The appearance of a stunning young woman in the Lower Town was undoubtedly a huge temptation. These impoverished villains, who previously couldn't even afford a brothel, suddenly had their eyes lit up, eager to pounce on her.
Most of them had spent considerable time in the Lower Town, knowing it was the darkest and most seedy part of Killing Star City. Even if they murdered someone there, no one would care or question them. This habit had cultivated a certain wickedness. However, they were also among the less ambitious cultivators. Over time, some even felt that hanging around the Lower Town was a good option.
Thus, this place was the breeding ground for the root of evil in Killing Star City, where desire often dominated the depths of the soul.
Eight people had come to cause trouble, but none of them were particularly strong. The bearded, middle-aged man who had emerged first was only at the ninth level of the Acquired Realm. Even in Dabai's eyes, he was clearly not up to par.
The unshaven middle-aged man had just extended his hand when Mo Changli moved.
Without waiting for the others to gather around, he took a step to the side and launched a flying kick with his left foot, aiming for the middle-aged man's crotch.
"Mm, hot chick, I like..."
The middle-aged man was only halfway through his words when he made a dodging move. Before he could even dodge, he was startled to find that alluring leg had already firmly struck him in the crotch.
Puff!
Crack!
Two sounds rang out in quick succession, and the middle-aged man's face instantly paled.
Mo Changli's kick was truly ruthless. Not only did it shatter the man's vitals, it also shattered a large section of his bones.
With a scream, the middle-aged man collapsed, curled up on the ground, and twitched, streams of blood flowing down his clothes.
Mo Changli crippled the man with a single kick, completely ignoring the jaws-dropping expressions of the other seven thugs. He turned and walked away, leaving behind a trail of enviable beauty.
As they journeyed deeper into the lower city, Ming Qi and the others felt more and more that this place was truly inhospitable. Even Dabai swayed a bit, occasionally roaring and baring his teeth at the surrounding thugs.
"This place is fucking unbearable!"
Dabai's muffled voice echoed in Ming Qi's mind.
"Just bear with it, or else our Miss Changli will kick you to pieces too."
Ming Qi teased Dabai with a smile.
Feared by the previous shock, the two continued their journey. Although many thugs still coveted Mo Changli's beauty, none dared to challenge her.
As they neared the heart of the lower city, Mo Changli searched everywhere but found no sign of his fellow tribesmen.
By this point, Mo Changli even suspected the person wasn't even there.
Not only Mo Changli, but even Ming Qi, after a brief walk, concluded that the shopkeeper was lying.
The once imposing woman with the long sword looked like she couldn't possibly be in such a shabby, dark corner.
After walking for a while, Mo Changli stopped.
Glancing around, she suddenly summoned her energy and shouted, "Wei Silong, come out!"
Wei Silong?
This was the first time Ming Qi had heard the woman with the long sword's name, and it had to be said that it was quite unconventional.
"Her name is Wei Silong! I never knew her name before," Ming Qi said.
After calling out, Mo Changli said, "She's the daughter of the Wei family, our clan. She came out with me."
A daughter!?
Ming Qi was stunned. If Wei Silong had previously been a daughter of a wealthy family, how could she have stayed in such a filthy place?
After a while, seeing no reaction from those around him, Mo Changli began shouting again.
The girl's voice was clear and melodious, and with the added power of Yuanli, it immediately echoed throughout the lower city.
Just when Ming Qi thought there was no hope, several people slowly approached from the nearby street.
Ming Qi took a closer look and immediately recognized them. Among them were the men who had killed him that day outside the Blue Sky Mountain Trading Zone. Ming Qi knew immediately that the person he was looking for must be nearby.
The one walking in front of them had short hair and a face covered in some garish, unrecognizable smear. He wore crude armor and carried a large, broadsword, looking menacing.
The man's stature was invisible, completely concealed by his crude armor. However, Ming Qi recognized the others. Needless to say, the one walking in front was undoubtedly Wei Silong.
Seeing Wei Silong reduced to this state, Ming Qi felt a pity.
He immediately stepped forward and said, "It's been a while. I didn't expect that the incident that day would cause you so much trouble."
This man was none other than Wei Silong.
Having failed to fulfill his employer's contract in Jinchuan, his contract was immediately cancelled. He even received a warrant from the Lord of Killing Star City, ordering him to return immediately to Killing Star City.
After returning to Killing Star City, Wei Silong's Private Dragon Mercenary Group inevitably suffered a heavy penalty.
The Private Dragon Mercenary Group was not a strong organization to begin with, and naturally had limited savings. After paying the heavy fines, they were completely destitute. Due to their reputational issues, they had not received any business to this day. With no other options, they could only wander around the Lower City, desperately waiting for opportunities.
But today, Wei Silong encountered people she had never expected to meet, and not just one.
To be honest, Wei Silong's emotions were truly complicated at this moment. She, like Mo Changli, had left her homeland full of hope and arrived in this Central Land, driven by mission and responsibility.
However, time had passed, and the two had chosen different paths, leading to vastly different outcomes.
Wei Silong was displaced and destitute, while Mo Changli remained as charming and elegant as ever.
Ming Qi recognized the three men who had followed Wei Silong, though he couldn't name them. One was the burly man with a stick who had been severely injured by Ming Qi earlier, another was a young man with a crossbow, and the third was a tall young man with a long whip.
As for the other two of the five men surrounded and killed by Wei Silong's men, Ming Qi didn't see them.
When the remaining three saw Ming Qi, anger immediately crossed their faces. It could be argued that if it weren't for this young man, their Silong Mercenary Group, though somewhat weaker, wouldn't have fallen into such a state of disgrace.
Wei Silong, on the other hand, looked at Ming Qi with a complicated expression. After a moment's silence, he said, "This has nothing to do with you. It's simply that I, Wei Silong, lack strength."
Then Wei Silong turned and stared at Mo Changli, her close friend who had practically grown up with her.
"Sister Changli, I never expected to meet you here."
Wei Silong's emotions were clearly mixed as she spoke, and her face didn't convey a single trace of joy, but she was genuinely happy in her heart, as she believed Mo Changli must have known.
And being able to find Wei Silong... Mo Changli was naturally delighted and immediately said with a smile, "Sister Silong, I came here specifically to find you. Look, this guy said he could find you here, so I came."
Mo Changli pointed at Ming Qi beside him.
Ming Qi smiled but said nothing.
Wei Silong nodded and said, "Sister Changli, I'm really glad to see you, but you really shouldn't have come to this Lower City."
At this, Wei Silong sighed softly. Ming Qi could see that her hand gripping the cleaver unconsciously tightened, clearly demonstrating the utterly miserable life she led in this Lower City.
Mo Changli smiled, "I shouldn't have come, but does that mean Sister Silong should have come? Let's get out of this shabby place."
Mo Changli reached out to grab Wei Silong's hand and turned to leave.
"Changli, wait a minute. It seems getting them out of here won't be easy."
Ming Qi spoke immediately, his gaze fixed on the group approaching.
Mo Changli turned and followed Ming Qi's gaze.
There were dozens of people approaching, and the two leading them had strange figures. Their eyes were bulging and huge, resembling those of a toad. They were extremely thin, yet incredibly tall. This jarring combination gave them a comical look, but neither Ming Qi nor Mo Changli dared to underestimate these two near-monsters.
Even more eerie was the fact that the exposed skin of the two leading men was covered in fine scales, each a dark green hue, creating a deeply unpleasant sensation.
The fingers on their hands were hooked and sharp like swords.
At the sight of this group, Wei Silong's face immediately revealed an endless revulsion and hatred.
"You bunch of rubbish, are you trying to get away from here?"
The larger of the two freaks, the one in front, bellowed with a drake-like voice before he even got close. The piercing sound was so sharp it made his ears ring.
Seeing the men approaching with menacing eyes, Ming Qi immediately and cautiously released his spiritual aura, overlaying it with the amplifying effect of the Supreme Mountain and Sea Map.
"Sister Silong, who are they?"
Mo Changli, who had no sympathy for this group of people who were clearly looking for trouble, raised an eyebrow and asked Wei Silong.
Wei Silong's face darkened as he quietly gestured for his three men to turn around. "These two are the villainous overlords of the Lower City. They're from the Dark Dragon Clan, the brothers Anqi and Anyun."
"The Dark Dragon and the An Clan?"
Mo Changli's eyes were bewildered. "Haven't they always been entrenched in the Western Wasteland? How did they end up in the Central Land?"
Mo Changli knew something about the Dark Dragon Clan. Ever since the turmoil at the end of ancient times, the Dark Dragon Clan had been entrenched in the vast Western Wasteland, and had mingled with many of the other races of the Western Yellow Land.
The Dark Dragon Clan was divided into many clans, some of which were royal clans of noble blood and exceptional talent.
Although not a royal clan, the An Clan held considerable status within the Dark Dragon Clan, having always served as the Dark Dragon Clan's vanguard in its wars.