Yangcheng in Zhongzhou.

Li Yu rode Little Black at breakneck speed back to Yangcheng.

The guards on the city wall recognized the iconic black horse and Li Yu's figure from afar, and the news they reported reached the city like a whirlwind.

Upon hearing the news, City Lord Li Yang dared not delay and immediately led a group of soldiers out to greet him.

As the city lord who controls a region, Li Yang usually has a calm and dignified demeanor, but at this moment, when facing Li Yu, his face is full of smiles, and his eyes are gleaming with a sharp light.

As he hurried to greet her, he was pondering how to bring up the topic with Li Yu.

He hasn't been idle during this time.

Not only did he personally serve as an instructor, training the awakened members of Li Yu's Seventh Regiment to master the use of formations, he devoted a great deal of effort to it, and he also took meticulous care of Li Yu's people.

Li Yang knew Li Yu's personality; as long as he treated her sincerely, this "investment" would definitely pay off in the future.

As Li Yu entered the city gate, Li Yang bowed first, his voice loud and respectful:

"Welcome, Mr. Li Yuxing!"

Seeing that Li Yang personally came to the city gate to greet him, and his enthusiastic manner, Li Yu understood what was going on.

He nodded slightly and pointed out directly: "Lord Liyang, you've gone to a lot of trouble."

From the courteous treatment he received upon his initial arrival in Yangcheng to the almost grand welcome he is receiving now, Li Yang's persistence and sincerity have indeed left a deep impression on him.

Although it's unclear what Li Yang specifically wants from him, it's truly remarkable that the other party could maintain such an attitude.

Seeing Li Yang personally leading the way, Li Yu immediately spoke:

"Lord of Liyang City, thank you for taking care of the Seventh Regiment during this time. I will remember this kindness."

"If there's anything I can help with, just let me know, and I, Li Yu, will never refuse."

Knowing that Li Yang must have a purpose in doing this, Li Yu didn't hide it and spoke directly.

Upon hearing this, Li Yang was overjoyed, but his smile only grew wider.

From the moment he first met Li Yu at the gate of Yangcheng, he was always polite, making arrangements and taking good care of her.

That's exactly what he was waiting for Li Yu to say!

Li Yu's promise will be a trump card for him in the unpredictable game of chess in Zhongzhou, a card that no one knows about but is enough to turn the tide!

Even if this card can only be used once, that's enough.

Li Yang pondered the date; the Central Plains Championship was fast approaching, and all the city lords would be present.

He wanted to see then what the other city lords could offer him in the future forced alignment process.

Li Yang was inwardly excited, but outwardly remained calm. He quickly stepped forward to help Li Yu take the reins of his horse and said loudly:

"Lord Li Yuxing, you flatter me. It is a blessing for Yangcheng to serve you, and this is what I should do."

The news of Li Yu's return spread quickly.

When Li Yang and Li Yu's group returned to the majestic city lord's mansion, the gates were already wide open.

Li Yu dismounted and was about to go inside when Fu Xiyao and Ma Yuanbai, who had received the news, came out from inside.

Fu Xiyao spotted Li Yu immediately, and her eyes instantly lit up with a dazzling light.

Having not seen each other for so long, she could no longer care about being reserved and rushed over immediately, like a happy little deer, throwing herself into Li Yu's arms.

She hugged Li Yu tightly, her voice filled with an indescribable joy: "Li Yu..."

Another reason for Fu Xiyao's excitement was that during the time Li Yu was away, her teacher Murong Xue's special training for her had been remarkably effective, and her control over her own abilities had improved by leaps and bounds, as if she had been reborn.

Before leaving, Murong Xue expressed her satisfaction, saying that with her current rate of progress, she was good enough to be an asset to Li Yu and could act alongside him.

Unfortunately, the situation in Zhongzhou has changed drastically in the past few days. It seems that the Thunder Bureau is planning some major operation. Murong Xue could not stay any longer and after teaching Fu Xiyao for a few days, she hurriedly bid farewell and left.

Li Yu looked down at Fu Xiyao in his arms and felt the soft body trembling slightly, which warmed his heart.

He gently patted Fu Xiyao's back, sensing her aura, and suddenly realized that Fu Xiyao's temperament seemed to have changed, but after looking closely, he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.

It is an inner calm and restraint, like a piece of raw jade that has just begun to shine after being carefully carved.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from behind.

Knowing that Li Yu had returned, Shi Tuo Yan excitedly jogged forward.

His aged face beamed with a triumphant smile, like that of a child who had accomplished a great feat.

"Star Lord, you're finally back."

Shi Tuo Yan ran up to Li Yu, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to report:

"The interrogation ended long ago. I've pried open the mouths of those two 'deep-sea fish' for you!"

He recounted the events in a boastful manner:

"After my torture with the Corpse God, those two couldn't withstand it at all."

"At first, the two of them were stubborn, saying they were too tough to say a word, but they couldn't even last three rounds. In the end, they told you all the bad things they had done when they were young."

"Hehehe..." After saying that, Shi Tuo Yan rubbed his hands together and chuckled.

He stared at Li Yu without moving, his eyes seeming to anticipate her reaction.

Seeing this, Li Yu was speechless. Looking at Shi Tuo Yan's expectant expression, he could only helplessly agree, saying, "Well done."

Upon hearing this, Shituoyan immediately beamed with joy. He grinned, revealing a set of uneven teeth, and continued:

"Both of them belong to a secret organization called 'Deep Sea Watchers'."

"Their memories seem to have been forcibly altered by superpowers. They don't know their real names, only their code names: the seventh seat 'Dark Tide' and the ninth seat 'Abyss Shark'!"

“Deep Sea Watcher…” Li Yu’s eyes suddenly turned cold, and a chilling killing intent silently spread.

He immediately recalled the infant spirit whose life had been swapped, and the person who had done it, who claimed to be the twelfth seat of the Deep Sea Watchers, White Raven.

"As for their purpose..." Shituoyan said, a look of confusion appearing on his face.

"According to their confession, the mission objective was to infiltrate your team, Mr. Li Yuxing, find a man named Young Master Ao, and rescue him."

"But as far as I know, Young Master Ao wasn't... you, Star Lord..." Shi Tuo Yan stopped speaking in time, shut his mouth, and looked cautiously at Li Yu.

The rumored young master Ao, who was supposedly killed by Li Yu, is clearly still alive, otherwise he wouldn't have sent people to rescue him, but the two of them couldn't find him.

After learning of their purpose, Li Yu suddenly smiled.

But that smile carried a chilling coldness, causing Shi Tuo Yan to shiver involuntarily and quickly suppress his smile, tightening his face.

"Rescue Young Master Ao? The Ao family really never stops. They sent assassins, and now they're sending people to 'rescue' him." Li Yu muttered to himself, each word as cold as ice.

"In that case, I can't let 'it' go."