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墨書 Inktalez
Zuo Dao and his companions were well aware of the mindset of the cultivators in the hall, especially in this chaotic place where rules seemed nonexistent. They believed that if they weren't in an inn, those people would have already started a fight instead of just glaring menacingly.
However, Zuo Dao and his friends were not afraid of these dangers. If it weren't for the many matters they still had to attend to, they wouldn't mind playing around with these individuals to unwind a bit.
The room was elegant and well-equipped, with several practical formations set up inside. Essential formations like Dust Removal, Soundproofing, and Temperature Control were present, and there was even a Gathering Formation in the bedroom. Additionally, there was a Restriction placed outside the door; generally, ordinary people could not enter without permission from the guests.
Although the price was a bit steep, it was still worth it, and Zuo Dao felt quite satisfied. Ke Shui Ming finally felt relieved after seeing the three esteemed individuals.
The banquet was set up in Zuo Dao's room. It was Ke Shui Ming's first time enjoying such treatment at Cloud Sorrow Inn, which made him feel both honored and slightly overwhelmed. Alongside gratitude, he also felt a hint of awe towards Zuo Dao and his companions.
Most of the dishes on the table were local specialties from Star Sea, which satisfied Zuo Dao and his friends' appetites. However, it only catered to their taste buds; for cultivators at a certain realm, food was akin to poison unless specially prepared.
Ke Shui Ming indulged heartily; he was quite perceptive and quickly grasped the personalities of Zuo Dao and his companions, allowing himself to relax. This was precisely what Zuo Dao wanted; otherwise, any awkwardness during their conversation might lead to trouble for them.
The food was excellent, and the wine even better. Of course, it wasn't provided by the inn but brought by Zuo Dao himself. After just one cup, Ke Shui Ming felt the Celestial Essence within him begin to boil. Unconsciously, his realm slightly improved—a discovery that shocked him immensely.
It was well-known how many pills existed in the Celestial Realm for enhancing cultivation, but experiences like this were rare.
Zuo Dao and his companions certainly noticed this effect and were pleased; this was exactly what they aimed for. After several rounds of drinks, Zuo Dao began to get to the point. Ke Shui Ming seemed to understand that Zuo Dao had matters to discuss; when Zuo Dao paused, he put down his wine cup reluctantly.
However, as Zuo Dao's questions came one after another, Ke Shui Ming couldn't help but start taking seriously what these three wanted to achieve. Although he had some doubts, he shared everything he knew with Zuo Dao.
Through questioning, Zuo Dao gained a concrete understanding of Chaos City, largely thanks to Ke Shui Ming's detailed explanations. He hadn't expected that someone he casually approached would have such familiarity with Chaos City.
"To sum it up," Ke Shui Ming said while taking another sip of wine, "Chaos City is controlled by the Five Great Cities—those five I just mentioned." He continued, "The person you clashed with at the city gate is Xi Shui Nan, the son of East City Lord."
Zuo Dao was momentarily taken aback; he hadn't anticipated their luck would lead them to connect with such significant figures upon arriving in Chaos City. However, according to Ke Shui Ming's description, Xi Shui Nan seemed rather underhanded—this connection might not be as beneficial as it appeared.
At least now Zuo Dao understood that Chaos City wasn't as chaotic as he had initially thought; instead, it was dominated by five families who controlled most of the city's income. He also learned from Ke Shui Ming that the Five Great Lords were not fixed; anyone with strength could replace them.
Yet Ke Shui Ming noted that there hadn't been any changes among the five city lords for nearly a thousand years. This stability stemmed not only from their formidable strength but also from some hidden forces supporting them—knowledge possessed by very few people, and he happened to be one of them.
Upon hearing this, Zuo Dao looked at Ke Shui Ming with a knowing gaze. Realizing that some things had been seen through by Zuo Dao, Ke Shui Ming couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Young Master Zuo," he said candidly, "I won't hide it from you; my surname isn't Ke—it's Changsun."
Zhao Wang's heart stirred upon hearing this. "Are you perhaps Changsun Gongbai's descendant?"
“Old Master Zhao knows the name of my ancestor?” Ke Shui Ming, also known as Changsun Shuiming, looked at Zhao Wang.
“Once upon a time, the Changsun clan was quite renowned in Chaos City. I never expected you to be one of his descendants. No wonder you have such detailed knowledge about Chaos City,” Zhao Wang sighed.
“Is Changsun really that famous?” Zuo Dao suddenly realized that this Ke Shui Ming seemed to have an extraordinary background, but he couldn't understand how he had fallen to such a realm.
“The Changsun name may not be well-known in the Great Celestial Domain, but the name Changsun Gongbai was once a force to be reckoned with thousands of years ago, dominating Chaos City and could be considered its unofficial king at that time. Unfortunately, due to a tragic event, the entire clan was wiped out. I never expected to meet one of his descendants now,” Zhao Wang spoke with a hint of nostalgia.
“Old Master Zhao knows my family head?” Changsun Shuiming looked at Old Master Zhao with some wariness. He couldn't discern the backgrounds of these three individuals but knew they were definitely not ordinary. Now this Zhao person suddenly recognizing his ancestor raised concerns; if they were sent by those people, it would be troublesome.
Zhao Wang seemed to sense Changsun Shuiming's worries and spoke reassuringly.
“You need not worry; we are not your enemies.”
Zuo Dao glanced at Zhao Wang and then at Changsun Shuiming. There was definitely something deeper going on here. He had noticed the hostility that Changsun Shuiming had just displayed, and after hearing Zhao Wang's words, he began to understand a bit more. It seemed that Changsun Shuiming was also someone with a story; otherwise, he wouldn't have abandoned his ancestral surname. However, all of this was temporarily irrelevant to him.
“Alright, Shui Ming, regardless of any hidden circumstances you may have had before, I am only interested in knowing everything about Chaos City—detailed information is preferred,” Zuo Dao interrupted this somber conversation.
Changsun Shuiming understood and adjusted his mindset.
“Although I do not know what exactly you wish to learn, I will share everything I know about Chaos City with you,” Changsun Shuiming stood up and addressed Zhao Wang respectfully.
“From what has been said earlier, Shui Ming senses that you have grand ambitions. However, no matter what you intend to do, I want to inform you that in Chaos City, the Five Great Lords are not to be feared; the only thing to watch out for is the Beast Tide.” After adjusting his mindset, Changsun Shuiming returned to his original demeanor.
As a descendant of Changsun Gongbai, he had always pretended to be weak in front of others; this was not his true nature. Zuo Dao and the others had shown clear goodwill towards him and did not express any ulterior motives upon learning his identity. Just based on this alone, it was evident that they meant him no harm. Moreover, he sensed that these three had come to Chaos City for something significant, and that matter was undoubtedly related to Chaos City—that was his intuition.
In fact, Chaos City was quite simple; aside from the Five Great Lords, there were numerous other factions with varying degrees of influence. The relationships among them were neither particularly good nor bad. Although the Five Great Lords held the title of city lords, their actual power was limited. It was merely due to the strong personalities of the city lords that a balance was maintained among the various factions.
Overall, while Chaos City appeared orderly on the surface, it was actually quite chaotic beneath. The relationships between major factions were intricate; aside from the apparent balance on the surface, there were undercurrents stirring beneath. From Changsun Shuiming's account, it became clear that aside from the Five Great Lords, other factions had changed hands countless times over the past hundred years.
This presented an opportunity for Zuo Dao; however, the current distribution of interests in Chaos City had reached a saturation point. Newly emerging factions would face relentless suppression without hesitation. If Zuo Dao intended to establish a Heterodox presence in Chaos City, he needed to prepare for being besieged.
Zuo Dao found himself hesitating over this matter. Although Heterodox needed to undergo trials by bloodshed, it required a gradual process of integration. If Heterodox were thrown into fierce battles right from the start, even if they emerged victorious in the end, it would only be considered a pyrrhic victory—something Zuo Dao wished to avoid.
“Shui Ming, you've been in Chaos City for quite some time now, haven't you?” Zuo Dao suddenly asked Changsun Shuiming. He thought that if there were better methods available, they would surely lie with Changsun Shuiming.
“My lord,” Shui Ming replied respectfully, “I have grown up in Chaos City and have been here for over a hundred years.”
Hearing Changsun Shuiming's response, Zuo Dao showed no reaction, but a cold glint flashed in Zhao Wang's eyes.
"What do you think is needed to secure a place in Chaos City?" Rather than conceal it, Zuo Dao preferred to be open. He couldn't believe that Changsun Shuiming still had no doubts at this point.
Changsun Shuiming forced a smile; they were finally getting to the point. Zuo Dao's various questions had already raised his suspicions. Given his status, he had not wanted to get involved. After all, he was also in a precarious situation, with countless people outside searching for him.
Seeing Changsun Shuiming's troubled expression, Zhao Wang pondered for a moment and understood. After all, the incident involving Changsun Gongbai had stirred quite a storm in the Great Celestial Domain. If those people were to discover Changsun Shuiming's true identity, it would not bode well for him.
"Shuiming, although I am not very familiar with your ancestors, we do have some connections. You don't need to overthink this; it won't drag you into trouble. Right now, you are the one most familiar with Chaos City; we need your insights," Zhao Wang spoke in a tone of an elder. He needed to dispel any misgivings on the other side's part. A good suggestion could save Heterodox a lot of time, and time was precisely what they lacked the most.
"Since Old Master Zhao has said so, I will dare to speak a few more words," Changsun Wuming stood up straight, as if he had just regained the identity of Changsun Gongbai's descendant.
"You are only temporarily staying in Chaos City; I suggest that you do not need to establish any forces. If you are not short on money, I can recommend some good places where you can stay for a hundred years without any issues."
"What if it's for the long term?" Zuo Dao raised his cup and drank it all in one go.
"If it's for the long term, then it depends on how you plan to stay," Changsun Shuiming began to elaborate.
After his words, Zuo Dao's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but cast an inquiring glance at Zhao Wang. At that moment, he was more interested in Changsun Shuiming than in Heterodox.
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