Chapter Thirty-Two: Preparing for Departure

Since Lu Qingyun chose to come here, he had undoubtedly prepared thoroughly; otherwise, how could he have appeared at this place?

He had already anticipated some of the city lord’s intentions. If he hadn’t come to meet him here, it was very likely the city lord would have killed him.

Having finally gotten the chance to gain stronger abilities, and with the system having granted him considerable rewards, he naturally wanted to continue living.

Moreover, he was especially curious about that secret—perhaps it could also bring him significant improvement. Therefore, Lu Qingyun still chose to meet the city lord here.

As for what outcome he would achieve, Lu Qingyun himself was uncertain.

Some things can only be known through action; if nothing is done, no result will ever come.

Lu Qingyun stared straight at the city lord, speaking with great seriousness.

“It seems you enjoy toying with others as if they were puppets, never imagining you might face such peril. Since that’s the case, I suppose I must do things your way.”

“If I don’t obey, you’ll certainly kill me. I’m no match for you, so I have no choice but to submit…”

Lu Qingyun’s words dripped with sarcasm and bitterness, making those who heard them deeply uncomfortable.

Even Li Changfeng and Meng Li standing beside him felt a surge of tension.

As for Wang Pangzi and the others, knowing they were still alive brought Lu Qingyun some relief.

The city lord still held a massive wine jar, continually drinking the fragrant liquor.

Suddenly, he burst out into loud, hearty laughter.

“Hahaha, I never imagined I’d be sparring with a young man like you. If the old fellows heard this, they’d surely be ridiculed.”

“You’re right. If you didn’t follow my instructions, I would have killed you. But I believe you would have come to me anyway.”

“I’ve never seen a young man like you before. This time, I’ve truly had my eyes opened. I look forward to seeing you accomplish this task; it’s been my lifelong wish!”

Lu Qingyun didn’t know the nature of their bond, but whenever they mentioned the High Priest, they spoke with deep respect.

It was quite possible they were once part of the holy land, and Lu Qingyun remained intensely curious about their past.

With a low voice, Lu Qingyun said, “I know that with my strength and status, I have no right to bargain with you. But shouldn’t you return what you destroyed?”

“I clearly could have attained greater power and used it to resolve many matters…”

Before he finished, the ring in the city lord’s hand suddenly glowed, and two Hidden Dragon Orbs were tossed before Lu Qingyun.

The city lord spoke seriously.

“I know how important these are to you. I’m also curious—how did you survive?”

“Not only did you survive, but you’ve also advanced so much in your cultivation. Don’t tell me it was due to some ‘miraculous encounter,’ nor that your body is special. I just want the truth!”

Everyone around felt sorry; they thought just surviving was a miracle and saw no need to dwell on other matters.

Yet, as cultivators, everyone sought ways to enhance their power, hoping to find shortcuts unique to themselves.

Shortcuts were like sudden insights, granting great leaps in strength without excessive effort.

Although no one openly advocated taking shortcuts, insisting on steady progress, everyone secretly wished for rapid advancement.

Otherwise, how would pills and such things have emerged?

Every encounter could provide tremendous growth; every improvement brought greater strength.

With greater power, one could become the pinnacle of the continent and command boundless respect. Perhaps that was the true meaning of cultivation.

No one had ever heard of anyone cultivating solely to raise their realm without seeking benefit.

After all, in every world, profit comes first. Satisfying oneself might be the real essence of cultivation.

Some terrifying martial arts emerged precisely because they allowed people to effortlessly increase their cultivation, thus earning different ranks.

Perhaps a rare few masters outside the world never cared about profit, but they were exceptions indeed.

Seeing everyone’s curious expressions, Lu Qingyun truly wished to reveal that he possessed an extraordinary system. Keeping such a secret hidden for so long was difficult.

However, even if he revealed the system, no one present would believe him. They might think him a fool or accuse him of deceiving them with lies.

After some thought, Lu Qingyun slowly began to speak.

“To be honest, my body is indeed different, but the reason I took such a risk is because I have a unique understanding of spirit herbs and poisonous plants.”

“Spirit herbs absorb spiritual energy and thus are classified as such, but poisonous plants do the same. Common weeds cannot compare—otherwise, how could they be called poison?”

Lu Qingyun was genuinely explaining, inspired by a sudden insight. Everyone present found his words very reasonable.

Even the city lord put down his wine jar and looked at Lu Qingyun earnestly, feeling he made a lot of sense.

The city lord nodded slowly and spoke.

“I never expected you to have such profound understanding. What you say resonates with me—it’s like the difference between divine artifacts and demonic weapons.”

“Do those who wield divine artifacts never kill? Do those who wield demonic weapons always bring disaster? Why do people have so many prejudices? To this day, I cannot comprehend it…”

Lu Qingyun hadn’t expected his rambling to strike a chord with the city lord.

The world was indeed black and white, with no absolute right or wrong.

Did someone who did the right thing never make mistakes?

The world’s rules had been established by the supreme gods in the Heavenly Realm, setting norms everyone accepted as truth.

Thus, there was no truly pure principle; all was merely what people agreed upon.

No one expected the usually ruthless and violent city lord to ask such profound questions.

A smile crept onto Lu Qingyun’s lips as he slowly said,

“Alright, I can’t fully explain the details. Since I’ve passed your test, tell me what you want me to do now.”

Lu Qingyun had expected an exciting adventure after leaving his clan, at least hoping to gain great power with the system.

He never imagined falling into such a peculiar encounter, but perhaps it was fate.

After pondering, the city lord spoke slowly.

“This trial is very important, though the outcome is unexpected. I’m very satisfied with your performance—it exceeded all my expectations.”

“You already have two keys. Keys are meant to unlock something, so I won’t elaborate. Your next task is to find that treasure chest.”

A treasure chest?

Lu Qingyun’s eyes filled with confusion. He had never heard of such a thing.

The High Priest’s last clue only led them here; beyond that, no further hints were given.

Seeing his doubt, the city lord continued.

“You’re about to embark on another journey. It won’t be in our Bixiao City but another city, where my people will be waiting to assist you.”

“However, I haven’t been able to contact my men for several days. The others seem to have vanished. So, you must be extremely cautious.”

Hearing this, Lu Qingyun couldn’t help but smirk at how ridiculous the city lord sounded.

He sneered,

“High and mighty city lord, are you joking? Saying something like that—are you really sending us to our deaths?”

“If the place you’re so serious about isn’t a mountain of blades or sea of fire, it must be a dragon’s den or tiger’s lair. What is this place? Will you not tell me straight?”

Lu Qingyun thought the city lord might be honest this time but was surprised he was still beating around the bush.

The city lord had already decided they must undertake this mission, and no changes would be allowed.

His current demeanor aimed only to prepare them thoroughly.

Growing impatient, Lu Qingyun asked,

“Alright, we set off in a few days?”

He knew there was no point in arguing further and wanted to hear the plan.

The city lord seemed a bit surprised but appeared used to Lu Qingyun’s shrewdness.

He held up three fingers and said slowly,

“You’ll have at most three days to rest here, and those three days are earned by you.”

“Decide who you’ll take with you. If you want anything, tell me ahead of time. You may leave now.”

Lu Qingyun understood this was a delicate game—one wrong move, and the ruthless city lord might kill him.

He had gained insight into the city lord: a powerful man who disliked beating around the bush.

Lu Qingyun left with the others, taking them to a palace the city lord had prepared.

Upon arrival, Lu Qingyun addressed everyone present.

“Who wants to come with me?”

Though exhausted, he knew he had to finalize the next steps, or the road ahead would be even harder.

His expression darkened as he said,

“I never imagined things would turn out like this. Everything has exceeded my expectations. Fortunately, he hasn’t killed us yet, so we still have a chance.”

“If you want to leave now, it’s not too late. There’s no need to suffer alongside me. I believe everything happens for the best!”

Lu Qingyun did not insist on taking everyone; he had to act with a clear conscience.

He saw no reason to let so many risk their lives unnecessarily—that would be meaningless.

Wang Pangzi quickly approached, speaking seriously,

“I don’t want to be a coward. We’ve been through so much already. I don’t want to stay here. Even if I die, I want to die outside.”

Han Man also spoke sincerely.

“Brother Lu, I know our abilities are limited, and we might be burdens, but at least if we’re by your side, there’s some support. If you think we’re a hindrance, we can leave now!”

Remember, they had survived nearly four months—a rare feat.

Though they’d been under the city lord’s roof, each day was filled with dread. They’d rather live freely a few more days.

Lu Qingyun frowned deeply, his expression grim.

“If everyone trusts me so much…”

Before he could finish, Meng Li earnestly asked from the side,

“Can you take me with you?”

Lu Qingyun had never imagined Meng Li would volunteer like this, which surprised him.

However, Xu Feng hesitated and said,

“I’m afraid I can’t go with you…”

Xu Feng was the first to befriend Lu Qingyun, so his words confused him.

Xu Feng explained earnestly,

“Qingyun, it’s not that I don’t want to go, but I can’t leave. Our sect is here. As the chief disciple, if I leave, what will the master do?”

“I know you need our help, but I…”

Understanding his predicament, Lu Qingyun did not pressure him.

Smiling, he said,

“Don’t worry, I’m not unreasonable…”

After some discussion, they decided to take a stroll—they hadn’t properly explored the place yet.

But as soon as they stepped outside, they encountered someone unwanted.

Zhao Tuo appeared at the city lord’s mansion entrance, accompanied by the Zhao family.

Zhao Tuo coldly said,

“Lu Qingyun, you have no business here. You should leave.”

“I’m looking for Meng Li. I intend to take her as my concubine.”

“Are you meddling where you shouldn’t?”