The official road leading north grew increasingly desolate. Bustling market towns and dense, prosperous villages gradually faded into the distance, replaced by gloomy ancient forests and mountain ranges with jagged peaks as sharp as sabers and spears. The air was no longer pure; instead, it harbored a hidden killing intent and the characteristic chaos of a lawless land.
Tran Kien, in the guise of a mysterious black-robed wanderer, walked this lonely path for ten full days. For the past ten days, he absolutely did not cultivate out in the open. He merely walked, observed, and listened. He was turning himself into a part of this chaotic world. He learned the gait of rogue cultivators, how to drink in roadside tea stalls, and how to sift through a chaotic mix of truths and falsehoods.
He was undergoing a metamorphosis.
The stratagem of "The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell" was not merely changing one's name and donning a new set of clothes. It required altering one's aura, even one's very soul, so that an enemy wouldn't recognize him even if they stood face-to-face. The upright and unyielding aura of the Solar Essence Guardian was wrapped tightly in his Primordial Chaos Qi, concealed in the deepest depths of his being. The steady, mountainous presence of his Dao Foundation was also completely restrained. Outwardly, he now appeared as nothing more than an ordinary late-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, his gaze slightly indifferent, carrying the weathered aura of one well-accustomed to slaughter.
After ten long days, a bizarre, gargantuan city finally appeared on the horizon.
It was not as majestic as Thanh Province City, nor as solemn as the Lam Capital. It looked like a colossal primordial beast, patched together from countless fragments. Sections of the city wall were built from sturdy bluestone, others from makeshift red bricks, and some parts were merely sheer palisades of ironwood, bristling with sharp iron spikes. There was no name plaque above the city gates; instead, there hung the skull of an unknown magical beast, as large as a house. Its empty, pitch-black eye sockets stared down at the coming and going throngs.
This was the City of Chaos.
Here, there was no Imperial Court, no Orthodox Sects. The only law was absolute strength.
The moment he stepped through the city gates, a chaotic, miasmic aura smashed against his face. The scent of fresh blood, cheap wine, sweat, metallic tang, and the raw stench of worldly desires mixed together. The streets were unpaved, nothing but muddy dirt roads. Flanking them were taverns, gambling dens, fighting arenas, and shops peddling contraband. Curses, haggling, and the clashing of weapons rang out endlessly. Occasionally, a corpse would be tossed out from a tavern, but no one batted an eye; only a few wild dogs would rush over to fight for the scraps.
Tran Kien pulled his bamboo hat lower, quietly navigating through the crowd. He showed no fear or unfamiliarity. Like a single drop of water, he silently merged into the chaotic river.
He was in no rush to seek out the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. He knew that in a place like this, information was the most lethal weapon. He sought out a teahouse named the "Dragon Snake Tavern"—one of the most crowded and chaotic gathering spots in the City of Chaos.
Choosing an obscured corner, he ordered the cheapest pot of wine. Then, tossing out a few silver coins, he called the waiter over and casually asked a few questions.
"Brother waiter, I'm new to the City of Chaos. I heard the Myriad Treasures Pavilion is about to hold a grand auction. Is this true?"
Seeing the money, the waiter immediately beamed with a bright smile. "Guest, you have certainly asked the right person! Who in the City of Chaos doesn't know of this? In three days, it will be the Myriad Treasures Pavilion's biannual grand auction. Rumor has it there will be many rare and exotic treasures this time!"
"Oh? Then it must be quite lively?"
"Lively?" The waiter sneered. "A vicious struggle between dragons and tigers would be more accurate! You may not know this, Guest, but because of that 'Demon General Medallion', quite a few major figures have recently visited the City of Chaos."
"For example?" Tran Kien feigned curiosity.
"For example, 'Crazy Sand Saber' Manh Tam of the Crazy Sand Gang, one of the three great gangs here. Then there's the 'Blood Demoness' of the Phantom Shadow Pavilion who has also made an appearance. This lowly one even heard that the Black Dragon Stronghold has dispatched experts here. This auction... I'm afraid rivers of blood will flow!"
Tran Kien quietly committed these names to memory. The Crazy Sand Gang, the Phantom Shadow Pavilion, the Black Dragon Stronghold... All were factions not to be trifled with lightly.
Having obtained the basic intelligence, Tran Kien left the tavern. He found a cheap inn and rented a spartan room.
That night, he did not cultivate. Sitting by the table under the flickering light of an oil lamp, he unrolled a map of the City of Chaos he had just purchased. On the map, he circled the location of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Then, he marked the strongholds of the major factions like the Crazy Sand Gang and the Phantom Shadow Pavilion.
He was setting up a chessboard.
I must absolutely obtain the Demon General Medallion, he thought inwardly. But I cannot use brute force to seize it. I must rely on strategy.
He recalled the stratagems within the tome 'Ancient Stratagems'. When facing multiple powerful enemies, one cannot clash head-on. One must divide them, sow suspicion among them, and exploit the resulting chaos to reap the benefits. The stratagems of "Sowing Discord" and "Acting when the Opportunity Arises".
The Crazy Sand Gang possessed brawn but lacked brains.
The Phantom Shadow Pavilion acted with secretive cunning.
The Black Dragon Stronghold was cruel and arrogant.
Each enemy had their own fatal flaw.
An audacious plan, far more complex than any of his previous schemes, began to take shape in Tran Kien's mind. This time, he didn't just want to seize the treasure; he wanted to borrow this very auction to make his new name resound throughout the City of Chaos for the very first time.
Three days later.
The Myriad Treasures Pavilion, the largest and most luxurious auction house in the City of Chaos, was packed to the brim. The entrance was heavily guarded, and anyone wishing to enter had to undergo rigorous inspection.
Tran Kien, still draped in his black cloak and bamboo hat, waited quietly in line. When it was his turn, the guard moved to block his path.
"Hold on," Tran Kien spoke in a raspy voice, handing over a small pouch.
The guard opened it to inspect the contents. Inside were one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones, exactly enough to qualify for entry. But alongside the Spirit Stones was something else.
A wolf demon's fang, dyed pitch-black with a deadly poison.
Seeing that fang, the guard's previously arrogant complexion instantly shifted, replaced by a measure of deep wariness. He said nothing more; he simply gave a faint nod and gestured for Tran Kien to enter.
Tran Kien silently stepped inside. He knew that in a place like the City of Chaos, occasionally bearing one's fangs and claws was the best way to earn the respect of others.
He did not head for the luxurious private rooms. He found the most obscured corner in the grand hall and quietly sat down, like a venomous snake coiling upon itself, waiting for its prey to appear.
The chessboard in the City of Chaos... had officially opened.