“Yes, yes, yes, I’ll go back and report immediately,” the captain nodded repeatedly.
Following that, he stood up to leave.
“Wait a moment!” Lin Yun’s icy voice rang out.
The captain’s body trembled as he turned back to look at Lin Yun, “What further instructions does my lord have?”
“What’s the deal with that woman?” Lin Yun pointed at the young woman sitting at their table.
“She… she’s…” the captain stammered.
*Slap!*
Lin Yun immediately delivered a resounding slap across the captain’s face.
The captain was sent flying backwards, crashing heavily to the ground, his face swelling up dramatically.
“Spare me, my lord! Please spare me!” The captain knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
“Remember this lesson. Your position represents the empire’s authority. You’d better know what you should and shouldn’t do!” Lin Yun said coldly.
“Yes, yes, yes! I’ll definitely remember this lesson!” The captain nodded frantically like a pecking chick.
Following that, he hurriedly scrambled out.
After leaving the inn, he immediately sent a message to the prefectural city, notifying the city lord.
Inside the inn.
“My lord…” The innkeeper was trembling with fear. Though he didn’t recognise the Golden Feather Token, he could tell Lin Yun’s identity was extraordinary.
“Boss, no need to be nervous. Regardless of my identity, I’m just a guest here. Keep the wine coming,” Lin Yun said calmly.
“Of course, of course!” The innkeeper nodded repeatedly.
The guests in the inn were now all speculating about the background of this incredibly young man.
Upon receiving the message, the prefectural city lord immediately set off in a flying vessel, rushing over at top speed.
In less than three hours, a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious robes appeared at the inn.
He was none other than the city lord!
“The city lord has actually come!”
The inn’s guests and the innkeeper were all astonished. A figure as grand as the city lord wasn’t someone they’d normally ever get to see!
Yet now, with just a single word from this young man, the city lord had rushed here at top speed…
The city lord, accompanied by a few subordinates and the earlier captain, approached Lin Yun.
“My lord, I am the lord of this prefecture. May I know your identity?”
The city lord was exceedingly respectful, having already heard that Lin Yun possessed a Golden Feather Token.
“My name is Lin Yun,” Lin Yun replied calmly.
“Lin Yun?”
The city lord quickly racked his brain. As the ruler of a prefecture, he was naturally well-versed in the major affairs of the Fire Cloud Empire.
“You… you’re His Majesty’s disciple, Lin Yun?” The city lord looked at Lin Yun in shock.
His words sent a wave of gasps through the inn.
They could hardly believe that this young man was actually the disciple of the supreme emperor!
“That’s right,” Lin Yun answered calmly.
“Lord Lin, you’ve graced our prefecture with your presence and didn’t inform me earlier. I’d have prepared a banquet in the prefectural city at once! How about you come back with me to the city, my lord? This place is far too shabby!” The city lord offered with a fawning smile.
Lin Yun picked up his wine cup and took a light sip, “I’m very busy. Let’s discuss some matters here. Give me an explanation about the demon beast situation! If there’s any negligence, I’ll report it to His Majesty.”
“My lord, I assure you there’s been no negligence on my part in this matter! However, some things involve sensitive information that can’t be leaked. There are too many people here…” the city lord said.
Hearing this, Lin Yun immediately used his divine sense to seal off the surroundings.
“Alright, now only you and I can hear this conversation. Speak,” Lin Yun said.
“My lord, recently within my prefecture, there has indeed been frequent unusual activity from the demon race. I’ve even discovered that some demon beasts are attempting to infiltrate human society. I’ve already reported this to the higher authorities, and we’re mobilising forces. Whenever we find a location hiding demon beasts, we do our utmost to exterminate them,” the city lord explained.
He then shifted his tone, “Howeverترینonly the city guard is under my command in the prefecture. Aside from regular defence duties, the manpower I can mobilise is limited.”
Lin Yun could sense that he wasn’t lying.
As for the troop numbers in a prefecture, Lin Yun had some understanding. Normally, a city lord only controlled a single city guard unit. In peacetime, this guard was sufficient for maintaining order and suppressing bandits.
But in special circumstances, the local city guard’s manpower would certainly be inadequate.
“Recently, we identified a private castle. We suspect it’s connected to the demon race, but we don’t know the enemy’s strength. The prefecture doesn’t dare act rashly, as the demon race’s power isn’t to be underestimated,” the city lord said.
“Oh? Where is it? Since I’ve encountered this, I’ll handle it,” Lin Yun said.
“Really?” The city lord’s face lit up with delight.
Most people wouldn’t want to wade into such murky waters.
“Of course it’s true. Lead me there,” Lin Yun said.
“Lord Lin, shall I return to the prefecture to muster the city guard and go together? After all, we don’t know what’s inside or how dangerous it might be,” the city lord asked.
“No need. The two of us are enough. Bringing more people might alert them prematurely. If even we can’t handle it, the city guard won’t be of use either,” Lin Yun said.
“Very well, I’ll guide you there, my lord,” the city lord agreed.
Lin Yun withdrew his divine sense barrier. The city lord instructed the captain to return to the prefecture while he accompanied Lin Yun for a trip outside. Then, he left the inn with Lin Yun.
After leaving the inn.
“Lord Lin, that place is some distance from here. We’ll need to take a flying vessel,” the city lord said.
“Then we’ll take my flying vessel,” Lin Yun said, revealing his vessel before leaping aboard.
Seeing this, the city lord quickly followed, flying up onto the vessel.
With that, the flying vessel took off!
On the vessel.
“Lord Lin, this is the map. The red marker indicates our destination,” the city lord said, handing Lin Yun a map.
After studying the map, Lin Yun immediately activated the vessel, speeding towards the target.
“Lord Lin, being a prefectural lord isn’t easy, you know. Our prefecture has a total of 100,000 city guards. It sounds like a lot, but their overall strength isn’t high.”
“Plus, the prefecture covers a vast area. After accounting for the personnel needed for regular defence, how many are truly available for combat? The city guard is mainly for maintaining order. When it comes to wiping out a demon race stronghold like this, with no knowledge of the situation inside, how could we dare to rush in?” the city lord explained.
After three hours of high-speed travel, the vessel arrived above a private castle.
Lin Yun quickly extended his divine sense downward to investigate!
With the strength of Lin Yun’s divine sense, probing the area was naturally effortless.
On the surface, it appeared to be a family estate with nothing unusual, but… there was indeed something special underground!
There was a hidden fortress beneath the ground.
Even Lin Yun’s divine sense couldn’t penetrate this fortress!
As a result, he couldn’t discern anything about the situation inside.
“Who goes there!”
The guards atop the castle shouted sternly at the flying vessel.
