The City Guards behind Zhou Hao immediately tightened their grips on their spears, forming a defensive line to block everyone.
"Everyone, don't be impulsive. Impulsiveness won't solve anything. Once the situation stabilizes, the City Lord will naturally let everyone leave the city."
Zhou Hao did his best to calm the crowd.
Just then, someone suddenly shouted from within the crowd:
"Hmph, what do you mean the situation is unstable? I think the City Lord just wants to trap us all here and use us as his sacrifices!"
That shout was like a handful of salt flung into a pan of hot oil. The crowd instantly exploded.
"That's right! It must be!"
"Let us out!"
The crowd shouted and began forcefully shoving against the City Guards' defensive line.
Zhou Hao was frantic inside. He knew full well that he could not clash with these common people.
But neither could he let them leave the city. Once the city gates opened, the situation would become even harder to control.
At this critical moment, a figure swiftly swept down from the city wall and landed beside Li Yang.
It was Butler Lin of the City Lord's Mansion.
Butler Lin glanced around, cleared his throat, and said loudly, "Fellow townspeople, quiet down for a moment! Listen to me."
"The City Lord did this purely with everyone's safety in mind. There are now large numbers of anomalies wandering outside the city. It's extremely dangerous."
"If we let everyone leave the city, you could very likely encounter disaster. Please trust the City Lord and wait patiently for a few more days. Once the crisis is resolved, the city gates will certainly open wide."
After hearing Butler Lin's words, the crowd's emotions eased somewhat, but some people still harbored doubts.
"Butler Lin, is what you're saying true? Don't lie to us," an elderly man said in a trembling voice.
"Old Dai, how could I lie to you?"
Butler Lin stepped forward to comfort the old man.
"Stop putting on that sanctimonious act. I heard that the anomalies attacking this time are trying to rescue the anomaly suppressed beneath Yunzhou City. If Yunzhou City is breached, won't we ordinary people become food for the anomalies!?"
At that moment, a burly man shouted loudly from within the crowd.
"Exactly! Is this true?"
As soon as those words were spoken, the crowd immediately responded.
"Everyone, please listen to me."
Butler Lin raised a hand, pressing down the crowd's uproar.
"Since everyone says Yunzhou City is unsafe, I'd like to ask you this: if Yunzhou City is unsafe, then why have no anomalous incidents occurred inside the city all these years?"
"If the great fiendish entity suppressed beneath Yunzhou City truly breaks free as everyone claims, then within the entire Yunzhou region, for hundreds of miles around, where would still be safe?!"
After hearing Butler Lin's words, the people looked at one another, speechless for a moment.
Butler Lin struck while the iron was hot and continued:
"For the peace of Yunzhou City, the City Lord has labored day and night. This time, he sensed the danger outside the city and ordered the gates temporarily closed."
"Think about it. If we let you leave and you encountered danger outside the city, what then? The City Lord is protecting everyone!"
Many people in the crowd began to waver, feeling that Butler Lin's words seemed to make sense.
However, just then, another voice rang out:
"Hmph, it sounds nice! Maybe the City Lord deliberately hid the truth, and only remembered to placate us once things started getting out of hand. Why should we believe you?"
Meanwhile, on the city tower, Zhou Yunxuan and several high-ranking members of the Demon Suppressing Division had witnessed everything.
"Looks like someone is deliberately inciting the common people to cause trouble from behind the scenes, trying to disrupt our arrangements," Zhao Ting said darkly.
"Division Chief Zhao, there's no need to worry. They're only ordinary common people. It's natural for them to be concerned when faced with anomalies."
Zhou Yunxuan remained composed, his gaze sweeping over the gradually quieting crowd below the city.
"I'll step forward next. Otherwise, if everyone runs off, the power of this sealing formation will be greatly reduced."
"Let's go. I'll accompany you."
Zhao Ting followed closely behind Zhou Yunxuan.
The two of them leaped into the air together and landed atop the city gate tower.
Leaping onto a raised platform, he stood tall and imposing, his bearing extraordinary, and called out in a ringing voice:
"Fathers and mothers of Yunzhou City! I'm Zhou Yunxuan. I'm sure everyone knows me."
"I fully understand how everyone feels about today's matter. But there's something you may not know: Yunzhou City's sealing formation requires the vital energy and blood of everyone in the city as its support. Only then can it unleash its full power and completely suppress that great fiendish entity."
"If everyone leaves now, the seal will weaken. Once the great fiendish entity breaks free, the entire Yunzhou region and even the surrounding territories will be plunged into misery and ruin!"
"By then, it won't matter where you run. The entire area within several hundred miles of Yunzhou City will be reduced to a wasteland!"
After hearing this, the crowd looked at one another. Even those who had been itching to cause trouble again were stunned into silence by Zhou Yunxuan's words.
At that moment, the old man known as Old Dai tremblingly stepped out of the crowd and asked, "City Lord, is what you said true? Does this sealing formation really require our vital energy and blood?"
"That's right. Those among you who cultivate know that a martial artist's vital energy and blood can harm anomalies. Suppressing the great fiendish entity relies on everyone's accumulation over the years—the imperceptible suppression of its ferocious aura."
Zhou Yunxuan looked at the crowd with a resolute gaze.
"On ordinary days, the people of Yunzhou City live and work in peace. The vital energy and blood of every person contain a love for life and a desire to protect their homeland."
"These seemingly intangible powers, once gathered together, become the key force supporting the seal on the great fiendish entity. If everyone leaves now, the power accumulated over many years will dissipate, and the seal will teeter on the brink of collapse."
Zhou Yunxuan nodded solemnly, his eyes fixed resolutely on the old man.
"Elder, I, Zhou Yunxuan, swear here in the name of the City Lord that every word I've spoken is true. All these years, Yunzhou City's peace and safety have relied not only on the Demon Suppressing Division and the City Guards, but also on the steadfastness of every townsman present. Now that the great fiendish entity is in danger of being rescued, only by joining forces can we weather this crisis together."
Silence spread through the crowd as everyone pondered Zhou Yunxuan's words. Then, a young man shouted loudly:
"City Lord, we believe you! You've protected Yunzhou City all these years. We're willing to listen to you!"
"That's right, we'll listen to the City Lord!"
More and more people began to respond. Their voices gathered into a mighty force that echoed above the city gate plaza.
Warmth rose in Zhou Yunxuan's heart, and he called out loudly:
"Good!"
"With those words from everyone, I, Zhou Yunxuan, can rest easy."
"Please return home as soon as possible, secure your doors and windows, and wait for the sealing ritual to end. The City Guards and the Demon Suppressing Division will keep everyone safe."
After hearing this, the old man nodded gravely, turned to the crowd, and said:
"Fellow townspeople, the City Lord won't lie to us. We've lived peacefully in Yunzhou City all these years, and now is precisely the time when we need to contribute our strength. Don't run around anymore. Listen to the City Lord!"
"Good, we'll listen to the City Lord!"
Only then did the crowd settle down. They left the city gate area in a noisy, bustling stream.
Before you continue