Qin Chuan didn't really take the city lord's politeness to heart, nor did he consider it genuine. He had seen too much on his journey; doing a great favor was a sin. Fortunately, he was just a passerby, so the other party probably wouldn't have any ill intentions towards him.
Thus, Qin Chuan joined their group. Murong Zhan was very polite and friendly to Qin Chuan; he was a man of true character, something Qin Chuan was certain of.
Then there was Murong Baobao, this little girl was now very clingy to Qin Chuan, calling him "Uncle" all the time, as if she were closer to him than her own uncle.
Qin Chuan smiled wryly. He really didn't have any feelings for her. It wasn't that Murong Baobao wasn't pretty; on the contrary, she was very pretty. It just had nothing to do with looks. He had seen many beautiful women, and all his women were top-notch, even more beautiful than Murong Baobao.
Plus, this girl kept calling him "Uncle," and Qin Chuan always felt that seeing her was like seeing his daughter Xi'er, even subconsciously treating her as Xi'er.
"You look just like my daughter," Qin Chuan couldn't help but say, smiling at Murong Baobao.
Murong Baobao was taken aback, then laughed even harder: "Uncle, are you missing your daughter?"
Those around them had also heard Qin Chuan speak; his voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either, and everyone around was curious about him.
The city lord also looked at Qin Chuan curiously, because Qin Chuan's eyes made him feel that this mysterious young man genuinely cared for his daughter.
"Ah, Uncle, this is the second time you've said it. Does it really look like her?" Murong Baobao said happily.
Qin Chuan was taken aback. Was this the second time he'd said it?
But that didn't seem to matter. He nodded: "Very much like her."
"Master must miss your daughter terribly," Murong Baobao said, clinging to Qin Chuan's arm without any hesitation.
The Murong family members shook their heads with smiles.
The youngest princess of the Murong family, with ten older brothers and a father, was spoiled rotten.
The city lord even thought his daughter was lucky and blessed, and he even suspected this young man's visit was related to her.
Little did he know, it was related to his father.
However, even without the old monk, Qin Chuan would still go to the City Lord's Mansion to check. Perhaps he would encounter Murong Baobao. If so, would he intervene? He
probably would, after all, Yang Sheyun had already formed a bond with him, and there would definitely be conflict and clashes between them. But without the opportunity of the Divine Dragon Bone, Qin Chuan didn't know if he could be as relaxed as he was now.
It might be more difficult, and there might be trouble. For example, the trump card used by that War God Realm expert—without the Divine Dragon Bone, the opponent broke through his thirty-six protective Dao techniques, only to be blocked by his own bones. If he hadn't absorbed the Divine Dragon Bone, could he have blocked it?
Murong Baobao was happiest right now. She would have felt like she had lost everything. She had never experienced any setbacks since childhood, but this period of suppression had driven her almost insane.
But there was no other way; she could only grit her teeth and endure. She was prepared to die if anything happened. Although she had made the decision, it was really difficult.
Not that it was difficult, but when death was the only option, there was no way to escape, no way to go. Whether she died or not was no longer in her own hands. Death might not be the most terrifying thing; what was terrifying was how to face death.
The process is agonizing, painful, because you might witness your loved ones dying one by one—the final moment is incredibly agonizing.
Therefore, often, living is the most painful experience, while death brings liberation.
Humans are spiritual beings; the spirit governs the body. Often, it's a belief, a belief in life, that sustains us. Once that's gone, once it changes, life becomes meaningless, and life ceases to exist.
Murong Baobao held Qin Chuan's arm as they walked together, and without realizing it, they became intimately close.
This intimacy was indescribable, not romantic love, but more like kinship, a spiritual comfort.
Murong Baobao felt gratitude and affection; this affection might not have included romantic love, but there might have been some—given Qin Chuan's appearance, character, and temperament.
But romantic love certainly wasn't the strongest factor; even if present, it was minimal. The greater source of joy was simply the joy he brought to the Murong family.
Love extends to everything connected to the beloved—that's love, and that's the reason for love.
There are countless kinds of love in the world. No matter the reason, there's always a reason. Even being good-looking, beautiful, having a sweet voice, or being gentle can be a reason to like someone.
There's even a reason like, "I just like the way you look at me with disdain."
I like your cheekiness…
I like your shamelessness…
These are all reasons to like someone. There's no way around it; you just like them, it's uncontrollable.
Roar!
Suddenly, a deafening roar came from afar, sending chills down everyone's spines.
Even those at the War God Realm felt a chill, while some below the War God Realm even showed signs of pain, many turning pale.
Qin Chuan, however, was unharmed.
And Murong Baobao was also unharmed, which piqued Qin Chuan's curiosity, because with Murong Baobao's strength, she should have been seriously injured under such a shock.
Hmm?
Qin Chuan quickly discovered that several other people below the Void Realm were also unharmed…
He had initially thought they possessed some treasure, but now he realized that wasn't the case; rather, the roar's intimidating effect had no effect on those below the Void Realm…
The city lord's expression was now very serious, his pace slowing until he finally stopped. This was the entrance to a large mountain.
The peaks on both sides soared into the clouds, with a narrow opening in the middle, wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, piercing the sky and leading into a deep, dark abyss, like the gaping maw of an unknown ferocious beast.
"This is an opportunity for us. Actually, I didn't intend to provoke this beast, but since you're here, young brother, you can give it a try. What do you think?" the city lord said, stopping to speak to Qin Chuan.
"Is it dangerous?" Qin Chuan asked after a moment's thought.
"Dangerous, but also not dangerous. Fortune favors the bold, but it depends on your decision," the city lord said.
"What kind of opportunity is it?" Qin Chuan asked after a moment's thought.
"This is a War God Realm Treasure Dragon Beast. Besides being a treasure itself, its lair may contain many treasures, or it may contain none. So, it's hard to say what the chance will bring, but this kind of Treasure Dragon Beast is a treasure in itself," the city lord said.
Qin Chuan frowned. A War God Realm Treasure Dragon Beast.
War God Realm cultivators seemed to be nothing to fear; the Murong family had no fewer than ten War God Realm cultivators. However, the strength difference between War God Realm cultivators was immense and difficult to estimate.
And a Treasure Dragon Beast? Among demonic beasts, those related to treasure and dragon were terrifying existences, and this one possessed both. Qin Chuan even suspected it was a War God Realm Treasure Dragon Beast…