Chapter 517

"Second Brother, we're approaching Tianyun City. I'm going to stop there to resupply and gather some information. Are you heading straight back, or will you join me?" Ye Chen asked the old man beside him. This old man was the martial artist he had brought from Qingyun City, whom he intended to bring to the Ye family as an esteemed elder to help guard their territory.

"If Young Master Ye intends to gather information, then I shall, of course, accompany you," the old man replied respectfully.

"Very well, let's go down together then." Ye Chen nodded, put away his cloud boat, and descended from the sky with the old man.

Tianyun City was a major city situated between Qingyun City and Yanjing. While not as grand as Yanjing, it was still several times larger than Qingyun City. At the city gates, a constant stream of martial artists flowed in and out, creating a bustling atmosphere.

As soon as Ye Chen and the old man entered the city, Ye Chen detected a strong scent of blood.

"What's happened in Tianyun City? Why the smell of blood?" Ye Chen frowned slightly and quietly asked.

The old man frowned, extended his divine sense, and scanned the area ahead. Not far away, several shop doors were tightly shut. Even the usually bustling restaurants and inns were eerily quiet.

Ye Chen and the old man exchanged glances before approaching a nearby passerby.

"Excuse me, sir, what's happened in Tianyun City? Why are there so few people out?" Ye Chen asked politely.

The passerby glanced at Ye Chen, then sighed. "Recently, some members of the Blood Demon Cult appeared in Tianyun City," he explained. "They've been acting without restraint throughout the city, and even the City Lord's Mansion seems powerless to stop them."

"The Blood Demon Cult?" A flicker of killing intent appeared in the eyes of both Ye Chen and the old man.

The Blood Demon Cult was the most notorious evil sect in the Central Plains. They reveled in slaughter, and to cultivate their sinister Blood Demon Art, they would massacre innocent city dwellers, draining their essence and blood to enhance their own power. This malevolent cultivation method had previously been targeted and suppressed by all major sects. It was unexpected that remnants of the cult still persisted.

"Thank you for the information, sir," Ye Chen said, cupping his hands to the passerby.

The passerby acknowledged him with a nod and quickly departed.

"Young Master Ye, with these Blood Demon Cult members appearing in Tianyun City, there's no telling what schemes they might be hatching. Should we proceed directly to Yanjing, or should we eliminate these remnants of the Blood Demon Cult first?" the old man asked quietly, his eyes glinting with killing intent.

"Since we've encountered them, there's no reason to let them go," Ye Chen said, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Let's head to the City Lord's Mansion first and see if they know the location of their stronghold."

The Blood Demon Cult's cultivation method relied on devouring the essence and blood of martial artists to enhance their power. Killing and plunder were their inherent nature. Unless absolutely necessary, Ye Chen had no intention of letting these evildoers escape. Furthermore, Yanjing was not far from Tianyun City. If the Blood Demon Cult were to establish a firm foothold here, Yanjing would inevitably suffer their poisonous influence as well. While he wasn't an embodiment of justice, when it came to such villains, the fewer there were, the better.

Ye Chen and the old man made their way towards the City Lord's Mansion.

Inside Tianyun City's City Lord's Mansion.

City Lord Li Tianyun sat on the main seat, his face etched with worry. Below him sat several martial artists, all experts from the City Lord's Mansion.

"Lord City Lord," a middle-aged man said gravely, "the number of civilian and martial artist casualties in Tianyun City has been steadily increasing. If this continues, I fear our Tianyun City will become a ghost town."

Li Tianyun sighed helplessly. "I wish I could eliminate all those Blood Demon Cult members," he said, "but they are incredibly powerful. There are even two experts among them at the Core Fusion realm. My City Lord's Mansion is simply no match for them."

"City Lord, perhaps we should seek assistance from higher authorities?" a martial artist beside him suggested.

Li Tianyun shook his head. "Seeking aid from above isn't that simple," he replied. "By the time they arrive, Tianyun City might already be in ruins."

"Are we simply to sit here and await our demise, then?" the middle-aged man asked, his face etched with frustration.

A glimmer of determination appeared in Li Tianyun's eyes. "It's not entirely hopeless," he said grimly. "I've already sent out a plea for help. As long as someone in Yanjing is willing to intervene, Tianyun City can still be saved."

Just then, a commotion was heard outside the door.

"Lord City Lord," a guard quickly entered, bowing respectfully, "there are two individuals at the entrance asking to see you."

"Hmm?" Li Tianyun frowned, asking suspiciously, "Who are they?"

"They claim to be from Qingyun City and wish to inquire about the Blood Demon Cult," the guard stated gravely.

A sharp glint appeared in Li Tianyun's eyes. "Let them in," he commanded.

"Yes, sir!" The guard acknowledged and turned to leave.

A moment later, Ye Chen and the old man entered.

Upon seeing the old man, Li Tianyun's expression subtly shifted, a peculiar glint appearing in his eyes.

"I am Li Tianyun, City Lord of Tianyun City," he said, cupping his fists. "May I ask what brings the two of you here?"

"We've come from Qingyun City," Ye Chen replied with a smile, "and heard that Tianyun City has been quite troubled lately, so we came to see if there's any assistance we can offer."

Upon hearing this, a peculiar look flashed in Li Tianyun's eyes. It was surprising that someone from Qingyun City would proactively offer help. Could they have been sent by one of the prominent families from higher up? Li Tianyun then looked at the old man, whose aura exuded a subtle sense of danger.

"May I ask your name, esteemed elder?" Li Tianyun asked politely.

"My name is Lin Dong," the old man replied calmly.

Hearing this, Li Tianyun's expression changed slightly. The name Lin Dong was something of a forbidden name in Yanjing. The Lin family of Yanjing was once considered one of the prominent families, but they had unfortunately been annihilated by the Ye family. Li Tianyun hadn't expected to encounter a survivor of the Lin family here.

"So it is Old Mister Lin," Li Tianyun said, a sharp glint in his eyes. "May I ask where you are currently serving?"

A faint glint appeared in Lin Dong's eyes. He subtly glanced at Ye Chen before calmly stating, "I currently serve the Ye family."

Li Tianyun's face registered a look of profound shock upon hearing this. Lin Dong was actually with the Ye family? And it seemed his standing was quite high. Could this young man be the expert dispatched by the Ye family?

Li Tianyun's gaze returned to Ye Chen. Ye Chen wore a faint smile, appearing utterly harmless, but the presence of Lin Dong by his side suggested otherwise. For a powerhouse like Lin Dong to willingly serve him, this young man's identity was certainly extraordinary.

Li Tianyun took a deep breath, then said gravely, "May I know your names?"

"My name is Ye Chen," Ye Chen replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Li Tianyun's expression subtly changed, and a hint of shock flashed in his eyes. He had never imagined that this young man was the Third Young Master of the Ye family. This young man had a notorious reputation in Yanjing. Though exceptionally talented, he was known for being a dissolute scoundrel, constantly idle and uneducated. In Yanjing, everyone knew the Ye family's Third Young Master as a notorious good-for-nothing. Yet, this young man could command the willing service of a powerhouse like Lin Dong, suggesting the rumors were entirely false.

Li Tianyun took a deep breath, suppressing the shock he felt. "It is Young Master Ye, my apologies," Li Tianyun said respectfully, cupping his hands.

Ye Chen smiled. "City Lord Li, you're too kind. We came here to gather information about the Blood Demon Cult. Do you happen to know anything about them?"

Li Tianyun sighed. "The Blood Demon Cult has been acting wantonly throughout the city recently, and even my City Lord's Mansion is no match for them," he explained.

"With Old Mister Lin present, I'm confident Tianyun City will no longer face such dangers," Li Tianyun said, looking at Lin Dong with a smile.

Lin Dong's expression subtly changed upon hearing Li Tianyun's words. "City Lord Li, you are too kind," he said. "I am merely a martial artist of the Core Fusion realm; how could I possibly compare with the powerhouses of the Blood Demon Cult?"

Hearing this, the smile on Li Tianyun's face stiffened. He hadn't expected Lin Dong to deny it. "Old Mister Lin, you are a powerhouse in the Core Fusion realm. Are you truly saying you're no match for the Blood Demon Cult?" Li Tianyun asked, bewildered.

Upon hearing this, a peculiar glint appeared in Lin Dong's eyes. "While I am indeed a powerful individual in the Core Fusion realm," he replied, "the powerhouses of the Blood Demon Cult are not easily dealt with."

Hearing this, Li Tianyun's expression subtly shifted, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. "Old Mister Lin, this is no time for jokes," Li Tianyun urged gravely. "My Tianyun City is in dire straits. You cannot simply stand by."

Lin Dong glanced at Ye Chen upon hearing this. Ye Chen then smiled and said, "City Lord Li, Old Mister Lin serves as my personal esteemed elder. He takes orders from me, not from you."

Li Tianyun's expression subtly changed upon hearing this, a mixture of surprise and doubt flickering in his eyes. Was Ye Chen actually more powerful than Lin Dong? How could that be possible? Ye Chen was widely known as a good-for-nothing. How could he command the willing service of a powerhouse like Lin Dong?

Li Tianyun took a deep breath, then said gravely, "Young Master Ye, the Blood Demon Cult members are wreaking havoc in the city. Will you simply stand by and do nothing?"

Ye Chen smiled. "City Lord Li, you're too kind," he said. "I, Ye Chen, am certainly no embodiment of justice, but when it comes to such villains, the fewer there are, the better."

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Li Tianyun's eyes. "Does Young Master Ye mean he is willing to intervene?" he asked.

Ye Chen nodded. "Does City Lord Li know the location of the Blood Demon Cult's stronghold?"

Li Tianyun's face lit up with joy upon hearing this. "My City Lord's Mansion has already sent scouts," he replied. "Their stronghold is located in the Blood Demon Cave outside the city."

"The Blood Demon Cave?" Ye Chen frowned. "Their stronghold is outside the city?"

Li Tianyun nodded. "Their stronghold is indeed in the Blood Demon Cave," he confirmed. "Moreover, the cave's terrain is extremely complex, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

Hearing this, a sharp glint appeared in Ye Chen's eyes. "In that case," he said, "we'll go to the Blood Demon Cave and take a look."

Li Tianyun's face lit up with joy. "Young Master Ye, are you truly going?" he asked.

Ye Chen nodded. "Of course."

Li Tianyun's face beamed with ecstasy upon hearing this. "Thank you, Young Master Ye! Thank you so much!" he exclaimed.

Ye Chen smiled. "City Lord Li, you're too kind. In that case, we shall take our leave now."

Hearing this, Li Tianyun quickly said, "Young Master Ye, I'll assign someone to guide you."

Ye Chen shook his head. "No need," he replied, "we can manage on our own."

With that, Ye Chen and Lin Dong departed from the City Lord's Mansion.

Li Tianyun watched Ye Chen's departing back, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Lord City Lord," a martial artist asked with a frown, "can Young Master Ye truly handle the Blood Demon Cult?"

Li Tianyun took a deep breath. "This young man can command the willing service of a powerhouse like Lin Dong," he said gravely. "It seems he harbors a significant secret."

"I can only hope he's capable of dealing with the Blood Demon Cult," Li Tianyun added grimly.