The Price! Guarding Zanghai City for a Thousand Years

Just as Ye Chen, Bai Zhan, and Zhang Daosheng were caught up in an emotional moment, the Westwind Lion King's voice came from behind them.

Only then did Zhang Daosheng notice the enormous... thing behind them.

"The Westwind Lion King?!"

Zhang Daosheng cried out.

Bai Zhan was speechless. You're only noticing him now?

The Westwind Lion King took human form and tossed Dong Shizhang's corpse in front of Bai Zhan.

Then, with a look of righteous conviction, he said, "This guy escaped into the sea when I ran into him on the coast. I happened to find him chasing this kid, so I got rid of him for you."

Zhang Daosheng froze. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected things to end this way.

Bai Zhan was stunned too. Seeing Ye Chen riding the Westwind Lion King had already shocked him, but hearing the lion say that...

It was still hard to believe.

The Westwind Lion King scratched his head sheepishly. "I brought this kid back, but there's something else. I heard my roar caused chaos in the city..."

"Well... I came to apologize and see if there's anything I can do to make up for it."

Zhang Daosheng and Bai Zhan's minds went blank.

Everything that had happened today was simply unbelievable.

They couldn't have dreamed up a turn of events like this...

The two of them gave the Westwind Lion King conflicted looks.

Judging by his aura, the lion had definitely reached the Bright Moon Realm.

The Human Race's front lines were in crisis, and only a handful of Bright Moon Realm experts remained to protect their territory.

Now a Bright Moon Realm beast stood before them. They could call him an enemy of humanity, but he could kill them with a single swat.

On the other hand, they could hardly call him a good beast when his roar had caused such terrible losses in the city.

The material damage wasn't what mattered. It was the elderly people and the children whose minds hadn't fully developed...

The two men sighed deeply. "Please leave, Lion King..."

The Westwind Lion King nearly lost his composure. "Come on! Give me something to do... I'll do anything!"

He immediately thought of that Bright Moon Realm octopus being torn apart before his eyes...

He had only just reached the Bright Moon Realm himself. He didn't want to die!

Zhang Daosheng was baffled. Was there something wrong with this lion?

"Please leave for now, Lion King. As for what happened, we'll report it to our superiors exactly as it occurred..." Bai Zhan said after steadying his breath.

The Westwind Lion King panicked at once.

"Wait... I have a huge Wind-Type Spirit Stone in my cave. I'll give it to you... Just forgive me this once..."

Zhang Daosheng and Bai Zhan exchanged a glance. The Lion King really didn't seem to be joking.

The Westwind Lion King gave Ye Chen a pleading look. Ye Chen shrugged helplessly.

"Old Zhang, Brother Bai, if he really wants to pay for what he did, let him protect Zanghai City."

The Westwind Lion King hurriedly nodded when Ye Chen spoke up for him. "Yes, yes! I can guard the city!"

The corner of Zhang Daosheng's eye twitched.

The ones most likely to attack the city were beasts. And a beast wanted to help the Human Race defend it?

Just then, Bai Zhan frowned. "The Lion King's roar killed more than fourteen hundred people in the city. Some fainted while driving, causing traffic accidents. Many more were elderly patients in poor health at the hospital..."

"And quite a few children suffered mental damage..."

Pain gripped Bai Zhan's heart as he spoke.

If awakening their talents hadn't strengthened people's bodies...

The death toll would have been at least dozens of times higher.

"Lion King, you're a beast. How many years do you think you'd have to guard the city to make up for those losses?"

The question left the Westwind Lion King dumbfounded.

He truly hadn't thought about what price he would have to pay to make amends.

"I... I don't know..."

"If even you don't know what should be done, how can you expect me to have the authority to decide?" Bai Zhan said, shaking his head.

If the Lion King had still been in the Myriad Stars Realm, they would have attacked him long ago.

But he was in the Bright Moon Realm now...

Still, Bai Zhan knew that even if the Lion King had remained in the Myriad Stars Realm, they could only have demanded an explanation. Now that he had admitted his mistake of his own accord...

Zhang Daosheng and Bai Zhan were at a loss.

"Then let the Lion King guard Zanghai City for the Human Race for a thousand years."

Ye Chen broke the silence.

The two men and the lion whipped around to stare at him.

Zhang Daosheng and Bai Zhan felt faint. You really dared to say that, kid?

Someone in the Mountain-Moving Realm had a lifespan of only three hundred years. In the Sea-Overturning Realm, it was five hundred. In the Myriad Stars Realm, a thousand...

Even a Bright Moon Realm expert had only two thousand years to live...

The Lion King had already cultivated for more than three hundred years, and Ye Chen wanted him to guard the city for a thousand? Wasn't he afraid the Westwind Lion King would change his mind?

The Lion King gave Ye Chen a long, hard look.

Zhang Daosheng and Bai Zhan hurried forward. "Please don't be angry, Lion King. Ye Chen is young. He doesn't know any better..."

"Fine."

"Huh?" Zhang Daosheng and Bai Zhan froze. "What did you just say, Lion King?"

Ye Chen grinned. "He said yes."

Zhang Daosheng and Bai Zhan began to question reality. This isn't how I thought this would go.

"But if I'm guarding Zanghai City... you have to take care of my three meals a day! Of course... I'll find the ingredients myself."

The Westwind Lion King swallowed, already imagining the wonderful life ahead of him.

Zhang Daosheng and Bai Zhan gave up trying to understand. This time, they truly believed the Lion King wasn't joking.

Behind them, the Westwind Lion King quietly gave Ye Chen a thumbs-up.

Perfect. Now I can eat and drink in Human Race territory without sneaking around...

As for guarding the city?

What a joke. With a Bright Moon Realm beast king like me stationed here, who would dare attack?

Though, as a Lion King... I am the only lion around...

Couldn't be helped. When spiritual energy first surged back into the world, humans shot all the other lions. I was the only one lucky enough to escape the zoo...

Bai Zhan couldn't begin to follow the Lion King's train of thought. "I'll speak to the city lord about this and have him send some skilled cooks to prepare your meals."

The Westwind Lion King was overjoyed. "Then wait here. I'll go home and bring over my precious Spirit Stone!"

As soon as the Westwind Lion King left, Zhang Daosheng pulled Ye Chen aside.

"Kid, tell me how you escaped."

"Yeah, I'd like to know too."

Ye Chen thought back over what had happened and gave an awkward laugh.

If anything, I was the one chasing Dong Shizhang...

"Well, the Lion King was out looking for Dong Shizhang, and we happened to run into each other..."

Ye Chen made up an excuse on the spot and fooled them both...

Until one day, when the two of them were drinking with the Lion King.

Drunk, the Lion King blurted out, "Nonsense! That kid was piloting a giant robot and chased old Dong Shizhang for over a hundred kilometers! I saw the whole thing from the sky!"