Chapter 4970

The moment the rune merged with the city’s formation, the entire city shook violently. The black-robed monks turned pale, coughed up blood, and were flung backward.

“My name is Kai. I’m here to see your city lord as a sign of respect. If anyone dares block my path, I won’t hesitate to kill them!”

Kai’s voice echoed through the city like a bell, its powerful shockwave cracking the clouds above.

With grim expressions, the black-robed monks stepped aside.

As Kai and his companions passed through the final city, the eaves of the City Lord’s Mansion came into view.

The vermilion gates slowly opened, revealing a middle-aged man in a golden python-patterned robe standing with his hands behind his back. It was Xie Zhong, the lord of Flying Tiger City.

He scanned Kai and the others and said, “Who are you three? Why have I never seen you in Rhino City?”

The three entered the courtyard. Then, an ancient jade slip flew from Kai’s sleeve. “City Lord Xie, who we are is not important. What matters is that we are here to negotiate on behalf of City Lord Niu.”

Xie Zhong took the jade slip, and his pupils contracted sharply. The atmosphere in the courtyard turned tense, with only the evening breeze stirring the fallen leaves that whirled between them.

Xie Zhong recognized the jade slip immediately—it was a symbol of authority from the Gadfly. With it, one could make any promise on the Gadfly’s behalf.

“In that case, let’s talk,” Xie Zhong said, returning the jade slip to Kai.

“Talk to you? Are you really the one who can make the decisions?” Kai asked bluntly.

“Ridiculous! I am the mayor of Flying Tiger City. If I can’t make the decisions, who can?” Xie Zhong snapped coldly.

“While you may be the mayor, the one with the true authority likely isn’t here, is he?”

As Kai finished speaking, he turned his gaze westward.

To the west of the City Lord’s Mansion lay a mountain range stretching out, with more than a dozen cities along the path—all part of Flying Tiger City’s domain.

At first glance, the cities seemed to be arranged to protect the central city.

But Kai noticed something odd: the true center of the formation wasn’t the main city, but a small, easily overlooked city in the mountains.

It made no sense for such a vast formation to be centered on such an insignificant place—unless that city held secrets no one expected.
So Kai speculated that Jie Zhong was merely a figurehead, and the true controller of Flying Tiger City must be hidden within that small, unassuming city.

“What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean. If you’re not here to negotiate, then please leave.”

“Either way, the Gadfly’s son is in my hands. I have all the time in the world to wait for him to make a move.”

Jie Zhong’s expression turned cold as he spoke, clearly furious.

Seeing his reaction, Kai became even more convinced that his suspicion was right.

“Of course, I want to negotiate. Why else would we come all this way?” Kai replied.

“Fine. Since you’re here to talk, then come inside,” Jie Zhong said, turning to enter the room first.

“Brother, be careful—it could be a trap…” Feng Xian warned quietly.

“Xiansheng, we should stay alert. This Jie Zhong is clearly stalling and even sent people to test us at the checkpoints,” Bai Yi added.

“You two wait outside. I’ll go in and assess the situation myself. If anything goes wrong, leave immediately—don’t worry about me,” Kai instructed them.

“Brother, who do you think I am? I’d rather risk my life than let you face danger alone,” Feng Xian said with conviction.

Bai Yi glared at Kai and added, “My dear son-in-law, how could I face my daughter if I ran away alone? Just go in and talk. Worst case, we’ll all fight together.”

Kai nodded, then stepped inside after Jie Zhong.

If it was only Jie Zhong inside, Kai had nothing to fear. With his current strength, he could easily handle him.