149: Chapter 150 is not without reason.

The hall quieted down.

Lei Lie's gaze swept across every face, his tone sinking: "The Mercenary Guild is not sending you to your deaths. Before every mission is issued, I confirm the safety Rank. The reason I let you fight freely today is because I have already scouted the situation within a ten-mile radius—other than Black Iron Rank Demonic Wolves, there are no higher-Rank threats."

He paused for a moment.

"But beyond ten miles, I am not certain."

The hall went completely silent.

Some scratched their heads, some lowered their heads, and some wore slightly embarrassed expressions over their rashness from just moments ago.

Lei Lie watched their reactions, his tense face softening slightly.

"Listen well. Today's mission ends here. Once you finish processing the Demonic Beast carcasses, go home and eat. Come back tomorrow morning to receive new missions."

He rolled up the map, set it on the table, and his tone returned to its usual impatience.

"What are you dawdling for? The sun has already set; aren't your families waiting for you to eat? Hurry up!"

"Yes!"

The response was uniform, but the dispersal was not.

They walked out in twos and threes, turning back every few steps to chat more with others.

"What do you guess tomorrow's mission will be? Herb gathering or mining?"

"I think both. Lei Lie even brought out the map today."

"What do you think will be beyond ten miles?"

"Who cares? We'll kill whatever comes."

"What are you bragging about? Didn't we just kill a few wolves today—"

"You call that just a few?!"

"Hahahaha!"

The laughter extended all the way from the Mercenary Guild hall to the street.

Someone walking suddenly stopped, sniffed themselves, and wrinkled their nose.

"The smell of blood is too strong; I need to take a bath when I get back."

"Don't you usually take baths?"

"Nonsense, of course I do! I mean I need to wash an extra time today!"

"What are you so proud of? What does washing an extra time have to do with killing Demonic Wolves?"

"It has everything to do with it! Today's bath is different from a regular bath!"

"How is it different?"

"...I can't say, it's just different!"

The crowd dispersed into the streets and alleys of Flower City, and the laughter and chatter gradually faded, leaving only the cooking smoke rising from the rooftops of every household, merging together in the twilight.

For dinner today, every household in Flower City had one more dish on their table than usual—Demonic Wolf meat.

Some brought the Demonic Wolf meat they received back to their wives. The wives, not knowing how to prepare it, just cut it into chunks and threw it into a pot to stew. The resulting flavor was surprisingly good, and the whole family gathered around the pot and ate it all clean.

Some felt they couldn't cook it well and carried the raw meat to their neighbor's house to use their stove. The neighbor was initially unhappy, but upon seeing it was Demonic Wolf meat, their eyes lit up and they immediately cleared the stove.

Others gave the meat to the elderly next door—the elderly had bad teeth and couldn't chew it, so the young person helped mince it into small pieces and cooked it into porridge. When they brought it over, the elder tremblingly took the bowl and said, "Sorry for the trouble," to which the young person chuckled and said, "No trouble, there will be more tomorrow."

That night, Flower City went quiet later than usual.

The lights stayed on until very late.

Because many people were chatting.

They weren't discussing any major events, just chatting about today—how many Demonic Wolves they had hacked down, what funny things they had seen, and what missions they wanted to take tomorrow.

A man lay on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

His wife beside him was already asleep.

He looked at the rafters in the darkness, the corners of his mouth upturned, unable to suppress his smile.

Tomorrow.

Must go again tomorrow!

...

When Lei Lie returned to his residence, the food on the table had already gone cold.

It was sent by Nuan Nuan—the City Lord's Mansion sent dinner to each department minister every day. Lei Lie usually ate the fastest, but today he was the last one to return.

He sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and put a bite of food into his mouth.

He chewed twice and stopped.

He couldn't taste what the food was like.

His mind was filled entirely with that map.

Ten-mile radius, cleared.

And then what?

On the first day of the Mercenary Guild's establishment, he had seen the enthusiasm of the city residents with his own eyes—that vigor, suppressed for too long and finally finding an outlet, was even fiercer than he had anticipated.

Today it was ten miles; tomorrow they would ask for twenty.

The day after might be thirty, fifty miles.

But what the situation was beyond ten miles, he didn't know.

He had only scouted within ten miles.

This afternoon, he had already told the Mercenaries that the area beyond ten miles had not been scouted and they could not rashly go out.

He had spoken firmly, and everyone had listened.

But that was only for today.

What about tomorrow?

He couldn't keep stopping them every day.

If the Mercenary Guild could only circle around within a ten-mile range for several days in a row, what would be the difference between having it and not having it at all?

It was easy for the city residents' enthusiasm to ignite, but it would also cool down quickly—and what was more dangerous than the enthusiasm cooling down was disappointment.

Moreover, him scouting the path alone was too slow. His Silver Rank physical stamina was indeed sufficient, but the range one person could cover was limited, not to mention he had to be stationed at the Guild and couldn't spend all day outside.

Lei Lie picked up another bite of food, chewed twice, and stopped again.

He still couldn't taste it.

He put down his chopsticks.

He couldn't eat anymore.

...

Just at this moment, it suddenly brightened outside the window.

It wasn't the brightness of lights, nor moonlight.

It was a golden radiance pouring down from the sky, carrying warmth.

Lei Lie stood up abruptly, his chair sliding backward and hitting the wall.

He rushed to the window and looked up.

Above Flower City, large golden characters were emerging stroke by stroke, as if an invisible hand were writing on the firmament.

Each stroke carried an indescribable pressure—not the kind that made people fearful, but the kind that made people feel awe from the marrow of their bones.

The power of the Heavenly Dao rules.

[City Lord Skill: One Mind of Heaven and Earth]

The golden light illuminated the entire Flower City.

Everyone on the street stopped.

Those who were eating put down their bowls and chopsticks, those washing dishes turned off the water, and those coaxing children to sleep carried them to the doorways.

Everyone looked up, watching those few glittering golden characters in the sky.

They were silent for a good while.

Then someone spoke, their voice carrying a tone that was hard to tell if it was shock or habit.

"This is... the how many-th City Lord Skill?"

A person beside them seriously extended their hand and started counting on their fingers.

"United as One, one. Weather Control, two. Touch of Gold, three. Kings Army, four. This one... five?"

"Five City Lord Skills?!"

"That can't be right? Don't Destined City Lords only have one City Lord Skill?"

"Who told you there was only one?"

"Isn't that what everyone says?"

"I get it now!"

"Understand what?"

"Those Destined City Lords are fakes! Our City Lord is the genuine one!"

"...That makes sense!"

...

"It's not necessarily that they are fakes, but..." A middle-aged man crossed his arms, chuckled twice, his tone full of taking it for granted, "Our City Lord—"

He paused and tilted his chin.

"Can that even be compared?"