No Way Back
"Is there a war in Nine Bends City?"
"Have you been flooded and gone mad? Are you kidding me!"
Before Reze could even speak, the Awakened One beside him couldn't help but start cursing.
The drowning victim's answer was truly bizarre.
So much so that the people present instinctively didn't believe it, thinking that this guy had lost his mind.
Complaints and questions followed one after another:
"With Lord Mu En in charge, how could the city possibly descend into chaos!"
Are you kidding us?
"We rescued you from the river, not to listen to this nonsense!"
"..."
For a moment, the riverbank became quite noisy.
Many people are complaining about the answers given by the drowning victims.
But compared to the others, the members of the Reze Exploration Team had solemn expressions.
Just last night, the explorer had already informed his closest companion of the news Linsey had given him.
—The changes that occurred in the forest.
—The war that the drowning man before me spoke of.
Even though they were unwilling to connect the two events rationally, their intuition had already subtly revealed the truth.
"..."
"I... I'm telling the truth!"
The drowning man's eyes were filled with terror, and the doubts of those around him made him even more uneasy.
Seeing this, Reze waved his hand to stop the discussion, then firmly grasped the drowning man's hand and said in a calm and reliable tone, "Our fleet left the city on August 2nd."
"Did something happen in the city after we left?"
"August 2..." The drowning man paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously, as if afraid his words would be denied again. "That's right, that's right! You left too early and don't know what happened in the city!"
To prove his honesty.
The drowning victim, without needing any comforting, immediately began to recount his story:
"That very night, a Law Knight escorted a wealthy merchant from the Riverbank Merchant Guild here from Lookout Point City. Then, three... maybe four days later, they clashed with the city lord, and a battle ensued..."
An awakened person nearby overheard this and immediately pointed out the suspicious points:
"Law Knight, you mean Mr. Han Si Ke, right?"
"He might clash with the city lord, and might even dare to fight. But Mr. Han Si Ke is only at the Sixth Stage after all, and it is impossible for him to defeat a Seventh Stage powerhouse like Lord Mu En."
The drowning victim answered haltingly:
"That Law Knight, he... he advanced in battle."
"..."
In an instant, the surroundings fell silent.
Only the swaying forest made a sound, as if mocking people's plight.
There are 13 major powers that possess World Main City, City of Law, Righteous Walker, is one of them.
Because Law Knight also practice the law when they are out in the world.
With both a prestigious reputation and proven track record, many people are aware of the Law Knight's abilities.
Fifth Stage and Seventh Stage.
These are the two crucial stages of the Law Knight's skills.
The former, upon reaching the level of Ascender, will possess the power to manifest the law in reality. The latter, however, can form the law into a true domain, replacing the common sense of the Real World within a certain scope.
If the drowning person in front of you isn't lying.
A Law Knight has just broken through to the Seventh Stage is definitely capable of posing a threat to Mu Le Na Hu En.
Even if the organizer is a veteran Seventh Stage powerhouse.
However, the fact that he was seriously injured is also undeniable.
Given the ebb and flow of power, it's really hard to determine who the winner is without witnessing their battle firsthand.
"..."
A cold wind blew by the river, and people's hearts seemed to freeze.
None of the awakened ones spoke, but subconsciously they began to accept the facts told by the drowning person.
A few seconds later, the drowning person shivered in the cold wind.
Reze reached out to comfort the other person and continued to ask, "Since they fought, what was the result?"
The drowning man gripped Reze's hand tightly, as if clinging to a lifeline, unwilling to let go.
"The two of them fought, and in the end... they fell into the water and both disappeared."
Vanished? Reze and the awakened ones around him exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.
The explorer quickly pressed for an answer:
"They disappeared? There's been no news or rumors about them in the city since?"
The drowning man nodded. "That's right, no one has seen them since."
"There were also people in the city... Some say they perished together."
"..."
No one spoke again by the river.
Two powerful beings at the Seventh Stage perished together.
For the Courtyard in the Forest, this was even more unbelievable than the Black Mountain Dragon Beast being hunted down.
In any other world.
These are all earth-shattering changes!
Seeing that the atmosphere by the river was becoming increasingly strange, Reze quickly asked, "Since both of them have disappeared, what about the war you mentioned?"
The drowning man replied, "The merchants from the Chamber of Commerce wanted to take over the city's security and release the prisoners who had been brought here. This caused a conflict with others, and eventually a fight broke out."
Upon hearing this, Reze looked around.
Although they couldn't read minds like the mediators, some members of the group could vaguely sense certain things. At that moment, that person nodded to Reze, indicating that the drowning person wasn't lying.
The facts are now clear.
Regardless of their strength, everyone was somewhat at a loss.
This explains why the strange occurrences in the forest haven't stopped—after all, everyone's gone, so who can stop the troubles in the forest?
Waiting for reinforcements from Remote Yue City and Lookout Point City? That would take at least several months! At this moment, although no water stains could be seen on their bodies, their true feelings were just as bewildered as those of the drowning people before them.
Even Linsey couldn't bear to watch the somber atmosphere.
At this point, he had to find out the details no matter what, so he stepped forward and pressed for more information. "Since a battle took place, what were the details of the battle? And why did you fall into the water and drift all the way here?"
Upon hearing Linsey's question, the drowning man was overcome with grief, and his eyes immediately reddened.
He choked up as he recounted his experience. "They were restricted when they fought in the morning."
"But after I heard that someone at the City Hall had been beaten to death, the situation deteriorated rapidly. Some people started fighting without any restraint! My home was right next to the Echo Ancient River. My home is gone, I'm gone, I have nothing! I... I fell into the river and couldn't swim out..."
At this point, the drowning victim could no longer continue.
Linsey stepped forward, put her arm around the other person's shoulder, and used her own Essence to soothe the drowning person's condition.
There is no treatment available.
However, Linsey's Essence contained willpower and life force, which could alleviate his panic and confusion.
After waiting a few seconds, the drowning victim finally made a summary:
"When I woke up again, I was already here."
"..."
The questioning has ended.
Reze comforted the drowning person and told him to rest nearby.
Linsey stood alone at the edge of the camp, gazing thoughtfully at the twisted trees.
A few minutes later, the explorer and his companions arranged some things and then went straight to Linsey's back.
In terms of knowledge, ability, and mindset, the man before me exudes a level of trustworthiness.
The explorer instinctively felt that Linsey could offer some ideas.
But when he came up behind Linsey, he didn't mention the team's current situation. Instead, he first inquired about Linsey's Essence: "Mr. Drake, I may be offended, but when I looked at your Essence just now, it seemed to exhibit both life and will properties at the same time?"
Linsey turned around and answered without any pretense:
"That's right, I do possess Essence with two attributes at the same time."
Reze frowned:
"This is a significant hidden danger."
"As your strength grows in the future, the two Essence will inevitably clash, leading to conflicts and even endangering your life!"
"I'm also looking for a solution," Linsey replied, cutting to the chase and asking, "So, Reze, what are your thoughts on our team right now?"
Reze shook his head slightly, a rare moment of hesitation on his face:
"The forest isn't safe, but venturing back to Nine Bends City would most likely get us caught up in the war. This dilemma..." The explorer chuckled bitterly, "Ha—this is a hundred times more troublesome than the most difficult adventure I've ever had!"
This situation presents a dilemma, and also troubles the leader.
Linsey had witnessed this firsthand in the Hidden Borderlands.
Although the specific details may differ, he can immediately offer advice based on his experience. "In my experience, whatever choice we make, the first thing is not to let the situation continue to deteriorate. The best thing to do now is to establish a unified goal for everyone and unite people's hearts first."
Reze's eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed with Linsey's statement:
"You're right, we should definitely set a goal."
"..."
Linsey didn't interrupt, giving Reze plenty of time to think.
After a moment's thought, the explorer made a decision:
"Compared to battles between people, I still think the forest is easier to deal with."
Reze regained his composure and returned to the center of the camp.
He stood near the campfire, raising his arms and shouting. All eyes in the camp turned to him, and they began to share their thoughts:
"Gentlemen, now that the city lord has gone missing, returning to the city will mean facing the threat of war."
"The road ahead may be dangerous!"
"But I'd like to make a suggestion: there's a problem with the forest, and we were the first to leave the city and the deepest into the forest. Perhaps the key to ending this crisis lies with us, these wretched souls..."