Chapter 145 - 142: Li Liang City

Chapter 145: Chapter 142: Li Liang City

South Gate Guard Soldier of Li Liang City: Healthy

Level: 22

Rank: Soul Warrior

Strength: 25 (+5)

Agility: 25 (+5)

Spirit: 22 (+2)

Soul Energy: 300

Soul Energy Skills: Long Spear Thrust, Bloodburst Art

Potential Drops: Li Liang City Standard Long Spear, Li Liang City Standard Armor, Simple Waterskin, Half a Jin of Braised Meat, a number of Soul Crystal Coins.

Li Liang City!

After the flash of light faded, Li Heng saw a magnificent, ancient city gate. A gilded plaque hung above it, inscribed with the name "Li Liang."

Outside the city walls, there was a very wide moat.

The walls stretched out far to either side, and Longbowmen stood atop them. However, these soldiers on the walls were of a lower realm than the gate guards, only at the Soul Pupil Realm.

He noticed that the information displayed for these soldiers showed their names in yellow, unlike the soul beasts he had seen before, whose names had all been red.

Li Heng thought about this for a moment and came to a conclusion. He had played many games, after all. Based on his experience, red names represented danger, would attack on sight, or belonged to hostile factions.

Yellow names, on the other hand, indicated a neutral or wait-and-see status, while green names meant they were relatively safe or part of a friendly faction.

Besides the soldiers, there were also people dressed in linen and other fabrics queuing up to enter the city. According to the information provided by the system, they were likely ordinary commoners.

Li Heng found himself on a bend in a dirt road about thirty meters from the gate of Li Liang City. The road had a slight incline, and with the queue of commoners in front of him, he had a clear view of the gate guards, but they had not noticed him.

As for the Longbowmen on the walls, they were surveying the distance, since the gate guards were handling the immediate vicinity.

Li Heng had initially worried that his sudden appearance would be too conspicuous. The Dungeons he had entered before had all pitted him against soul beasts, but now he was facing people.

This meant he had to consider some common-sense matters.

But seeing that he hadn’t drawn any attention, Li Heng did his best to suppress his other emotions. He took a deep breath, quickly composing himself.

After all, in this Li Liang City before him, the gate guards alone were at the Soul Warrior Realm, and there were also many archers at the Soul Pupil Realm. Who knew how many more soldiers were inside the city?

Li Heng had no intention of just brute-forcing his way through. This was a Dungeon that cost 3,000 Soul Energy points to enter just once—far more expensive than the Divine-level Wolf King Mountain Dungeon.

Brute force would be a pointless waste. After a moment of thought, Li Heng casually walked to the very end of the line to enter the city.

The last person in line was a middle-aged man in yellow linen clothes named Ma the Sixth.

Li Heng was still wondering how to start a conversation when Ma the Sixth sensed someone approaching from behind and instinctively turned around. Upon seeing Li Heng, dressed in immaculate white and noble attire, he immediately bowed low, placing his right hand over his chest in a respectful gesture.

"My lord! I was wondering..."

Ma the Sixth had turned and spoken so suddenly that Li Heng was caught slightly off guard. Still, he managed to take in the man’s expression as it shifted from curiosity to surprise, and finally, to respect.

Li Heng guessed that the rare, silk-brocade robe he was wearing must have played a significant role.

"There’s no need for such formalities, brother. I am merely a traveling scholar. May I ask if the city ahead is Li Liang City?"

Li Heng had decided on this line after careful consideration. He seemed to recall from the many novels and movies he’d seen that "traveling scholar" was a rather useful cover. It was a status that could be high or low, making one’s identity difficult to pin down.

When Ma the Sixth heard Li Heng call himself a scholar, his expression became much more natural. Although he stopped bowing, he still maintained a certain degree of respect in his interactions.

The conversation between Ma the Sixth and Li Heng naturally caught the attention of the person in front of Ma the Sixth, who would occasionally chime in with a word or two.

Ma the Sixth remarked that it was rare to meet a scholar as approachable as Li Heng. He added that if Li Heng had the time, he was welcome to be a guest in their village. They might not have fine wine or meat, but they wouldn’t let him go hungry.

Li Heng politely deflected the offer and then continued to fish for information.

From the subsequent conversation, he learned that Ma the Sixth was a villager from Qingshui Village, located outside Li Liang City. He had come to the city today to buy some salt and other goods.

Li Liang City was the only large city within a 500-li radius, with many surrounding towns and villages all under its jurisdiction.

There was no fee to enter the city. Li Heng also learned that if a person of a scholar’s status was short on funds, the city had a "Scholars’ Association Hall" that could provide lodging.

During their talk, Li Heng deliberately brought up the topic of "Soul Masters." Ma the Sixth explained that Soul Masters were all people of incredibly high status.

Only a large city like Li Liang City would have esteemed Soul Masters serving as soldiers stationed within its walls.

Through his conversation with Ma the Sixth, Li Heng learned a great deal and gained a better understanding of Li Liang City. He now had a much better handle on the situation, so his already mild tension eased even further.

Gradually, the queue to enter the city shortened to the few people in front of Ma the Sixth. Just as they were being questioned, one of the gate guards’ eyes suddenly narrowed. He then leaned over and whispered something to his companion.

At that, the gate guards all turned to look in Li Heng’s direction.

Very quickly, the other gate guards tightened their grip on their long spears. The guard positioned at the very front ran directly up to Li Heng, cupped his fist, and asked with a polite yet formal tone, "Sir, may I ask who you are...?"

Li Heng knew it would be difficult not to attract the guards’ attention. He was nobly dressed, a Soul Master, and a "new face." He had already decided on his story during his chat with Ma the Sixth.

"You’re too kind, Gate Guard. I am merely a traveling scholar. I heard that... there are great sages within Li Liang City, and so I have traveled here in my studies." Li Heng also cupped his fist in return.

Upon hearing Li Heng’s answer, the gate guard paused for a second or two before turning to signal the soldiers behind him. Those soldiers slightly relaxed their grip on their long spears and then cleared a path.

"Sir, welcome to Li Liang City," said the gate guard who had come to question him.

Seeing that they were letting him cut the line, and glancing at the few people still waiting ahead of him, an idea occurred to Li Heng.

’Since I’m pretending to be a cultured scholar, I might as well act the part with a bit more flair and commit to the role. It’s just a Dungeon, anyway. If I arouse suspicion or something else goes wrong, my only option left will be to brute force it.’

’After all, with this kind of open exploration, I can only feel my way forward and follow my instincts for now.’

With this in mind, Li Heng cupped his fist again and said, "Since I am here to seek sages and further my learning, my sincerity is paramount. I will wait my turn to enter the city. Thank you all for your consideration!"