The banquet was about to begin. After dodging
Towering stone walls surrounded them on all sides, their surfaces covered in all manner of runic patterns, incredibly thick. To provide a place of refuge when demon beast hordes arrived, successive city lords had continually improved the chamber, making it the safest place in the entire City Lord's Mansion.
"Nie Li, you said Father asked you to bring me here, but what are we doing in this place?" Ye Ziyun asked, confused.
Aside from one empty stone room after another and stacks of grain, there was nothing.
"The banquet is about to start. Once we make our move against the Sacred Family, they're bound to retaliate by any means necessary. The situation could become impossible to control," Nie Li said, gazing at Ye Ziyun with tenderness.
"But what does that have to do with us coming here?" Ye Ziyun's delicate brows furrowed slightly. Suddenly she realized something and cried out anxiously, "Nie Li, you and the others—"
In the instant Ye Ziyun caught on, Nie Li had already triggered a mechanism on the stone wall. A faint barrier materialized between him and Ye Ziyun, trapping her inside the stone chamber.
"Your father's orders!" Nie Li said with a grin. In truth, on this matter,
To ensure Ye Ziyun's safety—even if she protested strenuously—both Ye Zong and Nie Li insisted she remain in the City Lord's Mansion's secret chamber.
"Nie Li, let me out right now! A massive battle is about to break out, and you're locking me in here?" Ye Ziyun glared at Nie Li in frustration. She gathered her Soul Power to shatter the barrier, but it bounced straight back.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. If the Sacred Family retaliates, you—as the direct daughter of the Wind Snow Family—will be their easiest target. You're the weakest link for all of us, so you have to stay here." Nie Li smiled faintly and said to Ye Ziyun, "Don't worry. It's just the Sacred Family. They won't be able to stir up much trouble. Wait here, and I'll be back soon!"
With that, Nie Li darted out of the chamber.
"Nie Li! Come back quickly!" Ye Ziyun shouted in anger. "If you don't let me out today, don't bother seeing me again…"
Her voice echoed through the empty chamber, but Nie Li's figure had already vanished at the far end. She stamped her foot in fury. She should have seen through Nie Li's trick—the moment he brought her here, she should have figured it out. She desperately tried to break through the chamber's barrier but couldn't. Unless someone came in to help, or the barrier dissipated on its own after three days—but in three days, the battle would surely be long over!
What if Father or Nie Li ran into danger…
A trail of clear tears slid down her fair cheeks, but now there was nothing she could do. Her heart burned with resentment toward Nie Li. He had spoken so smoothly—coming back soon. But worry gnawed at her all the same.
At the banquet, guests arrived one after another.
The great hall of the City Lord's Mansion was bustling with activity, and experts from every family exchanged pleasantries.
Seated at the head of the hall were
Only after asking Ye Xiu did Nie Li learn that Ye Shuo was a highly mysterious figure within the Wind Snow Family, in charge of their covert forces. He would periodically visit places like Sheng Lan Academy to select talented individuals and bring them to the City Lord's Mansion for training. He commanded an incredibly powerful force.
Few in the
He was a sturdy old man.
When Ye Shuo spotted Nie Li, he smiled faintly.
Seeing the amusement in Ye Shuo's eyes, Nie Li asked, "Senior, have we met before?" Whether in his past life or this one, Nie Li had no recollection of Ye Shuo at all. Generally, once he had seen someone even once, Nie Li could remember them—after all, as a cultivator possessing a soul from two lifetimes, his memory could be described as photographic. But Nie Li was certain he had never seen this man.
"You haven't met me, but I know of you. That day when you debated the Sacred Scripture of Thunder and Fire with
That day when Nie Li debated Shen Xiu, he had keenly sensed three powerful figures watching from outside. He had even guessed from the icy aura that one of them hailed from the Wind Snow Family, though he hadn't known it was Ye Shuo.
If there hadn't been someone from the Wind Snow Family present that day, Nie Li wouldn't have provoked Shen Xiu so aggressively.
"I didn't realize it was you that day, Senior. Thank you for your guidance," Nie Li said with a cupped-fist salute.
Ye Shuo laughed. "No need to thank me. Everything was already part of your plan, I'm sure. I merely helped push things along."