And ahead—
through the darkness—
the faint outline of five mountain ridges began to emerge.
Interlocked.
Curving inward.
Like claws cupping something hidden at their center.
The fox slowed.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
There.
Even from this distance, she could feel it.
A strange balance in the air.
Not oppressive like claimed territory.
Not wild like the Broken Ridge.
Something calmer.
Contained.
The fox exhaled softly.
"We're close."
Her voice was barely more than a breath, but it carried clearly through the mind-link.
*This should be it.*
Ahead, between the five ridges, a soft glow flickered in the dark.
Lanterns.
Firelight.
Movement.
A hidden world tucked into the mountains.
Five Veins Hollow awaited.
The fox did not stop.
Even as the hidden valley opened before her, she kept moving.
Invisible.
Silent.
Untouched.
She slipped past the outer paths, past sentries who did not even realize they were guarding anything, and crossed fully into Five Veins Hollow.
The moment she entered—
the world changed.
This was not wilderness.
This was order.
A hidden town carved into the heart of the mountains.
Buildings rose from stone and timber—
some carved directly into cliff faces, others built on stilts over streams of faintly glowing water.
Lanterns hung from ropes overhead, casting warm light over winding paths.
Bridges linked higher platforms.
Carved stairways descended into deeper market rows below.
It was alive.
Crowded.
Busy.
And nothing like the savage brutality of the outside territories.
Demonic beasts were everywhere.
Some walked openly in full beast form—
massive wolves padding beside scaled serpents.
Others had taken humanoid forms—
foxes with tails swaying behind silk robes,
horned men with beast eyes and sharp teeth,
women with clawed hands and animal ears.
Some looked almost entirely human—
save for the pressure they carried.
Old monsters wearing borrowed elegance.
Others had suppressed their cores, shrinking into smaller, more convenient forms—
birds perched on stalls,
small beasts weaving between crowds—
all still carrying the unmistakable scent of danger.
The fox's turquoise eyes took everything in.
Shops lined the main roads.
Spirit herbs hung beneath awnings.
Beast cores were displayed in carved boxes.
Weapons.
Artifacts.
Talismans.
Information.
Trades happened openly.
There was no shouting.
No chaos.
Only a strange, disciplined rhythm.
Deals were made in low voices.
Assessments exchanged in glances.
Even predators followed rules here.
The fox moved through it all—
a ghost among monsters.
Unseen.
Unfelt.
Her ears flicked slightly as voices drifted past.
Rumors.
Prices.
Territory disputes.
Bits of information she filed away instinctively.
*This place really is a market.*
Not crude.
Not temporary.
Built.
Established.
Necessary.
Her lips curved faintly.
Interesting.
She kept moving deeper—
past the outer stalls,
past the busier lanes—
her eyes scanning every face.
Every aura.
Somewhere in this place, there would be a lead.
And if Meihu truly came here often—
then this town might be the first real step toward killing her.
The fox moved through the market's winding paths, her gaze drifting from stall to stall.
There was something almost pleased in her expression now.
Through their mind-link, her voice brushed lightly against the lizard's thoughts.
*This place isn't bad.*
A faint note of approval colored her tone.
*Actually…*
Her eyes lingered on a stall lined with polished beast cores.
*It's pretty good.*
She slipped past a group of scaled humanoids bartering over herbs.
*There are a lot of cores here.*
*Spirit herbs too.*
A pause.
*Martial resources in general.*
Her ears twitched slightly.
*The only things that seem scarce are human-made goods.*
She glanced at a stall displaying talismans and low-grade artifacts.
Most were ordinary.
Nothing worth her time.
*Talismans.*
*Artifacts.*
*Formation tools.*
*Most of what's here is low to mid-tier.*
A small pause.
*Then again…*
A faint smile touched her lips.
*It's not like top-tier items are supposed to be common anyway.*
The lizard remained silent.
Listening.
The fox continued.
*Since we're already here…*
Her gaze swept over the market again.
*I'm going to browse a little.*
A beat.
*Drop the invisibility, White.*
There was no hesitation.
The lizard obeyed.
The veil faded slowly—
like mist burning off in sunlight.
First her outline returned.
Then her fur.
Her wings, tucked neatly at her sides.
Then the pressure of her presence.
The fox appeared in the middle of the path as though she had always been there.
No one reacted.
No gasps.
No suspicion.
In a place like this, strange arrivals were hardly strange at all.
Just another beast.
Just another trader.
The fox's lips curved faintly.
Good.
She moved naturally now, blending into the flow of the crowd.
Her voice came again, softer now, meant only for him.
*First…*
*I need a guide.*
Not someone important.
Not someone dangerous.
Just someone who knew how things worked here.
Someone easy to control.
She drifted deeper into the market, eyes passing over faces, auras, movements.
Then—
she found one.
A demonic beast in humanoid form.
Lean.
Sharp-faced.
With a long striped tail swaying behind him.
Late-stage Qi Refining.
Strong enough to know the place.
Weak enough not to matter.
He stood near a side path, watching the traffic with the casual ease of someone local.
Perfect.
The fox's smile deepened slightly.
And she began walking toward him.
The fox stopped in front of him.
Close enough to speak.
Far enough not to crowd.
The striped-tailed beast barely spared her a glance.
Late-stage Qi Refining.
Lean.
Foxlike features mixed with something faintly feline.
His eyes were half-lidded with practiced disinterest.
He looked like someone used to crowds.
Used to strangers.
Used to dismissing both.
The fox's voice was light.
Easy.
"Hey."
No response.
He looked past her, already writing her off as just another passerby.
The fox's ears twitched faintly.
Amused.
"Rude."
Still—
nothing.
The beast shifted slightly, clearly uninterested.
The fox did not mind.
Instead, she reached into her storage pouch.
And pulled out a spirit stone.
Low-grade.
But top quality.
Clean.
Dense.
It gleamed faintly beneath the lantern light.
The fox flipped it once in her paw—
then casually tossed it.
The beast caught it on instinct.
His eyes dropped.
Saw what it was.