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The moment the conversation turned to Duong Quang, Lanh Hoa's hand tightened slightly beside his wine cup.

Hao Nhien did not move or turn toward the table behind them. He simply raised his cup and took another sip, as though the name he had just heard had nothing to do with him.

The man at the table behind them continued.

"I heard Duong Quang will arrive at the Forward City in the next few days. This time, he isn't only bringing Fire Qilin people with him. The Heavenly Eye also seems to be preparing to announce a series of new policies."

The person sitting with him immediately asked:

"What kind of policies?"

"Tribes willing to register for long-term residence will be given priority for clean water, work, and living quarters. People skilled in artifact forging, pill refining, or other specialized trades may even be granted land to open workshops or shops. Some households willing to send people into hunting teams and patrol units will also receive reduced fees at the beginning."

Another man nodded when he heard that.

"If that's really true, then it doesn't sound bad. Out in the desert, one major sandstorm can wipe out an entire tribe's food supply. At least inside the city there is water, a wall for protection, and patrols."

At a table near the window, a broad-shouldered man from the Sandfire Tribe with dark red skin immediately laughed.

"That's not all. Our Sandfire Tribe has already been given a separate plot of land to build a large forge, and we're receiving priority for spirit stones and good sandstone as well. Skilled workers have jobs, the younger generation has somewhere to learn a craft, and everything we forge has the entire Forward City as a market. If that counts as suffering a loss, then I don't know what profit is."

A merchant from the Sandwind Tribe sitting nearby in a pale gray cloak simply shook his head.

"The benefits are real. But once your forges, water, customers, and work are all inside the city, leaving one day may not be as easy as entering."

The Sandfire man frowned.

"What are you trying to say?"

The Sandwind merchant slowly took a sip of wine before answering.

"I've been a merchant for many years, so I understand one thing. Something that makes life easier today can sometimes become the very thing that prevents you from leaving tomorrow."

The atmosphere around several nearby tables grew slightly heavier.

Someone else lowered his voice and added:

"I also heard a few smaller tribes have already started handing over goods on a regular basis. Whatever the Heavenly Eye needs comes with a quota. I don't know whether the rumor is true, but there have clearly been more supply caravans heading west lately."

A Heavenly Eye soldier seated near the corner of the tavern set down his cup. He did not become angry. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and spoke loudly enough for those nearby to hear.

"If you want clean water, city walls, a place to trade, work, and patrols, then of course there is a price. Outside there are sandstorms, beasts, and bandits. Inside the city there are guards, grain stores, and wells. No one is forcing you to stay."

A few people fell silent.

Others nodded faintly.

"He's not wrong."

"A wall is still better than sleeping out in the desert."

"But I heard this Forward City isn't the only city the Heavenly Eye is building."

"I heard that too, though I don't know whether it's true."

Discussion spread throughout the Sandfire Pavilion. Neither side completely overwhelmed the other. There were many who saw the Heavenly Eye as a chance to live a more stable life, and just as many who worried that today's benefits would become tomorrow's restraints.

Hao Nhien calmly picked up a slice of roasted meat.

Luu Thanh poured more wine for the other two. The smile remained on his face, but his eyes had become more serious.

"Young Master," he said quietly, "you really can hear quite a lot just by sitting here."

Hao Nhien gave a slight nod.

"Listen first. We can decide what's true later."

At the table behind them, the discussion about Duong Quang had not ended.

The hoarse-voiced man lowered his voice.

"Duong Quang isn't coming just to look at the city. I heard he's claiming the right to lead the Fire Qilin Tribe, and the Heavenly Eye is openly standing behind him."

A thin old man sitting with him frowned.

"The Fire Qilin Tribe is really willing to accept him as Clan Head?"

"Not everyone."

The man shook his head.

"I heard they've already split into several factions. Some follow him, some refuse, and others have left altogether. As outsiders, how could we know every detail?"

A younger man joined in.

"I also heard Duong Long's name mentioned behind all this. But whether he's pushing his son forward or the Heavenly Eye itself wants to use Duong Quang, no one seems certain."

The old man sighed.

"The Fire Qilin Tribe was once one of the strongest tribes in this region. If they've truly split this badly, it's a shame."

The Heavenly Eye soldier in the corner gave a faint, mocking laugh when he heard that.

"Let the Fire Qilin people deal with Fire Qilin matters. Anyone who knows how to read the situation will naturally know which road is easier to survive on."

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No one answered him.

Some lowered their heads and drank, while others shifted the conversation elsewhere. The name Fire Qilin had clearly touched on a subject most of the tavern's customers had no desire to involve themselves in too deeply.

The Cactus Wine was still fragrant and the roasted meat was still hot, but Hao Nhien no longer paid attention to the taste.

Lanh Hoa lowered his voice.

"Young Master, if Duong Quang really is coming here..."

Hao Nhien raised his cup to his lips.

"Drink."

Lanh Hoa was silent for several breaths, then understood. He raised his cup and drained it, keeping the aura around him as steady as before.

Luu Thanh leaned slightly toward the other two.

"The rumors in the tavern aren't enough to draw conclusions. But if he really is coming to the Forward City, then we can see with our own eyes who he brings and how the Heavenly Eye treats him."

Hao Nhien set down his cup.

"That's why there's no need to leave yet."

He glanced around the tavern like any ordinary customer.

"We'll stay a few days. Once we know more, we'll decide what to do."

Luu Thanh immediately understood.

"I'll keep gathering information."

Hao Nhien looked at him.

"Be careful. Some things are enough to hear once. You don't need to keep asking."

Luu Thanh smiled.

"I understand. I'm just a traveler who likes wine and likes hearing stories."

Lanh Hoa said flatly:

"You don't need to pretend."

Luu Thanh paused, then sighed.

"Brother Lanh, ever since you reached the sixth layer, your words have gotten much sharper."

Lanh Hoa did not answer.

Hao Nhien shook his head slightly, though there was still a trace of amusement at the corner of his mouth.

That afternoon, the three rented a small private courtyard in the northern district of Heavenly Eye Forward City.

It was large enough for all three to stay separately, with an enclosed courtyard, three living quarters, and a meditation room equipped with a low-grade spirit-gathering formation. The rent for five days was one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. It was expensive, but good lodging in the Forward City was currently scarce because so many people had poured in after the storm.

Hao Nhien paid anyway.

After the guide left, he checked his storage pouch and let out a quiet breath. The amount of spirit stones remaining had clearly fallen.

In the past, most of his thoughts had been focused on cultivation, fighting, and survival. Now he was beginning to understand that if he truly wanted to gather the scattered Fire Qilin people one day, personal strength alone would not be enough. Spirit stones, pills, weapons, and resources were all things he would eventually have to deal with.

Finding a stable source of income could wait.

For now, Duong Quang was still the most important matter.

During the days they remained in the city, Lanh Hoa spent most of his time in the meditation room. After stepping into the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, the spiritual power in his body still fluctuated slightly, while his new understanding of his Fire affinity and how to use Fire power from the Sand Fox King core also needed time to settle.

The new ancient Fire-attributed sword lay across his knees. From time to time, the reddish-brown Fire runes along its blade lit up as spiritual power flowed through them, then slowly dimmed again. Lanh Hoa remained as quiet as ever, but compared with before his breakthrough, his aura had become noticeably more condensed.

Hao Nhien also did not go out often.

Most of the time, he sat in the courtyard, slowly circulating spiritual power through his meridians and continuing to consolidate the second layer of Foundation Establishment. After the recent battles and the time spent recovering in the Cave Dwelling, his spiritual power had become steadier and denser than before. The distance to the third layer was gradually shrinking, but it was still not time to force a breakthrough.

He was in no hurry.

Heavenly Eye Forward City was full of eyes and ears. A stranger who repeatedly appeared in sensitive areas while accompanied by two Foundation Establishment cultivators with noticeable auras would attract attention sooner or later.

Of the three, Luu Thanh was still the most suitable person to move around outside.

Over the next two days, he was almost never still. During the day, he drifted through taverns, tea houses, merchant districts, construction areas, and smaller markets along the outskirts. He did not directly ask about the Fire Qilin Tribe. Instead, he chatted with merchants, porters, builders, and people who enjoyed drinking, then pieced together the fragments of information afterward.

By the evening of the second day, Luu Thanh returned to the courtyard with his robe covered in sand, though his expression was as excited as if he had just dug up a treasury of spirit stones.

He took out several sheets of notes and placed them on the table before Hao Nhien and Lanh Hoa.

"I've gathered a few things worth knowing."

Hao Nhien looked at him.

"Speak."

Luu Thanh poured himself a cup of water and sat down.

"The rumor that this Forward City isn't the only one is almost certainly true. I've heard from several different sources about at least two other cities. There are also people mentioning a place called Central City farther west, while Heavenly Eye City lies even deeper."

Hao Nhien gave a slight nod.

"Continue."

"Duong Quang will arrive tomorrow evening. I've heard that from four different sources. The group traveling with him is estimated at nearly three hundred people, including both Fire Qilin members and Heavenly Eye troops, but I haven't confirmed the exact ratio."

Lanh Hoa's gaze turned cold.

Luu Thanh continued:

"Two days from now, there will be a public gathering at the central arena. Officially, it's for meeting tribal representatives, announcing new policies after the storm, and stabilizing the city. Duong Quang will also appear there as a representative of the Heavenly Eye."

Hao Nhien asked:

"What about the Fire Qilin people who don't follow him?"

"There are leads, but nothing certain yet."

Luu Thanh lowered his voice.

"There's a rumor that a group of Fire Qilin people are hiding around the southern labor district near the black market. No one knows the exact number. Some say more than ten, others say close to twenty. They seem to have mixed in among porters, builders, and day laborers."

Lanh Hoa looked at him.

"Have you made contact?"

"Not yet. I've gone around that area twice, but I didn't ask directly. Heavenly Eye soldiers have been checking the southern district more often lately. If I ask too many specific questions, I could alert both sides."

Lanh Hoa slowly nodded.

"That was the right choice."

Luu Thanh continued:

"Control inside the city is also tightening. Anyone staying long-term has to register their residence, and some labor districts check entry tokens at night. As for the rumor about people being sent west for frontier reclamation, I still haven't confirmed it."

He paused briefly.

"Overall, the smaller tribes are divided. Some genuinely want to enter the city because life here is easier. Some know they'll gradually lose freedom but don't have a better choice. Others only plan to earn money and leave."

Hao Nhien looked at the papers on the table.

He understood even more clearly why Duong Quang had chosen to appear in a place like this. A crowded Forward City filled with wavering tribes and backed by the Heavenly Eye was the perfect place for him to build influence.

After a moment, Hao Nhien asked:

"Where is the southern black market?"

Luu Thanh pointed to the simple map he had already drawn.

"Behind this labor district. During the day it looks like an ordinary trading area, but it only becomes truly active after dark."

Hao Nhien looked toward Lanh Hoa.

"We'll go there tomorrow morning."

Luu Thanh raised his head slightly.

"I'm not going?"

"You stay here and keep gathering information about the public gathering."

Hao Nhien replied.

"You've already shown your face in too many places over the last two days. If all three of us go to the southern district together, we'll be easier to remember."

Luu Thanh thought about it, then nodded.

"That makes sense."

Hao Nhien turned toward Lanh Hoa.

"Tomorrow, we observe first. Don't voluntarily reveal that you're from the Fire Qilin Tribe."

Lanh Hoa nodded.

"What if someone from the past recognizes me?"

"Don't deny that you once belonged to the Fire Qilin Tribe, but don't tell them who I am."

Hao Nhien thought for a moment before continuing.

"Just say you're currently following a Young Master from outside the Western Wastes. If they really are Fire Qilin people who refuse to follow Duong Quang, let them prove their identity and intentions first."

Lanh Hoa understood immediately.

"Yes, Young Master."

Luu Thanh looked at him and smiled.

"Brother Lanh says 'Young Master' much more naturally now than when we first entered the city."

Lanh Hoa looked over.

Luu Thanh immediately raised his cup of water and drank as though the previous remark had not come from him.

Hao Nhien paid no attention to the two of them.

His gaze remained on the scattered notes before him. A man claiming the right to lead the Fire Qilin Tribe was entering the Forward City with people from the Heavenly Eye, while those who refused to follow him might already be hiding right beneath their eyes.

Hao Nhien gathered the papers together.

"Wait for him to arrive."

His voice remained calm, but his gaze deepened.

"I want to see for myself what Duong Quang is relying on to believe he has the right to decide the fate of the Fire Qilin Tribe."