12. Moco City

During his days among the dwarven tribe, Mo Fei, who had grown up on Jade Void Mountain, truly experienced the exotic wonders of a foreign land. The dwarves, warm-hearted and addicted to drink, hosted banquets every day. At these feasts, bold dwarven girls would often express their affection for Mo Fei. All he could do was shake his head and smile wryly. It wasn’t that the dwarven girls were as short and burly as the men; on the contrary, each one was petite and adorable. Yet Mo Fei found it difficult to entertain other thoughts about girls who barely reached his chest. Every night, he was carried back to his lodgings.

After five days, the dwarves assigned to gather herbs returned to the tribe with large quantities of medicinal plants. Now, Mo Fei spent his days instructing the dwarves in the art of alchemy, and only at night could he afford rare moments to study magic. Within a few more days, the dwarves had mostly mastered the process of refining pills, and Cain’s body had fully recovered.

“Elder Orf, thank you for your hospitality these past days. I wish to continue my travels across the continent, so I must take my leave for now. Fate willing, we shall meet again!” Seeing that the dwarven tribe’s situation had improved, Mo Fei and Cain bid farewell to Elder Orf.

“Mr. Mo Fei, it is we who owe you thanks. Without you, our people would still suffer from the dreadful cough. Since you are journeying onward, we won’t detain you further. But if ever you require the aid of our dwarven tribe, say but a word, and we shall do all in our power to assist!” Elder Orf, grateful beyond measure, made his promise to Mo Fei.

Departing from the dwarven tribe, Mo Fei and Cain set out on their journey! Cain, having grown accustomed to his new cultivation method over the past days, had made great strides in power. Once merely a Sword Master, he had now reached the level of Great Sword Master; when in berserk mode, his strength could rival the Sword Saints. To think that Cain was only twenty-four years old—possessing the power of a Sword Saint at such an age, he was truly worthy of being the leader of the younger generation of the Minotaur tribe. Of course, none of this would have been possible without Mo Fei’s help.

Now, the new cultivation method had greatly reduced the aftereffects of Cain’s berserk transformation. He could recover within an hour after going berserk; if he took a restorative pill beforehand, its power could completely offset the physical toll of berserk rage. Along the way, Mo Fei encouraged Cain to maintain his berserk state, hoping his body would adapt even better to the transformation. Pills were plentiful; Cain could eat them like candy.

Cain’s presence while berserk was truly intimidating. His already tall and muscular frame radiated explosive power, and his eyes burned with wild fervor. Along the road, they encountered mercenaries and magical beasts foolish enough to target them. Most fled in terror at the sight of Cain, others were sent sprawling by his twin swords.

“Young master, we’re almost at Moko City. Because Moko City lies near the sea, its commerce is thriving. Rare treasures often appear in its markets. Why not take a stroll inside?” Cain introduced the distant, towering city to Mo Fei.

“We really should explore it!” Mo Fei was quite tempted.

At Moko City’s gate, throngs of merchants crowded so densely that the entrance was nearly impassable. City guards were busy maintaining order. At that moment, a two-meter-tall Minotaur warrior accompanied by a human dressed as a mage approached the back of the bustling crowd—none other than Mo Fei and Cain.

The merchants waiting to enter sensed something unusual behind them and turned to look. When they saw Cain’s fierce expression, the crowd parted instinctively, opening a path. These merchants, well-traveled across the continent, easily recognized a Minotaur berserker. But ordinary Minotaurs lacked such a murderous aura; one glance at his red eyes told them this was a warrior in berserk state.

Yet what puzzled the merchants was that Minotaurs, once berserk, were said to lose their reason, becoming bloodthirsty and battle-hungry, often attacking anyone they met. But this one, despite his intimidating presence, clearly remained lucid, standing guard to protect the human mage before him.

Regardless of whether the Minotaur remained sane, none of the merchants wished to risk provoking him. If the Minotaur took offense and struck them down, there would be no recourse.

The crowd parted, and Mo Fei and Cain reached the city gate. The guards, who had been watching them from afar, now prepared for inspection.

Faced with the ferocious aura of the Minotaur berserker—clearly not someone to be trifled with—the captain of the guards found himself in a difficult position.

Although Moko City, as a coastal border city, welcomed all races and did not prohibit beastfolk from entering, Minotaur berserkers were generally barred for the sake of public safety. No one could guarantee they wouldn’t lose control and wreak havoc once inside.

Normally, the captain would have refused Cain entry without hesitation. But today, this Minotaur was clearly berserk, yet sane, and obviously serving as the mage’s attendant. Mo Fei’s identity thus warranted attention.

A young wood-element mage who could command a berserk Minotaur as a follower was clearly no ordinary person—certainly not someone a mere city guard captain could afford to offend.

The captain approached Mo Fei, bowed, and said, “Honored mage, welcome to Moko City. May I ask the purpose of your visit? Please do not misunderstand; I have no intention of interrogating or obstructing you. However, your attendant’s entry may cause some trouble, so…”

Seeing Mo Fei’s face darken at his inquiry, the captain hurried to explain.

“My business in the city is none of your concern. As for my attendant, why shouldn’t he be allowed in? Don’t try your tricks with me. If anything happens inside, I’ll take responsibility!” Mo Fei replied angrily.

Hearing the captain’s explanation, Mo Fei understood even more clearly how lowly Minotaur berserkers were regarded across the continent. His anger stemmed from the obvious racial prejudice these guards displayed. Having grown up in seclusion on Jade Void Mountain, Mo Fei’s heart was kind; he had always believed all things in the world were equal, with no distinction of rank or worth.

This encounter only strengthened his resolve to help.

Mo Fei’s mysterious status and forceful tone had the desired effect. The guard captain dared not bar their entry.

The prosperity of Moko City rivaled even the imperial capital, Dragon Rock City, with every manner of shop and tavern imaginable. Some stores were unique even compared to the capital—for example, dwarven smithies and beastfolk shops specializing in rare treasures.

Most beastfolk lived in forests, grasslands, and other remote or undeveloped regions. Their development lagged behind that of humans, so many areas they inhabited remained untouched. There, precious ores and rare herbs were often discovered. Beastfolk living in forests sometimes captured young magical beasts or found their eggs. Thus, they operated such specialty shops in Moko City.

Mo Fei and Cain wandered together through one of these shops. Mo Fei indeed found several fine ores and peculiar items. For a cultivator like him, they were hardly remarkable, but in this backward world, they were quite valuable.

“Shopkeeper, do you purchase rare items here?” Mo Fei asked. The goods in the shop were scarce on the continent, so most were priced exorbitantly. Though he had been well paid for his earlier work with the Gale Mercenary Corps, it wasn’t enough for the shop’s wares. He hoped to sell some unused items from his storage pouch.

“Sir, our humble shop is merely a trading window for the various beastfolk tribes; the goods are provided by them. We run this establishment to exchange for the supplies they need, not to buy items. If you wish to exchange for a large amount of gold, there’s an auction house not far ahead. They hold auctions every week. You can put your items up for auction or sell them directly to the house,” explained the shopkeeper, a foxfolk, pointing to a tall building nearby.

An auction house? Mo Fei had never seen an auction before—this was the perfect chance to experience one!