Chapter 344

The group only rested in Qingchi City for two days. On the dawn of the third day, two teams set out from Ling Lake and continued southwest.

As a city dependent on Qi City, Qingchi had established a relatively unobstructed path between itself and Qi City.

Of course, was only relative to other places on the Beastmen Continent. The mountain paths after crossing the grasslands were still extremely difficult to traverse.

The Qingchi team led the way upfront. They didn't take a straight line but rather detoured around high mountains, choosing more gently sloping hilly areas.

The north had endured the drought, and ice and snow once again covered the entire continent.

On the uninhabited snowy ground, the marks left by the two teams were erase and like brushstrokes of ink wash, leaving only the sound of sleds breaking through the cold wind.

Upon reaching the vicinity of Qi City, the group did not stop. Instead, Luo Fu sent a small team to Qi City to deliver a message to Bao Xi.

As they drew closer to the city of the Beast God, they finally began to spot sporadic traces of beastmen.

After running forward for more than ten days and passing through dense forests, everyone couldn't help but stop in their tracks.

There, amidst the snow plains, stood a towering and majestic high mountain piercing the sky.

Upon the high mountain, layer upon layer of stairs spiraled upwards. Jade towers and golden palaces shimmered with halos of light. The mountain peak was a patch of greenery, like a Jade gemstone on the boundless snow plains.

The city of the Beast God. They had finally laid eyes on the legendary center of the continent.

“Stop!”

The moment the group emerged from the forest, someone shouted to halt them. Soon, a guard team of twelve people walked over.

These individuals wore silver cloaks, bone rings on their heads, and held half-person-long bone knives. Their height and appearance were extremely similar, and even their expressionless arrogance seemed carved from the same mold.

The guard captain raised his hand and said, “Ahead is the sacred mountain. No beastman is allowed entry without permission.”

Luo Fu produced a bone plaque prepared earlier: “We are summoned to attend this year's Prayer God Grand Assembly. This is our entry bone plaque.”

Qi Bai glanced casually and noticed that Luo Fu’s bone plaque was similar in size and style to the one they received, but the material and patterns were different. He felt the one they received was more exquisite.

The guard captain examined the plaque carefully and pointed in a direction: “That is the Sacred Mountain Market. Before the Grand Assembly begins, you may only stay there. Qi City’s camp is north of the market. Once you arrive, someone will guide you.”

The guard captain didn’t need to point it out; everyone had already noticed the area where people gathered at the foot of the high mountain when they emerged from the forest.

By then, all the beastmen in the team had left the forest. Seeing so many people, the guard captain frowned: “Middle cities get two hundred beastmen, lower cities get one hundred. Why has Qingchi City brought so many warriors!”

As the guard captain spoke, the eleven warriors behind him simultaneously drew their long knives.

“Who said there’s only one city here?” Lang Ze stepped in front of Qi Bai, producing a bone plaque. “We are Heiyao City from Beizhou (Northland).”

Bao Xi hadn’t told Qi Bai and Lang Ze the personnel quotas for each level of city; he only asked them to form a team of fewer than two hundred people. It seemed now that the Great Shen Si had awarded the title of Medium City to Heiyao.

Northland. Heiyao. The guard captain had heard of neither place.

He took the bone plaque skeptically, but his expression changed the moment he saw it. He turned his head sideways and whispered to two guards behind him. Those two guards immediately sheathed their knives and ran off in different directions.

Soon, one of the guards returned with three people. The leader was none other than Bao Xi, who had delivered the bone plaque to Heiyao.

Bao Xi had only recently arrived at the market. After receiving the message Luo Fu sent to Qi City over ten days ago, Bao Xi had rushed non-stop to the Sacred Mountain City. Being more familiar with the City of the Beast God, he unsurprisingly arrived before Heiyao and Qingchi.

Bao Xi bowed to the guard captain: “Captain Tuo, Heiyao City is an honored guest of the Temple. Please allow me to take over hosting them from here.”

Tuo’s gaze drifted in another direction, where no one had arrived yet. Bao Xi’s stare remained fixed on him. After a moment of hesitation, Tuo stepped aside: “Please, Si Shi (Temple Attendant).”

The Sacred Mountain Market, as the name suggested, was a market held at the foot of the Sacred Mountain City, a place for cities to exchange supplies before the Grand Assembly. The only special thing was that this market was held only once every ten years, and those able to participate were  cities powerful enough to dominate their region.

“Beneath the three upper cities, there are eighteen middle cities and forty-six lower cities, sixty-four cities in total,” Bao Xi explained as they walked. “Over fifty have arrived now.”

Qi Bai had already learned the number of middle cities from Ji previously, though Ji had said seventeen at the time. It seemed the Temple had promoted another city to middle status in the intervening years. This was the first time Qi Bai heard the exact number of lower cities. That such a vast Beastman Continent had only forty-plus lower cities was far lower than Qi Bai’s estimate.

“In previous Prayer God Grand Assemblies, only middle cities were permitted to attend. This is the first time the Central Temple has allowed lower cities into the sacred realm.”

Bao Xi’s words were indirectly telling Qi Bai and Lang Ze that there were many new faces at this Sacred Mountain Market, and they need not feel constrained by their status).

Qi Bai and Lang Ze had already learned this from the Qingchi people, but Lang Ze nodded appreciatively, nonetheless.

The Sacred Mountain Market wasn’t vastly different from other trading days. Although the market was divided into three areas based on the three upper cities, the boundaries weren’t strict. However, the middle city locations were larger and closer to the center.

The group passed many stalls following Bao Xi. Qi Bai looked around and marveled. Truly, these were cities gathered from all over the Beastman Continent. Many goods on display where things Qi Bai had never seen before, some even couldn't discern the use. It was indeed more interesting than small trading days.

Soon, they reached the spot Bao Xi had arranged for them. Perhaps knowing Qingchi and Heiyao would arrive together, the two cities’ locations were right next to each other.

After the Qingchi people left and the Heiyao people began setting up tents, Bao Xi said to Qi Bai and Lang Ze, “The Great Shen Si wishes to meet you personally before the Grand Assembly.”

Heiyao had come to the City of the Beast God on the Great Shen Si’s invitation, so his desire to meet them was within expectations.

Qi Bai said, “Of course. We are ready to pay our respects to the Great Shen Si at any time.”

Having received a positive answer, Bao Xi said no more: “I will come fetch you here tomorrow morning.”

After Bao Xi left, Qi Bai felt an intense gaze. He looked up and saw a sub-beastman, across the way staring dumbfounded, mouth agape as if his eyeballs were about to pop out.

Looking at the somewhat familiar face, Qi Bai paused: “Hu Wei?”

Hu Wei pointed at Qi Bai, then at Lang Ze, stammering, “You you you... He he he... Wasn’t he...” Realizing he couldn’t say the next part, he quickly withdrew his hand and covered his mouth with both hands.

Running into an acquaintance here, even a troublesome one like Hu Wei, felt somewhat endearing to Qi Bai. He smiled at Hu Wei and asked, “Didn’t they say only cities get invited? How did you get here?”

Hu Wei, still stunned, answered whatever Qi Bai asked: “We came with Sunset City.”

As a lower city, Sunset City could only bring one hundred people to the City of the Beast God. However, the journey was fraught with danger, and Sunset City simply couldn’t muster that many powerful warriors. They had no choice but to select beastmen from the tribes them.

It was nominally a selection, but Sunset had no real choice. They just distributed the slots, and the tribes had the final say on who to send. Otherwise, someone like Hu Wei, with little combat power, wouldn’t have been allowed to come.

Actually, the one who caused this situation was precisely Cang Xie.

Back when he stirred up trouble in Hun Rong, everyone held onto hope before Sunset City showed up, thinking Sunset might deal with the Le Li tribe. But what they got was news of Le Li seizing Sunset City.

It was only then that the large tribes who had migrated to Hun Rong realized they’d been duped. Sunset City was merely a clay idol, impressive looking but crumbling at a touch. No wonder they, despite being a city, were everywhere recruiting large tribes to serve them.

The few tribes still watching completely lost heart, and several more migrated away. Now, only two guardian tribes remained outside Sunset City. This time, Sunset City gave each tribe twenty slots. Sunset City was one of those two tribes.

Of course, if not for the lure of the city of the Beast God, Xu Shan would have migrated away back when Heiyao returned the Xu Shan youngsters to Hun Rong. After all, if they were going to depend on a city, better to rely on Heiyao early than stick with Sunset, which did nothing.

It would just be a bit embarrassing facing their old neighbors, Zhan Xiong (Battle Bear), Yun Gu (Cloud Valley), and Ju Lu (Giant Deer). But they’d already been embarrassed when Le Li came knocking before. Another time wouldn’t matter much.

“That’s not important,” Hu Wei shook his head, his features scrunched up. He held back for a long time before saying, “Are you really the city lord and high priest of Heiyao?”

He had long heard from Hu Ran and Hu Yan that Hei Yao’s city lord and high priest were from the Hei Shan tribe. But if others didn’t know, how could he not? That beastman behind Qi Bai was clearly his slave! He saw it clearly at the trading day back then.

“That’s right,” Qi Bai said mischievously, blinking at Hu Wei. He grabbed Lang Ze’s hand and shook it. “Lang Ze is my partner too!”

Lang Ze gripped Qi Bai’s hand back, the corner of his mouth lifting imperceptibly.

“High Priest.”

As if to confirm Qi Bai’s words, Diao Lan emerged from the camp and walked to Qi Bai’s side. “Shall we prepare dinner now?”

“Mm,” Qi Bai looked at the sky and waved to Hu Wei. “I have to go attend to things now. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Hu Wei stood there as if struck by lightning. Catch up on what?

How one went from a Sub-beastmen and Beastmen “abandoned by the Beast God” to a city’s high priest? Or how one went from a slave to a city lord, whom even the Temple’s Si Shi treated with great respect?

Just what kind of place was Heiyao City? And just what kind of people were these two before him?!