Xuanyue City belonged to the Nanyang Sect.

Among all the dependent powers, it was one of the very few willing to give mortals a place to live.

For that very reason its territory was huge—a full three hundred cities—which meant it clashed with demons more often than most. Luckily it had once had the Heaven-Sword Sect's protection, and nothing serious had ever happened.

The only mishap had come when the Heaven-Sword Sect handed it over to the Nanyang Sect. The turtle demon under Ke the Seventh, the Ke family's dragon grandson, had set its eyes on the place and tried to force the City Lord's daughter into marriage, very nearly making them the water-kin's captive lackeys.

Fortunately Sect Master Shen had stepped in himself and put the storm to rest.

As more and more news came in, City Lord Yin had watched with his own eyes as this young Sect Master climbed step by step into the sky, until he stood shoulder to shoulder with the other Sect Masters.

At the Seven-Sect Assembly, he had shown means ruthless enough to shock everyone, killing the Heaven-Sword Sect elder Liu Xingshan and securing his seat as Sect Master for good.

For Xuanyue City, that had been an enormous blessing.

By all rights, under the protection of a Sect Master who was such a young prodigy, Xuanyue City's future should have been smooth sailing.

But he had never imagined that Nanhong could change like this in so short a time.

“Hff.”

In the City Lord's residence, Yin Qizhang leaned back in his chair, his hands worrying at the letter sent from the immortal sects. He had read it so many times he could recite it backward, yet he still wouldn't put it down.

Yin Yajun looked at the green tea on the table, long gone cold, and walked over to pour her father a fresh cup.

“No need. I'll go out and look again.”

Yin Qizhang raised a hand slightly and closed his eyes, silently repeating a few words from the letter in his heart: “Be very careful.”

He stood up, a trace…