Stranger Danger

Moon Bay was a famous oasis in Yan. Shaped like a crescent, clear spring water would gush out of the ground and illuminate its lake with moonlight every time the moon appeared. That was why it was named Moon Bay.

Of course, Moon Bay wasn’t just famous for its scenery. It was also because it was one of the most famous black markets of the wulin of Yan.

What was a black market? A black market was a market where various goods and businesses were transacted in secret. To put it bluntly, it was the place where all sorts of illegal trades and businesses took place.

In the wulin of Yan, there was a quote that went something like this: “Where can you find hell or the celestial palace? Who knows, but in the human world, you should look for the place called Moon Bay.” As was implied, Moon Bay was considered both hell and a celestial palace in the eyes of jianghu warriors.

Why did they call it hell? It was because Moon Bay was ruled by anarchy and chaos. Blood and death were the main themes of an inhabitant of Moonbay almost everyday, which was why many called it hell on earth.

Why did they call it a celestial palace? It was because you could get anything and do anything so long as you possessed enough money and strength. In that sense, it was like a celestial palace.

This unusual culture made Moon Bay one of, if not the favorite place of many jianhu wanderers and heretics of the Dark Ways.

Tao Chong was a frequent visitor of Moon Bay, and there were two reasons he decided to come here. One, people from all walks of life resided in Moon Bay, which made it much easier for him to spread the news and execute his plans. Two, he was familiar with Moon Bay and so could guarantee his own safety no matter what happened.

Right now, Tao Chong was wearing a mask and a long, black robe that covered him from neck to toe. He ignored the greedy, unfriendly gazes peering from within the shadows and walked down countless alleys with ease and familiarity. Eventually, he arrived at his destination.

It was a narrow, filthy, and rundown-looking alley. It was jam-packed with stalls, goods, and dirty liquid, and overflowing with beggars, merchants, diners, ruffians, and all sorts of characters. The alley was pretty small to begin with, but the addition of structures, items and people increased the feeling of suffocation tenfold. The fact that the air was smelly, dirty, and mixed with way too many types of odor did not help one bit.

There was one thing strange about this alley, however. The people seemed far too at ease with the horrific environment. The beggars were sleeping lazily at their corners, the merchants were bargaining fervently with their customers, the diners were savoring their food and drinks to their heart’s content, and the ruffians were leaning idly against the walls and basking under the sun. It all looked so beautiful and harmonious.

This all changed the second Tao Chong stepped into the alley. The bustling noises abruptly came to a stop, and nearly everyone turned to stare at him with wary, unfriendly looks.

Tao Chong ignored their unusual, practically disturbing reactions and said calmly, “Please inform the Moon King that I have important business to discuss with him.”

No one made a move. No one even spoke. They kept watching Tao Chong in silence, and Tao Chong waited patiently for something to happen.

A short while later, the crowd separated to reveal an old man who looked to be in his fifties. His face was wrinkled, and he was missing an eye, an arm, and a leg. Forced to support himself with a walking cane because of his disability, he moved slowly and unsteadily as if he was just an ordinary old man.

The crowd’s reactions made it clear he was anything but, however. Their postures were respectful, and their eyes hid deep reverence and fear.

“You wish to meet the Moon King?” The old man asked when he finally reached Tao Chong.

“I do,” Tao Chong answered before repeating himself, “I have important business to discuss with the Moon King. Please take me to him.”

“You know the rules, right?”

“Of course.” Tao Chong nodded and handed a bag to the old man. “Here’s five crimson gold.”

Five crimson gold was equal to fifty thousand silver. This was the fee one must pay before they could meet the Moon King. Whatever the outcome of the negotiation might be, the fee was non-refundable.

It sounded extremely unfair, but this was the Moon King’s laws. Here in Moon Bay, the title “Moon King” was worth this much.

Obviously, the Moon King was the uncrowned king of Moon Bay. It sounded exaggerated, but no one could deny that the Moon King was one of the most powerful and influential people in Moon Bay. He had near total control over all the inns, gambling dens, brothels, and other such establishments in Moon Bay, and he commanded every beggar and ruffian who resided in this oasis. As a result, the Moon King was also the man with the biggest human and intelligence network in the entire Moon Bay.

The reason Tao Chong wished to speak with the Moon King was simple. He wanted to borrow his power and spread the word of Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou’s deeds to the entire jianghu.

But why did he purposely come all the way to the Moon Bay when he could have achieved more or less the same result through factions such as the Mud Association or Bird Gathering? In fact, considering the Mud Association and Bird Gathering’s long standing and massive influence, they could definitely spread the word faster and more efficiently than the Moon King. Ꞧ𝙖𝐍óᛒ̧

Again, the reason was simple. It was because the Moon King had a better reputation. The Moon King never betrayed his business partners, while the Mud Association and Bird Gathering would betray anyone so long as the price was right.

Besides that, this wasn’t the first time Tao Chong had done business with the Moon King. It was only natural that he trusted the Moon King more.

“Follow me,” The old man ordered as he put away the bag. He did not bother checking if Tao Chong had paid him the appropriate amount—here in Moon Bay, no one was stupid or bold enough to cheat the Moon King.

Tao Chong fell behind the old man and stepped into the alley. The beggars, merchants, diners and ruffians also returned to normal and resumed whatever they were doing before. Those who weren’t present earlier wouldn’t even notice that something was amiss.

Tao Chong knew better though. If something unexpected happened, if someone tried to harm the Moon King, these people would charge headlong into battle and fight his enemies to the death. Why? Because every single one of these people was his suicide warrior[1].

Many literal twists and turns later, they finally arrived at a small residence. From the outside, the residence looked as ordinary as it could be. It was a different story once they stepped inside the residence, however. There was a clear stream with a small bridge perched above it. There was also a beautiful garden with fake hills and exquisite plants. Even the servant girls were exceptionally beautiful and dressed in luxurious clothing. It painted a stark contrast with the dirty alley outside.

A moment later, Tao Chong followed the old man into a pavilion. As soon as he stepped through the threshold, he immediately heard the sounds of music and dances. An entourage of women were singing, dancing, drinking, and generally making merry with each other.

Strangely, they were all wearing a man’s attire. Not only that, there was a large bed at the head of the room, and a gorgeous woman was lying on top of it. She was no woman, however. A careful inspection would reveal that there was, in fact, a lump in his throat, besides other masculine characteristics. Clearly, he was a man.

There was no doubt about it. This crossdressing man was none other than the famous Moon King of Moon Bay.

“I greet you, Moon King.”

Tao Chong stood still about three meters away from the bed and addressed the Moon King respectfully.

The Moon King slowly sat up and leaned against a woman for support. After enjoying a sip of wine, he answered lazily, “It’s you.”

Clearly, the Moon King recognized Tao Chong.

“It’s me. Long time no see, Moon King,” Tao Chong answered.

“Mm.” The Moon King enjoyed another sip of wine and asked uncaringly, “So? What business do you have with me this time?”

“It’s like this. I—”

A hint of bloody red flashed in Tao Chong’s eyes, and he said, “—would like to kill you.”

Before he even finished speaking, Tao Chong shot toward the Moon King like an arrow.

1. You’ve probably seen all sorts of translations for this term 死士, but basically it’s a bodyguard. One who will not hesitate to die for their master. ☜

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