Ren Jian and Qi Wu joined forces to battle Feng Guiqu and Yin Qing, their fierce clash of wind and fire causing power to leak outwards.
The city gates were ablaze, affecting the innocent bystanders and nearly destroying the trade fair.
Just as everyone was scrambling for cover, with some even fleeing down the mountain.
The two swirling masses, the fireball and the vortex of wind, that had been locked in combat, vanished. Even the scattered sparks seemed to be gathered by an invisible hand, coalescing into a flame as large as a millstone.
A single thought arose in everyone's minds: Ming Yue had intervened. Relieved, they all returned to their seats.
They had all witnessed Ming Yue's strength earlier and believed that with her intervention, the trade fair could proceed normally.
As expected, under their expectant gazes, Ming Yue appeared. However, she was not alone.
Unlike last time, she didn't descend from the sky but approached from down the mountain.
She was followed by two children: a boy of eight or nine, and a girl of three or four, who were none other than Zombie King Ba Jiu and the little Sparrow Baby.
Most peculiar was that Ming Yue was carrying a person, clad in a black robe and wearing a mask, obscuring their true face.
Upon seeing the person in Ming Yue's grasp, Zhao Wumian and Yue You's hearts leaped in shock, for it was She Er.
Ming Yue and the two children flashed forward, arriving in the center of the plaza. Ming Yue raised her hand and tossed She Er onto the ground.
She Er lay motionless, it was unclear if he was dead or had been incapacitated by Ming Yue.
Yue You's expression changed, and he was about to step forward to check, but Zhao Wumian grabbed him, shaking his head slightly.
She Er had set out from Qinglong Base with them. Near Yunmeng Mountain, they had split into two groups.
Zhao Wumian and Yue You went together, presenting themselves as representatives of Qinglong Base to attend the trade fair.
He had instructed She Er and Huan Li to infiltrate Ming Yue Base covertly and gather information. He never expected She Er to be captured by Ming Yue.
Zhao Wumian had already witnessed Ming Yue's strength, which felt unfathomably deep. He still couldn't discern Ming Yue's level and was extremely wary.
He believed that even if She Er were captured, he wouldn't betray him, so Ming Yue didn't know he was She Er's accomplice.
If Yue You were to step forward now, it would surely arouse Ming Yue's suspicion. He still wished to remain on Yunmeng Mountain to investigate, so he couldn't reveal himself.
After restraining Yue You, he maintained a look of curiosity, feigning the same expression as the people from other bases, and watched the unfolding events from the sidelines.
There were many points of curiosity for everyone. Firstly, the four individuals, Qi Wu and the others, who had been fighting ferociously at the start.
Why, after the wind shield and fireball disappeared, did they cease their attacks and become as docile as kittens?
Was it out of fear of Ming Yue? But Qi Wu had shown no fear of death when facing the engine earlier.
His attitude shouldn't have changed because of Ming Yue? Secondly, who was the black-robed figure in Ming Yue's hands? Why was he dressed so strangely?
What surprised them most were the two children behind Ming Yue, which left them utterly astonished.
Because the little girl, three or four years old and not even reaching an adult's knee, had merely beckoned from the foot of the mountain.
The flame, formed from countless sparks in the air, flew directly towards her.
The millstone-sized flame, traveling from the mountainside to the foot, inexplicably shrank to the size of an egg over the short distance.
Everyone present was an esper, and they knew how difficult such elemental compression was.
Moreover, compressed elements would be in an unstable state, prone to explosion at any moment.
Yet, the little girl handled it like a toy, tossing it around in her hand without any ill effects.
For her, it was as simple as eating and drinking.
"Ba Jiu, release their mental shackles."
After discarding She Er, Ming Yue's eyes glinted with menace. Her sharp gaze swept over everyone as she instructed Ba Jiu.
As her gaze passed over them, everyone felt an inexplicable chill, as if plunged into an ice cellar.
Then they realized that Qi Wu and the other three could move again, and it dawned on them.
Earlier, Qi Wu and the others had actually been restrained by the little boy named Ba Jiu using mental shackles.
To remotely restrain an eighth-level esper and three ninth-level espers without anyone noticing.
How high must Ba Jiu's level be? Coupled with that terrifying little girl and the unfathomably mysterious Ming Yue.
Ming Yue Base's ranking in everyone's minds instantly moved up, even surpassing Qinglong Base.
"Do you think Ming Yue Base is easy to bully? Causing trouble at the trade fair time and again.
If I don't establish some rules today and make you pay the price, this trade fair won't be able to continue!
Then any Tom, Dick, or Harry will come to Ming Yue Base to trample on us. You four, leave your lives behind!"
Ming Yue spoke with an air of nonchalance, but everyone's expression changed. Especially Yin Qing and the other three, who turned ashen.
They knew that Ming Yue was truly angered. She had the ability to take their lives.
Because others might not know, but the four of them knew that the vortex of wind and fireball earlier had been collected by Ming Yue.
The feeling of the connection between the fireball and the wind being forcibly severed was exactly the same as what Ming Yue was now imposing on them.
"City Lord Ming Yue, we have come with sincere intentions to participate in the trade fair and purchase food.
We had no intention of causing trouble. Qi Wu provoked us first, and we were merely defending ourselves.
The responsibility for this matter does not lie with Xuanwu Base. Please discern the truth."
At the brink of death, Feng Guiqu spoke to explain. He had genuinely come to buy grain and had no intention of causing trouble.
The people of Xuanwu Base were still eagerly awaiting their supplies, he felt so wronged.
"Queen Ming Yue, I apologize to you. It was our fault, but taking our lives is a bit excessive, isn't it?
I am the leader of Baihu Base. If you wish to punish or strike, come at me.
Even if you must take a life, I alone will bear it. Please spare my brothers."
Qi Wu knew he was in the wrong and admitted it frankly. Face was something he considered trivial.
Although he still appeared somewhat unruly, there was a newfound sense of responsibility. For him, his brothers were everything.
"Kill me, Ming Yue. We were enemies from the start.
I respect you, and I have no regrets dying at your hands.
I am willing to die alongside these two wretches, but I beg you, spare Ren Jian.
He knows nothing, not even as much as you do. You know why I wanted to kill these two scoundrels.
That day in Jincheng, they killed Qing Ying. This is an irreconcilable hatred.
When your beloved is killed, I ask you, would you care about the occasion for revenge?
I am willing to pay the price for my actions. It was worth it to have them die with me!
I am deeply sorry for disrupting the trade fair. I have only one request: spare Ren Jian. He is merely implicated by me."
Since Qing Ying's death, Qi Wu had never spoken so much.
He was not afraid of death, and he was even somewhat excited to die alongside Feng Guiqu and Yin Qing.
He knew that with his own abilities, he could no longer kill Yin Qing.
But to use Ming Yue's hand to kill them, he was more than willing.
However, Ren Jian was innocent, and he did not want Ren Jian to be implicated and lose his life because of him.