novelraw Chapter 1609 - 1608 - Demon Fox Tribes
Chapter 1609 - 1608 - Demon Fox Tribes
They found an inn just outside the Glass Palace area proper. Even as they moved inward, he felt the amount of Fiend Qi thin out beneath the surface. They were putting their all into finding him.
He had even left traces of his own harmony on his body that had been scanned several times. He had scanned for possible attackers each time to prove he was aware but no one ever came.
Finally, they found a sturdy but slightly rundown sandstone building with a golden oil lamp on its placard hanging over the street.
The rumble of conversation dipped when they parted the beads hanging over the entrance.
The interior was much cooler with a hearth hosting an artifact the direct cause of it. He appreciated the use of such a standard arrangement but the humans glared at him before Karu came in and they quickly assumed he was her guard.
The Glass Palace was absolutely human dominant but it was not supremacists oddly. They were just damned greedy and always looking for a deal.
Thus the cutthroat lifestyle spread to even the lower strata.
Cost and benefit was all that mattered and a warrior demon was not a benefit in anyone's eyes.
Lind scanned the entire inn but it also had traces of Fiend energy. There was nowhere not touched by them in that place!
Still, they did not pause as they came to the dark wooden bar. The barmaid smiled at them but it did not reach her sea green eyes.
"What would you like?" Karu summoned a pouch and the clink of Qi stones was clear.
"In order, a drink to soothe my damn throat, food, 2 rooms, and some peace and quiet." The room chuckled at the direct words. They appreciated directness. Lind was impressed.
She had the future knowledge but it did not mean she could replicate everything right away.
A table was cleared and the barmaid was smiling more warmly as she brought a drink that steamed. Lind stared at it as it was clearly hot! He scanned it with his aura that just made the locals smile more but Karu smiled wide and downed it in one go!
The whole room went pin drop silent.
"AH! I have not had Hot Sour Seal in a long time!" A cheer went up that made Lind jump and he realized Karu had really been to the Glass Palace before! She was not faking at all but using what worked from previous timelines!
The same woman that could not hide her fake emotions around him was now a supreme actress?!
Lind took a sip and felt his throat burn at first before a shockingly sour taste flooded his mouth. Yet, his body felt immensely better!
The heat lessened and his own dry throat was practically restored! What miracle brew was that?!
"You would not know but an elixir master found the heat here was still too much to enjoy life so worked on a drink that is part elixir, part alcoholic drink. The sour taste comes from the latter but acts as a catalyst for the drink to restore even a man on the brink of death from dehydration." The barmaid smiled much more warmly at Karu but Lind still got cold treatment as he was now examining the drink with much more enthusiasm.
The food was simple fish fair but he could not identify it from the breaded pieces. It was tasty and also warm. It went well with the drink!
They got the crystal keys for their rooms and then retired for the night.
Lind had not even had time to take his sword off when he sensed it. A Fiend aura locked onto them both.
He did nothing aside from use a simple basin to wash the dust from him and then relax after a long journey.
It was not a lie at all as the last 10 years had been desperate.
Even if he succeeded with his goals at the Glass Palace, he had very few avenues to explore that would not give him away immediately for anyone looking.
Forging and elixir masters were one thing but weaving could not be hidden at all. He would be exposed the instant he used it!
He had gone farther on his own with it than the others but he had so much farther to go and experiment with it!
It was frustrating but he prioritized his professions for a reason. They were part of his cultivation path and likely a large part of his bottleneck.
The aura was locked on without fail the entire night until the left in the morning. It seemed the Fiend was the real owner and whether they found it odd the pair stayed in silence or not, it let them go.
Lind felt stifled but they moved deeper into the city and finally saw what they had been looking for.
Where once there had been normal open streets, stalls, and people running back and forth doing what most markets or citizens would, they were replaced by figures with pointed ears and tails of varying numbers.
A nine-tailed fox was a powerful fox beast but only a Divine bloodline would have all the power. Thus it was possible to have a trace of that bloodline give the appearance without the substance behind it.
While they were called demon foxes because many had demonic Qi, there were varieties of natural Qi as well. Mostly fire, darkness, and earth primary elements comprised those kinds.
Karu was rare in light and fire as her primary elements but her Talent was what marked her Divine blood.
Lind had learned that Talents all originate usually from Divine bloodline traits. Humans only have them because their ancestors intermingled long ago with those races. It made him smirk to remember many powers that prided their ability to claim Talents as marks of their nobility as human beings.
Demons were more rare but the same source.
Lind then wondered about himself and others like him. His Talents did not solely come from the beast races but the fact he was reborn intact. Karu did confirm that was true but it was all up to Heaven and Earth at that point.
They could not be passed down, however, from him until after he became a dragon.
Lind focused as he saw a variety of foxes in both beast and humanoid forms. The beastial foxes were used in place of pack animals or even guard animals. They were tied to wagons or walking alongside prominent figures or in front of entrances.
The Glass Palace flaunted their victory even after all the time that passed. He also noticed no collars, imprints, or anything that normally marked slaves. Instead, he saw floating dark metal artifacts floating at regular intervals.
They had polyhedral shapes that shimmered across various colors of Qi from what he could perceive. He also felt an itch from his body. It annoyed him but he noticed no other effect.
Karu had a poker face on but he felt her rage. It came off her in waves and he pretended to stumble to grasp her shoulder. She blinked her current human face before she calmed down.
"It is a strange sight so suddenly. I heard of it but it is my first time seeing it. Know anything?" He prompted her to speak but it was a young man with 2 female humanoid foxes in tow that looked up from his meal to wave at him.
"Outsiders should try the many pleasures of our servants! Slavery is usually so arduous but bloodline binding solves so many issues. I can suggest my Father's place not too far from here. I have seen many of his best offerings for work or pleasure. If you get tired of them, you can petition to swap too!" His cheeks full of food and a rosy complexion completely contrasted with the horrifying reality he revealed.
Karu stared at the boy but Lind sighed before smiling.
"I am on the payroll but may stop by after sundown. Where might I find such a good establishment?" Lind choked on his words internally but a golden jade slip was passed to him. The more disgusting part was the boy was purely human.
His shining dark hair and eyes had no trace of Fiend Qi at all. None of the foxes did either. The show of cruelty was all humanity.
The pair moved on as they came to what was called the Upper Market. Much better goods could be found but the prices rose very high as well. Lind found some good herbs for a demon warrior looking to temper his body.
He negotiated for those and a few other things as he noticed a new variety of demon foxes. They were acting like preservation artifacts! The lowest number of tails were 4 and they all had abilities in line with preserving resources.
Foxes were nimble creatures and that extended to their human forms. They could more easily extract an herb, ore, or even crystal from their homes in the soil and stone.
The Glass Palace had made them integral to all levels of their inner city. He had counted at least a dozen tribes but Karu affirmed there were more, much more.
What they saw on the surface was really the luckiest kind. The undercity, a place of darker materials and deals, held the vast majority of her people.
Lind had severely underestimated what was ahead but looking at the pylons and remembering what Karu told him, he felt their previous efforts were not in vain. He had been looking for ways to enhance his Forging, and he may have just found it!