The Lord Xiaowalus

After leaving the tavern, Ye Chen crossed the bustling streets and strode into the wealthy district of Frost White City.

In this area stood a vast estate, and the imposing mansion rising in its center was the home of the lord, Xiaowalus.

When Ye Chen reached the estate gate, two well-armed guards holding muskets blocked his path. They stared intently at this suspicious individual who had his face completely covered, then proceeded to question Ye Chen's purpose without a hint of courtesy.

"I have business to discuss with the lord; I wish to see him." Facing the vigilant guards, Ye Chen's tone remained remarkably relaxed, not taking their hostility to heart in the slightest.

"You have business with Lord Xiaowalus? That might be possible, but you must take off your mask first." One of the guards glared at Ye Chen with a fierce expression and issued a warning.

"My apologies, I have a scar on my face, so I would prefer not to let anyone other than the lord see it. I ask that you make an exception." Ye Chen chuckled lightly while offering gold coins to the guards.

To his surprise, the men didn't buy it at all; one of them simply swiped his hand, knocking the gold coins onto the ground.

"What do you take the Lord's Personal Guard for? Take off that mask, now!" The two guards cursed with angry faces. It was clear they were entirely different from the lazy, corrupt city gate guards, remaining fiercely loyal to Lord Xiaowalus.

"No." Ye Chen shrugged his shoulders, refusing decisively.

"Do you know who you're talking to? We are Lord Xiaowalus's personal guard! In Frost White City, you do exactly as we say! Now, take off that damn mask—!"

The other guard shouted irritably and reached out to roughly tear the mask off Ye Chen's face.

However, Ye Chen simply turned his body to dodge the arm, then reached out and grabbed the guard by the throat.

A faint Auling Power spread from Ye Chen's fingertips, pressing hard against the guard's carotid artery. Before the man could even retaliate, he lost all ability to resist, his expression instantly twisting in agony.

The other guard was shocked at the sight and immediately raised his musket, preparing to fire at Ye Chen.

But Ye Chen's left hand, which had pulled out his revolver, pulled the trigger faster than the guard. A bronze-colored bullet struck the musket in the guard's hand with precision, causing it to shatter and break on the spot.

"Ah!?"

The guard stared at the mangled weapon in his hands, completely stunned, while Ye Chen looked coldly at the remaining guard while still gripping the first one's neck.

At this very moment, Ye Chen could easily take the lives of both guards in an instant. He didn't need blades or bullets; his bare hands were enough to snap their necks with ease.

However, if Ye Chen were to kill the lord's subordinates right off the bat, it would likely cause the lord unnecessary displeasure, disgust, and wariness, thereby affecting the success rate of his plan.

It was precisely because of this concern that Ye Chen held back, choosing not to retaliate against these two ignorant fools.

Otherwise, they would have already been lying on the ground as two corpses.

"Go and inform the lord immediately. Tell him the Messenger of the Abyss has come to visit. Otherwise, I will kill this insolent fool!"

Ye Chen commanded the remaining guard in a cold tone.

"Ugh..."

Seeing that he was seemingly powerless against this mysterious person, the guard had no choice but to nervously open and close the estate gate, sprinting all the way toward the mansion inside.

Ye Chen tossed the unconscious guard aside, channeled Auling Power into the soles of his feet, and leaped, easily clearing the tall iron gate and landing on the marble floor of the estate.

The youth walked toward the mansion with a calm expression. He encountered many servants working along the way, who cast curious and suspicious glances at him, but the youth ignored them, focusing solely on the location of his target.

He crossed the spacious, flat stone path of the estate and finally arrived at the entrance of the fountain courtyard in front of the mansion.

Waiting for Ye Chen in the courtyard was a full row of Lord's Personal Guards holding single-shot rifles, ready to fire at any moment. There were over twenty of them, clearly assembled due to the warning from the guard who had fled earlier.

"Raise your hands now! Or we will fire!" A tall Frost White Person, acting as the captain of the guard, shouted at Ye Chen while aiming his rifle.

"I have business with the lord. If you don't want to get hurt, move aside." Ye Chen stood where he was, his tone cold as he threatened them in return, acting as if they were of no consequence.

"You're courting death!"

The captain was enraged by this and fired at Ye Chen without hesitation.

Ye Chen pulled his cloak over his face and sprinted at full speed, fueled by an explosion of Auling Power. Relying on the shock-absorbing properties of his Gold-Patterned Black Cloak, he deflected the musket rounds and charged straight at the captain.

The remaining guards were shocked and opened fire in unison, but the bullets were either dodged by Ye Chen or deflected by his cloak.

The few rounds that grazed Ye Chen's cheeks couldn't even leave a scratch on his skin.

His terrifying speed and powerful defense allowed Ye Chen to easily break through the hail of bullets and reach the captain.

The latter was shocked to the core; just as he tried to drop his rifle and draw his sword, Ye Chen was faster, landing a perfect uppercut to his chin.

Thud.

With a muffled sound, the captain was sent flying five meters away by Ye Chen's blow, losing consciousness on the spot, leaving everyone else dumbfounded.

"Alright, if you don't want to end up like him, move aside."

Ye Chen picked up the unconscious captain and issued a final warning to the remaining guards.

However, to his surprise, even after seeing the captain's miserable state, the men didn't show the slightest sign of backing down. They simply maintained their formation and retreated while holding their rifles, as if determined to guard the mansion gate to the death.

"..."

Looking at what was before him, Ye Chen first marveled at how truly loyal the guards were to their lord.

But upon closer observation, he suddenly noticed that every guard gripping a musket had the exact same expressionless face.

They had been making quite a commotion when he punched the captain just moments ago, yet in the blink of an eye, their expressions had returned to a calm state. This transition was far too unnatural.

It seems the lord's Spirit Art is indeed...

As this thought crossed Ye Chen's mind, the mansion doors were suddenly pushed open with force. A stern, authoritative shout broke the standoff between the guards and Ye Chen.

"Lower your weapons! Do not be rude to our honored guest!"

Ye Chen looked toward the source of the voice and saw a middle-aged Frost White Person standing in the doorway, dressed in magnificent robes with a pale, gaunt face.

Upon hearing his voice, the guards immediately bowed their heads to Ye Chen in apology, then retreated to both sides of the gate in perfect unison, forming a formation to welcome a guest.

The slender, middle-aged Frost White Person slowly walked out from among the guards and nodded at Ye Chen with a smile.

Feeling the noble aura radiating from him and listening to the unique tone of his voice, Ye Chen realized immediately that this must be the lord of Frost White City, the king of the Frost White People, and the target of his final trial—Xiaowalus, without a doubt.