--- XiGuang Province, Tabnak Town---
It had been a slow day in the Lazy Crane Inn, just the way she liked it. Regulars had come for their meals as always, and some individual travelers left some extra money for cheap booze and way rations. It was a calm day until a group of travelers appeared in the afternoon.
"Who are they?" "They look wealthy." "Those robes look gorgeous." "Suspicious."
The crowd of regulars and travelers was muttering and chattering about the large group of hooded figures that just entered and sat down in the dining area.
Even she, as proprietress of a fairly large inn, had rarely seen such a big group of people not traveling as a caravan. Roughly 50 people in uniform cloaks that hid their faces had instantly filled her dining area.
"What can I help you with? Our menu is written over there. Our specialty is steamed buns and regional plum wine," she approached a table full of hooded figures with a confident, professional smile. She didn't mind who came into her inn, as long as they brought money and left the trouble outside.
"We will all have a taste of those steamed buns you mentioned," a figure from another table spoke up for the whole group. It was a beautiful female voice. This guest had to be a breathtaking fairy. She clasped the tray in her arms.
"It will take a while to prepare this many, I hope you don't mind waiting for a little?" she asked carefully. She had already learned her lessons. A group like this was just made up of some run-of-the-mill hoodlums.
These people most likely had a powerful backing, and these kinds of people were usually easy to offend. She had to be polite, thoughtful, and thorough. It was not uncommon for inns to vanish after angering the wrong people. But would someone so beautiful do something so dastardly?
"That's okay. Say, how are people faring with the appearance of beasts in this area?" the hooded figure asked her, before she could hurry back to the kitchen. She gave the chef a hand sign to prepare a big batch and stayed beside the guest.
"We hear a lot of terrible things from other parts of the province, but it is actually relatively calm in this area," she said with a smile. She had met all kinds of unlucky travelers and even some refugees who had lost their families and homes, but they had been spared so far.
"How come?" the hooded fairy asked, her voice caressing the heart of the inn lady.
"It's probably thanks to the mountain god protecting us. The magistrate also sends punitive forces into the wilderness from time to time, but I'm putting more trust in the mountain god," she made small talk.
The mountain god was a massive beast king who controlled all the beasts in the nearby mountains. It was sympathetic to the local people and gladly protected them in exchange for small offerings on occasion. Under its leadership, the dangerous beasts in the wilderness simply ripped apart anything foreign entering through those abominable gates.
"A mountain god? How interesting. So you don't rely on the nearby Crimson Blood Cult for protection?" the fairy suddenly asked. It became clear to her that these people really were not from around their neck of the woods.
They didn't know about the mountain god, but they actually thought the Crimson Blood Cult did anything for them. "If anything, the mountain god has to protect us from those guys, too," she said grimly. She continued in a whisper.
"Anytime some of their outer disciples appear here, they only stir up trouble. I haven't seen it myself, but people say they also abduct people. Those they capture are never seen again. Rumors say they were used as resources or ingredients for drugs... but nobody can prove it, or other Sects would have already struck them down," she said the last part especially quietly.
Although she doubted anybody here would sell her out, it was best to be careful. She didn't want to be the next seized by the Crimson Blood Cult and ground to a fine powder or become pill ingredients...
She didn't quite know why, but her guard against the strange fairy had dropped a while ago. Her instincts as an inn proprietress told her that she could trust this person.
"That means the people in this place would actually see an improvement if the Crimson Blood Cult were to... disappear?" she asked mysteriously. The question stumped her a little. The blood cult and disappear?
The cult had been in this region even before the town. Their history stretched back several hundred years. She could imagine them suddenly vanishing. Much less what that would mean for them. However, she answered based on her own present feelings and experiences.
"Yes...Yes, I think we would be better off without the, " she mumbled honestly. Right, what did they ever do for them anyway? They only sent people by to extort protection money, but she had never seen them do any protecting...
Before the fairy could answer, the door of the inn exploded, with wood and paper shrapnel flying across the dining area. "Speak of the devil," she thought when she recognized the black and crimson robes of the people that just destroyed her entrance.
"What is the meaning of this?!" she exclaimed, angry and indignantly, but still controlled since she would survive offending people like them. Nobody answered her; instead, a weasel-like fellow was incessantly talking to the man at the helm of the group.
"See, I told you they are here! They fit the description perfectly! I did well, didn't I?" he prattled on, rubbing his hands. The man's steely eyes wandered over the large, well-dressed group seated in the dining area until he caught an elongated box one of the hooded figures was carrying.
"You did well. Here, now leave," the man said and handed him a leather pouch that sounded like it was full of metal coins. The weasel quickly received his reward and scurried off, quickly running from the situation he caused.
It quickly dawned on her that this was not going to end peacefully. With a couple of hand signs, the music stopped, and all employees evacuated the floor. She also retreated, observing the situation carefully.
"What? Have you finally stopped running? You dare steal from the Crimson Blood Cult?" the tall man with the steely eyes asked coldly. The fairy answered with a bell-like laughter.
"We stole something from you? What would that be?" she asked, amused. Did she not realize what kind of situation she was in?
"Step aside, Outer Hall Master," a handsome youth in black robes appeared from the disciples behind the tall man. She gasped. Black flowing robes with gold and crimson hems! She had heard this was the sign of an inner disciple of the cult!
"You have stolen one of the Ancient Brilliant Swords from our sect! I, Zao Di, have come to reclaim what was taken from us!" the man exclaimed firmly, with his soft, seductive voice. She swallowed. She had heard that the cult had techniques that specialized in seduction. Was this one of them?
Wait! An Ancient Brilliant Sword? The sword generation that recently began appearing? These swords were famous, as they were at least high earth grade and often low heaven grade... Was that in the elongated box?
Her heart dropped. The situation was even worse than expected. There was no way her business would survive this encounter. Holding back her tears, she increased the distance, ready to run away the moment the fight started.
"We found the sword in an old ruin. How is it yours?" the fairy asked back, leaning back on her chair with a relaxed posture.
"But the ruin is on the territory of the Crimson Blood Cult, so the sword was obviously ours!" the disciple asserted. Everyone knew that this was a weak argument, but it didn't matter. Who was going to pick a fight with the cult, if all the people who could say otherwise were dead? It wasn't the first time...
"...and if I don't hand it over?" the fairy asked, oblivious to the crowd of cultivators assembled before the inn. Her heart started beating harder. The inn was probably already surrounded. Would she die today? For a moment, she just wished these customers had chosen a different inn.
"That won't be too healthy-STAB- For... you?"
Her eyes ripped open wide, witnessing what just happened. The attractive Zao Di had leaned over to threaten the fairy, only to be interrupted by a long silver sword that had suddenly appeared in her hand and penetrated his chest.
The cultivator looked at the sword piercing his perfect pectoral muscle with disbelief.
"Thanks for playing along so willingly," she heard the fairy whisper to him. Then she continued: "The Crimson Blood Cult attacked Minas Mar to steal the Ancient Brilliant Sword! Everyone, wipe them out!" she ordered her men.
Suddenly, the dark robes vanished, exchanged for brilliant silver armors she had never seen in her life! Turning into a flood of quicksilver, the crowd of guests stormed through the hole in the front of the inn and completely overran them.
"That's not true," the inner disciple coughed, still processing what was happening. The fairy had also traded her robe for a dark leather armor of unknown make. She wasn't a fairy at all! It was a tall man, wearing an enchanting silver mask.
"Hey, once we are done with you, there will be no one left to say this isn't the truth," he said with the smug voice of a fairy. Then he pulled out his sword, leaving Zao Di to bleed out on the inn floor.