From afar, the city appears ancient and simple, like an old man weathered by time. The city walls are now scarred and marked with the marks of time, yet they still stand strong, a testament to their resilience.

Gu Changqing was now at the entrance of the city. In front of the heavily carved and painted stone gate stood a group of burly, tall, and imposing men. They were all dressed in armor, with swords at their waists, and had extremely fierce appearances. They guarded the city gate, making anyone who saw them tremble with fear and dare not look them in the eye.

Gu Changqing was about to enter the city when he suddenly saw a guard rushing out of the city and posting a notice on the city wall.

After the guard posted the notice on the wall, it immediately attracted a large crowd.

"What? The city lord has been killed?"

"Why was the city lord suddenly killed, and by whom?"

"Who knows? But whoever finds the murderer who killed the city lord and brings him to justice will be richly rewarded as the city lord's son, the new city lord."

"My God! Whoever can catch the murderer of the city lord will get a full ten billion top-grade spirit stones! Wow, this is going to be a fortune!"

"Why are you so excited? What does it have to do with you? You're acting like you can catch the murderer of the city lord. Don't you use your brain? If this person could kill the city lord, he must be no ordinary person. You know, the city lord is one of the most powerful cultivators in our city. I heard from others that the city lord's cultivation is at the peak of the fifth level of Immortal King. So the person who killed him must be stronger than the city lord."

"Yes, what this brother said makes sense. People like us with low cultivation levels should not even think about it. Such good things will not come our way. If we try to show off, we might lose our lives."

…………

After seeing the notice, the onlookers started discussing it amongst themselves.

Upon seeing the notice, Gu Changqing didn't hesitate; he stepped out from the crowd and tore it down.

Since we're bored anyway, if we can find the murderer who killed the city lord, we can not only get so many top-grade spirit stones, but also bring peace to the city. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?

The onlookers were stunned; they hadn't expected someone to take down the notice so quickly.

A kind-hearted man in the crowd warned, "Young man, you must not act impulsively. This notice is not something you can just accept randomly. If you can't find the murderer who killed the city lord, or if you find him but are no match for him, have you thought about what will happen to you? Not only will you lose your life, but you won't get any spirit stones either. Why bother?"

He thought the young man must be obsessed with spirit stones to dare to do something so dangerous.

"Yes, young man, you must not be reckless. Although the reward of top-grade spirit stones is very tempting, you must act within your means. I see that you are young and promising, but with your strength, you probably can't defeat that murderer. He is a Celestial King level expert. You must think carefully! You must not lose your life for the sake of that reward!"

Another kind-hearted man kindly reminded him, and the reason he thought Gu Changqing was not as strong as the so-called murderer was simply because Gu Changqing was young and he thought the other party did not have the strength.

But this was just his own opinion; he had no idea how powerful the young man in front of him truly was.

Gu Changqing was very grateful for the kind reminder, but he still said nonchalantly, "Since I dared to accept this notice, I am absolutely confident that no one has been able to beat me so far."

"What a handsome young man! Why would he be so foolish as to go and die? It's such a pity," a regretful voice came from the crowd.

This person didn't believe Gu Changqing's words at all, thinking that Gu Changqing didn't realize the seriousness of the matter and was just talking big to show off.

Gu Changqing wasn't angry at all. He just smiled helplessly and said nonchalantly, "It's understandable that you don't believe me. After all, we're complete strangers. You think I'm just a pretty face with no real strength because you see me as handsome and young. But it won't be long before I show you that I'm not just good-looking. My strength is also the best in the world, unmatched by anyone. Just wait for my good news."

"Young man, you must be careful on your journey. It doesn't matter if you can't find the murderer who harmed the city lord, as long as you can return safely," an elderly man in the crowd said with great concern.

The reason he was so concerned about Gu Changqing's safety was that seeing Gu Changqing reminded him of his young son, who had once taken down a notice and never returned.

Gu Changqing then left with the guard and went to the city lord's mansion to find out the specific circumstances of the city lord's murder.

In a short while, Gu Changqing arrived at the city lord's mansion.

At this moment, the city lord's son was sitting in the hall.

He was dressed in white, his long hair flowing and spotless, his eyes filled with sorrow. Judging from his attire, one could tell he possessed an extraordinary air.

"Young master, no, city lord, this man tore down our notice. He says he has the ability to find the murderer who killed the old city lord," the guard explained earnestly.

"Alright, I understand. You may leave now. I'll talk to this young master!" the new city lord said calmly.

"May I ask your name, young master?" the new city lord asked.

"My name is Gu Changqing!"

"Oh, Young Master Gu, do you really have the ability to help me find the murderer who killed my father?" the new city lord asked with some doubt.

Gu Changqing smiled faintly and went straight to the point: "Of course, that's exactly why I've come here. But first, I need to know how the City Lord died. Was it a revenge killing or something else? Do you have any suspects?"

"It's a long story. My father was probably murdered in a revenge killing. I can roughly guess who killed him, but I have no evidence!" The new city lord said with a bitter smile and a helpless expression.

He felt extremely remorseful and guilty at the thought of his father being murdered. If he had been home with his father that day, perhaps this tragedy would not have happened.

"Oh? If you have something to say, feel free to tell me everything you know, so I can have a better understanding," Gu Changqing said with a faint smile.