Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

Shen Wei meditated in his guest room at Wangyue Pavilion until noon. When he opened his eyes, Ye Qingci was already awake.

She was sitting at the wooden table by the window, holding a brush in her fingertips, seemingly writing something on paper. Her expression was focused, and the fatigue of yesterday had faded from her eyes, replaced by a sense of serenity.

The guest room has been furnished with new furniture; the tables and chairs are all made of brand-new pear wood, probably at Ye Qingci's instruction to the servants of Wangyue Pavilion to come and change them.

Shen Wei had no habit of prying into other people's privacy, so he didn't look at him too closely. He simply greeted him casually, told him that he was going to the City Lord's Mansion today, and then left Wangyue Pavilion.

Despite the crisis, Qingyun City remained bustling with activity, the streets teeming with people, vendors hawking their wares, and pedestrians chatting and laughing.

The City Lord's Mansion and Wangyue Pavilion are both located in the inner city of Qingyun City, but they belong to different planning areas. Fortunately, they are not far apart.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had long stipulated that, except for certain government officials or members of immortal sects who were on designated missions, no one else, regardless of their cultivation level, was allowed to use light-body skills or fly on a sword.

Although Shen Wei possessed extraordinary cultivation, he did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble, so he had no choice but to abide by the rules and slowly walk towards the City Lord's Mansion.

Before long, he could see the outline of the city lord's mansion in the distance.

Looking up, the most eye-catching thing is a gilded plaque hanging above the door, with the three large characters "City Lord's Mansion" written in vigorous strokes.

He glanced at the city lord's mansion without revealing his presence. He saw that it was built with blue bricks and had a vermilion gate. It was magnificent and well-organized. Although it was not as luxurious and ostentatious as Wangyue Pavilion, it had more of the solemnity and composure unique to government mansions.

Shen Weili stood before the gate of the mansion and bowed slightly to the guards.

"Shen Wei has come to pay a visit."

It seemed Wen Jingxing had given prior instructions to the guards. Upon hearing his name, the guards showed no hesitation or questioning, immediately stepping aside to let him pass with respectful tones.

"Young Master Shen, please come in. Go straight ahead and turn right; that's where the city lord entertains his guests."

He nodded slightly to indicate that he understood, then stepped forward and walked straight into the huge city lord's mansion.

The mansion's courtyards are secluded and tranquil, with pavilions and towers scattered in a well-organized manner. The paths are lined with exotic flowers and rare herbs, and birds, fish, and insects dot the landscape, creating an elegant scene that fully demonstrates the profound cultural heritage of an official's residence.

He followed the direction indicated by the guards, passing through several courtyards, and soon arrived at the gate of the courtyard where guests were entertained.

He raised his hand and gently knocked on the wooden door.

A gentle breeze swept by, and the wooden door opened slowly and naturally.

"Young Master Shen, please come in."

A gentle and modest voice came from inside the house; it was Wen Jingxing.

Shen Wei slowly walked into the room, where he saw that the room was elegantly furnished. A fine pear wood table was placed in the center, and a chessboard was placed on the table. Wen Jingxing, whom he had seen yesterday, was playing chess with a middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes.

The middle-aged man had a square face, calm eyes, and an aura of authority surrounding him. His expression was indifferent, and every gesture he made revealed the composure and demeanor of someone who had long held a high position.

Upon seeing Shen Wei enter, Wen Jingxing immediately turned to the side, a smile appearing on his face, and gestured for him to sit down:

"Young Master Shen, I knew you couldn't let go of the people in this city."

"Uh, of course."

"Come, let me introduce you." Wen Jingxing said with a smile, turning to point to the middle-aged man beside him, his tone solemn, "This is Wu Huan, the city lord of Qingyun City."

Wu Huan?

Shen Wei's heart stirred slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He had been to Qingyun City before, but the city lord at that time was not this person.

Although the selection of various official positions in the Great Zhou Dynasty is not entirely based on cultivation level, the higher the position, the stricter the requirements for cultivation level.

When he first came to Qingyun City, the city lord had only recently taken office. He was in his prime and possessed profound cultivation. Unless there was a major upheaval, he could not have been easily replaced.

Shen Wei felt a little doubtful, but he also knew that this was not the best time to ask.

He suppressed his thoughts and bowed slightly to Wu Huan:

"I have long admired the name of the city lord."

"Not at all," Wu Huan quickly returned the greeting, a gentle smile on his face, his tone humble.

"I had heard Jingxing mention Young Hero Shen before, and I knew that he was exceptionally skilled and had a calm and composed nature. Meeting him today, I can see that he is indeed extraordinary and lives up to his reputation."

After exchanging polite pleasantries for a while, the conversation gradually returned to the main topic.

Wu Huan raised his hand, gesturing for the maid beside him to come forward and pour Shen Wei a cup of tea.

"Since Young Hero Shen is willing to lend a helping hand and cares about the people of Qingyun City, then I will speak frankly and tell you about our current situation."

Wu Huan recounted in detail

"As you both know, about two hundred years ago, with the strong support of the five great immortal sects, the ancestral emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty led his troops northward and swept the remnants of the demonic sects to the northern border, thus establishing the Great Zhou Dynasty and protecting the peace of the people in this region."

Wu Huan spoke slowly, his tone tinged with emotion, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

"Previously, the area beyond Shuobei was the domain of the demon race, with various demon races occupying the area and constant conflicts. However, after many demonic sects were squeezed into the Shuobei region, many conflicts arose between the demonic sects and the demon race, and the constant fighting gave our Great Zhou Dynasty a chance to breathe."

"However, in the last ten years, a top-level demon emperor has emerged among the demon race. She has united the demon race and persuaded many demonic sects."

"Yes, I heard the sect elders mention this matter more than once when I was in the Fuyou Sect."

Wen Jingxing responded at the opportune moment.

Shen Wei was startled upon hearing this.

He had previously heard rumors about a legendary demon emperor emerging from the demon race, but he dismissed them as mere hearsay and never took them seriously.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be true.

If this is indeed the case, then this Demon Emperor not only possesses extraordinary strength, but also remarkable strategies and methods.

Throughout the long history of the demon race, there has never been such a capable person who could not only unite the fragmented demon race, but also persuade the demonic sect, which had a natural barrier with the demon race, to form an alliance.

Although the people of the Demonic Sect are despised by the Immortal Sect and the Great Zhou Dynasty, they are still human cultivators at heart. They have a natural aversion and fear of the demon race in their bones, and even when they are in dire straits, very few of them are willing to associate with the demon race.

What methods did this demon emperor use to make these proud and arrogant demonic cultivators willingly ally with the demon race?

Shen Wei's doubts deepened.

Liu Huan continued his story,

"As a result, in recent years, the demon race has been constantly squeezing the border, while the people of the Demonic Sect have been constantly infiltrating the interior of our Great Zhou Dynasty."

At this point, his tone had become somewhat helpless.

"At this moment, we are in the open while the enemy is in the dark. We don't even know why the Demonic Sect is invading this time. We only know that they have come with a large number of people and are very aggressive. We asked the Fuyou Immortal Sect for help, but the Fuyou Sect ignored us."

Shen Wei understood that the actual power of the Great Zhou Emperor was confined to the Central Plains, while the control over the other four states had effectively fallen into the wrong hands.

Even the appointment and removal of officials are mostly selected from the list provided by the Immortal Sect. It can be said that the Immortal Sect is the actual ruler of each state.

Now that even the immortal sects are standing idly by, Qingyun City has fallen into a state of isolation and helplessness.

Liu Huan, with a solemn expression, slowly added:

"These past few days, I have been ordering my men to scout the area, and we have found quite a bit of useful information. The demonic sect that has attacked this time is the Jade Dew Sect."

Wen Jingxing spoke up at the opportune moment: "Jade Dew Sect? I've heard that this sect is mostly composed of women, and their cultivation methods often involve despicable means such as absorbing yin to replenish yang."

"Hmm." Wu Huan nodded slightly. "But the strength of this sect should not be underestimated. The sect leader of the Jade Dew Sect is also a capable person. As a woman, she has carved out a path to survival in the chaotic and dangerous area outside the Northern Frontier and developed the Jade Dew Sect into a powerful force."

Jade Dew Sect?

Presumably, Ji Lingyuan joined the Jade Dew Sect.

"However, this demonic sect acts in an extremely strange and unpredictable way, and I still don't know where to begin in dealing with them."

Wu Huan sighed and looked earnestly at Shen Wei.

"Since Young Hero Shen is willing to lend a hand, then please investigate on your own. Our City Lord's Mansion will do its best to provide assistance. If you find any clues, you are welcome to come to the City Lord's Mansion at any time to discuss and devise a strategy together."

After saying that, he handed the token engraved with the character "City" to Shen Wei: "This is the city lord's token. With it, young hero, you can do whatever you want without any restrictions."

Shen Wei was somewhat surprised. After thinking for a moment, he silently accepted it and then nodded slightly.

"I will do my best."