At the city gates, a large crowd had gathered, entering through a pre-arranged underground passage. They successfully merged with those already hidden within the city, shouting, "Lord Li's iron decree commands us to assassinate Jun Yelan."
"Even if we cannot assassinate him, we must disrupt this dead city and buy time for Lord Li to unite the various sects." They were all loyal followers of Lord Li, having risked their lives to come here.
Among them was Li Dali, who clapped his chest and declared, "Damn it, I must kill Jun Yelan and avenge myself and my master." If he didn't get revenge, he was no man.
If not for the selfish intentions of other sects, who disregarded his master's words, they would have already besieged the dead city, instead of resorting to such covert tactics. Fortunately, his master was wise and had been planting his people in the dead city for years, all in preparation for the battle tomorrow.
"Listen well, everyone. Tomorrow, we split into two groups. One group heads to the City Lord's Mansion, while the other waits. When the fireworks signal, the second group charges in. Make sure you remember!" Li Dali looked at his palm, reciting his master's instructions.
The others, upon seeing this, suddenly felt a lack of confidence in Li Dali. They wondered why Lord Li didn't send someone smarter; what use was a person who only relied on brute force?
Li Dali, lost in his own hatred, paid no mind to their disdain. He gazed towards the City Lord's Mansion and shouted fiercely, "Jun Yelan, you will die tomorrow night!"
They then proceeded to find their hiding places.
The next morning, Jun Yelan sat in the mansion, handling official business, and sternly regarded a scout below. "Tell the person responsible for repairing the city walls that if it's not finished this month, he'll be used to patch the walls himself."
The people of this dead city were without principles, prone to shirking their duties and slacking off.
The scout lowered his head and shouted, "Yes, City Lord." He felt a bead of sweat for the wall repairman, who had now drawn the City Lord's attention.
"City Lord, while investigating the city's inhabitants, we discovered that many of their family members have recently arrived. Even those who committed minor offenses have also come to hide in the dead city." These regulations were established by the first City Lord and had been consistently enforced.
Jun Yelan frowned. The city was about to descend into chaos, but he thought, "New growth emerges from destruction." "Investigate the whereabouts of these people; ignore the rest." He tapped his fingers on the table, lost in thought.
He was waiting for these people's schemes to unfold.
The scout, seeing this, turned and left, relaying Jun Yelan's orders.
Jun Yelan then continued with other matters, holding his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
Lan Yan approached from behind, carrying a teacup. She came to Jun Yelan's side and began massaging his forehead. "City Lord, have some tea. The work is endless anyway."
She felt sorry for Jun Yelan, toiling so hard without thanks.
Jun Yelan smelled a familiar scent, and his mood immediately brightened. He nodded, picked up the teacup, and drank it all in one gulp, saying, "The tea tastes different today."
Lan Yan smiled, "Summer has arrived, so I made it with lotus flowers."
Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan's smile and involuntarily said, "It's very delicious." Seeing the smile deepen on Lan Yan's lips, he put down his teacup, took Lan Yan's hand from his forehead, and shook his head.
"I'm fine now." He held her small hand, which was soft and easy to grip. With a slight squeeze, the back of her hand turned red.
A ripple of inexplicable emotion stirred within him again. He quickly let go and returned his gaze to the official documents.
Lan Yan, bewildered, looked at her hand, finding nothing different. She then sat beside him, as usual, eating some pastries and reading a book she enjoyed.
A subtle curve of amusement appeared on Jun Yelan's lips. He turned his attention back to handling the matters at hand.
Night fell, and two people slept peacefully in their beds.
Outside the door, the group from yesterday approached the City Lord's Mansion.
Jun Yelan was immediately awakened. He got up and looked at Lan Yan, who was still asleep. He shook her awake, his expression grave. "Many people have arrived outside. You should leave."
Lan Yan reacted, realizing another assassination attempt was underway, this time on a large scale. She said, "City Lord, I can't leave you behind."
Jun Yelan's heart warmed. Hearing the approaching footsteps, he took Lan Yan's hand and led her to a room in the back. Bai Hu was also there. He lifted a floorboard, revealing a dark underground passage.
"You go down here and don't come back." He added, "Don't worry, I will survive."
Lan Yan was taken aback. Then, she took a small pouch from her waist and placed it in Jun Yelan's hand. "This contains my slingshot, pebbles, and some spices. They're all for you, City Lord. You must return them to me later."
She wanted to give Jun Yelan a reason to live.
Jun Yelan's pupils flickered slightly. He clutched the small pouch in his hand and nodded. He would protect this pouch.
"Then, City Lord, I'm leaving." Lan Yan stopped wasting precious time. Besides, it would be easier for her to gather information outside and find Lu Qi and the others to rescue them.
She then took Bai Hu and headed for the underground passage.
Jun Yelan watched Lan Yan disappear from sight. He replaced the floorboard and returned to the front room. Good, he now had no worries.
He then faced the group that had appeared before him, drew the soft sword at his waist, and killed the dozens of people in front. "You should be grateful you're witnessing my true abilities."
Those around exchanged glances, swallowing nervously, unwilling to approach.
Jun Yelan gave them no chance to hesitate and charged forward, his sword swiftly dispatching those beside him. Before, he had been worried about frightening Lan Yan, but that was no longer the case.
The people around them immediately felt regret. Even cornered within this small room, they were no match for Jun Yelan.
Meanwhile, Lan Yan followed the underground passage, lifted the floorboard above her head, and successfully emerged into a courtyard. She looked back at the passage, wondering about Jun Yelan's well-being.
She knew that Jun Yelan was the City Lord and had his own responsibilities and duties, so he couldn't leave with her. That's why she hadn't said anything, trusting Jun Yelan!
She prepared to seek Lu Qi's help and walked forward. As she passed a window, she locked eyes with someone sitting by the window. She gasped, "Oh heavens, someone tell me why this underground passage exit leads to the Holy Maiden's Palace!"
The Holy Maiden looked at Lan Yan inexplicably and asked coldly, "Why are you here?"
Lan Yan did not trust the Holy Maiden and suspected her involvement in the night's events. "Why am I here? Doesn't the Holy Maiden know!"
"You've come to cause trouble for this Holy Maiden again! Where is Jun Yelan? He didn't come himself and sent you!" The Holy Maiden snorted, never showing Lan Yan any kindness.
Seeing that the Holy Maiden seemed genuinely unaware of the night's events, Lan Yan heard the sound of hurried footsteps nearby and had no time to waste. "A large group of assassins has entered the city, and your Holy Maiden's Palace will also be in danger."
She intended to provoke the Holy Maiden into action.
Seeing the Holy Maiden still standing there, Lan Yan ran forward, needing to find someone to save Jun Yelan quickly.