26: Chapter 26 So you're the city lord, huh?

Zhao City was massive; it took Chen You a full ten minutes just to walk from the city gate to the City Lord's Mansion in the center.

The architectural style along the streets was rugged, primarily stone and wood; the rhythmic clanging of hammers echoed from blacksmith shops, accompanied by showers of sparks.

Outside a tavern, a drunken orc was being propped up by two companions, mumbling something incoherently.

Everything felt vibrant and full of life, a stark contrast to the deathly silence Chen You had encountered when he first arrived.

The guards at the City Lord's Mansion were clearly much more elite than those at the city gate.

They wore standardized suits of armor and held halberds, their gazes as sharp as eagles.

As Chen You approached, two halberds crossed, instantly blocking his path.

"The City Lord's Mansion is a restricted area. No unauthorized entry!"

One of the guards' voices was as loud as a booming bell.

Chen You didn't waste words and directly pulled the ancient-looking [Zhao City Military Token] from his inventory.

The moment the military token appeared, the expressions of the two guards shifted abruptly, their coldness quickly replaced by reverence.

They immediately withdrew their halberds and knelt on one knee.

"Greetings, Hero! The City Lord has been waiting for you!"

This treatment made Chen You feel a bit flattered.

It seemed those nine Exorcism Talismans... no, that nine million wasn't spent in vain.

Led by the guards, Chen You crossed the heavily guarded courtyard and entered a spacious Council Hall.

At the far end of the hall, on the main seat, sat a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious silk robes.

He had an elegant face, a meticulously groomed goatee, and deep eyes that calmly watched Chen You walk in.

This must be the City Lord of Zhao City, City Lord Gao De.

"Are you the Adventurer who purified the Source of Vengeful Spirits?"

City Lord Gao De's voice was gentle, sounding more like a well-read scholar than the ruler of a major border city.

"That's me," Chen You replied with a nod, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Very good." City Lord Gao De stood up, slowly descending the steps with a smile of approval.

"On behalf of all the citizens of Zhao City, I thank you for everything you have done."

"You have not only dispelled the evil lurking here but also given this city a new lease on life."

[Ding! You have completed the mission: The City Lord's Summons!]

[Gained Experience: 3000 points!]

[Zhao City Reputation increased to Friendly!]

[Gained Reputation Points: 2000!]

A series of system prompts popped up before Chen You's eyes.

The experience was good, directly leveling him up to Level 4 (Qi Refinement Layer 1); he unhesitatingly assigned all 5 free attribute points to Attack.

There were actually 2000 reputation points too!

He just didn't know what they were used for yet!

"Your noble deeds will be inscribed upon Zhao City's Monument of Merit."

City Lord Gao De's voice continued as he patted Chen You on the shoulder, appearing very friendly.

"Our Zhao City is remote, resources are scarce, and our military power is limited."

"During the last siege of vengeful spirits, if you hadn't stepped in, the consequences would have been unthinkable..."

City Lord Gao De began to talk at length about the history and hardships of Zhao City, his words filled with concern for the city's future.

Chen You just listened quietly, comparing the dialogue to the analysis from the "Pay-to-Win" project team.

Sure enough, it was exactly as Sun Feng and the others predicted—this was a standard official NPC dialogue process: thanks, rewards, background introduction...

However, just as Chen You thought the meeting was ending, City Lord Gao De's tone suddenly shifted.

"Hero Chen You." His form of address became more solemn.

"Since you possess such formidable power, able to easily slay the Vengeful Spirit General that even my most elite warriors were helpless against..."

"I wonder... if you would be willing to guide our Zhao City Garrison Army?"

Chen You, who was still nodding, suddenly froze.

Hmm?

The script is wrong!

He looked up, meeting City Lord Gao De's eyes, which were filled with expectation and scrutiny.

The next second, a brand-new quest selection box abruptly popped up in front of him.

[The City Lord's Request: Zhao City Lord Gao De is deeply impressed by your strength and hopes you can contribute more to Zhao City's defense forces.]

[Option 1: Accept. You will guide the Garrison Army soldiers through combat drills.]

[Quest Reward: 5000 Reputation Points, obtain special title [Friend of Zhao City].]

[Option 2: Refuse. You will politely decline the City Lord's request.]

[Quest Reward: None. Consequence: City Lord Gao De's favorability toward you will drop significantly.]

Chen You's pupils constricted slightly.

It's here! The 3.5% extremely low-probability event predicted by the data team!

This wasn't a request; this was clearly putting him on the spot!

Refuse? A significant drop in favorability?

Looking at the City Lord's smiling face, who knew if refusing would turn favorability into outright hostility, leading him to "reason" with Chen You on the spot?

Chen You didn't have the guts to gamble against an NPC whose level was a question mark.

Accept?

Chen You's gaze fell on the words "combat drills."

Isn't this just a sparring match?

Although his defense was high, who knew how high the attack of these NPC soldiers was?

He was a billionaire now, a national asset; he was precious!

Any bump or bruise would be considered a workplace injury!

"What's wrong?" Seeing Chen You remain silent, City Lord Gao De's smile faded a bit.

"Does the Hero feel that my soldiers... are not worthy of your guidance?"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly dropped to the freezing point.

The guards who had been standing by tightened their grip on their halberds, and unfriendly gazes fell upon Chen You.

An invisible pressure loomed over him.

Alarm bells rang in Chen You's mind.

Damn, these NPCs even know how to play the moral kidnapping and coercion game?

In an instant, Director Li Guoan's serious face flashed through his mind, along with those powerful words.

—"If necessary, you can buy every item in the mall and wipe Zhao City off the map."

—"Your life is more important than that city, more important than all of us."

Perspective!

Right, he needed to broaden his perspective!

I am a "super tycoon" player here to spend money, not a free sparring partner!

Want to exploit my labor for free? Not a chance!

Although he didn't know if these NPCs could be charmed by players, he had to try to find out!

In an instant, a warm, slightly hypocritical smile appeared on Chen You's face as he bowed slightly to City Lord Gao De.

"The City Lord overstates the matter."

"It's not guidance, just mutual exchange and learning. It's an honor for us Adventurers to contribute to the peace of Zhao City."

Hearing this, City Lord Gao De's tense expression softened, and he smiled again.

"So, the Hero agrees?"

The hostility from the surrounding guards also dissipated.

"Of course," Chen You agreed immediately, then shifted his tone, showing a hint of "difficulty" on his face.

"However... as the City Lord knows, my class is quite special."

"My combat style is different from traditional warriors or mages."

"We don't rely on brute force or magic; we rely on... uh, a unique energy called 'Spiritual Power'."

Chen You began to talk nonsense with a straight face.

"And my means of attack mainly depend on some special 'talismans'."

"Like the kind used to purify the Vengeful Spirit General last time."

Hearing this, City Lord Gao De's eyes flashed, and he nodded.

"I've heard; it's a kind of golden scroll containing divine power, with immense strength."

"Exactly!" Chen You slapped his thigh. "That's the one!"

He spread his hands, saying with a face full of pain, "The City Lord might not know, but making these talismans is extremely difficult, and the materials required are astronomical in price!"

"Every single one embodies my countless efforts and... money."

"To purify Zhao City last time, I used up all my stock. I'm completely out of supplies now!"

Chen You sighed emotionally, his acting skills comparable to an Oscar winner.

As City Lord Gao De listened, his brow gradually furrowed.

He understood.

This kid was crying poor to him, asking for benefits!

He had thought the other party was just a powerful but inexperienced young Adventurer, thinking he could use righteousness and reputation to manipulate him into doing some free labor.

Unexpectedly, he was quite the slippery one!

"You mean..." City Lord Gao De narrowed his eyes, his voice turning somewhat cold.

"I mean!" Chen You's smile was as bright as a swindler's.

"How about... the City Lord's Mansion sponsors me with eighty or a hundred gold coins first?"

"Once we have the money, forget guidance—I'll personally lead a team to wipe out those vengeful spirit spawn points outside the city!"

City Lord Gao De's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.