Chapter 1175: Clue
“How can an ordinary person like me get to know a big shot like the Netherworld King? Mister, you are very humorous.” It was rare for the boss to meet someone who was interested in buying his 80% pills.
“I often go to the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e to try my luck. I’ve personally seen and gotten close to the Netherworld King before. I’ve tried it for myself. These Yin and Yang Pills can ensure protection against the Netherworld energy. The other Yin and Yang Pills in the market are inferior goods just to make up the numbers. Most of them are impromptu purchases made by various people who went to the Land. The quality of those pills varies widely. Those pills have no quality a.s.surance and will not last long upon reaching the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e, let alone lasting until you meet the Netherworld King,” the boss said with a smile.
w.a.n.g Zhong nodded. “Is there still a lot of people heading there?”
The underground world was huge. Most people had heard of the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e before, but many had not been there before.
“Of course!” the boss said with delight. “Previously, many people thought that the Netherworld King was showing off way too much and that the three major Factions would teach him a lesson for sure. They reckoned that the three major Factions would take over the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e sooner or later. A lot of people had retreated and chose to be onlookers, causing the place to be secluded for a while.
“However, after Elder Musin was instantly killed by the Netherworld King, the three major Factions didn’t follow up. Everyone knows that they are frightened. If the Netherworld King can kill a Gold Core instantly, he can also kill countless experts in the three major Factions. This is not a joke! No one knows exactly how powerful the Netherworld King is. Even though there are still many Gold Cores in the three major Factions, who would want to risk their life and go up against him? Each one of the Gold Core experts is precious. No one from the three major Factions dares to show their face at the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e now. They are afraid of provoking the Netherworld King. If such a powerful individual really wants to find trouble with the three major Factions, even the top Factions will have a tough time dealing with him.
“The Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e has become an extremely popular spot now. Finding places to open shops there was already very difficult previously, but now, it’s hard for you to even find a spot to stand on! All the places that could serve as accommodations on the streets are already taken. If you want to find a place to stay, you would probably have to go to the Netherworld River. Otherwise, you won’t be able to see the Netherworld King when he comes. However, the Netherworld energy there is terrifying, and you will need good quality Yin and Yang Pills! Sir, if you want to become the Netherworld King’s apprentice, these two pills are certainly not enough. Who knows when the Netherworld King will appear again? You might need to stay there for a month or two. I think you need to prepare at least twenty Yin and Yang Pills.”
“When was the last time the Netherworld King appeared?” w.a.n.g Zhong asked.
“It’s common for people who are selling Yin and Yang Pills to frequently head to the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. As for the Netherworld King, he hasn’t shown his face ever since he killed Elder Musin,” the boss said with a smile. “Almost a month has pa.s.sed since then. According to the Netherworld King’s usual habits, he will show his face within the next ten days. Sir, you need to hurry up if you want to go to the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. Who knows when the Netherworld King will appear next? Perhaps he will appear a few days earlier. If you miss this chance to see him, you’ll have to wait for at least a month.”
“I heard that the Netherworld King claimed that he was from Earth? What kind of place is that? To be able to produce such a powerful character…” w.a.n.g Zhong asked while pretending he was looking at the pills.
“I’m not sure about that…” the boss said. “I think I heard someone mention that before, but who would dare to spread a rumor about the Netherworld King without ensuring its credibility? Sir, you can go to the Old Nissen Tavern and ask around if you are interested in knowing more. It’s an old shop at the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. It is said that the Netherworld King went there to do trade when he first appeared in the area. Many professionals gather there.”
Old Nissen Tavern?
w.a.n.g Zhong had some idea of what he was looking for upon hearing what the boss said. He bought the Yin and Yang Pills and didn’t bother bargaining.
A while later, after w.a.n.g Zhong had left, the boss suddenly smiled menacingly as his eyes gleamed.
It took w.a.n.g Zhong half an hour to get out of the huge trade cavern. It was so ma.s.sive that it was hard to imagine how such a large man-made cavern was built.
There was a vast area outside the cavern. If one turned his head, he would see that the main mountain housing the cavern towered into the sky. The top of the mountain couldn’t even be seen. The cavern that was thousands of meters tall seemed like a small cave compared to this huge mountain.
The sky was dark, and the open area seemed particularly quiet. One could hear the hooting of night owls echoing across the valleys in the distance. The temperature of the surroundings appeared to be very low. There was also an abundance of spiritual energy in the air. However, unlike the warm and gentle aura of the spiritual energy in the Land, the spiritual energy here was bone-chilling and gloomy, containing strong blasts of Netherworld energy. One could feel that cold sensation penetrating the organs even if one were just casually breathing in, as if it was about to corrode one’s whole body.
Although Lao w.a.n.g’s physical body was able to resist it, he sensed that this cold blast of air was harmful to his body. He swallowed a Yin and Yang Pill and sensed the harmonious energy of Yin and Yang rising from his abdomen, defending against the cold air and the Netherworld energy entering his body.
The spiritual energy that he breathed in felt more normal now. It was easily absorbed by his body, just like when he was in the Land.
Many rental beasts were stationed outside the cavern. There were warhorses whose hooves were burning with h.e.l.lfire, Cerberi whose bodies were enveloped by black Netherworld energy, and other skeleton beasts whose bones could be seen.
Perhaps it was because Lao w.a.n.g had been interacting with bone demons on a regular basis that he found them more pleasing to the eye. He rented a white skeleton horse. These sentient beasts would automatically come back to this place after going to the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. The rental fee was merely two Silver Star Stones. They traveled at a fast speed, and because they were familiar with the route, this journey that was thousands of kilometers only took three to four hours.
At the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e, the sky was gradually becoming bright. The Netherworld River emitted a faint s.h.i.+mmer. Although it wasn’t as bright as the environment in the Land, there was enough light to see clearly. It would be noon now according to the timezone of the Land. Although there were day and night in the underground world, night-time lasted extremely long, and there were only four to five hours of daylight in the afternoon in a day.
The Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e was overcrowded with people now. Temporary tent areas had been set up everywhere in the outer areas of the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e, not just in the main streets. While casually strolling, Lao w.a.n.g discovered that the prices of goods were extremely high wherever it was crowded. Simple food was priced at Silver Star Stones, which was an unimaginable fact in the Land. Nonetheless, business was surprisingly good.
At the core street area, prices of goods were even more exaggerated, and pedestrian volume was higher too. Travelers made their beds on every corner of the street, and they had to pay a hefty rental fee to the management parties in order to gain the right to do so. After all, the Netherworld King went directly to the main street area of the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e to do business every time he came. It would be almost impossible for people in the outer areas to squeeze into the main street area. They wouldn’t even be able to see how the Netherworld King looked like, let alone carry out transactions with him.
Who would have expected the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e to become so popular?
The information that the Heavenly Gates provided w.a.n.g Zhong with merely touched on the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e lightly. Words on paper paled in comparison to experiencing it in real life. People in the Land didn’t pay enough attention to what was happening in the underground world since they were literally living in two different worlds. Normally, the Heavenly Gates would only supervise the major events happening in the underground world to maintain an image of superiority and for deterrence, but they wouldn’t intervene too deeply even in these major events. Furthermore, there was internal strife between the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race and the Fire Demon Race now. The various major forces of the Land were all focused on the conflict between these two races. They didn’t have any extra energy to be concerned about an individual in the underground world.
Upon witnessing for himself what was happening here, w.a.n.g Zhong realized how crazy everyone in the underground world was for the Netherworld King.
“We’re fully booked!”
“Booked!”
“Fully booked!”
There were inns all over the main streets of the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e, yet all of them were already fully booked. Lao w.a.n.g wasn’t in a hurry and wandered around leisurely. In the end, he finally found the Old Nissen Tavern that the person who sold him the Yin and Yang Pills was talking about.
Although it was only noon, the tavern was still overcrowded. A few employees were very busy by the bar, while a plump middle-aged male leaned against a chair near the entrance.
“You’ve come here to ask about accommodation?” The boss of the tavern narrowed his eyes and sized up this Black t.i.tan, evidently calculating his wealth and status. “It’s not easy to find a place to stay in Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e now. If you don’t mind squeezing, you can have half of a bed in the place where my employees are staying. Of course, regarding the price…”
“Money is not a problem.” w.a.n.g Zhong smiled and took out a small bag of money. There were 100 Gold Star Stones inside.
The tavern boss weighed the bag of money in his hands, and his listless expression immediately turned into a smile as he sat up straight. Previously, Haiyeh merely offered 100 Gold Star Stones to buy this tavern, and he had actually been tempted. However, offering half a bed in his employee’s accommodation was worth the same price now! “Everything can be achieved with money! I’ll tell my employees to give you one whole bed so that you don’t need to squeeze!”
Money made the world go round. Finding accommodation was a near-impossible task for the people outside, yet w.a.n.g Zhong could afford it by refining a few pills casually.
There were four employees in the tavern, and they originally lived in a small house in the backyard of the tavern. Four beds were just enough for them, but now that there was w.a.n.g Zhong, the four of them would have a hard time squeezing into three beds. However, they had no complaints about this as the Black t.i.tan was way too generous. It was only the first day he moved in, yet he gave them one Gold Star Stone each for them to buy drinks. The prices of goods were sky high in Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e now, and one Gold Star Stone was a month’s salary to them. This Black t.i.tan looked powerful and high in status, yet he wasn’t arrogant at all. He chatted casually with them at night without restraint.
These employees were the most well-informed in Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e. From small things, such as the specific physical appearance of the Netherworld King and various details about the battle that involved the three major Factions, to major things, such as the secret behind the Netherworld King’s transactions, they knew it all. The employees were talking about it so excitedly that their spit flew everywhere. As compared to the idle gossip outside, these employees witnessed everything personally and were clearly more reliable.
The Heavenly Gates a.s.signment was actually quite simple. Lao w.a.n.g could collate a detailed report right now. There was no need to investigate Mu Zi’s Earthling ident.i.ty. As for the battle between the Netherworld King and the three major Factions, the employees had personally witnessed it and had already told Lao w.a.n.g the specific details. Lao w.a.n.g could go back to the Heavenly Gates to complete the a.s.signment now, but there were two problems.
Firstly, how many details should he include in the information report? He knew everything about Mu Zi, but he couldn’t possibly divulge everything he knew about Mu Zi to the Internal Gates!
What was the Heavenly Gates’ aim this time? Evidently, the Heavenly Gates already possessed some information about the Netherworld King. If w.a.n.g Zhong didn’t report anything about the Netherworld King or just reported on some superficial things, the Heavenly Gates would certainly change their impression of him. The Earth would eventually have to integrate into the Star Alliance, and the Earth didn’t have enough capital to become independent from this system. It was best not to be too unconventional, or you would be the one suffering in the end. The number of details that w.a.n.g Zhong should include was a huge problem. He needed to consider this carefully, and the best-case scenario would be if he could talk to Mu Zi personally. Understanding Mu Zi’s perspective in this whole situation would enable him to make a better decision on how many details to include.
The second problem was related to Mu Zi. Their call had been interrupted for unknown reasons previously. Also, the employees mentioned something about the Netherworld King when he was battling against the three major Factions.
“Sir, it’s a pity you weren’t there to see it for yourself! It was as if the sky was falling and the ground was opening up! The sun and moon seemed to have vanished!”
“That’s right! Hundreds of experts from the three major Factions were jointly attacking the Netherworld King, but he just gave a dark smile and said ‘kill’…”
“A dark smile? Are you very sure that was the Netherworld King’s expression?” w.a.n.g Zhong frowned and interrupted the employee.
“Yes!” The employee didn’t really understand why this Black t.i.tan was concerned with these strange details. However, in order to get the Gold Star Stone that the Black t.i.tan was toying with in his hands, the four employees were trying their best to remember what happened in the battle. “I’m absolutely sure! The Netherworld King definitely smiled then. I clearly remember getting gooseb.u.mps over my whole body when I saw his smile. I was so stiff that I couldn’t move at all. His smile alone was more terrifying than Elder Musin’s Gold Core aura. It was as if all living creatures in the world were just plates of meat to the Netherworld King. That feeling was so terrifying that it’s still fresh in my memory…”
“I saw it too! Sir, the Netherworld King’s smile and gaze were so deadly! Oh my, that smile… I’m going to get a nightmare just from recalling that scene…” another employee added, with fear lingering in his voice.
w.a.n.g Zhong frowned. These employees were saying the same thing and swore that they sensed the bloodthirst of the Netherworld King. There must be some truth to their claim. w.a.n.g Zhong was starting to have a bad premonition. He was very sure that the bald Netherworld King that the employees were talking about was Mu Zi. However, the Netherworld King’s battle style, character, and level of strength were essentially different from what he knew of Mu Zi.
How should he put this? This Netherworld King was way too bloodthirsty and gloomy. Mu Zi was already a wanderer between life and death when they were on Earth. The more he was exposed to death, the more Mu Zi was indifferent to life and death. During the battle at the Dragon’s Head Sh.o.r.e, Mu Zi would normally have been indifferent or numb when killing people. He definitely wouldn’t give a dark and perverted smile.
Also, Mu Zi didn’t use his Life and Death Coffin. That was his essential weapon. w.a.n.g Zhong used to think that the Life and Death Coffin was an Earth weapon that would be seen as unsophisticated in the divine territory. However, after coming into contact with high-level artifacts such as the Hidden Dragon Sword and the copper mirror, and after seeing the unique changes to the Fate Stone, w.a.n.g Zhong could sense that Mu Zi’s Life and Death Coffin was a formidable weapon. Although it still could not be compared to the Fate Stone, it was definitely superior to the so-called level-4 and level-5 artifacts in the Land. Perhaps the speculation that the various races in the Star Alliance made was right, and the G.o.ds had left behind some divine weapons when they were on Earth. Mu Zi had a unique relations.h.i.+p with this divine weapon, and it was not extreme to deem it as Mu Zi’s life weapon. It was the same as the relations.h.i.+p between w.a.n.g Zhong and the Fate Stone, which was way beyond that of an owner and an object. They were inseparable.
After arriving at the divine territory, Mu Zi had become stronger, and his control over the Life and Death Coffin should have become better. He should be able to draw more power from it, but he hadn’t used it against the three major Factions. Was it because Elder Musin was not strong enough for Mu Zi to need to use his Life and Death Coffin? Or was it because this Mu Zi was not the same Mu Zi as before?
w.a.n.g Zhong had no way of knowing. This question certainly couldn’t be answered by the employees or anyone in the tavern. The only thing he could do now was to wait for Mu Zi’s arrival. He would only be able to know the truth when he saw Mu Zi and talked to him personally.
Lao w.a.n.g smiled and threw the Gold Star Stone at the employees. “I’m very interested in the Netherworld King and the Earth where he claims to be from. If there is any new information about these things, you guys can come and talk to me anytime as long as you are sure the information is accurate.”
The employees’ eyes lit up. Many of them had been relying on the Netherworld King to earn money now, and there were so many people inquiring about the Netherworld King.
The employees took the Gold Star Stone and replied, “Sure!”