Before the Crimson City-State

“What do you think?”

Starlight lowered his voice, his gaze falling on the small golden dragon sleeping beside him. There was a hint of hesitation in his tone.

After all, Little Gold had just saved his life, and Starlight naturally didn't want to see him in danger again. But bringing him along to the Crimson City-State? He really wasn't sure about that.

Their team already included two elves, and now they were adding a rather strange member of the dragon race. Wouldn't that significantly increase the chances of being discovered?

“I agree,” Moen responded almost without hesitation. “Little Gold just did us a huge favor. We can't just let him wander off and take risks on his own.”

“Bringing him along shouldn't be a problem... After all, he’s quite skilled at concealing his aura. Even I can't detect his presence...” Xia Duo seemed to have more to say, but she swallowed her words and simply shook her head slightly.

Seeing that his teammates had stated their positions, Po Kong nodded and said in a relaxed tone, “Then let's bring him along and take it one step at a time. If nothing goes wrong, we should be near the Crimson City-State in two days. We can see if we can gather any useful information on the way. I also need to figure out how to explain this to my family.”

“Alright, then it's settled for now. I’ll set up a new camp, though as for food, we’ll just have to make do with whatever's available.” Starlight let out a long sigh, his expression finally relaxing.

The camp he had meticulously arranged had been blown to smithereens during the battle. Now, he had to use magic to construct a temporary shelter once again.

Fortunately, they still had plenty of food, so at least they wouldn't go hungry. After tidying up a bit, they rested for the night.

Early the next morning, just as the first light of dawn touched the horizon, the four of them and the dragon set off toward the Crimson City-State.

Having learned her lesson, Xia Duo was exceptionally vigilant this time, remaining hyper-alert. Even Moen used natural magic to summon a few small birds, establishing a link with them so they could fly ahead as scouts and keep a constant watch on their surroundings.

However, their state of high alert revealed no anomalies, though it did slow their pace.

The journey, which was originally expected to take two days, ended up taking nearly three. It wasn't until the evening of the third day that they finally saw the towering walls of the Crimson City-State in the distance.

When they emerged from the Great Plains and stepped onto the main road, they were somewhat surprised by the sight. There was a steady stream of travelers and vendors, far more than on the roads near the Violet City-State or the Spiritual Arts Academy.

The Crimson City-State lived up to its reputation as the wealthiest city-state on the continent; its prosperity was truly evident.

However, several kilometers from the city gates, a long queue had already formed. To be safe, Starlight and the others had prepared themselves before returning to the main road, disguising themselves as a small merchant team.

They quickly stowed away their original weapons and armor, changing into spare garments of coarse cloth. Xia Duo and Moen also wore veils and hats, completely concealing their signature long ears and exquisite features.

Starlight’s storage space proved useful once again, not only holding their disguises but also allowing them to organize their supplies into bundles that looked like trade goods.

The only fly in the ointment was that Starlight didn't have any clothes in his space suitable for a child. Seeing Little Gold in his human form wearing adult-sized clothes looked ridiculous no matter how one sliced it.

In the end, Xia Duo decisively used a knife to trim his overly long sleeves and pant legs. Before Little Gold could even protest, she smeared a handful of mud and ash onto his face.

In the blink of an eye, Little Gold was transformed from a handsome young master into a filthy, pitiable child. He grumbled with displeasure but could only helplessly accept his “pathetic” new look.

“See? The things Little Shadow bought before finally came in handy~” Po Kong laughed as he looked at the disgruntled Little Gold. “Just bear with it for a bit, Little Gold. That original look of yours was just too conspicuous.”

With that, he hoisted his backpack and walked toward the merchants waiting in line, intending to gather some information.

“Hello there, brother. We’re merchants from the Violet City-State. Do you know what’s going on up ahead? Why is the line so long?” Po Kong approached a merchant and asked casually.

The merchant looked up at the tall Po Kong, momentarily stunned, but quickly replied, “I’m not entirely sure, but it looks like there’s a problem at the inspection point. It’s strange; it’s not a holiday or a special event. Normally, it shouldn't be like this.”

“I see~ We really are out of luck then. I wonder what those officials are thinking, making things so difficult for us!” Po Kong squinted, playing along with the merchant’s sentiment.

“Sigh~ Tell me about it! At this rate, we definitely won't make it through before the gates close. Looks like we’ll have to camp outside the city tonight.” The merchant sighed, his voice full of helplessness.

“Camping, huh... Looks like I’ll have to discuss it with my companions. Thanks, brother!” After speaking, Po Kong immediately turned and ran back to Starlight and the others, recounting everything he had just heard.

“As expected... Sima’s death has put the Crimson City-State into a state of martial law. I just don't know how tight their security is or if we can use the old method to slip in under the cover of night.”

Starlight frowned, recalling the method they had used to sneak into the restricted zone in Night Lotus Valley. If done correctly, they might be able to slip into the city through the gaps between the ordinary guards.

However, Po Kong quickly dismissed his idea and explained in a low voice, “Forget it. During martial law in the Crimson City-State, as soon as the gates close, the defense arrays on the walls are activated. Even if they aren't running at full power, they’ll have their detection functions on with no blind spots. You can't get in just by hiding your aura.”

“Is that so? But... Po Kong, how do you know all this so clearly?” Moen asked curiously.

“Alright, stop keeping us in suspense and think of something!” Xia Duo rolled her eyes and urged him quietly. “Didn't you say you had a way? You weren't just bragging, were you?”

“Of course not!” Po Kong raised an eyebrow and fished his damaged spirit armament from his backpack, a trace of confidence in his voice. “I’ll go find someone right now! Watch me.”

The bracelet in his hand trembled slightly, its shape seeming to shift for a moment before returning to normal and settling back into his palm.

“That’s... it?” Little Gold stood on his tiptoes, curiously eyeing the bracelet with its broken corner, his voice dripping with skepticism. “Are you sure that piece of junk can call someone?”

“I... guess?” Now it was Po Kong’s turn to be unsure, his tone wavering.

In the spirit armaments customized by the War God family, the dwarves had specifically included a small design for emergency contact. It could create a resonance with the nearest spirit armament of the same type to transmit a specific message.

Due to the rarity of spirit armaments, they were usually only owned by important figures, so this method of contact wasn't used often. But once it was, it usually meant the situation was dire.

However, the bracelet in Po Kong’s hand had been damaged in the previous battle, and he had never used this function before. This made his expression turn awkward, and his heart began to race with uncertainty.

“Don’t worry, the weapon definitely sent out a message. I just sensed a flicker of energy leaving it,” Noah spoke up softly just as everyone was starting to look skeptical. “Though, I’m not sure exactly what information was sent.”

Hearing Noah’s confirmation, Po Kong finally felt a bit more at ease. However, he had no idea how long they would have to wait for a response.

As it turned out, the group waited for several hours. Before they knew it, it was already the early hours of the morning.

“Yawn—Po Kong, is the person you mentioned actually coming?” Starlight asked, unable to suppress a yawn. Moen and Xia Duo nodded along, their faces masks of exhaustion. Seeing the other teams settling down to rest, they were finding it hard to stay awake.

As for Little Gold, he had long since succumbed to sleepiness after dinner. At the moment, he was sprawled unceremoniously across Starlight’s backpack, drooling all over it.

Despite Noah’s reassurance, by this point, they couldn't be certain if anyone had truly received the message.