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墨書 Inktalez
A powerful aura quietly descended upon the guard, leaving him pale and struggling to breathe. The middle-aged cultivator spoke coldly, "Little brother, it's wise to show mercy when you can. You've taken quite a few advantages under the pretext of collecting entrance fees these days. Don't go too far and invite trouble upon yourself."
The young man's group was clearly not ordinary people. The guard felt a surge of fear and responded with a submissive hum. The middle-aged cultivator released his grip, and the guard, with a grim expression, waved his hand to let the nearly one hundred people behind him enter.
In truth, although the city lord had imposed restrictions on the number of people allowed into the city, it wasn't as severe as it seemed. This was merely an excuse for him to pocket some spirit stones.
Qi Xiao followed the crowd inside, silently retracting the poison needle in his hand. If it hadn't been for that young man intervening just now, the guard would have certainly faced dire consequences today!
He took out a communication jade talisman and, following Lu Yuan's guidance, found one of the inns. Upon learning of his arrival, Lu Yuan rubbed his eyes and came downstairs to greet him.
"You finally made it! If you hadn't come soon, the room I booked for you would have been taken by someone else!" Lu Yuan's face was long, his hair a mess, dark circles under his eyes giving him a haggard appearance.
Qi Xiao smiled. "What's wrong, Brother Lu? Didn't get enough rest?"
Lu Yuan muttered in exasperation, "Ugh, don't mention it. There are too many people here; let’s go upstairs first."
Once they settled in their room, Qi Xiao couldn't help but ask about the details. "What exactly is happening on this floating island?"
"I'm not sure," Lu Yuan replied. "But I heard that some bigwig from Linglong Pavilion bought some information and spread it around, claiming that this island might have triggered some secret realm."
"If you've heard of the legends surrounding this floating island, you should know that it's said to be a celestial mountain from beyond the heavens. However, so many people have come and gone without any gains that its fame has faded."
"Now that Linglong Pavilion has released this news, many are speculating whether the secret realm on this island is related to immortals."
No matter when or where, the term 'immortal' always stirred excitement among cultivators.
Just as they were about to continue their conversation, a loud crash erupted from downstairs. Qi Xiao and Lu Yuan stepped out of their room to look down.
They saw several tables in the main hall shattered into pieces, completely overturned.
Two cultivators were locked in a fierce battle, exchanging blows without the use of any spells or weapons. Despite this, the ground beneath them cracked under the force of their strikes.
The innkeeper stood by, anxiously trying to persuade them to stop. He wanted to intervene but was too afraid, so he instructed the waiter to quickly find someone for help.
Before long, a squad of armored guards rushed into the inn, drawing their blades and pointing them at the two fighters.
"In Floating City, fighting is prohibited! You will be expelled from the city and must compensate for any damages!"
Upon hearing this, the two cultivators' expressions changed dramatically, and they abandoned their fight.
"How can you expel us? I paid for my stay!" one shouted.
The other cultivator pulled out a pouch of spirit stones. "I can pay extra; just don’t lay a hand on us!"
But the guards paid no heed to their pleas. The leader waved his hand slightly, and the others immediately produced specially crafted ropes, seemingly intending to bind the two men.
The cultivator with the spirit stones struggled desperately, his face turning red. "I won’t leave the city! How can I reach Floating Island if I do?"
In an attempt to fend off the guards, he even drew his weapon, its blade glinting ominously, changing the atmosphere in an instant.
The leader of the guards unsheathed his own blade and struck down decisively. With that single move, he forced the cultivator to kneel on one knee, unable to rise.
Despite using all his strength to resist, he could only hold out for a few more breaths before begging for mercy, his face filled with despair as he resigned himself to being expelled from the city.
This farce unfolded and concluded in less than a stick of incense's time, leaving all the other cultivators in the inn stunned.
Once the armored guards left, the previously bustling inn fell into a significant silence. Those who had been contemplating robbery quickly abandoned their thoughts.
All of those guards were Golden Core cultivators; the leader was likely at the peak of that realm. What a display of power!
Qi Xiao understood that Pingjin City was known for its arrogance but hadn’t expected it to be this extreme.
Those guards could easily serve as protectors for a clan’s elder in any small town; they were a formidable force indeed. This squad was part of the city lord's personal guard, dispatched to patrol due to the influx of people in Pingjin City recently. In his time here over half a month, it was his first encounter with them taking action.
Noticing Qi Xiao lost in thought, Lu Yuan asked, "Junior Brother, what’s wrong? Have you noticed something amiss?"
Qi Xiao smiled and shook his head. "I just find it strange that with such great opportunities on this island and the city lord's considerable strength being so close at hand, why wouldn’t he think about sealing off information and monopolizing it?"
In conclusion, he felt he might be overthinking things.
However, with so many people involved, the news must be tightly controlled. Moreover, with the Linlang Pavilion overseeing matters in this city, they are unlikely to allow one family to monopolize everything. It’s possible that this news was even released by Linlang Pavilion to stir the pot.
Otherwise, how could such information spread so widely in such a short time?
On the other side, in the secret chamber of the City Lord's Mansion.
A figure passed through a hidden passage and removed a black hood. The candlelight illuminated a spirited old man’s face, revealing deep laugh lines around his eyes and nose, etched by years of experience.
He looked at the middle-aged man sitting across from him, who was gently blowing on the tea leaves. The old man’s murky eyes flickered as he clasped his hands and smiled.
"This city is bustling with activity. I wonder what brings you to seek me out?"
Xie Hong let out a cold laugh. Indeed, it was busy; the Tongling family had already arrived in Pingjin City, yet I only just received the news.
"I just wanted to ask you, since they have come, how should I extend my hospitality as the City Lord?"
The supervisor smiled awkwardly. "City Lord, do not worry. They are merely here to join in the excitement of Floating Island; there is no other intention."
"Oh? This family has provided you with such great benefits; are you really going to just watch them go to Floating Island?"
The supervisor lowered his head and took a sip of tea, his tone vague. "Young man, isn’t every place an opportunity for experience?"
"Experience? With treasures emerging on this island, it will surely attract a fierce competition. Are you not afraid that what should be a good experience might turn into something else? How will you explain that back home?"
The supervisor chuckled softly. "In a cooperative relationship, there’s no need for explanations."
"I have also advised them not to heed every rumor. The opportunities on this island could easily turn into calamities."
"But they wouldn’t listen; there’s nothing I can do about it."
"If something truly goes wrong, we can only say that it’s all fate!"
Xie Hong glared at him for a while, noticing that he didn’t seem to be lying. He lightly mocked, "Linlang Pavilion truly prioritizes profit over friendship."
"The City Lord is joking," the supervisor replied.
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