Chapter 25: You are not from this continent?

Meng Li’s eyes flashed with endless fury upon hearing his words. She held no affection for Lu Qingyun in her heart, and he was well aware of what she meant.

Seeing her standing motionless, Lu Qingyun smiled and said, "Heh, you were the one who wrongly accused me earlier. Your father was captured by them, so how can you blame me? I truly don't understand."

"Not only do you refuse to apologize, but you also treat me with such an attitude and even dare to scold me. Why must you treat me this way?"

Deep down, Lu Qingyun still felt a bit of resentment. If it weren't for the system's prompt, he would never have obtained that inexplicable little box. To this day, he still didn't know what the box was for, yet it had brought such enmity upon him. Unfortunately, the system refused to communicate with him; otherwise, he would have surely given it a piece of his mind. But considering he still had to rely on the system to pave his future, Lu Qingyun had no choice but to swallow his anger for the time being.

Meng Li said impatiently, "A lackey is a lackey—is one not even allowed to speak the truth? You sold yourself to the City Lord just to save your own skin; do you really think you’re anything decent?"

"That item my father gave you—did you hand it over to the City Lord as well? Do you even have any idea how important that thing is?"

Lu Qingyun felt utterly confused. He had no intention of arguing with this woman; in fact, he had hoped to avoid excessive interaction with her throughout their journey. However, Meng Li’s words once again confirmed just how significant that little box truly was.

After a moment of thought, Lu Qingyun said slowly, "Heh, the item is in my possession now. I can give it to whomever I please; that is none of your concern. If you are unwilling to accompany me, you are free to leave right now. I am not forcing you."

"If you are coming, then hurry up. Stop wasting time; I have no desire to engage in idle chatter with you."

Having said this, Lu Qingyun headed toward the city gate, wanting to put an end to the topic of the box. He would have to wait for a better time to investigate it further; now was certainly not the moment.

Meng Li felt deeply frustrated, but for the sake of her father’s safety, she had no choice but to follow him. The two traveled in silence, heading toward the Dark Night Forest.

***

In Bixiao City, the City Lord and Ye Jin remained together. Ye Jin asked slowly, "Are you certain you want to send them on such a risky mission? Aren't you afraid they might meet with an accident?"

The City Lord looked in the direction they had departed, his voice calm. "If they cannot even withstand this test, what else could they possibly accomplish? That boy, in particular—his background is strange. There is a power within his body that I cannot discern."

"If my memory serves me correctly, the High Priest possesses the same power within him, which is why he was chosen, is it not? To possess such a powerful martial soul, yet his progress is so slow..."

Hearing the City Lord's words, Ye Jin nodded earnestly, agreeing with his sentiment. The two ceased their conversation and soon vanished into the night.

***

At the Zhao residence, Zhao Tuo sat with a gloomy face. "Father, are we really just going to let them go? What does that make of everything we’ve done recently?"

The head of the Zhao family had recovered somewhat, though the beating Lu Qingyun had given him was severe, and full recovery would take time. He looked at Zhao Tuo and said with a dark expression, "Do you think I wanted to let them go? But they are working for the City Lord now. Are we to go against the City Lord? What capital do you think we have?"

"People think our Zhao family possesses terrifying strength and fears no one, but in reality, what are we? If we truly provoke the City Lord, we could be killed at any moment. He is a man who kills without blinking and devours without leaving a trace..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a massive pressure descended, and the Zhao residence fell silent instantly. The City Lord’s hulking figure plummeted from the sky like a meteorite. The moment he landed, the heavy bluestone tiles in the courtyard cracked beneath his feet.

The head of the Zhao family and the elders rushed out to greet him. Even the arrogant Zhao Tuo dared not make a move.

"Oh, Lord City Lord, it has been a long time..." The tone of the Zhao family head made it clear that their relationship was far from close.

The City Lord looked down at him with disdain and contempt; he had never held this man in high regard. The Zhao family’s current status was only due to the City Lord having turned a blind eye to their activities.

The City Lord sat cross-legged on the ground, yet he still loomed over everyone else. At a signal from the family head, servants brought over several jars of fine wine. The City Lord opened two of them and gulped them down, much like a camel that had been walking through a desert for days without water.

He stood on no ceremony, not caring that the wine spilled onto his clothes. He grabbed the prepared food and began to eat ravenously. Despite being the City Lord, he appeared more like a ferocious beast; his manners were truly unsightly.

The Zhao family head smiled at him, and everyone else followed suit, not daring to urge him. After finishing his meal, the City Lord, seemingly satisfied, chuckled and said, "Did I hear incorrectly just now? Someone said I was a man who kills without blinking and devours without leaving a trace..."

The Zhao family head instantly dropped to his knees, his voice trembling. "Lord City Lord, it is all my fault. I will never dare to do so again..."

In the face of the terrifyingly powerful City Lord, the once-glamorous head of the Zhao family was now as humble as a dog. Although the other members of the Zhao family did not fully understand the situation, they all knelt as well. They knew that anyone who dared to oppose the City Lord would end up dead. They had experienced it firsthand; they were well aware of the City Lord's terrifying nature. They simply hadn't expected him to appear suddenly and catch them off guard.

If kneeling could evoke pity, there would not be so much slaughter in this world. The City Lord would not show them mercy just because they knelt. He didn't kill them now only because he felt there was no point or necessity in doing so.

The City Lord’s deep, resonant voice drifted out. "I was merely asking. We have known each other for so many years, why bother with such grand gestures? I have come to you because there is an important matter I need your help with."

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though they knew whatever the City Lord required would not be simple. Regardless, if they wished to continue developing in this city, they had to obey his orders. It was phrased as a request, but in reality, it was an irresistible command.

The Zhao family head replied earnestly, "It is the honor of the Zhao family to do something for the City Lord; how could it be a matter of 'help'? Whatever your orders are, please command us... We will surely go through fire and water to fulfill them!"

The City Lord stood up and said very seriously, "Lu Qingyun is currently working for me. What he is doing is critical, and I do not want him to have any distractions. His two friends are to be cared for by your Zhao family."

"If anything happens to them, there will be no need for the Zhao family to continue existing. Also, as for your conflict with the Tianling Sect, you would do well to be quiet!"

Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone in the Zhao family turned ugly. Their recent unrest was precisely because of Lu Qingyun and his two friends. To be ordered to care for Fatty Wang and Han Man was an utter humiliation. Yet, the Zhao family head dared not refuse; he had to accept it and treat them with courtesy, ensuring not a single fault could be found.

They had to swallow their pride and greet them with smiles. Fortunately, they were only tasked with looking after Fatty Wang and Han Man; if Lu Qingyun were included, they might have truly snapped. Even though Zhao Tuo’s face was livid, the family head said solemnly, "It was merely a misunderstanding between the younger generation; nothing too serious happened. I believe it will all pass."

"I guarantee they will be well-fed and sleep soundly here. No accidents will occur, and we will provide them with an excellent cultivation ground and any pills they require."

The City Lord was indeed shrewd; his decision was clever. The ones threatening Fatty Wang and Han Man were primarily the Zhao family, while others were focused on Lu Qingyun. If the Zhao family stopped targeting these two, the rest would be irrelevant.

After finishing his business, the City Lord walked out, but before leaving, he warned them once more, "If they suffer even the slightest grievance here, you know the consequences!"

He was so serious because of Lu Qingyun. If Lu Qingyun were not working for him, why would he care about such trivial matters? This only proved that the task he had assigned to Lu Qingyun was of extreme importance.

Once the City Lord left, the members of the Zhao family finally relaxed. Zhao Tuo said, feeling deeply aggrieved, "Father, that boy’s cultivation is about the same as mine. Why choose him to do the job instead of me?"

The Zhao family head replied with a leaden face, "If it weren't for your reckless behavior, would our family have had to endure such humiliation? How dare you ask!"

"When they arrive, keep quiet. Avoid contact with them as much as possible. Regardless of what you think of that boy, the City Lord is someone we cannot afford to provoke!" Little did they know that this incident would have a massive impact on the status of the Zhao family...

***

On the other side, Lu Qingyun and Meng Li had reached the edge of the Dark Night Forest. Even before entering, they could sense the toxic mist permeating the area. The air was pungent and incredibly unpleasant to breathe.

Lu Qingyun turned serious. He tried to use the system to probe the general situation inside, but it had no effect. The entire forest was saturated with toxins, as if a barrier had been formed around it.

Seeing Lu Qingyun hesitate, Meng Li said coldly, "What are you pretending for? Why haven't you taken the item out yet?"

Lu Qingyun looked at her, bewildered. Was she talking about the silk-thin treasure garment? But how could two people wear one garment?

Seeing his confused expression, Meng Li said with a cold face, "What? You thought I didn't know you hadn't handed over the little box? I have a connection to that object; it is on your person. How else would I have been able to find you?"

"That little box can absorb the filth of this world and convert it into energy for cultivation. My father and I came here specifically to enter the Dark Night Forest!"

Lu Qingyun had not expected such a nondescript wooden box to have such miraculous uses. He looked at Meng Li, still finding it hard to believe. After all, this woman had tried to kill him; how could he easily trust her?

Lu Qingyun took out the silk-thin treasure garment and said with a laugh, "Heh, I won't fall for your tricks. I have this treasure garment that insulates against all toxins. Even if you are lying to me, the toxins here won't cause me any harm."

"I don't know what your true intentions are, but if you're still trying to harm me, I suggest you save your energy!"

Meng Li looked at Lu Qingyun as if he were a fool and muttered to herself, "What use is there in me lying to you? Why would I deceive you? Just hurry up and take it out..."

"Aren't you in a rush to report back? I’m still waiting to go back and save my father!"

Hearing her speak so earnestly, Lu Qingyun had no choice but to take out the small box. The moment it appeared, the toxic mist within the Dark Night Forest began to fluctuate violently. Lu Qingyun looked at the box with surprise, not expecting such a magical treasure.

He looked at Meng Li suspiciously and frowned, "Since this item is so precious, why was it given to me after such a simple task? Could this be a conspiracy by you and your father?"

Meng Li was stunned, as if she hadn't expected this young man to be so calm. She recovered quickly and shook her head slowly. "Why do you have so many questions? Were you not born on this continent? Must every single thing be explained to you?"

"If you don't want it, you can give it back to me. I still have use for it..."