Chapter 132: Arrival at Crimson Moon City

"Now, all of you, get out of my sight."

As Cheng Feng’s cold voice fell, the thirty or so grim sea demons looked at each other in dismay. Upon seeing the token, they instantly lost all will to fight. They were merely low-level patrol scouts; naturally, they dared not act presumptuously before the City Lord's token. To see the token was to see the City Lord herself.

As monsters of Red Moon City, they held absolute, unwavering loyalty to Empress Tamamo Yuki. This devotion meant they dared not defy Cheng Feng’s command. The sea demons retreated a few steps, turned around, scrambled off the ship, and leapt back into the sea.

Seeing the crisis averted, Cheng Feng slowly lowered the golden token and let out a slight sigh of relief. Although this result was within his expectations, he couldn't help but feel a touch of joy. Just as he had anticipated, the City Lord's token was indeed effective against the monsters of Red Moon City. The awe and wariness in the eyes of those sea demons had not been feigned; the moment he produced the token, their killing intent had vanished entirely. A single sentence was enough to make them retreat without hesitation, and they dared not even ask how a human had come to possess such a precious item.

The shopkeeper had once said that as long as one held the City Lord's token, there would be almost no obstacles to doing anything within the monster kingdom. Although it sounded like an exaggeration, Cheng Feng had no intention of doing anything untoward in the city, so he figured it would not be a problem. He couldn't help but feel that the golden token in his hand was burning hot; this expensive-looking medallion was clearly a treasure of immense value in Red Moon City.

In truth, even without the token, Cheng Feng possessed the strength to deal with these thirty-plus enemies, though it wouldn't have been easy. Avoiding a fight and conserving his energy was naturally for the best.

Watching the sea demons jump back into the sea one by one, Xue Ju felt her legs go weak. She slumped to the ground, her cat ears drooping and her fluffy tail trailing on the deck. Still shaken, she patted her chest and gasped, "That scared the life out of me..."

Cheng Feng noticed this and crouched down, sniffing the air. "You didn't leak, did you?"

"You're the one who leaked!" Xue Ju's face flushed red. She bit her lip and glared at him with a look that was both fierce and adorable.

Cheng Feng smiled lightly, pretending he had misunderstood, then stood up and looked toward the bow of the ship. His gaze fixed on the coastline approaching in the distance. "We’re almost at Red Moon City, Xue Ju. I'll be counting on you to lead the way."

"Cheng Feng, I have a feeling... there might be trouble ahead." Xue Ju pinched her chin, a worried look crossing her face. "Those patrol scouts will likely report back to the acting City Lord. After all, the appearance of the City Lord's token in the hands of a human is a major event."

"The current acting City Lord is the son of the previous one, isn't it? Ghost Shura?" Cheng Feng asked after a moment of thought. "Our mission is only to find the Ghost Princess and deliver the token to her. Even if Ghost Shura finds out, surely he wouldn't dare attack me while I possess the token?"

"That... he shouldn't dare, right?" Xue Ju knit her delicate brows, sounding uncertain. She pondered for a moment before analyzing, "If Ghost Shura dared to attack you, the bearer of the token, inside the city, he would be openly defying the previous City Lord in public. That would indirectly expose his ambition. It would easily lead to unfavorable rumors and cause him to lose the support of the people. Since he cares so much about the throne, he shouldn't do that. Besides, most of his subordinates are fiercely loyal to the previous City Lord. Once they know you have the token, they are even less likely to follow Ghost Shura's orders to attack you."

Listening to Xue Ju’s methodical analysis, Cheng Feng nodded in agreement. "If that’s the case, there shouldn't be any issues."

It would be best if the mission proceeded smoothly. The intelligent AI system steered the ship, continuing its voyage across the sea. About an hour later, they reached their destination and docked at the pier. Upon stepping ashore, Cheng Feng could see the uniquely styled architecture of the city in the distance and followed Xue Ju forward.

Outside the city, many different types of monsters noticed the man and woman coming ashore. Assuming they were fellow monsters, they paid them no mind. Xue Ju had a pair of fluffy cat ears on her head and a snow-white tail, clearly marking her as a cat demon. As for Cheng Feng, under the influence of his bloodline, his body was gradually becoming "monster-fied," exhibiting traits of a vampire, so the monsters mistook him for one.

After about half an hour, led by Xue Ju, Cheng Feng arrived not far from the gates of Red Moon City and saw the entrance leading into the city. The grey gate was imposing and majestic, standing at least five or six stories high, with its two massive doors standing open. Outside the gate, a large number of Ghost Samurai stood guard, acting like sentries. Every monster wishing to enter the city had to undergo their inspection.

Seeing this, Cheng Feng recalled the information he had read about Ghost Samurai online. The origin of these ghost-type monsters was simple. Legend had it that after every war, the fallen soldiers became wandering spirits. Because their resentment remained, their souls did not dissipate and they continued to roam the battlefield. Over time, these spirits mutated into Ghost Samurai, attacking any living person who stumbled onto the battlefield.

These ghost-type monsters were inherently strong. Because they were soldiers in life, the Ghost Samurai were fiercely loyal. Therefore, in this monster kingdom, most of the security and military forces were composed of the Ghost Samurai clan. According to Japanese legend, Ghost Samurai would never remove their demon masks from the moment of their birth until death; it was said they were ashamed to let their lords see them defeated.

Watching the monsters walk through the gate one by one, Cheng Feng asked Xue Ju, "Are there any conditions for entering the city?"

In truth, he could simply pull out the token, and the guards would surely let him in, but that would be too flashy and draw too much attention. Red Moon City was effectively Ghost Shura's territory now; it was safer to keep a low profile. Although he believed Ghost Shura wouldn't dare attack him openly, if he discovered he was traveling with Xue Ju, he might resort to underhanded tactics.

Xue Ju held up a finger and explained, "You need to show a travel permit."

"A permit?" Cheng Feng frowned. "I don't have one. Do you have yours?"

Xue Ju scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed. "I don't either. I was in such a rush when I fled Red Moon City that I forgot to bring it."

Cheng Feng gave her a look that said, "You are truly unreliable." "Then how are we supposed to get in?"