141: Chapter 139 The first phase of the project is completed, creating a grand atmosphere for the opening ceremony and apprenticeship ceremony.

In the blink of an eye, over a month had passed.

Gur City, Lord's Manor.

Zhang Mu paced back and forth in the study with a frown, holding the slumbering Leah in his arms.

The priests, who had initially been vehement in their refusal to treat Leah, became quite well-behaved and lined up at his door after Zhang Mu used the excuse of them defying the City Lord to chop off three heads and hang them from the flagpoles outside the city gates.

Zhang Mu couldn't quite understand whether the original City Lord was truly stupid or just playing dumb.

As a City Lord, why was he always thinking about dueling people or using magic to kill?

What was the power in his hands for?

The Church forbade violence within the city, but they could hardly say anything about the Kingdom's side maintaining order normally.

The priests, seeing their colleagues decapitated, seemed to realize that the City Lord didn't need to lift a finger himself to kill them.

The Vice City Lord wouldn't truly risk his life against the City Lord for the sake of a few priests.

Consequently, when examining Leah, they all exerted their utmost effort.

But it was useless.

Leah still slept for over ten hours a day, and the duration showed a trend of gradually increasing.

This morning, Zhang Mu took her for a stroll in his arms, but before long, the Little Cat Girl fell into a deep sleep again.

Worried, he lost the mood to wander and turned back to the study.

“What exactly is the reason?”

Wiping a trace of crystal-clear drool from the corner of Leah's mouth, Zhang Mu muttered in confusion.

The priests' various levels of healing magic were ineffective. He had even brought several medical check-up devices from Blue Star, but after a full battery of tests, no abnormalities were found.

If all else failed, he would have to make a trip to the Empire to find a high-level priest.

“Lord City Lord.” Soren's voice from outside the door woke Zhang Mu from his thoughts. “Enter.”

Soren pushed the door open and entered: “The first phase of construction is complete. When will you go to inspect it?”

“I'll go later. Hurry and start the second phase of the project.”

“As you command, Lord City Lord.”

“Furthermore,” he looked at the report in his hand, “the two Vice City Lords are protesting loudly against your waste of manpower on useless buildings and the unprovoked punishment of priests.

They request that you attend a meeting at the City Hall.”

“Let them wait. I'll go when I'm in a better mood,” Zhang Mu said impatiently.

“On Commander Domit's side, the residential housing is finished, and the land reclamation work is underway.

The materials you required, Lord City Lord, have also been mostly collected.”

“En, I understand.”

Having finished the report, Soren bowed and backed out of the study, closing the door tightly, only for it to be pushed open again a moment later.

“Lord City Lord.” Palina, dressed in a white gauze gown, entered gracefully, looking at Leah with a worried expression. “How is Leah's health?”

“No improvement.” Seeing her reach out, Zhang Mu carefully handed Leah to her. “Did your cousin look for you yesterday?”

Palina's hand, which was stroking Leah's head, paused. She nodded slightly: “En.”

“What did she say?”

“Cousin asked if the City Lord has been living comfortably lately.”

“And also when I would bring her back, right?”

“Lord City Lord, I...” Seemingly not expecting Zhang Mu to know her conversation with her cousin word-for-word, she explained anxiously.

“That's enough.”

After more than a month together, Zhang Mu, who understood her a bit better, knew she had no ill intent and didn't dwell on the matter.

Instead, he asked: “You've been in the Lord's Manor for over ten years, right?”

“When this year ends, it will be exactly thirteen years.”

Looking at her face, Zhang Mu said: “Back then, your cousin learned that I had my eye on you, and to curry favor with me, she forced your father to marry you to me.

If you want to leave now, I'll let you go home.”

“Lord City Lord.” A weak smile hung on her face. “It's all the same.”

“Are you dissatisfied with your father, or are you blaming me?”

“You're scaring me again.”

Zhang Mu's lips twitched. Over the month, he had become familiar with her, and she had also grasped his temperament.

He didn't speak, and Palina looked around the room on her own.

Because servants were strictly forbidden from entering the study, the floors, bookshelves, and vases were all covered in a layer of dust from lack of cleaning.

After placing Leah on the bedside against the wall that Zhang Mu had specially prepared, she turned to leave the room, returning with a bucket and a mop.

Rolling up her sleeves, she dipped the mop into the bucket to wet it and bent over to mop the floor.

Zhang Mu sat in the wooden chair behind the desk, squinting his eyes as he admired her graceful waistline and the lock of hair swaying by her forehead.

According to Soren, Palina was the one the City Lord liked the least.

Of the City Lord's four children, the eldest son was born to the deceased original wife, and the three daughters were all children of the First Madam; this clearly showed that was the case.

The Little Madam had only recently joined the household and hadn't had time to give birth yet.

Zhang Mu suddenly felt that the two Vice City Lords weren't entirely wrong; the City Lord indeed lacked experience and an understanding of life.

When looking for a wife, how could one only look at the face?

“She's a good woman,” Zhang Mu whispered with a smile, “she's just not right for me.”

“Lord City Lord, were you calling me?” Hearing his murmur, Palina straightened up and turned to ask.

Without answering her, he said: “Just let the servants do these things.”

“You don't like servants entering the study, so I'll do it.”

After a moment of silence, he asked her: “Are you used to staying here?”

“It's very good.”

This was clearly a lie.

Being neglected in the 'harem' for a long time while having the best looks, it would be a miracle if she wasn't bullied.

Her bedroom was in the most remote part of the backyard, and the indoor environment was also the worst.

“I've been cold to you all this time. Do you blame me?”

“Aren't you... always with Palina now?”

As she spoke, she leaned on the mop with both hands, her tone hesitant: “Lord City Lord... were you injured in the Silent Forest?”

“En? Why?”

“Every night...” After a moment of hesitation, she said tentatively, “Every night you just close your eyes and go to sleep as soon as you get into bed. Is it... an injury down there?”

Why did he sleep as soon as he got into bed every night?

“Heh.” Zhang Mu laughed. “What did you call me?”

“Lord City Lord.”

That was exactly why.

Waving his hand, he lost the mood to admire the beautiful young woman: “No need to clean anymore, go tend to your own business.”

“Lo—Lord City Lord, did Palina make you angry?” she asked with some panic.

“No.”

Opening her mouth, she ultimately didn't ask further. She picked up the bucket and mop and turned to walk out: “I'll bring you lunch at noon.”

“No need. I'm going out of the city in a bit and won't be back until evening.”

Her footsteps paused, and her somewhat lonely figure vanished across the threshold.

Zhang Mu didn't pay it any mind, standing up and stretching: “Really, wearing a mask for too long, I almost thought I was the City Lord.

Time to put the repaired houses and scenery into the World.”

Stepping out of the Lord's Manor, Zhang Mu hurried toward the temporary camp outside the city.

The items were basically all there, and the initial environmental framework for the academy and Cultivation Sect was set. He needed to speed up the progress on Blue Star's side.

Let me think... it's about time to let the whole world know about the existence of the 'Transcendent'.

He had to do something big, the kind that anyone who wasn't blind could see.

Thinking of the four spells he had recently acquired from the City Lord's secret chamber, Zhang Mu had a general plan in mind.