From the fake emperor to the concubine

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment, then asked, "What do you think, young lady?"

After thinking for a moment, Miss Hongyu said, "Hongyu thinks that you, sir, should go and see him."

"Why?"

"Although the city lord isn't a good person, he is, after all, the lord of Qingyun City, and he controls a lot of resources and intelligence," said Miss Hongyu. "If you could establish a relationship with him, it would be much easier to get things done in Qingyun City in the future."

"Furthermore," she paused, "the city lord, though ruthless, is also pragmatic. He knows your strength, sir, and certainly wouldn't dare do anything to you. You should be safe going to see him."

Zheng Yi nodded, having made up his mind.

Hongyu is right. Although the city lord is not a good person, he does possess a great deal of intelligence. If we can glean some information from him, it will be helpful for our future plans.

Moreover, he had always been very curious about the City Lord's Mansion. What secrets did the City Lord's Mansion hold? Who exactly was Old Man Li, whom he had killed? Why did the City Lord send people to hunt down Su Wanqing? Perhaps the answers to these questions could be found with the City Lord.

“Okay, I’ll go see him,” Zheng Yi said.

"Sir, have you made your decision?" Miss Hongyu asked.

“Yes.” Zheng Yi nodded. “But before that, I need to make some preparations.”

"What preparations?"

“Change the face,” Zheng Yi said.

Red Rain Girl paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.

"Are you worried that the city lord will recognize you, sir?" she asked.

“It’s always better to be cautious,” Zheng Yi said. “I did some things in Qingyun City before. Although I was wearing a mask, the city lord’s men might have seen my figure and aura. To be on the safe side, I need to meet him under a different identity.”

Miss Hongyu nodded. "Sir, your considerations are thorough. What identity do you intend to use when you meet the city lord?"

“We’ll use the identity of ‘Dark Night,’” Zheng Yi said. “However, I’ll change my face so the city lord won’t recognize me.”

As he spoke, he took out the human skin mask from his pocket and showed it to the girl, Hongyu.

“This is a special mask that can perfectly alter one’s appearance, even concealing some of one’s aura,” he said. “Wearing it, the city lord shouldn’t recognize me.”

Red Rain Girl looked at the mask, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

“This mask is so exquisite,” she exclaimed. “Hongyu has never seen such a realistic mask before.”

“I got it from an old friend,” Zheng Yi said. “Alright, young lady, please reply to the city lord and say that ‘Dark Night’ is willing to keep the appointment. He can decide the time and place.”

“Okay.” Miss Hongyu nodded. “Hongyu will go and make the arrangements.”

Zheng Yi got up to take his leave and departed from Cuiyu Tower.

Back at his residence, he told everyone about his meeting with the city lord.

"Master, are you really going to see the City Lord?" Zheng Bowen asked worriedly. "The City Lord's mansion is no safe place. Won't it be dangerous for you to go alone?"

"Don't worry, with my strength, the people from the City Lord's Mansion can't do anything to me," Zheng Yi said. "Besides, I went to see the City Lord to gather some information. The City Lord possesses a lot of intelligence; if we can learn about some of the darker aspects and secrets from him, it will be helpful for our future plans."

“The patriarch is right,” Zheng Hongzhi nodded. “The City Lord’s Mansion does indeed hold many secrets. If we can find out some of them, it will be entirely beneficial to us.”

Su Wanqing remained silent, but her eyes held a complex expression.

She knew that the City Lord's Mansion was connected to her enemy, the Han family. When the Han family hunted her down, people from the City Lord's Mansion were involved. If Zheng Yi could get some information from the City Lord, perhaps he could help her take revenge.

"Patriarch, if you go to see the city lord, could you please inquire about the Han family's situation for me?" she finally asked.

Zheng Yi glanced at her and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, I will."

Su Wanqing gave him a grateful look. "Thank you, Patriarch."

The next day, Miss Hongyu sent someone to deliver a message saying that the city lord had already set a time and place for the meeting.

The time is tomorrow night, and the location is the inner hall of the city lord's mansion.

After reading the message, Zheng Yi pondered silently.

The city lord's choice to meet at his own residence was clearly an attempt to gain home-field advantage. However, this had no impact on Zheng Yi; with his strength, he could easily navigate even the most dangerous and dangerous situations.

"Tomorrow night. The City Lord's Mansion," he murmured. "I hope it won't disappoint me."

The next evening, Zheng Yi changed into a black robe, put on the human skin mask, and then covered his face with a thin veil, leaving only his eyes exposed.

This is the signature look of "Dark Night." Dressed entirely in black, with a thin veil covering her face, she is mysterious and unpredictable, making it impossible to see her true appearance.

"Master, your outfit is truly impressive." Zheng Bowen exclaimed sincerely, looking at Zheng Yi's attire.

“Yes, he’s obviously a master,” Xiao Tianxing chimed in.

Zheng Yi waved his hand, "Stop talking nonsense, I'm leaving. You guys wait for my news at home."

"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.

Zheng Yi left the residence and flew towards Qingyun City.

He currently lives in Tianyuan City, which is three days' journey from Qingyun City. But at his speed, he can arrive in half a day.

In the evening, Zheng Yi arrived at Qingyun City.

Instead of entering the city through the main gate, he quietly climbed over the city wall and landed inside.

The City Lord's Mansion is located in the center of Qingyun City, and is a vast mansion. The gate is tall and imposing, with two rows of guards standing at the entrance, each wearing armor and holding a long spear, exuding a menacing aura.

Zheng Yi did not enter through the main gate, but went around to the back, found a secluded corner, and climbed over the wall to enter the city lord's mansion.

The city lord's mansion was lavishly furnished, complete with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and ponds. Guards patrolled everywhere, maintaining tight security.

Zheng Yi used his movement technique to silently pass through layers of guards and arrived near the inner hall.

The inner hall is where the city lord receives guests, and it is said that only the most distinguished guests are qualified to enter.

Zheng Yi stopped outside the inner hall, straightened his robes, and then strode inside.

Inside the main hall, a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe sat in the main seat, leisurely sipping a cup of tea.

The middle-aged man was about forty years old, with a dignified appearance and extraordinary demeanor. His eyes were deep and sharp, as if they could see through everything. He exuded an aura of authority, clearly someone who had long held a high position.

This is Li Tiancheng, the city lord of Qingyun City.

Zheng Yi stopped at the door and his gaze fell on Li Tiancheng.

His divine sense secretly probed out and sensed that Li Tiancheng's cultivation had reached the peak of the Integration Realm, only one step away from the Great Ascension Realm. This strength was already top-tier in Qingyun City; no wonder he was able to hold onto his position as city lord.

"So you are 'Dark Night'?" Li Tiancheng put down his teacup and looked Zheng Yi up and down. "Please come in." Zheng Yi strode into the inner room and sat down opposite Li Tiancheng.

"I have long admired the City Lord's name. It is an honor to meet you today," he said, his voice low and hoarse, completely different from his usual self.

This was a deliberate disguise, so that the city lord wouldn't recognize his voice.

"Mr. Dark Night, you are too kind." Li Tiancheng smiled slightly. "I, the city lord, have long admired your name. I have heard of your illustrious reputation in the Tianyuan Domain. It is truly an honor for me to invite you to my residence for a chat today."

As he spoke, he beckoned for a servant to bring him tea.

"Please have some tea, sir."

Zheng Yi took the teacup but didn't drink from it; he simply placed it aside.

He wouldn't drink anything at the city lord's mansion, lest it be a trap.

Li Tiancheng seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled, "Sir, rest assured, I invited you here to discuss important matters. I would not engage in such petty acts."

"Oh?" Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow. "What important matter does the City Lord have to discuss?"

Li Tiancheng did not answer immediately, but waved for all the servants around him to leave.

Once only the two of them remained in the inner hall, Li Tiancheng spoke, "Sir, do you know why this city lord wants to see you?"

"I don't know," Zheng Yi said. "Please enlighten me, City Lord."

Li Tiancheng pondered for a moment, then said, "This city lord would like to ask you for a favor, sir."

“What’s the favor?”

"Murder." A cold glint flashed in Li Tiancheng's eyes. "This city lord wishes to ask you, sir, to help me kill someone."

Zheng Yi's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless.

"Who does the city lord want to kill?" he asked.

Li Tiancheng stood up, walked to the window, gazed at the night outside, and slowly said, "Sir, do you know how I, the city lord, came to be this city lord?"

Zheng Yi didn't answer, but just looked at him quietly.

"Twenty years ago, I was just a lowly city guard captain," Li Tiancheng said. "Back then, Qingyun City was ruled by someone else. That person was Wang Tianhai, the city lord of Qingyun City at the time."

"Wang Tianhai was a mediocre man, insatiably greedy, who had turned Qingyun City into a chaotic mess. I, the city lord, could not tolerate his actions, so I joined forces with some like-minded individuals to launch a coup and overthrow his rule."

"After the coup succeeded, I was elected as the new city lord, while Wang Tianhai was exiled to the border and forbidden from ever returning to Qingyun City."

As Li Tiancheng finished speaking, he turned around and looked sharply at Zheng Yi.

"But I never expected that old bastard Wang Tianhai would still be alive. He's been lingering on the border for twenty years, and now he's come back to reclaim his position as city lord."

Zheng Yi was secretly surprised.

He hadn't expected the City Lord's Mansion to have such a history. It turned out that Li Tiancheng had seized the position of City Lord through a coup.

"Where is Wang Tianhai now?" he asked.

"Right outside Qingyun City," Li Tiancheng said coldly. "That old bastard has been accumulating power on the border for years, and now he's gathered a group of men, lurking outside the city like a hawk."

"Furthermore, he has contacted some people within the city, intending to coordinate an attack from within and without to overthrow my rule. Although I have uncovered some traitors, many have escaped, making it impossible to completely prevent their capture."

"Therefore, I, the city lord, would like to ask you, sir, to help me kill Wang Tianhai. Once Wang Tianhai is dead, his men will scatter like birds and beasts, and Qingyun City can return to peace."

Zheng Yi was silent for a moment, then asked, "Why did the city lord seek me out? With the city lord's strength, surely he has no shortage of experts?"

"Sir, you are unaware of the situation," Li Tiancheng said with a wry smile, "That old bastard Wang Tianhai has obtained some kind of fortuitous encounter at the border these past few years, and his strength has increased by leaps and bounds. He has now reached the early stage of the Great Ascension Realm. None of my men are a match for him."

"Moreover, Wang Tianhai is a very cunning man; he never shows himself easily. None of the assassins I sent out have been able to get close to him."

“But sir is different.” Li Tiancheng looked intently at Zheng Yi. “I, the city lord, have long heard of sir’s strength. It is said that sir once single-handedly killed five early-stage Mahayana realm experts while escorting guests. With sir’s strength, killing Wang Tianhai should not be a problem.”

Zheng Yi did not answer immediately, but fell into deep thought.

This matter is more complicated than he imagined. The city lord hired him to kill someone, not just an ordinary murder, but the former city lord. The conflicts of interest involved are probably not as simple as they appear on the surface.

“Lord of the city, I have a question,” Zheng Yi said.

"Sir, please speak."

"Does the Town Commandery know that Wang Tianhai wants to reclaim the position of City Lord?"

Li Tiancheng's expression changed slightly, then he said, "The Town Command doesn't know yet."

"Why?" Zheng Yi pressed.

Li Tiancheng was silent for a moment, then said, "Because this city lord doesn't want them to know."

"Why don't you want them to know?" Zheng Yi continued to press.

Li Tiancheng's expression grew increasingly grim. He seemed surprised that Zheng Yi would ask so many questions.

"Why are you asking these questions, sir?" he said impatiently. "The city lord invited you here to commit murder, not to investigate a case."

"Lord City, please don't misunderstand," Zheng Yi said calmly. "I just want to understand the situation clearly so I can better complete the mission. If you're unwilling to tell me, I won't force you."

Li Tiancheng took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

“Alright, I’ll tell you,” he said. “The Town Administration Bureau has connections with Wang Tianhai. Twenty years ago, when I launched my coup, the Town Administration Bureau supported Wang Tianhai. Later, after I succeeded, although the Town Administration Bureau outwardly acknowledged my position, they have been secretly sabotaging me.”

"If the Town Commandery finds out that Wang Tianhai has returned, they might seize the opportunity to cause trouble, and might even support him. At that point, my position as City Lord will be very dangerous."

Zheng Yi nodded, having gained a clearer understanding of the situation.

It turns out there's a conflict between the city lord and the town's administrative divisions. The power dynamics within the Tianyuan Domain are far more complex than he imagined.

“I understand what the city lord means,” Zheng Yi said, “but I still have one question.”

"Sir, please speak."

"How much money is the city lord willing to offer?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tiancheng smiled slightly.

“Sir, you are indeed a straightforward man,” he said. “If you can kill Wang Tianhai, I, the city lord, am willing to offer five million spirit stones as a reward.”

"Five million?" Zheng Yi shook his head. "Too little." (End of Chapter)