Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Xilun did not answer immediately this time.

He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and the sound of the torrential rain pounding against the car window seemed to fade into the distance, making Yuri's rambling words sound somewhat distant.

What kind of woman do you like?

He rarely thought about this question seriously.

It's not that I haven't thought about it, but every time I do, a part of my heart feels a chill.

He had seen too many unreliable things: family ties, pity, and vows.

The most valuable thing in this world is often not feelings, but values.

When you are strong, others will approach you; when you are weak, others will step over you and walk past without even bothering to look back.

No one in this world will truly love him unconditionally.

Even his biological parents wouldn't.

After a long while, Xilun opened his eyes, his voice very faint.

"I have no idea."

Yuri was taken aback: "You don't know?"

Xilun gazed at the blurred neon lights outside the car window, and after a while, added another sentence.

"If I had to say, I like... I like people who like me."

Now it was Yuri's turn to fall silent.

He gripped the steering wheel, unusually not responding immediately, but instead glancing at Xilun in the rearview mirror.

The young man's expression was calm, as if he were saying something very ordinary.

But for some reason, Yuri suddenly felt a little uneasy.

After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, feigning nonchalance:

"Your standards are too high. Many people like you, but there are probably very few people you can truly trust."

Xilun didn't speak, but just slightly tugged at the corner of his mouth.

The carriage was quiet for a while.

Yuri, unaccustomed to the silence, couldn't help but ask again, "What about Daisy? I heard you're quite close to her. Risa's daughter, she's pretty and has a decent personality. Aren't you interested in her?"

Xilun lowered his head, his fingers gently stroking the cool outer surface of the bottled water.

"Perhaps it's not appropriate."

"What's wrong with it?"

"I'm a boring person. I have a proper job, my own adventures, my own spiritual practice, I have to go through danger, I have to do some things. I have very important things to do."

Xiren's voice was flat. "She's too young, and too yearning for another world. What she wants is wealth, respectability, and class, while I—"

He paused abruptly as he spoke.

Because he suddenly realized that he also wanted a higher social class.

Or to be more precise, he wanted to see if that thing was worth abandoning one's wife and children, leaving behind a crying baby, and pretending nothing had happened.

Yuri, not waiting for further explanation, pressed on, "And what about you?"

Xilun paused for a moment, gazing into the depths of the rain.

"But I have very important things to do. We're just acquaintances, and there's nothing unusual about our relationship."

Xilun thought, perhaps that's how it is.

Two parallel lines may occasionally intersect, but ultimately they will each head towards their own different abysses.

Yuri sighed.

"You little brat, lecturing me like this? Have you ever even dated a girl? Dating, huh? How do you know if you don't try?"

A hint of nostalgia flashed in Yuri's eyes.

"Do you know what love is? It's like in those novels. When I was pursuing my wife, I only used love letters and roses to win her over. She was the daughter of a famous writer, and she traveled all the way from afar to marry me. Now we have two daughters."

Xilun kept his mouth shut, not wanting to say anything more.

His mind was racing with thoughts.

It seemed as if two voices were constantly interrogating him.

He didn't know how to deal with emotions, whether it was family, romantic, friendship, or anything else.

He seemed to yearn for this kind of closeness, like that of Professor Lund, Yuri, or even Daisy.

But he instinctively avoided these things.

It seems that the heart, which has been pierced before, is constantly warning of impending harm and betrayal.

He simply stopped talking, looked down, took out a bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and took a big gulp.

The cold water flowed down his throat, making him a little more awake.

He asked a question, changing the subject.

"Mr. Yuri, do you know what's in the Upper City?"

Yuri paused for a moment.

"Why are you asking about this place? It's not something people like us should even consider."

Yuri's tone became serious.

"Do you know Fowles? That important fourth-tier extraordinary being. Even he has to report in advance if he wants to go to the upper city."

A hint of longing and awe flickered in Yuri's eyes.

"There you'll find the freshest air, the most beautiful gardens, and the most advanced technology. The most bustling streets, the most powerful breathing techniques, and the most formidable martial arts."

He muttered to himself.

"My God, that's a pilgrimage site."

After driving for a while, he asked casually, "Why are you suddenly asking me what I'm doing in the upper city?"

Xilun's eyes flickered slightly: "Just curious."

"That place..." Yuri sighed, his tone becoming slightly detached. "The freshest air, the most beautiful gardens, the most advanced technology, the most expensive wine, the most powerful breathing techniques... Even a fourth-tier extraordinary being like Fowles has to report in before he can get in. People like us can only dream about it."

Siren said softly, "Someone like the Duke should be in the Upper City."

"Most likely," Yuri nodded. "What, are you envious?"

Xilun did not answer.

He simply gazed silently ahead, his eyes piercing through the rain and the lights, pulling the already tight thread in his heart an inch deeper without a sound.

Xilun's gaze was deep and unfathomable.

"I've heard that knighthood is determined by strength, while titles are determined by merit."

He spoke slowly.

"Then, a duke must have performed extraordinary feats to be granted such a title, right?"

Yuri nodded.

"Probably. I've never met a duke either. But aren't they all reporting it in the newspapers? Many dukes have made extremely illustrious achievements. Whether it was due to their ancestors' wealth or their own merit, it has nothing to do with us."

Siren said in a low voice, almost inaudible.

"Shouldn't the law not judge someone like that?"

Yuri gave a cold laugh.

"Perhaps the Church can uphold justice; a court can judge anyone except the Queen. Have you ever been to a courtroom?"

Yuri recalled.

"I'm referring to the Supreme Court. I've been there once, and Her Majesty the Queen sat at the same level as the presiding judge, sitting dignifiedly."

The lawyer said this means the Queen and the law are of equal importance.

Xilun began to think.

What exactly does a father look like?

The images of Lund and Yuri flashed through his mind.

A father is a father.

He doesn't need to be a driver or a nanny.

He should be a serious, silent, earnest, lion-like man.

He can be gentle and refined, or he can be eloquent and fluent.

If his arms were broad enough, he would naturally say, "This is my son."

Regardless of whether the son is illegitimate or not, whether he is handsome or plain, whether he is intelligent or dull.

He would hold the baby, who had half his blood, as if it were a precious treasure.

Instead of leaving the baby out at the door like trash, leaving the baby to cry in the blizzard and freezing wind, their skin turning purple and swollen and unsightly.

He has already died once.

But he was unwilling to give up, like a lump of mud, rotting and stinking in the gutter of the lower city.

He wanted to go to the upper district to take a look.

Look at that man known as the Duke of Storms, and look at what the so-called class that Father wanted to maintain was.

What class did the mother aspire to?

It all stems from these two words.

class!

What kind of magic does it possess?

It can make countless people pursue it, obtain it, and be obsessed with it to the point of heartbreak.

He abandoned his wife and children for it, resorting to any means necessary.

A deathly silence fell over the carriage.

Xilun didn't say another word, just quietly watched the increasingly dense rain outside the window.

The torrential rain continued unabated.

The car drove for a long time, seemingly circling half the city, before finally turning into a relatively quiet seaside street.

In the misty rain, a brightly lit building came into view. Its exterior was snow-white, with tall columns. There were many cars parked in front. It looked like a hotel, but it was quieter and more sophisticated than an ordinary hotel.

"arrive."

Yuri turned off the engine and wiped his face.

"Those old guys at headquarters love places like this. They say it's quiet, but they just want to avoid noise. Let's go, don't let them think you're putting on airs."

As Xilun got out of the car, the sound of rain suddenly grew closer.

A person holding a black umbrella came up at the door and led the two inside.

The carpet was soft, and the corridor was filled with a faint scent of wood and alcohol. There weren't many people coming and going, but they were all well-dressed, with calm expressions, and wearing fraternity medals on their hands or chests.

With just a glance, Xilun could vaguely sense the aura emanating from the group.

Very strong.

They weren't the reckless, street-smart types from the North District; they were more grounded and stable, clearly having been in their respective territories for quite some time, and had a lot of blood on their hands and experience in the business.

He followed Yuri into a spacious private room.

There were already three or four people inside, men and women, all older than him.

Upon seeing someone enter, one of the middle-aged women with short gray-blue hair looked up first, her gaze lingering on Xilun's face for a moment before she smiled.

"Is this the newly appointed governor of the Northern District?"

Another burly man with a full beard held a wine glass, sized up Xilun for a while, and then laughed.

"She really looks young. I thought the newspapers were exaggerating. I didn't expect her to look even younger in person than in the newspapers."

Xilun nodded slightly: "Xilun greets everyone."

"White Crow Wharf, Buck." The stubble-faced man raised his glass. "I've heard a lot about you. You fought quite well in that fight against the Shattered Bones Gang."

"Isabelle." The woman with short, gray-blue hair gently swirled the wine, a smile playing on her lips. "Yuri has been mentioning you so much lately, he says you're the treasure he found."

Yuri immediately objected: "What do you mean by 'found it'? I had a keen eye for talent."

A low chuckle suddenly rippled through the private room.

The atmosphere wasn't serious; in fact, it was more relaxed than Xilun had anticipated.

But the more this was the case, the more he could feel the weight of this group of people.

Those who can sit here are at least governors of a region, and most of them have already entered the second rank.

In just one room, there were five or six second-tier extraordinary individuals gathered.

This is just one aspect of the Brotherhood.

Xilun sat down in a corner, not trying to steal the spotlight, but simply listening quietly to the idle chatter of those around him.

The conversations were mostly mundane: which shipment had been seized, which parish had a new, troublesome policeman, whose underling had gotten into trouble after drinking—some of it even sounded like everyday family matters.

But Xilun knew very well that behind those seemingly casual words often lay matters of life and death.

After a while, footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

It landed steadily and smoothly.

The group of people who had been chatting and laughing inside seemed to realize something at the same time, and all looked toward the door.

The next moment, the door was pushed open.

Three men walked in.

The man on the left, Xiren, is someone Yuri has mentioned several times; he's a veteran who started as a board secretary.

The man on the right was in his early forties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and had a refined demeanor. He didn't look like a gang leader; he looked more like a university professor.

The person in the middle was the one who truly brought a sense of calm to the room.

He wasn't particularly tall or muscular, and he wore a dark casual suit with a long overcoat casually draped over it. He had a gentle smile on his face, looking like an ordinary middle-aged man.

But it was precisely this kind of person who, the moment he stepped through the door, naturally drew everyone's attention.

That kind of power isn't something you can intimidate with pomp and circumstance.

Rather, it is a sense of control that naturally arises from sitting in a high position for a long time and being accustomed to life and death.

The three walked to the front, where there were three empty seats by the door, as if they had been reserved for them.

After the man in the middle sat down, he first glanced around, his gaze calmly sweeping across everyone's faces. Finally, he paused slightly at Xilun and nodded.

"It seems that most of the people have arrived."

He smiled and reached for his knife and fork.

"There's a new face here. Let me introduce myself first—Midasius, a member of the board of directors and president of the fraternity."

"Hello, President."

The people in the private room stood up or nodded in greeting.

Xilun also got up.

Midas waved his hand: "No need to be so formal. Today is just a meeting and a meal."

I'm usually either in seclusion studying or traveling around, so many things fall on Yuri's shoulders.

In truth, I should thank you all for supporting the Brotherhood.

He said this in a very soft tone, as if he were having a casual chat.

The people present were actually more well-behaved than before, and they all smiled and said it wasn't hard work.

Midas didn't say anything more. He lowered his head, cut a piece of beef, and added some cabbage, greens, and avocado, eating casually.

Yuri sat beside him, his expression much more subdued than usual.

After taking a couple of bites, Midas asked casually, "How's things going at the guild lately?"

Yuri replied, "It's relatively stable. There have been some minor issues in various places, but they've all been brought under control."

"Nothing serious happened?"

"no."

Midas nodded: "That's good."

He ate a few more bites, then raised his eyelids and looked at Xilun.

"As expected of a young person, they really have spirit."

This statement came abruptly, but it did not seem offensive.

Xilun put down his knife and fork and nodded slightly: "Thank you for the compliment, Chairman."

Midas smiled: "Don't be nervous. I've heard a lot about what you've been up to lately, and you've done a good job."

Upon hearing this, the gazes of the other governors involuntarily drifted toward Xilun.

To receive a "well done" from the president in public is already a very high compliment.

Xilun showed no joy at this, only calmly saying, "It's all part of my duty."

"It's my duty..." Midas repeated, as if he found the answer interesting, so he glanced at him again but didn't ask any further questions.

The rest of the meal was just as he had said, uneventful.

No one talked about any secrets, no one mentioned any rewards or punishments, and there was none of the probing, warning, and rule-setting that Xilun had originally envisioned.

People were still talking about trivial matters in various places. Occasionally, someone would ask about freight routes and manpower allocation, and Midas would just listen and give simple directions.

The more Ke Xilun listened, the more he felt that this person was not simple.

Because Midas rarely speaks at length.

But whenever he spoke, the loose threads in the room would immediately come together.

Like a seasoned needleman, he doesn't need to exert force; with just a gentle twist of his wrist, he can spread the entire piece of cloth out as he wishes.

During the meal, Xilun only drank two glasses of wine and didn't eat much.

As everyone gradually got up to leave, he even had the illusion that it was over before it even began.