Volume Two, Travels through the State of Qi Chapter Ninety-Four: To the City Lord’s Residence

Since the system gave no instruction, Zhang Heng had no choice but to take the initiative.

When he stepped outside and saw the many pairs of hopeful eyes upon him, he closed his own, then spoke aloud in a voice touched with spiritual force.

“People of Huanxi City, rest assured. I will see that justice is done for you. Before long, this city will be restored to normal.”

Zhang Heng did not know why this small city bore such a strange name. It was far too suggestive and left much to the imagination.

Hearing his resolute promise, the crowd finally relaxed. They all knelt to the ground and thanked him again and again.

On the cultivation continent, strength ruled all. The strong were capable of anything, while the weak were no better than ants.

These people were the lowest stratum of this world, and the powerful cultivators would never care whether they lived or died. Only the legendary gods would, perhaps, show mercy and save them from disaster.

Zhang Heng had no better solution at the moment, so he could only speak first to steady them.

“Everyone, please do not be agitated. The urgent matter now is to restore your strength.”

These people had gone without food for too long and were already thin as sticks. If they were left alone any longer, many of them would likely not be able to hold on.

To restore their vitality, naturally he would need to use spiritual spring water. Spirit energy contained boundless life force, enough to make them recover quickly.

The reason cultivators did not need to eat was precisely because their bodies contained spiritual energy. So long as these ordinary people were infused with a little of it, they would once again be lively and energetic.

Zhang Heng took out a bottle of spiritual liquid from his spatial ring.

It was not that he was stingy, but that the spiritual energy contained in this liquid was far too immense. If he gave them too much, these ordinary people would not be able to withstand it.

After all, not everyone could absorb spiritual energy without limit the way Zhang Heng could.

Seeing him produce the liquid again, the old man became even more certain of his guess. This boy must still have plenty of it on him. He was a foolish rich man with resources to spare.

Though the old fellow was tempted, he did not extend his wicked hand. After all, this was something that could save lives.

Once the spiritual liquid appeared, vast spiritual energy instantly enveloped the entire Han residence.

The crowd did not know what it was, but they could feel their spirits lift, and their hunger eased considerably.

“A divine elixir! A divine elixir!”

All the common folk wore expressions of excitement, the restraint they had endured for so long vanishing in an instant.

Zhang Heng handed the liquid to the captain of the Han family guard and said solemnly, “The spiritual energy in this thing is far too powerful. Dilute it ten thousand times, then distribute it among these ordinary people.”

The captain hurriedly took the liquid from Zhang Heng, then bowed with trembling hands.

“Why are you still not going?” Zhang Heng asked in confusion.

After taking the liquid, the man had simply stood there without moving.

The man scratched his head awkwardly, then asked in puzzlement, “May I ask, sir, what does ‘dilute’ mean?”

“It means mix it with ten thousand parts water. Hurry up and go.”

Not long after, the liquid had been diluted. Several guards distributed it to all the common people in the Han residence.

After drinking the water infused with spiritual energy, the ordinary people’s complexions improved greatly.

Everyone was immersed in joy, but Zhang Heng wore a deeply troubled expression.

“Little fellow, what is it? Reluctant to part with it?” the old man asked, seeing that Zhang Heng was in a bad mood, and came over to comfort him.

Although Zhang Heng had been in this world for a long time, his experience was still too shallow. He had no way to solve the problems here. If the system remained unresponsive, he feared he would fail the hopes of everyone in this city.

Zhang Heng glanced outside, then smiled calmly. “Senior, come with me to the city lord’s manor.”

He had found it strange before. All the common folk in Huanxi City had undergone a drastic change, yet the city guards showed no unusual reaction at all. So the city lord had already been bought off.

As the ruler of a city, he should be protecting his people, not joining outsiders in harming them.

Zhang Heng wanted to see just what kind of figure this city lord truly was.

At this moment, Han Xuan, the head of the Han family, hurried over and bowed. “Are the two seniors heading to the city lord’s manor? Let me lead the way.”

These two were the hope of the entire city. Of course he had to keep a close eye on them so as not to neglect them.

Earlier, while listening inside to Zhang Heng and the old man from the Heavenly Origin Realm discussing a “visit” to the city lord, he had thought to go along as well.

He had clashed with the city lord several times before. However, the lord of Huanxi City was at the sixth level of the Core Formation Realm, while he was only at the fourth level, so he had always been at a disadvantage.

Now things were different. With a major figure from the Heavenly Origin Realm present, even if a thousand city lords came together, they would still have to kneel.

“Very well. Lead the way,” Zhang Heng said with a faint smile. He naturally understood what Han Xuan meant.

Still, the Han family had saved so many common people, and this family head was truly a good man. Even if he stole the spotlight this time, it hardly mattered.

“Good!” Han Xuan nodded repeatedly. Then the three of them departed slowly under the expectant gazes of the Han family and the common people.

Han Xuan also knew the situation was urgent, so he flew at his top speed the whole way.

But then he suddenly remembered that the alchemist seemed not to have any spiritual energy fluctuation. What if he could not keep up and became unhappy? What then?

His worry was unnecessary. When Han Xuan glanced back, he saw that although Zhang Heng could not fly through the air, his speed was no slower than theirs.

Zhang Heng was running at full speed on the ground and dearly wanted to curse aloud. Why were they flying so fast? They were exhausting him to death.

Even though he practiced a simplified version of the world’s fastest movement technique, he was still only a small cultivator with limited spiritual energy and limited speed.

Along the way, they encountered many corrupted commoners who wore blank, dazed expressions, but Zhang Heng truly had no mind to deal with them now.

What mattered most was to finish the plot as quickly as possible and activate the system. Only then could he save everyone here.

The city lord’s manor was far from the Han residence, but it was still within the same small city. So before long, they had arrived.

Compared with the subdued atmosphere of the Han family, this place was much livelier, filled everywhere with laughter and merriment. Several soldiers were drinking and chatting.

“As expected of the Dark God Sect. Their generosity is truly astonishing.”

“Hahaha, of course. So long as we follow the city lord properly, he will never treat us poorly.”

Even before entering, they could already hear laughter from inside.

The emotions that had been suppressed for so long finally erupted at this moment. Han Xuan gathered spiritual energy and lashed out with a kick, sending the manor’s gate into shattered pieces under the force of his power.

“Who is it?”

Hearing the commotion, the people inside all rushed to the entrance. In an instant, dozens gathered around the gate.

“It’s you, Han Xuan? What, come to humiliate yourself again?” one soldier said with a laugh.

Although Han Xuan was the head of the Han family and had already reached the fourth level of the Core Formation Realm, they showed him no respect at all.

“Han Xuan, you actually dare to damage our city lord’s gate! If you do not personally repair it today, your Han family is doomed,” another soldier threatened.

Han Xuan did not bother speaking with them. These people were merely small fry, relying on the city lord’s backing to bully others in ordinary times.

He activated his movement technique, flashed to one man’s front, and struck him with a slap carrying immense spiritual power, sending him flying. Then Han Xuan turned to face another.

That man panicked and tried to evade, but it was useless. Unsurprisingly, he too was sent flying by Han Xuan’s slap.

At that moment, a deep voice rang out from within the manor. “Han Xuan, you have quite the audacity!”

As the words fell, a middle-aged man surged out, carrying torrents of spiritual power.