Chapter 403 – City of Twin Moons (3)
Xiao Linfeng frowned slightly. “As you expected, we really couldn’t leave.”
Qing Zhu nodded. “Not only was the city gate closed, but it couldn’t be opened, no matter what. Moreover, even if we wanted to use some skills to leap over the city wall, we found that there seems to be a barrier on it blocking us.”
Yuan Tianwen said with a dark expression, “Even if you want to climb over it, you still can’t do it. The city gate is a mirror image. I climbed to the top and then leaped over the wall. Originally, I thought I could reach the outside. Unexpectedly, I actually climbed down from the wall to the other side of the city, but I was still inside the city.”
Lin Xuanzhi narrowed his eyes. “It’s similar to what I expected. Since this Great Demon-Sealing Array allowed us to enter so easily, it won’t allow us to leave easily.”
Duan Yuyang asked, “What news did you guys learn by going to the City Lord’s mansion?”
Lin Xuanzhi answered, “We found out a name and a time.”
So, he told them all about what happened to him and Yan Tianhen at the entrance to the City Lord’s mansion.
After listening to it, Qing Zhu commented, “Xuanzhi, you really are daring. Aren’t you afraid that this City Lord Yin will get angry and attack you?”
Lin Xuanzhi nonchalantly replied, “If he attacks me, I will run away. However, if he truly regarded me as Yan Chi, then he will never casually attack me, even if he hates me to the bone.”
After all, the Yan family was one of the Divine Clans. No matter how overbearing the Yan family acts, as long as they don’t attack the city first, it would still be impossible for City Lord Yin to casually attack Yan Chi, even if he has ten thousand reasons to do so. This was because the Yin family was the Royal Heavenly Capital’s subordinate and represented the Purple Emperor’s Heavenly Capital.
If he stirred up a war between the Yan family and Royal Heavenly Capital’s Xuan family, then City Lord Yin would become someone condemned by history.
Yan Tianhen spoke, “This City Lord Yin is really good-tempered. If it were me, I would definitely have invited that arrogant guy into the door and taught him how to be a proper human.”
Lin Xuanzhi said, “City Lord Yin is indeed tolerant. Only, he likely never could’ve imagined that the Yan family would actually commit such an atrocity that offends Heaven and reason.”
“Tens of thousands of wronged souls ah.” Qing Zhu sighed. “I wonder how long it took for the Qi of resentment in this Twin Moons City to dissipate.”
It wasn’t long before the third team returned.
The third team’s task was to go to the streets to inquire about relevant information and news, which took a long time.
Huangfu Jin’s expression didn’t look very good. “I couldn’t ask them anything. All those people could only say one sentence — the Little City Lord’s birthday is coming soon.”
Leng Jixue nodded. “I asked all the way down the road, and they all said the same thing.”
Ji Yunwei rubbed his chin. “The people I asked did say another sentence.”
“What is it?” Lin Xuanzhi asked.
“They said that the Little City Lord was born on the Night of Twin Moons; he must be the lucky star of our Twin Moons City.”
Bei Shitian swept Wan Yitong a glance, his expression somewhat ugly.
“Guess what happened?” Wan Yitong was suddenly amused. “They actually said that they didn’t have enough spirit stones to give me change if I gave them a high-grade spirit stone, so they wouldn’t accept it.”
Yan Tianhen, “…”
Duan Yuyang, “…”
They could even think up this kind of excuse to keep guests out?
Bei Shitian said faintly, “In fact, the original intention of these inns is to not accept any guests.”
Lin Xuanzhi asked, “What do you mean?”
Bei Yitian said lightly, “If you tell them that you have low-grade spirit stones, the waiter in the inn will say, ‘I’m sorry, guests. Because the Little City Lord’s birthday is right around the corner, our little shop is already full, so I humbly request the esteemed guests to please move elsewhere’.”
Yuan Tianwen, “? ? ?”
Yan Tianhen blinked and asked, “Is this the case in every inn?”
Bei Shitian confirmed, “The inns I visited were all like this.”
“Then…” Yan Tianhen said, “Did you go upstairs in those inns to see if they really were full?”
Wan Yitong patted Yan Tianhen on the shoulder. “Little brother, you’d better not ask.”
“Why?”
There was a nasty smile in Bei Shitian’s face as he answered, “Because all the inns are empty, no one is staying in them at all!”
Yan Tianhen, “! ! !”
Mother, I’m getting goosebumps!
He really shouldn’t have asked that one extra question.
“Alright, what did you guys find out in the City Lord’s mansion and at the city gate?” Huangfu Jin asked.
Qing Zhu simply told the third team what they had discovered.
After listening, Wan Yitong and Bei Shitian exchanged glances and seemed to have thought of something.
Lin Xuanzhi knew that they came from the Nine Lands and knew more than them, but it seemed that the two didn’t want to expose themselves, so Lin Xuanzhi didn’t ask.
However, Wan Yitong took the initiative to say, “Indeed, I’ve heard of the name Yan Chi before.”
Several pairs of eyes uniformly fell upon Wan Yitong.
Wan Yitong cleared his throat, rubbed his chin, and whispered, “Yan Chi was a son of the Yan family at that time, and he was even part of the main branch. Later, he became the first emperor surnamed Yan in the Royal Heavenly Capital. This person was extremely strict and tough on his subjects. After that, there were many rules in the Nine Lands established by him.”
Yan Tianhen frowned and was full of unhappiness. “Even such a bad person can become the emperor. It seems that the Royal Heavenly Capital doesn’t look at someone’s character when choosing an emperor.”
Bei Shitian added, “Moreover, starting with Yan Chi, Twin Moons City became a taboo topic. The legend we heard about earlier was the story after Yan Chi’s ban. Every generation of the Yan family’s leaders prohibited people from mentioning anything about Twin Moons City. However, banning people from discussing this was much harder than blocking off an entire river. There would always be certain things passed on by word of mouth. But the story has also changed beyond recognition. Furthermore, except for some people in the Divine Clans who dare to mention it occasionally, the other distinguished families and civilians are wholly ignorant of this matter.”
Wan Yitong said rather regretfully, “Even if the Divine Clans knew it, it was still only a hazy part of the whole story. For example, we only know that the Yan family came for a magic treasure, but we don’t know exactly what magic treasure it was. When did the Yan family attack the city? How many people were sent to attack the city? Since the Yin family was a vassal of the Xuan family, why didn’t the Xuan family send someone to rescue them? What makes me even more puzzled is that if the Yan family had already slaughtered the entire city and left no survivors in Twin Moons City, then who actually told the outside world about the events that occurred in Twin Moons City?”
“I’d like to know too.” Lin Xuanzhi said faintly, “What meaning is there for us being here?”
Wan Yitong paused. “I don’t know.”
Who knows?
They can only grope for the answers little by little.
Lin Xuanzhi asked, “When is that Little City Lord’s birthday?”
Leng Jixue answered, “After three months, during the Night of Twin Moons.”
“What is the Night of Twin Moons?” Lin Xuanzhi asked again.
“According to those people in the city, the Night of Twin Moons is when two moons appear in this city.” Leng Jixue explained.
Two moons were nothing rare.
The Nine Lands were large and all-encompassing. In some places, nothing grew and it was full of strange rocks. In other places, there were celestial abnormalities, such as several suns or moons hanging. He’d even heard Feng Jingyu mention before that from the first day of the lunar calendar to the 15th day and then to the 30th day, the West Land’s moon will constantly change its color.
Lin Xuanzhi nodded. “Let’s continue to analyze what those people said. Did you all notice that everyone in this city was referring to the same person?”
“Little City Lord.” Yan Tianhen replied.
“Yes, I am very curious now. Who in the world is that Little City Lord?” Qing Zhu asked curiously.
Yuan Tianwen frowned. “We can’t even enter the City Lord’s mansion, let alone meet the Little City Lord.”
Huangfu Jin said, “But according to the present situation, I’m afraid that the Little City Lord is a key figure.”
Xiao Linfeng mused, “We also don’t know how to find that Little City Lord. Moreover, his birthday in three months seems to be very important.”
Lin Xuanzhi looked at everyone. “Do you all remember that there was one person who was very different from the others?”
“Little Monkey!” Yan Tianhen’s eyes suddenly lit up as he snapped his fingers. “He’s different from everyone else. He could actually communicate with us normally. I think he must know a lot of things!”
He was the first child they saw when they entered the city yesterday. Although he spoke a little strangely, at least he didn’t repeat the same sentence over and over again.
Duan Yuyang nodded. “It seems that we should go and chat with Little Monkey.”
Lin Xuanzhi asked, “Did you guys see Little Monkey near the city gate today?”
Yuan Tianwen shook his head. “No.”
Lin Xuanzhi said, “We might as well go and look again tomorrow.”
Ji Yunwei sighed. “That’s the only way.”
On the second day, Lin Xuanzhi went to the gate of the City Lord’s mansion together with Yan Tianhen again.
After Lin Xuanzhi reported his name and family, the soldier made the same action and spoke the same words. When the troops in the City Lord’s mansion finished readying their weapons, and when that City Lord Yin stood above the gate, looking down on Lin Xuanzhi from above, Lin Xuanzhi changed his words.
“I am not a member of the Yan family. I am just an outsider who mistakenly entered Twin Moons City.”
As soon as Lin Xuanzhi’s words fell, the City Lord seemed to have changed into an entirely different face as he smiled.
City Lord Yin said, “On behalf of Twin Moons City, I welcome Your Majesty. There are still three months before my son’s eighth birthday. When the time comes, Your Majesty is welcome to come to the City Lord’s Mansion to attend the banquet.”
After saying that, City Lord Yin turned and left, and the soldiers also put away their weapons and quickly receded, as if they had never appeared before.
Lin Xuanzhi was stunned as he faced the soldier who had pointed his sword at Lin Xuanzhi before. Just when he was about to speak, the soldier spoke first, “Who goes there?”
Lin Xuanzhi, “…”
Very good, an infinite loop.
The next day, everyone returned in defeat.
Lin Xuanzhi still had some gains. He found that he could get different answers by using different identities.
It’s just that right now, Lin Xuanzhi still hadn’t thought of a third identity yet.
And that child playing with the ball also couldn’t be found anymore. No one saw him for the next month, as if this child had disappeared into thin air.
However, it wasn’t like the group gained absolutely nothing. At least the spiritual Qi in this city was very rich. One day of cultivation was worth three days outside. Every day, besides going to find out more information, the group took the opportunity to cultivate.
After another day of cultivation, Duan Yuyang pinched a talisman and sighed. “I wonder how much time has passed outside. We’ve been cultivating like this every day. If we can’t leave anytime soon, at the end of the day it will be too embarrassing.”