Chapter Thirty-Four: The Ancient Nether Crow

Last time Old Man Ling came down the mountain, he somehow managed to seize the mercenary's memories, so he had some understanding of the area. The nearest city was Crescent Moon City.

Under the lazy drift of two white clouds across the sky, a broad road stretched ahead. A young man, with sword-shaped brows and star-like eyes, his face chiseled and resolute, walked with a long sword strapped to his back. The hilt was adorned with patterns like the constellations, mesmerizing to behold. The youth rested his hands behind his head, his shadow cast long by the setting sun. This was Lu Han.

Lu Han walked in the direction pointed out by Old Man Ling.

...

Lu Han gazed at Crescent Moon City before him. The entire city wall was built from black stone, giving off an impression of solid strength. This was no mere appearance—black stone was the most widely used material for city walls, being far sturdier than common rock and greatly enhancing a city's defenses.

He walked slowly toward the city gates, his view expanding as he approached. The crowd thronged before him, making him feel a little out of place, perhaps because he had grown used to solitude lately.

“Crescent Moon City is even bigger than Maple Leaf City!” Lu Han marveled.

“Enough with the awe, boy. Night’s falling soon. Find an inn, unless you want to sleep in the streets?” Old Man Ling’s voice echoed in Lu Han’s mind.

Lu Han quickly found an inn, aptly named the Crescent Moon Inn.

“Welcome, sir! Looking for a meal or a room? This is the largest inn in all of Crescent Moon City, guaranteed satisfaction,” the attendant greeted him as soon as he entered.

“I’d like a fine private room.”

“Right away, sir. Please follow me, the second floor.” The attendant led Lu Han inside.

Lu Han was quite satisfied with the room. Everything was in order, from tables and chairs to the spacious layout and a screen for bathing privacy.

“Waiter, bring me two of your best dishes,” Lu Han called after some thought as the attendant was leaving.

For the last two months, Lu Han had survived on roasted wild game or foraged fruits in the mountains; he could barely remember what a proper meal tasted like.

After dinner, Lu Han let out a satisfied belch.

“Finished, Han boy? Take out that black paper you found last time and have a look. I have a feeling it’s not simple,” Old Man Ling suddenly emerged from the ring.

“The gray paper? Ah, right.” Lu Han took it from his storage ring. If not for Old Man Ling’s reminder, he would have forgotten it was there.

He held the paper under a lantern but saw nothing unusual.

“No, something’s off. When I probed it with my soul force, I nearly froze. This is no ordinary item. Try channeling your internal energy into it!” Old Man Ling urged. To freeze his soul force—such a thing couldn’t be found in the entire Great Xia Empire.

Previously, it had been that mysterious bead; now, it was this gray paper.

Lu Han activated his inner energy.

Suddenly, the strange cold bead in his mind began to spin wildly, and the gray paper in his hand emanated a chilling and unnerving energy.

In the Lord’s Mansion of Crescent Moon City, deep within a secret chamber, an old man seated cross-legged suddenly opened his eyes, like a slumbering tiger roused to full alertness.

“What was that just now? Hm? It’s gone…” The elder’s ancient voice echoed through the chamber, then all fell silent once more.

Old Man Ling wiped imaginary sweat from his brow, uncertain if souls could even sweat.

“Good thing I was quick enough to shield the entire room with my power, or the energy would have spilled out,” he said.

If that power had been exposed, every powerful figure in Crescent Moon City would have descended upon them within minutes, and Lu Han would have become a marked target.

The gray paper now released a visible, icy gray energy that surged into Lu Han’s brow—more precisely, into the bead within his brow.

The paper in his hand slowly disintegrated into dust, and as the last motes touched the ground, five large characters appeared in the air: Tenfold Nether Crow Finger.

Whoosh—

The five words spun and shot into Lu Han’s brow.

A sharp cry escaped him.

Lu Han felt as if his head might explode.

Suddenly, a vision unfolded in his mind: a masked figure clad in black stood upon the sky, his hands weaving signs in rapid succession—hundreds, perhaps thousands. Suddenly, his right hand formed a pair of fingers, and the energy of heaven and earth seemed to be drawn into him. Before his fingers, a massive orb of gray energy formed. In an instant, ten giant Nether Crows, each a hundred feet wide, hurtled toward a distant mountain. The sky darkened to gray, and as the crows struck the mountain, the entire peak was encased in gray ice.

Lu Han clutched his head as he awoke, still shaken by what he had just witnessed.

Two fingers—enough to freeze an entire mountain!

This was the true power of a master.

“Han boy, are you alright?” Old Man Ling looked at him with concern, and Lu Han was touched.

He recounted what had happened.

“Tenfold Nether Crow Finger? I’ve never heard of it, but I know a bit about Nether Crows,” Old Man Ling said with a sigh of relief, seeing Lu Han unharmed.

According to Old Man Ling, in ancient times there was a mythical beast known as the Golden Crow, master of the purest, most formidable yang energy, and a ruler among the heavens. Where there is extreme yang, there is bound to be extreme yin, and thus the Nether Crow arose, one of the coldest beasts in existence. Even in ancient times, Nether Crows were exceedingly rare, so little is known of them.

Old Man Ling had only ever come across mention of them by chance in the sect’s ancient records, and likely very few people in the world knew of them now.

“I always thought they were just legend, never expected to see proof of their existence. No wonder my soul was frozen that day, and this is just a technique inspired by the Nether Crow. If a true Nether Crow appeared, even the Heavens would tremble,” Old Man Ling exclaimed in awe.

Lu Han was secretly delighted to learn of the Nether Crow’s fearsome reputation, but then his face fell—there had been so many hand signs in the vision, how could he possibly remember them all?

“Han boy, your luck is extraordinary. Even I’m a little jealous,” Old Man Ling said sourly.

“Heh, Master, envy won’t help you.”

“All right, Han boy, get some rest. Tomorrow, see if you can find a map, or how else will you get home?” With that, Old Man Ling dove back into the ring.

Lu Han calculated—only a month remained. Time was tight; he had to return within that month.

He shook his head, as if trying to cast off his worries, then sat cross-legged on the bed and entered a state of cultivation.

Old Man Ling, watching from within the ring, nodded in satisfaction. Though his disciple was not the most gifted, his diligence was second to none.

As Lu Han cultivated quietly, night deepened.

The night passed without incident.

At dawn, Lu Han hurriedly washed his face, slung the Biluo Sword over his back, and left the inn.

He wandered the main street, somewhat lost. In truth, he had no idea where to buy a map.

“I tell you, brother, that blood-staunching pill I bought last time from Treasure Pavilion worked wonders. Saved my life out in the deep mountains,” a passerby said to his companion.

“Treasure Pavilion! Of course they’d have maps!” Lu Han slapped his forehead in excitement—why hadn’t he thought of it before?

“Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to Treasure Pavilion?” Lu Han asked, running up to a passerby.

“You’re not from Crescent Moon City, are you? Otherwise, how could you not know where Treasure Pavilion is?” the man asked.

“I just arrived yesterday.”

“Take the eastern street and turn left, about ten minutes’ walk,” the man replied politely, seeing Lu Han’s courtesy.

“Thank you.” Lu Han cupped his fists and strode off in the indicated direction.