Meeting the City Lord

Fan Lang slung the iron sword over his shoulder and said to Old White in a carefree manner, "Not only do I want to meet the City Lord, I also want to bring my good brother Monkey along to meet him and secure him an official position."

"No problem. That's a small matter," Old White agreed without hesitation.

Fan Lang turned to Monkey beneath the arena, whistled, and waved. "Come on, let's go meet the City Lord!"

Monkey had been dumbfounded ever since earlier and was still somewhat muddled.

What was going on?

He was going to meet the City Lord too?

That was a lofty figure! The true ruler of Wind Cloud City, practically a local emperor!

"Me? I'm going too?" Monkey pointed at his own nose, his voice trembling.

"Of course. Haven't you always wanted to find a job at the City Lord's Mansion? Now you have the chance. With just one word from me, I can make your wish come true," Fan Lang said confidently.

"This is too sudden. You suddenly became so powerful, and now you're taking me to meet the City Lord..."

"Stop dithering. Show the guts you had when you peeped at widows bathing. If I tell you to come, then come!"

Fan Lang could not be bothered to waste more breath. Carrying his sword, he leaped down from the arena and went with Old White to meet the City Lord.

Monkey came back to his senses and hurriedly followed.

As for the remaining Registered Servants, those who needed to collect bodies collected bodies, and those who needed treatment treated their injuries. Running into a freak like Fan Lang was simply their bad luck. Blades had no eyes, and casualties in arena battles were unavoidable. They had all signed life-and-death waivers beforehand.

Magic Martial Era was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. The City Lord's Mansion was not the only cruel place; everywhere else was just as cruel, if not more so.

Partway there, Old White could no longer contain his curiosity and asked Fan Lang, "You borrowed several books from the library before. The combat skills you used just now happened to be those very skills. Could it be that you learned them all in only two days?"

"Why would I need two days? One day was enough," Fan Lang said with a smile.

"How is that possible?"

"Nothing is impossible. If you don't believe me, lend me a few more secret manuals and I'll learn them for you to see."

"If what you say is true, then your comprehension and talent are truly exceptional. A genius like you will definitely be put to good use by the City Lord!" Old White said excitedly.

Fan Lang himself was not particularly excited. Whether it was Wind Cloud City or the City Lord's Mansion, they were really just a beginner's village in Magic Martial Era. Once he obtained the Dragon Scale Sword, he would leave this place and venture out into the wider world.

To him, this place was merely a stepping stone.

What City Lord? He did not take him seriously at all. Once he grew stronger, this City Lord would not even be worthy of carrying his shoes!

After winding through several turns, the group arrived at the North District of the City Lord's Mansion, its core area. Old White reported their arrival, claiming that he had an urgent matter to discuss with the City Lord.

The City Lord responded quickly and summoned them to a great hall.

Inside the ornately decorated hall, a middle-aged man reclined sideways on a tiger-skin chair. He had a majestic and extraordinary appearance, his eyes gleaming like lightning. His two black mustaches curved slightly upward, and his lips were faintly pursed. Though his posture was lazy, he exuded an aura of supreme authority.

He was Luo Jiuxiao, the City Lord of Wind Cloud City!

Wind Cloud City had a population of a million. There was no one who did not know that name!

"Greetings, City Lord!" Old White bowed.

Monkey had kept his head lowered from the moment he entered and did not dare look up at the City Lord. He followed Old White's lead and bowed as well.

In comparison, Fan Lang was much calmer. He merely gave a slight bow as a gesture of respect, his eyes meeting Luo Jiuxiao's steadily without the slightest trace of fear.

Luo Jiuxiao raised an eyebrow. In Wind Cloud City, there were not many people who dared look at him like that. He asked in a deep voice, "Old White, who are these two? Why have you brought them here?"

"Reporting to the City Lord, these two are both Registered Servants who joined the mansion not long ago. One is called Fan Lang, and the other is called Hou Guangzu. Today was the Entry Examination. Fan Lang challenged over a hundred servants by himself and displayed extraordinary strength and talent. Such a talent should be put to good use, so I brought him here," Old White replied.

"Oh? Such a thing happened?"

Luo Jiuxiao became somewhat interested. He turned his gaze toward Fan Lang and examined him again, roughly judging his strength through his keen senses.

"An early-stage Mystic General. That strength is indeed impressive, no wonder he defeated over a hundred servants. I value talent, and the City Lord's Mansion welcomes outstanding people from all walks of life. As long as one has ability, one can find a place to put it to use here," Luo Jiuxiao declared.

"I would be happy to join the City Lord's Mansion and serve it. If the City Lord's Mansion is willing to take me in, make me a guest. Guests are relatively free, and I prefer to be less restrained," Fan Lang said.

"Very well. I will first grant you the status of a High-Level Guest. You may come and go freely within the City Lord's Mansion from now on, and the privileges you receive will certainly match your strength."

"Thank you, City Lord. The one beside me is my good friend. I hope the City Lord can arrange a position for him as well."

Luo Jiuxiao looked Monkey over and found that he was merely a small fry at the Mystic Apprentice level. He did not think much of him and casually arranged for him to be a steward.

This arrangement was entirely out of consideration for Fan Lang. Under normal circumstances, it would never have been Monkey's turn to become a steward.

Besides these arrangements, Luo Jiuxiao gave Fan Lang a more substantial benefit.

Only investment brought returns. To win someone's loyalty, one had to spend generously.

Luo Jiuxiao flipped his palm, and a card appeared in his hand. He casually tossed it to Fan Lang and said, "This is a three-star Weapon Card, the Flame Blaze Sword. It is somewhat better than the sword on your back. Take it as a meeting gift."

Fan Lang caught the card and looked closely. On the metal-forged card was an image of a burning sword.

The system immediately displayed the relevant data for the card.

Flame Blaze Sword:

Category: Weapon Card.

Star Rating: ★★★

Attribute: Fire.

Sharpness: 550.

Durability: 390.

Effects: First, release flames. Second, when using fire-element sword techniques, power +300.

No matter how one looked at it, this Flame Blaze Sword was far superior to Fan Lang's iron sword.

Fan Lang pinched the card and infused it with Mystic Power. The card flashed with firelight and transformed into a crimson longsword, which he seized in one hand.

This was the wondrous use of a Weapon Card!

A small card could serve as a container for storing weapons and be taken out whenever needed. Some advanced Weapon Cards could even maintain, repair, or strengthen weapons, making them far more than simple storage.

"Not bad."

Fan Lang nodded. With a casual flick of his hand, the Flame Blaze Sword reverted to a playing-card-sized card, which he stuffed into his pocket.

"Thank you for your generous gift, City Lord. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word. If I can do it, I will certainly help," Fan Lang promised.

"With you in the City Lord's Mansion, it is like a tiger gaining wings. My seat as City Lord will be even more secure." Luo Jiuxiao smiled faintly and raised a hand to give an order. "Someone, arrange a room for Fan Lang. If he needs anything, satisfy it as best you can."

A steward immediately stepped forward and led Fan Lang and Monkey away.

Old White did not leave and remained where he was.

Luo Jiuxiao looked toward the doorway and asked indifferently, "What is the background of this Fan Lang?"

"He is an orphan who grew up in Wind Cloud City. He has always lived on the streets, but his background is fairly clean, and he has no ties to the other forces in the city," Old White answered.

"How old is he this year?"

"Only seventeen."

"Seventeen..." Luo Jiuxiao narrowed his eyes and pondered. "That age happens to meet the requirements for the Wind Cloud Genius Battle. He may be useful then. A Mystic General at seventeen—his talent is quite remarkable."

At the mention of the Wind Cloud Genius Battle, Old White's expression shifted slightly. It was an event of great importance, and its participants were all the foremost geniuses in Wind Cloud City!

Based on Fan Lang's performance today, he was qualified to participate. As for whether he could distinguish himself, that remained unknown.