The Gao Hu warriors exchanged glances, all somewhat bewildered by this decision. As mercenaries, the Gao Hu had always maintained good relations with various powerful factions, who were their major clients. The Lord of Nanqing City, not being a strong warrior himself, relied heavily on mercenaries, making him an ideal client for the Gao Hu. Why would they suddenly decide to go to war with him?
However, since it was the War Maiden’s decision, no one dared to object, and they each began to make preparations.
At this moment, Qing Yue had already contacted several outposts. With her clansmen gathered, she was confident that even if the Lord of Nanqing City mobilized his troops, she and Qian Ye could still break out of Nanqing City. Only now did her heart feel slightly at ease.
Up ahead, Qian Ye and Little Zhu Ji appeared carefree, as if they hadn’t noticed her covert arrangements at all. Qing Yue clenched her teeth in frustration; she couldn’t believe that with Qian Ye’s profound and unpredictable nature, he would fail to notice her little schemes. She truly didn’t know what he was planning—whether he was confident or had long intended to use the Gao Hu’s strength.
Inside the city lord’s mansion, Ji Rui sat leisurely in his armchair, sipping tea and admiring the exotic flowers and plants in the garden. A corner of the garden was enclosed by a force field, within which lay a small pond filled with dense ferns and algae. In the center of the pond, a tiny lotus flower bloomed, its jade-white petals each adorned with a faint purple line.
In this protected secret realm, the climate was markedly different from the outside. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, as a heavy rainstorm raged within.
Ji Rui’s gaze never left the tiny lotus, his eyes burning with intense light. Just then, a hurried knock sounded from the garden entrance. Ji Rui’s face turned grim, and he snapped, “What is it? Can’t it wait until I wake up?”
Outside the gate, the voice of Liu Yuanxi, the city lord’s chief steward and deputy commander of the city guard, replied, “My Lord, an important figure has appeared in the city, and we need your decision on how to handle it.”
“Wait!” Ji Rui’s expression remained sour. Although he had yet to break through the Heavenly Gate of the Divine General, he was but a step away. In the area around Nanqing City, his word was law. Apart from figures like the Spider Emperor, the Mask, and the Wolf King, who else could be more important than the lotus in the secret realm?
Holding a teapot in one hand, Ji Rui stepped out of the garden, closed the gate, and said coldly, “Who is this important figure? You can speak now.”
Liu Yuanxi lowered his voice, “It’s Zhao Ye.”
“Who?” Ji Rui didn’t react immediately.
“Zhao Ye, also known as Qian Ye. The one who crippled the Gale Fury in the Black Forest. Our city guards have over a hundred brothers who died at his hands. Your lumberyard…”
“Enough!” Ji Rui interrupted Liu Yuanxi harshly, his face turning dark. He had invested heavily in the lumberyard, only for Qian Ye to burn it to the ground, leaving him with nothing and facing massive compensation. Those lumberjacks weren’t ordinary workers; they were mercenaries who had set down their force guns.
Ji Rui’s face turned ashen, and he raised his right hand, forming a blade. This was his habitual gesture, and when his right hand chopped down, it meant death without mercy!
Liu Yuanxi’s face took on a murderous look, waiting for the city lord’s decision. But Ji Rui’s fat hand remained suspended in the air, not falling. Confused, Liu Yuanxi looked up and saw the city lord’s face twitching, his expression shifting between gritted teeth and sighs, but his right hand remained frozen in mid-air.
Ji Rui suddenly noticed Liu Yuanxi’s gaze, grunted, and withdrew his right hand, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “This damned weather, it’s already so hot,” he said.
The sky was overcast, and a chill wind blew, but Liu Yuanxi nodded, flatteringly, “Yes, yes, it’s unusually hot this year.”
Ji Rui took a sip of tea and asked, “Has that Qian Ye changed his appearance?”
Liu Yuanxi looked awkward, “He added a mustache.” Seeing Ji Rui’s displeased expression, he quickly added, “And changed his clothes.”
This disguise was hardly effective. Qian Ye’s actions were overly arrogant. His force cultivation wasn’t deep, and on paper, there were many in Nanqing City who could overpower him.
Ji Rui, though deeply troubled, still said, “At least he did change his appearance.”
“Exactly! How dare he enter the city in his true form?”
Though he knew it wasn’t true, hearing it still pleased him. Ji Rui’s expression eased, and he said, “Since that’s the case, let’s not alert him. Have you found out why he came to the city?”
“He visited several military equipment stores, buying mostly used items related to floating warships. Oh, and he placed an order for a power sail, the largest and highest standard kind.”
Ji Rui’s thick eyebrows rose, and he pondered, “He wants to build a floating warship?”
“With just those supplies, it’s far from enough, right?”
Ji Rui shook his head, “Anything that uses a power sail is a large ship, or a long-range ship capable of traversing the void. I think the power sail is what he really wants.”
Liu Yuanxi asked, “My Lord, what should we do now?”
Ji Rui thought for a moment, “Have someone keep an eye on him, but don’t provoke him. Understand?”
“Yes. But, My Lord, Thirteenth Young Master has just left the mansion.”
Ji Rui was shocked, “What does he want to do?”
“Young Master… heard that the little girl is in the city and took his personal guards with him. No one could stop him!”
With a loud crash, Ji Rui threw the teapot to the ground, spattering tea and broken porcelain everywhere, some splashing onto his robe. Ignoring this, he raged, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?! What are you waiting for? Send someone to bring that brat back! If he resists, knock him out and bring him back. No, go yourself, now!”
“But Lady He…”
Ji Rui’s face darkened, and he barked, “Go now!”
Liu Yuanxi, not daring to say more, quickly departed.
Ji Rui’s face grew darker, and he huffed, sweeping his sleeves as he strode back to the mansion. Nanqing City was neither large nor small, and finding someone in the city was easy for his son. By now, he must be standing before Qian Ye. Even if Liu Yuanxi rushed there, it would be too late.
“Hmph! These people, all starting to show insubordination, do they really want to test my methods?” Ji Rui muttered, striding through the halls and into the conference room.
The servants in the mansion, seeing this, hurriedly followed, waiting respectfully for orders. But Ji Rui simply sat in the large chair, his face dark, silent. No one dared to ask, and they waited in the hall.
At the largest military equipment store in Nanqing City, Qian Ye looked up at the sign, then at the young master blocking the entrance.
The store, named Cloudsoaring Tower, specialized in floating warship equipment and was the largest military equipment store in the city. The name was grand, and the scale lived up to it, with the store towering five stories high, occupying half a block.
Before the Cloudsoaring Tower, several clerks and guards stood by, cautiously. The young master ignored them, his eyes fixed on Qian Ye, occasionally glancing at Little Zhu Ji perched on Qian Ye’s shoulder.
Finally, the young master couldn’t hold back, grinding his teeth, “I never expected you to have the nerve to come to Nanqing City!”
Qian Ye, who had been looking at the floating warship on the roof of the Cloudsoaring Tower, turned his gaze back, smiling faintly, “Is Nanqing City under lockdown, then?”
The tall and burly personal guards behind the young master instantly seethed, cursing and ready to teach Qian Ye a lesson. But the young master raised a hand, stopping them, and walked a few steps closer to Qian Ye, his face twisted, “You think your disguise can fool anyone? As long as they’re not blind, who wouldn’t recognize you?”
Qian Ye’s smile remained, “True, as long as they’re not blind, they’d know who I am.”
Something in his words seemed off, and Qian Ye’s reaction was completely different from what the Thirteenth Young Master had expected. Startled, his gaze swept over Little Zhu Ji, his heart burning like a volcano about to erupt.
The young master’s mouth curled in extreme sarcasm, taking another step towards Qian Ye, “Since you know, you still dared to come to Nanqing City! Do you know who I am?”
Qian Ye smiled, “I don’t know who you are, but I’m about to find out. Though I can assure you, you don’t know who I am.”
The young master erupted, his finger almost poking Qian Ye’s face, screaming, “Do I need to know who you are?!”
A personal guard quickly pulled him back, whispering in his ear, “Young Master, let’s go back!”
The Thirteenth Young Master was furious, “Go back? Why should we? This guy killed so many of us, and if we take him down, it’ll be a great achievement!”
The guard’s face was bitter, nearly crying, “Young Master, think about it. He killed so many of us…”
The Thirteenth Young Master was even angrier, seeing the guards’ fear, and decided to find someone more reliable. But as he looked around, all the guards were pale and reluctant to step forward.
Everyone understood the lead guard’s meaning: Qian Ye had faced the Gale Fury’s main force in the Black Forest, nearly wiping them out. A large mercenary group had been disbanded on the spot after that battle, with over two thousand mercenaries killed. With less than twenty guards, how could they possibly kill Qian Ye? It was still daylight, and dreams were still far off.
Finally, the Thirteenth Young Master realized, but still gritting his teeth, he said, “Hurry and report to the City Lord!”
The guards were helpless. If the Thirteenth Young Master knew, the City Lord must have known Qian Ye entered the city. Qian Ye’s boldness in the city suggested the City Lord didn’t want trouble.
The lead guard tried to persuade further, but Little Zhu Ji spoke, “I remember now. He was the one who brought people and said strange things, wanting to hug me and sleep with me!”
The street fell silent, the wind ceased, and the temperature plummeted, as if winter had arrived. Everyone shivered.
Qian Ye finally looked at the Thirteenth Young Master, his eyes icy, and said slowly, “So it’s you. Quite a coincidence. I was going to visit the City Lord’s mansion to find you, but here you are. Now, I know who you are.”
The Thirteenth Young Master wanted to speak, but a chilling fear paralyzed him, rendering him speechless. In that moment, he truly understood what murderous intent was.
In extreme terror, he could not move, his face pale, watching helplessly as Qian Ye drew the East Peak.
“Stay your blade!!” A shout boomed from afar, its force reverberating through half the city, showing a profound force cultivation. At this critical moment, Liu Yuanxi finally arrived.
Qian Ye’s expression remained unchanged. The East Peak trembled slightly in his hand, and the Thirteenth Young Master let out a shrill scream, falling to the ground, blood gushing from between his legs.
Qian Ye then turned, his smile radiant, and said, “I’ve left him here.”
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