In Black Sky City, His Majesty Begins Collecting Rent (Part One)

Black Sky City stood at the very center of the Land of Darkness.

It did not look like a city.

It looked more like an ancient ferocious beast crouching upon the earth.

The city walls were as black as ink, stretching for hundreds of miles. Dense restriction runes covered their surface.

Those runes were not meant for defense.

They were warnings.

Warnings to the Sacred Lands, warnings to the Demon Sects, warnings to rogue cultivators, warnings to everyone who thought themselves powerful.

Once you entered Black Sky City, you obeyed Black Sky City’s rules.

Of course.

Rules were usually only effective against the poor.

The rich could sit down and discuss the rules.

The poor could only kneel and listen to them.

Wang Hao stood on a barren hill outside Black Sky City, gazing at the black city in the distance.

The heavens hung low.

Dark clouds pressed down like an ancient demonic mountain.

Yet the city’s lights were astonishingly bright.

Countless spirit lamps, soul lamps, blood lamps, and bone lamps hung along both sides of the streets, illuminating the darkness with a bizarre kind of prosperity.

There were shops belonging to the Sacred Lands.

Secret stores run by the Demon Sects.

Gambling arenas where people wagered their lives.

Face-changing parlors for fugitives.

And countless goods of unknown origin.

A drop of blood from a Transcendent expert.

A finger bone from a Martial God corpse puppet.

A damaged cultivation manual from a Sacred Land.

A remnant soul sealed inside a jade bottle that could still curse people out.

Black Sky City sold everything.

As long as you could afford the price.

Of course, it also devoured everything.

Lives, reputations, bones, souls—even ancestral tablets.

Yin Jiuyou stood behind Wang Hao in a gray robe and said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, Black Sky City is controlled on the surface by the Black Sky Merchant Alliance.”

“The alliance leader, Hei Wuya, is at the peak of the Martial God Realm.”

“It is rumored that he has a half-step Transcendent expert backing him as well. His name is Old Man Heitian.”

“The Sacred Lands and the Demon Sects have never completely fallen out with this place over the years, because neither side wants to be the first to provoke this city.”

Wang Hao nodded.

“Got it.”

“This city has backing.”

Yin Jiuyou said, “And its backing is extremely formidable.”

Wang Hao thought seriously for a moment.

“Then we have to be even more polite.”

Yin Jiuyou had just let out a breath of relief.

Wang Hao continued, “We’ll collect the rent politely.”

Yin Jiuyou fell silent.

He had known it.

The “politeness” Your Majesty spoke of belonged to an entirely different species from ordinary people’s politeness.

Han Shanyue carried a massive battle-axe on his back and frowned at Black Sky City.

“Your Majesty, what identities are we using this time?”

Wang Hao took out a stack of masks.

There was one with golden sacred markings.

One with black soul patterns.

A white bone mask.

A blood-red mask.

And a red-nosed mask with a smiling face painted on it.

Everyone stared at the last one and fell into thought.

Xue Wuhen could not help asking, “Your Majesty, is this one an identity too?”

Wang Hao said flatly, “It’s a backup.”

“If our identities are exposed, we’ll say we’re street performers.”

The Demon Lord remained expressionless.

“Have you ever seen Martial God Realm cultivators performing on the street?”

Wang Hao glanced at him.

“That’s why it’ll be so impressive.”

The New Emperor Sword poked halfway out of its sheath, brimming with excitement.

“Master, can I wear a mask too?”

Wang Hao said, “You’re a sword. Why would you wear a mask?”

The New Emperor Sword refused to accept this.

“I have a humanoid artifact spirit!”

Wang Hao thought for a moment, then tossed it the ugliest ghost-face mask.

“Wear this.”

The New Emperor Sword transformed into a black-and-gold humanoid figure.

It took the form of a sharp-featured, rebellious-looking young man.

But once that crooked-mouthed ghost mask was fastened over its face, its aura instantly changed from that of a vicious cursed weapon into that of an obnoxious rogue cultivator.

It touched the mask, utterly shocked.

“Master, why is this mask so ugly?”

Wang Hao calmly replied, “It matches your temperament.”

The New Emperor Sword: “……”

It felt insulted yet again.

But it did not dare talk back.

Its master really would stick it into the ground and use it as a road marker.

Wang Hao straightened his robes.

Today, he wore a black robe with dark-gold dragon patterns embroidered around the cuffs, though these were concealed beneath a gray outer garment.

He wore an utterly ordinary mask resembling the face of a middle-aged merchant.

His aura had been suppressed to the peak of the True Intent Realm.

He looked like a black-market merchant with a little money, a little courage, and a little backing—not enough to be killed on sight, but enough to make people think twice.

Yin Jiuyou disguised himself as an accounts clerk.

Xue Wuhen disguised himself as a bodyguard.

Han Shanyue disguised himself as a mute strongman.

The Demon Lord had it easiest.

He did not need a disguise.

No matter how one looked at that face, he simply did not look like a good person.

Wang Hao had assigned him the identity of Hired Attack Dog.

The Demon Lord had only said one thing upon hearing it.

“You’d better hope you never fall into my hands.”

Wang Hao remained perfectly calm.

“If I fall into your hands, the people of Great Xia will curse you to death first.”

The Demon Lord: “……”

That was precisely what annoyed him most.

Wang Hao not only had an indestructibly tough life—he also had an indestructibly tough mouth.

More frightening still, this man truly possessed the people’s support.

That thing was formless and intangible, yet more troublesome than many divine weapons.

The group entered Black Sky City.

Eighteen iron-armored puppets stood at the city gate.

Every one of them radiated the aura of the Astral Force Realm.

In the middle sat a chubby accounts clerk.

He looked up at Wang Hao and the others and smiled.

“Entry fee.”

“Three thousand spirit stones per person.”

“Cargo is charged separately.”

Wang Hao raised his brows.

“Three thousand?”

The accounts clerk’s smile did not change.

“The conflict between the Sacred Lands and the Demon Sects has grown tense lately. The pressure on the city’s defenses has increased, so the price has gone up.”

Wang Hao nodded.

“Reasonable.”

Then he handed over a storage ring.

The accounts clerk swept it with his divine sense, and his smile grew even warmer.

“Esteemed guests, please come in.”

As Wang Hao passed through the gate, he suddenly asked, “If something is lost inside the city, does Black Sky City compensate the owner?”

The accounts clerk smiled.

“Of course we do.”

“But you must prove that it was lost within the city.”

Wang Hao asked again, “How do I prove that?”

The accounts clerk replied, “Catch the person who stole it.”

Wang Hao said seriously, “If I’ve caught the thief, why would I still need you to compensate me?”

The accounts clerk’s smile stiffened.

Wang Hao patted him on the shoulder.

“Your after-sales service needs work.”

With that, he entered the city.

The accounts clerk watched Wang Hao’s back, narrowing his eyes.

One of the guards lowered his voice.

“My lord, should we investigate him?”

The accounts clerk slowly shook his head.

“Anyone who dares come to Black Sky City at a time like this either has money, has a life worth risking, or has a problem in the head.”

“This one looks like he has all three.”

The guard did not understand.

“My lord, what should we do, then?”

The accounts clerk lowered his head and resumed moving the beads on his abacus.

“Let him in.”

“Black Sky City likes people like that best.”

“Because when people like them die, their estates are usually quite substantial.”

Inside Black Sky City, the streets were filled with noise and activity.

On the broad main avenue, disciples of the Sacred Lands brushed shoulders with disciples of the Demon Sects.

Their gazes were as sharp as blades.

Yet neither side attacked immediately.

Because a massive black iron sign hung above the center of the street.

It bore only four words.

No Killing Within the City.

Of course, Black Sky City’s so-called ban on killing did not truly mean that killing was forbidden.

It meant you could not let the people of Black Sky City see you kill.

As long as they did not see it, it did not count as killing.

It was an exceedingly Black Sky City sort of rule.

Wang Hao admired it.

“There’s promise here.”

Yin Jiuyou said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, this is a black market.”

Wang Hao replied, “A black market needs a business philosophy too.”

Yin Jiuyou asked, “And what do you think of their philosophy, Your Majesty?”

Wang Hao evaluated it.

“It’s better than that of certain officials in the Ministry of Revenue.”

“At least they dare to rob people openly.”

Yin Jiuyou: “……”

If those words reached Great Xia, the Minister of Revenue would probably cry for three days straight.

They soon arrived before a towering building.

It had nine stories and was constructed entirely from black jade.

A massive bronze lamp hung from the roof.

The wick did not burn with fire, but with wisps of soul.

The flickering soul-flames cast an especially sinister glow over the three characters on the signboard.

Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

Tonight’s underground auction was being held here.

All sorts of forces had already gathered outside Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

The people from the Taiyin Sacred Land wore white robes, their brows and eyes cold as ice.

The people from the Yellow Springs Demon Sect were draped in black robes, their bodies shrouded in a sinister aura.

The disciples of the Sword Ruins stood with swords on their backs, sword qi soaring into the heavens.

The people from the White Bone Demon Sect dragged corpse puppets behind them, filling the air with the stench of decay.

The Blood Lotus Sacred Land, Blood Prison Demon Sect, Golden Vault Sacred Land, and Myriad Souls Demon Sect had all sent people as well.

Everyone was holding themselves in check.

And everyone was close to losing control.

There had been far too many vendettas over the past half month.

So many that whenever enemies crossed paths, they had to think first:

Was he my enemy from yesterday, or my enemy from the day before?

Wang Hao swept his gaze across the crowd, thoroughly pleased.

Everyone was here.

The pot was ready too.

All that was missing was a spark.

He led his people around to the back entrance of Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

A woman in a purple dress was waiting there.

She had a seductive face, but her eyes were icy cold.

She was none other than the proprietor of Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Zi Yuan.

When she saw Wang Hao, she put on a professional smile.

“Are you here to consign something?”

Wang Hao handed her a black jade slip.

“There’s quite a lot.”

Zi Yuan’s smile deepened.

“Myriad Treasures Pavilion isn’t afraid of having too much merchandise. We’re only afraid it won’t be good enough.”

Her divine sense swept across the jade slip.

The next moment, the smile on her face froze.

Frost Marrow.

Moon-Soul Spirit Liquid.

Sword Marrow Crystal.

A fragmentary ancient pill.

White Bone corpse materials.

Soul-Suppressing Nails.

A Yellow Springs Soul Banner.

And a small fragment of a broken sword that radiated an astonishing sword intent of Transcendence.

Of course, it was not a fragment of the Transcendent sword itself.

It was a tiny bit of sword rust that the New Emperor Sword had secretly licked off while Wang Hao wasn’t paying attention.

When Wang Hao discovered it, the sword was punished by being forbidden from eating weapons for three days.

But this bit of sword rust was perfect for baiting the fish.

Zi Yuan raised her head, her voice dropping several degrees.

“Sir, the origins of these items…”

Wang Hao said indifferently, “When has Black Sky City ever asked about origins?”

Zi Yuan fell silent.

The words made perfect sense.

Asking about origins in a black market was like asking about chastity in a brothel.

It was the sort of thing that ruined one’s own reputation.

But she still couldn’t help asking, “Are you aware that these goods are tied to matters of great consequence?”

Wang Hao smiled.

“If they weren’t tied to anything important, why would I bring them to Black Sky City?”

Zi Yuan gave him a long, searching look.

“How would you like them auctioned?”

Wang Hao replied, “Not as a package.”

“One item at a time.”

“And each item must be displayed clearly enough for its original owner to see.”

Zi Yuan’s pupils contracted.

She understood.

This man hadn’t come to sell goods.

He had come to light a fuse.

Zi Yuan lowered her voice. “Sir, this will drag Myriad Treasures Pavilion into a conflict between the sacred lands and demon sects.”

Wang Hao handed over a second storage ring.

“This is the handling fee.”

Zi Yuan’s divine sense swept through it.

Inside was a small mountain of spirit stones.

There were also three bottles of healing pills for the Martial God realm.

She was silent for one breath.

Then her smile blossomed once more.

“Sir, what are you talking about?”

“Myriad Treasures Pavilion does business with its doors open, and fairness is what we value most.”

“As long as the items are genuine, we dare to auction them.”

Wang Hao nodded in satisfaction.

“I like principled people such as you.”

Looking at the storage ring, Zi Yuan was touched as well.

She also liked this sort of principled money.

Just as the goods were being handed over, a system voice suddenly rang in Wang Hao’s ears.

[Special location detected: Black Sky City.]

[Would you like to sign in?]

A flicker passed through Wang Hao’s eyes.

It had arrived.

“Sign in.”

[Sign-in successful.]

[Reward obtained: Myriad Contracts, One Source Seal.]

[Myriad Contracts, One Source Seal: For a short period of time, it can alter, forge, or graft the aura of black-market transaction contracts. Below the Transcendent realm, it is difficult to trace the source.]

[Intelligence updated: During tonight’s auction at Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Black Sky City will secretly auction a forbidden object—the remnant map of the Nine Provinces’ Dragon Veins. The map originally belonged to an item sealed away by the Central Continent’s Alliance of World-Suppressors, and is connected to the ancient prohibition pact jointly signed by the Twelve Sacred Lands and Nine Great Demon Sects. If the remnant map appears, all sides will suspect that Black Sky City has abandoned its neutrality.]

[Intelligence updated: Old Man Heitian has awakened and is hiding on the ninth floor of Myriad Treasures Pavilion. He is half-rotted and half-alive, unable to fight for long, but can strike once with power approaching the Half-Step Transcendent realm.]

Wang Hao’s gaze sharpened slightly.

The remnant map of the Nine Provinces’ Dragon Veins?

Half-Step Transcendent?

A slow smile spread across his face.

Originally, he had only intended to come and collect the rent.

He hadn’t expected Black Sky City to be hiding something forbidden of its own.

That made things much easier.

Everyone’s hands were dirty.

So no one had the right to criticize anyone else.

Yin Jiuyou noticed Wang Hao’s expression and shuddered inwardly.

“Your Majesty, you’re smiling again.”

Wang Hao looked puzzled.

“Am I not allowed to smile?”

Yin Jiuyou tactfully replied, “Whenever you smile, someone usually ends up in trouble.”

Wang Hao corrected him.

“Not someone.”

“A lot of people.”

Yin Jiuyou suddenly felt a little sorry for Black Sky City.

This city had stood in the land of darkness for centuries, tolerated by both the sacred lands and the demon sects.

But tonight, it should never have encountered His Majesty.

And it especially should not have hidden treasures in front of him.