Chapter 27: The Dark Emperor City

Chapter 27: The Dark Emperor City

Ning Xiaochuan asked curiously, "What is the Dark Emperor City?"

Though Gou Sheng's cultivation level wasn't high, he was a know-it-all. "The Dark Emperor City is right beneath our feet, yet ordinary people can neither see nor touch it. It's an extremely mysterious place."

Ning Xiaochuan was still puzzled. Wasn't this the imperial city of the Yulan Empire? Could there really be another city beneath the ground?

Yu Yan's lips trembled slightly as she hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I... know a little about this."

Both Ning Xiaochuan and Gou Sheng turned their gazes toward her.

Yu Yan spoke timidly, "The imperial city we see is merely its surface. But this city has another side—a dark one, filled with places and transactions unknown to most. Brothels, underground gambling dens, the Assassin Guild, underground auction houses, underground martial arenas... The swindlers, thieves, bandits, prostitutes, and criminals roaming the streets—all of them are, to some extent, connected to a mysterious dark organization."

"It's like sunlight shining upon the earth. The illuminated areas represent the world we can see. The places untouched by light belong to the dark world, the one hidden from our eyes."

"This dark organization has ruled everything beneath the imperial city for centuries. Even some noble households have deep ties to it. This vast dark organization is called—the Dark Emperor City."

"So, the Dark Emperor City isn’t actually a physical city. It refers to a massive and enigmatic dark organization."

"The influence of the Dark Emperor City is immense. Through their hidden power, they can even sway the will of the imperial court. The court has long sought to eradicate them, but the Dark Emperor City is deeply entrenched, with roots stretching back hundreds of years—almost to the founding of the Yulan Empire. Even the might of the court struggles to uproot them completely."

"The court has even dispatched troops to dismantle the Dark Emperor City's operations. Yet, every time they launch a major crackdown, within a few years, the Dark Emperor City resurges, reclaiming its rule over the imperial city’s underworld. One could say they share governance with the court, though their methods remain hidden from the public eye."

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Then why doesn’t the court just storm the Dark Emperor City’s lair and execute its ruler? Wouldn’t that collapse the organization?"

Yu Yan shook her head gently. "It’s not that simple. The Dark Emperor City’s headquarters is incredibly secretive and constantly shifting. The high-ranking officials in the court likely don’t even know the identity of the Necropolis Lord, let alone the location of their headquarters."

Especially when she mentioned the name "Necropolis Lord," fear flashed in her eyes. She lowered her voice, as if speaking too loudly might draw his attention—and bring misfortune upon herself.

Although it was Ning Xiaochuan's first time hearing the legend of the Dark Emperor City, he could sense the immense power of that mysterious dark organization. Gazing in the direction where the army had departed, he said, "This time, the imperial court has mobilized both the Dragon Elephant Divine Warriors and the Dragon Warriors. It’s possible they’ve truly located the lair of the Dark Emperor City. A world-shaking battle is inevitable."

Lin Sanzhi had been silently listening to their conversation until now, when he let out a faint cold snort. "I doubt it. If the Dragon Elephant Divine Warriors and the Crimson Armor Battalion are making such a big show of surrounding the Dark Emperor City’s lair, I, as the Chief Leader of the Dark Emperor City, would have long since slipped away. The imperial army may be strong, but after centuries of peace, they’ve long since rotted from within. I guarantee there are already people from the Dark Emperor City among the troops sent to suppress them. With such a hollow display, they think they can take down the Dark Emperor City? They might as well wait to eat dust!"

To dismiss the Dragon Elephant Divine Warriors and the Dragon Warriors as mere hollow displays—this blind fortune-teller certainly had quite the audacity.

Gou Sheng scoffed, "Tch, ignore him. Huang Sanchui loves to brag. Noble sir, let’s go find that tree!"

Ning Xiaochuan didn’t find Lin Sanzhi’s words unreasonable. On the contrary, he thought there was some truth to them—perhaps the man was an extraordinary figure. But right now, his only concern was finding the Blood Toad Wood as quickly as possible, so he didn’t press further and simply followed Gou Sheng as they walked out of the market.

"Gou Sheng, where are you going? I see darkness between your brows—a sign of impending misfortune. Don’t wander into places you shouldn’t!" Lin Sanzhi called after them.

"Don’t mind him. Huang Sanchui has no skills besides bragging. Yesterday, he also said I had darkness between my brows, and nothing happened at all," Gou Sheng said.

Ning Xiaochuan, Gou Sheng, and Yu Yan had already left the South Mountain Gathering.

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "You seem quite familiar with this Master Huang. Who is he?"

"A neighbor. The old man was close with my grandfather and often came to our house to freeload meals. Rumor has it he once served in the military but suffered a crushing defeat—lost his sight and seven fingers—then left the army and came to the South Mountain Gathering to swindle people. Claims to tell fortunes, but really just scams money," Gou Sheng explained.

Yu Yan said, "Brother Gou Sheng, earlier you said you consulted him for an auspicious day to conduct business, which is why you came to sell tree leaves to my young master. If he’s just a fraud, doesn’t that mean you deceived us too?"

Gou Sheng’s expression immediately turned awkward, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Miss… could you not call me Gou Sheng? That’s just a childhood name. My real name is ‘Murong Wushuang.’ If you don’t mind, you can call me ‘Wushuang Gongzi.’"

Yu Yan looked at Gou Sheng’s disheveled appearance and messy hair, finding it impossible to connect him with the name "Murong Wushuang." Her beautiful eyes studied him for a long moment before she suddenly burst into laughter.

Ning Xiaochuan had already known Murong Wushuang was deceiving him, but he didn’t mind in the slightest. If he didn’t let himself be fooled, how else could he get Murong Wushuang to obediently lead him to the Blood Toad Wood?

"Where exactly is our destination?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

"South Moon Mountain," Murong Wushuang replied.

"I have a Green Deer Horse Carriage. If you drive, we should get there much faster."

Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Yan boarded the Green Deer Horse Carriage and settled inside. Meanwhile, Murong Wushuang sat outside, taking up the reins. With a crack of the whip against the horse’s flank, the carriage shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Inside, Ning Xiaochuan reclined on a soft divan woven from fine chiffon silk, while Yu Yan knelt below, preparing tea. Her slender, snow-white fingers held a crystal cup, which she wiped clean with a silk cloth before pouring steaming tea into it. She waited until the temperature cooled slightly before offering it to Ning Xiaochuan.

Holding the fragrant Palm Leaf Tea, Ning Xiaochuan didn’t drink immediately. Instead, he asked, "Yu Yan, you seem very familiar with the Dark Emperor City. Is it because the Jade Viewing Pavilion is one of their businesses?"

Yu Yan was still young, a year or two younger than Ning Xiaochuan. Her skin was delicate, her figure slender, and though she lacked Yu Ningsheng’s ethereal grace, she carried the fresh charm of a girl next door.

She pursed her rosy lips lightly, hesitating for a moment before answering, "For the Jade Viewing Pavilion to establish itself in the imperial city, it naturally has powerful backing. Whether it’s directly tied to the Dark Emperor City is hard to say, but it certainly has significant connections with them. To be precise, every brothel in the imperial capital must have ties to the Dark Emperor City—otherwise, it wouldn’t survive here."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded faintly. An organization as colossal as the Dark Emperor City was not something he dared provoke at this stage. He had only asked out of idle curiosity.

The South Mountain Gathering earned its name because it bordered South Moon Mountain.

As the saying goes, those near mountains live off mountains, those near water live off water.

South Moon Mountain was dense with forests, treacherous peaks, and deep valleys, nurturing many rare Mystic Medicines. The impoverished residents of the South Mountain Gathering often ventured into the mountains in search of these medicines. Finding just one could sustain them for a year.

Of course, the terrain was perilous, and ferocious beasts and Profound Beasts frequently roamed the area. Ordinary people wouldn’t dare venture deep into the mountains—unless they had a death wish.

At the foot of South Moon Mountain, the Green Deer Horse Carriage came to a halt. The road ended here, forcing them to proceed on foot. They left the carriage in a nearby village.

"The paths in South Moon Mountain are rough, and our destination lies deep within. It’ll likely take two days, meaning we’ll have to camp in the mountains tonight and tomorrow night," Murong Wushuang said, carrying a large pack of provisions bought from the village. He wielded a chopping knife, hacking through the undergrowth to clear a path for Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan followed at a steady pace, also carrying a pack.

As for Yu Yan, fearing the dangers of South Moon Mountain, Ning Xiaochuan had left her behind in the village.

The forest was so thick that Ning Xiaochuan couldn’t gauge how far they had traveled. They passed through dense woods, scaled a cliff, and skirted a lake. By nightfall, they had only covered about 30 kilometers.

This was only possible because both he and Murong Wushuang possessed exceptional physical strength. Had they brought Yu Yan along, they would have barely managed 4 or 5 kilometers by now.

Martial artists possess physical abilities many times greater than ordinary people, so their speed is naturally much faster.

Along the way, Ning Xiaochuan had come to realize that this youth named Murong Wushuang was actually a formidable martial artist who had been hiding his true strength, with cultivation no weaker than his own.

Ning Xiaochuan began to tread carefully, knowing how treacherous human nature could be in this world. If he were killed deep in the mountains, the Silver Coins on him would undoubtedly be plundered clean.