167 Anonymous

Feng Ming awoke to a scene of chaos. A blue formation was rapidly forming behind Cha Ming as a mass of cultivators began attacking him in tandem. Huxian, Lei Jiang, and Silverwing had flown out to supress some of the core-formation cultivators and divert some attention from Cha Ming.

Why did they start fighting without me? he thought, only to realize that in retrospect, breaking through in the middle of a covert auction would definitely attract some attention. He sighed inwardly and projected his lucky aura to his companions. The attacks against Cha Ming clustered together at the last second, and his pillar smashed down and fortunately knocked most of them out from the air. Wounds still covered his body from head to toe, but he'd seen Cha Ming in worse shape.

Meanwhile, Silverwing's attacks began finding timely gaps in his opponent's defenses, while their counterattacks kept striking his thickest feathers. As for Lei Jiang, the random lightning bolts surrounding him seemed to grow a sense of purpose; they bypassed his opponents' defenses while residual sparks landed on large numbers of unfortunate cultivators.

Seeing that everything was under control, Feng Ming focused his attention on the only person who wasn't accounted for—the auctioneer. The man stood calmly, waiting for Feng Ming to attack him.

"Why didn't you kill me when I was cultivating?" Feng Ming said.

"What? And incur the wrath of heaven and get struck by a lightning bolt?" the auctioneer said sarcastically. "I recognize those four. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who you are. I wouldn't be caught dead tangling with you."

"You make a lot of sense, but I don't think you have any choice in the matter," Feng Ming said. He summoned his lucky spear and activated his Fire General's Steps. His movements were rapid and crisp, ideal for generating power in his spear strikes.

The auctioneer grunted and threw out sixteen sabers, which collided against Feng Ming's spear while the man himself stepped backward. Feng Ming could tell he was a middle-core-formation cultivator, so he was perplexed to see him retreat. The auctioneer withdrew a slip of paper from his robes and poured qi inside it. The man yelped as he dropped the talisman, which burst into a spatial crack.

"Really?" the man yelled. "A defective talisman? I even made this one myself. The odds aren't even one in a million, when most talismans won't even form with defects. This is exactly why I didn't attack you earlier!"

The man sent out another sixteen blades to complement those already attacking Feng Ming. They gathered together in a hasty formation, which was promptly pried apart by Feng Ming's lucky spear. The auctioneer took out one more talisman. This time, the runes seemed to activate properly. However, the man threw it out at the last second, and an even greater spatial crack appeared.

"Third time's the charm," the overly talkative auctioneer said. He took out a small core treasure, a brooch that formed a golden shield. It deflected Feng Ming's spear just in time for him to activate the third talisman. This time the man disappeared without a trace. Moments later, the grand formation activated.

"What terrible luck," Feng Ming muttered. Unbeknownst to him, the auctioneer lost an arm in the teleportation process and said those exact same words.

***

"I never realized just how potent this luck thing can be," Cha Ming said as he batted away a fourth salvo of joint attacks. Somehow, his formation malfunctioned in just the right way, and the additional burst of energy boosted the completion from ninety-four percent to ninety-nine percent. Then, the Icy Hell Grand Formation glowed light blue. Shards of ice materialized on the edges of the circular shield, which blocked off any escape routes. This included the circular corridor—Cha Ming controlled the delicate shards to incapacitate the servants and lesser guards in the perimeter. Then, he methodically impaled one evil cultivator after another.

His opponents' movements became sluggish. With the support of the Icy Hell Grand Formation and Huxian's dual suppression, they quickly gained the upper hand. Cha Ming's Devil-Sealing Intent was mixed in with the icy formation; some of the weaker devils even perished before the shards of ice touched them.

A single slap of the Clear Sky Pillar caused dozens of men and women to perish. A single flap of Silverwing's wings decapitated a core-formation cultivator. The battle was sealed once Feng Ming joined in. His blazing spear joined wind and lightning, light and darkness, and ice and staff to put an end to the evil cultivators. An incense time later, every man and woman who had participated in the auction was dead.

"What should we do with the bodies?" Feng Ming said as he unmasked one person after another. He recognized many of them—they were from the upper echelons of society, most of them part of the crown prince's faction. Meanwhile, Huxian, Lei Jiang, and Silverwing were busy looting the corpses. After all, beast meat and medicinal ingredients were expensive, and beast monarchs had their pride.

"The bodies of those who've undergone a devilish transformation have disappeared," Cha Ming said. "As for the others… I have an idea." He explained his thoughts to Feng Ming.

"It's not that I'm against being anonymous, but how am I going to get kicked out of the city if they don't pin my name on this?" Feng Ming asked.

"You said one of them escaped?" Cha Ming asked, and Feng Ming nodded. "Then they'll know. If you take credit for this, Prince Tian won't be able to justify driving you out. It would look far too suspicious to chase you away after you've accomplished such meritorious achievements."

Feng Ming's mood brightened. "Who said Brother Jun was the only one with a head on their shoulders? Do you think we could tip the crown prince off while we're at it?"

Cha Ming nodded. "That we can."

***

Marshal Feng woke up at dawn like he always did. Although he was a core-formation cultivator who didn't require sleep, he felt it had some psychological benefits. As a man with substantial military achievements, he didn't have to argue against anyone about this quirk of his.

A soft knock sounded on his door as he ritually groomed his healthy beard. "Come in," he said.

His assistant, General Tang, saluted as he entered and waited beside the marshal until he finished. He was used to the marshal's morning ritual and knew full well that the man didn't like to be interrupted.

"You don't usually come see me so early in the morning unless something important has happened," Marshal Feng said. "What is it this time?"

"Reporting to the marshal: A dome of darkness was discovered surrounding a small place called the Honey Badger Inn this morning," General Tang said. "The dome is a full hundred feet in diameter."

Marshal Feng maintained his composure as he walked over to a small table near the door, where a light breakfast had been left for him. He calmly sat down and had a cup of his favorite tea before continuing their conversation. "Have you sent anyone inside for reconnaissance? And has the Church of Justice dispatched any troops?"

"We haven't been able to breach the darkness, and neither have they," General Tang said. "We thought it was a formation, but no flags, focuses, or sigils have been detected. Therefore, we speculate that it is a technique."

"A domainlike technique…" Marshal Feng said. "Very well, let's take a look." He donned his black-and-gold cape and flew outside his window, his resplendent force carrying General Tang alongside him. As they traveled, he sent his resplendent force out to probe the disturbance. To his surprise, however, it was devoured as soon as it made contact.

The dome vanished as he landed. In its place was a razed building, a pile of corpses, and several hundred unconscious men and women tied up with hempen ropes. Marshal Feng floated down to the corpses where he found a note stuck to a wall with a mortal-grade dagger. They flew to his hand, and as he read it, a smile appeared on his lips. The note read as follows:

Dear Marshal Feng,

This band of evildoers was found frequenting an establishment that bought and sold slaves. According to the laws of the kingdom, this is a capital offense. We have gone through the trouble of executing these criminals.

Please report this matter to the crown prince at your earliest convenience. I am sure this news will lighten the load on his heavy heart.

Sincerely yours,

Anonymous

"Silly," he muttered as the note burst into flames. "If you want to be anonymous, at least hide your handwriting a little."

***

"This has a huge impact on our plans," Prince Tian said to Zhou Li.

They were both sitting in his guest chambers drinking wine. The large room was spartan, containing only two couches, a fireplace, and a small table. No paintings adorned the walls, and the curtains and rugs were plain but durable. While the crown prince was austere and hard on his subordinates, he was twice as hard on himself.

"We'll have to go with the backup plan, then," Zhou Li said. "It'll be messy, but I have confidence that we can unite the kingdom starting from the capital." He grimaced as he drank the inexpensive wine in his cup. The prince's austerity didn't merely extend to his decorations.

"There are too many variables," Prince Tian said. "Most importantly, that Feng Ming's luck is ungodly. How the hell did he even find the auction in the first place?"

"That is why I told you to send him out of the city," Zhou Li said. "If he stays, your forces won't even be able to put up a fight. Who knows what will happen—maybe they'll contract the plague the night before a decisive battle."

"And what about his friend, this Du Cha Ming," Prince Tian said. "It seems to me like he and his three beast companions did most of the heavy lifting."

"I have a plan to get them outside the city as well," Zhou Li replied. "Your coup won't work without both of them gone."

"Fine," Prince Tian said. "I'll find a way to relocate General Feng."

"I do have some good news, however," Zhou Li said. "Our efforts against Wang Jun are bearing fruit. This will remove the last remaining shred of uncertainty from the equation. The succession will proceed as planned."

The crown prince walked toward the window and gazed at Central Square, where the Jade Bamboo Auction House was located. Despite the late hour, it was still bustling with activity. "Just why do you pay so much attention to him? Have you ever wondered if your actions are having the opposite effect?"

"Wang Jun is inscrutable, and I'd rather remove him from the equation," Zhou Li said. "Although he is not like Cha Ming, my inability to read him concerns me. We at the Southern Alliance are trying to change the destiny of the realm. The plane's will won't sit back and relax while we go about our business."

Prince Tian sighed. "If only we weren't located in such a strategic location. Then our kingdom wouldn't have to bear the brunt of the suffering that's about to unfold."

"People can wish all they like, but they can only play with the hand they're dealt," Zhou Li said. "I've been dealt a poor hand for more lifetimes than I can remember."

A soft knock interrupted their conversation. "What is it?" Prince Tian asked.

"Your Highness, Marshal Feng has come to report important events that have transpired this morning," his guard said.

Prince Tian signaled for Zhou Li to disappear through his secret entrance before replying. "Let him in," Prince Tian said. Marshal Feng walked in with a pleased expression. "What happened?" Prince Tian asked.

"A large devilish cult was located inside the city, and their members were executed by vigilantes," Marshal Feng replied.

The crown prince's heart clenched. "That's great news," he said with a smile. "Did they leave a name?"

"It was anonymous," Marshal Feng said. "At first I was unconvinced, but all was made clear once we questioned the slaves that were freed. That is, the ones who didn't immediately commit suicide."

"Regardless, we owe this hero a favor," Prince Tian said. "On an entirely unrelated note, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."

"Of course, my liege," Marshal Feng said. "What can I do for you?"

"Your son, Feng Ming," Prince Tian said. "His ungodly luck is a huge asset that shouldn't be wasted. I was wondering if we could mobilize him to aid Marshal Yong in the south."

Marshal Feng frowned. "You promised he could stay here in the capital, where it's safe. You know full well how dangerous it is out there."

"But it's like he has a guardian angel protecting him," the prince pleaded. "You know how difficult it is to find good men, and your son happens to be one of them." He softened his voice when he noticed the marshal clenching his fists. "I know it's difficult for you—he's your only son. I'll tell you what, he can report directly to Marshal Yong, who requested his help recently. You're both old friends—surely you can trust him to keep your son safe?"

Marshal Feng hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I'll talk to Marshal Yong to confirm the arrangements."

"Then it's settled," Prince Tian said. "Are you still free this afternoon for our weekly meeting?"

"Of course," Marshal Feng replied.

***

Sending my son away as soon as he destroys a bunch of devil worshippers. Do you take me for a fool? Feng Chuan thought. This is the last straw. You think I'm upset, but I'm happy my son is being sent outside of this devil-infested hellhole.

He'd thought that the crown prince would win an easy victory. He knew now that he'd placed too much confidence in the normally competent man. Although his military advantage was large, his finances were in shambles. And with his strong reaction to the death of those devil worshippers, he finally figured out where all the mystery money in the prince's accounts had been coming from.

Since he's lost his finances, it's only a matter of time until he starts the war preemptively, Feng Chuan thought. Otherwise his brother will continue to grow stronger.

He sighed. He predicted it would happen within a month.