The woman stared at Mo Fan. She found him suspicious. She remained on her guard.

“There’s no lightning storm outside anymore. You can continue your journey,” she said politely.

“Continue my journey?” Mo Fan was stunned.

He wondered why the seductress was letting him go. As far as Mo Fan knew, a seductress usually invited a passing man into the temple. She would then proceed to tell him of her woes so that the man would feel protective towards her. And as she seduced him, her distorted demon form would flash in the lightning.

“Yes. The lightning storm will not appear again for quite a while. You can continue with your journey.” She did not really want to invite him into the temple.

“Oh… The last lightning strike was truly severe. I got injured. I don’t want to die in this wilderness, The temple seems to be safest for now. It is still intact even in the middle of such fierce lightning. God must have really blessed this place. Please allow me to stay for a while.” Mo Fan was determined to enter the temple.

The woman with the colorful headscarf stood at the door of the temple. She turned her head and gave the altar inside the temple one last look before she walked out of the temple giving Mo Fan a wary look. She refused to share the temple with Mo Fan.

Mo Fan was speechless. Did he really look like a thug that this woman felt so unsafe that she couldn’t stand being in the same temple as him?

“Miss!” he called. “Aren’t you afraid of the wilderness and demons that might be roaming about? Do you need me to escort you?”

“No need,” she said. “Please use the temple. Do not follow me.” The woman deliberately kept a distance between them as she walked past.

“Okay. If you aren’t afraid of the lightning, fine by me. May I ask for directions to Mingwu Ancient City before you leave?” Mo Fan asked.

“Why are you going there?” She looked alarmed.

“I’m a hunter. I received a bounty and want to earn money to pay for my house deposit at Mingwu Ancient City. I believe you’re aware that the coast has only a few base cities and fortresses left. As a result, land and house prices are high. So, I have to frequently travel without a roof over my head…”

“Please stop,” she said. “It’s in that direction.” She pointed her slender finger at the road ahead of him where Mo Fan’s navigation system had warned not to go. She didn’t bother to listen to any more of his story.

“Oh, thank you. Where are you going, if I may ask?” asked Mo Fan, as she turned in the opposite direction.

She ignored his question. She did not entertain him any further. She turned around and walked away.

Mo Fan let out a weary sigh as he saw her receding back. He wondered why she had appeared so alarmed when he mentioned the Mingwu Ancient City. He also wondered what he had done for her to be so suspicious and afraid of him.

…

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Mo Fan walked in the direction the woman had pointed at. Soon, he reached a fortress.

It turned out that the fortress was located on the west of the city and was obscured by a cloud of fog.

The south area always looked like this in this season. It was drizzling, and the moisture in the air had condensed into water drops. The city was enveloped in a fog-like haze. It was so humid that it felt like the place was a large steamer without heat.

The fortress was huge. This was one of the largest fortresses between Flying Bird Base City and Yaodu Base City. A large army was stationed at the fortress, and there were very few residents. Most of them were mages.

When he entered the fortress, rows of stalls lined both sides of the street, like a crowded bazaar.

Of course, the stalls in the fortress did not sell the usual food, drinks, etc. Instead, they sold magical items. Magical defense equipment was the most common among them. Owning a magical defense equipment could actually save one’s life more times that expected. So, it was every traveler’s first choice. Those who had money to spare usually bought one for themselves.

Pharmaceutical products were the next most common selling item. They provided both branded and non-branded products. Some people who studied pharmacology sold the drugs they were still refining. Mo Fan noticed a stall that was similar to those selling fried dough sticks and kompyang.

Most of them offered pharmaceutical refinement and blending on the spot. These sellers were knowledgeable individuals. They did not look like drug dealers, or con men who had no knowledge about botany or toxicology yet lied about their medicine’s ability to bring the dead back to life.

There were many travelers in the fortress. Most of them came in groups such as mages and hunters. Others were students, herbalists, miners, treasure diggers, exorcists, etc. There were people from various professions and backgrounds.

The fortress was more prosperous than Mo Fan expected. Since the fall of most cities on the coast, only base cities could afford such a scale of business. Mo Fan never thought there was a fortress this famous near Mingwu Ancient City.

A fortress and a base city were different. Aside from those assigned to ensure basic necessities, this fortress was inhabited mostly by mages. If anything were to happen in the fortress, the mages had no obligation to protect the commoners who lacked magical power.

Those who traveled outside for training purposes did not want to stay in the city and let the peace dull their senses. But if they did not want to roam around without a roof over their heads, they stayed in fortresses like these.

Mo Fan was relieved to find a fortress like this. At the very least, he could find some clues. Otherwise, he might go crazy wandering around the wilderness by himself.

There was a large square in front of the entrance. A scrolling LCD screen in the middle of the square gleamed and showed four directions in golden color. The message included information on bounty, recruitment and sale of expensive magical tools.

Zhao Manyan told him that the majority of the treasure came from fortresses like these. Most times individuals and groups purchased from places like these and sold them at auctions.

…

Mo Fan had no idea where Mingwu Ancient City was. It had taken him a lot of time to find the city. With his sense of direction, it was akin to finding an elusive demon in its lair. He remained at the fortress for a while to see if anyone had come here with the same goal as him. If he could join them, it would save a lot of his time.

Mo Fan had dropped by the Hunter Union in Flying Bird Base City, but he did not receive any information about Mingwu Ancient City.

He realized that there were a lot of people in this fortress who were heading in the same direction. There were at least two out of ten people who were going to the Mingwu Ancient City. He had arrived at exactly the right place!