The Magus Era

It was raining, and Chi Ban Mountain was covered in a thick layer of cloud. Mr. Crow had restrained the raging flame released from his body and spread his arms, gliding silently under the cloud, across numerous steep peaks.

Less than ten miles away from Chi Ban Mountain, Ji Hao patted on Mr. Crow’s head and leaped down from his back. Mr. Crow took a circle in the air and quickly shrunk to around a foot tall, smoothly landing on Ji Hao’s left shoulder. He then grabbed up the baby snake coiled on Ji Hao’s left shoulder. The baby fire snake opened its jaws and bit on Ji Hao’s left earlobe, coiling its own body as if it were an exquisite earring.

A coarse straw rain cape covered the Gold Crow cloak as Ji Hao trod in the thick layer of mud, quickly walking to the entrance of Chi Ban Market. Moving forwards through the dark and deep valley, Ji Hao heard a series of laughter coming from the front.

”What a surprise! This time, the non-humankind have been unlimitedly purchasing all kinds of constructional materials… We have made a fortune!”

”Hahaha, brother, you’re right. They’re doing some solid shopping this time. The obsidian from my territory has been sold at a good price. By the end of the year, we can give each of our children a high-quality set of armors with strengthening spell symbols.”

”Speaking of making money, the Thunder Bull Clan have truly earned some great money this time only because they have a ‘spirit-killing stone’ mine in their territory. That is a top-grade material for groundworks of fence walls, and can effectively prevent the effects of all kinds of magic formations. The Thunder Bull Clan earned at least a hundred times more than we did.”

”Brother, why don’t we join hands and do something? What do you think? Hehe, the Thunder Bull Clan is not far away from both of us.”

A series of steps came from a distance away, along with which, tens of sturdy men walked over with a strong power vibration. Ji Hao lowered his head and covered half of his face with the bamboo hat. These sturdy men, who had been discussing a potential plan regarding a robbery, vigilantly glanced at Ji Hao. Seeing that Ji Hao didn’t even have a single guard with him, these sturdy men instantly put their hearts at rest.

”About that, we can make a plan. But for the money we are now earning, we have to earn it all. I have to go back and tell our kids to work harder, to exploit another hundred million tons of obsidian.”

The group of people walked passed Ji Hao, moved quickly out of the valley while excitedly talking about making money. From outside the valley, Ji Hao heard muffled clops, judging by which, thousands of heavily armored cavalrymen had been expecting them.

The group of people said goodbye to each other, then left, each going his own way.

‘Are those non-humankind beings going to rebuild Liang Zhu City?’ Ji Hao smiled and thought.

He saw Liang Zhu City from the Pan Xi divine mirror; that was a magnificent, enormous city. The non-humankind must have spent years of hard work and countless resources with immeasurably great amount of labor on this great city, which could totally be counted as a miracle.

If the non-humankind wanted to rebuild Liang Zhu City after it was destroyed by the Pan Xi divine mirror, collecting materials would be the first great challenge. It seemed that human beings living around Chi Ban Mountain would all strike it rich. If they had the constructional materials, which were needed by the non-humankind, producing in their territories, these people would be able to live quite a good life in the next few years.

Smoothly walked into the Chi Ban Market, Ji Hao took a few circles on the broad street. A complicatedly mix-blooded young man, whose bloodline couldn’t be identified just based on his appearance, walked over and attentively talked to Ji Hao.

Ji Hao threw a jade coin to that young man, Guided by the young man, Ji Hao easily found the place that he had been looking for.

It was a square-shaped, purely dark stone building. Except for a square-shaped door, this stone building didn’t even have a single window. From the outside, this stone building was like a coffin, lifelessly standing in Chi Ban Market.

Ji Hao walked in through a narrowed path. Once he walked into the door, a man, who was wearing a bronze mask and a long black robe, showed up.

”Please!” said the man with a gentle voice.

Following that man, Ji Hao moved forwards through the long, dark and narrow path. He turned and turned until he came to a small room that was less than three meters in square.

A square, black iron table was placed in the room. On the middle of the table was a stone lamp, with a dim fire burning in pine needle oil, barely lighting up this small room.

Ji Hao sat down beside the square table. Then the guiding man gently closed the thick stone door. A buzzing noise could then be heard while a few spell symbols flashed across the door. This place was now isolated from the outside world, such that no voice could come out from here, not even a little bit.

A hidden door in a corner of the room opened, from which, a short silhouette in a black cloak dashed into the room. The silhouette was less than four feet tall and as nimble as a mouse. It quickly and quietly sat down in front of Ji Hao.

”Don’t waste time… Time is adorable jade coins, sparkling magic crystals, beautiful jade and gold.” said the short silhouette while pressing its pair of elbows against the table, and with a deep voice, ”What do you want to know? As long as you can pay for it, I can give you any answer you want. Everyone knows that, we are the best information sellers in Chi Ban Market.”

”Don’t be too confident. I want a map of Yu Clan’s Holy Realm. Can you even give me that?” said Ji Hao with a teasing tone.

”Eh…” responded the short creature, who sounded a bit unhappy, ”Honored guest, are you here to purchase information or to make trouble?”

Ji Hao took out a money bag made from beast leather, that had a few black space spell symbols dimly sparkling on it. The inner space of this money bag was about three meters cubed, and was filled with jade coins.

Turning his wrist, Ji Hao let a small pile of jade coins pour out in a stream, tinkling against the square table. Then, he looked at that short creature and said, ”How’s Di Family now?”

The short creature stared at those jade coins for a while, then raised its head. Under the lamp light, its face had a green luster, which made it look slightly like a ghost. ”Di Family?” said this short creature, ”Very bad. All family members are now in prison.”

Before Ji Hao said anything, this short creature continued, ”Dishi Cha had activated a terrifying magic formation that destroyed the entire Liang Zhu City, except for the twelve main divine towers of the twelve emperors, and also destroyed a crucial portal. But he is an Emissary of inspection from Holy Realm. With this special identity and the promises he made, the twelve emperors all agreed that the Di Family will take the responsibilities for the destruction of Liang Zhu City and the portal.”

”In twenty days, people in Liang Zhu City will try to rebuild the portal. Before that, all Di Family members will be executed right on the spot as blood offerings.”

Ji Hao picked up a jade coin, rolled it with his fingers while asking in a bland tone, ”Dishi Cha was born in Di Family. Is he truly going to use his own family as a scapegoat just like this?”

The short creature chuckled in jeer and said, ”Do not put the moral senses of your humankind on those noble Yu Clan people…To them, they themselves matter the most, and then nothing but benefits. Benefits are everything.”

”As long as they can keep their benefits, nothing can’t be sacrificed.”

”Only with enough benefits, a true Yu Clan noble can sell everything.”

”This time, Di Family is in hell of a trouble. They’re doomed…The above information is not important at all… Two-hundred jade coins, please.”