The City Lord's Mansion in the Ruins

After finishing off the Ironclad Beast, neither of them dared linger at the canyon entrance.

Shen Fei braced himself against the rock wall and stood, rolling his aching shoulders. When he had clung to the demon beast and gripped his sword hilt for dear life, the jolts had numbed his entire arm. A dull ache still lingered.

He glanced down to assess his condition. His soul force was almost spent, his dantian felt empty, and exhaustion seeped through every muscle.

Xiao Ning'er was in even worse shape. Her meridians were already damaged, and hastily carving inscriptions earlier had consumed most of her soul force. The shock wave had injured her internal organs as well. Now her face was as white as though coated in frost, and she had to lean against the rock wall just to stand.

"Let's find somewhere to rest first," Shen Fei said, his voice hoarse after the battle. "We're too close to the canyon. If another pack comes through, we won't have the strength to deal with it."

Xiao Ning'er nodded without speaking. Even opening her mouth felt like an effort now.

Shen Fei scanned the surroundings and soon found a cave in the rock wall beside the canyon entrance.

Its entrance was low, hidden behind thick shrubs and vines. Without a careful look, it would have been impossible to spot.

Though the entrance was small, the interior was fairly spacious, with room for two people to sit. Sheltered from the wind and well concealed, it was a good place to recuperate in the wilderness.

He crawled inside first to inspect it. There were no signs of demon beasts living there, only scraps of dried grass on the ground. Perhaps passing herb gatherers or mercenaries had rested here before.

Only after confirming it was safe did he come out and gesture for Xiao Ning'er to enter.

Xiao Ning'er bent down, crawled into the cave, and sat against the stone wall.

After catching her breath, she slowly unwound the cloth around her left arm.

The wound she had bandaged earlier had reopened. Dark red blood seeped through the cloth, and the flesh beneath gaped open, mixed with dirt. It looked rather alarming.

Without so much as furrowing her brow, she took clean water and wound medicine from inside her clothing, lowered her head, and slowly cleaned the injury.

Shen Fei stood at the entrance, parted the shrubs, and looked outside. The Rocky Slope was quiet. The Ironclad Beast's corpse still lay at the canyon entrance, and no other demon beasts had approached for now.

He also set two thin wires fitted with copper whistles on either side of the entrance as a simple alarm. If anything approached, they would hear it in advance.

Only then did he retreat into the cave and sit a few steps away from Xiao Ning'er.

The cave was quiet, with nothing but their breathing. Xiao Ning'er tended her wound with gentle movements, barely making a sound. Shen Fei took two dry wheat cakes from his pack and handed one to her.

Xiao Ning'er looked up, accepted it, and murmured her thanks. She took a bite of the hard, dry cake and chewed slowly, washing it down with small sips of water. Neither spoke as they replenished their strength.

After a long silence, Xiao Ning'er finally spoke. Her voice was softer and more subdued than usual, but it lacked the aloofness that had once kept others a thousand miles away.

"Thank you for today."

Shen Fei was chewing his wheat cake. At her words, he lifted his eyes, his tone even. "We just worked together to survive. It benefited us both. If you'd died, I might not have reached the ruins safely on my own either. Don't dwell on it."

He was telling the truth. Xiao Ning'er's weakening inscription and surprise attack with the loose stones had played crucial roles in today's battle.

Without her holding the beast back, even if he could have won alone, he would have paid a much higher price. He might even have had to use the Shadow Mantis. In the end, they had survived by supporting each other.

Xiao Ning'er said nothing more and slowly finished the wheat cake in her hand. She knew Shen Fei was saying what courtesy demanded, but she remembered perfectly well that he had told her to leave first at the start.

Someone else might truly have abandoned her and escaped alone.

"You take the first half of the night. I'll take the second," Shen Fei said after swallowing the last bite of his wheat cake. "It's dangerous to have our soul force drained. We'll take turns recovering. I'll watch outside first. You start cultivating."

Xiao Ning'er did not argue. She really was in poor condition, and forcing herself to keep watch would only make her a burden. She nodded, closed her eyes, and leaned against the stone wall, circulating her soul force to recover.

The cave fell quiet again. Shen Fei sat near the entrance, watching outside through gaps in the shrubs.

The sky gradually darkened. The setting sun shone through the entrance, casting long stretches of light and shadow across the ground. A cool breeze blew into the cave, carrying the dusty scent of the wilderness.

He did not rush to begin recovering. While keeping watch, he replayed the battle in his mind. The Gold Rank 1-Star Ironclad Beast had been even harder to handle than he had expected.

In a head-on clash, even if he used all his strength, his odds of winning would only be fifty-fifty.

They had won today by taking advantage of the terrain and catching it off guard. Once they entered the ruins, demon beasts of this level would only become more numerous. There would also be restrictive wards and people from the Dark Guild. He had to be more cautious.

He thought of Nie Li and Ye Ziyun again. Those two had entered the Western Forest. With Nie Li's abilities, they should have escaped safely. Perhaps they were already heading toward the entrance to the ruins.

Sheng Mingyuan had led the main group east in retreat and would most likely take a detour to rendezvous at the ruins as well. He just did not know how many more people they would lose along the way.

After thinking for a while, he gathered his thoughts and glanced at Xiao Ning'er behind him. Her eyes were closed, her brows slightly knitted, and fine beads of sweat dotted her temples. Clearly, recovering was no easy task for her.

People with damaged meridians recovered more slowly than others to begin with. After exhausting herself so badly today, she would probably need more time.

Shen Fei did not disturb her and continued guarding the entrance.

Night gradually deepened. Outside, everything went completely dark. Occasionally, a demon beast's howl drifted from the distant wilderness, too far away to hear clearly. The copper whistles at the entrance never sounded, which meant nothing had approached.

During the second half of the night, Xiao Ning'er opened her eyes. Her breathing had steadied considerably, and a little color had returned to her face. "Your turn," she said softly. "I'll keep watch."

Shen Fei nodded without standing on ceremony. He moved farther into the cave, closed his eyes, and began recovering.

The Dark Prison Reincarnation Art circulated slowly. Dark-aspected spiritual energy flowed along his meridians, gradually replenishing his empty dantian. This cultivation art restored energy faster than ordinary arts, and its effects were especially pronounced at night.

When Shen Fei opened his eyes again, dawn was breaking.

Faint morning light filtered into the cave, and the air carried the chill of early morning. Xiao Ning'er sat at the entrance with her back to him, gazing outside in a daze. Hearing him stir, she turned around.

"You're awake?" she said. "Nothing much happened outside. The Ironclad Beast's corpse is still there. It hasn't drawn any large packs of demon beasts."

Shen Fei stood and stretched. After a night of recovery, seventy or eighty percent of his soul force had returned, and most of his aches had faded. Though he was not yet back at his peak, he had enough strength to handle ordinary situations.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"More or less recovered," Xiao Ning'er said. "I can walk."

They quickly packed up and restored the cave to its original state, leaving no signs that anyone had stayed there, before crawling out.

Morning light spilled over the Rocky Slope. The Ironclad Beast's corpse lay at the canyon entrance, already stiff. There were no signs of other demon beasts nearby. Presumably, the aura of a gold demon beast had intimidated the low-tier beasts, leaving none daring to approach.

Shen Fei paid no further attention to the corpse. After getting his bearings, he led Xiao Ning'er toward the Gulan City Ruins.

The going was rough. Waist-high wild grass grew everywhere, concealing loose stones and pits beneath it. A moment's carelessness could leave them with a twisted ankle.

Occasionally, they saw collapsed stone walls, half buried in the earth and covered in vines. The farther they went, the more fallen buildings appeared, gradually changing from scattered houses into continuous stretches of ruins.

After walking for roughly four hours, they finally reached the outskirts of the Gulan City Ruins.

A vast expanse of collapsed stone buildings stretched before them, with no end in sight. Wild grass covered the broken walls. When the wind swept through, it carried sand and dead leaves into whirling eddies along the empty streets.

The original city walls had long since collapsed. Only disconnected sections of foundations remained, swallowed by weeds.

Xiao Ning'er stopped and gazed at the ruins before her, a trace of solemnity in her eyes.

"It's larger than I imagined," she said. "Gulan City was a medium-sized city back then. Even after all these years of ruin, you can still see how large it once was."

Shen Fei nodded. In his previous life, he had read records while serving in the City Guard. Gulan City had been destroyed by a Demon Beast Tide over three hundred years ago. The entire city had been trampled flat in a single night, and few of its inhabitants had escaped. Over the years, explorers had continued to venture here, but most stayed around the outskirts. Few who went deep inside returned alive.

"Don't wander around. Follow the main road in," Shen Fei said. "There isn't much of value on the outskirts, and it's easy to get lost. The core area is in the center of the city. The City Lord's Mansion should be there too."

Xiao Ning'er murmured her agreement and followed him. Treading over loose stones, they headed inward along what remained of the main road.

The main road was wider than the streets on either side. Though most of its paving stones were broken, they could still make out its original shape.

The houses on both sides had all collapsed, leaving only half-standing earthen walls. Their doors and windows had long since rotted away, and their hollow interiors were filled with rubble and dry grass.

They had not gone far when two bronze-rank Fanged Beasts burst out beside the road. They leaped from behind a broken wall and lunged at them with red eyes.

Shen Fei and Xiao Ning'er moved almost simultaneously. Shen Fei stepped forward and drove his sword through the throat of the beast in front.

Xiao Ning'er sidestepped the other beast's lunge, sweeping her short sword across its neck. In only a few seconds, both Fanged Beasts lay on the ground.

Neither stopped moving. They put away their swords and continued forward. Low-tier demon beasts like these posed no threat to them now. They merely cost a little effort.

The farther inward they went, the grander the buildings became. The houses on either side changed from ordinary homes to residences with courtyards. Though these too had collapsed, their better stonework and thicker foundations were still apparent.

There were fewer weeds on the road as well. People had likely passed this way over the years, treading out a faint path.

After another quarter of an hour, a relatively well-preserved group of buildings appeared ahead.

At the front stood a courtyard wall, most of which had collapsed. Carved patterns were still visible along its top. Behind it, several unbroken stone pillars supported the ruined eaves.

A flight of stone steps rose in the center. Moss covered the steps, and broken fragments of stone sculptures lay scattered on either side.

Shen Fei stopped and surveyed the buildings before him. He counted the steps. There were seven in all.

"Seven steps," he said quietly. "Under Gulan City's regulations, government buildings had at least six steps, and the City Lord's Mansion had seven. Ordinary noble families and wealthy merchants could have no more than five."

Xiao Ning'er took two steps forward and bent to pick up a broken piece of stone sculpture. Half a beast's head was carved on it in simple, ancient lines. Though badly worn, it was still recognizable as a bian.

"It's a bian's head." She brushed her fingertips over the carving, her tone certain. "Under official regulations, only the City Lord's Mansion could place stone bian sculptures on either side of its main entrance, to guard the residence and preside over justice. Other government offices could only use ordinary beast designs."

As she spoke, she pointed to the remaining base of the courtyard wall. "Look at how thick this foundation is. It's twice as wide as those of ordinary residences. The main hall inside also follows the nine-pillar arrangement, matching the city lord's rank."

Shen Fei looked where she pointed. Sure enough, among the ruined remains of the main hall, he could count nine thick stone pillar bases buried in the wild grass. They were much broader than the pillars of the neighboring buildings.

The two exchanged a glance, each seeing confirmation in the other's eyes.

This was Gulan City's City Lord's Mansion.

"City lords' mansions usually have secret chambers and libraries." Xiao Ning'er stood and returned the stone fragment to its original place. "Many ancient books and inscription texts would have been stored inside.

"Even after three hundred years, there might still be something left."

"There could also be restrictive wards," Shen Fei added. "The city fell suddenly back then. The City Lord's Mansion was most likely the last place to fall, so defensive wards might have been set up.

"Besides, explorers wouldn't have passed this place over. There could be traps left by other people inside."

He did not mention the Dark Guild. But both knew the beast tide ambush had been suspicious, and the Dark Guild's people had most likely entered the ruins as well. There was no way they would ignore a central location like the City Lord's Mansion.

Xiao Ning'er nodded and tightened her grip on her short sword. "Shall we take a look inside?"

"Yes." Shen Fei stepped forward. "Be careful and stay behind me. We'll see whether we can enter through the main gate first. If not, we'll look for a side entrance."

They climbed the moss-covered stone steps. The steps were slippery, their edges badly worn, and they had to plant each foot securely. At the top stood the main gate of the City Lord's Mansion.

The two heavy stone doors had long since fallen. One lay on the ground, shattered into several pieces. The other leaned crookedly against the doorframe, covered in cracks and marks left by blades and axes.

The plaque above the gate had long since vanished. Only a few recessed carving marks remained, their lettering impossible to make out.

Beyond the gateway was pitch-black, with a damp, musty smell drifting out. Sunlight could not reach inside, leaving them unable to see what lay within.

Shen Fei stopped at the gate and tilted his head to listen. It was quiet inside, with no growls from demon beasts and no sound of anyone moving. He bent down, picked up a pebble, and tossed it through the gateway.

The pebble struck the stone paving with a crisp sound that echoed through the empty courtyard. Apart from that, nothing stirred.

"No danger for now," Shen Fei said. "Don't get separated once we're inside. We'll check the front courtyard first."

Xiao Ning'er murmured her agreement.

Sword in hand, Shen Fei entered first. Xiao Ning'er followed half a step behind, her wary gaze sweeping both sides.

Beyond the gateway lay the front courtyard. It was large, its paving stones badly broken, with waist-high wild grass filling the gaps.

Directly opposite the gate stood the raised foundation of the main hall, reached by a taller flight of steps. Most of the hall above had collapsed, and its roof was long gone. Only a few stone pillars remained standing, supporting ruined beams.

Side chambers lined both sides of the courtyard. They too had collapsed, their doors and windows completely rotted away, their interiors piled with rubble and dust.

The two split up, each heading toward the chambers on one side. Shen Fei went east, while Xiao Ning'er went west.

Most of the side chambers had collapsed, their broken roofs open to the sky. The furniture inside had long since rotted into wood fragments, and dust and shattered tiles covered the floor.

Shen Fei stepped over the rubble and searched carefully. After going through two rooms, he found nothing useful. There were only broken pottery shards and rotten wood-not even a single intact sheet of paper.

More than three hundred years of wind and rain had likely rotted everything away. On top of that, earlier visitors had already searched the place, leaving behind only useless scraps.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard Xiao Ning'er's voice from the west, carrying a hint of discovery.

"Shen Fei, come here a moment."

Shen Fei immediately turned and hurried toward the western chambers. As soon as he reached the doorway, he saw Xiao Ning'er crouching on the ground. A paving slab in front of her had been lifted away, revealing a pitch-black opening beneath.

"There's a cellar down here," Xiao Ning'er said, looking up. "The slab was lifted recently. The dust on it has all fallen off. Someone reached this place before us."

Shen Fei walked over, crouched, and peered into the opening. It was deep, with a damp chill seeping out, and he could not see the bottom. He sniffed. Besides the musty odor, there was a faint trace of smoke, as though someone had been inside not long ago.

"Shall we go down and look?" Xiao Ning'er asked.

Shen Fei was silent for two seconds, then nodded. "I'll go first. Wait up here. I'll call you once I've checked that it's safe."

With that, he tightened his grip on his sword and slowly descended the stone steps beneath the opening.