"It seems that this Nether City has quite a connection with the remnant soul of the Supreme One. Otherwise, how could she be so emotionally agitated with her cultivation level?"
Qin Luo pondered to himself, composed himself, adjusted his breathing, and braced himself to ask the old man questions as instructed, while quickly thinking of how to phrase his questions.
"Old sir, I am new here and am curious about the current situation of Youcheng. You have told me so much about the past, which has benefited me greatly. I wonder which powerful figure or force is in control of Youcheng now? I hope you will be generous in your guidance so that we outsiders can have a better understanding and not act rashly."
Qin Luo tried to make his tone careful and natural, with just the right amount of curiosity in his eyes, attempting to get the answer the Supreme Remnant Soul wanted without arousing the old man's suspicion.
The old man's half-closed eyes suddenly narrowed to slits, and he glanced at Qin Luo with a smile. The wrinkles on his face deepened with the smile, revealing a shrewdness in them. He sized Qin Luo up and down, then said slowly:
"Sir, you're not here to shop on Taobao, are you?"
The voice was drawn out, carrying a meaningful probing tone.
Qin Luo's heart tightened, and he paused in his speech, realizing that the old man might have already seen through some of his intentions.
But out of the corner of his eye, he saw the subtle rubbing motion of the old man's fingers and secretly understood his intention. He couldn't help but curse under his breath. In the midst of the conversation, he seemingly casually took out a drop of primordial spirit liquid, handed it to the old man, and said:
"You flatter me, sir. I do want to shop on Taobao, but I'm unfamiliar with the area and people, so it's always good to learn more. I hope you can give me some guidance."
When the old man handed over the primordial elixir, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. With a flick of his withered fingers, he tucked the elixir into his sleeve.
He then cleared his throat and slowly said:
"These days, the daily affairs of Youcheng are ostensibly managed by the City Lord's Mansion. The City Lord is a cultivator named Zhao Xuan, who is said to have exceptional talent in cultivation and is quite well-known in Youcheng. However..."
The old man deliberately dragged out his words, a sly glint in his eyes.
"Sigh, I'm getting old. I've forgotten most of the things. In Youcheng, we little people can only try to survive in the gaps of this net."
Having said that, the old man's cunning vanished instantly, replaced by an undeniable resolve. He raised his withered hands, his wide sleeves fluttering in the wind, and the already somewhat dilapidated shop door began to slowly close.
With the creaking sound of the door hinges turning, the door gap gradually narrowed, and the light inside the store dimmed.
At the same time, the old man gently waved his hand at Qin Luo and said:
"Young man, let's stop here for today. I am old and my energy is limited. I am exhausted after saying so much. You should leave now and not disturb my peaceful place any further."
After saying that, he didn't look at Qin Luo again, turned around and walked deeper into the store, his figure disappearing into the shadows, leaving Qin Luo alone standing in the increasingly cramped area of light, staring at the store door that was about to close, full of doubts.
"It seems this issue touches on some sensitive points, or perhaps that drop of primordial elixir was only enough to exchange for this information."
"But this old man actually saw through my disguise; the waters of Youcheng are far more treacherous than you think..."
Qin Luo gently stroked the fake stubble on his chin, thinking to himself, before slowly walking away.
Little did he know that after he left, the old man in the shop took out a letter paper and, with trembling fingers, quickly began to write on it.
One by one, words appeared under his pen, the content of which was a detailed account of Qin Luo's situation.
His physical characteristics, the questions he asked, his expression when he took out the primordial elixir, and so on, were all recorded without omission.
At the end, the old man hesitated for a moment, and instead of writing down the strange aura that had suddenly revealed a flaw in Qin Luo's body, he wrote down highly suspicious words...
After writing it down, the old man waved his hand, and the message paper transformed into a streak of light, shooting out from a hidden window in the shop and disappearing into the horizon in an instant, speeding towards the city lord's mansion in Youcheng.
Qin Luo turned and walked down the streets of Youcheng, his mind replaying the old man's words. The remnant soul of the Supreme Being within the ring also fell silent, seemingly hesitating about something.
Just then, Qin Luo suddenly felt the air around him freeze, and wisps of shadow seeped out from the ground, corners of walls, eaves and other hidden places, quietly appearing around him.
These shadows initially appeared as faint mist, but then quickly coalesced, transforming into guards completely clad in black night clothes.
They moved without making a sound, like ghosts; only the occasional rustling of their clothes and the slight breeze they stirred proved their existence.
One of the guards, who appeared to be the leader, stepped forward, his voice low and cold, as if it came from the deepest hell:
"The city lord requests your presence."
There was no room for negotiation in those words; it seemed that if Qin Luo made the slightest move, he would be met with swift and severe punishment.
"A Saint-level guard?"
Sensing that chilling aura, Qin Luo felt a chill run down his spine, instantly recalling the old man from before, and gave a bitter smile to himself.
"I never expected to have stirred up such a hornet's nest."
Just as he hesitated about whether to break through, the supreme remnant soul within the ring finally made up its mind, and her voice echoed in Qin Luo's mind:
"Don't be nervous, just go with them. Just do as I say. It's about time we met the ruler of You City. I wonder who this all-powerful figure is in You City after all these years!"
Hearing this, Qin Luo calmed down and did not refuse. He followed the shadow guards, keeping an eye on the surrounding environment along the way.
These shadow guards were agile, swift, and silent, clearly highly trained experts.
They led Qin Luo through a series of winding alleys, and the surrounding buildings gradually became taller and more magnificent, clearly indicating that they were approaching the core area of Youcheng.
Before long, a magnificent mansion appeared before them; that was the City Lord's Mansion of Youcheng.
The vermilion gate was tightly shut, and two enormous stone lions sat majestically in front of it, guarding the mansion's dignity.
The shadow guards led Qin Luo to the gate, knocked, and the gate slowly opened, revealing a man who looked like a butler.
"The city lord is waiting in the hall. Please follow me."
The butler spoke politely, but his eyes held a scrutinizing look.
Following the steward into the city lord's mansion, one sees deep courtyards, pavilions and towers arranged in a well-organized manner. After passing through a long corridor, one arrives at a spacious hall.
The butler opened the door and gestured for Qin Luo to go in.
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