Chapter 41. True to His Word.

Unlike the Mist Kingdom Crown and most other Heavenly Rank treasures, the Ninth Moon Step could not make decisions on its own or communicate with its owner. It was much more like any weak spiritual artifact in this regard because its soul had been intentionally crippled by its creator, who happened to be Rand's father.

The soul of a treasure has many functions, primarily aiding the owner in using its power. However, the soul has its own will, which means that it is in its power to decide not to help the master or even hinder him, making the treasure almost unusable.

This was the case during the creation of the Ninth Moon Step. The emperor realized that the treasure's soul was too proud and would not obey anyone weaker than its creator, meaning the young prince wouldn't be able to use it at all. Unfortunately, replacing the soul was not an option as it had already become one with the treasure, and attempting to replace it would destroy the powerful artifact. Creating another would take too long, at least several years, while the prince needed the treasure immediately. Thus, the emperor found a solution: he severely injured the soul so it could not think or resist. Although this weakened the treasure considerably and removed many functions, it allowed the young prince to use it.

Looking at the amulet, Rand recalled the day he received it:

"My father gave it to me when I reached the first level of Qi Condensation. It was one of the few gifts he personally gave me. Amazingly, he even smiled that day. I thought that maybe... Enough of these thoughts of the past, I don't need them now. But the amulet... it will be very useful soon."

Finishing his reflections, Rand touched the amulet again, and it disappeared from his chest as if it had never been there. Before activating the teleportation formation, Rand checked Zark's current location. He was already half an hour away from their planned meeting place, a tavern in a small village near the city. Rand chose this location for several reasons. Firstly, it wasn`t in the city, away from powerful practitioners who could create unforeseen complications. Outside the city, the concentration and strength of cultivators were significantly lower. Secondly, the meeting place should also not be too far from the city, because the longer Zark was outside of it and beyond the protection of guards, the greater the chance that something might go wrong. For example, he could have been robbed.

Rand also considered meeting Zark on a deserted road or in a forest but quickly dismissed these options. One reason was that Zark might be scared to meet him in an isolated place and could act foolishly.

After confirming Zark's location, Rand activated the formation without further delay. The spirit stones in the platform glowed brighter and brighter, then flashed, flooding the space with light. When the light returned to normal, Rand was no longer in the room.

Theoretically, with the help of such a formation, it was possible to teleport to any point within a radius of hundreds of kilometers. However, to avoid risking his life, one could only teleport to known places, well-remembered from past visits. By using a mental image of the place and knowing the approximate distance, one could set the exit point of the formation without fear of being crushed inside a rock.

Accompanied by a flash of light, Rand appeared in a small ravine located a few kilometers from the village he needed. The ravine was densely surrounded by trees and bushes, effectively hiding everything that happened inside from prying eyes. Rand had noticed this tiny valley many days ago while passing by the village and thought it was an excellent exit point for teleportation. While this location couldn't prevent spiritual sense inspections, it was hidden from casual glances, which was sufficient for Rand's current plan.

Climbing out of the ravine, Rand found himself near a deserted path illuminated only by moonlight, leading straight to the village. Walking along it, Rand quickly reached the outskirts of the human settlement. The village itself was unremarkable despite being close to a large city. It consisted of only a few hundred houses, most of which were simple one-story wooden structures. The only distinguishing feature of this small village was the abundance of inexpensive taverns and inns. This was because the village often hosted people who wanted to visit the City of Fire but couldn't afford to stay within the city walls.

Entering the village was easy. It had no walls or guards at the entrance. Walking through the empty night streets, Rand immediately noticed several large buildings near the village center. While most of the village was shrouded in darkness, these central buildings were still lit, and even at this late hour, lively conversations full of shouts and exclamations could be heard from a distance. Rand headed towards one of these buildings, a tavern named "The Prancing Pony."

"The Prancing Pony" was a three-story tavern with a common dining hall on the first floor and rooms for rest on the second and third floors. Entering the tavern, which was still bustling with people drinking wine even at night, Rand immediately drew everyone's attention. At his sight, the laughter and merriment filling the tavern evaporated, and silence started to reign. The patrons abruptly stopped their conversations and stared at Rand, who had just entered.

Rand`s face was hidden by a mask depicting a maliciously grinning fox, and he was dressed in a black robe as dark as the night sky. And given his height, approaching one hundred eighty centimeters, he cut an imposing and quite sinister figure. Ignoring the silence caused by his entrance, Rand walked towards the counter where a tall, stout man, presumably the owner, sat.

Before Rand could reach him, one of the tavern's patrons blocked his path, saying, "We have a rule here to show your face upon entry. Too many dangerous non-human scum are wandering around, and we don't want to share lodging with them. So, either take off your mask and prove you're good folk, or get out."

Most people would be frightened by Rand's current appearance. But the man blocking Rand's path was no ordinary person. He was a cultivator and a successful mercenary who had survived many battles. Rand`s eccentric attire didn't scare him, especially with his friends nearby, which boosted his confidence. Additionally, he sensed no Qi from Rand due to his mask, leading him to believe that Rand most likely wasn't a cultivator.

Rand looked over the man blocking his way. He was dressed in a simple, non-artifact chainmail with long sleeves, and a simple short sword hung at his waist. His cultivation was at the fourth level of Qi Condensation. Given that he had risen from a table with several similarly poorly equipped individuals who were now glaring at Rand, it was clear he wasn't alone.

Of course, Rand had no intention of removing his mask, meaning a conflict with this scum was inevitable. Rand was confident he could easily defeat the fool and his group, even though their cultivation levels were higher than his. People outside the sects usually lacked exceptional combat skills or techniques.

But Rand didn't want to start a fight here. It would be too troublesome, and if the mercenaries were a bit stronger than he expected, the fight could drag on and result in many deaths. It could also attract unnecessary attention from the guards, potentially jeopardizing his plan. He had anticipated such a situation when he donned his outfit and entered the tavern so late and had prepared a countermeasure. This would solve the problem quickly and establish his reputation as an expert, which also would be somewhat useful.

"Get lost, worm," Rand said in a low voice.

"You..." the mercenary began, reaching for his sword. Rand didn't wait for him to finish and immediately poured more than a half of his Qi from dantian into the mask on his face. This enormous flow of Qi was barely enough to partially activate one of its weakest abilities, the Aura of Terror.

The mask on Rand's face glowed with a black light, and everyone in the tavern was overcome with an irresistible fear. Their bodies went cold and trembled in terror, as if they were facing a monstrous, unbeatable predator ready to devour them at any moment. Their minds screamed that they needed to run, to escape, but they couldn't even move out of fear.

Seeing the effect, Rand smiled. Against someone at the Foundation Establishment stage, it would have been almost useless. But against mortals and weak Qi Condensation cultivators, it was effective, though short-lived.

The mercenary standing directly in front of Rand suffered the most. Overwhelmed by fear, he collapsed, gasping for breath. Even lying on the ground, he couldn't take his eyes off Rand's face, convinced that even blinking would mean his death.

As the Aura of Terror 's effect was ending, Rand acted quickly to cement his status as an expert. He kicked the mercenary in the head, sending him flying into a table where his comrades sat. The mercenary collided with one of his friends and finally stopped when his face smashed into the table.

Almost simultaneously, the fear gripping the tavern's patrons dissipated. Rand turned to the mercenary lying on the table and said, "If you bother me again, worm, I will kill you and your entire gang. And don't even dream that anyone can protect you. Or better yet, get out of here altogether, mere sight of you annoys me.

"Yes, yes, senior, forgive me. I'm just a worm who didn't realize who I was dealing with. We will leave immediately to avoid troubling and disturbing you further. Guys, let's go," the mercenary stammered, still not fully recovered. He rushed out of the tavern, nearly forgetting his belongings, followed swiftly and quietly by his comrades. It was clear that many other patrons wanted to follow suit but dared not move, fearing to attract Rand's attention.

Considering the incident resolved, Rand continued towards the counter where the tavern owner stood. Seeing Rand approach, the owner pressed against the wall behind him but managed to control his fear and not flee.

"A room for three days," Rand ordered.

"Y-yes, s-sir. We have the best room available on the third floor," the owner replied, initially stuttering but managing to speak more clearly midway.

Rand took out fifty spirit stones from the pouch at his waist and dumped them on the counter.

"This is for the room, for any inconvenience, and for a favor. Soon a boy will come and ask if you've seen me, his master. You'll tell him you have and send him to my room. Do as I ask, and you can keep the spirit stones. If not, I'll return for them. Understood?" Rand commanded.

"Of course, of course. It's no trouble at all, sir. I'll do exactly as you say," the owner responded.

"Good. Now show me the room."

The owner led Rand to his room on the third floor and then quickly left. Rand sat on the bed, waiting for Zark to arrive, monitoring his approach with the help of the crown.

Fifteen minutes later, Zark entered the empty tavern, approached the owner, and asked about the "master." The owner immediately escorted him to Rand.

After knocking on the door and hearing "come in," Zark entered Rand's room. Seeing the masked figure, Zark wasn't surprised, as Rand had warned him in advance about his future attire.

"Greetings, Master Zoltan. Sorry to keep you waiting," Zark said, as Rand had instructed him to use this name and title when communicating, although it was only an additional precaution and there was no special need for it.

"You're not late, so no need to apologize. Here, take this," Rand replied, handing him a pouch artifact. Once Zark took it, Rand continued, "You know what to buy. If anyone asks, say a senior Core Formation cultivator sent you, and you know nothing about him. If pressed, tell them my name and description.

When you go to the menagerie, don't reveal the beast you need immediately. Demand the strongest and best, mentioning that price does not matter to you. They'll eventually show you the right one. Also, after you've done all the shopping, there's a good chance that one of the merchants will send someone to follow you. It is unlikely that you will notice him, but even if you manage to do so, do not pay attention to him and just head straight to this tavern. If anything unexpected happens, I'll intervene. Understood? Any questions?"

"Yes, Master Zoltan. No questions, Master Zoltan," Zark replied.

"Good. If you do everything correctly, you'll be well rewarded. But remember, I'm watching your every step, and if you do anything wrong you won`t be able to escape from me," Rand said, peering into Zark's downcast eyes, as if looking for some hint of possible betrayal or disobedience. But, fortunately for Zark, he couldn't find anything like that in them.

After bowing, Zark left for the city. And Rand stayed behind, monitoring him. Zark quickly reached the gates, entered the city with minimal delay, and started shopping for the items Rand had requested. The prices that the merchants asked for the goods were slightly higher than those demanded from the sect member but within reasonable limits. Such a difference was anticipated by Rand, and he gave Zark extra money.

Most of the sellers did not ask anything and calmly sold goods to Zark, only some tried to get out of the young man where he got so much money and for whom he was shopping, But Zark held himself well and told only what Rand allowed him to tell. At the menagerie, a different merchant greeted him. Hearing about his need for the "best" beast and "the price does not matter"," he immediately led Zark to the wyvern and snake. Zark acquired the latter along with the accompanying things necessary for the beast without any difficulties.

When Zark had completed all the purchases and was already on his way back, Rand managed to notice the man following him. It was the same bearded man in a blue robe that Rand had met on the way out of the menagerie. He trailed Zark at a distance of a hundred paces and did not even try to hide much. Apparently, the "Palace of Heavenly Beasts" decided to find out who wanted to buy their beast, and they do it almost "openly". Probably, this man wants to talk about something with "Master Zoltan". But for Rand, it didn't really matter what reason he was coming here, in any case, their meeting wouldn't take place.

Leaving the city, Zark also noticed the man but, per Rand's instructions, did not react except for a slight increase in pace. But when he began to approach the tavern, Zark could not stand it and broke into a run, reaching Rand's room in seconds and bursting in, breathless.

"Master Zoltan, as you predicted, someone is following me..."

"Calm down, it doesn't matter now," Rand said, touching Zark's shoulder and activating an amulet. He stepped forward, teleporting both of them from the tavern to his hideout, to the first underground floor, which was protected by formation. Zark could have been secretly marked during his shopping trip, Rand was unable to notice or quickly get rid of such a thing right now, but his hideout was capable of preventing a possible mark from transmitting a signal to its creator.

The unexpected change of location made the young merchant's head spin and he lost his balance and fell to the ground. It took him a couple of seconds to recover, after thar he stood up, bowed, and handed the spatial pouches with purchases to Rand.

"Please, take this. I kept my word and did everything as you asked. I didn't steal anything or say a word about you to anyone. And you can be sure I won't tell anyone in the future; I don't even need the money..."

"That's out of the question. I promised you that if you fulfilled all my requirements, you'd get not only the promised money but also a bonus. I always try to keep my word. Here, take your spirit stones," Rand said, throwing him a pouch containing ten thousand low-quality spirit stones. "You can check them if you want."

"No need, no need, I believe you. Since I've done your task, I'd like to go home. My master must be already back at the shop and waiting for me. Can you take off the crown from me and tell me how to get out of here?" Zark asked, clearly eager to be rid of the deadly device on his head and leave Rand as quickly as possible.

"You don't need to get out," Rand replied shortly.

"What? But... you promised..."

"I promised to pay you for your work. Nothing more, nothing less. I never said you could leave after it was done. Letting you go would be reckless and foolish for many reasons. You probably already guessed some of them, given how nervous you were. So, you won't leave here alive." Rand spoke calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter rather than a person's life.

"Please let me go. I can swear in front of Heaven and Earth to forget everything and never tell anyone. I can even move to another city. Please..." Zark fell to his knees, begging Rand, but Rand ignored his pleas.

"You won't tell anyone, that's true. Dead men tell no tales," Rand said. At that moment, the crown on Zark's head emitted a cloud of smoke that enveloped him in seconds, ending his life.