Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Xilun watched her departing figure, then closed his eyes again, letting the boiling medicinal power seep into his pores.

These two were his personal attendants, whom he had personally selected.

Besides doing small things like serving tea and water and preparing medicinal baths, the more important purpose was that both of them had a solid cultural foundation.

Siren originally intended to train them as his clerical assistants to handle his complicated gang affairs.

Although many matters involving interests have been delegated to Diano and others in order to keep them in check, as the governor, he still has to personally review every important outbound order and personnel deployment.

Reina and Rod's current role is to act as his "eyes." They annotate, organize, and review the documents that pass through them, extracting the important information before handing them over to him for review.

Thinking of this, Xiren recalled the slightly complicated look in Rena's eyes earlier.

As Siren soaked in the bathtub, he thought carefully. He felt that this woman named Reina looked familiar, not only because of her figure, but more importantly because of the aura she exuded.

"Where have I seen this before...?"

Xilun sank his body down little by little until the warm medicine covered his chin.

Suddenly, he found the answer deep in his memory.

He remembered why Reina seemed familiar.

Because this woman's eyes were so similar to my own when I was struggling in the slums!

That kind of obsession that remains hidden deep in the eyes even when life has trampled them into the mud; that kind of forbearance and ruthlessness that seems ready to bite through the enemy's throat at any moment.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Xilun's lips.

This woman was literate, knew the rules, and acted with great discretion. Even when testing the water temperature, Xilun noticed that her fingers did not have the rough calluses that come from years of hard work. Instead, they had unique thin calluses from holding a pen or playing musical instruments for a long time.

She is by no means an ordinary refugee.

Based on the recent chaotic situation in the North District, Xilun can almost conclude that this woman has a significant background.

However, no matter how noble her background was before, now that she has sold herself here, she is nothing more than a servant to be at his beck and call.

Perhaps she was once a viscount's daughter whose family was wiped out by her enemies and fell into ruin?

But what does it matter?

In the cold-blooded steel jungle of Saint Laurent City, nobles who have lost their power and the protection of their families are nothing more than beggars, not even as good as dogs.

Judging from her unwilling eyes, she probably still dreams every day about how to lie low and accumulate strength, or even fantasize about revenge.

Xilun remained completely unmoved.

Once she experiences more of the harsh realities of this underprivileged society and is brutally beaten down by reality, she will realize that all that noble dignity is worthless, and that the most important thing is to survive the rest of her days like a stray dog.

Half an hour later, Xilun had completely absorbed the medicinal effects and finished his medicinal bath.

He changed into a dry black shirt and exhaled a breath of pent-up stale air.

He calmly analyzed his recent progress in his mind: "My progress in the 'Bone Forging Iron Armor Ascetic Cultivation Method' over the past two weeks has been quite good; I'm almost at the threshold of the proficient level. This body's ability to withstand blows has improved significantly."

"However, the body's self-repair speed is still a bit lacking."

Xilun clenched his fist. "Medicinal baths can only speed up recovery from the outside."

If I could rely on the internal repair techniques of the "Great Sea Whale Guiding Technique" to speed things up even further, or if I could find a more advanced life-strengthening potion, my training speed could double again.

Thinking of this, he picked up the blue book "The Night Raven's Broken Wings" from the table.

Should we start practicing this footwork now?

The situation in the North District is turbulent, and relying solely on strength and defense is likely to lead to losses when encountering a powerful enemy with unpredictable and elusive movements.

Just as Xilun was deep in thought.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"Lord Siren!"

The butler's voice came through the door, tinged with barely concealed panic, "There's an emergency alarm!"

Xilun paused in his flipping through the book, tucked it into his pocket, opened the door, and asked coldly, "What's the panic? What happened?"

The butler, sweat beading on his forehead, quickly reported with his head down:

"Sir, someone from below just reported this."

Something has happened at a very important resource point in the territory controlled by our Brotherhood branch!

That is, in Changqing Lake in the northern suburbs, for some unknown reason, an unknown alien species suddenly appeared and began to lurk there.

The brothers on patrol were ambushed while gathering extraordinary materials and were severely injured on the spot!

Upon hearing this, Xilun's eyes narrowed instantly.

Changqing Lake!

He paid special attention to this place when reviewing the branch files.

Changqing Lake is one of the most important industries under the North District.

To be precise, it is a natural and extraordinary resource site.

The lake is rich in special spiritual substances, and it can stably produce "Ice Heart Lotus Root" for extraordinary people to cultivate, as well as special fish and shrimp whose flesh contains qi and blood.

This is a huge and continuous source of wealth for the Brotherhood, which is extremely lacking in resources.

How could a strange creature suddenly appear out of nowhere? And it even dared to attack the patrolling gang members.

Xilun's intuition told him that the timing of this event was too coincidental.

Just two weeks after he went into seclusion, this very important resource point ran into trouble.

Perhaps it was a natural disaster, or perhaps it was a deliberate test by some force?

In any case, if the newly appointed governor cannot even protect his own resource points, the morale of his subordinates will immediately collapse, and those wolves lurking in the shadows will pounce on him and tear him to pieces.

"lead the way."

Xilun didn't waste any words; his voice was as cold as the snow and ice outside the window.

As he spoke, he strode to the door and grabbed the heavy alloy gun disguised as a black umbrella.

The butler glanced at it furtively. The black umbrella was so wide and thick that it was almost deformed, clearly indicating that it was not just for sheltering from the rain.

But he was well aware of the rules of being a servant, so he didn't ask any further questions. He simply bowed his head deeply and said respectfully:

"Alright, sir, this way please. The carriage is ready."

In the wind and snow, Xilun opened his black umbrella and stepped into the darkness of the North District.

A murderous intent began to rise in his eyes.

……

Pfft!

boom!

Changqing Lake, which was originally as calm as dark jade, suddenly surged with thousands of waves in the darkness of night.

The icy lake water seemed to have been forcibly torn apart by some terrifying force, and a biting wind and snow rushed towards us.

The entire Changqing Lake was suddenly awakened, with violent splashes of water crashing heavily against the frost-covered rocks on the shore, creating a deafening roar.

Even in the darkness of night, when visibility is limited, the enormous, unsettling noise still sends chills down your spine.

"What happened?!"

The steward, Kusuo, carrying a wind and rain lantern, shouted urgently, his voice shattered in the cold wind.

In the darkness, a soaking wet guard stumbled over, scrambling to his feet at Kusso's feet, his voice filled with undisguised terror:

"It's an Ironclad Tortoise! ​​Oh no, it's enormous! Bigger than a bull!"

Kusso's face instantly turned extremely gloomy.

The Ironclad Turtle is an extremely troublesome species.

Its skin was so thick and tough that it was almost hopeless; ordinary muskets couldn't even leave a white mark on it, at best it was just a tickle.

Moreover, these beasts usually lurk in deep water and mud, specifically feeding on roots, stems, and fruits that possess extraordinary properties.

If this enormous creature is allowed to wreak havoc in the lake, most of the "Ice Heart Lotus Roots" painstakingly cultivated in Changqing Lake will be ruined.

This is the very foundation upon which the North Division depends for its survival!

"Quickly! Inform the Governor!"

Kusso shoved the guard aside and shouted hoarsely, "The rest of you, grab the fishing nets, harpoons, and heavy harpoons! Set up all the torches in front!"

Rumble.

As dozens of large torches were lit one after another, the orange-red flames flickered violently in the wind and snow, barely dispelling the darkness by the lake.

By the flickering firelight, one could vaguely see the water surface a hundred meters away, where waves were churning violently as if boiling.

Beneath the white foam, a huge, jet-black phantom was leisurely swimming by.

The dark shape, like a miniature warship submerged underwater, slowly landed on a thick section of the Ice Lotus root, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression, followed by a terrifying chewing sound that made one's teeth ache.

"Pah!" Kusuo spat out a mouthful of phlegm mixed with snowflakes, drew his thick-backed longsword from his waist, and cursed, "Damn beast, why did you have to come before our treasure was fully ripe, and then eat up several months' worth of my harvest in one bite!"

He glanced around at the deathly pale faces and gritted his teeth, saying, "Find four of the best swimmers to come with me! I want to see just how big this monster's appetite really is!"

As the manager of Changqing Lake, Kusuo has managed to gain a foothold in the chaotic North District, which naturally means he has some real skills.

He used to be a first mate on ships and was a senior first-order baptist, an expert in swimming.

Without hesitation, he ripped off his heavy coat, grabbed his knife, and led four men armed with steel harpoons, slipping silently into the icy lake like eels.

The shore fell into a deathly silence, with only the howling of the wind and snow and the heavy breathing of the crowd.

After a while.

The water surface suddenly thrashed violently without warning, as if a bomb had been detonated underwater.

A glaring crimson pool of blood spread rapidly under the firelight.

Immediately afterwards, a mutilated corpse rolled and floated to the surface.

"Help! Save them!"

People on the shore frantically threw out ropes.

With a splash, Kusuo was pulled tightly out of the water.

He was in a terrible state; a large chunk of flesh had been torn from his once robust waist, and dark red blood gushed out like a spring, instantly staining the snow.

Kusso's face was ashen, and he weakly clutched his wound, gritting his teeth as he gave the order:

"Close the gate! Patrol the surrounding area. If any members of other gangs are spying, we must not let them in, even if it means death!"

Before long, a flurry of footsteps could be heard outside the Changqing Lake compound.

The heads of other important strongholds in the North District arrived one after another.

Former factory director Diano, dressed in a luxurious fox fur coat, strode into the courtyard with several trusted confidants. Behind him followed Hughes, Leon, and several other powerful Tier 1 Extraordinary beings.

Amidst the wind and snow, Xiren, dressed in a black suit and holding a black umbrella, slowly approached from the shadows on the other side.

His face was stern, and not a single snowflake touched his body.

Xilun's indifferent gaze swept over the chaotic scene, finally settling on Kusso lying in a pool of blood. He asked calmly, "How are your injuries? Why haven't you been taken to the church hospital yet?"

Only when the governor spoke did the crowd respectfully make way for him.

Kusso, lying on the ground in the middle, was panting heavily, his voice broken and extremely weak.

"Your Excellency... I need to tell you about the situation before I go to the hospital."

"Speak," Xilun walked over, squatted down, looked at him, and said softly.

"I just led four brothers into the water and fought that beast."

One died, two were seriously injured, and I was bitten too.

Kusuo coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with fear. "That turtle... it was three meters long, a whole size bigger than an ordinary armored turtle."

It's probably already a low-level mutant at the extreme level.

He continued, panting:

"This beast is out hunting now, definitely to accumulate its qi and blood in preparation for breaking through to the intermediate-level alien species!"

Its bite force was astonishing; one bite severely injured me. The force of crushing my bones left me with no strength to resist.

If it hadn't been so obsessed with the extraordinary plants in the lake, I probably would be drowning today.

"The most terrifying thing is..." Kusso's voice carried a hint of despair, "The healing power of this armored turtle is extremely terrifying."

My longsword was clearly imbued with strength as I slashed it hard into its neck. Just as a few drops of blood fell, the granulation tissue in the wound slowly began to wriggle and heal!

"He's a monster!"

After saying these words, Kusso seemed to have used up the last bit of strength in his body and fainted in despair.

Xilun nodded slightly, his expression remaining completely calm.

He casually instructed, "Okay, I understand."

You've done a great service to the gang, so rest and recuperate.

"Someone come and take Kusso to the hospital; all expenses will be covered by the account."

After Kusso was carried away, Xilun turned around, his deep gaze fixed on the turbulent surface of the lake, and asked the people behind him:

"This armored tortoise is relentlessly eroding our Brotherhood's resources, gentlemen. What can we do?"

At this moment, besides dozens of ordinary gang members on the shore, there were three people with the strength of a first-tier extraordinary being:

Former factory manager Diano, and the heads of the other two outposts, Hughes and Lyon.

Diano pulled his fox fur coat tighter around himself, staring at the enormous, shadowy figure that was faintly visible in the lake, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes.

He sighed, feigning difficulty, and said:

"Governor, if what Kusso said is true, this is an Ironclad Turtle at the extreme level. I'm afraid our few people are definitely not enough to deal with it."

"Oh? So what do you mean?" Xilun glanced at him.

Diano stroked his chin and slowly said:

"This armored tortoise has thick skin and flesh, and its healing ability is amazing. Most importantly, it hides underwater."

That's its home turf. Going down there will significantly reduce our energy levels. It's really too difficult to deal with.

While the few of us working together could certainly repel it, it would be difficult to kill it completely.

He paused, then revealed his plan:

"The best solution is to temporarily open Changqing Lake, spread the word, and invite other extreme-level baptists from the Northern Region to come and help."

"As long as we promise to share the valuable materials from the Ironclad Turtle after killing this mutant, a large number of skilled fighters will be willing to risk their lives for us."