Murong City.
A hundred miles away from Drifting Mist City, Murong City stood as a medium-sized stronghold, unaffiliated with any sect. It thrived under the control of several powerful cultivation families, each maintaining a delicate balance of influence.
Suddenly, two figures appeared in front of a massive building inside the city.
One was encased in ice.
The other stood calmly in a purple robe, white hair flowing gently, eyes closed. The guards stationed at the entrance reacted instantly.
"Who—?!"
One of them reached for a whistle, but before he could even raise it to his lips, his body froze completely.
Even with his eyes closed, Riven was aware of every movement around him. He turned slightly toward the entrance, and then he walked forward.
The heavy doors creaked open.
...
Inside, the building was alive with activity.
Guards moved about casually. Merchants laughed and bargained. Some stood in groups, discussing prices and goods.
And along the walls stood cages. Inside them were people. Men, women, and children chained by their wrists and necks like animals.
Some noticed Riven's entrance, while most did not.
"So when is the next batch arriving?" a richly dressed man asked eagerly.
The manager holding the keys smiled.
"Don't worry, sir. Our people have already secured them. The goods will be ready for display tomorrow."
The man's face lit up with excitement. All around, similar conversations were going on.
Haggling.
Laughing.
Riven walked forward silently and only stopped in front of a cage.
Inside were five people, their bodies thin and eyes dull from exhaustion. One of the merchants quickly approached him.
"Sir, what are you looking for?" he said with a practiced smile. "We can provide the best quality slaves..."
Riven ignored him and pointed toward one of the prisoners.
"You. Come here."
The man inside the cage slowly crawled forward.
There was no light in his eyes, only resignation. But when he looked up at Riven, something flickered.
For a moment, hope. There was something… different about this man. The others in the cage also moved forward, desperately trying to garner attention for themselves.
Riven crouched slightly.
"How did you come here?"
The man spoke immediately.
"They kidnapped me… from my home… and brought me here to sell me as a slave."
Riven was silent for a moment. Then he said calmly, "Why are you lying?"
The man froze. He was surprised that the person could catch his lie.
The merchant behind Riven also stiffened slightly, wondering how the person could even know this, though he quickly forced a smile.
"Sir, how could you say that?" the merchant said smoothly. "We deal only in clean goods."
Riven did not respond and instead asked, "Where do you bring them from?"
The merchant's smile tightened.
"You need not concern yourself with such matters, sir. Their backgrounds are verified. There will be no trouble."
At that moment Riven opened his eyes.
Pure white.
He looked around the building and saw the truth. The entire hall was filled with a thick, swirling black mass, drifting in the air like smoke.
Greed.
Fear.
Despair.
Lust.
Hunger.
Every negative desire and sin formed into a suffocating presence, and no one else could see it except him.
Riven sighed, "It's overwhelming."
The ground trembled, and before anyone could react, everyone outside the cages sank as the floor beneath them turned soft like a swamp.
They started to panic as they were struggling to get out of the swamp.
Those with quicker reactions tried to escape, but from beneath the ground, thick vines erupted.
They wrapped around their bodies and dragged them down until only their heads remained above the surface.
Fear spread instantly.
"What is this?!"
"Let me out!"
Some tried to circulate their qi, but nothing happened, as they couldn't use it.
They felt their cultivation getting sealed, and all eyes turned toward the only person still standing.
Riven.
"Do you know where you are standing and who runs this place?"
"You're dead if you do this!"
While some were cursing him and ordering him to let them free, others began begging.
"Sir, please! I have a family!"
"Let me go!"
Riven ignored them, turned, and walked out of the building.
The moment he stepped outside, every lock snapped open, chains fell apart, and cage doors creaked open.
The prisoners were free.
Not only that, those people who were buried underground had a white flower bloom above their head. The white flower had six petals on it, gently swaying above everyone's head.
When the people inside the cage came to the realization that they are now free and even the cages are now unlocked, they instantly jumped up and ran out of the cages.
There were men, women, and even children who ran out of the cages. After they got out, some simply ran out of the building trying to leave the city, while some of them went after Riven, thinking that since he freed them, he might help them a little more.
Some stayed behind, not out of fear, but anger.
One woman stepped toward a buried man.
Her lips curved into a cold smile.
"You wanted to sell me?"
The man trembled.
"I—I was wrong! Please forgive me!"
She laughed softly.
"I gave up everything for you."
"And you sold me."
Elsewhere, similar scenes unfolded.
Some demanded revenge.
Some extorted money.
Some simply watched.
The flowers above the captives' heads swayed quietly.
Ignored.
...
Outside the forest road, Jerry finally moved.
After waiting too long without Riven returning, he approached the carriages. While all of the carriages were open, two of them were locked.
After searching, he found a key on one of the frozen guards.
After taking the key, he opened one of them.
His expression changed immediately.
Humans.
Seeing someone open the door, the people inside became scared and huddled together. Jerry found that all of the people inside were chained. But there were only women and children inside.
Jerry thought for some time and called the female outer disciples and told them to unlock all the chains and try to calm the people down while he went to open the other carriage.
After opening the other carriage, inside were chained males, but they were much more heavily chained than the other ones, as these were not weak mortals but rather cultivators, but from looking at them, they were only at most in the qi sensing realm, not anyone above.
The men inside just cautiously looked at Jerry, wondering what was going on. They knew that after being caught as slaves, their future was now completely dark, and they would be put into cages until someone would buy them. And if someone buys them, they will have to follow them as their master.
Jerry didn't know what to say, but before he could say anything, he heard a small commotion outside. Going out, he saw many people riding horses lined up outside, and looking at the one in the lead, he instantly walked to him and bowed.
"Greetings, Senior Brother."
The man was a direct disciple of the Law and Order Hall.
His expression was stern as he looked at the scene.
The open carriages, the freed prisoners, and the outer sect disciples.
His gaze hardened.
"So," he said coldly, "you've taken up human trafficking."
Jerry froze.
"No—Senior Brother, this isn't—"
"Silence."
The command cut him off instantly.
The man raised his hand.
"Guards, arrest them all."
The outer disciples panicked.
"Senior Brother, we didn't do this!"
"They were the ones transporting—"
"You will explain later," the man said coldly.
"If you are innocent, you will be released."
"If not…"
His gaze turned icy.
"Pray you never leave."
The guards moved forward.
As the guards closed up, helplessness filled Jerry's eyes, but suddenly a voice came.
"Stand down."
Beside one of the carriages stood a white-haired cultivator, dressed in inner sect robes.
Silently watching them.