Yearning for the Moon

Chapter Sixteen

*If you haven't seen the note already that the proper chapter 4 was previously not published for this book, please re-read it as it has some important scenes that will be mentioned later*

With the improvements I had made to the extraction crystals and the strength of lodestones it was only a matter of time before I left the outpost, I wasn't ready yet but I was certainly getting close. The weekly auctions had brought me quite a bit of gold, though I wasn't sure it would be enough to rebuild a city, but then again I didn't really have to pay to rebuild a city from scratch, I needed to pay for food and workers, as for the rest of the supplies, I imagined I could obtain it rather easily from the rather abundant land that was in the tainted lands.

The food part was rather simple, especially because I had access to a place with abundant spirit energy, that plants flourished in, growing fields of crops was simple, all I had to do was buy the seeds and wait. But fresh fruit and vegetables certainly wouldn't satisfy everyone, particularly a certain fox had an opinion about that, so I ordered the largest amount of dried meat from every place in the outpost I could, I should have known not to rush it, to just take my time and gather the things I needed slowly instead of rushing into it.

But I was just so eager to go and see my city, that I forgot about the threats against me here, that my movements and large purchases were being watched. While the auctions had been a smarter choice than opening a store, they still drew a certain amount of attention towards me, particularly the new pills which I brought to auction every week, the only pill refiner in a thousand years, it drew crowds to the outpost. The mere chance of buying a pill drove people here like never before, I had known it would draw people here and yet I had done it anyways, because I wanted the money.

After weeks of drawing crowds in I should have known that there would be a few people who wouldn't take kindly to me wanting to leave. Still it came as a surprise to me when a team of guards burst into the Silvstron residence, and though it came as a surprise it didn't mean I wasn't prepared. "What is this? Why do you barge in here!" I may not have been particularly powerful as a Peak Spirit General, but my skills in poisons gave me an advantage most couldn't defend against.

I was ready to poison the lot of them in order to get answers, they could not have barged in here for any good reason, no something was up, and I would find out why. Of course then my answer comes walking quite literally through the door, the City Lord with his stupid smug face. "So sorry for the interruption, I heard a rumor you were planning on leaving soon, and I just had to come see if it was right." I glare at him, fully aware that he had come here for more than just to confirm a rumor.

"I believe I warned you what would happen if you crossed me, Cassius." He narrows his eyes at my blatant use of his first name, but if he was going to be rude, I certainly wasn't going to be respectful.

"Oh, I remember, that's why I brought a little bit of insurance to make sure you stay nice and friendly." I stare at him in confusion until I see Andreas being brought forward, handcuffed and gagged. While he might be more powerful than me at the rank of Intermediate Martial Lord, I knew that the City Lord was stronger than even that, Andreas was no match for him.

"If you harm him, I will kill your entire family." I was vicious with my words, but with my only blood related family members having disowned me, Andreas was the closest thing to family I had, when he left this morning to buy more supplies I hadn't thought anything like this would happen, I should have gone with him, I should have protected him, maybe then we wouldn't be in this mess.

"Ah, ah, don't get too angry, he is perfectly unharmed, and he will remain that way as long as you do as I ask." I couldn't understand how he thought threatening me to work for him would go over well, poisons could be administered in many different ways.