Chapter 7: Fallen Species (4)
==============================
To the cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the City Lord of Sky Sword City wasn’t exactly a prestigious position; it was just a role assigned by the Immortal Gate to manage the city.
Even if one temporarily held power over a city, so what? Most of the time, they were busy with trivial matters, cutting off any chance of actual cultivation. A few decades later, they’d just be a mound of dirt and a heap of bones.
So unless some Inner Door Disciples felt hopeless about their cultivation, they wouldn’t be giving up their chance at immortality to take up a position in Sky Sword City.
However, the City Lord’s Mansion, through generations of renovations and constructions, was particularly magnificent—gold and silver adorned the doorknobs, and sculptures, calligraphy, and antiques cluttered the corridors. It was the ultimate showcase of wealth and power.
Too bad, though—during chaotic times like these, all those fancy items were practically worthless. Aside from being good kindling for morning fires, they had no other use.
“Three lovely ladies, please take a seat!”
Li Hanbo sat grandly in what used to be the City Lord’s chair, giving a casual nod to Lin Nan and her friends as a signal to come closer.
It was Lin Nan’s first time meeting him.
This so-called Guild Leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect was dressed in an unconventional white long robe, holding a red sword sheath in one hand and propping up his chin with the other as he curiously stared at the three women.
Lin Nan and the others weren’t about to be polite—instead, they plopped down right next to him.
The coffee table was adorned with exquisite pastries, and there was even a rare plate of out-of-season fruit.
Li Hanbo shrugged and said, “After taking over the City Lord’s Mansion, I discovered that these guys’ extravagance was beyond imagination. They had several cellars full of ice, like natural refrigerators, keeping autumn fruit fresh to this day.
All of it’s just gone to waste for us now.
Come on, ladies, give it a try! You won’t find a place in Sky Sword City anymore that wastes food on pastries!”
Lin Nan wasn’t keen on the pastries or fruit, looking rather indifferent.
Little Musashi stood there, arms crossed, amusedly scoffing, while Jing Feng turned away and stifled a yawn, clearly a bit tired.
In short, the three ladies were unexpectedly cool and collected in the face of Li Hanbo’s so-called grand reception.
This threw Li Hanbo for a loop—he thought he might be seeing things.
He wondered if these women were new in town and didn’t know that those three plates of pastries meant something in the eyes of outsiders.
Or maybe they were intentionally putting on a front to avoid being controlled by him.
“I heard you three are interested in joining our guild?”
Li Hanbo probed.
Lin Nan replied, “We indeed have that intention, but before anything, I want to ask you one thing. Do you know about the Fallen Species?”
“Fallen Species?” Li Hanbo frowned slightly.
“If you mean those wandering folks in the city who specialize in sucking human bl**d, then… yes, I know they exist.”
“What’s the guild’s stance on them?”
“As long as they don’t interfere with our plans, we won’t attack them.”
Lin Nan nodded, “Got it.”
Li Hanbo spread his hands and said, “You see, I’m being completely honest with you. You should give me a straightforward answer too. The situation inside Sky Sword City is quite chaotic right now. Besides our guild, there are nearly ten smaller guilds scattered around.
The era of going solo is over.
Even if you guys take over a grain storage cellar, how do you plan to hold onto it with just the three of you?
Besides, our guild has the most people, and the wealthy City Lord’s Mansion is under our control. To put it bluntly, in a month, Sky Sword City will be ours.
By then, players will become the emerging force on the Asking Dao Continent, forming a fourth race independent of the other three races.
This glorious venture, dear ladies, with your skills, you could play a huge role and become key figures in our guild.
Come on, join us!
Let’s work together for the rise of the players, to help as many of them survive as possible.”
Li Hanbo was getting all fired up, pacing around, waving his arms, and practically drooling all over the place.
Little Musashi and Jing Feng weren’t about to make any promises; they were completely following Lin Nan’s lead.
Lin Nan calmly observed Li Hanbo, sensing that behind his fervor, there might be a hidden secret.
But it wasn’t time to unveil secrets just yet; she needed to keep an eye on things for another day or two before making any decisions.
“Okay, Guild Leader, we three can temporarily join your guild.”
Li Hanbo snapped his fingers, “Quick and decisive! Since you trust me, Li Hanbo, the guild will treat you well.
Guards, guards!”
At once, two young men in white appeared respectfully in the reception hall.
“Take the three ladies to their rooms. Remember, they are honored guests and mustn’t be treated with even a hint of neglect.”
“Understood, Guild Leader.”
The night wore on.
Though Lin Nan could go days without sleep without feeling a thing, her character still needed rest. If a crisis struck while she was “recharging,” it could lead to messy situations.
The guest rooms in the City Lord’s Mansion were quite comfortable, and soon two maids arrived to tidy up and arrange the space.
It was clear that Li Hanbo had no intention of cutting back on the Mansion’s grandeur for the sake of enjoyment.
“Rest up. We can talk more in the morning.”
“Sure thing, our dear Lord!”
Little Musashi and Jing Feng chimed in unison.
Lin Nan could have called them back, but considering they were in unfamiliar territory, she decided to let them rest in human form to save on cooldown time.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Nan was jolted awake by the loud noise, shouting, and the sounds of battle filtering in from outside.
What the heck?
She quickly jumped up, put on her clothes, and flung open the door.
Little Musashi and Jing Feng appeared right behind her at the same time.
“What’s happening outside?” they asked in unison.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single guard in sight outside, probably because the fighting had escalated to a critical point.
Without wasting a second, Lin Nan flung open the window in the corridor and swooped out like a light and graceful bird.
In the weak morning light, even though the sky was still a bit cloudy, she could see the tumultuous crowd surrounding the City Lord’s Mansion, weapons raised, and flames roaring all over the place.
The defenders stood atop the city walls, fiercely clashing with the enemies trying to scale them, bl**d splattering everywhere, and the wounded cried out like a haunting spell echoing in her ears.
Before long, the injured were dragged away, and the wailing on the walls ceased.
The fighting continued.
Down below, people were screaming frantically, “Get inside! The castle is filled with food!”
Fueled by hunger as their primal drive, the attackers grew increasingly deranged.
……
P.S.: Two updates today. The “Liver Emperor Contest” probably starts this weekend.
