Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

Ming Yue walked to another room and handed over the gold to the attendant. Within seconds she was given the sword pieces in a fancy bag which she placed in her spatial ring. Counting her wealth, she had a little less that 100,000 gold, still a hefty sum of money for her. Several hundred gold was enough for a family to live comfortably for ten years.

Leaving the auction room, someone stood right outside, waiting impatiently. She recognized the figure as that middle aged man from before. Despite calming down a bit, there was still a noticeable vein on his head, bulging outwards.

Ming Yue tried to slip away quietly but he noticed her and quickly walked up.

"So it was you!" he shouted, "you were the one that made a bid at the end!"

He grabbed her hand and tried to stop her from walking but she quickly retaliated, throwing him on the ground. She took out her knife and pressed it against his neck. If she was going to pacify him, this was the quickest way. Many passersby looked on before going back to their business. As orderly as the auction hall tries to be, fights were bound to occur so this was nothing special.

"Wait! Wait! I'm innocent! I only wanted to talk to you about the sword! I meant you no harm!" he loosened his body and laid on the ground, a little frightened by her outburst.

She let go of the man, who quickly stood up, dusting his clothes off.

"Let's talk somewhere else" he said, leading her to a small courtyard outside of the auction hall.

"I am Li Gang, I come from Rong Lu City to collect both the Splitting Moon Blade and the Parting Sun Blade", he explained, "The story behind these swords are true but they lack a single detail. The grandmaster forger did not die in some random place, he was in fact one of the founders of Rong Lu City and rests within the catacombs of this city. His dying wish was to find these two swords and give them a new master. These were not the greatest blades that he made but they held a great deal of importance. He did not want these swords to collect dust but to be used in battle. As the newest successor of his legacy, it is my mission to find the two swords and now that I have found it, I must obtain it."

Ming Yue listened carefully and thought about his words before asking him, "What is Rong Lu City?"

Li Gang was slightly surprised and quickly explained, "Rong Lu City borders the north of Red Lotus Country and sits on the intersection between two other countries. An entity of its own, it is a city of blacksmiths and crafters. Not only is it a city of great commerce but its land is full of rare metals and gems, a number of mines cover the underground. This is why many craftsmen flock to this city."

"Now then", he continued, "Will you allow me to have the pieces of the Splitting Moon Blade? Once I have this blade, I will have completed half of his wishes and continue on to find the Parting Sun Blade. It could take me years to obtain it, but I must do so."

"Rong Lu City", she thought, "I will need to go their to get the sword fixed. Might as well tell him."

"The truth is..." she looked at Li Gang, "I...also have Parting Sun."

"Huh."

Within the castle of the High Council, a group of demons convened at the main hall.

"High Council, have you made your decision?" the representative of the winged demons, Gao Ri, asked. His demonic brethren stood behind, waiting for their answer.

"Indeed, we have come to a conclusion", one of them said.

Another continued, "Our forces have met up with your clans and verified that everything you have said is true."

"We have also conducted our own investigations of the situation in the demon continent. We have found news of a "Kong Zhi" who wishes to take over all three continents."

"Kong Zhi is the lord of the Stone Race, he is the one who we are trying to stop. A terrible man who has done a number of evil deeds", Gao Ri said.

"The Demon Continent was broken after the calamities, barren and wasted. Ever since then, all demon races had come together to survive but that was until Kong Zhi took charge. From the very beginning he had hated our way of life, scraping every last bit just to see another day. The moment he became the leader of the Stone Race, he began rallying the other races to support him and take over the other continents. He believed that we had a right to these lands and that humans and beastmen alike should suffer what we had suffered. Many joined his cause but the others saw through his facade, a brutal man who wants nothing but to conquer. Any who opposed him died a miserable death."

"My brother was skinned alive and left to die", one of the demons, a female fox demon, remarked bitterly, "His body was already a corpse when we found him."

"My daughter was captured years ago and never to be found. Even now, I wish to see her again but I know that it will not happen", said another.

"As you can see, Kong Zhi has done many unforgivable things. If he is allowed to roam free and find out that we have activated one of the teleportation circles, he will use it to invade your continent" Gao Ri added, he spoke solemnly, looking straight at the High Council.

"Indeed, we have come to this conclusion ourselves and so we have chosen to help you get rid of Kong Zhi. It is within our best interests to deal with him quickly. We will make proper preparations to enter your continent", said the High Council.

Gao Ri smiled and bowed, "I thank you all for your aid, High Council."

"What of that demon soul and the girl your brethren has taken?" one of the council asked.

"He is an ancestor of the Horned Clan, their representative, Lan Jinjing has already spoken to her ancestor", he replied.

"Yes, I have explained the situation of the Demon Continent to him. While he does not truly agree with our alliance, the clan takes highest priority in his heart and he has agreed to help us", a beautiful woman with a horn on her head walked forth and told the High Council.

"Yes and we, as the High Council, will provide him a body, a puppet of sorts. While it may not be compatible with him, it is the only one that can contain a soul such as his."

"Thank you! We as the Horned Clan will not forget this favor", Jinjing was excited by this as was the other demons.

Gao Ri quickly spoke about Ling Xue.

"The girl, Ling Xue is a special case, she is from an ancient clan know as the Yao Clan. They have been hidden away for years and none of us know of their whereabouts. But they are a powerful clan of cultivators who train their bodies to near godhood. As for her, Ling Xue's blood as a Yao and her unique body makes it possible for her to cultivate both paths of body and energy. Right now, it is more harmful for her but with the correct teaching, she can become one of the strongest cultivators."

"Hmm, so be it, you may all return to the demon continent. The combined armies of our kingdoms have already gained a foothold in the demon continent. We have also sent in supplies and such to aid you."

The demons bowed respectfully and left the castle, barely able to contain their excitement. As for the High Council, they sat on their thrones and pondered.

"The times have begun to change."

"Yes, the new generation is brimming with geniuses."

"Is this a sign of good fortune or an omen of disaster."

"We can only wait and see."

"Indeed."

Through the teleportation circle, a raging battle took place in the Demon Continent. An army of demons circled a great dragon, three heads and 4 wings. It roared loudly in defiance and breathed flames onto its victims.

Screams could be heard throughout the battlefield and fire razed the ground.

Miles from this was a giant man, human-like but his skin was thick and gray, like stone. His expression was one filled with wickedness, no hair of any sort but sharp eyes and a thick nose. He wore armor, one made from metal and chains. Originally a beautiful piece now turned crude and barbaric, there were cracks and chips all over it, proof of the many battles it has gone through. In his hand was a giant hammer, as tall as him and the head was the size of his head if not bigger. A skull carved onto the face of it, and its tail was split into three spikes, like a claw. This was Kong Zhi.

"Do not kill it!" he commanded, "Capture it! It shall be my steed for when we meet those fools again! If they still refuse to join me, then death is their fate! Hahahaha HAHAHAHA!"

He roared with laughter, watching as his army fought the dragon.

"My Lord!" a lowly soldier ran up to him and knelt by his side.

"What is it?"

"We have found human soldiers to the east!"

"Humans?! So those fools activated the teleportation circles. Hmm, no matter, keep tabs on them and report any large movements back to me!"

"Yes my lord!" the soldier ran off, delivering orders to the others.

"So the human continent is linked.... then that is the next step."