Outside the Lord's Mansion of Licheng.
"Chen Batian, the three-day deadline has passed, come out and fight!"
Zhang Zhenshan sat imposingly on a tiger-headed chair, his fighting spirit ignited as he watched his subordinates declare war on the Lord's Mansion.
After a century of dormancy, today he could finally reclaim Licheng with his own hands.
The streets of Licheng were deserted, yet countless eyes watched the Lord's Mansion from the shadows.
Three days prior, Zhang Zhenshan had publicly challenged the Lord's Mansion in front of the people of Licheng, setting a date three days later for a battle to decide the position of City Lord.
For these three days, the atmosphere within the city had grown increasingly tense, and they had eagerly awaited this confrontation.
Who held the title of Licheng's City Lord held little significance for them; they simply wished for Licheng to quickly regain order.
Approximately half an hour passed.
The Lord's Mansion remained eerily silent.
Zhang Zhenshan slowly stood up, stretching his limbs. He produced a pair of bronze hammers, each taller than a man, a bloodthirsty smile playing on his lips.
"Attack!"
With a command, he was the first to charge towards the Lord's Mansion.
The twenty to thirty people behind him drew their respective magical treasures and moved in unison with him.
In an instant, multicolored spiritual lights erupted, and thunderous roars filled the sky.
The protective array of the Lord's Mansion crumbled after only a few breaths.
A sinister grin on his face, Zhang Zhenshan stormed into the Lord's Mansion.
An hour later, a thick scent of blood, carried by a gentle breeze, permeated the entire Licheng.
Licheng had thus changed hands.
When Xu Yi and Lu Zaiye arrived at Licheng, the flag fluttering atop the city walls bore a conspicuous character: "Zhang."
"It stinks," Xu Yi's nose twitched as she gazed towards Licheng, her expression grave. "It seems the battle for City Lord has concluded."
Xu Yi recognized the source of the odor and felt a chill. How much blood would it take to create such a spectacle?
To encounter such an event so soon after venturing out suggested that the Kyushu Continent was not as peaceful as she had imagined.
Though Lu Zaiye remained silent, his eyes were also fixed on the direction of the Lord's Mansion.
The two entered Licheng in silence, surprised to find that the city seemed largely unaffected. Stalls and shops lined the streets, operating as usual.
They exchanged glances, each seeing the confusion in the other's eyes.
Xu Yi paused for a moment and said to Lu Zaiye, "Let's find an inn."
As the storybooks said, inns and teahouses were the most fertile grounds for information.
If they wished to gather intelligence, an inn was the best destination.
Lu Zaiye nodded, and the two quickly found an establishment.
As they were seating themselves, and Xu Yi was about to call for a waiter to gather information, she heard a clear female voice from behind them.
"Waiter, come here, I have a question for you."
Xu Yi swallowed her words and subtly pricked up her ears.
"Fairy, please speak."
"Such a commotion just happened, and you are not afraid?"
The curiosity in the voice was utterly unbridled.
Xu Yi instinctively held her breath and made a shushing gesture to Lu Zaiye.
Lu Zaiye: ...
He wanted to remind his junior ancestor that they were facing away from the speaker, so their expressions were not visible.
Seeing Xu Yi's seriousness, he ultimately remained silent.
The waiter, whether truly unconcerned or intimidated by the speaker's identity, asked directly, "You are not from Licheng, are you?"
"That's right, is there something to it?" the female voice pressed.
The waiter chuckled and said, "You might not know, but the one who attacked the city today is the son of Licheng's previous City Lord. He's most approachable and had announced three days ago that this battle was between him and City Lord Chen, and it wouldn't involve us. He told us to carry on as usual."
"Ah!" A flicker of interest flashed in Yin Li's slender eyes. "So that's how it is, but didn't you smell the blood in the air?"
This conduct was starkly contrary to the approachable demeanor the waiter had described.
Upon hearing this, the waiter's expression changed, and he lowered his voice, "Fairy, please speak softly."
"Then quickly tell me what happened."
Yin Li complied, lowering her voice.
The waiter sighed, "Our City Lord Zhang is avenging his Zhang family."
It turned out that a hundred years ago, Licheng's City Lord was Zhang Zhentian's father. Known for his generosity, he was greatly loved by the people of Licheng.
However, an expert at the Integration stage appeared from an unknown origin, coveting the position of City Lord. He bloodied the Lord's Mansion, and only Zhang Zhentian, who was away traveling, managed to escape.
What was happening now was merely the unfolding of karma.
After a brief lament, the waiter continued with some excitement, "Speaking of which, our City Lord Zhang is truly something."
He gave a thumbs-up.
Seeing the expectant look in Yin Li's eyes, he went on, "I heard that when City Lord Zhang left, he had only just cultivated to the Out-of-Body stage, but now he can actually suppress an Integration stage cultivator... tsk tsk tsk."
The waiter's face was full of pride, as if he were personally involved.
Having obtained the information she desired, Yin Li casually ordered a few dishes and tossed a mid-grade spirit stone to the waiter as a tip before dismissing him.
After the waiter left, Yin Li chuckled softly, "In a hundred years, to advance three levels from the Out-of-Body stage and overpower an Integration stage cultivator, it almost sounds like a tale from a storybook."
Zhou Cheng, sitting to Yin Li's right, smiled faintly. "Junior sister need not believe it; this waiter might be spreading rumors. Even the most renowned prodigy of the Kyushu Continent, the Stunning Swan Fairy, took nearly three hundred years to achieve such a feat. This City Lord Zhang... heh."
Zhou Cheng picked up his teacup and took a sip, leaving his statement unfinished.
The other two chimed in, clearly showing their disdain for the waiter's words.
Yin Li smiled slightly, seemingly no longer preoccupied with the matter.
At another table.
Xu Yi and Lu Zaiye had overheard the entire conversation.
Xu Yi raised her hand and cast a soundproofing barrier, exhaling softly.
Finally, they could speak.
"This City Lord Zhang endured for a hundred years and then exploded with power. It truly isn't easy."
Xu Yi had initially had minor reservations about City Lord Zhang's methods, but after learning of his experiences, she could understand his actions.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Lu Zaiye frowned slightly, about to say something, but was distracted by Xu Yi's next words.
"Those four people behind them are likely disciples of some sect. It's just a matter of which one."
Xu Yi had already glanced at them discreetly, committing their appearances and attire to memory.
There were three men and one woman, all carrying themselves with an air of distinction, impeccably dressed. Coupled with their earlier appellations, their identities were almost self-evident.
Lu Zaiye cast a bold glance at them and confirmed, "They are from the Beast Taming Sect."
"How did you know?" Xu Yi's eyes widened.
"Each of them wears an ornament related to demonic beasts. The people of the Beast Taming Sect favor such adornments."
Xu Yi recalled and indeed found corresponding items on them.
"Lu Zaiye, you are very impressive."
Xu Yi was not stingy with her praise.
Although she had diligently studied much about the Kyushu Continent over the past decade, she couldn't possibly know everything.
It seemed the elders' decision back then was correct. With Lu Zaiye by her side, she could learn about the Kyushu Continent more quickly.
Lu Zaiye blinked, his gaze slightly unnaturally lowering.
He had never imagined he would receive such praise from his junior ancestor for this.
This was truly...