Chapter 306: Chapter 293: It’s Not Over Yet

"Damn it all! Because of them, I almost mortally offended Shen Lang!"

"Because of them, my City Lord’s Mansion was nearly destroyed... If Shen Lang had swung down with that Limb Order, this whole place would have been sliced in two! Those worthless bastards! They almost got me killed!"

An Fengrui was a whirlwind of emotions—ecstatic, despondent, and furious all at once.

He seemed to have forgotten that it was he, the City Lord of Illusion Mist City, who had just gathered forces to go and level Qingfeng Stronghold.

In fact, those forces were still outside, waiting for the order to set out...

Shen Lang shot him a cool glance and said, "Originally, when I saw you gathering a group of experts, brimming with killing intent and preparing to move against Qingfeng Stronghold, I was only going to give you ten percent. But I didn’t expect to run into Elder Ye here. Seeing as he once spoke up for me, I decided to add another ten percent."

GULP. An Fengrui swallowed hard, quickly forcing a smile and stammering his thanks.

Shen Lang didn’t like throwing his weight around. Seeing An Fengrui’s reaction, he could only sigh inwardly before continuing, "The grudges between Qingfeng Stronghold and those other factions are hereby wiped clean. I hope you, as City Lord, will look after them a bit more in the future. I thank you in advance."

Wiping away sweat, An Fengrui nodded profusely. "Of course, of course! Young Brother, rest assured, leave everything to me. I’ll handle it perfectly. From now on, Qingfeng Stronghold’s business is my business! I will not allow any faction in Illusion Mist City to bully them!"

"Just looking after them a little is enough. There’s no need to go to such lengths. Alright..." Shen Lang stood up. "My business here is done; it’s time for me to leave. As for the Black Iron Ore, just have it all stored in Illusion Mist City. I’ll come to retrieve it myself. And regarding the Limb Order and everything else about me, I hope you, City Lord, will keep it a secret from everyone."

"Of course, I understand... Young Brother, won’t you stay in Illusion Mist City for a few more days? You don’t visit often, so please, allow me to show you some proper hospitality! Besides, the Chuyun Mountain Range has been quite restless lately! I know that with your level of cultivation, you have nothing to fear, but it never hurts to be cautious," An Fengrui said, hastily trying to persuade him to stay.

Shen Lang’s expression remained unchanged as he shook his head. "It has nothing to do with being peaceful or not. The Nine-Star Linked Pearls have appeared, throwing the cosmos into upheaval. The Supreme Yin Qi is surging forth, so it’s only natural for Demons and ghouls to emerge and cause chaos. This isn’t just happening in the Chuyun Mountain Range; it’s the same across the entire Star Continent."

With that, he said no more and walked out.

An Fengrui was stunned. He had heard of the Nine-Star Linked Pearls, but ’who could tell if such legends were true?’

’How could Shen Lang speak of it with such certainty?’

’Could it really be happening?’

’Truly, someone who holds a Limb Order is in a league of their own!’

An Fengrui hurried after him, catching up to Shen Lang and calling out, "How about this? I’ll arrange for the Mad Dragon Mercenary Corps, one of the three major mercenary corps, to escort you! The Chuyun Mountain Range is crawling with Demons, ghouls, and Demon Beasts. It would be very troublesome if you were to run into a large pack of them."

In his haste, An Fengrui spoke quite loudly, and they happened to be right at the entrance.

As his words carried outside, the noisy entrance to the City Lord’s Mansion fell strangely silent.

It wasn’t just the factions gathered at the gate, ready to march on Qingfeng Stronghold, who were left dumbfounded. Even Ye Xingzhe and the others inside, who had been frantic with worry, were stunned.

’Talk about a fast turnaround!’

Just moments before, the City Lord had been barely containing his rage, on the verge of attacking Shen Lang himself.

’How could he go inside for a few minutes and come out wanting to hire the Mad Dragon Mercenary Corps, one of the three major mercenary corps, to escort Shen Lang?’

’Not just letting him go, but personally arranging his escort?’

While everyone was still speechless, Shen Lang cupped his fists toward Ye Xingzhe. "I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave. When I get the chance, I will definitely visit the White Rainbow Sect to have a drink with you, Elder."

"Ah, Young Brother, you’re too kind. If you do come to the White Rainbow Sect, be sure to have someone notify me!" Ye Xingzhe said with a smile, though ’he was still trying to guess what on earth Shen Lang and An Fengrui had discussed.’

Before he could say more, Shen Lang shot up into the sky, flying off in the direction of Qingfeng Stronghold.

In an instant, all eyes turned to City Lord An Fengrui.

With Shen Lang gone, An Fengrui straightened his back, once again assuming his previous air of authority.

However, this posture didn’t last long. When his eyes landed on Zhang Cheng, who was peering out furtively, the face of the Illusion Mist City Lord—a man who rarely lost his composure—flushed red. He strode forward and lashed out with a slap!

SLAP!

With a crisp crack, one side of Zhang Cheng’s face immediately began to swell.

"You worthless bastard! In the past, I turned a blind eye when you stirred up trouble in Illusion Mist City, but this time, you nearly got me killed!" Slapping Zhang Cheng once wasn’t enough to vent his fury. An Fengrui pointed a finger in his face and roared, "Now, you get your ass back to the White Rainbow Sect and find your old man! Don’t you ever set foot in Illusion Mist City again. If I find you here, not even your father will be able to save you! I swear I’ll break both your legs!"

Zhang Cheng clutched his swollen cheek, watching everything unfold in terror, unable to utter a single word.

Beside him, Yun Jingchu and Ye Xingzhe were equally stunned, unable to process what was happening.

For one thing, Zhang Cheng’s father held a higher position in the White Rainbow Sect than An Fengrui; he was even An Fengrui’s martial uncle. Because of this, An Fengrui had always treated Zhang Cheng with considerable care.

For another, An Fengrui was a man who rarely let his emotions show; he was known for being masterfully composed and calculating.

For him to lose his composure so completely in front of so many people was obviously not normal.

And his current state was clearly related to the recently departed Shen Lang.

The problem was, no one had any idea what had actually happened.

"And the rest of you, get out! You’re forbidden from ever showing your faces in Illusion Mist City again!" An Fengrui’s finger was practically in the faces of Yun Jingchu and her companions. "A bunch of worthless fools, daring to provoke someone like Shen Lang! You must have a death wish!"

"Damn it all! You get your asses kicked, and then you come back and try to incite me to make a move? I was almost doomed beyond redemption because of you!"

The crowd watching this unfold was dumbfounded; their jaws nearly hit the floor.

The usually dignified City Lord was actually spouting vulgarities, cursing and referring to himself so crudely. ’What in the world is happening?’

’Wait! He said Zhang Cheng provoked Shen Lang and nearly got him eternally damned? Didn’t Shen Lang just offer him some benefits in a deal to be let go? But from the way he’s talking, it sounds like Shen Lang has a terrifyingly powerful background...’

A sharp glint flashed in Ye Xingzhe’s eyes. He knew something was very wrong.

Having finished his tirade, An Fengrui stepped forward and waved a hand. "My apologies, everyone. There was a slight misunderstanding earlier regarding Qingfeng Stronghold. The Lone Wolf Mercenary Corps and two other factions, instigated by Zhang Cheng, tried to make a move on Qingfeng Stronghold, only to have their headquarters destroyed by the Bone Demon. They truly got what they deserved! Now, you may all disperse. From this day forward, Qingfeng Stronghold is under the protection of my City Lord’s Mansion. I hope you will all respect my decision and look after them!"

The entire crowd erupted in an uproar!

’After all that fuss, this is how it ends?’

Seeing the members of the Lone Wolf Mercenary Corps and the other factions seething with rage, An Fengrui couldn’t help but sneer. "There are some things I cannot elaborate on, but I must remind certain people: Shen Lang is not someone that just anyone can afford to provoke. I, for one, am certainly not qualified."

The boisterous crowd immediately fell silent again.

An Fengrui’s words were laced with hidden meaning, and they carried a great deal of weight.

"Furthermore, within my jurisdiction, I expect certain people to restrain themselves. If I discover anyone daring to plot against Young Brother Shen Lang, I will use my full power to wipe them out and make them disappear from Illusion Mist City! Now, all of you may disperse. Tomorrow, the City Lord’s Mansion will host a three-day banquet to thank you for offering your assistance!"

After the crowd outside the City Lord’s Mansion departed with their minds full of questions, inside a secret chamber within the mansion, Zhang Cheng was pouring tea for An Fengrui with a fawning smile, while Ye Xingzhe frowned, staring intently at the City Lord.

"Junior Brother, it’s not that I’m unwilling to tell you; it’s that Shen Lang forbade me from speaking of it," An Fengrui said with a sigh. "To be honest, you really did me a huge favor this time. If not for you, I might not even be alive right now."

"What?!"

Zhang Cheng’s hand trembled, and scalding tea spilled onto his thigh, making him grimace in pain.

An Fengrui said, still shaken, "His methods aren’t limited to what we saw earlier... But forget that. Most importantly, his background is just too terrifying. Damn it, my legs are still shaking!"

Zhang Cheng, Yun Jingchu, and the others exchanged glances, the confusion in their eyes only deepening.

’Just what kind of background could Shen Lang possibly have to scare the City Lord of Illusion Mist City until his legs trembled?’

’That’s too much of an exaggeration, isn’t it?’

Ye Xingzhe mulled it over for a moment before asking, "Senior Brother, even if you can’t give specifics, you can at least give me a small hint, can’t you? Your vagueness is driving me mad."

An Fengrui hesitated for a moment. "He’s connected to the Imperial Dragon Sect. I won’t say how deep that connection runs, but in short, he is not someone these worthless fools like Zhang Cheng can provoke. He is not someone *I* can provoke. He’s not even someone the... White Rainbow Sect can provoke!"

"You can’t be serious!" Ye Xingzhe exclaimed in shock. "Back in Celestial Phoenix City, I noticed he was special—he dared to openly oppose the Young Sect Leader of the Holy Light Sect and Drunken Thousand Cups of Evil Wind Valley, and he also seemed to be highly favored by the Treasure Pavilion. But that was all I knew. I never imagined..."

An Fengrui waved his hands dismissively. "Alright, let’s not speak of it anymore. Just remember my words. I’ve lived a long time, and this isn’t my first brush with death, but today... today truly terrified me."

"Fortunately, everything is resolved now, and it even came with a great benefit... And speaking of that, Junior Brother, there’s a share in it for you, too. Let me explain in detail."

While An Fengrui was in the secret chamber explaining the details of the Black Iron Vein to Ye Xingzhe’s group, three men were furtively plotting in the basement of the Lone Wolf Mercenary Corps’ headquarters.

Seated on stone stools in the secret chamber were Gao Jingtian, leader of the Lone Wolf Mercenary Corps; Ye Zhenhai, the leader from Langya Mountain; and Fang Mingxu, the head of Lianyun Stronghold.

With a dark expression, Gao Jingtian spoke in a beastly growl, "I didn’t dare use sound transmission outside for fear of being discovered, but here, we can speak freely. I had this secret chamber specially built, and it’s protected by an Array... So, tell me. What’s our plan for killing that little bastard, Shen Lang?"