Chapter 0930 City Lord Mò Róng

Chapter 0930: City Lord Murong

The other Half-Immortals also nodded repeatedly.

Qin Yun felt somewhat puzzled and asked, "Why would the city lord have his eye on me? Brother Yu, don’t go calling me your servant or something like before!"

Ying Chengyu laughed and said, "Brother Qin, you don’t understand! The city lord of Hundred Towers City is someone who values talent. If he takes a shine to you, he’ll definitely move heaven and earth to keep you in Hundred Towers City!"

The Hunchback Steward added, "That’s why there are all manner of talents in the city lord’s estate. If you want to obtain the beast horn, it’s best not to let him know you’re a Grand Master!"

Another elder nodded and said, "Otherwise, to keep you here, he’d surely find a way to get the beast horn and then strong-arm you into staying as a guest advisor. Only after a certain period would he give it to you!"

"So, this city lord is quite the character! I don’t know much about him. Can you tell me more?" Qin Yun suddenly got curious about the city lord.

"Let’s talk on the way!" Ying Chengyu said.

Soon after, Qin Yun followed these Half-Immortals toward the city lord’s grand estate.

Along the way, Qin Yun listened as the elders spoke about the city lord.

To Qin Yun’s surprise, the city lord was not only a Six-Tribulation Half-Immortal but had also once been a Tower Master of one of the Hundred Towers Sect’s towers.

The Hundred Towers Sect had a hundred massive towers.

Within those towers, there was at least one Immortal Essence each. The mightiest towers even housed up to ten!

The hundred colossal immortal towers of the Hundred Towers Sect ranged wildly in power—some were weak, while others were incredibly formidable.

Thus, within the Hundred Towers Sect, there was a ranking system.

The city lord of Hundred Towers City had once led a tower from the 70th rank all the way up to the 7th position!

Through his conversation with the elders, Qin Yun gained a rough understanding of the overall strength of the Hundred Towers Sect—far more powerful than he had imagined!

Just the number of Immortal Essences within the Hundred Towers Sect alone ran into the hundreds!

This stunned him deeply—Immortal Essences were actually so abundant in this Mystic Domain!

"No one knows the city lord’s real name. We used to call him Tower Lord Murong, but now that he’s no longer a Tower Master, we call him City Lord Murong," Ying Chengyu explained.

"How old is City Lord Murong celebrating for this birthday banquet?" Qin Yun asked.

"Who knows? At his age, he just holds banquets whenever he feels bored, using them as an excuse to gather old friends from all over and see who’s still kicking!" the hunchbacked elder chuckled.

Ying Chengyu scoffed, "Old Man Murong throws these banquets just to collect gifts! That old fox is shrewd! On the surface, it’s a feast for us to enjoy, but behind the scenes, he’s lining his pockets!"

The Hunchback Steward laughed, "Brother Yu, what gift are you planning to give him?"

"I’ll just toss him some random trinket. Old Man Murong is way richer than me and far stronger too. Why should a poor weakling like me give him lavish gifts?" Ying Chengyu grumbled unhappily.

Ying Chengyu had always been stingy, the type who pinched every penny.

Qin Yun smiled and said, "I probably don’t need to give anything, right? I’m just tagging along with Brother Yu!"

The Hunchback Steward laughed, "Those with invitations should at least give something, but since you’re here with Brother Yu, you’re off the hook!"

As they joked around, the group soon arrived at the city lord’s grand estate.

The city lord’s estate was easily as large as a small town, dotted with various gardens and smaller villas—sprawling and spacious.

The large residence where City Lord Mò Róng lives is like a small mountain villa, with at least a hundred buildings inside.

The people living there are also exceptional talents City Lord Mò Róng has recruited over the years through various means.

Brother Yu and the others seem to have a good relationship with City Lord Mò Róng, as the guards at the entrance recognized them and waved them straight through.

Following behind Brother Yu, Qin Yun kept a discreet eye on the people inside.

As soon as he entered, he noticed that there were at least twenty Half-Immortals in this grand residence!

City Lord Mò Róng was once a powerful Tower Master, so no wonder he knew so many Half-Immortals.

Ying Chengyu and the others walked toward a massive palace ahead.

That palace seemed to be built from golden crystal, glittering under the sun—opulent and grand.

"That’s the hall where Old Man Mò Róng receives his guests!" Ying Chengyu said. "Those who have a good relationship with him are likely all assembled there!"

The Hunchback Steward chuckled. "Later on, it’ll probably open to all the banquet attendees, right?"

"There seem to be twenty to thirty thousand guests coming to the banquet, but that grand hall up ahead can easily accommodate them all!" one of the elders said.

Soon, Qin Yun arrived at the hall, which was practically a massive indoor square, lavishly decorated and dripping with gold. Everywhere he looked, there were gilded trimmings, and the towering pillars were carved with mighty golden dragons.

Inside, there were only a few hundred people. Even if thousands more arrived, the space would still feel spacious and hollow.

"Old Man Mò Róng!" Ying Chengyu called out from a distance.

Many immediately turned to look, as only those with a close relationship would dare address City Lord Mò Róng so informally.

Soon, a gray-robed old man with short hair darted over from the distance.

The gray-robed elder, with his short hair and clean-shaven face, radiated energy despite his age. His imposing frame made him seem full of vitality, even as an old man.

This gray-robed elder was none other than City Lord Mò Róng. He looked like an ordinary man in his fifties or sixties, but compared to other elderly Half-Immortals, maintaining such vigor was quite remarkable.

"It’s you all! You’re a bit late!" City Lord Mò Róng boomed with laughter, his deep eyes exuding quiet authority. He glanced at Ying Chengyu and the others, pausing slightly when his gaze landed on Qin Yun.

Ying Chengyu shot back, "We were busy preparing a gift for you, you old coot, so we got delayed!"

City Lord Mò Róng shook his head with a smile. "I’ve said it before—no need to bring gifts! I might be facing my seventh tribulation soon, and once I ascend to the Immortal Realm, whatever you give me will be worthless!"

Ying Chengyu laughed. "Oh? Then I won’t give you anything this time!"

City Lord Mò Róng laughed, seizing Ying Chengyu’s arm. "You’ve spent so much time preparing it—how could I refuse your thoughtful gift? Since you’ve gone through the trouble, I’ll have to accept it!"

The other Half-Immortals couldn’t help but laugh as well.

"You old cheapskate, you’ve taken plenty of gifts from me but never given me anything good in return!" Ying Chengyu said with disdain.

"Brother Yu, it’s the thought that counts! Everyone knows you’ve traveled across the Spirit Wastelands and have countless treasures. Even if I gave you something extravagant, you wouldn’t bat an eye!" City Lord Mò Róng chuckled.

Ying Chengyu snorted and handed over a small box.

City Lord Mò Róng eagerly opened it, and the other elders gathered around.

"An Immortal Fruit? Not bad… but why is it only half?" City Lord Mò Róng quipped.

"When I got it, I couldn’t resist taking a bite, so I cut off a piece and ate it! You’re just a Half-Immortal anyway—half a fruit is enough for you!" Ying Chengyu said. "Don’t complain—this is priceless!"

"Thank you, Brother Yu!" said City Lord Mò Róng.

Soon after, the other Half-Immortals also presented their gifts to City Lord Mò Róng—all valuable items. Though none could compare to Ying Chengyu’s half-immortal fruit, City Lord Mò Róng was still very pleased.

"And what about you, young man? Where’s your gift?" City Lord Mò Róng turned to Qin Yun with a smile.

Qin Yun was stunned—even he wasn’t exempt by the City Lord.

"Old Man Mò Róng, what could a youngster possibly give you?" Ying Chengyu cut in.

"Youngster? Brother Yu, I know perfectly well you’re acquainted with a Grand Master. If I’m not mistaken, this young man must be that very Grand Master!" City Lord Mò Róng chuckled.

Under the City Lord’s narrowed gaze, Qin Yun felt as if he were being scoped out by a fox.

Ying Chengyu and the others had advised Qin Yun to keep his identity hidden on the way here, but now that City Lord Mò Róng had recognized him, there was no hiding it now.

"Greetings, City Lord Mò Róng!" Qin Yun cupped his hands with a smile.

"Greetings, Grand Master!" City Lord Mò Róng chuckled.

Qin Yun took out a small wooden box and said, "It's not much, but the sentiment is sincere. I hope City Lord Mò Róng won’t disdain it."

Ying Chengyu and the others were also curious about Qin Yun’s gift and were eyeing the box.

When City Lord Mò Róng opened it, inside was an Imperial Source Stone!

Ying Chengyu said with a grin, "A Superior Imperial Source Stone—this is an extremely valuable item for Brother Yun, a Martial King! This is truly a generous gift!"

City Lord Mò Róng smiled. "Thank you, Grand Master!"

Qin Yun was a Martial King, as City Lord Mò Róng could tell. For a Martial King, a Superior Imperial Source Stone was indeed very valuable! Thus, the City Lord was genuinely grateful to Qin Yun!

"Old Man Mò Róng, you have no use for an Imperial Source Stone. Why not sell it to me at a low price?" Ying Chengyu joked.

"No way! This was a gift from a talented young Grand Master—I’ll keep it as a memento. Besides, I have hundreds of descendants, some of whom are in the Martial King Realm. I could always give it to one of them!"

With that, City Lord Mò Róng called over a few young people—five men and one woman, all dressed luxuriously.

Upon arrival, they promptly bowed to Ying Chengyu and the other Half-Immortals. Though their manners were polite, they carried themselves with arrogance.

After all, as City Lord Mò Róng’s grandsons, they had access to abundant resources and expert guidance, giving them extraordinary strength.

"This is the Grand Master! I’m sure you’ve all heard of him," City Lord Mò Róng introduced Qin Yun to his grandsons with a smile.

"Of course we have. He's quite famous—he possesses the rare skill of repairing star patterns and effortlessly defeated Mr. Chu You. His strength is nothing to scoff at," said a handsome, long-haired man with a faint smile. "I’m at the Midstage Martial King Realm, slightly stronger than Mr. Chu You. I wouldn't mind testing him myself!"