War God Long Ao

"Little Long, I want to ask, just how many Beast Pills do you have on you?"

Although Wen Lan appeared friendly, Long Ao chose not to trust her.

Long Ao knew full well that anyone who could survive in the City of Sin was anything but simple. He had to be on high alert and couldn't let his guard down for a single moment.

Pfft.

Seeing Long Ao's expression, Wen Lan suddenly laughed. "Little Long, you really are cautious. Let me tell you, I have more Beast Pills on me than you have hairs on your body. I have no need to covet your Beast Pills, understand?"

"Better safe than sorry. You can know a person's face, but not their heart."

Hearing this, the old drunkard's face filled with rage, but Wen Lan waved her hand to stop him. "You're right," she said. "People's hearts are treacherous. You can't trust anyone, especially in the City of Sin."

Long Ao said nothing, simply watching the two of them coldly.

Seeing how wary Long Ao was, Wen Lan didn't press her luck. She shrugged helplessly and said, "If you won't listen to a beauty's advice, I just hope you don't come crying to me for help later."

"That day will never come."

"Hahaha, Brother Long, I like your personality. We'll see each other again soon."

Watching the old drunkard and Wen Lan turn and disappear into the City of Sin, Long Ao hesitated no longer. He took out ten Innate Beast Pills from his robes, ready to hand them over to the guards and enter the City of Sin.

「City of Sin, at the city gate.」

"Halt! State your name."

"Long Ao."

"Ten Innate Beast Pills."

'So it really is ten Innate Beast Pills. The City of Sin is ruthless.' Long Ao didn't want to waste words with the gatekeepers. After all, Wen Lan had just said that the city guards of the City of Sin were all Great Venerable Martial Artists. If a conflict broke out and he attracted their attention, it would be incredibly troublesome.

'A moment of impatience can ruin a great plan.' In any case, he had come to the City of Sin mainly to cultivate his strength, not to look for trouble. With that in mind, Long Ao placed ten Beast Pills on the table.

"Ten Beast Pills?"

The corners of the two gatekeepers' mouths twitched upwards. Their meaning was simple enough.

In truth, Long Ao knew exactly what they meant. It was his first time coming to the City of Sin, so it was no surprise that the gatekeepers would look down on him. Of that, there was no doubt.

"Long Ao, according to the new rules in the City of Sin, first-timers have to pay an extra thirty Innate Beast Pills."

The two didn't say anything more, but their eyes and expressions made their meaning clear. It was simple: if he wanted to enter the City of Sin, he had to cough up another thirty Innate Beast Pills. Otherwise, he wasn't getting in.

If they had asked for another ten Beast Pills, Long Ao would have accepted it, just to get into the City of Sin first.

But now, hearing them demand an extra thirty Innate Beast Pills, Long Ao's expression instantly turned cold.

'If I actually give them thirty more Beast Pills, will they just keep asking for more?'

'Am I supposed to just keep giving them Beast Pills indefinitely?'

Long Ao knew that, when it came down to it, the two of them simply looked down on him. They saw him as a first-timer in the City of Sin with no power and no backing. Who else would they bully?

"Dogs relying on their master's power."

Long Ao didn't take out any more Beast Pills. He just stared coldly at the two men, his Killing Intent pressing down on them, and his voice was like something out of Hell.

"Why does everyone else only need ten Innate Beast Pills, while I need forty? If that's not you acting like dogs relying on your master's power, then what is?"

Staring into his icy eyes, the two men shivered for reasons they couldn't explain. "Others are others, and you are you," one of them stammered. "Are you trying to cause trouble in the City of Sin?"

The City of Sin was jointly managed by the Five Great Emperors. All Beast Pills collected at the gate were to be divided equally among them. The extra thirty Beast Pills demanded from Long Ao, however, would go straight into the pockets of these two gatekeepers.

How could Long Ao not know this?

Although the Five Great Emperors of the City of Sin had never authorized this, it had become common practice. Everyone simply turned a blind eye, as such things were inevitable.

"Kid, let me tell you straight. If you dare defy the rules of the City of Sin, the Five Great Emperors will not let you off easy. You'd better know what's good for you. Otherwise... hmph, hmph."

The two merely snorted, but the threat in their words was clear. Though terrified of his gaze, with the Five Great Emperors as their backing, they had no reason to fear Long Ao.

They acted with impunity.

Things having reached this point, Long Ao could not tolerate it any longer. Worst case, they would just go their separate ways. But if they thought he would compromise, they had another thing coming.

And so, the two sides were locked in a stalemate. Long Ao had only offered ten Beast Pills, and the two gatekeepers absolutely refused to let him enter.

"Isn't this Little Long? What's going on here?"

Seeing Wen Lan's sudden appearance, the two men visibly relaxed. One of them smiled and said, "Miss Wen Lan, so Long Ao is a friend of yours?"

"I suppose so. Were you trying to extort extra Beast Pills from him? For my sake, just let it go."

The two couldn't have been happier to let it go. Even with the Five Great Emperors as their backing, the man's eyes were simply too chilling. Just looking at him was terrifying. If they really fought and got themselves killed, it wouldn't matter if the Five Great Emperors intervened afterward—they'd still be dead.

"Since you're a friend of Miss Wen Lan, you can skip today's Beast Pill fee. But remember, from now on, your stay in the City of Sin will be charged by the hour. The standard rate is twenty Beast Pills per hour. Since you're Miss Wen Lan's friend, we'll only charge you nineteen."

'Nineteen Beast Pills per hour?'

'How many Beast Pills would that be for a day? For three days? A month? A year?'

Long Ao couldn't even begin to imagine the cost. No wonder Wen Lan had acted the way she did. He was only now realizing that staying in the City of Sin for even a few days was an extravagant hope. 'Do I really have to buy a house in the City of Sin?'

But at that very moment, the two men, who had just softened their stance, suddenly turned cold again. Their tone became instantly harsh. "According to the rules of the City of Sin, newcomers must pay an extra ten Beast Pills per hour. Add that to the previous twenty, and that's thirty Beast Pills in total. And you, with your shifty eyes, you're definitely up to no good. So, you'll have to put down a deposit of one thousand Beast Pills, or else get the hell out."

Just as Long Ao was wondering if the two had lost their minds, five figures approached from a distance. Each of them exuded an invisible but powerful momentum. A jolt went through him; Long Ao knew exactly who had arrived.

Watching the five approaching men with their arrogant, cold expressions, it was as if the nine words "I'm a city guard, who do I have to fear?" were written across their foreheads. Long Ao felt the urge to laugh out loud.