Chapter 947: Power and Influence

The entrance to Dragon Cloud Arena.

A tall, upright figure in dark, flame-patterned robes strode in. He had the countenance of an elegant scholar. His long hair was tied up, and his features were as smooth as jade. His eyes were as deep as the ocean, and his every gesture contained the pride and majesty of one long accustomed to power.

A group of men and women followed him. All were dignified and imposing, yet now, they gathered around the middle-aged scholar like stars clustering around the moon.

When he saw this middle-aged scholar, Xing Tianfeng’s expression shifted uncontrollably, filling with dread and awe.

Yin Xiulin.

The lord of the City of Safe Returns. He’d overseen this place for the past thirty thousand years, gazing down on the surrounding wilderness from on high. His name shook the world.

He was in the mid-stage Profound Serenity Realm, and they called him the Divine Yin Spirit Emperor.

What people spoke of the most was his wide network of friends and acquaintances. Rumor had it that he was acquainted with all of the ancient experts of the Netherworld’s top factions, albeit to varying degrees.

As a result, during his thirty thousand years presiding over the City of Safe Returns, practically no one had dared stir up waves.

Thus, when Yin Xiulin arrived, even Cui Jingyan, Xing Yue, and the others realized that this didn’t bode well. Their expressions shifted in response.

Dragon Cloud Arena was Weng Xuanshan’s territory.

And everyone in the City of Safe Returns knew that Weng Xuanshan was City Lord Yin Xiulin’s right-hand man!

Now that the city lord had come in person, how could this possibly end peacefully?

Su Yi continued drinking contentedly on stage. However, when he saw Yin Xiulin approach from a distance, he couldn’t help but feel a bit stunned.

For some reason, the city lord seemed a bit familiar. However, he couldn’t recall where he’d seen him before.

Meanwhile, Weng Xuanshan took a deep breath, rushed forward, and inclined his head in greeting. “Your subordinate was inept, or this disturbance would never have merited you coming in person, Your Excellency. Please punish me accordingly!”

As he spoke, his expression filled with shame.

One of the people accompanying Yin Xiulin, a pretty woman in a black skirt, said softly, “Brother Weng, tell us what happened here. What led to such a large disturbance?”

Weng Xuanshan didn’t so much as pause to think. He immediately laid the whole situation out in the open.

When they heard the full story, uproar ensued. All of them were overcome with astonishment.

A Spiritual Revolution Realm young man had slaughtered an entire group of cultivators from Night Demon Mountain? Including two Emperors!?

This was simply unheard of!

However, when they learned that Su Yi impudently violated their rules and disregarded Weng Xuanshan, and that he’d even attempted to force Weng Xuanshan to lower his head and apologize, the city lord’s subordinates glowered.

“Hah? A Spiritual Revolution Realm young man dares test whose rules are stronger inourterritory? He’s simply seeking death!” The woman in the ink-black skirt said coldly.

The others’ expressions were unfriendly too. All of them looked at the young man in blue standing atop the stage.

The experts of Night Demon Mountain had all died here. If the old-timers of Night Demon Mountain found out about this, it would almost certainly implicate them too.

They didn’t fear Night Demon Mountain, but this was still trouble.

When Xing Tianfeng, Xing Yue, and the others saw this, their hearts sank.

It’s over! There’s no way to smooth things over now!

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However, although no one noticed it, when City Lord Yin Xiulin entered Dragon Cloud Arena and saw Su Yi, he looked dazed. His expression filled with apparent disbelief, and he seemed hesitant.

“Your Excellency, just say the world and we’ll capture that little whelp right away!” The woman in the ink-black skirt took the initiative to request orders.

“Silence!” But Yin Xiulin’s expression suddenly turned vicious, and he slapped her right across the face.

Whap!

A resounding slap rang out, and the woman staggered back and thudded to the ground. Her delicate face swelled and reddened, and blood poured from the corners of her lips.

She raised her head in disbelief, her mind buzzing.

What’s going on?

The others jumped in fright too. None of them understood what was happening.

Who would have thought that the first thing the lofty and esteemed lord of the City of Safe Returns would do upon arrival was slap his own subordinate?

Xing Tianfeng, Xing Yue, Cui Jingyan, and the others looked at each other. All of them were flabbergasted.

Then, beneath the crowd’s flabbergasted gazes, Yin Xiulin performed an entire unexpected series of actions.

He smoothed out his clothing, took a deep breath, and stood before the stage. Then, he lowered his head and clasped his fist in greeting. “The lord of the City of Safe Returns, Yin Xiulin, greets you, Your Excellency!”

His expression wasn’t just respectful; it even carried a hint of unease and uncharacteristic solemnity.

The entire area fell deathly silent, so silent that you could’ve heard a pin drop.

What… What’s going on!?

Xing Tianfeng and the others were wide-eyed and tongue-tied.

Cui Jingyan’s red lips parted, and she stared.

The experts who’d come here alongside Yin Xiulin stiffened like a startled flock of ducks.

Weng Xuanshan’s heart pounded in his chest.

This is bad!

The woman in black the city lord had just slapped was completely dumbstruck.

All of a sudden, a strange silence descended upon the arena. Even the wind seemed to stand still.

“You are…?” Su Yi’s brow furrowed slightly.

Don’t tell me this guy has figured out who I really am?

More importantly, why don’t I know who he is?

Yin Xiulin was briefly stunned, but then, he explained respectfully, “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten, Your Excellency? Seven days ago, in the Dark Capital’s seventh layer of purgatory, it was your intervention that saved me, Miss Ye Yu, and our friends!”

Su Yi finally understood. No wonder this guy looked familiar! They’d first met in the Dark Capital’s seventh layer of purgatory.

It wasn’t that Su Yi’s memory was bad, but he’d been so fixated on saving Ye Yu that he’d paid little attention to her companions.

Never mind their names and origins; he didn’t even take note of their appearances.

If not for City Lord Yin Xiulin explaining how they’d met, Su Yi likely would have forgotten.

But when the city lord’s subordinates heard this, they completely lost their cool.

“What? Not long ago, it was that young man who saved the city lord from his hundreds of years of confinement in the Dark Capital?”

“This… we really failed to recognize our own benefactor…”

An uproar ensued.

Xing Tianfeng and the others finally understood what was happening.

However, the thought that Su Yi had saved Yin Xiulin from a perilous forbidden zone like the Dark Capital left them too astonished for words.

They even felt a bit bewildered. Just what kind of person was this young man? Why did he possess such unbelievable abilities?

And did he have any other secrets?

“So, you’re the city lord’s benefactor…” The young woman sat sprawled out on the ground, a complex look on her face. She finally understood.

However, Weng Xuanshan’s face was increasingly stiff.

“This really is quite the coincidence.” Su Yi looked up at Yin Xiulin. “Tell me, then: how do you propose we resolve this?”

Yin Xiulin dared not be negligent. He said solemnly, “However you see fit, Your Excellency!”

One sentence, and he made it unquestionably clear that no matter what Su Yi demanded, the lord of the City of Safe Returns would agree!

The crowd’s hearts shook once more.

His attitude only made it even more obvious how much respect Yin Xiulin had for Su Yi.

However, Su Yi furrowed his brow. “Earlier, someone told me that in Dragon Cloud Arena, those who break the rules must be punished, no matter who they are. Now, I’m asking you how we ought to resolve this.”

Yin Xiulin’s heart was instantly solemn.

However, before he could respond, Weng Xuanshan said bitterly, “Earlier, this old man was blind. I didn’t recognize the expert in front of me. I’m willing to bear full responsibility for this!”

As he spoke, he stepped forward, lowered his head, and bowed to Cui Jingyan. “Miss Cui, I humbly request your forgiveness. This incident happened due to my mistake. Naturally, I should be the one to bear the consequences!”

The crowd couldn’t help but look askance at this, and their hearts shook.

Weng Xuanshan was a long-famous Emperor, yet now, he had no choice but to lower his head and repent!

This made Cui Jingyan a bit uncomfortable.

She was well aware that just based on her status, there was no way Weng Xuanshan would take the initiative to apologize to her. He was, in truth, lowering his head to Su Yi!

Su Yi ignored Weng Xuanshan and looked at Yin Xiulin. “You’ve got yourself a good subordinate.”

No matter what else he might say, Weng Xuanshan really hadn’t intervened in this duel. Furthermore, he persistently defended the rules of Dragon Cloud Arena.

From Yin Xiulin’s perspective, Weng Xuanshan had done nothing wrong. If anything, he deserved praise.

However, in Su Yi’s eyes, rules were manmade. When the time came to break them, all of the world’s rules might as well not exist.

And if someone refused to accept that?

He’d make them accept it.

Those were Su Xuanjun’s rules.

“I’m just glad you’re not angry any longer.” Yin Xiulin inwardly sighed in relief.

No one here understood better than him just how terrifying this young Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivator really was.

Even someone as strong as the Falling Feather Spirit Empress, Ye Yu, was meek and obedient before him.

But never mind that. Even the terrifying hegemons of the City of the Wrongfully Dead’s forbidden zones treated Su Yi with the utmost respect. They dared not disobey him even in the slightest.

Admittedly, that was because of the Book of Diting.

But the Book of Diting was the core treasure of the Night Watchman lineage!

Throughout history, how many were qualified to borrow a divine artifact of that level from the Night Watchmen?

When Su Yi first saved them in the seventh layer of purgatory, Yin Xiulin and the other old-timers realized something——

This young man in blue absolutely was not to be underestimated!

Besides, he’d saved their lives. He was their benefactor!

“Miss Jingyan, are you satisfied with this?” Su Yi smiled at Cui Jingyan.

She nodded hurriedly, then said straight from the heart, “This is more satisfying than I could have imagined.”

Su Yi had nothing to say to that, but inwardly, he thought,

You’re Old Fox Cui Longxiang’s granddaughter and the apple of Little Chang’an’s eye. As your senior, how could I possibly just let someone bully you?

It was no exaggeration to say that, given Su Yi’s usual temper, Yin Xiulin was lucky they were already acquainted. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have mattered who’d shown up; they would have been in for more than they bargained for!

“Let’s go. Let’s find a place for a nice chat.”

With that, Su Yi put away his jug of wine, put his hands behind his back, and continued ahead.

From beginning to end, he paid no one present any heed.

This seemed utterly arrogant and aloof. It was as if he didn’t even see those around him.

But no one found this inappropriate.

This, perhaps, was “power.”

When those without power were proud and aloof, others saw them as foolish and arrogant.

But when someone was strong, that same behavior seemed perfectly natural, even obvious.

But then, Yin Xiulin smiled and extended an invitation. “Your Excellency, if it pleases you, you’re welcome to rest at my residence. I’d welcome the opportunity to show you my hospitality.”