“Say that again!”
Inside the City Lord’s mansion, a man with a fierce aura, clad in black dragon-patterned daoist robes, kicked over a servant kneeling before him, veins bulging on his forehead.
The servant rolled on the ground after being kicked, not daring to cry out in pain. He knelt before the man again, trembling, and said, “C-City Lord, the young lady is truly gone.”
“Ah!” The man roared towards the sky, erupting in rage. “Who! Who dares to capture my child! I will tear them into a thousand pieces!”
The attendant buried his head even lower.
“Westling Guards, where are you?” City Lord Lei Bao roared.
“Your subordinate is here.”
A man with a hooked nose and slanted, squinting eyes entered from outside the door, bowing respectfully to Lei Bao.
“Seal the city for me! Search the entire city for my child! If you cannot find her, you shall bring your head to me!” Lei Bao exuded ferocity, his eyes cold.
“Your subordinate obeys!”
Cang Ying’s heart tightened. He left the main hall and quickly summoned all the forces of the City Lord’s mansion to seal the city.
By the time Xu Yi and the other three emerged from the restaurant, they saw a squad in armor heading towards the city gates.
Behind the squad, a man held a circular magical artifact and shouted, “The City Lord has ordered Westling City to be sealed. No personnel are allowed to enter or exit without permission. Those who disobey will be handed over to the City Lord for punishment!”
“What? Seal the city? Why seal the city?”
“We can’t seal the city, I have urgent matters and need to leave immediately!”
“Why so sudden, did something major happen?”
“……”
Xu Yi and the other three exchanged glances. They were preparing to leave via the teleportation array, but now it seemed they wouldn’t be able to.
Wang Yian signaled to the others and whispered, “Could it be related to the disappearance we heard about in the restaurant earlier?”
Earlier, someone in the restaurant had been discussing the recent disappearances in Westling City. They had overheard it but didn’t pay much attention, as they were just passersby who would soon be leaving.
They hadn’t expected the matter to escalate to the point of sealing the city.
“Regardless of whether there’s a connection, it has nothing to do with us. Why should they forcibly detain us here?” Chen Tao was very indignant.
Xu Yi glanced at the cultivators who were panicking after hearing the news of the city seal and said calmly, “Even so, since we are in Westling City, we should abide by its rules. At most, we’ll just stay here a few more days.”
Long Haotian held the same view as Xu Yi.
A strong dragon does not suppress a local snake.
They wouldn’t go as far as to confront the City Lord’s mansion over this matter.
However, this meant they would have to spend a few more days with Xu Yi.
Long Haotian’s expression turned bitter.
“Perfect, you still had a question that wasn’t answered a few days ago. Let’s find an inn, and I’ll tell you again how to break it.”
Xu Yi quickly found a way to pass the time.
“Ah?” Chen Tao’s face immediately fell.
He had to attend another lecture.
“What? You don’t want to listen?”
Xu Yi’s eyes flickered, a hint of threat showing.
“I dare not, I dare not.” Chen Tao quickly forced a smile. “It is my great fortune to attend Senior Sister Xu’s lecture.”
Pah, you sycophant!
Long Haotian and Wang Yi’an thought disdainfully at the same time.
Xu Yi smiled faintly and looked at the two of them, “Do you have any objections?”
“No objections,” Long Haotian and Wang Yi’an declared resolutely, puffing out their chests.
Chen Tao’s lowered gaze revealed a hint of disdain. Humph, everyone is like this, no need to criticize each other.
“Very good, let’s go, we’ll find an inn.”
Xu Yi and the other three moved quickly. Immediately after the news of the city seal was released, they found an inn and booked rooms.
By the time others reacted, the inn was already fully booked. Those without accommodation had no choice but to accept the City Lord’s mansion’s arrangements, resting in the training grounds of the City Lord’s mansion, and discontent began to build.
Inside the inn.
Xu Yi leaned against the window, watching the search party enter the inn for the seventh time, her expression grave.
It was already the third day of the city seal.
As there had been no progress in the matter, the atmosphere within Westling City grew increasingly tense.
She had already heard several cultivators causing trouble in the inn.
If Westling City were not unsealed in a few more days, the city would likely descend into chaos.
What exactly was the City Lord looking for?
Could someone in the City Lord’s mansion also be missing?
Who could take someone away from under the City Lord’s nose without leaving a trace, making it impossible for the City Lord’s mansion to find them?
Xu Yi frowned in thought. Suddenly, a commotion erupted from outside the door, and one of the voices was very familiar.
“Why are you searching my room! I do not consent!”
It was Chen Tao’s voice.
Xu Yi quickened her steps, opened the door, and looked towards where the sound was coming from.
Chen Tao, his face filled with anger, stood outside his room, confronting the City Lord’s mansion guards Xu Yi had seen earlier.
The leader of the City Lord’s mansion squad, facing Chen Tao’s rage, became even more aggressive. “I am searching under the City Lord’s orders. If you have nothing to hide, why won’t you let us in!”
Chen Tao’s eyes widened. “You are targeting me! You haven’t checked so many rooms, why are you only searching mine!”
Chen Tao had clearly seen from upstairs that after these people entered the inn, they didn’t stop, heading directly to his room, clearly coming for him.
“I am targeting you precisely because you dared to disrespect the City Lord’s mansion!” The leader sneered, not hiding his intentions.
He had received news from his subordinates that there was a brat in this inn who was extremely arrogant and had repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with their search.
He was worried about not having someone to report to, and Chen Tao had walked right into his trap. Whom else would he bother?
Xu Yi’s brow furrowed. Why had Chen Tao clashed with these people?
The King of Hell is easy to meet, but a minor devil is hard to deal with.
“When did I ever disrespect the City Lord! You are slandering me without any proof!”
Chen Tao took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and said coldly.
Xu Yi nodded secretly. Chen Tao’s personality had become much more steady after the tempering of the secret realm.
If it were in the past, he would likely have already resorted to violence.
“Evidence? Humph, what we say is evidence. I’m telling you, let me search your room immediately, or I’ll have to escort you to the City Lord’s mansion.”
“You…”
Chen Tao rolled up his sleeves, preparing to grab the leader by the collar, but was stopped by another arm.
Long Haotian gave Chen Tao a look and said gently to the City Lord’s mansion personnel, “Gentlemen, my fellow disciples and I entered Westling City on the day it was sealed. Many people saw it, and we are definitely not the ones you are looking for. There might be a misunderstanding.”
Not to mention that Chen Tao wouldn’t let them into his room, even Long Haotian wouldn’t agree.
This was a form of slander to them, and they still possessed the pride of sect disciples, which could not be trampled upon.
“Another one.” The leader sneered repeatedly.
These people still hadn’t figured out the situation.
No matter when they entered Westling City, it wouldn’t change the final outcome.
He just wanted to find a scapegoat quickly to report to his superiors, and they could only consider themselves unlucky.