Ling Cage: I am a spiritual master, devouring source matter to become a god.

Jingyuan hadn't expected that Mark would be able to find such a place.

The outer protective cover of the lighthouse, also known as the "big pot lid".

This is a place that is usually only visited by maintenance workers who use protective equipment.

There's probably no one else who could climb up like Mark and Jingyuan with their bare hands.

Mark found a place to sit down.

Jingyuan jokingly asked, "Is this where you and Ranbing usually go on dates?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Jing Yuan was taken aback. Although Mark and Ran Bing were inseparable, they had not yet confessed their feelings to each other.

This joke is coming too early.

Jing Yuan smiled and said, "Let's get down to business! Tell the city lord what happened on the ground."

“He was furious…” Mark hesitated. “It was as if he already knew there were people on the ground.”

Yes. He knows.

Jing Yuan simply uttered five words, which greatly shocked Mark.

How do you know he knows?

This was the question in Mark's mind.

Before Mark could ask, Jing Yuan said directly, "A long time ago, I heard an old Dustman say that when Lord Morgan was still the captain of the Wilderness Hunters, he encountered surviving humans on the ground."

"But Lord Morgan was a hunter of the wilderness decades ago. It's not surprising that there were humans on the ground back then, but it's strange that there are still humans today."

Jingyuan was taken aback, not yet having figured out how to continue the story.

“I heard from that mortal that the city lord actually knew that there were humans on the ground all along, but he just kept that information hidden.”

Where is this dust-person?

“They’ve already gone far away.” Jing Yuan hesitated for a moment, then continued, “For many years, the Lighthouse has been telling us that the ground is no longer suitable for human habitation; the Lighthouse is our only hope. If there are people on the ground, and the City Lord has concealed all of this, have you considered this: the City Lord chose to keep it a secret. Will he allow us to investigate?”

Mark didn't need to think; the city lord's reaction just now had already explained everything.

“But you’re about to become the city lord. When that day comes, Lord Morgan will probably tell you all the secrets. Why don’t you wait until then?”

Mark turned to look at Jing Yuan and asked a question: "Do you also think I should succeed as the city lord?"

Jingyuan smiled calmly. Mark was too idealistic. If Mark were more realistic, Charles wouldn't stand a chance.

“Mark, I understand what you’re thinking. Before I answer your question, answer one of my questions first.”

Mark looked at Jingyuan with a puzzled expression.

Jingyuan appeared calm, but was inwardly very excited.

Things had reached a critical juncture, and he had no choice but to change the fate of Mark and the group of people behind him.

Without Mark's cooperation, all of this would have been nonsense.

Tell me, what is your goal?

Mark hesitated for a moment, then said, "At this point, you're talking to me about goals."

Ke Jingyuan was very serious, and Mark also answered seriously: "Of course, it's about unraveling the mystery of the Mana ecosystem, eliminating the Devouring Beasts, and returning to the surface. At that time, there will be no more Dust People or Upper People. We can be like the old world, with people who love and the right to love and be loved."

Some people might laugh when they hear these words.

But Jingyuan would never do that.

He shares the same goal as Mark.

Since transmigrating here, living in this tiny place called Lighthouse, I'm not only oppressed by the Light and Shadow Society, but I also live in constant fear, afraid that the lighthouse will fall down at any moment.

"So how do you plan to achieve it?"

Mark looked confused. "I don't know."

Jingyuan patted Mark on the shoulder and said, "The Lighthouse will definitely have other options, but Lord Morgan won't believe it. So everything will only change after you become the city lord, and only then can we look for new opportunities."

“But I don’t want to be the city lord. If Lord Morgan agrees, and we find a way to survive on the ground, then he won’t have to step down and travel far away…”

“Mark!” Jingyuan’s tone suddenly turned stern. He said, “You will be able to take over in seven days. You don’t need Morgan’s consent! After Morgan leaves, you will be in charge of the Lighthouse!”

Mark looked at Jing Yuan and suddenly felt that he was a stranger.

Jingyuan stared at Mark and said, "You don't want to succeed as the city lord, so let me ask you, do you want to save the people on the lighthouse? You must have heard! Professor Elon is going on a long journey. He devoted his whole life to the lighthouse, but he was exiled. And that 4068, he protected the supplies with us, but he was brutally beaten! And those Dust People, they do the hardest and most tiring work, but they only get the worst food. Are we still living as human beings?"

“Jingyuan…” Mark was speechless.

“Yes! If this had happened before we saw that woman, and you had succeeded to the position of city lord, you would have had to continue Morgan’s policies to maintain the stability of the Lighthouse. But things are different now. We’ve discovered people on the surface, and they’re very likely to have found a way to survive there. You don’t have to become a second Morgan!”

Jingyuan let out a long sigh and said, "Do you still remember Sister Hongkou? Is loving someone really an unforgivable sin? Isn't that just human instinct?"

The mention of Red Coconut will always be a source of pain for Mark.

"To change all this, we must find a new way out for the Lighthouse. And the first step to finding a way out is for you to take the position of City Lord! Morgan is too old; he won't support your ideas."

After listening to Jingyuan's words, Mark fell into deep thought for a long time, and finally said to Jingyuan, "Let me think about it some more."

Jing Yuan sighed deeply, "You still want to think about it? Do you think you can become the city lord just because you want to?"

Jingyuan understands that Mark has his own ideas.

He dislikes vying for power, but without power, how can he protect himself and his loved ones?

"What do you mean?"

"You should know that Charles also wants to be the city lord!"

Mark paused for a moment, then said, "I know."

"Now that the city lordship is being passed to you, will Charles let this go?"

"If that's the case, I'll go and tell the city lord to pass the throne to Charles!"

"What are you thinking!" Jing Yuan roared. "Do you think the position of city lord is a toy, something to be passed around? What will Lord Morgan think? What will Charles think? Putting all that aside, even if Charles were to succeed you, what methods do you think he would use to govern the Lighthouse? He would simply extend his methods of managing the Light and Shadow Society to the entire Lighthouse. Do you think he would support your actions then? Forget about supporting you, he'd be lucky if he didn't kill you..."

Jingyuan didn't expect Mark to be so naive and say such a thing.

He was both angry and anxious, and in the heat of the moment, he blurted out the last sentence.

Jingyuan seemed to realize that he had spoken too soon.

Whether it's 4068 or Charles, before they took action, what evidence do you have that he wanted to kill Mark?

Mark looked astonished.

Jingyuan's mind raced, hoping to find a reasonable explanation for everything.

Let me tell you a story!

Mark had been thinking about the emergence of humans on the ground, then Jingyuan brought up the topic of becoming the city lord, and now he wants to hear a story.

But Mark was patient; he calmly said, "Go ahead and tell me! I'm listening!"

Chapter 81 Story

Jingyuan stood on the edge of the lighthouse's outer shell and began to tell his so-called story:

"In a certain era of the Old World, there was a king who had two brave and skilled sons. The king relied heavily on his two sons to expand his territory."

As the king grew older, he began to think about the question of his successor.

The king's first choice was his eldest son, so he designated him as his successor early on.

However, the king's second son was more capable. He had been fighting on the front lines for many years and had not only achieved great military exploits but also enjoyed a high reputation. He also had a group of very capable men serving him.

Later, the king realized that no matter which son he passed the throne to, the other would object. But ultimately, there can only be one throne!

In the end, the king couldn't make up his mind, but his sons made the decision for him.

The eldest son feared the second son and planned to kill him. The second son, having learned of this, prepared in advance and killed the eldest son instead.

Ultimately, the throne was won by the second son!

Jingyuan turned to look at Mark and continued, "Although you are not Morgan's son, he has already designated you as his successor. Charles's high position and status as head of the association suggest that he was once Morgan's successor as well. You see, isn't the relationship between you two very similar to that of the king and his two sons?"

Mark understood perfectly, but there were still some things he didn't understand.

"Since the king has already designated his eldest son as his successor, why should the second son object?"

Jingyuan continued using historical allusions, "Because the entire kingdom was almost entirely conquered by the second son, and the eldest son became king but couldn't govern the kingdom well, should the second son object? The second son said he wanted to go down to the ground to find a possibility of survival, but the eldest son wanted to stay on the lighthouse. If you insisted on going down, he would remove your gravity body, confiscate your weapons, and even point a gun at your head. If you were in his shoes, would you rebel?"

By the end, Jingyuan didn't even want to pretend anymore.

Jingyuan explained it very clearly; there was no way Mark couldn't understand.

“But now Lord Morgan has announced that I will succeed him as lord, and Charles…”

Mark seemed somewhat skeptical that Charles would do anything to him.

Jing Yuan shrugged. "As I just said, the king's eldest son originally planned to kill the second son first, but the second son learned of this beforehand and thus killed the eldest. What if he hadn't known? Wouldn't he have been killed by the eldest son?"

Does someone really have to die?

"Yes."