326: Is there anything else to add?

Qin Wushang's gaze shifted slightly, landing on the old man who had spoken first, and he asked in a flat, emotionless tone.

"Your subordinate, Ye Xuanye, pays respects to the City Lord!"

The old man's body stiffened, and he immediately bowed, kneeling on the ground in the most respectful posture, his voice filled with awe.

"Mhm."

Qin Wushang gave a faint response, his tone betraying no emotion.

"Rise."

He looked up at the crowd, his voice not loud.

"Everyone assemble immediately; meet in the Council Hall."

After a pause, he added a sentence, and a sudden chill permeated the air.

"Those who do not arrive within fifteen minutes shall die."

As the words fell, the surrounding crowd showed confusion, but no one dared to ask a single question, feeling an invisible pressure enveloping them.

Not daring to delay, everyone rose and hurried toward the Council Hall... Inside the Council Hall, the atmosphere was solemn.

Qin Wushang sat upright on the throne at the head of the hall, his posture straight and his expression composed.

Beside him, Ye Hongfu stood quietly, watching the Desolate City Garrison Generals pouring in from outside the hall, her heart full of confusion.

She asked via voice transmission: "Junior Brother... Chu Yuehua... what exactly does the Chu Yuehua intend? Why did she give the imperial edict to you?"

She had originally thought Qin Wushang had come to the Border Wasteland alone for training.

She hadn't expected him to hold the imperial edict, coming here to suppress so many Desolate City Garrison Generals and become the City Lord.

"To rectify the chaos of the Border Wasteland."

Qin Wushang replied via voice transmission, concise and calm, without the slightest ripple.

The Border Wasteland seemed calm on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents surged; it was a bottomless pool of foul water, hiding countless unknown dangers and conspiracies.

His arrival would make him the shark that stirred up this pool of foul water.

"City Lord!"

Ye Xuanye stepped forward quickly, bowing with hands cupped, his voice steady. "Except for a few Garrison Generals out on missions, all others are present. We respectfully request the City Lord to preside over the meeting!"

"Mhm."

Qin Wushang nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the people in the hall, his eyes cold and devoid of any extra expression.

He just sat quietly on the throne, his body naturally exuding an Aura of looking down on the world.

It was as if a monarch had descended upon the world, looking down at his subjects.

This natural Aura made the hearts of all the Garrison Generals in the hall tremble; they all bowed their heads and shouted in unison.

"Greetings, City Lord!"

"Mhm."

Qin Wushang gave another faint response, then looked at Ye Xuanye and gave orders in an indifferent tone.

"Ye Xuanye, report all matters of the Desolate City, large and small, from the past three months."

Ye Xuanye rose at the command and began to state the matters methodically, his speaking speed neither fast nor slow, with clear logic.

Everyone in the hall held their breath and listened quietly, their gazes occasionally falling on Qin Wushang, trying to glimpse some intention from his expression.

Everyone wanted to know what this new City Lord intended to do and what the Chu Yuehua had sent him for.

But Qin Wushang remained seated and still, not saying a word from beginning to end, neither interrupting nor questioning.

He just listened calmly, enjoying the gentle massage of Ye Hongfu's soft hands.

"City... City Lord, your subordinate has finished the report; that is all."

Ye Xuanye finished his report, his voice slightly lowered, his heart full of trepidation and confusion.

He was ordered to report, but the City Lord had remained silent throughout, neither questioning nor commenting. So what was the point of this report?

These matters were clearly all recorded in the registers; the City Lord could have looked through them himself.

"Truly, is that all?"

Qin Wushang tilted his head slightly, continuing to enjoy Ye Hongfu's gentle shoulder massage, his tone still indifferent.

"This... City Lord, your subordinate has thought back carefully, and there are indeed no omissions."

Ye Xuanye's heart sank, and after a moment's consideration, he replied cautiously.

Qin Wushang didn't question Ye Xuanye further but slowly swept his gaze over the other Garrison Generals in the hall.

"Do any of you have anything to add?"

He paused and said word by word: "Those who take the initiative to add information now can be dealt with leniently afterward."

"If you remain silent and I find out, it will be a case of deceiving superiors, and the punishment will be increased."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Council Hall instantly fell into a dead silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Add what?

Everyone looked at each other, all with confused faces, completely unable to fathom Qin Wushang's thoughts.

This City Lord had no reaction after hearing the report just now, but now he suddenly threw out such words. Did he know something, or was he deliberately testing them?

Ye Xuanye stood in place with his head lowered, hiding his expression; no one could see his face at this moment.

The air in the hall seemed to have frozen, so oppressive it made it hard to breathe.

"Everyone, this is the last chance."

Qin Wushang spoke again, his left hand lightly propping up his chin, his posture lazy, with a hint of a playful smile in his eyes.

"Report!"

Just then, a voice came from outside the hall, and a man in battle armor ran in anxiously.

"City Lord! Heir Qinghe and the others have returned! They are outside the hall right now!"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone was surprised.

Heir Qinghe?

Chu Qinghe?

That fellow who was tricked into going to Black Cliff Mountain actually returned from there?

How is this possible!

Ye Yunye looked up, incredibly shocked.

He actually returned alive!

"Let him in."

Qin Wushang said.

Soon, several very disheveled young people walked in from outside the hall.

The one leading them was indeed Chu Qinghe.

"Warlord of Desolate City! I'll fuck your mother!"

Before he had even fully entered, his angry words already echoed throughout the hall.

"I'll... huh?"

Chu Qinghe was about to curse more when he saw the figure sitting on the main seat and was very surprised.

It's not the Warlord of Desolate City...!

It's actually him!

"Junior Brother Qin! How can it be you?"

"Where is that beast, the Warlord of Desolate City?"

Chu Qinghe asked in surprise.

"Dead."

"Now I am the Lord of Desolate City."

"Senior Brother Chu led many Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters from the Academy here for training. Did you have any gains?"

Qin Wushang stood up and walked down from the main seat.

Their gazes met—one as flat as autumn water, the other filled with shock.

"Dead... Good riddance!"

"That damn beast! He actually dared to trick me into going to a death trap like Black Cliff Mountain! He deserves to die ten thousand times over!"

Chu Qinghe cursed.

"Exactly!"

"That damn guy really deserved to die!"

"City Lord! I suspect that the Warlord of Desolate City and these bastards have dealings with the beasts of the Southern Barbarians!"

"That's right! We went to Black Cliff Mountain, and half of our people died! It was all the work of those Southern Barbarian beasts!"

"Please, Senior Brother Qin... no, please, City Lord, uphold justice for us!"

Each of them was covered in blood, their Auras weak, looking like beggars and feeling extremely angry.

Hearing this, the faces of many Garrison Generals changed drastically.

"City Lord, please see clearly! We are loyal to Great Chu and disdain to associate with the Yao Race. The Heir and the others must have some misunderstanding about us."

"That's right! This must be a misunderstanding. Our loyalty to Great Chu is as clear as the sun and the moon."

They hurriedly spoke to express their loyalty.

Ye Xuanye bowed and shouted, "Heir, Black Cliff Mountain is the junction between the Southern Barbarians and our Desolate Heaven Domain. It's normal for the Yao Race to be there. You cannot slander our loyalty to Great Chu based on that alone."