Less than five minutes after the burly man left, Li Xuan's gaze shifted as he noticed a troop of soldiers in armor marching down the street. The group consisted of ten men, and pedestrians promptly made way for them.
As he watched the soldiers approach, a bad premonition struck Li Xuan. *Could this troop be after me?*
Soon, the soldiers arrived in front of the teahouse. As two of them entered, Li Xuan's unease intensified.
"Your Excellency, please accompany us," the two men said directly, approaching Li Xuan on the second floor.
Li Xuan gave a wry smile. It was indeed for him. And it was clearly a ploy by that Yang Diao.
Although the two men before him were only at the intermediate Yin Yang realm, they were part of the City Lord's guard. In Shan Hai City, these soldiers were the sole enforcers of the law. Li Xuan knew that if he refused, he would face the full pressure of Shan Hai City.
Challenging authority, especially in this chaotic land, was something no one would dare to do without immense power.
"But what offense have I committed?" Li Xuan asked, not rising from his seat and setting down his teacup.
Ye Yi frowned slightly. In Shan Hai City, no one had ever dared to refuse their escort. Li Xuan's question momentarily caught Ye Yi off guard.
"Although I've only recently arrived in Shan Hai City, I know that fighting is prohibited within its walls. And moments ago, I was just speaking with Elder Yang. In such a short time, without any reason, you appear before me and ask me to go with you."
Li Xuan paused, then smiled faintly, "Is this how you conduct business in Shan Hai City?"
Ye Yi was stunned, and the other four men still in the teahouse exchanged glances.
*This brat dares to question the authority of Shan Hai City?*
Soon, the four men recovered and quickly left the teahouse, clearly not wanting to be involved.
"You are too kind, sir. They were sent by me. If there was any discomfort caused, I apologize on their behalf," a clear voice suddenly rang out as Ye Yi struggled for a response.
Li Xuan furrowed his brow. Unbeknownst to him, a graceful figure had entered the teahouse. Upon seeing the woman, Ye Yi and the other soldier bowed respectfully.
"Miss, we have never met, so we don't know each other. Is it really necessary for them to seek me out?" Li Xuan asked, his gaze momentarily filled with admiration for the woman before quickly regaining his composure.
At this point, Li Xuan had already guessed the woman's identity. What puzzled him was that in a vast city like Shan Hai, given the status of Yang Diao and this woman, they would personally seek him out.
*Something unusual always signals a trick.* Li Xuan became instantly wary.
The woman smiled slightly, "Are you so cautious that you fear I might eat you?"
Before Li Xuan could reply, she turned to the two soldiers and said, "You may leave. I will have a chat with this gentleman."
"Yes!" The two soldiers bowed and turned to depart.
"Sir, shall we stand and chat like this?" the woman asked with a smile after the soldiers had left.
Li Xuan gestured, "Please, have a seat."
Soon, after the woman was seated, the waiter brought another pot of hot tea. After pouring her a cup, Li Xuan said, "Miss, let's get straight to the point."
The woman smiled and nodded, "You've likely guessed my background. My name is Yang Zi, and the man from before was my father. My father wanted you to see me because I cannot easily leave the City Lord's mansion."
Li Xuan was perplexed. Based on what the burly man had said earlier, Yang Diao was second-in-command of Shan Hai City. Yang Zi's status would naturally be high as well. Such a person couldn't leave the City Lord's mansion?
Perhaps sensing his surprise, Yang Zi continued, "To be frank, I have been unable to leave Shan Hai City since birth. If I do, my body begins to decay and eventually, I will be annihilated."
Li Xuan looked at Yang Zi in astonishment. Her expression suggested she wasn't lying.
*Young Master, what Miss Yang Zi says is true. Her condition is a legendary Cursed Body. It seems she was afflicted in the womb.* At this moment, the Heavenly Dao Pen's voice echoed in Li Xuan's mind.
Li Xuan immediately communicated with the Heavenly Dao Pen, quickly learning about the origins of the Cursed Body.
The Cursed Body was an individual burdened by misfortune. Anyone close to them would gradually have their own blessings and luck consumed. In simpler terms, it depended on how strong one's fate was. If their fate was strong, they would live longer; if not, they might perish in an instant.
This Cursed Body was not innate but acquired through external means, with spells cast during the infant's formation in the womb. It took forty-nine days to fully manifest.
Although the Cursed Body carried immense misfortune, the core of the curse was the individual themselves. The curses were numerous, but most were malevolent. In the words of the Heavenly Dao Pen, "It's a testament to Miss Yang Zi's past virtues that she has grown into such a fine lady."
Furthermore, upon the death of someone with a Cursed Body, the surrounding thousand-mile radius would likely become a forbidden zone of death, where no one could survive.
After understanding, Li Xuan was still puzzled. What did all this have to do with him? Could this Cursed Body somehow be his doing?
Li Xuan pondered for a moment, then looked at Yang Zi. "Miss Yang Zi, I would like to know why you sought me out? And was it merely a coincidence that your father spoke with me earlier?"
Yang Zi smiled helplessly and said, "You are quite guarded, sir. I shall be frank. After my birth, my father realized I had been targeted. Although my mother perished that day, my father raised me. For years, he has been tirelessly searching for a way to break this curse."
Li Xuan's heart stirred. *Could the solution be related to me?*
Yang Zi paused, then bit her lip and continued with some difficulty, "After guidance from a senior, it was revealed that the only way to break the Cursed Body is to marry a man blessed with immense fortune."
Li Xuan was taken aback. *That direct?*
Although she was attractive, there was no emotional foundation between them. Moreover, the idea of marrying solely to break a curse felt inherently wrong to Li Xuan.
More importantly, what use was it to seek him out?
Seeing Li Xuan's stunned expression, Yang Zi sighed and continued, "That senior passed down a divine ability to my father, allowing him to discern who possessed great fortune. My father then passed this ability to me. The fortune you possess, sir, exceeds the sum total of everyone I have ever met."
Li Xuan scratched his head in speechless exasperation and looked at Yang Zi. "While I don't know if this 'great fortune' you speak of is real, even if it is, there should be others with greater fortune. Miss Yang Zi, it's not that I'm unwilling to help, but I fear I am not the one who can solve this problem."
Yang Zi smiled gently and said softly, "Sir, you should be a sword cultivator, correct?"
Li Xuan was surprised, then nodded.
Yang Zi's eyes rippled as she looked at Li Xuan and slowly said, "That senior also mentioned that the one who can save me will be a young sword cultivator."