Ye Wen didn't hesitate. He headed back to Demon Suppressing City with Mo Yuanyuan and the others.
On the way back, Ye Wen discovered just how mischievous Mo Yuanyuan was.
Dongfang Yu was Mo Yuanyuan's master, and among everyone in Demon Suppressing City, her father, Lord Mo, was the strongest.
Her father was a formidable figure at Innate Fourth Rank, on the verge of reaching Innate Fifth Rank. Dongfang Yu, meanwhile, was an expert at Innate Second Rank.
The acquired realm tempered the body; the innate realm cultivated qi.
There were very few people in all of Demon Suppressing City who had reached the innate realm.
Giant beasts were also called demonic beasts or magic beasts. If one had a Demon Pill or Devil Core inside it, that meant it was basically at Innate Fourth Rank or higher.
Ye Wen secretly compared this to his own abilities. With his current physical strength and defense, he figured even someone at Innate Fourth Rank couldn't kill him.
Of course, that was assuming they didn't use the special attack skills they had mastered.
When Ye Wen learned that so few people had reached the innate realm, and that his current strength was comparable to an expert at Innate Third Rank, he didn't let it go to his head. He guessed this place must be extremely remote.
They had ventured deep into the Endless Forest because the girl had heard from someone that an Immortal Lotus was about to bloom. She wanted to find it for her father and help him break through to Fourth Rank.
So, without a care in the world, she had led a squad of soldiers into the forest. If her master, Dongfang Yu, hadn't heard she'd gone in and chased after her, then by now she would have become the Giant Tiger's dinner.
After half a day on the road, they finally returned to Demon Suppressing City.
It was a very old and imposing city.
The pockmarked walls bore the marks of countless years. Chopped by blades, scorched by fire, and scarred with the claw marks of countless beasts, they told every passerby of the brutality of the battles fought in the past.
After passing through the city gate, which was more than twenty meters long, Ye Wen couldn't help but marvel again. From outside, the city had seemed so tall; now he had to add that its walls were just as thick.
Perhaps they had been built to hold back a demonic beast siege!
If soldiers in the acquired realm attacked this enormous city, how much would they have to sacrifice to take it, assuming they even could?
When the group arrived at the City Lord's Mansion, they found a middle-aged woman in the main hall, weeping bitterly.
She was the City Lord's Wife. Seeing her youngest daughter filthy from head to toe and covered in minor injuries, she couldn't help scolding her. But her daughter looked so bedraggled that she couldn't bring herself to hit her, so she could only cry and scold at the same time.
Another beautiful woman stood nearby, offering comfort for quite a while. At last, she sent Mo Yuanyuan back to bathe, treat her wounds, and apply medicine.
This woman was Mo Yuanyuan's older sister, Mo Ruxue, the Grand Princess of Demon Suppressing City.
Since the City Lord had no sons, the Grand Princess held power second only to her father, with authority over everyone else.
After learning that Ye Wen had saved Mo Yuanyuan, she said warmly,
"Thank you, Young Master Ye, for risking your life to save my younger sister. I hear you've only just left your village, so please stay at the City Lord's Mansion for now. Whatever you need, the mansion will do its utmost to provide."
She carried herself with an air of superiority. Though she seemed perfectly proper, Ye Wen could tell that there was more to this woman than met the eye.
After that, the Grand Princess had a maid lead Ye Wen to the guest rooms to rest.
Once Ye Wen had left, Dongfang Yu asked the Grand Princess,
"Has the City Lord still not returned?"
Mo Ruxue answered, looking worried,
"Not yet. He's been gone for so many days. I don't know if something happened to him."
"All right. Have someone notify me when the City Lord returns. I was badly injured this time too, so I'll head back first.
"Also, Ye Wen's background is extremely mysterious. You can try to draw him out. If necessary, find a way to keep him here and get him to join the Innate Mansion!
"He's so young, yet already comparable to an expert at Innate Third Rank. That's rare. He's worth making every effort to win over."
With that, Dongfang Yu didn't linger. He hurried off toward the Innate Mansion.
It looked like he had been seriously injured too. His meridians had been shaken, and he needed to circulate his energy and treat his injuries at once. Otherwise, he would be left with hidden ailments that could hinder his future advancement.
After Dongfang Yu left, Mo Ruxue's face darkened. She glared at the eight surviving soldiers, and their captain immediately fell to his knees in fright, shouting,
"Grand Princess, spare me! This subordinate knows he was wrong. Please let me off this once! I've served Demon Suppressing City diligently for almost twenty years and earned many great merits!"
Mo Ruxue said coldly,
"You dared to bring Yuanyuan to such a dangerous place. You deserve to die. The City Lord has already rewarded you for all your past merits, but this time you've committed a capital offense!"
"Princess, Princess! Spare me! It was the Little County Princess who forced me to go! I didn't dare disobey!"
The captain sprawled on the ground, shouting until his voice went hoarse.
"Take him away and execute him, as a warning to the others! The rest, fifty strokes of the rod."
Mo Ruxue gave the order without mercy. The other guards stayed silent, not daring to utter a word. They dragged the howling captain away to carry it out.
"What a time of troubles. Why hasn't Father returned yet? Without you here to hold the city, I'm afraid everything will fall into chaos!"
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