Ye Wen followed Qiao Ting sullenly to her home, where Xiao Yuan led him to a guest room. Ye Wen was speechless inside. Another City Lord's daughter? Is my luck really this good—or this bad? How do I keep running into City Lords' daughters?
Ye Wen quickly finished bathing and put on the clothes Qiao Ting had brought him. He found that they were of excellent quality, soft and comfortable against his skin, and fit him perfectly, as though they had been tailored for him.
Qiao Ting looked at Ye Wen's new outfit and nodded with great satisfaction.
"I told you my taste was good. Xiao Yuan, look—doesn't Big Brother Ye look great in those clothes? Big Brother Ye, Tingting made a good choice, didn't she?"
Rarely did Ye Wen find himself defeated so quickly by the gazes of two beautiful young girls. He hurriedly changed the subject and asked,
"How is the City Lord arranging the evacuation?"
"Ah! The situation isn't optimistic. My father has already arranged for many ordinary people to start moving toward the larger cities."
At that, Qiao Ting looked deeply troubled. Her chivalrous and upright nature had probably been inherited from her father.
"Are they being evacuated to Xingyuan Demon Suppressing City?" Ye Wen suddenly asked nervously.
Seeing how tense Ye Wen had become, Qiao Ting asked curiously, "What's wrong, Big Brother Ye? My father arranged for them to head inland. They aren't going to Xingyuan Demon Suppressing City. A few days ago, we heard that Xingyuan Demon Suppressing City had been attacked by Xinglong Demon Suppressing City. Although battles like that generally don't affect ordinary civilians, unstable governance is still a bad thing."
Only then did Ye Wen relax.
"Fortunately, your father has excellent foresight. I suspect the Demon Race's target this time might be Xingyuan Demon Suppressing Tower. Last time, a powerful demon dragon was rescued from Xingyu Demon Suppressing Tower by the Dragon Race."
"Ah, Brother Ye, you know about that too? My father acted all mysterious about it and wouldn't let anyone talk about it. When the Demonic Beasts attacked Xingyu Demon Suppressing City last time, Father sent people to investigate. They discovered that the beasts were actually attacking the Demon Suppressing Tower—and it had only just appeared. Somehow, they really did manage to rescue someone."
Qiao Ting told Ye Wen everything she knew without holding anything back. She also mentioned that her father planned to send people out again to investigate the Demon Race's movements. Hearing this, Ye Wen understood just how important information was now. He said,
"Tingting, take me to see your father. I have something to discuss with him."
"Let's go. My father must still be in the council hall. He called several uncles and elders back. If we don't handle this matter properly, all of Yulan City will be destroyed."
The young girl walking ahead of him was beautiful in every frown and smile, and her kind heart made her even more so. When she had been among the refugees, she had never complained about the dirt or the exhaustion while treating them. Who would have guessed that she was the daughter of a City Lord?
She must have grown up surrounded by fine clothes and rich food, yet none of it had corroded her pure nature. Ye Wen felt that this was the beauty of humanity, and he especially admired it. More than that, he wanted to spend more time with her, using Tingting's innocent and kind beauty to dilute the demonic roots that had taken hold in his own heart.
Not long ago, Ye Wen had suddenly begun wondering about something. The Blood Drinker Devil Blade was so powerful—why hadn't Mo Chengkong taken it? Why had he merely sealed it and then thrown it into an abandoned room?
Did Mo Chengkong not crave power?
No! He craved power desperately! For power and strength, he could excavate hundreds of ancient tombs. To become stronger, he could shamelessly deceive others. A man who would stop at nothing for strength had actually refused to take Ye Wen's Blood Drinker Devil Blade. There was clearly something wrong with that.
Moreover, the last time Ye Wen used the devil blade, the killing intent in his heart had once again seized control of his thoughts and body. He had clearly never intended to kill the Dao Sect disciples, yet they had still died beneath the blade.
That incident had put Ye Wen on extraordinary alert. He recalled what Mo Chengkong had once said about Demonic Possession, as well as what Monk Jinguang and Xuan Kong had said about demonic roots taking deep hold.
He suddenly understood. The evil power within the devil blade would not merely kill his enemies—it would kill him as well. It would turn him into a madman who knew nothing but slaughter. Perhaps by then, he would no longer be himself.
That must have been why even Mo Chengkong, who yearned for power more than anyone, had cast it aside as though it were worthless!
Thus, after meeting a girl as angelic as Qiao Ting, Ye Wen saw in her a chance to overcome the devil blade's influence. He had to make his own heart as pure and flawless as Tingting's. Then he could defeat the devil blade and control it, wielding its power without being devoured in return.
Ye Wen followed Tingting to her father's council hall. As expected, quite a few people were arguing red-faced inside. When City Lord Qiao saw his daughter arrive with Ye Wen, he coughed, interrupting the heated dispute.
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