The suddenly appearing City Lord Liu was still kind and approachable, but to You Su, his voice sounded like a death knell.
You Su felt a profound silence, broken only by the rhythmic beating of his own heart. Just like when he first met True Man Ling, a strong sense of unease welled up within him.
Too many coincidences are disgusting, like resin stuck between shattered pieces of glass, forcibly piecing together lenses that can't be joined together.
The city's residents held City Lord Liu in such high esteem that he had been dutiful for sixty years. His image as a kind and gentle man was deeply ingrained in their hearts, and no one would doubt the kindness of a frail and elderly man.
But You Su is different. You Su is blind, and his lack of security makes him only willing to unconditionally trust the people around him. He always has a skeptical attitude towards others.
Although there were reasonable explanations for everything City Lord Liu did, You Su still felt uncomfortable.
Of the three who left the city together, only City Lord Liu returned. Upon his return, he concealed his identity and remained hidden, searching for the so-called mole. Only Sect Master Bai was aware of this. Then, Sect Master Bai suddenly produced a Formation Technique capable of sealing off the fog, but at the cost of blocking the exit. If he possessed Formation Technique, why didn't he use it earlier?
There was also the abandoned Peace Cave. When my junior sister and I came out of there, we didn't think there was anything wrong with the passageways and caves. In fact, they even built walls on the passageways leading to different places, as if they were afraid that someone would run to Peace Cave instead of Auspicious Cave in case of disaster.
Even if there really is a problem with Peace Cave, instead of digging a new one under the City Lord's Mansion, why not just repair it in the original location? It would save both money and effort.
Uncle Liu said it was the abandoned Peace Cave built by his grandfather's generation, which, according to the timeline... was fifty or sixty years ago! It was also during the time when City Lord Liu was in office!
You Su glanced back at the ancient City Lord's Mansion, feeling as if he could even see a faint Evil Qi in the murky landscape, giving him the feeling of returning to the night he fought against True Man Ling.
A chill rose from the soles of his feet, You Su forced himself to remain calm, saying:
"Is that City Lord Liu?"
"Silly child, have you forgotten my voice? It's not safe outside. You should take your junior sister and come with me into the cave quickly. Zhou Li can't find you and is in a real hurry." City Lord Liu smiled warmly, and anyone who saw him would think he was an old man who cared about his juniors.
"Go into the cave...?" You Su murmured, somewhat absent-minded.
What exactly is City Lord Liu's purpose in gathering everyone together...?
Divine Revelation Chuyun! City Lord Liu is definitely aiming for this purpose as well!
A bolder hypothesis took shape in You Su's mind... Everyone in this entire Auspicious Cave was a sacrifice!
Despite its name, Auspicious Cave may not be auspicious at all!
"Yes, what, you don't want to go?" City Lord Liu's expression was one of surprise as he interrupted You Su's thoughts, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
You Su was also taken aback, then suddenly lowered her head and sighed deeply:
"City Lord Liu, you may not know this, but my Mistress is still missing. Before my master passed away, he entrusted me with taking care of her. Now that I cannot find her, You Su is truly filled with guilt and restlessness..."
"Alas, how many families and friends are separated in this city? Your Mistress surely wouldn't want you to risk your life to find her. There's no time to lose, come with me."
After saying this, City Lord Liu made a couple of calls, turned around and took half a step. Seeing that You Su hadn't moved for a while, he couldn't help but turn back to look at this overly upright young man. He narrowed his eyes slightly:
"Do you still insist on looking for her outside?"
You Su didn't speak, but simply nodded to show her determination.
"You Su, regardless of whether you can find her or not, are you confident that you can survive outside with her after you find her?"
"Even if we die, the family should die together."
"The Auspicious Cave will be inaccessible for a short period of time. If you don't enter now, you'll never be able to again."
"You Su and my junior sister only wish for peace of mind." You Su bowed her head in respect.
"I understand your decision," City Lord Liu nodded. "You'd better take care of yourself."
"Thank you, Lord Liu." You Su then prepared to leave this unsettling place with Ji Lingruo.
"Wait!" City Lord Liu suddenly called out to You Su.
You Su was slightly taken aback, her heart pounding. "Is there anything else, City Lord Liu?"
"Finding someone is no easy task, so bring plenty of food." City Lord Liu took out a piece of dried meat wrapped in oiled paper from his pocket, weighed it in his hand, and then tossed it to You Su. "Catch it."
You Su felt a little relieved. He had thought that City Lord Liu wouldn't let them leave so easily, but it seemed that City Lord Liu hadn't noticed anything amiss.
The jerky drew a graceful arc in the air, but because the mist somewhat hindered Divine Sense, You Su had to concentrate on the jerky's trajectory to prevent it from falling to the ground.
But just as he was about to catch the jerky, even faster than the jerky was an extremely insidious burst of Qi from his finger!
By the time You Su realized it, it was too late to dodge. He could only tense his entire body's Mystic Qi to resist the Gang Qi. But his hasty reaction was no match for City Lord Liu's long-planned scheme. The Gang Qi easily penetrated You Su's defenses, You Su couldn't stop himself. He was sent flying and crashed into the wall of the City Lord's Mansion's mansion.
Large sections of shattered wall debris collapsed, piling up on You Su as if to bury him.
Ji Lingruo hurriedly ran over to remove the bricks for him, You Su also struggled out, panting heavily. There was a thumb-width hole in his right shoulder, and the bright red blood stained his black shirt.
"You managed to dodge that? You blind man, you really have some skill."
City Lord Liu strolled over, walking leisurely, like a cat spotting a lame mouse, his face full of confidence.
You Su helped himself up and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "What does City Lord Liu mean by this?"
"It's too dangerous for you out there. Your master entrusted me with taking care of you. I can't watch you die out there," City Lord Liu said grandly.
"Is City Lord Liu always so good at telling jokes?" You Su covered his bleeding wound with his hand, his sword-like eyebrows icy cold.
"This is not a joke; it's to fulfill a request from an old friend."
"But my master never considered the city lord a friend. I remember him telling me that among all the people in Chuyun City, only City Lord Liu is not to be trusted; he is an extremely insidious and treacherous scoundrel."
City Lord Liu's face stiffened, as if recalling some unpleasant memory. He stopped in his tracks, his sleeves billowing from the escaping Mystic Qi within him. He raised his right hand once more, the Mystic Qi condensing into a protective Gang Qi, which he aimed at You Su:
"If it were before, you could go wherever you wanted. But so many people died this morning, and the life of everyone who remains is extremely important. Chuyun City can no longer bear any more deaths. So as long as you don't die, I will take you back. You must go back."