidden beneath a hood, the tip of a blood-red dagger spinning between his fingers.
“I like that smell,” the man added with a grin. “It means you’ll bleed well.”
Jin Yu didn’t reply. He stepped into the tavern, not sparing the man a second glance.
Inside, it was dim, lit by greenish flames flickering from sconces nailed crookedly to the walls. The tables were full, but no one spoke loudly. The noise was hushed, like whispers in a tomb.
Heads turned when Jin Yu entered. Some eyes widened at his different attire. Others narrowed, calculating.
He walked calmly to the bar, his presence unnatural in a place like this. Regal. Out of place. Dangerous.
The bartender, a tall woman with silver hair and skin pale as wax, looked him over, then set a rusted cup down.
“We don’t serve outsiders.” she said without emotion.
“I’m not here to drink.” Jin Yu dropped a small pouch onto the counter. The thump it made silenced even the whispers.
“I need information.”
The woman’s fingers moved slightly like some kind of signal.
Ding!
Influence +5,000
Ding!
Influence +5,000
Ding!
Influence +5,000
Ding!
Influence +5,000
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(Emotion provoked: Killing intent)
Within seconds, a man stood behind Jin Yu. Then another, to his right. A third blocked the doorway. Their dark aura pressed on him tightly, but the moment it touched him, it disappeared.
Jin Yu didn’t turn. He simply lowered his head slightly.
Ding!
Hostile Intent Detected.
Absorbing… 43.4%... 43.5%... 43.6%...
His eyes narrowed.
“Then let me give you some for free.” he said coldly.
Jin Yu didn’t move at first. The air thickened with pressure as the men around him smirked, certain they’d cornered prey.
Then—
Crack!
The man behind him was sent flying through a table with a backhand Jin Yu didn’t even turn to deliver. Wood shattered. Drinks spilled. Screams followed.
Before the others could react, Jin Yu moved.
He twisted, his leg sweeping low and catching the second attacker in the knee. A sickening pop rang out before the man crumpled, shrieking.
"ARRRRRRRRRGHHH!"
Ding!
Influence +5,000 (Killing intent)
Ding!
Influence +5,000 (Fury)
Ding!
Influence +5,000 (Killing intent)
Ding!
Influence +5,000 (Fear)
The third tried to retreat through the door, but Jin Yu appeared in front of him like a ghost, hand glowing faintly red.
He struck the man’s chest.
Bang!
The door shattered behind him as he flew clean through it, landing unconscious in the street.
Silence claimed the tavern.
No one dared breathe.
The silver-haired bartender slowly raised her gaze, meeting Jin Yu’s expressionless eyes. The pouch still sat on the counter, untouched.
Ding!
Influence +5,000 (Fear)
Jin Yu calmly dusted his sleeves. “As I said,” He spoke coldly. “I need information.”
She nodded quickly. “Ask.”
“I want to know everything, who runs this place, how many factions control Blackflame Reach, where they gather… and if anyone’s been moving large groups of prisoners or slaves through this region in the past week.”
She hesitated.
Jin Yu’s aura surged again.
Cracks ran down the bar.
The green flames along the walls flickered, dimmed.
The bartender swallowed.
“You’re looking for the Bone Consortium.” she said quickly. “They handle movement of goods, people too. They don’t answer to anyone. Their base is past the Scorched Hollow, near the charred ruins at the base of Mount Dread.”
“Who leads them?”
“They don’t have one. They answer only to the ‘Silent Bell.’ A masked figure. No one’s seen their face.”
Jin Yu was silent for a beat. Then, his voice dropped even lower.
“Map.”
The bartender blinked.
“Give me a map,” Jin Yu repeated. “Detailed. With routes, hideouts, and names. If you’re going to spill blood, spill it smart.”
She scrambled beneath the counter and pulled out an old parchment scroll. Jin Yu took it, scanned the markings, then stored it in his ring.
“Good.”
He turned to leave, pausing beside the body of the first attacker.
“Anyone else wants to test me,” he said, his voice slicing through the thick air of the tavern. “send them in groups. I don’t like being interrupted one by one.”
With that, he walked out, calm and untouchable.
The street outside had gone quiet.
His stallion was waiting.
He mounted, adjusted the reins, and rode into the shadows of Blackflame Reach, the blood-stained dust settling behind him.
-----
Jin Yu tugged the reins, bringing his horse to a slow halt in front of the worn-down tavern. Its sign creaked in the wind, yet chatter still buzzed faintly from within.
He cast a sidelong glance at the street, crooked figures lingered in shadows, eyes following him like vultures waiting for a fall.
But he paid them no mind.
With a smooth motion, he raised his right hand slightly, letting a fine silver mist coil around it—the Misty Veil Technique.
It cloaked his movements with gentle, flowing illusions, like a waterfall dancing in moonlight. Beneath the veil, he summoned the orb with a flick of intent.
Wum...
The Floating Mansion’s miniature form pulsed faintly in his palm.
Jin Yu’s fingers brushed its surface, and in a whisper of light, a pouch appeared, light but firm with the clink of minted Gold Coins.
The bag had Min Li's scent all over it, the over flattering boy probably stuffed it with more than necessary.
He tucked it into his robes.
Only then did he swing off the horse, landing softly on the cracked stone road. His eyes stayed sharp as ever, but his aura dulled to a level just above unnoticeable. Not because he feared anything, but because he didn’t want to waste effort.
Without a word, he strode in.
The moment Jin Yu stepped through the tavern’s dim threshold, the scent of wine and wood polish hit him. Conversations hushed slightly, only to resume with forced ease. No one dared stare too long, but he could still feel eyes watching from tankards and corners.
Before he could take another step, a small voice chirped out, smooth and syrupy.
"Welcome, Esteemed Guest!"
From behind the counter emerged an elderly man, hunchbacked but quick on his feet, a smile plastered across his wrinkled face like it had been carved there long ago.
"Please, please," the man gestured with both hands, bowing deeply. "If you seek rest and quiet, you've come to the right place. This humble inn may not be the grandest, but we pride ourselves on peace and privacy."
Ding!
Influence +5000
(Emotion provoked: Sinister Intent]
Jin Yu didn’t react. His face remained impassive, but his mind stayed alert. The system never lied.
Still, on the surface, the old innkeeper seemed nothing but warmth. He shuffled forward, wiping his hands on a clean cloth before bowing again.
"If it pleases you, we still have a few rooms on the upper floor, quiet corners, away from the noise. Hot water will be drawn, and if you'd like, we can have a meal sent up."
"I'll take a room." Jin Yu replied coolly, his voice distant but firm.
"Of course! Just two Gold Coins for the night." The innkeeper extended a hand with a low bow.
Jin Yu reached into his robe, retrieved the pouch he’d just taken from the orb, and dropped two coins into the old man's palm.
"Room eight, top of the stairs and to your left." the man smiled again, eyes squinting kindly. "If there's anything else you need, just call. We pride ourselves on discretion here, sir."
Discretion. Right.
Without a word, Jin Yu turned and headed up the stairs, his steps light and measured. The walls groaned around him, but he never loosened his guard.
Even behind warmth, there were always fangs.
