Bai Yuan's figure landed soundlessly outside Shrek City.
Four years had passed.
Bai Yuan frowned slightly.
"Have you heard?
The people up there have behaved much better these past few years. They no longer dared come to collect money."
"Exactly. Ever since that Black Armor appeared, those lackeys from the Outer Court have restrained themselves quite a bit."
"Black Armor? You mean the one from four years ago...?"
"Shh—keep your voice down!
Don't let anyone hear you.
That's the one, the Black Robe who cut down several Outer Disciples with a single slash.
Ever since then, the people of Shrek have become afraid.
They feared that Black Armor would return, feared things would get out of hand and become impossible to settle, so they had done far less extorting these past few years."
So over the years, he had cut off the heads of who knew how many "Outer Disciples."
He had also severed Shrek's hand as it brazenly plundered money here.
Bai Yuan withdrew his thoughts and continued forward.
After passing through the Shantytown, Shrek City's walls came into view.
Under the moonlight, the Cyan-gray City Wall stood tall and ancient, while the buildings within were arranged in neat layers.
A massive Green School Emblem hung from the tallest tower, emitting a faint glow in the night.
What a beautiful place.
Standing beneath the city wall, Bai Yuan looked up at the brightly lit city, and something indescribable suddenly welled up in his heart.
Shrek City was beautiful—beautiful like a painting, like a poem, like the holy land every Soul Master dreamed of making a pilgrimage to.
Yet this beautiful city had nurtured such evil flowers.
Outer Disciples who oppressed the common people, unspoken rules that squeezed them dry, arrogance that looked down on everyone from on high.
And