Establishing Diplomatic Relations

Black Iron City, one of the largest Ability User-ruled cities in the Jiangzhou region, possessed formidable strength and influence.

Not only was its city lord a B-Class Ability User, but more than a dozen C-Class Ability Users followed him as well.

The more powerful the Ability Users ruling a city were, the more easily it attracted other Ability Users. And the more Ability Users gathered there, the more civilians unable to survive in the darkness outside would come of their own accord, creating a virtuous cycle.

The cleanup teams formed of Ability Users regularly cleared out the Dark Creatures around the city, controlled the rate at which the Black Tide formed, and built secure defenses.

Back when Zhang Rui had served as a messenger for Black Iron City, he had once seen some of Black Iron City's high-ranking Ability Users from afar.

These Ability Users usually wore black trench coats, with their collars distinguished according to rank.

For example, the collars of Black Iron City's E-Class Ability Users had nothing on them. D-rank users wore an ordinary bronze toggle, C-Rank users wore a tiger-shaped silver toggle, while the city lord wore a dragon-shaped toggle forged from pure gold.

Zhang Rui's gaze fell on the collar of the man before him. There was clearly a roaring silver tiger upon it.

A C-Class Ability User!

Zhang Rui silently withdrew his gaze, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart.

Lincon was absent at the moment, leaving Zhang Rui alone to negotiate with this Ability User as Longwind Fortress's representative.

And the other party had killed Li Sheng, who had guided him here, the moment he arrived. Did he truly find Li Sheng too noisy, or was he trying to intimidate Longwind Fortress?

"My name is Zhou Qing, and I belong to the Black Iron City External Affairs Investigation Team." Zhou Qing took a handkerchief from his pocket and elegantly wiped his hands.

He had clearly just killed someone, and blood covered the ground by his feet, yet his face showed no expression at all. It was as though the headless corpse on the ground was not even a person—not even worth as much as a chicken.

In the Dark Age, there was no law to speak of. Even if an Ability User killed someone within a city, there was no need to report it upward, much less outside the city.

The darkness would erode every corpse until nothing remained.

"The city lord sent me to take a look around. I truly didn't expect that news had only spread half a month ago saying that Longwind Fortress had just one guardian."

"Was the person who spread that news lying, or did this fortress truly attract so many people in such a short time?"

Zhou Qing revealed a probing look. He had already given Longwind Fortress a rough sweep just now, and the result was vastly different from what he had imagined.

He had assumed this place would be utterly dilapidated, but merely looking at the civilians working outside the city made it clear that reality differed greatly from his expectations.

"It's only that the people from Shangmai City had nowhere else to go. The lord of the fortress happened to be willing to take them in, so everyone stayed here."

Zhang Rui kept his tone calm. Before Lincon returned, he had to stall this man for as long as possible.

"Shangmai City? Those refugees who may have already suffered Mental Pollution?"

Zhou Qing snorted disdainfully. Back then, the people of Shangmai City had also gathered outside Black Iron City, only to be driven away by them.

After all, in a city breached by the Black Tide, no one could say for certain how many of those who survived were still normal.

To avoid being implicated, it was best to eliminate them all in one stroke.

Zhou Qing immediately lost interest. He looked at Zhang Rui with amusement. "Won't you invite me inside for a seat? Don't worry, Black Iron City has no interest in the grievances between you and Flint City. Our city lord is a magnanimous man."

As he spoke, Zhou Qing raised his foot, intending to step past Zhang Rui and enter the fortress.

Yet to his surprise, Zhang Rui actually blocked his path.

"My apologies. When an Ability User from another city visits, the rules require that the city lord be notified first. They may only enter after permission is granted."

For an ordinary person to stand in an Ability User's way required immense courage.

Especially since Zhou Qing had just killed someone. Before an Ability User, an ordinary person was no different from an ant.

Yet even so, Zhang Rui remained firmly in front of him.

Zhou Qing narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone gradually turning cold. "Messenger, while I'm still in a good mood, don't try to provoke me."

It was as though he were telling Zhang Rui to recognize his place. Although Zhang Rui seemed to have risen into the management ranks of this fortress, in Zhou Qing's eyes, he was still only a messenger.

"My apologies." Zhang Rui drew a deep breath, his gaze refusing to yield in the slightest. "I think it would be better to follow the rules."

Zhou Qing stared coldly at Zhang Rui for a long while. Then he suddenly shrugged, as if forcefully suppressing his anger.

"Very well. Then please notify your city lord. Tell him that someone from Black Iron City has come to visit and hopes to meet him."

Compared to Flint City, Black Iron City had chosen to send the more cautious Zhou Qing. Without knowing the strength of the person behind Longwind Fortress, they intended to first ascertain Longwind Fortress's true circumstances.

Yet Zhang Rui's next words caused Zhou Qing's suppressed anger to flare up at once.

"My apologies, but the lord has gone out on business. If you truly wish to meet him, please wait for a while."

"Are you messing with me?!"

This time, Zhou Qing's tone was more than merely cold. A faint killing intent filled the air, and an inexplicable chill drifted toward Zhang Rui with the wind.

Zhou Qing took a step forward. The handkerchief he had used to wipe his hands was already covered in frost, falling to the ground like a stone.

His figure flickered, and in nearly the blink of an eye, he appeared before Zhang Rui. A sharp ice spike condensed at his fingertips as he raised his hand and thrust it forward.

As an ordinary person, Zhang Rui could not react at all. But at that critical moment, a voice suddenly sounded from the side.

"What do you think you're doing to my governor?"

Zhou Qing's stabbing motion abruptly halted, stopping before Zhang Rui's throat.

Only then did everyone realize that Lincon had somehow appeared beside Zhou Qing and seized his wrist.

"The lord is back!"

"Have they already resolved the water source problem?"

"He returned at just the right time."

The subjects rejoiced. How could they not have sensed the tense atmosphere during Zhang Rui's exchange with Zhou Qing? They had been anxious beyond measure.

They had only just found a shelter willing to take them in, and its city lord was so gentle besides. No one wanted this situation to be destroyed.

Now that Lincon had returned in time, everyone immediately found their backbone.

Zhang Rui, standing at the center of the confrontation, visibly let out a breath of relief. "My lord, you're finally back!"

Had he returned any later, Zhang Rui would likely have become a headless corpse on the ground, just like Li Sheng.

Feeling the terrifying strength coming from his wrist, Zhou Qing frowned.

Could the final person guarding Longwind Fortress be an enhancement-type Ability User?

Zhou Qing voluntarily dispersed the ice energy at his fingertips, his attitude making a complete reversal.

"Honored Longwind Fortress Guardian, greetings. I am the captain of the Black Iron City External Affairs Investigation Team. By order of the city lord, I have come specifically to establish diplomatic relations with Longwind Fortress."