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墨書 Inktalez
Zuo Dao sat calmly in the grand hall of the city lord's mansion, with Changsun Shuibai standing respectfully behind him. Meanwhile, Northern Crossing Qing and the others had vanished. After finishing their business with Dai Sheng Jia, they returned to the Nine Monoliths, where the Celestial Essence of Chaos City felt slightly lacking compared to the comfort of Nine Monoliths.
Zuo Dao's appearance was intentional; he had long considered this moment. Although Yan Wu Studio was officially under Changsun Shuiming's name, he knew that Changsun could not hold the fort alone. Sooner or later, he would have to reveal himself, and it was better to do so directly now.
If it weren't for his desire to avoid a violent takeover of Chaos City, remaining in the shadows would have been the best approach. However, such concealment was futile; it was better to be straightforward and publicly announce that he—Zuo Dao—was now the master of Yan Wu Studio.
This revelation stirred quite a commotion; even the City Guard Commander had been rendered ineffective, forcing Xi Yingjun to step in. He was curious about the newly emerged Yan Wu Studio. The intelligence he had gathered over the past few months indicated that several other city lords were showing great interest in Yan Wu Studio.
What surprised him even more was that Eastern City Dongfang Qian had secretly met with Zuo Dao. Although Eastern Fang Qian had been cautious, all the city lords knew this could not remain hidden for long; as long as it wasn't too prolonged, generally no one would intervene. Even he had once covertly visited other cities.
"This young master must be new to Chaos City," Xi Yingjun said, dressed in a flowing white robe with his hair casually falling around him. He resembled a free-spirited scholar, his features well-defined, though occasionally a deep black light flickered in his eyes.
His robe was unbelted, giving it an oversized appearance. Runes flowed across the fabric, indicating it was no ordinary garment. Zuo Dao recognized it as an ancient artifact, nurtured by Great Power.
"I just arrived not long ago and happened to meet Shui Ming along the way; I needed a place to stay," Zuo Dao replied nonchalantly.
Despite Zuo Dao's dismissive attitude, Xi Yingjun reclined on a high platform without taking offense.
"This matter is indeed a fault of my City Guard. Since you have already punished them, it saves me some trouble. Dai Sheng Jia dared to act this way; such an outcome is well-deserved. According to our rules, that territory will now belong to you," Xi Yingjun gestured towards Zuo Dao with a fist cup.
"Thank you, City Lord Xi." Before things turned sour completely, Zuo Dao maintained his usual composure.
There was no need to debate who was right or wrong; Xi Yingjun was different from Zhang Yu. He had witnessed the previous scene and understood it more clearly than Zhang Yu did.
He knew that Zuo Dao's followers were not limited to just Northern Crossing Qing and those Nine People but included many more. He also understood that Nine Flows Generation were not mere temporary Cultivators but genuine Transcend Tribulation Cultivators who had somehow suppressed their tribulations.
The death of a Captain of the Guard in the city was significant. It wasn't that a Captain wasn't important; rather, in Chaos City, lives were as expendable as grass. If one captain's death could yield immense benefits, then sacrificing hundreds would be inconsequential.
His appearance this time was primarily motivated by the means of suppressing tribulations possessed by Northern Crossing Qing and his group. If he could acquire such methods and combine them with his own Cultivation Method, he believed he could leap over the chasm of Immortal Emperor and possibly reach its pinnacle.
Had it been anyone else, he might not have entertained such thoughts. Such means were typically held by masters or clan leaders; others outside of Direct Lineage rarely possessed them.
He believed that such methods must seem quite ordinary in Zuo Dao's eyes. The Nine People not only bore their own suppressed aura but also carried traces of others' essences within them—something only a group of individuals gathered over time could achieve. Thus, he treated Zuo Dao with great respect—not for any other reason but because someone with such capabilities deserved recognition.
This time, he wouldn't rashly put forward his own conditions, especially not on the first meeting. Although the other party might not care much about it, they would definitely know its value. He just wanted to meet Zuo Dao and leave a good impression.
"By the way," after some polite exchanges, Zuo Dao seemed to remember something. "When I first arrived in your city, I had a conflict with a cultivator."
"Uh, is that so? Do you need me to help?" Xi Yingjun was genuinely troubled about how to build a good relationship with the other party when he realized that Zuo Dao had just handed him a big pillow.
"Well..." Zuo Dao hesitated.
"Don't worry, in East City, I am confident I still have some ability," Xi Yingjun smiled, thinking that the other party probably had a conflict with some major power.
"No, you see, that cultivator is your son."
"I know my son well; if there’s anything wrong, please forgive him," Xi Yingjun said without a hint of embarrassment, instead taking the initiative to apologize.
Zuo Dao initially thought this would at least provoke some anger from Xi Yingjun, but to his surprise, there was no reaction at all. Unless he knew his son's character and understood that the fault lay on his side. Otherwise, it would be mere showmanship, and such people were the hardest to deal with. However, Zuo Dao realized that Xi Yingjun was indeed the latter.
"It's nothing serious; just a misunderstanding. Since Lord Xi has already said this, if I were to hold a grudge, that would be my fault."
After this initial understanding, Zuo Dao decided to skip further pleasantries. After exchanging a few more words, he took his leave. There was nothing more to discuss; he had learned what he needed to know, and staying longer would only lead to awkwardness.
As soon as Zuo Dao left the lord's mansion, Xi Yingjun called for Xi Shui Nan. Upon seeing him, he first inquired about the time and circumstances of his interaction with Zuo Dao and then instructed him to treat Zuo Dao with respect in the future and to build a relationship with him.
Xi Shui Nan was also a clever person; understanding his father's intent made him feel fortunate.
As for what transpired between father and son, Zuo Dao had no interest in knowing and was unaware. Since Xi Yingjun had offered him Dai Sheng Jia, many troubles were alleviated, and he needed to take over Dai Sheng Jia as soon as possible.
Of course, from now on it wouldn't just be Dai Sheng Jia; he had to consider whether to use Heterodox or Zuo Wang Peak as his title.
After returning to Yan Wu Studio, Zuo Dao entered Nine Monoliths to reunite with everyone again. However, this time it was more about discussing their plans moving forward.
Zuo Dao was not an autocratic person; more often than not, he would listen to others' opinions. This habit developed after he followed Elder Zhao's advice.
Although the incident with Dai Sheng Jia had concluded, its aftermath began to ferment throughout Chaos City. Even Eastern Fang Qian privately sent someone to inquire if Zuo Dao needed any assistance.
However, the most vocal reactions came from the cultivators in the city. A large crowd gathered around every cultivator who had witnessed the battle, eagerly listening to their vivid accounts of what had transpired.
The number of people from Dashing Jia Pit was not small, but it wasn't particularly large either. Although they had been wiped out, there was little sympathy for them. On the other hand, Yan Wu Studio gained widespread recognition, and their business flourished as a result.
Outsiders were drawn to the excitement, while insiders sought deeper insights. Once again, the lords of South City, West City, and North City convened, not for any other reason but because of Zuo Dao.
Mu Beihan, the lord of South City, was an extremely cold individual. Due to his cultivation method, he appeared almost like a block of ice. If it weren't for their familiarity with him, anyone would instinctively keep their distance. The chill emanating from him was enough to deter any approach.
"This person is problematic," he said, breaking his usual silence.
"If even Old Mu thinks so, then there must be something wrong with this Zuo Dao," agreed Cold Fan Mountain from West City and Lu Yang from North City.
In contrast to Mu Beihan, Lu Yang cultivated the Sunset River Technique and exuded a faint corona of light. It seemed intensely hot yet did not affect the nearby tables and chairs at all.
The three held detailed information regarding Zuo Dao, but it was limited to his activities after arriving in Chaos City. They would need more time to investigate his actions prior to coming to Chaos City.
"What does it matter if we know there's a problem?" Cold Fan Mountain tossed four jade vials back and forth in his hands. "That old fox from East City swallowed such a huge loss and still held back. And then there's that bug from Mid City; on the surface, he seems unrelated to this matter, but behind the scenes, he has already made contact."
Each of them had their own thoughts, but they all understood that this time they needed to establish some rules. They had been in their positions long enough and didn't know when they might be replaced. This time, they were planning for themselves.
"Antidote Pill," Mu Beihan stated succinctly.
"I want the Fusion Essence Pill," Lu Yang glanced at Cold Fan Mountain.
"Don't look at me; all I want is the Survival Pill," Cold Fan Mountain chuckled. "Looks like only the Transforming Pill is left."
At this point, Mu Beihan's eyes grew even colder.
"Stop it, stop it. Old Mu, you need to learn to control yourself," Lu Yang quickly interjected, releasing his own aura to suppress Mu Beihan's chill.
Among the five lords of Chaos City, these three had the best relationship. Although Xi Yingjun could also be considered part of Four Seas, none of them liked his character much; they rarely interacted closely and were even more distant with Eastern Fang Qian.
Cold Fan Mountain shook his head helplessly and raised his hand to draw a blue light screen that concealed them once more.
"Old Sun, you shouldn't worry about others. Are you afraid those two don't know we're together?"
The three of them were accustomed to such matters. They all existed in a very delicate Realm, where only Cold Fan Mountain was the strongest among them.
"What are we afraid of? They've known for a long time," Lu Yang scoffed.
"Alright, what we need to consider now is whether the Transforming Pill belongs to the fox or the bug." At this point, Cold Fan Mountain couldn't help but rub his temples.
"This guy is quite calculating; he dragged all five of us into this mess. It's really troublesome!"
"Indeed, both of them have had contact with him. Although it wasn't for long, it's still hard to guess which one it is." Lu Yang suppressed his aura.
Mu Beihan merely glanced at the two before closing his eyes again, continuing to suppress the fluctuations of Celestial Essence within him.
For the first time, they realized how difficult it was to accomplish a task.
A trace of insight from the elixir that resonated with their own path was something they absolutely could not give up. Moreover, they had never heard of such a method before. They had tried asking those who practiced the same Cultivation Method to sense it, but found that they completely failed to grasp that trace of Dao. This led them to suspect it was a conspiracy.
Five city lords, four types of elixirs; they were very certain that the last remaining Transforming Pill was either needed by Xi Yingjun or Eastern Fang Qian. If that were the case, what was Zuo Dao's intention? Was the last one belonging to their side?
They had considered taking action against Zuo Dao, but they couldn't bear to part with that trace of insight from the elixir. As long as there were continuous similar elixirs available, they could keep progressing and even reach heights no one had ever attained before.
This was just a feeling they had, but at their Realm, such issues typically didn't arise. Furthermore, since all three shared the same feeling, it was clear that this elixir held great significance for them.
They trusted an Alchemist who willingly refined pills for them far more than one who was coerced into Alchemy for them.
If the other party had approached them directly for a trade, they would have felt at ease. However, since the other party played such tricks, they had no choice but to be cautious. All three were seasoned practitioners; if they believed this was Zuo Dao's unintentional act, it would be better for them to believe that Eastern City Dongfang Qian was the illegitimate child of the Four-Star Sea Dragon King.
"This matter must be clarified. We need someone to approach him and see what he needs," Lu Yang suddenly stood up. "Only then can we formulate an appropriate countermeasure."
"Old Sun, are you out of your mind? Do you think there's a high chance of that?" Cold Fan Mountain put away the jade vial in his hand. "If he truly has ulterior motives, do you think he would tell you?"
"What should we do then?" Lu Yang couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged.
"I don't know. You ask me, who should I ask?" Cold Fan Mountain kicked the ball back.
"Allegiance." At this moment, Mu Beihan, who had been silent for a long time, uttered two words before returning to the Realm of Eternal Ice Mountain.
"Allegiance!?"
"Allegiance!?"
Hearing Mu Beihan's words, both Cold Fan Mountain and Lu Yang couldn't help but exclaim. Cold Fan Mountain fell into deep thought, and seeing this, Lu Yang also stopped speaking. Among the three, Cold Fan Mountain was the most agile in thought, and when he entered a state of contemplation, it meant he had come up with something.
After a long while, Cold Fan Mountain raised his head, but his eyes were filled with fatigue. This was the first time Lu Yang had seen him like this.
"I think I've figured out their intentions," Cold Fan Mountain said with a bitter smile. "If it's really as I suspect, then Chaos City is going to be in for some trouble."
"Alright, stop being cryptic and just say it directly," Lu Yang said, clearly annoyed by Cold Fan Mountain's way of speaking.
"If I'm not mistaken, what they're after is..." At this point, Cold Fan Mountain spoke each word slowly.
"Chaos City!"
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