Chapter 1 – Ban (1/2)

The people in the underground trade gathering quickly dispersed to the sides. Every one of them are practitioners with at least three or four Rings. They’re used to fights breaking out, so it was instinctive by that point to run when there’s trouble, to avoid being drawn in.

After the huge sound and shockwave, they saw two people staring each other down, but neither continued to fight.

Lei Xinfeng was curious. “Those two are so brave. Are there any powerful people here to guard?”

Xin Zhaolun laughed. “Look at them closely.”

Lei Xinfeng then noticed that something was wrong. Those two were sealed by a power he doesn’t recognize. At first glance, there was nothing wrong with the two of them, but upon a closer view, he could see that they couldn’t move a single muscle.

It was because they weren’t moving that Lei Xinfeng realized something was wrong. After a single blow exchanged, the strange binding power immediately sealed their movements.

“Who did that?” he asked.

“Nobody,” Xin Zhaolun replied. “It was an automatic response by a ban some Monarch set up. No matter who fights in here, even me, their movements will be sealed.”

“And after they’re sealed…who deals with them?”

Xin Zhaolun laughed. “Nobody. But if they want to escape, they will take at least two days and nights.

“That’s a pretty cruel punishment. Ah, what kind of skill is that? The ban.”

“I don’t know either, except that only Monarchs and above can grasp it. It comes from another continent, not from us.”

A skill that only Monarchs can use. Although he didn’t know what to make of it, Lei Xinfeng still had another question. “What if they decide to fight again the moment they escape the bind?” he asked.

“They won’t. If they do, then they can still only make one attack, and they will be sealed for another two days. They’re probably smart enough that only one punishment is sufficient.”

“It seems that because it’s their first time here, they don’t know all the mysteries here.”

In the meantimes, Miaolin was staring at the two of them. “Little Lin, don’t stare at them. You’ll make them mad,” Xin Zhaolun said.

“Who cares! It’s not like they can move even if they’re mad.”

“It’s not like they’re stuck there forever. If you make them mad, they can still make trouble for you outside.”

Miaolin stuck out her tongue at him and spun behind Hongjie, hanging onto her arm. “Hongjie, you’ll protect me, won’t you?” she asked, whispering.

Hongjie sighed and peeled her off. “Alright, alright, don’t act so spoiled. You’re already this age, yet you still act like a child that won’t grow up,” she scolded jokingly.

After going a circle around the gathering, Lei Xinfeng didn’t see anything that he wanted to trade. It was a bit disappointing. “There’s nothing here,” he said to Xin Zhaolun.

“Well, you’d have to get lucky. There will be more people coming, so just wait a while.”

“Hm, alright. I’ll go around again,” he said. Fengying and Shihu followed him. Miaolin had Hongjie, and they went off to a side, chattering. Xin Zhaolun also went off with Xiao Diya.

The people who had something they wanted to trade all sat on a spread beast skin with wares stacked up atop it. There are many kinds of materials with many that Lei Xinfeng didn’t recognize. It was fortunate he had Fengying and Shihu with him; their knowledge was admirable and they could identify the majority of the items Lei Xinfeng couldn’t recognize between the two of them.

After another circle, they met up with Xin Zhaolun again. “Did you find anything you want?” Xin Zhaolun asked.

“No, there wasn’t anything special,” Lei Xinfeng admitted, smiling bitterly.

“Then you should head that way. There’s something quite interesting,” Xin Zhaolun said.

“What is it?”

“Meat of the Ice Beasts here. They probably just finished a hunt.”

Lei Xinfeng listened, and lost interest. “I have lots of meat. I don’t need anymore.”

Xin Zhaolun laughed. “This meat is different. It will raise your resistance to the cold if you eat it.”

“Oh, that’s not bad. Alright, we’ll go trade some. Also, is it expensive?” Lei Xinfeng asked. He had no idea how expensive something was around here.

“You can trade it with other kinds of food.”

Lei Xinfeng followed Xin Zhaolun to a stall. There was a few chunks of white colored meat on the pelts, with a chunk weighs around one jin. “How much is it?” Lei Xinfeng asked.

The owner of the stall was a Sage with eight Ring Bodies. He scanned Lei Xinfeng and said, “There’s plenty of it here. No matter how much you want, I will have it. You can trade for it with flour, rice, or other kinds of food. One jin for one jin.”

“One for one? I want at least two for every jin I give you,” Lei Xinfeng countered.