Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

In the cold, damp dungeon, the air was filled with the smell of rotting straw and a faint stench of blood.

The dim oil lamp on the stone wall flickered, casting distorted and swaying shadows.

Lin Gui was roughly pushed into a narrow cell, and the iron door slammed shut behind him.

He steadied himself and quickly glanced at the next room.

Shea was sitting on a haystack in the corner with her knees drawn up to her chest. She looked up when she heard the noise.

Her silvery-white hair was still striking in the dim light, and her red pupils held a clear hint of melancholy.

He didn't appear to be injured, but he seemed a bit listless.

When she recognized the person as Lin Gui, her eyes widened instantly.

"Lin Gui?!"

She suddenly stood up and rushed to the fence.

The voice carried disbelief and a hint of barely perceptible panic.

"What are you doing here?! Shouldn't you already be..."

Her words came to an abrupt halt, and then, as if she had realized something, her face instantly contorted with anger.

She turned her head sharply and looked at the two fully armored guards outside the cell.

The voice rose in anger.

A trace of the aura belonging to an extraordinary powerhouse uncontrollably emanated from him.

The air in the cell seemed to freeze.

"Why are you arresting him?! This has nothing to do with him! He's just a messenger!"

Almost at the same moment that Shia unleashed her power, the two silent guards also took a step forward!

Two more intense and oppressive auras suddenly rose up.

Like an invisible boulder, it precisely and forcefully suppressed Shia's momentum!

Shea groaned, her body swaying slightly, and she was forced to take half a step back.

A hint of surprise and uncertainty flashed across her face as her sharp gaze swept over the two guards.

These two people...

She had never seen her in Karan City before, and her strength was definitely at the extraordinary level.

Moreover, their teamwork is excellent, making them far from ordinary city guards!

Where did the city lord find such a master?

Lin Gui took in the whole scene, his eyes twitching almost imperceptibly.

But a relaxed smile appeared on his face, as if he hadn't felt the lightning-fast exchange just now.

He walked to the fence and waved to Shia next door.

"Hey, we meet again, Shia. Looks like we're quite destined to be neighbors, even in prison cells."

Shea wasn't in the mood for jokes; she quickly lowered her voice.

"Are you stupid? Why don't you leave? They're obviously after me! Getting involved will only get you dragged into this!"

"I wanted to leave too, but who knew I'd be brought here after delivering just the last letter."

Lin Gui shrugged, speaking casually.

His gaze, however, bypassed Shia and thoughtfully glanced at the two guards.

Just then, a slightly noisy sound of footsteps came from the dungeon entrance.

The city lord walked in surrounded by a group of people.

Beside him was a young man with an arrogant expression, dressed in magnificent knight's armor.

His eyes were sharp, and a faint hint of sarcasm played at the corners of his mouth.

The city lord covered his mouth and nose with a white silk handkerchief in disgust.

His gaze swept over the two people in the cell and finally landed on Shia.

"Shea, the Wind Chaser."

The city lord spoke, his voice carrying a condescending, interrogative tone.

"Regarding the Black Demon Forest, the fact that all seven Golden Adventurer Groups were wiped out, with you being the only survivor, do you have anything to add? Did you collude with the demons in the forest?"

Shea took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and recounted the experience she had told countless times before.

How to accept commissions and how to cooperate with other teams.

How to encounter the Moraga and the demon horde, and how to escape by relying on the Ranger's speed and stealth abilities.

The encounter with Lin Gui was merely a chance meeting on the way home.

Her narration was clear and calm, but the young knight impatiently interrupted her.

"Coincidence? Chance encounter? Luck?" The knight sneered.

"So many coincidences piled up together, it's hardly a coincidence!"

"Why was it you who escaped?"

Why is it that you are the one who delivered Barnard's will?

Your explanations are far too weak and unconvincing!

Shia's face turned pale.

"That's the truth! If you don't believe me, you can send someone to the Black Demon Forest to verify!"

"Verification?" The city lord slowly put down his handkerchief.

"Demons now roam the depths of the forest; how can we verify this?"

"We just need a clear result to give an explanation to the fallen heroes."

"Give the restless public an explanation."

Lin Gui leaned against the cold stone wall, quietly watching this "interrogation" whose outcome was already predetermined.

The city lord and the knight's purpose was not to find out the truth at all.

All they need is a "culprit" to be pushed out to take the blame and divert attention.

Or... a "tool" that has value.

As expected, the city lord lost his patience, cleared his throat, and delivered his verdict.

"Based on the existing evidence and strong suspicion, I hereby sentence you both to death."

Shia clenched her fists suddenly, her nails almost digging into her palms.

The city lord changed his tone, becoming "magnanimous".

"However... I am not an unfeeling person."

"If you can prove your worth, perhaps... I can consider reducing your guilt."

Shia looked up abruptly, a hint of wariness flashing in her eyes.

The city lord continued.

"What I need is the Shadow Flower growing atop Morragus's head."

"If you can retrieve it, I will not only pardon your death sentence, but I may also bestow upon you an unexpected reward."

Shea's heart sank.

Sure enough! It's still this one!

This is practically suicide! Are they sending her and Lin Gui to pluck flowers from the head of a legendary demon?

That's absolutely unbelievable!

She subconsciously assessed the possibility of forcibly breaking through.

His gaze swept again toward the two guards and the young knight beside the city lord.

The young knight seemed to see through her thoughts and chuckled.

"Sia, or rather, 'Crimson Thorns,' we know you."

"You have a record of seven successful prison breaks across three city-states, demonstrating your skill in exploiting the environment and creating chaos."

His voice suddenly turned cold, and an aura of power far surpassing that of Shia pressed down on him without any attempt to conceal it.

It made Xia gasp for breath.

"But I advise you to put away those little thoughts."

"I am an extraordinary high-ranking knight, just one step away from becoming a legend."

"Your newly acquired transcendent strength is nothing compared to mine. Besides..."

The knight's gaze turned maliciously to the seemingly harmless Lin Gui beside him, his expression full of threat.

"You wouldn't want your 'friend' to be killed on the spot because of your foolish actions, would you?"

"He looks...just a high-ranking low-level mage? Pathetically fragile."

Shia's body stiffened, and the thought of fighting desperately that had just risen was forcibly suppressed.

She glanced at Lin Gui, who remained expressionless in the opposite cell, and a deep sense of powerlessness gripped her.

It's happening again...

No matter where you flee, you will eventually be driven to a dead end, and you may even implicate others...

Just then, Lin Gui, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, his voice so calm it was almost abrupt.

"Does the City Lord mean that just the two of us will go to fetch the flowers?"

The city lord frowned, seemingly displeased with his interruption, but still answered.

"Of course not."

"To 'assist' and 'protect' you, Knight Lyon will lead a squad of ten extraordinary warriors."

"They will accompany you deep into the Black Forest, ensuring you... focus solely on your mission."

The young knight named Lyon arrogantly raised his chin.

Upon hearing this, Lin Gui chuckled softly.

He turned his head, his gaze passing through the small window of the cell.

Looking out into the deep night, a hint of indescribable... anticipation seemed to flash in his eyes?

He looked away, a harmless smile on his face.

He nodded slightly to the city lord and the knight, his tone even carrying a hint of impatience:

"I see. Then let's not delay any longer, shall we set off now?"

"I can't wait... to present that beautiful Shadow Tree Flower to you all."

He smiled with his eyes narrowed, appearing submissive.

But when his peripheral vision swept over the city lord, the knight, and the two guards...

Yet it was so cold it had no warmth at all, as if it were scrutinizing a group of...dead people.