Chapter 163.1 : Spreading Far and Wide (Part 1)
"Very well, then I shall trouble City Lord Wan."
Chu Ge smiled and nodded.
"No trouble at all, no trouble at all! In the Lingxiao Ancient City, who doesn't know that I, Wan Changming, am the most hospitable? Come, come, come."
Wan Changming laughed heartily, a heavy weight finally lifting from his heart. He had never imagined that Mu Qinglan and Chu Ge's group were actually not close at all.
Fortunately, Chu Ge gave him face and did not leave him standing awkwardly on the spot.
Mu Qinglan likewise let out a quiet sigh of relief, gratitude naturally arising in her heart toward Chu Ge.
As for the onlookers, they stared at Wan Changming's behavior, feeling an intense sense of unreality.
Was this really the Lingxiao City Lord they knew?
Why did he look so much like a lackey?
Wan Changming, however, paid no heed to those strange gazes. Leading Chu Ge and his party, he headed toward the City Lord's residence.
Only after they had left did the crowd finally dare to discuss matters openly.
"That was terrifying! Thank heavens that Marquis didn't vent her anger on innocents—otherwise, how could we still be alive?"
Someone spoke with lingering fear, faint traces of sweat still visible on his forehead.
"A Marquis! Just lifting a finger would be enough to turn us to dust!"
"My heavens… to think that someone like me would live to see a Heaven-reaching Marquis make a move!"
"That woman was truly like an immortal deity—did you see it? Just a single raised hand, and that Wu family elder was gone! That was a great power realm cultivator!"
Someone's face was filled with shock. Even though Chu Ge's group had already departed, the terror inspired by Ying Qingjue still lingered in their hearts.
"You're all curious about that Marquis, but have you ever considered who that young master might be?"
Someone spoke up, causing many to fall into thought.
Ying Qingjue, that Marquis, certainly stirred their souls—but Chu Ge had likewise aroused intense curiosity.
"Come to think of it, that young master was frighteningly strong as well. Wu Kui was at the Sixth Heaven realm, a direct descendant of the Wu family with formidable battle prowess, yet he had his spiritual armor shattered in just a few punches, his spiritual weapon crushed outright. Truly horrifying!"
"And Wu Xiao was even a figure on the Prodigy Rankings, yet he was still crushed like an ant. This time, the Wu family really kicked an iron plate!"
Someone laughed with schadenfreude.
The Wu family had never enjoyed a good reputation in the Lingxiao Ancient City. Now that they had provoked such trouble, many were only too happy to see it.
"Heh, do you think the Wu family will swallow this humiliation… or will they—"
Someone trailed off mid-sentence, a smile of unclear meaning on his face, his words plunging many into deeper contemplation.
"Hah! The Wu family would have to be completely insane to dare retaliate. Given the current situation, whether they retaliate or not isn't up to them anymore—it's up to that Marquis, or that young master."
Someone scoffed disdainfully.
Yet his words failed to convince many. Quite a few continued to ponder and analyze the Wu family's possible next move.
In their eyes, the Wu family had always been synonymous with arrogance and ruthless vengeance.
They had never suffered a loss like this before.
The death of Wu Xiao, the fall of a Wu family great elder, and the appearance of a Heaven-reaching Marquis in the Lingxiao Ancient City quickly spread throughout the city.
All factions received the news.
At the same time, portraits and image records of Chu Ge and his group were delivered to the leaders of various forces, swiftly being marked as "absolutely not to be provoked."
The matter did not remain confined to Lingxiao Ancient City—it spread outward at remarkable speed.
As a result, Lingxiao Ancient City, already a focal point of the Wanqing Imperial Dynasty in recent times, became even more eye-catching.
...
Chu Ge was naturally unaware of all these discussions. At this moment, he was on the way to the City Lord's residence.
"We have yet to ask the three of you for your names. This little woman is Mu Qinglan."
Mu Qinglan walked alongside Chu Ge as she spoke, with Uncle Lin following closely behind her.
On Chu Ge's other side walked Ying Qingjue and Yuan Jue, the two women accompanying him.