Ji Xun, dressed in hunter gear, arrived at the bustling and lively Downing Street.
It was still early, so he didn't rush to the Rose Tavern.
Like a typical hunter coming to this street for pleasure, he found some food at a street stall and casually checked out the prettiest women.
Around seven o'clock, Ji Xun nonchalantly walked into the Rose Tavern.
The best way to gather intelligence was not to sit in a café across the street with a newspaper, but to blend in.
In this extraordinary world, just looking at someone too much could alert them.
Ji Xun doubted the Silver Moon cultists would dare to cause trouble in a place like Downing Street. Choosing to meet here was likely a way to mask the sensitive identities of the participants due to the tavern's diverse clientele.
...
Wearing a clown mask, Ji Xun didn't use his real face.
The tavern was already filled with patrons.
Scantily clad women danced provocatively on the stage, and the air was thick with the scent of hallucinogens that stirred the blood.
The Rose Tavern was a true den of debauchery.
Women in revealing outfits mingled among the customers, unashamedly flaunting their figures and responding to advances with suggestive smiles.
As soon as Ji Xun entered, many eyes assessed him.
Like a seasoned patron, he naturally walked in, his gaze subtly scanning every corner of the tavern.
Anyone here could be a Silver Moon cultist; memorizing faces now would help him be prepared later.
Ji Xun chose a seat with a good view, seemingly random but well-placed.
In such a tavern, besides drinks, paid companionship was an expected expense.
The Rose Tavern was upscale, and the quality of the women was high.
There were elegant ladies, little girls in Lolita dresses, dominatrices with whips, prisoners... all kinds of roles.
As soon as he sat down, a woman in a black and white nun outfit approached him, "Oh~ it's been so long since you were last here."
Whether familiar or not, they treated every customer with syrupy sweetness.
It was a mark of their professionalism.
If unsatisfied, Ji Xun could ignore her, and someone else would soon approach until he was pleased.
He wasn't there for pleasure, so it didn't matter who it was.
Noticing her outfit, he mused that the Silver Moon cultists wouldn't dare dress their followers in such eye-catching roles, though one could never be too sure.
Finding it amusing, he replied like an old patron, "Hey, Lisa, long time no see."
Most tavern girls had names like this; shout one out on Downing Street, and at least eight out of ten would respond.
The nun gave him a coquettish look, "Oh~ you're naughty. My name is Wendy."
Realizing she'd been chosen, she sat next to Ji Xun, "But if you wish, I can be anyone tonight~"
The nun costume was interesting; proper on top, but the lower half was highly suggestive.
Aside from a black cloth at the front, the back revealed her seductive legs.
It was bold yet maintained some modesty, making it feel almost like she wasn't wearing anything while offering plenty of tactile sensation.
Since he had to spend money anyway, Ji Xun didn't mind.
Leaning back on the sofa, he ordered drinks, neither extravagant nor stingy.
The service was good, and the girl could chat about any topic.
Ji Xun had noticed upon entering that the bar had a bunch of photographs—the wanted posters of the Silver Moon cultists.
After a few drinks, hunters loved to brag with the girls.
Ji Xun casually mentioned the posters, pretending to just notice them, "What's up with those wanted posters?"
The girl smiled nonchalantly, "Oh~ a couple of nights ago, the Golden Oak raided an old cult. Those are the Silver Moon cultists who escaped."
Ji Xun feigned interest, "Why is the bounty so high on these fugitives?"
He watched her closely for any sign of reaction.
Seeing none, he concluded she wasn't a Silver Moon cultist.
She responded, "I heard the Golden Oak suffered heavy losses during the raid and blew up several streets. That's why the bounties are so high."
"Hmm... I also heard..."
"..."
Ji Xun probed with more questions but found her information was all market gossip, lacking real value.
Continuing, he asked, "I've heard of 'Lone Wolf' Baron. Wasn't his bounty just ten thousand at the Demon Cross? Why the sudden increase?"
The girl deftly replied, "I'm not sure. Would you like me to ask around for you?"
Ji Xun, feigning interest, nodded, "Sure."
He knew that this was another step towards the paid information segment.
In Sinless City, information always came with a price, especially the more precise it was.
With a signal from the girl, a woman in a black dress, still charming in her professional uniform, approached them.
Ji Xun showed no surprise.
He had noticed her watching them for a while after they discussed the wanted posters, and he guessed she was a professional informant.
Ji Xun was curious to see how the intelligence provided by these professionals differed from others.
The woman in the black dress sat down on the sofa with a smile.
Ji Xun, understanding the drill, waved to the bartender for more drinks and got straight to the point: "How much for the information on those wanted individuals?"
The woman in the black dress didn't waste time, smiling as she replied, "Who are you interested in? If it's everyone, it might be pricey."
She held up one finger.
Ji Xun raised an eyebrow, not speaking.
The woman thought he found it expensive, so she explained with a smile, "You should trust the reputation of 'Sister Bo from Downing Street.' I guarantee my information is worth the price."
This also meant he had to pay first.
Ji Xun wasn't concerned about the cost but was more interested in verifying if she was a cultist.
She didn't seem to be.
He had heard of "Sister Bo from Downing Street." Professional informants like her wouldn't tarnish their reputations.
In fact, the higher the cost, the more valuable the information.
Curious about what a thousand dollars worth of information could reveal, Ji Xun handed over a wad of cash, "Let's hear it."
Sister Bo wasted no time, nodding towards the wanted posters, and started from the top, "There's very little on the leader. Apart from the battle details, almost nothing is known. However, she fought a Tier 3 leader from the Golden Oak in the Western District a few days ago, using seven types of spells. All were mental techniques, with no cards used, indicating divine magic. The first was a 'visual cloak' making her invisible on the streets; the second was a large-scale illusion..."
Right from the start, Ji Xun felt his money was well spent.
These informants had their own channels, often possessing more accurate information than any other power in the city.
Knowing these techniques could be invaluable if faced with the right opponent.
Like when he encountered "Plague Doctor" Hei Sen—if he had known about his bizarre healing ability in advance, the outcome would have been completely different.
He might not have been able to kill him but at least wouldn't have taken that wound on his leg.
Sister Bo continued, "That hunchback's methods are quite eerie. Suspected to be a progression of the Spade-9-'Gravedigger' in the 9 Destruction Path. He's summoned many undead creatures—zombies, ghouls, wraiths, all extremely difficult to deal with, capable of fighting many at once... He himself can transform into a zombie, impervious to blades and bullets. He withstood an assault by dozens led by a Tier 3 enforcer in the North City base and escaped unscathed..."
"..."
Ji Xun listened, narrowing his eyes.
The Silver Moon cult's deacons had truly bizarre abilities.
The nun, pretending not to hear anything, occasionally poured them drinks and massaged Ji Xun's shoulders.
When they discussed "Lone Wolf" Baron, Sister Bo had detailed information.
However, Ji Xun, having seen Baron's abilities firsthand, didn't learn much new.
But from the recent battle, it seemed Baron had grown even stronger.
Ji Xun asked at the right moment, "Baron is only Tier 1, how could he be so formidable? Even a few Tier 2s couldn't stop him?"
Known as Spade-4-'Beastwalker,' even an average Beastwalker wouldn't have a fraction of his strength.
Baron's prowess was almost absurdly high.
There had to be something special about him.
Sister Bo smiled at his query, "That's additional information~"
Ji Xun understood immediately—he needed to pay more.
He didn't mind.
Sister Bo continued after receiving payment, "Many people don't understand why Baron is so strong, but I happen to be one of the few in Sinless City who knows the truth."
She had piqued his interest.
Ji Xun listened attentively, "Oh?"
She explained, "Because Baron's job fusion card is the 'Cursed Spade 4' that appeared in Sinless City thirty years ago."
Ji Xun raised an eyebrow.
This seemed to touch on some old history of Sinless City.
Sister Bo didn't keep him in suspense, "Thirty years ago, a grandmaster card creator in Sinless City found some inspiration from ancient demon rituals. It seems they aimed to enhance the ancestral power of Beastwalker transformations through bloodline regression. That's how the 'Cursed Spade 4' was created."
After a brief pause, she continued, "The exact workings of this card are almost unknown. But the result is, it's the only Silver-tier job card on the market, yet it's called a 'non-Gold Gold card.' The fusion conditions are very stringent. However, once successfully fused, the card master's flesh growth limit and transformed combat power will be over five times that of an average Beastwalker. The main material's quality and regression extent can further amplify this boost significantly."
"Over five times the limit?"
Ji Xun was astounded.
What did that mean?
A Beastwalker's transformed strength was typically 2-3 times their original.
You need high-quality main materials, like Baron's Golden Demon Ape. After transformation, its attributes are already at the pinnacle of its tier.
Then, based on this, its power increases by more than five times...
Generally, a second-tier pure melee warrior's profession only reaches this level.
And this is just the minimum!
No wonder Baron slaughters same-tier professionals like cutting vegetables. It's purely an attribute crush.
Ji Xun's thoughts became active upon hearing this.
For his current state, isn't this the most ideal profession card?
However, Sister Bo obviously guessed that anyone who heard about this card would be very interested. She added, "Of course, the reason it's called a 'Cursed Card' is that everyone who has tried to fuse with it has completely lost control, without exception. Experts analyzed that the terrifying boost from this card is something a first-tier Curse Card Master's body cannot withstand; mutation is inevitable."
Ji Xun wasn't surprised.
A card this ridiculously powerful must have some major drawback.
But a 100% mutation rate...
Ji Xun's curiosity grew even stronger as he pondered this.
Probably only by personally seeing that profession card could he solve this mystery.
Ji Xun fell into deep thought, then asked, "May I ask who that Card Master is, and if they are still in Sin City?"
Finding the card creator would naturally reveal why this is happening.
Moreover, he was curious if there was such a high-level card master in Sin City.
One must know that today's fifty-two profession sequences are the culmination of countless years of wisdom from the Curse Card Masters.
Even the lowest-level first-tier profession card templates are nearly perfect.
To improve them, and to such an extreme extent, this level of skill isn't something the unorthodox card masters in Sin City could achieve.
Sister Bo knew what he was curious about, but regretfully said, "Thirty years ago, a grandmaster card creator at the Royal Academy in Dragon City was expelled from the Card Master Association for evil human experiments and was exiled to Sin City. However, as far as I know, those in Sin City who have actually seen him don't exceed the fingers on two hands. No one knows if he is still alive, or where he is."
Hearing this, Ji Xun didn't ask further.
He just felt that Sin City truly had many hidden talents; even a grandmaster card creator had been exiled here?
But now, since the card creator couldn't be found, he was back to square one.
After pondering for a moment, he said, "But as far as I know, 'Lone Wolf' Baron hasn't completely lost control."
Sister Bo seemed to know he would ask this question and said, "No one knows why Baron hasn't completely lost control yet. But the only plausible theories are either the Old Faith suppressing his mutation, or the influence of the ancient relic he brought back, the [Holy Nail]."
Pausing, she continued, "However, whether it's the relic's influence should soon be known."
Ji Xun: "Oh?"
Sister Bo said, "I'll give you some free information. Three days from now, the Hunter Guild's auction house will hold an auction. Among the items to be auctioned are some special items seized from a recent raid on several Silver Moon cult bases. One of the auction items will be the III-level relic [Light and Dark Holy Nail] that Baron brought back from the Old Continent. There is also the rumored Silver Moon Church relic, 'Moon'..."
Light and Dark Holy Nail?
It was Ji Xun's first time hearing the name of that relic, and he thought these informants truly knew a lot.
But... an auction?
Hearing this, Ji Xun suddenly felt something was off.
To openly auction seized loot, rather than permanently sealing it in a warehouse or destroying it?
In a flash, Ji Xun realized the intention behind the Golden Oak Tree's move.
This was to lure the Silver Moon cultists out?
Now that the bases had been destroyed, if the Silver Moon cultists didn't show themselves, it would indeed be difficult to capture them.
But if they held such an auction, if those Silver Moon followers truly cared about these items, they would certainly target this batch of goods.
Perhaps they could even capture them all at once.
Realizing this, Ji Xun suddenly understood why the Silver Moon cultists, having been raided yesterday, were in a hurry to gather today.
He concluded, "They're planning something big..."
So, the Golden Oak Security Company wasn't without any results. Many people had escaped, but they seized a lot of good stuff.
Even the relic 'Moon' was taken?
Thinking of this, Ji Xun suddenly thought of something else: "Among those auction items, could there be a psychic medium?"
Because the Red Pine Street incident was unexpected, Ji Xun immediately went to the scene with the mortician to take away the items.
And the latter two bases might not have had him to find the original substances, which could still be on the altar.
With such a commotion, the Golden Oak Tree might have found them upon careful search.
Whether or not there were any, he planned to attend the auction.
Such a major event, he had to see it.
Ji Xun originally wanted to ask for more information, but at that moment, he suddenly heard gunfire outside.
Flying shrapnel hit the chandelier in the tavern, smashing it to pieces.
The patrons seemed used to it, each finding cover while gloatingly shouting, "Hey, the Red Building and the Brotherhood are fighting outside!"