Dialing back the clock a little...
The boomtown surrounding the [City of Mirrors] pagoda was positively buzzing with activity at this point in time.
Not because anyone of note had exited the wandering ruins with particularly valuable treasures in tow, rather it was because people had noticed that the biggest stakeholders, the Golden Gorilla Union and the Silver Jungle Dragon Shipping Company, had begun to make rather noticeable moves.
Up until this moment, both of these factions have been sending various small parties of warriors consisting of their outer disciples and less important lead figures into the [City of Mirrors] to make small to middling gains.
This was the equivalent to sending scouting parties to participate in skirmishes.
However, something had changed on this particular day.
For reasons unclear to outside observers and visitors to the boomtown, the leader of the Golden Gorilla Union, Kidanna Dodorado, had suddenly decided to organize a much larger expedition than what her company had done previously and was even leading the whole thing herself.
Making the matter even stranger to outsiders though, was the fact that she had clearly invited outside forces to come and join her on this expedition.
Most people in the boomtown didn’t know who these outside forces were, as a majority of the former were natives who had little care or knowledge about factions outside of the ones that affected their immediate lives.
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
However, fellow outsiders recognized that one of the groups involved were students from the famous Rainbow Phoenix Academy, a veritable melting pot of the world’s most elite scions. This little detail caused people to speculate that Kidanna was either entertaining students from her alma mater, or that she was trying to get in good with the Academy for some business benefit.
Whatever the reason was, the sight of these young students accompanying Kidanna was a sight to behold.
At the same time, some of the other outsiders recognized that three of the young men that had joined this expedition, were members of the, increasingly more infamous, Zhen Clan.
Practically anyone who gave a damn about the international scene had heard tales about how the Zhen Clan of the Pearl Scale Empire had almost suffered a debilitating blow to their reputation when the Fallen Clans had decided to capture a whole fuckton of visiting scions, free a majority of their prisoners and almost burned their city to the ground using a bomb made of [Ghost Flame], all while during the Zhen Clan Tournament, one of the most important functions that the clan regularly held.
However, their reputation and tournament was more or less saved when members of a previously unknown branch clan from another continent got involved.
This foreign born branch clan was once considered a stain upon the main clan’s honor, due to the founder of the branch clan being a criminal in the eyes of the Pearl Scale Empire. However, that all changed after the aforementioned incidents.
Their involvement had prevented the [Ghost Flame] bomb from detonating and destroying the entirety of Willow Scale City, helped the main clan prevent the prison break from getting worse and, as of a very recent rumor, led to the rescuing and returning of all of the captured scions.
From what people could dig up about this mysterious branch clan, was that the main participants in these events were the young heirs of this clan, who had originally been sent to regain their grandfather’s honor in the Zhen Clan Competition.
Details about these scions were scarce and distorted, especially since no one could come to consensus about the fact that one of them was rumored to have died and come back to life, but everyone who had even the vaguest idea of who they were, knew that they were considered walking forces of nature that could punch well above their weight class.
Either way, the fact that the leader of the Golden Gorilla Union was now chumming it up with these enigmatic young warriors was...worrying.
For the Silver Jungle Dragon Shipping Company at least.
Speaking of the Silvertongues though, when they heard that Golden Gorilla Union was making a move and bringing allies forces, the leader of the company decided that now was an excellent time to bring in his own allies...and his great benefactor as well.
...
"Master Alfonzo."
"Abbot Longhorn."
"I know that you’re the leader of this expedition and that gives you the right to call the shots, but...why are we just standing around here? This is not how you usually do things."
"Because, old friend, we’re waiting for someone."
"Who?"
"You’ll see."
At the edge of the [City of Mirrors] pagoda, several dozens warriors were rallyjng to the call of one Alfonzo Sayreen, leader of the Silver Jungle Dragon Shipping company.
These warriors mostly consisted of the Silver-tongues themselves, but mixed in were some rather... controversial yet powerful warriors.
One such warrior was known as Bapara of the Black Flame, an Ignarii who became the wielder of a rare type of aether flame known as the [Tortorus Black Flame of a Thousand Screaming Souls.]
The only way to acquire this flame was to either steal it from someone who had created it, or create it by simultaneously burning to death one thousand innocent souls in one move.
Not a single person has been able to verify whether or not this man had done the former or the latter.
Another was a mercenary known as Flickering Claw, a cheetah type Bloodliner. His moniker came about from the fact that any who faced him in a duel would soon lose their throat in a single flick of his wrist.
Needless to say, many of these warriors definitely had bounties placed on their heads by various powers across Dozing Salamander and beyond, but here in the jungles of the isthmus connecting the aforementioned continent to Stampeding Bison...it was rather difficult to enforce such rules of law.
So the fact that they were rallying under the expedition banner of Silver Jungle Dragon Shipping company, either meant that they were being paid ludicrous sums of money to make an appearance and assistance.
Or, more controversially, they were actually friends and possible employee of the Silver Jungle Dragon Shipping company.
"Speaking of waiting for people, should we be expecting any members of your temple to be joining us today, Abbot Longhorn?," Alfonzo asked. "I know that some of the warriors gathered here today find some comfort in listening to Buddhist chants and prayers."
"No, no, not today," Abbot Longhorn answered while shaking his head. "Some of my disciples had heard rumblings that members of the Golden Monkey Sect were in the area and wanted to...engage in a friendly debate of philosophy."
"Ah...I hope they come out on top."
"They will," Abbot Longhorn said with a suspiciously vicious tone of voice.
Many who had seen to meet Abbot Longhorn assumed the man to be the upright and exemplary example of a proper Buddhist monk.
On the surface.
Many strange rumors surrounded the Abbot, to the point that many who heard about them went right past being skeptical to just being downright concerned.
Some of these rumors range from simply being him breaking the Buddhist taboo of eating meat, while others assigned more devious deeds to his name such as murder and kidnapping.
Funny thing about these accusations though was that no one had been able to pin a single one of these crimes to his names.
Suspicions were had, but evidence always pointed elsewhere.
However, he was not going to be the most controversial figure to appear on this fine day.
"He’s here."
"Hmmm?"
"What an interesting assortment of warriors. Good to know that my investment has been paying off."
That right went to the latest warrior to arrive to Alfonzo’s gathering.
Descending from above like some kind heavenly messenger, a well-dressed man with a manicured mustache landed before Alfonzo and Abbot Longhorn.
The former recognized the man immediately and bowed his head, while the latter took a moment to recognize that emblazoned on the man’s clothes was a golden emblem with the symbol of a sabertooth etched upon it.
In that moment, Abbot Longhorn recognized that this man was none other than (in)famous Duke Diamoro and reacted appropriately.
"Greeting Duke Diamoro, I have heard much about your eminent figure," Abbot Longhorn said while giving a warrior’s greeting.
"The same could be said about you, Abbot Longhorn," Duke Diamoro said while returning the polite greeting. "I heard that out of all the Buddhist elders, you’re still considered someone who can appreciate the value of the finer things in life."
"We are only specks of dust in the winds of life, we might as well try and enjoy the ride while we can," Abbot Longhorn replied in a sagely voice.
"Now then, Alfonzo."
"Yes, Duke Diamoro?"
"You mentioned to me that you came across a rather peculiar map. Did you bring it with you?"
"Of course."
"Good."
...
"Hey, Lythero. You okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, yeah just...felt something was off."