Chapter 161 - 115: Nobles
Yuan Xiaogang’s monster-slaying progress was smooth. After activating "Vajra," no mutated creature he encountered was a match for him.
"What is this place? There aren’t any signs of mutated creatures having entered!"
As he ran, Yuan Xiaogang spotted a fork off the main road. The passageway within was lavishly decorated.
His curiosity piqued, he entered and ran toward the end of the corridor, admiring the exquisite decorations along the way.
For the sake of the territory’s long-term development, Lin Yu had established special aesthetics courses. Every evening, professional instructors offered free lessons to any residents and officials who wished to learn.
The courses focused mainly on appreciation. While voluntary for residents, all officials were required to attend at least one appreciation class per month to ensure the territory’s construction and design didn’t go off track.
As a result, Yuan Xiaogang’s eye for aesthetics was quite decent.
He noticed that the decorations were incredibly extravagant—not at all what one would expect from a race on the brink of extinction.
’It seems the Haiqiu Race started building this Floating City a long time ago. They must have had their breakthrough and begun construction before the world changed; otherwise, they wouldn’t have wasted so much space on this useless corridor.’
The corridor wasn’t very long, and Yuan Xiaogang soon reached the end. As he drew near, the door slid open automatically.
"Welcome, brave stranger. Thank you for saving us."
"Haiqiu People? So many of you are still alive?"
Yuan Xiaogang was quite happy to see a room full of Haiqiu People. ’If I can get them all to join the territory,’ he thought, ’the Ice Crystal Tree’s growth will definitely speed up.’
Hearing Target Number 1 speak their language fluently, the Haiqiu People in the command room were momentarily stunned.
"You speak our language?" the City Lord asked, confused.
"Of course. I spent time in your Underground City, so naturally I can communicate with you."
"What are you all doing hiding in here? Why haven’t any of you come out to deal with the mutated creatures?"
Everyone in the command room looked toward the City Lord.
After learning that the other Floating Cities had been wiped out, the City Lord had planned to flee. However, they were completely surrounded by flying Aituo Beasts, and with the city’s slow flight speed, escape was impossible.
To save his own skin, after the Floating City fell to the ground, the City Lord kept all his troops stationed around the command room. He forbade them from going out to clear the Aituo Beasts, hoping to survive by playing dead.
The soldiers who had been fighting outside earlier were all young people from the army. Unwilling to simply wait for death, they had defied orders to make a last stand.
"The army is currently protecting vital assets," the City Lord said with a sincere look on his face. "We were preparing to fight a decisive battle with those monsters inside the city, but we didn’t expect your arrival would clear out all the Aituo Beasts..."
"Captain Yuan! What are you doing here?"
"Oh? Haiqiu People! Captain Yuan, you found them too?"
Just then, Lin Yan and Niu Armor also arrived in the reception corridor. At the far end, they saw Yuan Xiaogang and a group of Haiqiu People.
"What’s the matter? I thought our rescue was pretty quick. Are the casualties among the Haiqiu People that heavy?"
Yuan Xiaogang leaped over to the two of them in just a few steps and asked, puzzled.
"Ugh, don’t even ask. It was a tragic scene when we found the residential area!"
"According to the survivors, the City Lord of this Floating City pulled all the troops back to protect himself, leaving the residential areas to fend for themselves. He didn’t even give them weapons. How were ordinary Haiqiu People supposed to fight off those mutated creatures?"
"If we hadn’t gotten there so quickly, all the residents would have been wiped out."
Taking turns, Lin Yan and Niu Armor quickly filled Yuan Xiaogang in on the situation.
"Hm? City Lord, didn’t you just say your army was protecting vital assets and preparing for urban combat?"
Yuan Xiaogang approached the City Lord, his tone unfriendly.
"This place is the nerve center of the entire city. Naturally, that makes *us* the most vital asset."
"As for those civilians, they’ve become useless since the world changed. All they do is eat and wait to die, consuming vast resources, yet not a single one has mutated or evolved. For the Floating City, they are a liability. Utterly useless."
The City Lord spoke with brazen confidence, as if he were completely in the right. He genuinely believed what he was saying.
"You..." Yuan Xiaogang was seething. Living in the World Tree Territory, he had never seen his Lord abandon the people or use them for experiments. Seeing the City Lord’s behavior now filled him with rage.
"Lin Yan, seize him. I don’t think a person like this should be allowed into our territory."
At the command, Lin Yan stepped forward. Several vines shot up from the floor, instantly binding the City Lord.
"Ahhh—What is this?"
"What are you doing?"
"What are you all staring at? Save me!"
The City Lord screamed in terror. He struggled with all his might, and when he realized he couldn’t break free, he immediately ordered the people around him to help.
His adjutant and a few of his trusted men rushed forward to help. They tried using various sharp tools, but they couldn’t cut or even loosen the vines; instead, the vines only coiled tighter.
"Soldiers! Soldiers!!!"
"Kill them for me!!!"
Seeing that he couldn’t escape, the City Lord immediately called for his soldiers.
’As long as I kill Lin Yan, the one causing this,’ he thought, ’these restraints will naturally disappear.’
Doors opened on both sides of the command room, and squads of soldiers poured out. They raised their firearms, aimed at Lin Yan, and immediately opened fire. Streaks of blue light erupted from the gun barrels.