Volume 1, Chapter 46 – The Situation

Two rows of chairs lined either side of the main hall, while in the open space at the center stood dozens of wooden chests filled with gold bricks.

Once everyone had stepped into the hall, the doors swung shut on their own, though no wind was blowing.

Nie Yangze’s figure flickered, and he was suddenly standing before the group, having moved down from the main seat without anyone seeing how he did it.

“There are two choices before you now. First: take your reward, walk out that door, and don’t look back. Second: take your reward, then stay here in my City Lord’s Residence and join my personal army.”

As soon as Nie Yangze finished speaking, many of the martial artists were about to thump their chests and speak up. Most of them had come precisely for the chance to enter the City Lord’s Residence.

“Once you choose to enter my City Lord’s Residence, your life will no longer be your own. You all need to think this through.”

That one sentence from Nie Yangze made many of their expressions turn hesitant.

Shi Lan hesitated for a while, then made her decision. If you don’t enter the tiger’s den, how can you get the tiger’s cub? Right now, joining the City Lord’s Residence might be the only way to break the deadlock.

“I won’t force anyone,” Nie Yangze said mildly.

“I’m willing to enter the City Lord’s Residence.” The black-robed man who had left the deepest imprint stepped forward and spoke.

Nie Yangze nodded and gestured with his hand. “Take a seat.”

A few martial artists exchanged looks, then stepped forward together. “We would like to take our reward and leave.”

Nie Yangze lifted his hand slightly without saying a word, and the doors of the hall swung open again.

The few men walked up, and regardless of how deep the fist imprints they had left earlier were, each took only one hundred gold before leaving.

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With them taking the lead, a few more people came forward to collect their reward and left the hall.

Of the original twenty-six, only eighteen remained.

“Those of you who stayed are all willing to join my personal army, yes?” Nie Yangze swept his gaze over them as he spoke.

All eighteen nodded together.

“Then be seated.” Nie Yangze returned to the main seat, and the doors of the hall closed once more.

“I believe you’ve all at least heard rumors of the calamity of demonic beasts.”

Only a few among the eighteen showed puzzled looks. Most nodded; they had all caught some wind of it.

“What you’re joining today is not my personal army, but the Demon-Suppressing Army—the same black-armored men you saw earlier.”

At that, the expressions of most people turned somewhat confused. Clearly, they had never heard the name Demon-Suppressing Army before.

“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say next.” Nie Yangze rose to his feet as he spoke:

“You may bring family, relatives, or close friends here to the City Lord’s Residence for shelter. Each of you has only two slots. I will guarantee that those you bring will be escorted safely into the protection range of the Sacred Martial Immortal Sect.”

At these words, the crowd’s expressions shifted. A faint sense of dread rose in their hearts, and they all began to speak at once.

“City Lord, could you explain this in detail? What exactly does it mean?”

“Has the calamity of demonic beasts really spread to Twin Moon City already?”

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“Is yesterday’s sudden city lockdown related to this?”

…

Shi Lan felt her heart tighten. From what Nie Yangze had said, Twin Moon City was almost certainly not going to be saved. The situation in the surrounding region was indeed grim.

Combined with his earlier words, the meaning was already very clear: they were to trade their own lives for the safety of their families.

“Please be quiet, all of you,” Nie Yangze said lightly. His voice wasn’t loud, yet it pressed over everyone else’s words.

“The detailed ins and outs will be explained to you later by someone else. For now, the most urgent matter is to go and bring your families here.”

“City Lord, I have a question. I hope you can clear up my confusion.” The black-robed man who had been the first to take a seat stood up and bowed.

“Speak.”

“Can the two slots be increased a little?”

Nie Yangze shook his head. “Each person has only two slots. You may have fewer, but not more.”

The black-robed man sat back down, his expression somewhat bitter.

Shi Lan had been watching everyone’s reactions all along. When Nie Yangze spoke earlier, not the calamity of demonic beasts nor the Demon-Suppressing Army had caused the man’s expression to shift in the slightest. Clearly, neither had come as a surprise to him.

It was only now, when he heard there were just two slots, that his expression finally changed.

“Are you all natives of Twin Moon City?” Nie Yangze asked.

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More than half of the eighteen shook their heads.

“If your families are within a thousand li of Twin Moon City, I’ll send people to fetch them immediately—they can arrive in a day. If they’re beyond a thousand li, I’ll handle the matter as appropriate. As for you all, aside from those who are natives of Twin Moon City, the rest will stay here in the City Lord’s Residence for now.”

At that, everyone felt a chill in their hearts. This was to prevent any news from leaking.

“Now, you may collect your reward,” Nie Yangze said, lifting his hand.

The martial artists native to Twin Moon City, including Shi Lan, rose at once and headed for the hall doors. Not a single one of them went to take any gold.

That pile of gold bricks in the center of the hall, shining with golden light, now looked to them no different from dirt and stone.

At the doors of the hall, a squad of Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers was already waiting.

“What you can say and what you can’t—surely you all know that much,” Nie Yangze’s voice drifted slowly out from the hall.

Shi Lan walked all the way out of the City Lord’s Residence, with two Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers following closely behind her, inseparable. Every martial artist who left the residence received the same treatment.

…

Shi Lan made her way back to the clinic.

When he saw the two Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers following behind her, Du Baisheng’s expression shifted slightly. He opened his mouth, but in the end didn’t ask anything.

“Brother Shi Lan, are you leaving?” Du Yue’er asked in confusion as she watched the two Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers lift Shi Feng onto a stretcher and carry him toward the door.

Shi Lan shook her head. “I won’t be leaving Twin Moon City. We should be able to see each other again very soon.”

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With two slots, once Shi Feng was counted, there was only one left. No matter who else she chose to bring, it would be unfair. And now she faintly suspected what those two soldiers’ earlier visit to their door had really been about.

“Be careful in all things,” Du Baisheng said at last. All his questions turned into that single piece of advice.

Shi Lan nodded. “I understand.”

Watching Shi Lan’s back as she disappeared at the end of the street, Du Baisheng patted Du Yue’er’s head, his eyes filled with worry that would not disperse.

…

Shi Lan returned to the City Lord’s Residence. Seeing that the person she had brought back was an injured man, the people there quickly arranged a comfortable room and assigned two maids to care for him.

After settling Shi Feng properly, Shi Lan followed a Demon-Suppressing Army soldier to a training ground.

The training ground wasn’t large. A squad of Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers stood there, along with the martial artists who had been selected earlier.

The Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers all wore masks, their faces hidden.

Shi Lan walked over to stand near the martial artists. None of them looked particularly good; a few of the ones native to Twin Moon City even had reddened eyes.

After a short wait, all eighteen of the martial artists who had stayed behind were assembled.

A figure walked in from outside the training ground. He wore black armor similar to that of an ordinary Demon-Suppressing Army soldier, but subtly different. Additional blood-colored patterns crawled across the armor, giving off a faint reek of blood.