The Kingdom of Tatu, City of Hurricanes.
Geographically, the city was situated in a vast plain, nestled by mountains and water, and adjacent to the royal city of the Tatu Kingdom.
By all accounts, it should have been a prosperous city.
However—
Upon entering the city, Chen Yu felt greatly surprised.
Within the city, there was no sign of the liveliness befitting a city adjacent to the royal capital. The internal structures of the entire city were aged, appearing as if they hadn't been repaired in a long time.
The streets of the urban area were also riddled with potholes.
Let alone a city adjacent to the royal capital, even the cities surrounding the Free City-State where Chen Yu was located felt considerably better than this one.
Despite its imposing appearance before entering,
The stark contrast between the outside and inside left Chen Yu and the others incredulous.
"What a run-down city."
Nuo Yi, craning his neck to look, couldn't help but exclaim.
It was no wonder Nuo Yi made such a remark. Since entering the city, they had barely seen a single decent building; there were broken stalls and dilapidated houses with open roofs everywhere.
However, the city guards, clad in armor, seemed to be equipped with advanced gear.
Thinking of this, Nuo Yi became even more disdainful of the city guards. He surmised that the city had been constantly extorting the common people, leaving them in poverty while the nobles within the city were clad in opulent attire.
"What a bunch of scum."
"They've certainly put effort into their public image. Look how dilapidated the city is; even the small vassal cities of our He Town are better developed than this."
Nuo Yi wrinkled his nose and snorted softly. Chen Yu, however, frowned without speaking.
He noticed something peculiar.
The cavalry vanguard, who had seemed relaxed outside the city, became highly tense once inside.
Their hands rested on the swords at their waists, perpetually ready to draw them.
Suddenly—
From the dilapidated houses in the distance, over a dozen refugees, ragged and disheveled, swarmed out, holding broken bowls and stumbling towards the city guards, where they fell to their knees.
"Guards, please spare some food."
"Give us something to eat!"
The refugees wailed, holding out their broken bowls. To their surprise, the armored city guards showed no mercy, kicking at the refugees.
"Scram!"
"Don't get in the way."
"Go, drag these people to the side."
The guards waved their hands impatiently. Then, several guards stepped out, dragging the refugees to the sides of the road. Nuo Yi, who had already found this unbearable, was filled with righteous anger. An astonishing aura surged within him as he grabbed the hand of the city guard dragging a refugee.
"What are you doing?"
"They are your city's people, asking you for food. Is this necessary?"
"Careful!" Before Nuo Yi could finish speaking, Deputy Knight Commander Lauren cried out, drawing his sword and slashing at the refugee beside Nuo Yi.
Only then did Nuo Yi notice that a dagger was hidden beneath the refugee's sleeve.
The moment she intervened, the dagger had already been thrust towards her.
Fortunately, Lauren's reaction was swift. The blade severed the refugee's arm, and blood spurted out. Upon seeing this, the other refugees scattered.
"Are you alright?"
Sheathing his sword, Lauren walked to Nuo Yi's side with a grave expression.
Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Nuo Yi was somewhat dazed. She stared blankly at the severed arm and the dagger clutched in the hand, then furrowed her brow, remaining silent for a long while.
"Please, stay behind our knight order."
"The situation within our City of Hurricanes is rather complex. Should you encounter danger within the city, our knight order will bear the primary responsibility."
"We implore you, do not act rashly again."
Fully aware of her misstep, Nuo Yi pursed her lips and, after a long pause, quietly retreated to Chen Yu's side. Chen Yu, having witnessed the scene firsthand, also frowned, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Commander Lauren, why would these refugees try to assassinate us?"
He was certain these refugees weren't after the Tiger Tally.
If they were truly aiming for the Tiger Tally through covert assassination, the target would have been him, not Nuo Yi, who had come to their aid.
Moreover, these refugees were all very weak.
The one who had attacked Nuo Yi was only at the Silver level, and those surrounding the obvious assassin were not even at the Bronze realm, with barely any Black Iron individuals.
With such a setup, it would be laughable if an underground force had dispatched them here to vie for the Tiger Tally.
Having experienced an assassination attempt, the knight order members became even more vigilant. Lauren sighed dejectedly and spoke in a low voice.
"To tell you the truth, our City of Hurricanes is currently experiencing a rebellion."
"Rebellion?" Chen Yu exclaimed in surprise. Lauren continued in a low tone, "Yes, the City of Hurricanes is not managed by the City Lord's Mansion anymore. The entire city is now divided into numerous factions, and the internal situation is extremely chaotic. Many refugees within the city are not true refugees. Perhaps they are disguised as refugees by those factions, intending to strike us when our guard is down."
"So that's why you are so heavily armed," Chen Yu murmured.
Lauren nodded, his expression somber.
"We have no choice but to be vigilant. Many of our brothers in the City Lord's Mansion's knight order have died this way. To ensure our safety, the City Lord had no choice but to purchase equipment at a high price from the equipment merchants for our knight order. As for their attack on the lady beside you earlier, it was likely intended to provoke your anger towards us. If she had met with misfortune, I believe you would have taken your anger out on us, wouldn't you?"
"Indeed."
Chen Yu nodded slightly, then changed the subject.
"Then why are there so many refugees in your City of Hurricanes?"
"This..."
Lauren suddenly looked hesitant. Noticing his difficulty, Chen Yu smiled and said,
"It's fine if it's inconvenient to say. I'm just curious and asking casually, so please don't mind, Commander Lauren."
"Alas, it's nothing too serious."
After a moment of contemplation, Lauren decided not to hide anything and forced a bitter smile.
"Our refugees in the City of Hurricanes are actually fleeing from various places. Many cities are currently experiencing rebellions, so the number of refugees naturally increases."
"The Cave Kingdoms have always had many refugees; why would they come to your city?"
Rarely, the little demon suddenly spoke.
"Um, probably... due to our City of Hurricanes' geographical location," Lauren mused for a moment. "To escape the Kingdom of Tatu, the City of Hurricanes is a necessary route. Forget it, I'll tell you the truth. In fact, the entire Kingdom of Tatu has become chaotic!"