Chapter 13: The Thirteenth Iron Pillar
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“Two skewers of grilled meat. Here you are.”
The vendor handed them over.
New Moon took one skewer in each hand.
Steam and savory fragrance rose from the freshly grilled meat. The seasoning sprinkled over it drifted upward with the heat, working its way into the nerves of her nose.
Without bothering to see whether it was too hot, New Moon took a bite.
It was better than coyote meat, but not as good as the rabbit she had eaten at the tavern before.
Hmm. Not bad.
“My Lady…”
“Little sister, they don’t have the money to raise you. Why don’t you come with me? Big brother will make sure you eat and drink well.”
The rough voice came from nearby.
New Moon, still eating her grilled meat, did not even lift her eyelids. She was enjoying it far too much.
Aivis and Shen Junlin, however, immediately turned toward the speaker.
The man was as sturdy as a small mountain. His shoulders and back were broad and thick, while his neck was nearly nonexistent. Since he was not particularly tall, he looked, at first glance, like a tank made of flesh.
A pronounced flush stained his dark cheeks, and the heavy smell of alcohol clung to him. He was clearly drunk.
“People who stick their noses into matters that don’t concern them tend to die the fastest.” A chill entered Aivis’s eyes.
The man suddenly threw back his head and laughed uproariously. His laughter was so exaggerated that the veins stood out on the short stump of his neck.
“The last person who dared say the word ‘die’ to me has grass growing half a man high over his grave.”
Bystanders nearby began whispering among themselves.
“That looks like Di Huang.”
“Di Huang? Which Di Huang?”
“The Di Huang from the Arabella tribe! He’s a famous mercenary in Crystal City. His squad once completed an A-rank mission in just four days.”
“Now that you mention it, I remember. Di Huang is a mid-level evolved being. His strength really is formidable.”
“…”
Aivis was enraged.
He had never been known for his good temper, and now someone had just offended the taboo of the bee race.
Holding her grilled meat, New Moon stood to one side and watched as Aivis charged forward. He moved so quickly that he left behind an afterimage, arriving before the flesh tank in the blink of an eye.
Aivis’s pale fingers lengthened in an instant, transforming into a set of sickle-sharp blades that plunged straight toward the man’s heart.
“Bee race?!”
Someone cried out in astonishment.
The moment Aivis advanced, Di Huang instinctively entered a combat stance. His fists, each as large as a sandbag, transformed into enormous black pincers lined with razor-sharp teeth.
No one doubted that a single snap of those pincers could easily crush a person’s skull.
New Moon took another bite of the grilled meat in her hand. Her cheeks puffed out like a little squirrel storing food.
She had no intention of joining the fight. She knew Aivis would win.
New Moon wanted to see how long this red-eyed male bee would take to claim victory.
The truth was, Aivis needed only a few seconds.
As Di Huang’s hands transformed into massive pincers, a large patch of dark-brown scales appeared over his chest, firmly protecting his vulnerable flesh.
At the same time, Di Huang attacked Aivis with his enormous pincers.
However—
“Whoosh!”
Something suddenly spread open.
Beneath the moonlit sky, a thin wing sprang from the left side of the red-eyed male bee’s back. Though it was not thick, it possessed an astonishing sense of strength and instantly blocked the opponent’s attacking pincers.
Meanwhile, Aivis’s fingers, already transformed into sickle-like blades, pierced through the armor over Di Huang’s chest.
New Moon raised an eyebrow.
Not bad. He could manage.
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“My cosmic god, when did someone like this come to Crystal City…”
“I knew it. Anyone who could have such a beautiful girl couldn’t possibly be useless. Tsk, Di Huang really brought this death upon himself.”
“Actually, you can’t entirely blame him. A girl this beautiful has never appeared in Crystal City before. Just imagine—if he had succeeded in abducting her, how much would he have…”
The passerby’s words abruptly cut off, because the male bee who had just killed his opponent suddenly looked over.
Those blood-red eyes were filled with ferocity and utterly devoid of warmth, as though he were staring at a dead thing.
The passerby swallowed with difficulty. His mind raced, and when he spoke again, he had already changed the subject.
“Sir, have you been to the Administrative Tower? If not, you should hurry over and register there.”
New Moon swallowed the meat in her mouth.
“Where is the Administrative Tower?”
The moment the little girl addressed him, the passerby—who had still been trembling in fear—immediately relaxed.
As though he needed to prove how strong he was, he straightened his back.
“Over there. It’s the most conspicuous place in the city.”
New Moon followed the direction of his finger and saw a tower rising in the distance like a towering tree that had burst from the earth and reached the heavens.
The tower was highly unusual. Luminous stones were set irregularly into its body, and from afar, it resembled a damaged yet stubborn sentry standing at his post.
“That is Crystal City’s Administrative Tower. The administrators all live in the surrounding area,” the man said.
New Moon studied it for a moment.
“Are people working there around the clock?”
“In theory, yes.” The passerby spread his hands. “But in circumstances like these, who knows?”
New Moon nodded in understanding.
Since it operated twenty-four hours a day, she would go there later.
The Arabella had fallen in a pool of blood and was no longer breathing.
Like the other towns on Exile Star, this place believed in the law of the jungle. Only those strong enough had the right to survive.
Crystal City was somewhat better than the other towns. During the day, patrols roamed the streets and prohibited any fights that could result in death.
But after nightfall, no one cared.
Once she had confirmed the location of the Administrative Tower, New Moon headed in that direction.
Naturally, Shen Junlin followed when she left.
Aivis had been carefully wiping his hands with a handkerchief nearby. He hurriedly threw away the soiled cloth and followed as well.
“I feel like there’s something strange about them…” a passerby murmured as he watched their departing figures.
But no one could answer him.
The entire street was filled with food stalls. Now that she had decided to go to the Administrative Tower, New Moon had no intention of rushing.
“Last day of the sale! Last day! Five coins at the regular price, only four today! Succulent black-snake meat that won’t stick to your teeth—come and have a look!”
New Moon had eaten only half her skewer, but that did not stop her from walking toward the stall.
When the vendor saw her approach, he rubbed his hands together.
“Miss, would you like a serving of black-snake meat? It has an especially wonderful texture. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to pay.”
Oil hissed on the grill, frying the meat until it split open and turned golden. Its rich fragrance drifted irresistibly through the air.
New Moon nodded.
“One serving.”
Before she could take out any money, a long-fingered hand with distinct knuckles extended a banknote first.
New Moon turned her head and saw Shen Junlin. He smiled faintly at her.
“Only one serving? Why not get two? I can carry the extra for you.”
New Moon said, “That sounds good.”
Aivis ground his teeth beside them.
Damn that man. Was he flaunting the fact that Aivis had no cash on hand?
Shen Junlin continued, “You’ve had the grilled fang-rabbit meat before. Shall I buy you two skewers?”
New Moon nodded immediately.
“That one is delicious.”
It was the first time Shen Junlin had seen her express such direct fondness for a particular food. He simply said, “Let’s buy several more. Have him put them together in a small paper tube, and I’ll carry them for you.”
New Moon continued nodding. She took out the banknotes she had earned on the black market, but just as before, Shen Junlin handed over the money before she could.
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New Moon raised an eyebrow, her tone faintly proud.
“I can afford to buy this myself.”
“I know. But please believe me when I say that every member of my race considers it an honor to spend money on you.” Shen Junlin’s lips curved upward.
That was indeed the truth.
More than seventy years ago, when Her Majesty the Queen desired the jewels from the Crown of the Sea, the bee race had mobilized in its entirety without regard for casualties.
Though countless lives had been lost or wounded, the bees had regarded it as an honor simply to take part in the expedition.
“My beloved Lady, I can buy you anything as well.” Aivis was unwilling to be outdone.
Before long, a peculiar scene appeared on the street.
Two handsome men followed behind a young girl dressed in finery and looking rather like a pampered pet.
The two men walked half a step behind her, their hands full of various snacks.
Whenever the black-haired girl paused before a stall, she would acquire yet another treat. Then one of the men, who looked like a servant, would voluntarily extend his hand and take whatever snack the girl had just purchased.
Everything was harmonious, yet everything was also strangely bizarre, drawing the attention of countless onlookers.
***
The Administrative Tower was also known locally as the White Tower.
Nearly all the most powerful people in Crystal City lived in the area surrounding it.
For historical reasons, most of them belonged to the bee race.
It was deep into the night. The sky was pitch-black, without a single visible star or trace of moonlight. Once they entered the White Tower district, the noise of the city gradually receded.
Luminous stones were set into the floating streetlamps. In the stillness of the night, they stood alone, guiding the way.
New Moon and the other two arrived at the White Tower. A ring of electrified protective fencing surrounded it, with gates in all four directions. At this late hour, only one gate remained open.
Someone came out from within.
He was a bee who had lost one eye. Perhaps his genes were defective, or perhaps it was the result of an old internal injury; his remaining eye could no longer revert to its normal form and remained permanently compound.
As he stepped outside, his gaze swept over New Moon, and a trace of astonishment appeared in his eyes.
He seemed surprised that someone coming to register had brought a pet along as well.
Since they belonged to the same race, the one-eyed bee kindly reminded her, “Non-bees aren’t allowed inside. At best, they’ll throw you out. At worst, they’ll lock you up.”
New Moon stopped. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Are you speaking to me?”
Their eyes met.
All right. He was indeed looking at her.
“I meet the requirements.” New Moon continued forward.
The one-eyed bee froze.
She was a bee?
How was that possible? Even a worker bee could never be that tall.
Everyone knew that among all species, female worker bees possessed remarkably athletic physiques.
Could she be a hybrid?
At that thought, the one-eyed bee sighed mournfully.
The younger generation was truly inferior to the last.
He recalled how glorious the pure-blooded ancestors had been throughout history. How could they have fallen to their present state?
Perhaps in just a few years, the bee race—which had once ranked among the ten strongest races in the universe—would completely degenerate into a lowly species enslaved by others.
Grief welled in the one-eyed bee’s eyes.
Everything was fate; nothing was ever in one’s own hands.
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