Destiny in Cinders

It was close to noon as they made their way back to the teahouse and the streets were filling up. Only the Hidden Earth ability kept the crowd from spotting the boy and girl openly sprinting across rooftops and walls. As soon as they returned to the teahouse, An Jing had You Ruhui withdraw her ability.

”What are you...”

While she secretly questioned his mental state, An Jing seemed completely rational. ”Don’t forget, the True Fiend Cult has always targeted this teahouse. The only reason they haven’t launched a full-scale attack yet is because Madam Huai isn’t a major threat to them. They know they can force her out whenever they want, so they’re in no hurry.

”Now that I’m here, even if they initially wanted me as a living sacrifice, they’d rather see me dead if I’m giving them too much trouble. That’s exactly why I have to flaunt myself before their eyes—to make them think they have everything under control. It’ll also give me a chance to strike.”

You Ruhui couldn’t find a single argument against An Jing’s audacious yet completely logical plan. With him taking the lead, she could only nod in agreement. ”Come find me if you need me to conceal you with that... invisibility spell again.”

She was still trying to hide the fact that Hidden Earth was an ability, but An Jing, who already knew the truth, just brushed it off. ”Right, the invisibility spell. I’ll keep that in mind.”

”In any case, let me help you.” After much thought, You Ruhui decided An Jing’s plan was far too reckless. Letting out a sigh, she closed her right fist. When she unfolded her fingers, a piece of jade with a strange, iridescent glow appeared in her palm. ”You can use this jade fragment to contact me. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there to help.”

”How so?” With You Ruhui taking such a direct approach, An Jing found it impossible to refuse. He accepted the jade fragment, only to realize it felt completely weightless in his palm. It disappeared the moment it touched his body, and could be removed just as easily. ”How convenient.”

”I can build an altar and cast the invisibility spell from a distance!” Without uttering a single word, You Ruhui’s voice echoed directly in An Jing’s mind, channeled through that piece of jade.

Glancing at her meaningfully, An Jing nodded and said, ”Thanks a bunch, then.” With the ability removed, he turned and headed for the street.

You Ruhui stood frozen in front of the teahouse for some time. Once An Jing had disappeared into the distance, she shook her head before heading back inside the shop, caught between a laugh and a sigh.

This jade fragment... is really something else. An Jing fell deep into thought. This is just like the tactical communications system from my past life. It allows constant, real-time communication and even long-range spell projection. A military unit that has access to this would be virtually invincible. Does this power stem from imperial blood? Or is it tied to mandates?

Given his experience and the Spark, An Jing easily deduced that the jade fragment’s seemingly simple function was actually a simplified version of an extremely intricate and complex ritual. It was one thing when he had never experienced it firsthand, but now that he had, it was incredibly hard to resist!

”It’s not often you get a helping hand.” Yvelbane acknowledged You Ruhui’s kind intentions, but An Jing just shook his head.

”It’s honestly for the best if she never gets a chance to help me. Think about it—on the surface, her problems are way worse than mine, considering I bear a ’miracle’ arc. If I can take care of things myself, it’ll keep her from causing even bigger trouble.”

Absorbed in his thoughts, An Jing stepped back onto the street to find it mostly empty. The snowfall intensified, driving the street vendors away and forcing most shops to close. Only a few large stores stayed open, though they stood entirely empty. Gray snow now blanketed the once dry, tidy streets.

After surviving the snow calamity, An Jing knew that what seemed like the height of winter was just a prelude. Soon, a blizzard would hit, thick enough to swallow half a doorway by morning. A few more days of this, and entire homes would be completely submerged, the whole town vanishing silently into the vast, white expanse.

However, Keensight wouldn’t be completely erased. The snow calamity’s effects weren’t that intense this far out. Even two weeks of continuous snowfall would only bury one or two floors. Still, it would claim the vast majority of Keensight’s inhabitants.

The city manager must live, the terrestrial veins must not be disrupted, and the True Fiend Cult must be destroyed. These were An Jing’s three primary objectives. Only a living city manager could wield the ability to dispel the blizzard, defend Keensight, and preserve its population of nearly a million.

Protecting the terrestrial veins was critical. Any disturbance would compromise You Ruhui’s ability, exposing her to the True Fiend Cult and Grand Chen. At that point, the girl would undoubtedly be surrounded by a horde of powerful figures, trapping him right alongside her. He was sick of running and refused to face another tense, adrenaline-fueled escape between two worlds.

As for the cult... Alone on the snow-covered street, An Jing suddenly erupted into laughter. So warm and optimistic was his laughter that the few pedestrians on the street couldn’t help but turn around, hopelessly infected as smiles crept onto their faces. In reality, An Jing was plotting how to slaughter every last true fiend follower.

Just as he drew near the Fullyield Pawn Shop, his familiar laugh caught the ear of the shopkeeper. The man peeked out and rushed out to greet him. ”Ah, Young Master Xuan! What an honor...”

”It’s only been a few days, Shopkeeper, and you’re looking much better!” An Jing studied the man. With the sudden drop in temperature, the shopkeeper was now sporting a felt hat which completely hid his prominent bald head, making him almost unrecognizable at first glance. He looked absolutely radiant, his face carrying a vibrant sheen that made him seem like a completely different man.

”Hehe, to be honest with you, your talismans were snapped up by another distinguished customer right away. They were in need of those focus talismans and paid quite handsomely for them.” Grinning broadly, the shopkeeper thrust his belly forward as he ushered An Jing into the shop and called for an assistant to serve some tea.

”I heard what happened recently. You intervened for the sake of justice, yet those constables gave you a hard time! Absolute beasts, the lot of them! It’s a shame I wasn’t there, or I would have gladly vouched for you, Young Master Xuan!”

The shopkeeper looked thoroughly indignant on his behalf, but An Jing merely smiled. ”It doesn’t matter, the constables are only trying to keep the city safe. But... I brought in a whole set of talismans. A hunting team couldn’t have bought them all. Who picked up the rest?”

Under normal circumstances, he would never disclose this sort of information to a customer. But with his promotion to headquarters already secured, the shopkeeper didn’t care if An Jing cut out the middleman to deal directly. Out of personal regard for An Jing, he said, ”It was Honor Pavilion, of course. That hunting team is actually one of the forces they fund. Word is that Boss Lu is getting up there in years, but he’s desperate to make a breakthrough before his vigor completely fades. He’s aiming to climb the stairway to heaven and is spending incredibly lavishly these days to make it happen.”

An Jing arched an eyebrow, putting on an act of surprise to hide the fact that he already knew. ”So it’s actually Boss Lu from Honor Pavilion...”

Upon closer reflection, it made sense. Both inferior blood-brew pills and cult sacrifices had an effect on the soul. To these fiend followers, focus talismans were probably crucial. Perhaps he could bring a massive supply of focus talismans to sell, track exactly where they were being used, and bait these cultists into a fatal trap.