At the base of the Moon Viewing Terrace.

  Bubai rubbed his arm, trying to scrub off the goosebumps that his Bubai tingle was giving him.

  “Uwa… just where is this bad feeling coming from?”

  His eyes darted around, searching the eerie, lifeless courtyards surrounding him. Was it their deathly stillness? Or is it...

  He looked up. Hanging ominously overhead was the abysmal foggy shroud.

  Fleeing down the rocky path did nothing to lessen the mosquitoes buzzing in his ears. That accursed mass was chasing him like a tribulation cloud!

  Bubai’s lips flattened. "Seems like this isn’t not something I can run from."

  Whether he likes it or not, those black Qi will now become a part of his life, just like the rising decibels of the disturbingly invasive whispers from an unknown devil.

  "Vasir... mordhan... felirath…"

  It was a chaotic string of syllables that sounded like drivel. Nonsense, and yet they were far from meaningless.

  A profound mystery was carried by every syllable, one that a thousand minds couldn’t unravel.

  Even after a decade of cross-referencing and decryption, Bubai only managed to recognize certain common syllables.

  Alas, recognizing didn’t mean comprehending.

  Without any context other than fragmented sentence structures, it was nigh impossible for a layman like himself to make heads or tails of this unknown language.

  Bubai rubbed his temples. "Maybe I can find a book on the various languages out there or perhaps a universal translator of some sort?"

  Eh... that’s for the future. Now was not the time to worry about that.

  Midnight was fast approaching, and once that hour struck, he couldn’t guarantee his defenses would hold against the horde trying to break through.

  One thing was certain—if he passed out here, it wouldn’t be as simple as waking up with his pockets looted.

  No, it would be far worse.

  With that thought spurring him on, Bubai picked up his pace and soon left the abandoned, ghostly neighborhood.

  Bubai was welcomed back into the lively neighborhood by the familiar taste of night galore.

  The familiar grunts in the dark versus the carefree ones that were too lazy to hide and just did it out in the open.

  Wherever he passed, the full blown festive atmosphere was a feast to his senses.

  Festive music choreographed by clinking collars and chains...

  And the wafting smoke carrying a fishy smell that blended with the fragrance of wine as raw as the desert itself.

  “Desert’s Bloody Songstress” they call it, but it’s just some crude wine at best.

  Crude, but extravagant nevertheless.

  Of course, wine like these were hardly enough to intoxicate any foundation stage cultivator, but it could fuel their reckless desires.

  All around, Bubai could see many neighbors taking advantage of their “drunk” state to conduct unruly symphonies.

  What some were doing was enough to make others spit out fire—literally.

  But the hot flames were barely enough to lick the fireproof formations of the courtyard walls.

  Most were sober enough to not shoot their fireballs indiscriminately, lest they start a real fire.

  After all, everybody just wanted to party.

  As long as everyone got their share of fun, they will turn a blind eye to the fire lit in their own wild prairie.

  All fire will be smothered out when Blue Moon celebration comes to an end, usually during the wee hours of morning.

  But thanks to Bubai’s presence—or, more accurately, the presence of his personal guards—many out in public sobered up in haste and took each other’s companions back home for the night.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Man, it never gets old.

  Yet, not all cared to avoid getting into the bad books of those tigresses of the Law Enforcement Hall.

  There were still plenty of daredevils around, either confident in their own strength or background that made them feel untouchable.

  These were the types who thrived on chaos, always pushing boundaries to see just how far they could go.

  When Bubai passed by the wide-open double doors of a courtyard, he took a glance and saw the public party that was in full swing.

  Inside, tragic orioles sang the same tune for multiple guests, and the host of it all stood by the entrance, boldly toasting him with a golden goblet filled with thick, syrupy “wine”.

  "Yooo~ Brother! Want to chill at my place for the night? I guarantee those tigresses stalking you won’t bother to set foot in my place!"

  There was an easy confidence in that pale-faced man’s invitation, but Bubai saw through the white lie of hospitality.

  The so-called “protection” offered within the courtyard was a half-truth.

  Sure, it was true that those ever-watchful stalkers wouldn’t step into anyone’s courtyard for no utter reason, but that didn’t mean they’d leave him alone.

  All they had to do was wait. Surrounding the place would be enough.

  Even if this courtyard had a secret escape route… Bubai knew no secret tunnel will help, unless it led straight out into the unforgiving desert beyond.

  Yeah… fat chance that was happening.

  This bloke offering a “helping hand” probably had other plans in mind.

  The blue moonlight is ever serene, but it brought out the devil in the people. It goes to say how bad it would be to pass out in places like these.

  Since that’s the case...

  A grin stretched out on Bubai’s face. "Hey, did you know I just came down from the Moon Viewing Terrace—"

  Bam! The gates of the courtyard slammed shut, isolating everything within from the curse outside.

  Bubai sneered. Some curses were pretty useful when thrown out once in a blue moon.

  Leaving that courtyard behind, Bubai took the chance to cast another glance at the dense, swirling black mist overhead.

  That was no trial from grandfather heavens for all to witness.

  No one else seemed to show any signs of seeing it. Not even a twitch in their eyes.

  If it weren’t for his own special vision that let the world blossom in a spectrum of colors, he’d likely remain blissfully oblivious as well.

  It was unknown how his mysterious essence triggered this evolution from a simple Qi-sensing ocular skill to what it is now.

  But Bubai wasn’t one to complain about the hand he’d been dealt.

  Cheats were cheats, after all, and he welcomed every advantage he could get.

  Especially this colorful, enhanced vision.

  It allowed him to pinpoint, with almost absolute precision, the hidden positions of the nearby group putting him under surveillance.

  Of course, their positions stood out like lanterns in the dark because they did little to hide their presence.

  But even if they did, as long as they used Qi, they can’t hide from his eyes.

  Still, Bubai wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could see everything.

  He can’t rule out there are some sneaky ones that mastered some presence-masking skills such as the Turtle Breathing technique he had on hand.

  Don’t think the Turtle Breathing technique was just for adding a veil over his cultivation.

  There are records of true masters who could erase the signature of their Qi entirely, blending in and becoming one with nature!

  That had to be the trick behind those two stone-faced lady statues guarding the exit of Granny Shu’s secret tunnel.

  They hadn’t moved an inch, but he’d bet his last coin they weren’t just ordinary decorations.

  Of course, Bubai wasn’t worried about masters of that realm showing up out here.

  Achieving that level of mastery was no easy feat.

  Aside from requiring an immense amount of control, the principle behind the technique made it all the more tricky.

  It was essentially just suppressing one’s various energy all the way to the point where they seemed no different from mortals.

  But this came at the cost of locking the same energy away. It’s a delicate balance between dormant and active Qi.

  Such a technique worked well for those standing guard or for assassins lying in wait, but for stalkers on the move, it was less practical.

  Unless, of course, these pursuers had exceptional physical prowess and acrobatic skills that didn’t rely on Qigong skills—a rare breed, to say the least.

  Still, Bubai wasn’t about to tempt fate tonight.

  Since he doesn’t dare to take any chances with his pseudo-divine sense in the current climate, it was best to stay out in the open less.

  “Gotta get home quick. Fate is waiting...”

  The growing buzz in his ears and the brewing migraine spurred Bubai to speed forward even faster.

  Seeing his tower loom ahead, Bubai felt his irritated heart finally settle down, but his hurrying steps slowed at the sight of a lone camper at the entrance of his tower.

  The pale-faced man, dressed in a brocade robe, was unmistakably a eunuch.

  The moment their eyes met, the eunuch sprang into action, scurrying over and plastering an ingratiating smile across his face.

  “Young Master Mo has finally returned!” the eunuch chirped. “Little one has been waiting for you.”

  Bubai’s eyes narrowed vigilantly. “You are…?”

  The eunuch bowed deeply. “Little one is Xiao Jiazi. Young Lord Jia sent little one to deliver an invitation to Young Master Mo.”

  An invitation? Bubai’s eyes flickered with impatience. “Speak straight.”

  "Young Lord Jia would like to remind you to bring a companion to their meeting tomorrow morning. He says he can’t wait to take a good friend to see the big scene and hopes Young Master Mo doesn’t reject his goodwill."

  Ah, this is the so-called invitation? More like a command that had been forced upon him without his consent.

  But the last thing he needed right now was to play word games.

  Bubai suppressed his irritation. Instead, his lips curled into a strained grin. “Tell him I won’t forget. I’ll be ready tomorrow.”

  The eunuch beamed. “Good, good! Then little one won’t bother Young Master Mo any longer. Happy Blue Moon!”

  Giving him another exaggerated bow, the eunuch backed off and strutted away, his chest strangely puffed out in pride despite the craven nature of his position.

  Left behind, Bubai’s brow twitched in annoyance. “Can’t even get a moment’s peace.”

  Sweeping aside the little episode to a corner of his mind, Bubai hurried over to the entrance, his fingers itching to open that heavy door to his sanctuary.

  “...Wei o lef… Etern noc bing o wund ta…”

  Rumble. Rumble. The entrance groaned open ever so slowly…

  “Cai uyi ye ling… Aris khan haru bine o Qi...”

  “Xiao Lan…” Bubai squeezed out a smile for the homely sword maiden, and wasted no time in sinking into her soft embrace.

  “Don’t worry… Just take me up.”

  The entrance behind barely had time to rumble shut when his legs buckled, and the world around him spiraled into darkness.

  “Waku uy, waku uy...”