Chapter 19 - A New Hunk in Town

The three days that Nie Li would spend on his mission finally passed, and he found himself back in Glory City.

In this exploration, the legendary demon spiritualist achieved great things. He advanced to Bronze Rank 2-stars and was already halfway to the third star. He also obtained the lamp that would be very useful once he reached Silver Rank.

The group faced various adversities along the way: hordes of beasts attacked them, inconvenient people annoyed each other, a pink-haired woman constantly bothered Nie Li, and worst of all, people whom Nie Li was certain belonged to the Dark Guild.

Everything had been much more complicated than it should have been, but nothing extremely outside of what Nie Li had anticipated. The rewards were worth the effort, especially since his bonds with Ye Ziyun had become even deeper.

However, without any doubt about it, the most important treasure Nie Li found during this exploration was a missing page from his Temporal Demon Spirit Book, an unparalleled treasure.

As soon as he reached the city gates, Nie Li was surprised that his friends were not waiting for him at the entrance. Perhaps he was being too arrogant to think they would go out of their way to do something like that. Shrugging, he made his way to the library, certain they would be there. He had things to share with them, after all.

"Nothing left..."

A commotion still surrounded the place even though it had happened three days ago. The old building with classical details and pastel colors, which contained knowledge not only of this era but also knowledge long forgotten that would be a complete secret to anyone except Nie Li, was now nothing more than a charred pile of coal and embers.

Nie Li didn't understand anything. The only thing that crossed his mind was: 'This didn't happen last time!'

Nie Li talked to people around to ask what had happened, but none of them had any definitive answers about it. The news that the Holy Orchid Institute shared was that it had been a deliberate attack against them, which was crazy to think about. Who would dare to attack one of the most important institutions in all of Glory City? The place where children and young people from all families learn and take their first steps on the path of cultivation.

More than an hour had passed, and Nie Li was walking through the city streets. The commercial center was bustling, with vendors selling armor, artifacts, and food everywhere, from simple stalls to large stores. Nie Li had spent so much time without that around, always fighting for his survival in his previous life, that he felt like resting today. But still, he felt he should find his group of friends.

Well, nothing had proven effective; they simply weren't anywhere in the city, even after visiting all the places they would normally go. Now Nie Li was really walking down a street with snack shops. He would even buy armor and other things, but since he and Xiangju had argued, Xiangju hadn't shared the value with him, not even the pills. Nie Li had been stuck cultivating through traditional methods during these days of the expedition.

Nie Li had stopped to eat something, having had no decent meal on this trip.

'What is Ziyun doing?'

The boy thought while eating a snack that had been handed to him. Even though they had separated just a few hours ago, his affection for her seemed to grow exponentially. Just thinking about her smile made the boy start to laugh by himself.

"Did you see that guy heading to the city lord's mansion?"

Sitting at a nearby table, a girl with pink pigtails asked her elegantly dressed friend.

"That handsome guy? I did see him, he's totally my type. Next time I see him, hold me back if I don't throw myself into his arms."

The girl said, almost drooling at the thought of the guy.

"Come on, girl, with that other girl around, do you really think he would pay attention to any of us? He must be focused on getting the lord title, for sure."

"Hey, don't project your insecurities onto me! If you don't feel confident in your looks, don't try to burden me with that too!"

The dark-haired, elegantly dressed girl ended the conversation, feeling "victorious," although the only thing she had won was her friend's antipathy.

Nie Li had overheard this conversation. He didn't plan to, but they were almost shouting, so it was impossible not to.

A bitter feeling filled his chest. Who was this guy anyway? This definitely didn't happen in the past; he had no memory of anything like this. Was it a distant relative who came to visit? Perhaps his changes in this life had already caused more alterations than he expected.

Against all logic, Nie Li made a decision that only a man in love would make. He needed to see exactly who this new guy was, to see if he really was a threat to his relationship with Ziyun.

"Damn, I shouldn't be doing this..." Nie Li said to himself, already standing in front of the rustic wooden gates with an ornate lock. In the sunlight, this building was undoubtedly majestic.

The boy looked around to see if anyone was nearby, which, in fact, made him even more suspicious than he should be. Realizing he was alone, the boy took an action he would never have taken if it weren't for something he considered "urgent."

The red-haired boy did something that would be not only completely impossible for someone his age but also impossible for most people...

As if he were an angel of divine talent, four shining wings emerged from Nie Li's back. It was a majestic sight. Anyone who saw it would be in awe. The boy laughed at this thought.

Using the strength of his wings combined with the impulse of his legs, reaching the top of the wall of the Lord's Mansion was not a problem.

Landing on the red decorative roofs of the wall, the boy had to balance and hold on not to slip and make a big fuss.

Right below him, at the gates inside the Mansion, two guards were protecting the place. Nie Li could sense their presence, but then, obviously, without any concealment technique, it wouldn't be long before they noticed him. With this in mind, our dear orange-haired boy began running on the rooftops of the Mansion wall.

Obviously, anyone standing a bit away from the wall could see him, but it was a risk he had to take.

'Where is this handsome guy?' Nie Li thought with deep disdain. While running, he had to crouch a few times to avoid being seen, but thanks to his protective and survival instinct that kept him alive so many times in the past life, this didn't prove to be a big challenge. As long as he didn't encounter someone with really extraordinary skills, it wouldn't be a big problem.

It had been a few hours since Nie Li had returned to Glory City. He had spent a lot of time looking for his friends. What if he was too late?? What if Ziyun had already fallen for this handsome guy's charms? The boy shuddered at the thought, even though he knew the girl wasn't like that.

Nie Li was quickly crossing near a huge open field of the Mansion when he stopped after seeing a scene that filled him with genuine fury and shock.

Ye Ziyun, the princess of Glory City, was sweaty, breathless, lying on the grass. In front of her, a man in black robes who appeared older than Nie Li was looking down at her.