“Though that blood-colored phoenix had the form and the cry of a phoenix, it was utterly unlike an ordinary one. A true phoenix bestows only blessings upon humankind, whereas that blood-colored phoenix, once it appeared, launched a frenzied assault upon the City of Heaven’s Stars… Phoenixes are powerful, and that blood phoenix was powerful indeed. Only after long and united effort did the people of our city finally drive it away and avert a calamity that should never have come. But it did not end there. Every so often since, the blood phoenix has appeared near the City of Heaven’s Stars again, and every appearance brings nothing but destruction and ruin. These three years it has come every few months, and all we can do is drive it off — we have no power whatsoever to destroy it.”
The city lord let out a long sigh. “If we had the powerhouses who guard the City of the Lost, we would not be so troubled. Just last month, the blood phoenix appeared once more. After wreaking havoc, it was driven away as before. But if this continues, our City of Heaven’s Stars will never know peace. And so, afterward, our city’s finest guards formed a squad and followed the direction the blood phoenix flew, to investigate its nest and the reason it attacks us without cease… and, if the chance arose, to destroy it by any means necessary. Ah… Now more than a month has passed, and that valiant squad has sent no word at all. Apart from the location of the blood phoenix that they relayed back in the first few days, not the slightest news has come. Many say they must have met with disaster at the blood phoenix’s hands… I do not believe it, and I will not believe it. Brave one from another world, will you journey south for me and investigate their trail?”
“Ding… The lord of the City of Heaven’s Stars entrusts you with investigating the whereabouts of the missing city guards. Quest requirement: Renown 200. Quest type: Unique. Time limit: one month. Quest reward: Unknown, to be determined by degree of completion. Accept?”
“Accept!”
“Thank you, young man. That you bear a Hero’s Badge means you must be a remarkable hero. With you undertaking this dangerous quest, my heart is much more at ease.” The city lord nodded and smiled with relief.
“Roughly where is the blood phoenix’s nest?” Ye Tianxie asked.
“Its location was sent back to us on the fourth day after that valiant squad set out… and that same day was when all word from them ceased. Here, take this. It’s a map, and the blood phoenix’s nest is already marked upon it. Their trail should be findable, or at least traceable, somewhere nearby… But, young man — strong as you surely are, with your present ability, you must never attempt to approach the blood phoenix’s nest. Its power is something you simply cannot contend with as you are.”
The city lord traded a fresh map into Ye Tianxie’s hands. Ye Tianxie opened it, scanned it quickly, let his gaze rest a second on the marked position of the blood phoenix’s nest, then lifted his head and folded it away.
“Understood. I’ll complete the quest as quickly as I can.” Ye Tianxie nodded without the slightest hesitation or reluctance.
This was without question a difficult quest, one steeped in enormous peril… but if it weren’t difficult, how could it possibly have been a Unique quest?
“I look forward to your safe return, and to the good news I hope you will bring.” the city lord said with a smile.
Ye Tianxie left the manor quietly. After circling the central commercial street of the City of Heaven’s Stars and getting a rough sense of how its core district was laid out, he bought twenty Return Scrolls at the item shop and three bundles of Advanced Recovery Potions at the pharmacy, then made his way deliberately toward the mount shop.
From the map the city lord had given him, walking directly to the blood phoenix’s nest would take roughly three days. The Lost Continent was vast; three days’ travel covered only a very short stretch on its map. With currency exchange not yet open and funds scarce, low-level players confined to a small radius around the city had no real need to squander a fortune on a mount — but for a journey this long, a mount became a necessity.
The mount shop’s proprietor was an old man who looked seventy or eighty (why is it always an old man?), half-reclining in a chair, drowsy and half-asleep… Every other shop had its threshold worn through by the flood of players, while his mount shop alone sat unvisited. It would have been hard for him to stay alert. He gave Ye Tianxie no more than an indifferent glance as he entered, naturally assuming he was like every other player — in to browse, out in a moment.
The mount shop sold four kinds of mount:
Ordinary Horse — Movement Speed +30. Price: 70 gold. A very ordinary chestnut horse.
Tall Warhorse — Movement Speed +40. Price: 300 gold. A horse taller and sturdier than an ordinary one, with markedly better mobility.
White Dragon Horse — Movement Speed +50. Price: 2,000 gold. Said to have once been a divine steed of the heavens, which escorted a certain enlightened monk on his journey west to fetch the scriptures, rendering meritorious service. But ever since the great truth “all steeds are but fleeting clouds” came into the world, the White Dragon Horse’s price has fallen and fallen…
Blood-Sweating Steed — Movement Speed +60. Price: 30,000 gold. One of the most ancient horse breeds on the Lost Continent — broad-chested, high-necked, long-bodied, possessed of great strength, endurance, and speed. In ancient times these were the mounts of emperors. Today only a scarce few remain, and their worth is beyond price.
“Hello, boss. One Tall Warhorse.” Ye Tianxie called out, then, with a perfectly straight face, produced 300 gold… coins extorted from the Red Leaf Pact’s five fat sheep. At the same time, he deliberately thrust out his left chest, where the Hero’s Badge hung.
Hearing that someone wanted to buy a horse, the old man opened his eyes at last. His first glance took in Ye Tianxie; his second, the Hero’s Badge at his chest.
“That is… the Hero’s Badge!!”
Exactly the reaction Ye Tianxie had anticipated and hoped for. The mount shop proprietor’s drowsiness vanished entirely, his expression and voice turning agitated.
“Yes. This is indeed a Hero’s Badge, which I obtained by chance.” Ye Tianxie answered, neither proud nor impatient.
The proprietor studied him carefully for a moment, then said, “I never imagined I would see another bearer of the Hero’s Badge appear. I am truly overcome. Brave one from another world, take back your gold — helping you is something I would gladly do. This Tall Warhorse is yours free of charge… No, wait. For a brave one who has earned the Hero’s Badge, I feel something better is worthy of you… In that case…” He paused, then gritted his teeth lightly, as though having reached some decision. “Our Lost Continent needs heroes. We long for heroes to appear, and we hope to help them by our own means to the greatest degree we can… This Blood-Sweating Steed is yours.”
Ye Tianxie: “…”
Damn… A Blood-Sweating Steed… given away… Did I hear that right?!
Having merely hoped the old man would be sensible enough to hand over a Tall Warhorse for free, Ye Tianxie nearly thought something had gone wrong with his ears. A Blood-Sweating Steed — that was a full thirty thousand gold!
(End of Chapter 85)