“Wah, so this is the God Realm of ‘ancient times.” Pu Jingwan lit up like an elf or fairy. She pressed off against the sky, her face lit up with delight, as she led An Lu towards an ancient yet vibrant city of the Divine Mountain.
Purely due to the direction they’d entered the Third Era from, they were now on the Northern Divine Mountain.
The other rulers all had various expressions. Some had lived through the first era and knew it before it was attacked by the Enders. They’d seen Divine Mountains before.
However, after the primordial giant beasts attacked, the Upper Three Realms were the first to fall. They hadn’t seen anything like this since.
Now that they were here, seeing the scenery of the Divine Mountains once more, they couldn’t help but recall many long-forgotten memories.
Then there were those like Pu Jingwan, who belonged to the younger generation.
They could now see the ancient cities identical to the era they’d been born too late to see. It was inevitable that they’d be curious.
“Is it really that exciting? Even if you don’t have God, Yao, and Demon Realms, surely you’ve seen period dramas before? Why are you getting so worked up over nothing?” Ye Zichen couldn’t help but sneer. Pu Jingwan’s jaw was hanging wide open, and she gasped intermittently.
“How is that the same?” She pouted her lips, then bumped shoulders with Ye Zichen and laughed, “Those people are just wearing costumes. I even thought you were cosplaying at first. Hey, how can you say such hurtful things? I’m going to switch targets if you carry on like this. I don’t like you anymore!”
“I couldn’t ask for more,” said Ye Zichen flatly.
“You….” Pu Jingwan pointed at him, then looked away. She turned toward An Lu instead. “Let’s go, An Lu. I don’t want to hang with these guys anymore.”
Just like that, Pu Jingwan took An Lu by the hand and led her into a nearby city.
Ye Zichen let out an exasperated sigh. This was the bodyguard Han Nan had arranged for him? How could she possibly leave him on his own and run off to play? Wasn’t that a bit remiss of her?
If the Bodyguard Association had an app, he’d have to leave her a negative review.
But fortunately, the Divine Mountain didn’t seem all that tumultuous. Ye Zichen had been on edge all this time, but he finally relaxed.
Pu Jingwan had essentially become a tourist. She shot right through the streets. She was a beauty to begin with, and her modern clothes were eye-catchingly bizarre, so she soon found herself the center of attention.
Ye Zichen and the others followed after her, like a troop of nannies. If something caught Pu Jingwan’s eye, they had no choice but to whip out their wallets and buy it for her.
He was the boss, so why did he feel so stifled?
“Look, An Lu… when these people see you, they show no trace of enmity,” said Pu Jingwan. As they strolled through the streets, she continuously reassured her.
Earlier, An Lu had worried that the gods would detest her because she was a demon, and that she’d cause Ye Zichen and his allies trouble. But even after exploring all this time, even when the gods sensed she was a demon, they weren’t overly surprised, much less hostile. They treated her like any other person.
This allowed An Lu to set aside her concern. Gradually, a smile spread across her face.
“The God Race was inclusive to begin with. Most ordinary people don’t discriminate against other races, or at least, the discrimination isn’t all that deeply rooted. Furthermore, as ordinary people, they have no idea just how tense the relationship between the Three Upper Realms is. Unless war breaks out, they’re happy to coexist with anyone of any race,” said Ye Zichen. He chuckled softly. He’d said all this to wash away the last of An Lu’s misgivings.
An Lu smiled and nodded. One look at those pure blue eyes was enough to entrance anyone who saw them.
“So, you do know how to comfort people, huh?” Pu Jingwan sent a transmission straight into his consciousness. “You’re being so gentle with An Lu, I can’t help but wonder if you’ve really taken a fancy to her. I know she said she has someone she likes, but if you’re really interested…. I can help you.”
Ye Zichen’s gentle smile froze. He glanced at Pu Jingwan. She was looking right back at him. She winked, her expression vibrant.
Suddenly, she received a transmission in response… “You must be mental.”
At that moment, his phone started vibrating like crazy. Ye Zichen took it out.
When Pu Jingwan saw it, she was stunned, despite herself. “You have those here too!?”
An Lu looked over as well, but her gaze contained nothing but curiosity. Back in Demon Race territory, she’d never seen such a thing before.
Ye Zichen disregarded Pu Jingwan’s surprise and opened his messenger app.
As expected, most of the messages were from the Red Packet Server, and none were important. They were just chatting.
However, at the very top of the screen, Ye Zichen saw a series of messages from Wei Jie.
“Boss, a group of people has shown up at our base. They’re looking for you specifically.”
“I told them we knew of no such person, but they said they knew you.”
“I asked who they were, but they refused to tell me. I told them to contact you, but they said they didn’t know how, and told me to contact you.”
“Boss, what do you….”
“Boss, are you there? How should I handle this?”
“Boss, please, it’s an emergency! I had those people investigated, and it seems they’re all from the Central Divine Mountain’s Xiao Family. I got them settled for now, but please, if you see my messages, respond!”
Ye Zichen clutched his phone, his pupils furiously constricting.
Members of the Xiao Family had come looking for him!
Had they discovered him? Did they want to wipe him out while he was still weak? Ye Zichen’s expression was unsightly. He responded to Wei Jie’s message without even the slightest hesitation. “What’s the situation?”
“Boss, you finally responded! They’re currently staying with us. What’s going on over at the Battle of Geniuses? When can you come back? I’ve kept things under control for now, but…”
“I’m on the Northern Divine Mountain as we speak. Wait for me in the east of Skyspan City. I’ll come right away.”
“Alright.” Ye Zichen put his phone away, his expression grave. The others fell silent and waited for him to finish. “Sightseeing will have to end here.”
Wei Jie got the message and immediately went to the eastern gate to wait for him.
The Xiao Family’s arrival had him in a panic. Back in the Lower Lands, he’d heard Ye Zichen mention that he had a grudge against the Xiao Family.
“Wei Jie.” The entire procession descended. Ye Zichen walked at the forefront, with Yang Jian and Pu Jingwan at his sides.
“Boss.” Wei Jie frantically rushed up to greet him.
Ye Zichen got straight to the point. “What’s going on? How do you know they’re Xiao Family members? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. They’re definitely from the Xiao Family. There’s no way I’m mistaken!”
In response to Wei Jie’s certain reply, Ye Zichen furrowed his brows. “How many of them came? Did they say why they’re here?”
“They didn’t explain. They just said they wanted to see you. As for their numbers…. There are around two, three hundred of them?”
“So many!” Ye Zichen was stunned. He turned to Pu Jingwan, Yang Jian, and the twenty rulers. “Take me there. I’m actually rather curious to meet with them.”
