Chapter 109: The "Arrogance" of Solitude Lane

This meeting seemed like a marriage alliance, but it was actually a declaration.

The three major powers had united to tell every faction in Old Sin City that they were demanding change.

Now, the remaining factions could only choose a side.

To join or not to join—there were many factors to consider.

Compared to the other factions, the three major powers only had to consider how much control they could seize through this alliance.

After all, if Yu Xiran and Meng Qianqiu truly produced a child with dual Pathways, that child would become the Lord of Old Sin City.

An infant was undoubtedly the easiest existence to control.

Yan Jing looked at Lu Miao. She had frowned twice in a row, a sign that she was growing irritated.

The announcement at the banquet had clearly exceeded her expectations.

An Ze's originally cheerful expression had also turned miserable.

"Man, how did things turn out like this? The bureau chief didn't tell us a thing. That old man Liang definitely knows something. No wonder he refuses to let go of that Disguiser from the Envy Pathway."

He hadn't lowered his voice, but even with him openly complaining about their superior, Lu Miao made no move to reprimand him.

After all, given the current situation, the Order Management Bureau had likely issued the bounty on the Envy Pathway's Disguiser on purpose.

According to Giant Mouth, the second method to find the path "home" was to find someone whose Pathway had a corresponding Domain in the outside world. They would help that person complete their fragmented Pathway, using it to illuminate the location of that Domain outside.

And if New Sin City truly existed, then Envy fit the criteria.

The Order Management Bureau was almost certainly planning exactly this.

As for the group from Rotten Vegetable Village, they appeared much more relaxed.

They didn't have the qualifications to choose a side, and barely any of them were even locals.

"If it truly comes down to it and we can't get out, I can take one of you to another Domain."

Chen Nian spoke slowly, "But that place doesn't even compare to Old Sin City."

"Why only one?"

Old Master Liu's sunglasses slid down to the tip of his nose. He looked confused for a moment before sudden realization dawned on his face.

"Ah, I see! You aren't going to take me and Nizi with you!"

Chen Nian glanced at Old Master Liu.

"Because the back seat of my motorcycle only fits one person."

He then lowered his voice to explain.

It turned out that the object in his house—the one covered by a white cloth that had looked like a cow to them before—was actually a motorcycle.

In Old Sin City, a vehicle was incredibly precious. Who would have imagined that a dirt-poor stall owner from Rotten Vegetable Village actually owned a motorcycle?

"I rode that bike to Old Sin City."

Chen Nian continued slowly, "Before I came to Old Sin City, I visited quite a few Domains. Ultimately, though, none of them compared to Rotten Vegetable Village."

He let out a sigh.

"Actually, being isolated from the rest of the world isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"The residents of Old Sin City are relatively honest and simple."

Yan Jing spoke up.

"If it really comes to that, you don't need to take me. I have an attachment to Old Sin City."

As long as his lingering wish was fulfilled and Favorability was maxed out, it didn't matter if this character died. It would be a bit of a pity, but if it truly came down to a life-or-death decision, he would gladly trade this body for the lives of the others.

His identity was fake, but they had gone through so much together. It would be a lie to say he hadn't grown attached to them.

He could switch identities anyway. As long as the others survived, they would eventually meet again.

"Mantou... Mantou doesn't need to go either..."

Mantou offered a goofy smile. "Mantou... will just stay here..."

"Things might not get that bad."

Yan Jing rubbed Mantou's head to comfort her.

"Let's eat first. The world can wait, but a meal can't."

"Makes sense!"

Old Master Liu tapped his chopsticks and let out a hearty shout.

"Let's dig in!"

Everyone at the table paused. After exchanging glances, they all picked up their chopsticks.

He was right. Even if the sky fell, the tall people would hold it up. Eating came first.

As the fear gradually dissipated, their appetites returned. Combined with the Sun-Swallowing Tower's inherent Gluttony rules, the group was soon chatting and laughing. It formed a stark contrast to the gloom hanging over the other tables in the hall.

Yan Jing sifted through the Fear Power he had absorbed from the tops of everyone's heads, ultimately deciding to swap out the few fruits he had on hand.

He kept the apple that had killed Lin Mian unchanged, but swapped the other two for Rose's Sin—Gluttony, and Cheng Xin's Virtue—Honesty.

Just as everyone was happily enjoying their meal—

A sudden, noisy scraping of chairs echoed through the hall.

The group looked over and saw a number of inner world residents dressed in matching black attire standing up from their tables.

They were scattered across various corners of the hall, but they had all risen in perfect unison. It was unclear what they intended to do.

Yan Jing spotted the singer who had performed on stage that morning among them. The man was now dressed in a black silk suit. His expression was icy, and his condescending gaze carried a lofty arrogance, giving off an aura that screamed for everyone to keep their distance.

A young girl in servant's attire stood beside him, smoothing out the wrinkles in his coat caused by him standing up.

"People from Solitude Lane."

Tiger whispered.

"Just as I thought, they aren't going to participate in this so-called 'return home' plan."

Yan Jing swept his gaze over the standing figures. Their clothing was uniformly dark, and their professions seemed varied—there were doctors, teachers, painters, politicians...

Aside from the color of their clothes, they shared two other similarities.

First, almost all of them were accompanied by an inner world resident dressed as a servant. Second, they all carried themselves just like the singer—condescending and aloof, naturally projecting an air of complete detachment.

"Those inner world residents beside them are called solitude servants."

The Old Man, having long since realized that Yan Jing was completely clueless about Old Sin City, took it upon himself to explain.

"Everyone from Solitude Lane is a hyper-specialist. While they're exceptionally gifted in their respective fields, they're completely incapable of handling everyday chores. Their ability to take care of themselves is abysmal."

"That's why these solitude servants exist. Their entire purpose is to manage their daily lives."

"It's an interesting place. I went there once. No one pays any attention to anyone else, and no one cares about what you're doing. Everyone is solely focused on their own affairs."

Yan Jing nodded. He had a pretty good idea of which Inner World Pathway ruled that Domain.

Seeing the group from Solitude Lane preparing to leave, Giant Mouth made no attempt to make them stay. He simply called out to the person leading the group.

"Give your First Ward Chief my regards."

To his surprise, the leader replied, "I have already received it."

Giant Mouth chuckled.

"I wasn't referring to the future First Ward Chief, but the current First Ward Chief."

The leader neither nodded nor shook his head at this. He simply turned and hurried out of the reception hall, following behind the rest of his peers.

"Those people will never accomplish anything."

Cheng Xin remarked, "That's what our Grand Elder always says. They lack a Virtue known as 'Unity'."

Yan Jing figured that Giant Mouth up on the stage probably shared the same sentiment.

"But rumor has it that their First Ward Chief is incredibly powerful."

An Ze chimed in from the side.

"Our bureau chief once said that the First Ward Chief of Solitude Lane is the strongest existence in Old Sin City. It's just that they've somewhat vanished from the public eye in recent years."

Vanished...

Yan Jing's heart skipped a beat. Feigning nonchalance, he asked, "Recent years? You mean six or seven years ago?"

"Not that long."

An Ze shook his head. "More like two or three years ago."

Sure enough, it was that specific timeframe again.

Yan Jing's eyes flickered.

Another leader of a Domain who had stopped appearing around two or three years ago.

Just what exactly had happened in Old Sin City two or three years ago?