Ash Crown City soon appeared on the horizon—its towering basalt walls and obsidian towers gleaming under the late afternoon sun. A city built on fire-forged stone, it stood as the westernmost hub of trade before the lands turned wilder and crueler.
Lin Mu led the group directly to the headquarters of the Smoldering Rock Union, one of the dominant merchant factions in the region, known not just for trade, but for their private armies and underground vaults.
The guards recognized him instantly and bowed low. They dared not delay a cultivator whose aura had left deep impressions on their city just weeks prior.
"I require secure storage," Lin Mu said curtly.
The elder steward of the union, a portly man named Tuo Sen with rings on every finger, wrung his hands nervously.
"Y-You mean vault access?" he asked, blinking.
Lin Mu gestured behind him. "For these."
Tuo Sen's eyes widened as he saw the blood-robed survivors, some barely conscious, others glaring in silent rage. He blanched.
