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墨書 Inktalez
Qi Xiao was brought in.
Upon entering the hall, a delicate maidservant presented him with fruits and tea before respectfully withdrawing. Qi Xiao did not move; he simply sat quietly.
Xie Hong observed him from the shadows for a while before finally stepping out, his expression calm and imposing without any anger.
"I hear you are looking for me?"
Qi Xiao bowed deeply to him, expressing his gratitude. "I am in trouble and had no choice but to seek help from the city."
He then recounted the events of that day’s auction, crying out in injustice. "It was that member of the Bai family who came looking for trouble with me. Now that he is dead, the Bai family blames me and even sent someone to kill me!"
"City Lord, I am truly wronged; I ask you to uphold justice for me!"
"You do seem innocent," Xie Hong said, taking a sip of tea, "but what does this have to do with me?"
If this young man had come merely to plead his case, it held no value for him. In Pingjin City, killing was forbidden, but outside its walls, countless murders occurred; it was nothing new.
Qi Xiao quickly put on a pitiful expression and stepped forward, pretending to ingratiate himself. "If it were just this matter, though I feel wronged, I wouldn’t dare disturb the City Lord. But I truly heard the fight that day. It’s one thing for him to say I killed someone, but it’s absolutely unacceptable for them to claim I stole something."
"What did you steal?"
"A Shark Pearl! That is a treasure worth its weight in gold! They discarded their belongings; how can they blame me?"
Shark people are skilled in manipulation, and Shark Pearls are excellent materials for crafting Soul Pearls. Qi Xiao revealed a shocking secret he had learned at Linlang Pavilion.
It turned out that the current City Lord of Pingjin City was actually the younger brother of the Bai family! The two had once fought fiercely over family power, leading to a deadly rivalry. Eventually, he suffered a crushing defeat and had no choice but to change his name and flee far away, becoming Xie Hong of Pingjin City.
The Bai family had a tradition of taking a soul fragment from their own descendants and placing it within a life lamp to measure their fate. This fragment could be used not only to create life lamps but also for other purposes. For instance, when placed within a Soul Pearl and infused with blood to inscribe a secret spell, the holder of the Soul Pearl could manipulate that person's mind from afar or even cast death curses using it as a medium!
For all this time, Xie Hong had been restless, fearing that Bai Shu would use that soul fragment against him. He had tried every means possible to retrieve his life lamp from the Bai family shrine. However, with the Bai family's deep-rooted power in Tongling, he found it nearly impossible to succeed.
This matter had become a source of deep concern for Xie Hong. Now, upon suddenly hearing that the Bai family was searching for the Shark Pearl, he instinctively associated it with himself. Who else would be worth the Bai family's effort to create a Soul Pearl?
Xie Hong was filled with rage, smashing the tables and chairs with a single strike. The Bai family was being too overbearing! He had kept to himself, never provoking them, yet they still sought to put him to death—truly despicable!
He turned and called for the Golden Armored Guards, instructing them to capture the members of the Bai family. The guards bowed their heads in acknowledgment. Qi Xiao stood by silently, pretending he did not exist.
Once Xie Hong had given his orders, he fixed a dark gaze on Qi Xiao, his smile chilling. The Bai family was indeed loathsome, but you speaking up now must have some ulterior motive, right?
Qi Xiao feigned panic and quickly begged for mercy. "I wouldn’t dare! I just overheard them being so arrogant that I couldn’t hold back and came to report it!"
Xie Hong narrowed his eyes slightly. "What exactly did they say?"
Qi Xiao hesitated, appearing terrified. "If I tell you, you must promise not to punish me! Otherwise, how could I dare speak?"
Xie Hong shifted to a more gentle demeanor. "You can speak freely."
Qi Xiao gritted his teeth as if making a resolution. "They said that once they successfully refine the Soul Pearl, not only will they take control of Tongling City, but even Pingjin City will be in their grasp! At that time, they could easily use Pingjin City's influence to monopolize all the benefits from Floating Island."
Upon hearing this, Xie Hong burst into laughter, his mirth growing colder by the moment. After all this time, Bai Shu still resorted to such underhanded tactics to try and swallow Pingjin City and monopolize the various advantages of Floating Castle—did he even consider whether he was worthy of it?
They were so full of themselves this time, brimming with confidence; capturing people like this would only make it too easy for them! He immediately summoned another Golden Armored Guard and ordered him to chase after and cancel the capture order.
Since they wanted to play this game, he would gladly play along!
In the inn, the Golden Armored Guards surrounded the place completely, causing panic among the patrons. What was going on? These were city guards; had something scandalous happened here?
They neither attacked nor killed anyone but didn’t let anyone leave either—what exactly did they want?
Outside, two Golden Armored Guards were whispering to each other. One said, "Just handle it as you see fit."
The other hesitated for a moment before nodding and turning to enter the inn.
In the room, Fu Ming was restless, tugging at Bai Ruojing's sleeve, his face pale.
"Brother Bai, why are the Golden Armored Guards here?"
"The person hasn't arrived yet. What if our plans have been exposed and they've already been killed by the Golden Armored Guards?"
"They must be here to cause us trouble. Brother Bai, we need to hurry!"
Bai Ruojing was increasingly annoyed by his incessant questions. He couldn't help but snap, "There are so many people outside; have you lost your mind?"
A flicker of malice crossed his eyes. If he had known it would come to this, he should have dealt with him outside the city! Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now.
Knock, knock, knock!
The Golden Armored Guards had already knocked on the door. Bai Ruojing took a deep breath and steeled himself to open it.
Outside, the Golden Armored Guards stood in two lines, their presence imposing. The leading man bowed politely and said, "Bai Zi, my lord from the city heard you have arrived in Pingjin City and wishes to extend his hospitality by hosting a banquet at his residence. We hope you will honor us with your presence."
"Are you sure you have the right person? The lord actually wants to invite us?"
"Absolutely! We hope you can give us a definite answer so we can relay it back."
Pingjin City was known for its power, and with the treasures from Floating Island about to be revealed, it would be advantageous to establish a good relationship. Bai Ruojing felt a surge of joy; the heavy weight on his shoulders finally lifted.
"Of course! Please let me know the time; we will certainly arrive at your residence on time."
"How about right now?"
"Right now? It’s currently a tumultuous season in Pingjin City. Even though the lord has increased patrols, there are still those who might take advantage of the chaos to create trouble."
"The lord is concerned that esteemed guests like yourselves might be disturbed by those ruffians, so he specifically sent us to escort you."
"In that case, please wait a moment while we tidy up."
The man nodded and stepped back behind the door.
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