Destiny in Cinders

Though it was just a fleeting thought, An Jing felt it had real potential. In addition to that, he was struck with a new realization. There were undoubtedly true fiend followers embedded within both Fullyield Pawn Shop and Blessed Virtue Garden. This explained how news of his transactions as well as the acquisition of a spirit item had leaked and alerted the cult. It now appeared the leak had originated right here at the pawn shop. The shopkeeper himself was likely innocent, but the True Fiend Cult had undoubtedly established an information channel within the shop.

An Jing kept the conversation going, steering it toward Honor Pavilion. Soon, he learned a great deal of information about Lu Jin. Because Honor Pavilion was such a massive trading guild, An Jing didn’t have to go out of his way to gather intelligence. He could piece together most of it from casual, everyday conversations. Still, the finer details were only known among a select inner circle.

”Boss Lu is a decent man, but more importantly, he’s highly competent.” As noon approached, Shopkeeper Zhang invited An Jing into the backyard, where they shared a few drinks while they talked. ”He started out as a horse trader in the western frontier, working alongside Dustdawners to raise strong northwestern steeds and sell them to Grand Chen. In fact, he has Dustdawner blood running through his veins.

”He was out herding horses one day when things went sideways. Some tigers suddenly attacked the horses, throwing the entire herd into a frenzy. The best most herdsmen can do in a situation like that is scramble to save themselves, but Old Lu found a sudden surge of courage. He turned the horses toward the tigers, trampling one to death while forcing the other back into the mountains.

”It was clearly an extraordinary feat, and when his boss heard about this, he met with Old Lu in person, only to realize that he had awakened the Beast Tamer lifearc.” Shopkeeper Zhang sipped his wine, holding the cup with an envious look. Although Beast Tamer was merely a mixed arc, having one was better than nothing. It was thanks to this lifearc that Lu Jin managed to reach the Fortification Realm.

Beast Tamer? An Jing recalled the goldfur bear pelt that Honor Pavilion had purchased. Doing his best to appear nonchalant, he said, ”No wonder Boss Lu snapped up that goldfur bear pelt. He must need it because of his lifearc or cultivation technique.”

”Exactly.” With a lazy wave of his hand, Shopkeeper Zhang chuckled. ”He practices Pentabeast Divine Fist, which requires him to capture the true spirit of the tiger, wolf, bear, leopard, and ape. The tiger he trampled to death when his lifearc awakened served as the foundation for this technique. I’ve seen him protect the city and repel feral beasts. His ’Tiger Leaping over a Ravine’ move makes him more ferocious than any feral tiger. He can literally kill one with a single punch.

”But perhaps the Tiger Form is too brutal. Old Lu is riddled with old injuries from past battles. Even though he isn’t technically that old for a Fortification martialist, he’s already aged drastically. But who can say? Maybe he can actually break through to the Clearing Realm. He might be past his prime, but if he pulls it off, Keensight will have two adepts to protect us!” Shopkeeper Zhang added with a touch of pride, ”Right now, Boss Lu is likely mimicking the goldfur bear to perfect his bear intent.”

Having gathered enough information, An Jing was satisfied. None of this was actually a secret. Lu Jin’s techniques and lifearc were common knowledge among those who knew him; he had never bothered to hide them. But to outsiders without the right information channels, such details remained entirely out of reach. And prying into these matters would make even a regular person suspicious. Fortunately, An Jing had successfully wormed his way into this inner circle and secured vital information.

He possesses the Beast Tamer lifearc and specializes in the Tiger Form. The brutal battles of his youth have left him prematurely aged, driving him to join the cult. However, he has recently restored his youth through a blood sacrifice, so his combat power should be at the peak right now.

Lu Jin himself carries a fraction of Dustdawner blood, which explains how he’s able to contact the neighboring tribes and convince them to stand aside. It’s best to avoid close combat and use artifacts instead. And if I must fight him up close, then I should rely on brute force rather than skill.

As the final pieces of information fell into place, a comprehensive profile of Lu Jin formed before An Jing, granting him a solid understanding of the man’s combat style.

His Beast Tamer lifearc won’t do much good since we’re within the city walls. However, it’s possible that Honor Pavilion is hiding a few smaller feral beasts. So there might be three Fortification Realm combatants within the guild, one of which could very well be a feral beast.

An Jing quietly deduced. As far as I recall, Pentabeast Divine Fist is a common Fortification Realm martial technique. If Lu Jin is really aiming to break through to the Clearing Realm, then he must be hiding something else, either a technique bestowed by the heavenly fiends or some form of precious medicine. This is undoubtedly his trump card, so I must tread carefully.

Although he already had a rough idea of the enemy’s hidden cards, these specific details made the picture much clearer. An Jing then feigned great admiration for Lu Jin, chatted briefly about the man’s past achievements, and rose to bid Shopkeeper Zhang farewell.

”Come back soon, Young Master Xuan! I’ll be waiting for you to redeem your mirror!” The air between them felt relaxed and friendly as Shopkeeper Zhang stood up to see An Jing off.

But all at once, An Jing’s expression changed completely. ”Who’s eavesdropping?!” With a fierce cry, he whipped around, his eyes burning with ferocity. He pounced like a tiger, lunging straight for the corner of the backyard. The air split as An Jing’s hand shot out to clamp the shoulder of the shop assistant who had been trying to sneak away.

”Sir, I wasn’t eaves—Ahhh!”

An Jing exerted strength straight into the shop assistant’s shoulder blades and back muscles. The man instinctively turned around and threw a retaliatory punch. This attack carried immense power, splitting the air with a force that unmistakably marked him as a River Aura martialist.

An Jing didn’t even blink, slipping past the attack with total ease. The force from the fist completely shattered the screen and shook the walls, revealing a thoroughly shocked Shopkeeper Zhang. Following that, An Jing dislocated the man’s arms with blinding speed.

”Little Liu?!” Though Shopkeeper Zhang had martial training, he was only a martial practitioner who had yet to unlock the Aura Realm. He was initially surprised by An Jing’s intense reaction, but the sheer force behind the shop assistant’s punch caused his expression to change. ”You actually possess such incredible martial skill?!”

A moment later, he gnashed his teeth. ”No... who are you?! Why have you snuck into the pawn shop and eavesdropped on us?!” It took a moment for him to understand the situation, but Shopkeeper Zhang was the shopkeeper for a reason, and he naturally caught on immediately. His own shop assistant, Little Liu, had been a mole for another faction all along.

But why? While the trading guild backing Fullyield Pawn Shop wielded considerable influence, this particular branch in Keensight was nothing more than a small business. Or perhaps...

”Shopkeeper Zhang, I’ve had my suspicions for some time!” Giving voice to Shopkeeper Zhang’s doubts, An Jing ground his boot into the head of the writhing, howling Little Liu and sneered, ”Being targeted by slavers right after selling you a few talismans is highly unusual! I have full faith in you and the good name of Fullyield Pawn Shop, so I knew it had to be the work of some scoundrels. I came back to cast a line, but I never expected to actually catch one!”

”I’m sorry... you had to see this, Young Master Xuan...” Shopkeeper Zhang’s expression wasn’t just twisted; he looked utterly ashamed. Face twitching with rage, he gritted his teeth as he marched over to Little Liu whose head was still pinned beneath An Jing’s boot. He snarled viciously, ”To think someone infiltrated my shop just to ambush a precious customer like you... Fullyield Pawn Shop has never engaged in forced trade, we absolutely do not target our customers, yet we have been exploited by these villains!”