Su Xi and Ouyang Chu Ge did not wait long at the door before a servant emerged and instructed them, "The City Lord requests your presence. Follow me inside."
Su Xi smiled and nodded in response to the servant's sarcastic remarks, then took Ouyang Chu Ge's hand, and they walked into the room together.
Ouyang Chu Ge was startled by Su Xi's touch but did not resist it. He obediently followed her as they walked into the room.
The room was vast and luxuriously decorated. In the center stood a large incense burner, from which wisps of smoke curled slowly. A faint scent, akin to epiphyllum, wafted from it.
Zhou Yongming sat at the head of the room. Not far from him, Ma Shan stood with his head lowered, his face filled with a sense of injustice, daring not to speak.
His face was swollen and red, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating he had just been beaten, and severely at that.
Upon seeing Su Xi and Ouyang Chu Ge enter, he looked at them with an aggrieved expression but dared not utter a word.
Zhou Yongming, seeing Su Xi and Ouyang Chu Ge enter, slammed his hand on the table and coldly stated, "Having done such a thing, are you two deliberately trying to cause me trouble?"
Killing an inspector in broad daylight would undoubtedly lead to significant trouble. If this news were to leak, the inspectors would be like maggots clinging to bone, never letting them go.
After all, those in the imperial court's inspectorate would never tolerate the death of one of their own. Even an insignificant person would be made to seem as important as a deceased emperor.
This was the only way to demonstrate their importance and prevent anyone from daring to act against them.
Su Xi, facing Zhou Yongming's questioning, showed no signs of nervousness. She smiled and slowly replied, "Lord City Lord, there is no need to speak of such things now. If you truly believed we deserved to die, you would not have brought us here."
Hearing Su Xi's words, Zhou Yongming suddenly chuckled.
Indeed, speaking with intelligent people was different; it saved a lot of trouble. However, he also believed in one saying: overly intelligent people do not live long.
Such people were destined for an early demise.
Su Xi, understanding Zhou Yongming's implication, remained unfazed. Since she dared to walk in so openly, she was naturally confident and knew there would be no issues.
"City Lord, I know you must be very curious about one thing. Why did the inspectors come here?" Su Xi cut to the chase, posing the question Zhou Yongming most wanted to know.
She knew that with this statement, Zhou Yongming would surely take the bait.
As expected, upon hearing Su Xi's words, Zhou Yongming's expression instantly became interested, wanting to know her reasoning.
However, he remained silent, watching Su Xi quietly.
His meaning was clear.
Having held a high position for so long, he disliked readily expressing his inner thoughts.
If Su Xi did not reveal the information he sought, he would not let her leave alive.
Su Xi did not keep Zhou Yongming waiting, and said, "Because, according to unofficial channels, the inspectors were preparing to make a move against you."
"???"
Su Xi's statement instantly drew everyone's attention, and all eyes turned to her.
Ouyang Chu Ge looked at Su Xi with a shocked expression, wondering how she could speak so boldly.
Su Xi's words could no longer contain Zhou Yongming's curiosity, and he asked, "How do you know?"
He had connections in the imperial court, yet he had heard nothing of this. Su Xi, a mere individual without even a travel permit, dared to speak such words here.
Did she truly think him a fool, so easily deceived?
Su Xi, questioned by Zhou Yongming, did not panic. She continued to speak calmly, "What you believe to be true is not the actual truth. The truth of some matters cannot be seen merely on the surface."
The true nature of things was certainly not something that could be spoken into existence. The unseen often held the truth.
Hearing Su Xi's words, Zhou Yongming's mind raced, recalling recent events, and he sensed something was amiss.
Indeed, the events unfolding before him were too peculiar.
However, having been the City Lord for so long, Zhou Yongming could not blindly trust what others said. Facing Su Xi's words, he asked, "You say this, but what evidence do you have?"
Without evidence, everything else was mere talk, idle boasting.
Su Xi, hearing Zhou Yongming's question, shook her head and stated unequivocally, "I have no evidence, nor can I provide any proof."
"No evidence?" Zhou Yongming's tone grew stern, and he reprimanded, "Without evidence, you are spewing nonsense here, are you trying to toy with me?"
With that, Zhou Yongming prepared to have Su Xi, who had deceived him, removed and sent to her chambers.
But in the next moment, Su Xi suddenly spoke, "You must know of Tian Yuan, correct?"
Upon hearing Su Xi's words, Zhou Yongming's face froze in disbelief as he looked at her. "What did you say?"
"It is evident that someone from Tian Yuan is targeting you, and you will soon understand why," Su Xi said with a smile, her expression inscrutable and profound.
Hearing Su Xi's words, Zhou Yongming dared not be careless. His expression turned solemn.
Tian Yuan was not merely a name. It was also the name of their alliance, formed so they could advance and retreat together in times of trouble.
After all, their title of City Lord was not solely earned through strength but also through inheritance. Many new nobles were already dissatisfied with this system and had been secretly weakening their power.
To protect themselves, they had no choice but to form an alliance. Tian Yuan was a codename they had recently conceived and had not yet officially announced.
Yet, their codename was known so quickly, and these people had already acted.
The current circumstances fully indicated that all of this was true.
Su Xi was not lying; someone was indeed dealing with them. Her information was not mere conjecture and therefore carried considerable weight.
Realizing that Su Xi was not lying, he was greatly alarmed. His perception of Su Xi changed from that of an ordinary person to one of deep respect. He spoke with deference, "Immortal, what should I do next?"
The change in address clearly demonstrated Zhou Yongming's shift in mindset. His regard for Su Xi was no longer casual.
Su Xi, hearing Zhou Yongming's question, smiled, rubbed her nose, and replied, "You must know that these people will not cease their pursuit, so the only solution is to strike decisively."
"Strike decisively?" Zhou Yongming murmured, asking doubtfully, "Immortal, could you be more specific?"
He now had a general idea of what Su Xi meant, but he needed confirmation to be certain.
Su Xi looked at Zhou Yongming and smiled, "You already have an idea in mind, why bother asking me?"
Hearing Su Xi's words, Zhou Yongming smiled, and a sense of relief washed over him.
With Su Xi's affirmation, he felt more at ease, knowing his thoughts were not misguided.
After arranging matters for Zhou Yongming, Su Xi turned her gaze toward the entrance. "Now that your affairs are settled, then?"
Su Xi did not finish her sentence, but Zhou Yongming quickly understood. Only through mutually beneficial exchange could stable relationships be maintained. He thumped his chest, assuring, "Rest assured, I will handle this matter."
After Zhou Yongming gave his assurance, he looked at Ma Shan beside him and instructed, "You will immediately escort the immortal and her companion to the teleportation array."
"Oh." Ma Shan covered his face and nodded, a look of grievance on his features.
He had originally intended to seek revenge for the injuries Su Xi had inflicted upon him. However, seeing how highly Zhou Yongming regarded Su Xi now, he no longer harbored any thoughts of retribution.
If Su Xi and her companion were not villains, then why had his brother-in-law beaten him so severely?
Despite his deep sense of injustice, Ma Shan dared not speak now and obediently led Su Xi and Ouyang Chu Ge away.
As Ma Shan led Su Xi to the teleportation array, he could not suppress his lingering grievance. "Immortal, why did you not appear sooner?"
If Su Xi had appeared earlier, he would not have been beaten so badly. His swollen face might not heal for quite some time.
Su Xi heard Ma Shan's complaint and smiled, "Did you not ask me beforehand?"
Ma Shan, hearing Su Xi's reply, felt compelled to speak but found himself at a loss for words.
At this moment, remaining silent was the better course of action.
They arrived at the teleportation array, which was surrounded by many people.
Among them were individuals whose cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul stage.
As Su Xi and her companions approached, they were sternly warned, "Halt! This is a restricted area for the teleportation array. Those who approach will die!"
Ma Shan dared not argue when addressed. These individuals could easily turn him into dust, so despite his noble status, he dared not act rashly.
Otherwise, he would suffer the consequences if a fight ensued.
Ma Shan fumbled through his person for a moment, then produced a token and handed it over. "This is the City Lord's token."
The elder guarding the array took the token, examined it carefully, then nodded. He waved his hand, signaling his men to lower their guard.
"Proceed."
The elder looked at Su Xi and urged her on.
Having received the elder's permission, Ma Shan turned to Su Xi. "Immortal, you may go first."
Su Xi heard Ma Shan's words and nodded. "Since you are so eager, you may accompany us."
"???"
Ma Shan looked at Su Xi with bewilderment. Why would he need to leave now?
He was about to voice his objection when he suddenly felt his body lighten. Then, like a kite with a severed string, he was propelled onto the teleportation array.
Because Su Xi's action was so sudden, no one anticipated it.
The elder had not expected Su Xi to act this way. By the time he reacted, Ma Shan was already standing on the teleportation array.
Just as Ma Shan was about to step off, he discovered his body gradually disintegrating. In a mere moment, he was reduced to powder, scattering on the ground.
Seeing Su Xi's action, the elder knew his disguise had been seen through and ceased to pretend.
He let out a roar, raising his hands. Immediately, a white light appeared around them, accompanied by an intense sense of pressure.
Within the white light, Su Xi found it impossible to open her eyes, and her body felt as though it were immobilized by a spell, making even the slightest movement incredibly difficult.