### Chapter 7: Fallen Species (14) (Fifth Update)
==============================
The night wind howled, and the ground was littered with dry branches and fallen leaves, rolling ahead with the gusts and making a rustling sound.
Xiao Ai clenched her hands tightly together, fearfully glancing at the woman in front of her, whose face was masked save for her piercing eyes.
She could clearly feel an increasingly chilly aura advancing towards her, to the point where she didn’t even dare to make eye contact, as if even a single glance would freeze her on the spot.
After hearing Xiao Ai’s response, Lin Nan naturally sensed that something was amiss.
Under the oppressive force of her powerful aura, Xiao Ai was clearly struggling to hold up, yet despite this, she gritted her teeth and refused to give in, as though spilling any information would lead to her immediate demise.
In chaotic times, the only one responsible for oneself is oneself. Even Lin Nan didn’t dare to guarantee Xiao Ai’s safety within the Heavenly Sword Sect’s guild.
Since she couldn’t make such a promise, she wouldn’t make one at all.
That would be irresponsible towards others and a desecration of her own character.
“It’s okay, if you don’t want to talk, then don’t.”
Lin Nan relaxed her oppressive aura.
Xiao Ai hadn’t expected her to let her off so easily, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. “Miss Lin, you’re a good person. You really shouldn’t stay in Sky Sword City any longer. Things are getting weirder and weirder here.”
Lin Nan took off her mask, revealing a breathtaking half of her beautiful face, with a slanted fringe obscuring her left eye, giving her an air of mystery.
“Thanks for the reminder.”
Xiao Ai had planned to say more, but saw Lin Nan elegantly turn and leave; in the blink of an eye, there was no trace of her in the empty castle.
She couldn’t help but curl up in pain, tears she’d held back for who knows how many days rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably.
When would these days come to an end? She was really about to break down.
Perhaps entering that place was the only real liberation.
Lin Nan left the City Lord’s Mansion and cautiously scouted the surroundings again, but unfortunately, she didn’t discover any valuable clues.
So, she decided to stick to the original plan and visit a random guild the following morning.
Back in her room, Lin Nan released Little Musashi and Jing Feng.
The night passed in silence, and she slept until dawn.
That morning, fortunately, no battles broke out.
The expressions on the faces of the people walking back and forth in the castle were relaxed; unless absolutely necessary, who would want to live a life filled with shouting and slaughter?
The three women went to the dining hall for breakfast, only to find that Li Hanbo wasn’t present. Instead, a man claiming to be the vice-guild leader joined them for the meal.
When Lin Nan inquired about why the guild leader wasn’t there, the answer was that he had urgent matters elsewhere and had left the guild last night, expected to return in about two or three days.
Lin Nan found this quite strange.
Sky Sword City wasn’t that big or small; two or three days was enough for him to leave the city and roam around before coming back. Didn’t Li Hanbo worry that with the main leader gone, other guilds might seize the opportunity?
When she asked the vice-guild leader for more details, he just shook his head, saying he didn’t know.
Back in her guest room, Lin Nan pondered for a moment.
She decided to keep Little Musashi and Jing Feng hidden while she went out to scout.
Little Musashi had almost gone stir-crazy these past few days, but Lin Nan stubbornly refused to give her a chance to stroll outside.
“Master, please take us with you this time. After all, Li Hanbo has already guessed it was you moving the pieces; hiding away makes no sense,” Little Musashi pleaded.
Jing Feng stayed silent.
Lin Nan shot her a curious glance. Normally, Jing Feng would be the one to prevent Little Musashi from making impulsive moves, but it seemed she had something to say this time.
“Jing Feng, what do you think?”
“Master has her own considerations, but I believe that Li Hanbo’s sudden departure is indeed suspicious and could be related to the Exiles’ schemes. We must be cautious.
Also, since the three of us joined the guild, we haven’t appeared in public yet, so perhaps we can use this opportunity to gauge the strength of the other guilds.
Let Little Musashi take action alone.”
As soon as Jing Feng finished, Little Musashi nearly hurled herself at her for a hug, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Becoming a qualified agitator, huh?
Lin Nan thought for a moment and finally made her decision.
“Little Musashi, you are not allowed to use skills that old players are familiar with. If anyone discovers your identity, you can expect to sit on the bench for a while,” Lin Nan cautioned.
Little Musashi brimming with confidence replied, “Don’t worry, Master. With my kn*fe skills, even without using any skills, I’ll make them understand what it’s like to face the terror of d*ath.”
“Let’s go!”
No one in the castle dared to stop them; even the vice-guild leader merely glanced at them from a distance before withdrawing his head, pretending not to see them.
Amidst a crowd of onlooking players, Lin Nan spotted Xiao Ai immediately.
“You’ll be our guide.”
Xiao Ai was both surprised and delighted, striding proudly up to them in front of everyone’s envious gaze, bowing as she said, “Ready to serve.”
“Xiao Ai, we want to visit other guilds; do you have any suggestions?”
The four of them were now outside the castle.
Sky Sword City in the dead of winter, but the warm sunlight still didn’t offer them any actual warmth.
Xiao Ai stuffed her hands into her sleeves, trembling as she answered, “Miss Lin, the area surrounding the City Lord’s Mansion is known as Zone 1, the largest administrative district in Sky Sword City, currently owned by our guild.
The areas closest to Zone 1 are naturally Zones 2 and 3. Currently, the Crazy Dragon Guild controls these two districts.
Though it sounds like a name for a bit player, the head of the Crazy Dragon Guild is also one of the Inner Door Disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect, but he’s a sworn enemy of Li Hanbo. It’s the second largest guild in Sky Sword City after ours.”
“What’s the guild leader’s name?”
“Firefly.”
Lin Nan, “… If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t she a streamer?”
Xiao Ai answered, “Yes, you can tell you’re an old player just by that! When the Cold Moon Witch descended upon the Small Thousand World of the Heavenly Sword Sect, only Firefly could stream from the Main Peak that night, and she became a first-line streamer—what a stroke of luck.
Originally, Li Hanbo was the most popular player in the Heavenly Sword Sect, but Firefly suddenly stole his spotlight, and that conflict has simmered ever since.”
“So that’s how it is.
A girl with such a powerful and imposing guild name, it’s indeed… uh… a bit surprising.”
Lin Nan paused and said, “Then let’s head to the Crazy Dragon Guild first.”
In the absence of conflicts, there were indeed sporadic passersby on the streets, though most moved hurriedly, glancing around as if afraid of being tailed.
Leading the way, Lin Nan and her three companions wore modern, action-ready shorts and matching black trench coats, naturally attracting a mix of astonished and curious looks from everyone they passed.
After turning a few corners, Xiao Ai timidly pointed to a large iron door up ahead. “Here we are.”
Lin Nan looked up and realized she was quite familiar with this place; wasn’t this the old Yihong Courtyard? She hadn’t expected it to have turned into the headquarters of the Crazy Dragon Guild.
…
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