He finally arrived at a hub of streets packed with stalls, shops, and people from all walks of life.From mortal traders and large caravans to members of subsidiary clans.
Corvus knew the Market District was essentially the lifeblood of the Mountain Monarch Clan. Aside from the near-invisible power that made the clan sovereign over the entire region, this district served as the regional hub for the surrounding zones, further extending the clan's influence.
Honestly, Corvus could have secured his grandmother's medicines by now, but his young age and status as a mortal meant he would have been putting himself in danger. Furthermore, he wouldn't have been able to seize the moneymaking opportunities the market offered.
Now, however, he finally felt confident enough to do so. Although he knew the clan would start paying him as a spirit servant once he began hunting, he suspected it would still take months to save up the sixty silver sekers he needed.
He had three jobs in mind that could earn him far more than he had previously, though still not as much as the clan would pay.
First was retail: basically buying goods from wholesale stores and reselling them for a profit. However, this was slow, as there was no guarantee his stock would sell quickly.
The second option was becoming a bodyguard for certain establishments or mortal families which wasn't viable either for it took time. Life in the market district was anything but harmonious; it was riddled with fierce competition that frequently led to confrontations and riots. This made the need for the third job significant, and it became his chosen path.
Thuggery. Muscle for hire. Not only was it the only job that offered quick money, but he also saw it as a way to gain fighting experience. Since most conflicts were between smaller families or establishments, he would mostly be facing mortal thugs or, at the most, a fellow practitioner of the Spirit Channeling realm
This would allow him to earn even more from being hired, but first, he had to navigate his way to the chaotic side of the market district. He was still on the outskirts and knew it would take at least a few minutes, if not an hour, to reach his destination. After all, the market district occupied an entire mountain peak from top to bottom, and he was lucky to have access to the wooden bridges; otherwise, the journey would have taken him days.
He made his way through the various sections of the market, taking care to avoid the specific areas frequented by clan members. The vague psychic link he shared with Red Ball served as a warning, alerting him to the powerful auras in those parts and marking them as off-limits.
He crossed an open field lined with stalls and large cages. Inside were spirit beasts of all kinds, as well as humans. Corvus was not surprised by the captured beasts, nor by the people; this section was the clan's true moneymaker. It was why hunting duty was so vital. To the clan, "spirit hunter" did not just mean tracking animals; it also meant capturing mortals.
Aside from the spirit beast trade, which was the primary source of income here, the slave trade was a major operation .
In fact, most of the clan's spirit servants, including Corvus himself, were descendants of these captured slaves. This realization caused a hot surge of resentment to stir deep within him.
He turned his eyes away from the cages housing the young captives, unclenching the fists he had unknowingly tightened.
'Hypocrites,'he thought, finally passing through the vast field into a much narrower maze of streets that seemed to merge with the mountain range, making the area thick with dark alleyways.
Corvus halted his steps and reached into his ragged robes, bringing out the pouch of bronze coins. He tied it to his waist so it would dangle for everyone to see. He also stimulated his qi, causing Red Ball to send red gaseous qi up his pathways, though he held it back just before it could materialize outside his body.
He made his way into the slums, the pouch at his side making a clattering noise that accompanied him with every step. He passed a sleeping beggar who, the moment Corvus was gone, flung his eyes open with a ruthless glint.
"Hmm, a little prey. Hehe, it seems I might be able to get in on that bet after all." The beggar, who had a half-shaved head and a jagged beard, slowly rose to his feet. He waited until the boy turned into a side street, then snickered.
"Hehe, he actually took a clear road. This is a lucky break." The man turned toward a narrower alley before climbing a set of stairs merged into the stone that led to a high walkway overlooking several streets. He kept his tired, bloodshot eyes on the figure who walked navieyly through the darkened streets. The man kept a lookout for others who might be watching.
But then he paused.
"Hmm, why is someone like that wandering these parts alone, though?" he murmured, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. "Heh, who cares." He felt confident the traveler was just another soul lost in the slums; after all, his clothing was nearly as worn as his own. He figured the person was likely a newcomer or perhaps looking for work in the dark alleys.
"Regardless, it is a matter of luck. Maybe there will be enough in that pouch for a real meal tonight." He adjusted the small, rusted tool at his waist. It was old and worn, but it served its purpose for someone living on the streets who needed to be ready for anything while navigating the shadows of this slums.
He noticed the boy pause in his steps to kneel and adjust his boots, causing a gleeful light to flash across the man's eyes.
"An opportunity! This will be even easier than I thought," he whispered, brandishing the rusted dagger. Its blade carried a sickly greenish tint ,a simple guarantee that even if his prey managed to break away, he wouldn't make it more than twenty steps before the poison took hold.
He slowly descended from the walkway, moving with a practiced, silent grace as he edged closer to the boy's still-kneeling figure. In his rush of excitement, he overlooked just how long the boy had been fiddling with his boots.
He lunged, the dagger poised to thrust directly into the boy's neck. But his eyes widened in shock as a reddish, nearly invisible dim glow coiled around the boy's silhouette. In a blur of motion, the boy spun around, catching the man's wrist mid-air and meeting his gaze with a devilish smile that sent a chill down his spine.