The arrival was grand.
Their presence was imposing.
Their departure was a rout.
...
The experts from various factions departed.
And Chen Fan's side received a large number of treasures.
"Distribute them to the junior brothers and sisters," was Chen Fan's decision.
These treasures were mostly related to the comprehension of the power of rules.
Unfortunately, they were useless to him.
"Thank you, City Lord."
Long Ling expressed gratitude on behalf of her junior siblings.
The junior siblings were still refining imperial qi and were in need of these treasures.
"It's nothing."
He shook his head and continued, "Next, it's time to deal with them."
His gaze shifted towards the location of the unaffiliated cultivators.
Just now, these individuals, who should have stood with the City of Freedom, had all chosen to oppose it, with the exception of Huo Xing.
They had all chosen to stand against the City of Freedom, either for the pseudo-Dao promised by the ancient pact or for a sliver of a chance to become an emperor.
As Chen Fan's gaze fell upon them, Da Kui and the others' faces turned pale.
Their eyes darted away, as if they dared not meet Chen Fan's gaze.
The scene of them pressuring Long Ling earlier had not faded.
In a mere moment, Chen Fan appeared, and the situation completely reversed.
In an instant, he had killed over a dozen titled emperors, slaughtering them as if they were mere dogs.
Although Long Ling had assisted him, no amount of assistance would be effective without absolute strength.
Chen Fan was powerful.
The sword that had taken lives sent tremors through their souls.
Being scrutinized by those eyes involuntarily made one want to avert their gaze.
Da Kui awkwardly clasped his fists and smiled, "This subordinate, Da Kui... greets the City Lord."
...
Chen Fan did not reply.
He just looked at him.
The more he looked, the more nervous Da Kui became.
Not just him, everyone was tense. Those eyes were like knives, carrying a deep sarcasm.
Gulp.
Da Kui swallowed, and to survive, he could only brace himself and say, "What happened just now was this subordinate's fault."
...
Chen Fan still said nothing.
"Bang."
Behind Da Kui, a person immediately knelt down. "This subordinate has erred. I beg the City Lord for a chance. I am willing to accept any punishment."
To survive, dignity meant nothing.
What hadn't these unaffiliated cultivators done before?
As for dignity, it had long been discarded.
"Heh heh."
Chen Fan finally spoke.
He chuckled first, then said, "I heard from Long Ling that the City Lord Yi Fu is your benefactor."
"Yes."
Everyone lowered their heads.
Da Kui and the others also looked conflicted, wanting to kneel as well.
But kneeling now seemed a bit late.
"Mm."
Chen Fan nodded and looked at the kneeling person. "Your knees were not meant to kneel for me, but for City Lord Yi Fu.
After City Lord Yi Fu departed, you have the responsibility to protect this city."
"Yes."
"You may rise."
"Yes."
"You may leave."
Chen Fan looked at the kneeling person. "From this day forward, the City of Freedom has no further connection with you. All that has passed will dissipate like smoke."
"..., yes."
It was already difficult enough to survive.
He dared not object and could only leave with a bitter smile.
One person left, but the others dared not move recklessly, as Chen Fan had not yet spoken.
"As for you..."
Chen Fan looked at Da Kui and the others, pondering for a long time how to deal with them.
Ultimately, he turned to Long Ling. "This is up to you."
"Yes."
Long Ling clasped her fists.
"Go to another place to handle this, take them away," Chen Fan added.
"Yes."
Clasping her fists, she rose and then said to Da Kui and the others, "Follow me."
No one dared to resist, and they all left.
Someone wanted to stay, but Chen Fan refused with a shake of his head.
...
The subsequent matters were not for these people to be involved in.
The secondary forces, the primary forces, were all minor issues.
The real main event was yet to come.
Dream Monk, the Angler.
These two were the only ones who had not left.
Their staying indicated that they had something to discuss.
"Hoo."
He took a deep breath, suppressing the solemnity in his heart.
Then, he cupped his fists and bowed to the two. "Junior Chen Fan pays his respects to the two seniors."
Compared to Chen Fan, they were indeed seniors.
...
The Angler still kept his head down, wearing a bamboo hat.
He stood silently, unmoving.
The fishing rod in his hand was adorned with a lantern, like a guide from the netherworld.
Chen Fan smiled wryly. "If you two seniors do not speak, junior has no idea what to do."
Now it was Chen Fan who was nervous.
These two were truly powerful.
"City Lord Chen."
Finally, the Dream Monk spoke first.
The Angler remained silent, but he spoke proactively with a smile. "Would you be willing to accompany this humble monk for a drink?"
"It would be my honor."
It was good that he was willing to speak.
One person speaking was a good sign.
Saying this, he sat down and then looked at the Angler in the air. "Senior, would you care for a drink?"
"Whoosh."
Chen Fan had asked casually.
Unexpectedly, the Angler actually descended and took a seat at the table.
"Uh..."
Chen Fan was stunned for a moment, then he smiled.
He casually summoned a jar of wine, poured for them, raised his cup, and said, "This junior toasts the two seniors."
The Dream Monk drank.
The Angler also drank.
After this, the three of them fell silent and continued to drink.
After several rounds of drinks... this was the only way to describe it, as there were no other suitable adjectives.
"Chen Fan."
The Angler spoke first.
"Please speak, senior." Chen Fan straightened his posture.
The Angler said, "Help me summon the soul of a person."
"Ah?"
Chen Fan was taken aback. "Aren't you here to seize the opportunity to become an emperor?"
"Heh heh."
The Angler's voice was somewhat hoarse. "I don't need to."
Chen Fan: "..."
Was it confidence?
Or something else?
"Don't overthink it."
The Angler spoke. "What Yi Fu disdains, this old man also disdains."
Chen Fan: "..."
Alright.
He understood the pride of the powerful.
The Angler had been defeated by Yi Fu in the past and acknowledged his inferiority. However, he would not snatch something that the other party fundamentally didn't care about.
Others could take it, but he could not.
"I can."
Chen Fan agreed immediately. "But I cannot guarantee if the person still has soul fragments remaining. As long as there are any, this junior should be able to summon them."
"Thank you."
The Angler was powerful.
But the powerful had their own bearing.
He added, "After this matter is settled, consider it a favor owed to you."
Chen Fan's eyes lit up.
A favor from the Angler was truly valuable.
"Haha."
The Dream Monk next to him laughed. "City Lord Chen, I am here for no other reason than to join the fun and see what kind of person Yi Fu has chosen. Now, it seems, you are not bad."
"This junior is honored."
Good.
Chen Fan was relieved.
These two had no hostility towards him.
That was good.
If it were not absolutely necessary, he truly did not want to fight these two.
It wasn't that he was afraid, but he felt immense pressure from both of them.
If a fight were to actually break out, it was uncertain whether he could win.