"Young master, you'll know once you get to the City Lord's Mansion. Someone is waiting for you there. I don't know the details, but we were told to notify you immediately if we saw you!" The guard said respectfully.
"So you knew I would come to the royal city? What if I didn't—were you planning to keep searching like this forever?" Evan Chu asked.
"That I don't know, young master. If you have any questions, you'd best ask at the City Lord's Mansion. I'll have someone escort you there right away," the guard replied.
"No need, I can find my own way. I'm actually curious to see who's trying to play mysterious with me." Evan Chu finished speaking and strode straight into the city. However, in his heart, he was certain this was Cindy Cheng's idea. What he couldn't understand was why Cindy, who hated him so much, would suddenly be so 'kind' as to invite him to the City Lord's Mansion. Had she set a trap for him to walk right into?
Soon, Evan Chu spotted Lillian Zhang in the crowd. Naturally, she noticed him too, and was a bit surprised to see Evan appear directly inside the city. Did he just slaughter those guards at the gate? But there hadn't been any commotion. If he'd killed someone at the gate, there would have been a crowd, but the street was perfectly calm.
"How did you show up here? What exactly is going on?" Lillian Zhang asked.
"I don't know either. Someone wants me to go to the City Lord's Mansion. Want to come along and check it out? With such hospitality, we can't let it go to waste," Evan Chu said with a grin.
Lillian Zhang paused for a moment. "You mean, someone in the City Lord's Mansion has already set a trap and is just waiting for us to walk right in?"
"Pretty much. Interested in playing along? I'm betting the City Lord's Mansion is packed with experts this time. If we can conquer them, your Human King throne will be set in stone. It's a rare opportunity," Evan Chu said.
"Go? Of course! With a freak like you around, I'd walk into a dragon's pool or a tiger's den without blinking," Lillian Zhang laughed.
"Why do I hear a hint of admiration in your voice? Have you fallen for me or something?" Evan Chu laughed, his grin turning wicked and a bit ugly.
"Get lost! Who'd ever fall for you!" Lillian Zhang snapped, then ignored Evan and strode straight toward the City Lord's Mansion.
When the two arrived at the City Lord's Mansion, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Zander Xiang's residence wasn't like the Nether Monarch's or Ghost King's palatial compounds—it was just larger than a typical mansion. Two guards stood motionless outside the gate, like tall, straight pines.
Evan Chu and Lillian Zhang walked right up to the gate. One of the guards stepped forward to block them, but when he saw Evan's face, he panicked a little. "Y-young master, please come in, please come in!"
His words were brief, not mentioning who was waiting for them. But with Evan and Lillian's strength, they weren't afraid of anyone inside and swaggered in without hesitation.
On the outside, Zander Xiang's mansion looked ordinary, but inside it was grand and imposing. Flowers and plants grew everywhere, and strangest of all, there were even green plants thriving here—rock gardens, ponds, pavilions, and winding gardens all tangled together.
But along the way, Evan and Lillian didn't see a single person. Something was definitely off—the huge City Lord's Mansion was eerily quiet. Before long, they reached a main hall, where mourning decorations were hung and the sounds of crying drifted out now and then.
"Heh, looks like they're planning to make me pay with my life. Lillian, do you think the Poison King might be inside?" Evan Chu laughed.
"We'll know soon enough if he's there. Looks like they're really prepared this time. I'm curious to see how you'll handle it today," Lillian Zhang said.
Evan Chu smiled and stepped into the hall ahead of her. More than twenty people were gathered inside. Cindy Cheng, dressed in mourning, saw Evan enter and didn't explode in anger. Instead, she said, "You really do have guts—knowing this is a dragon's pool and tiger's den, yet you came anyway. Since you're here, don't expect to leave alive today."
Evan Chu glanced at the hall and saw a massive coffin set up at the front, with all sorts of offerings laid out on the altar. At the very top sat a spirit tablet—it was Zander Xiang's, of course. As for his so‑called senior disciple, he was nowhere to be seen.
Among the people in the hall, several were quite formidable—there were five at Fourth‑Layer Venerable Martial Realm, and two who looked like Fifth‑Layer Venerables. Each one glared at Evan Chu with murderous rage, itching to cut him down on the spot.
But Evan spotted Harold Hong standing behind an elder, watching him. The confident smile on Harold's face made it clear he believed Evan was doomed today.
"So many people want you dead—looks like you're really 'popular.' I didn't expect all the city's top experts to show up. Seems Zander Xiang was pretty well‑liked in life," Lillian Zhang remarked as she walked in.
"Ignorant woman, watch your mouth! This is no place for you—get out, or you'll die right here!" an elder snapped, unable to contain himself.
Evan Chu burst out laughing. "Woman? Heh, woman! Old man, she's still an unmarried girl and you call her a woman? Looks like you're doomed today."
Lillian Zhang shot Evan a glare but ignored his comment. Instead, she turned to the elder and said, "If you want to kill him, what are you waiting for? I'm curious to see who dies first today!"
"Evan Chu, you killed my senior and my master. Today, I want you to pay with your life. If you don't want to suffer, kill yourself now—maybe then we'll leave your corpse whole," Cindy Cheng said.
"Looks like there really are plenty of experts in the city. Zander Xiang took quite a few people to the Beast Clan, didn't he? Even so, there are still so many left—guess becoming Human King won't be so easy," Lillian Zhang said.
At those words, everyone in the hall turned to stare at Lillian Zhang, unable to believe a woman would dare to vie for the Human King throne—it was pure fantasy to them.
Evan Chu glanced at the crowd and said, "You wouldn't dare attack me here, would you? I killed Zander Xiang—you really think any of you can take me? If a fight breaks out, this city will be flattened. Are you willing to destroy the city just for Zander Xiang's sake?"
"Boy, you're too sure of yourself. You may be strong, and maybe no one here can beat you, but there are ways to deal with you. Try and see if you can still use your netherforce," an elder said.