A path for each

The moment Nie Li spoke, the air around them seemed to freeze.

No one present was a fool. They could all hear the weight behind his words.

The Dark Guild's night raid and the Abyssal Troll breaking through the array had threatened the safety of the entire City Lord's Mansion. As the heir personally appointed by the city lord, Ye Han had been absent from the city at a critical moment. That alone was enough to give people something to criticize.

It was only out of consideration for Ye Zong's dignity that no one had dared say it in public.

Now that Nie Li had pierced that veil so bluntly, everyone was startled.

Watching from a corner, Shen Fei laughed inwardly. Nie Li's tongue was as cutting as ever, always trampling where it hurt most. He looked up at Ye Han, curious to see how he would respond.

Ye Han's expression darkened for a few seconds before quickly returning to its usual mildness.

He even smiled. "You're right, young brother. I spent years training abroad and failed to return in time to protect the city. That was indeed my fault. But I trained to improve my strength so that I could better shoulder Glory City's future. Surely I couldn't spend my whole life guarding this little patch of land, gazing at the sky from the bottom of a well."

His words hid steel beneath their softness. On the surface, he admitted his mistake, but in truth, he mocked Nie Li for having narrow horizons and no experience of the world, for knowing only how to play petty tricks in a small city.

Several people beside him immediately chimed in. They were young members of minor families close to the Sacred Family, and they spoke with ingratiating smiles. "Young Master Ye Han is right! Anyone who means to accomplish great things must look to the future. How could he stay in the city every day? Besides, with the city lord here holding the fort, there was no need for the young master to rush back." "Exactly, exactly. Young Master Ye Han will inherit the city lord's position someday. Of course he sees things on a different scale."

Shen Yue had also squeezed into the crowd, nodding and bowing as he added a few flattering remarks, hoping Ye Han would remember his face. Ye Han swept him a indifferent glance and gave a slight nod without saying a word. Clearly, he thought little of him.

Shen Fei shook his head at Shen Yue's fawning manner. He was practically throwing himself at the man's feet, without the slightest concern for his own dignity.

"Look, people are already picking sides." Shen Fei tilted his chin toward them as he spoke to Xiao Ning'er, his tone faintly mocking. "Their noses are sharp. They've already decided Ye Han will be the next city lord."

Xiao Ning'er frowned without answering. She felt uneasy. Nie Li was the one who had fought with everything he had to defend the city last night, yet now Ye Han had returned and stolen all the limelight.

But that was reality. The great families cared more about status and succession rights. However capable Nie Li might be, he was a commoner by birth and would always be an outsider in their eyes.

After a brief silence, she turned to Shen Fei. "Then who do you think would be better suited to inherit the city lord's position?"

Shen Fei answered almost without hesitation. "Nie Li, of course."

Xiao Ning'er paused, then nodded. "True. In terms of ability, he's far stronger than Ye Han. He provided the Ten Thousand Demons and Spirits Array, killed the Abyssal Troll, and drove back the Dark Guild several times. With him here, Glory City would certainly be much safer."

But when she finished, she saw Shen Fei shake his head.

"What is it?" Xiao Ning'er asked in confusion. "You don't think he's suitable?"

"He is, but he won't stay here to become city lord." Shen Fei lifted his wine cup and gently swirled its contents, his tone certain.

"Just look at what he's shown us so far. A Legend Rank formation array, lost pill formulas, ancient inscriptions no one recognizes-which of those could come from a little place like Glory City? Neither his horizons nor his legacy belong to this city."

"Once he deals with the Dark Guild and puts down the Demon Beast Tide, he'll definitely leave. He'll go somewhere greater and see a wider world. This city is too small to hold him."

Xiao Ning'er remained silent for a long time after hearing that.

She carefully recalled everything that had happened since she met Nie Li, from making a stunning debut during the Soul Force test, to restoring the Legendary Fragment in the Gulan Ruins, to slaying the Black Gold Troll with an array at the City Lord's Mansion. He seemed to always have another card hidden up his sleeve, always possessing some unexpected ability.

He was like a luminous pearl that had briefly settled in the shallows. Sooner or later, he would return to the deep sea.

"That's true." She sighed softly. "Someone like him really wouldn't stay here forever."

The clash at the banquet continued. Seeing that he could gain no advantage in their war of words, Ye Han stopped tangling with Nie Li. He excused himself to offer toasts to the family heads, then turned and left.

Before leaving, he gave Nie Li a long look, unable to conceal the hostility in his eyes.

Nie Li shrugged indifferently and handed the Ice Jade Bracelet to Ye Ziyun, telling her to keep it for now. After all, there was no reason to take back a gift once given. Ye Ziyun accepted it helplessly and quietly chided him for being too impulsive. Nie Li only smiled without answering.

The crowd gradually dispersed. As though the little incident had never happened, the banquet grew lively again.

Xiao Ning'er watched the guests socializing, then turned to Shen Fei beside her. The light fell across his profile, outlining his jaw clearly. He was leisurely shelling peanuts, his gaze calm, as though he took nothing to heart yet saw everything.

The more time she spent with him, the more unfathomable Shen Fei seemed. He always appeared calm, seemed to know a little about everything in advance, and judged people with frightening accuracy.

In the Gulan Ruins, he had pinpointed the hidden compartment in the City Lord's Mansion and helped kill a Gold Rank Ironclad Beast. After returning, he had quietly secured his footing within his family.

Though he, too, was a son of a great family, he always seemed like an outsider, standing to one side and watching everyone else.

"What about you?" Xiao Ning'er suddenly asked.

Shen Fei's hands paused over the peanut. He looked up at her. "What about me?"

"What path do you want to take in the future?" Xiao Ning'er looked into his eyes and asked earnestly, "Will you leave Glory City like Nie Li?"

Shen Fei had not expected that question. He froze for a few seconds, then gave a low chuckle. Tossing the shelled peanut into his mouth, he brushed the crumbs from his hands, a slightly careless smile on his lips. "That's a secret."

"Fine, keep it to yourself." Xiao Ning'er pursed her lips and turned back to her wine, yet felt an inexplicable pang of disappointment.

She did not know what she had been hoping for. She simply felt, instinctively, that Shen Fei was different from those sons of great families who knew only how to fight for power and profit. Surely he had plans of his own.

Shen Fei offered no explanation.

There was really nothing secret about his path. It was just that no one would believe him if he told them.

In his previous life, he had died on the city wall, determined to drag down one more Demon Beast and save a few more people even as he faced certain death. Now that he had been reborn, his greatest goal was to defend this city and protect those he had failed to protect before.

To expose the Dark Guild's schemes, pull out the nails Shen Hong had planted throughout the city, and ensure that when the Demon Beast Tide came, corpses would no longer litter the ground as they had in his previous life.

Of course, there was no need to say any of that aloud. Saying it would only make him sound affected.

"By the way." Shen Fei changed the subject, lowering his voice further. "Now that Ye Han is back, you should be more careful. He's ambitious, and there's nothing he wouldn't do to secure the city lord's position.

"The Winged Dragon Family has been working closely with the City Lord's Mansion on inscriptions lately. Don't get caught up in the struggle over the succession."

Something stirred in Xiao Ning'er's heart. She looked up at him. "You mean he might move against the great families?"

"Hard to say." Shen Fei shook his head. "But you should never let down your guard against others. Think about it. He's spent years away, so his roots in the city are shallow. To secure his position as heir, he'll have to win over the major families.

"If he can't win them over, he might use other methods. As for the Sacred Family, my father will probably declare his allegiance soon. Just keep that in mind."

He knew Shen Hong all too well. Shen Hong always put profit first. Whoever wielded power in a way that benefited the Sacred Family was the person he would side with.

Ye Han was the rightful heir to the city lord's position. Shen Hong would most likely take the initiative to curry favor, perhaps even using Shen Yue's connection to attach himself to Ye Han.

Xiao Ning'er nodded and took his words to heart.

The banquet carried on until late into the night.

Ye Zong drank quite a bit. He publicly praised Nie Li's achievements in defending the city and spoke of the happy occasion of Ye Han's return. His every word radiated harmony, as though their earlier clash had never happened.

The guests took their leave one after another, and Shen Fei followed Shen Hong outside. Shen Hong said nothing along the way, his brows faintly furrowed. Clearly, he was calculating something.

Shen Yue walked beside them, chattering about how impressive Ye Han was and how he would certainly make a fine city lord someday.

Shen Fei walked at the rear and glanced up at the night sky. Dark clouds veiled the moon, and the starlight was faint.

He knew Ye Han's return was like throwing a stone into still water. The surface might appear calm, but the currents underneath would only grow more turbulent.

The Dark Guild still lurked in the shadows, watching like a tiger awaiting its prey, and now there was an ambitious heir within the city as well. The days ahead would likely be anything but peaceful.

Still, that was just as well.

The greater the chaos, the easier it would be for him to act.

Shen Fei lowered his gaze and followed the crowd outside at an unhurried pace. His fingers, hidden in his sleeve, rubbed lightly together. A faint, cool sensation still lingered there from circulating the Dark Prison Reincarnation Art.

The road was still long. He could take it one step at a time.