This time, He Fang has thoroughly informed all mobile cities that Hope City still exists and is actively recruiting people. Hope City can accommodate at least 100,000 people, though it’s challenging to reach that number in a short period of time.
If defeated cities wish to relocate nearby, they can merge into the alliance and then use the population from the main city to help with development.
However, a strange phenomenon has emerged: many people from the main city have directly moved to Hope City without changing their registered residency. Yet, the population statistics of the main city have exceeded its maximum capacity. Although the actual population within the main city is 40,000, its registered population has reached 50,000.
Since the population born in He Fang’s city is naturally high-quality NPCs, he initially considered using funds from the national treasury to further expand the planning zones to accommodate more people. However, upon seeing that the original main city’s NPCs could relocate voluntarily, he realized that expansion might not be necessary to attract high-quality NPCs.
When notifying all cities about Hope City’s location, He Fang did not disclose to outsiders their ability to resist Nightmare Beast seeds. This was to prevent a large influx of people entering Hope City blindly.
To strengthen Hope City, He Fang decided to integrate the homeless or those who had been rejected by other cities. Since these people have no place to belong, they can better assimilate into his city and are more likely to develop loyalty.
He currently controls Angel City, yet he does not demand loyalty from Angel City. Fear and faith alone from these people are sufficient.
Moreover, since he led the upper echelon of Angel City into the main city, according to reports from Yuan Zhiran, the previously restless Angel City quickly settled down. Even Yuan Feng and Qian Lai, the two pillars of Angel City, have both ceded their positions to their respective designated successors, Yuan Sanjin and Qian Qu.
It was evident that these individuals had decided to quiet down.
Fortunately, Angel City was not an aggressive city; its goals and beliefs aligned well with He Fang’s current requirements.
Now, with a significantly expanded map revealing numerous tasks densely packed across it, He Fang felt overwhelmed. After some thought, he finally approached Zhu Yan and Yuan Zhiran.
“I want to establish a search team,” He Fang directly stated to Yuan Zhiran and Zhu Yan. “A team to search around the vicinity of the city and help those in need.”
“A search team?” Zhu Yan frowned after hearing He Fang’s idea. “But what reason do we have to help others?”
“There are a few reasons. First, we still need to create a god-like figure and push the Divine Lord into the spotlight. This way, people will understand the help the Divine Lord can provide to everyone, rescuing people from danger. By praying to the Divine Lord, they can receive salvation.” He Fang needed a substantial amount of faith points. Since a god truly existed, people’s perceptions would undergo a significant transformation.
“Second, we need to make Hope City widely known. The more people know about it, the more will come. Hope City is bound to the Divine Lord.” Even though the NPCs coming to Hope City might mostly be of low quality, based on Wei Qixuan’s event regarding quality upgrades, NPC attributes were not necessarily fixed. With the current scarcity of everything, quantity was the most important.
“Third, to prevent invaders. Hope City is weak, and Angel City is not particularly strong either. To deter stronger mobile cities from attacking, we must make them hesitant. This can be achieved by garnering public support. Standing on the moral high ground makes it harder for other mobile cities to justify attacking us.” Even now, He Fang believed that public opinion was crucial, especially in an environment where cities commonly manipulated the masses. The populace easily followed the tide of public opinion.
“Yes.” Zhu Yan thought He Fang’s idea was feasible after hearing it. “But how can we implement this? We don’t know where there are people in need of help.”
“I will grant map permissions directly to the Divine Lord. Whenever an event occurs on the map, it will trigger a task prompt. Zhu Yan, you simply need to create a system capable of receiving these task prompts from the Divine Lord. Then there’s the issue of equipping the search teams.”
He Fang translated all the “system-related information” into terms that NPCs could understand.
The reason he explained it this way was because, in a short period of time, the system map had undergone significant changes—not in terms of terrain but in terms of events. Various small missions appeared and disappeared on the map.
He Fang realized that many small missions were likely time-sensitive. For example, if a wandering individual was attacked by a beast due to hunger, a mission would appear. However, by the time He Fang arrived, the wandering individual might have already been completely devoured by the beast, causing the mission to disappear naturally.
This highlighted the importance of the search teams, who could provide timely assistance nearby.
“So my task is to train personnel for the search teams?” Yuan Zhiran asked. “How many people do you envision in these search teams, City Lord?”
“That’s up to you to decide. They don’t necessarily have to be from the main city, nor from Hope City or Angel City. Recruitment is fine, and volunteers are also acceptable,” He Fang shared his idea with Yuan Zhiran. “As long as they have the will to help others, anyone can be involved.”
“Without qualification standards, won’t management become chaotic?” Yuan Zhiran asked with a frown.
“So, each team must have one person from our city as the leader. The leader must pass your testing, Yuan Zhiran, because I will be assigning them weapons.” He Fang regarded this as a very risky decision. “Therefore, not only must Yuan Zhiran ensure the weapons are in safe hands, but Zhu Yan, you also need to find ways to make the weapons safely usable. Can you manage that?”
This was merely an idea from He Fang, but it depended on whether Zhu Yan and Yuan Zhiran could execute it.
Looking at the tasks appearing and disappearing across the map always filled He Fang with anxiety. This was his best idea—to have NPCs sweep up smaller missions or delay the timing of advanced missions.
“I can do it.” Zhu Yan raised his gaze. His cold eyes, as always, did not deny He Fang’s orders. “But I have one condition.”
“Huh?” He Fang tilted his head in curiosity.
“I can create the necessary items, but regarding how they are used, City Lord, you must not interfere.”
Zhu Yan’s words surprised He Fang. Without hesitation, he nodded, “But Zhu Yan, haven’t I always unconditionally approved of what you’ve done?”
He Fang had always trusted this researcher in a white uniform deeply. Zhu Yan would always silently fulfill any request from He Fang.
“Alright.” Zhu Yan smiled. He was always ready to smile in front of He Fang. Zhu Yan understood He Fang would trust him unconditionally, and he would likewise fulfill every request of their developing City Lord without question.
“Yuan Zhiran, do you have any conditions?” After agreeing to Zhu Yan’s request, He Fang naturally couldn’t ignore Yuan Zhiran’s requirements.
“No,” Yuan Zhiran responded, clearly already formulating a plan in his mind.
“You have the authority to recruit; you can bring anyone to assist you,” He Fang said to Yuan Zhiran.
“Understood, City Lord. I will perfectly complete the task you have entrusted to us,” Yuan Zhiran replied with unwavering confidence, which set He Fang’s mind at ease.
After saying his piece, He Fang turned and left. Yuan Zhiran and Zhu Yan remained standing in the room, motionless like NPCs.
“The Creator is becoming more and more adept,” Yuan Zhiran remarked, blinking slightly. His long, curled eyelashes resembled butterfly wings, extraordinarily beautiful. Yet, he felt increasingly out of reach of their City Lord.
“The City Lord has always excelled at learning,” Zhu Yan said, closing his eyes as though etching into his memory the confident demeanor of their Creator, who had just assigned them their tasks.
He Fang, looking at the endless tasks appearing and disappearing on the map, felt a headache coming on.
Typically, when designing an open-world game, the map isn’t made excessively large because it would complicate the planning and layout. Not to mention, the variety of side quests would be overwhelming. Moreover, if the map were too expansive, the hardware might not be able to handle it. Now it made sense. He Fang finally understood why “Ruins Without Restart” required such a massive simulation pod. The map was simply absurdly large.
Rubbing his temples, He Fang thought about the time-sensitive tasks. These quests likely represented special opportunities. He had once logged in and helplessly watched a golden quest disappear before his eyes—a golden quest, a legendary quest! Completing it might have granted him an invaluable NPC or an extremely useful item.
Seeing these tasks disappear, He Fang felt an immense sense of frustration. The frequent appearance and disappearance of tasks made He Fang believe that “Ruins Without Restart” might differ from ordinary open-world games in that it focuses more on infrastructure building rather than adventure.
In an adventure game, tasks are completed by the players, but in an infrastructure-building game, it’s the city that accomplishes them. Therefore, making full use of his large number of NPCs was the key to success.
Sigh…
This update, with such an abundance of tasks, was truly overwhelming.
He Fang opened the map and entered Ye Sheng’s name. However, he was surprised to find Ye Sheng still obediently staying in the same spot.
On the frontier, He Fang saw Ye Sheng standing on the observation tower next to the sentry post. The young man had… gained quite a bit of weight. He looked noticeably different from when he was a gatekeeper. Perhaps it was due to his newfound plumpness, which gave him a broader appearance. Now, Ye Sheng appeared a bit more intimidating and lacked the refined look he had before.
Nonetheless, considering the aesthetics of these gatekeepers, He Fang thought perhaps this was the appearance Ye Sheng and the others aspired to achieve.
Ye Sheng noticed He Fang’s gaze. At that moment, he turned from the observation tower. His mechanical-like eyes locked onto He Fang from afar with the same expressionless look as before.
However…
He Fang felt that this mechanical nature had changed—it was not the same as it had once been.
He had always believed that the mechanical behavior of Ye Sheng and the other gatekeepers resembled a form of self-hypnosis. With their hands stained in blood and having killed their own comrades out of necessity, they had to do it. To prevent themselves from faltering due to compassion, they had closed off their hearts.
He Fang walked over slowly. Ye Sheng’s gaze remained fixed on him, following his every movement until He Fang climbed up the watchtower.
The watchtower wasn’t spacious, but it could accommodate a few people. He Fang looked up at Ye Sheng, who was much taller than him. Ye Sheng was still wearing the collar that symbolized restraint for them, along with the oddly military-green uniform that exposed his neck and a large portion of his collarbone, making the collar even more conspicuous.
“I plan to release all the mercenaries soon. Notify the gatekeepers not to stop the mercenaries who want to leave the city,” He Fang said. “I’ve already informed everyone about Hope City’s situation. You’ve probably heard about it too, right?”
Ye Sheng nodded slightly, his gaze calm, showing little reaction to He Fang’s decision.
“Those mercenaries were only detained here to prevent exposure of Hope City’s secrets. Now, they can all leave. Of course, if any wish to stay, I’ll gladly welcome them.” He Fang spread his hands and shrugged. “But at the very least, I know there’s one team that’s sure to leave, that Black Flag Squad or something.”
He Fang figured he might have left a psychological shadow on Black Flag, especially on the brothers Zhou Fang and Zhou Yan.
But since He Fang intended to give Black Flag to Sai Gu, it was inevitable that Sai Gu would join Black Flag. As for how, it would depend on Sai Gu’s abilities. At least so far, Sai Gu had always exceeded He Fang’s expectations, so he wasn’t concerned.
Ye Sheng, as always, said nothing. He merely looked at He Fang quietly, as if everything else had nothing to do with him.
The wind was strong on the watchtower. He Fang glanced at the grassland in the distance, then sneaked a look at Ye Sheng, realizing Ye Sheng hadn’t once looked away.
He Fang felt a bit awkward.
He looked for quite a while.
Then he scratched his head.
Meanwhile, Ye Sheng remained unchanged, his expression as unshifting as ever.
He Fang coughed twice, feeling that the atmosphere had grown unbearably awkward.
“I’ll get straight to the point without beating around the bush. Ye Sheng, are you willing to stay here of your own free will?” He Fang asked directly, cutting to the chase.
What He Fang aspired to create was a city akin to the peaceful world he experienced in reality.
Even though he struggled with social anxiety, he didn’t dislike such a world.
A place where one could eat good food anytime, and even have midnight delivery services. A place where war felt distant and remote, though life might be hard for some, but it wasn’t unbearable. There were flaws and deficiencies, sure, but within the game, everything could be remedied.
He Fang wanted the people of his city to voluntarily take up their roles, not be forced into them. He strives to achieve a freedom that might not yet be fully realized in the real world.
Ye Sheng did not immediately reply. He stood there silently, as always.
“Have you not made up your mind yet?” He Fang finally asked, unable to endure the eerie silence any longer.
Suddenly, Ye Sheng moved.
On the narrow watchtower, Ye Sheng suddenly knelt on one knee, pressing a fist against the ground.
He Fang froze for a moment before quickly saying, “My city no longer practices kneeling rituals.”
Ye Sheng stood up. Still keeping his head lowered to avoid eye contact with He Fang, this time he bowed deeply.
It was a ninety-degree bow, expressing utmost respect and sincerity. Ye Sheng maintained the bow for a long time without raising his head.
His hair gently swayed in the breeze, yet he stood perfectly upright and motionless, resembling a statue.
At that moment, He Fang suddenly understood.
The earlier kneeling gesture had been a ritual from Scorching Sun City. The bowing now represented Ye Sheng abandoning his past in Scorching Sun City and choosing Hope City.
In that instant, He Fang felt at peace.
“I am pretty remarkable,” He Fang couldn’t help but boast.
He was truly happy—deeply happy—because Ye Sheng had met his expectations.
“Well then, why don’t we take off the collar? I remember it’s set to be removed directly,” He Fang said, extending his hand to remove Ye Sheng’s collar.
However, his hand was stopped. Ye Sheng’s fingers gently touched He Fang’s palm and softly pushed his hand away.
“What’s wrong?” He Fang asked in confusion, wondering why he had been refused. Could it be that Ye Sheng had grown attached to the collar?
“This is fine,” Ye Sheng said, straightening up. He slightly lowered his gaze, his fingertips brushing the collar. At that moment, He Fang noticed a rare softness in Ye Sheng’s demeanor.
Ye Sheng understood that perhaps the young City Lord standing before him didn’t fully grasp what they had done in the past—acts that even now couldn’t be accepted by others.
By willingly wearing the collar, they signified their intent to coexist peacefully and safely in this city forever.
He Fang seemed to understand. He suddenly realized what the difference was between the current and previous sense of “mechanical nature”. While it was still mechanical, in the past, it had been suppressive; now, it seemed to have been released, though not yet fully integrated with others.
It wasn’t mechanical.
It was shyness.
Though the term felt slightly strange, Ye Sheng’s reluctance to verbally express his willingness to stay in Hope City and instead show it through actions revealed him to be someone who wasn’t adept at expressing himself through words.
“For the other gatekeepers, I’ll leave the psychological work to you,” He Fang said.
“Alright,” Ye Sheng responded simply. Yet He Fang had never felt so reassured.
—
The Black Flag mercenary squad, upon learning that Angel City had surprisingly been absorbed by Hope City, was utterly shocked, but they were not completely unprepared. From the beginning, they had a sense that such an outcome might occur.
What exactly happened outside this utterly insurmountable wall was a mystery to them, as they were trapped inside the prison. Even though it was merely a wall, it seemed to separate them entirely from the world.
Life here could not be called uncomfortable—rather, it was exceedingly comfortable, to the point where they even doubted whether they were prisoners or honored guests.
During this period, the Black Flag mercenaries experienced an unprecedented ease. Even Zhou Fang and Zhou Yan couldn’t help but let their guard down in such an overly peaceful environment.
Suddenly, the city lord arrived. The city lord opened the prison door, and all the doors in the prison were unlocked. All the prisoners looked out with puzzled eyes and stepped out. Everyone exchanged looks but saw only confusion, and not a single prison guard was in sight.
“Greetings to all mercenaries from far and wide,” the city lord said. “I am the city lord. My deepest apologies for detaining all of you for such a long time. This was previously necessary to ensure the safety of Hope City, which is why you were held here.
By now, you may have heard—I have fully disclosed information about Hope City. There is no longer any reason to detain you here.
Now, everyone is free to leave through the gates. At the entrance, guards will return all of your belongings that were confiscated upon your arrival after registration. Please exit the prison in an orderly manner.”
The city lord’s voice echoed throughout the prison via the broadcast system, leaving everyone in a state of confusion. Some were overjoyed at the prospect of freedom, while others showed signs of bewilderment or even worry.
“Of course, I am not asking you to leave. You are all now fully free citizens. If any of you wish to stay in Hope City, you can register with the guards at the entrance and continue living here. You will be settled in temporary residential areas, and you can choose jobs or start cultivating land according to your preferences. There will be guidance provided for everyone…”
The young city lord’s voice resonated through the broadcast. For those who had been feeling a sense of loss and confusion, it instantly brought renewed energy. Many of them, who were not truly committed to being mercenaries, saw the chance to stay in a safe and peaceful place as an opportunity to avoid further hardship.
There were many who wanted to stay, their faces lighting up with excitement. After all, life inside the prison had been everything but free.
However, among those who wished to stay, Zhou Fang and Zhou Yan were certainly not included.
“Brother Zhou,” Qing Qing stood beside Zhou Fang and asked worriedly, “Should we…?”
“We leave,” Zhou Fang said, looking around the area. “Once all our people are gathered here, we’ll go.”
Qing Qing’s gaze flickered momentarily, but she ultimately lowered her head without saying another word. Zhou Fang was not blind to her hesitation, yet he was resolute—he would never stay in this wretched Hope City.
He would never forget what they had done to his younger brother.
Seeing Qing Qing’s demeanor, Zhou Yan also looked troubled. Turning to Zhou Fang, he said, “Brother, I think that incident wasn’t as serious as we thought. I’m completely healed now, and I don’t even have nightmares anymore.”
“Shut up,” Zhou Fang snapped harshly. He still vividly remembered the humiliation of being pinned down in the car seat, unable to move, while the young city lord smiled beside him.
“Once we get out, I’m leaving the Black Flag squad.” Just as Zhou Fang’s expression darkened, a voice came from nearby. Zhou Fang turned sharply to see the youngest member of their squad standing there.
“Shen Houyun,” Zhou Fang’s voice rasped with anger, clearly furious.
“I joined the Black Flag squad because of its strength, but now it’s clear we’re far from being true powerhouses,” Shen Houyun said, turning to glance at Zhou Fang, who was burning with rage. “Farewell, former comrades.”
“How could you betray us like this?” Qing Qing suddenly spoke, stepping forward to grab Shen Houyun’s sleeve. “We’ve always gotten along so well. Why are you leaving all of a sudden?”
“I was the first to betray Angel City,” Shen Houyun admitted. “I was the one who revealed all of Angel City’s information to Hope City.” After saying this, he saw Qing Qing’s shocked expression, her disbelief evident. She let go of his sleeve, and Shen Houyun left without looking back.
“You’ve lost one member, and I bet others will leave, too,” Sai Gu said casually, patting Qing Qing’s shoulder and subtly wrapping an arm around her slender waist. “If possible, may I have the honor of traveling with such a beauty?”
Shen Houyun was the first to betray Angel City. His reason was simple: Hope City had promised to bring his family into the city.
Shen Houyun signed the agreement and took his belongings and his share of the mercenary pay from Zhou Fang’s vehicle, not taking a single thing extra.
He asked for directions to Hope City and began walking towards it.
The prison was some distance away from Hope City, but when Shen Houyun finally saw it, it felt as though he could hear the sound of wind chimes.
The vast Hope City was entirely different from what he had imagined. It was no longer a motionless fortress surrounded by iron walls and copper barriers. What appeared before him now was a vibrant, luminous world filled with vitality.
Looking up, he saw a family living in Hope City open their window and hang clothes out on the balcony to dry. Suddenly, someone ran past him. When he looked down, he saw a few children with bright, carefree smiles sprinting away from his side.
Fields could be seen everywhere along the roadside, tended by elderly farmers. The faces of these elders shone with a vitality that belied their age—they were healthy and capable of contributing significant labor.
This place was like something out of a dream.
Shen Houyun slowly walked forward, step by step. He saw an elderly man resting beside a field who casually picked a freshly grown cucumber to eat. Although people nearby noticed, no one stopped him, as this behavior was not prohibited.
Shen Houyun spotted a supermarket and entered. The prices of the goods inside were very affordable, and his mercenary pay could buy plenty. He purchased a bottle of water and a bag of bread. As he ate, the bread’s soft and slightly sweet taste seemed to resonate deeply within his heart.
He sat down by the roadside and dazedly stared ahead for a long time.
He did nothing, yet no one accused him of laziness.
Shen Houyun finished the last piece of bread. It was already evening, and he realized he had been sitting there for the entire afternoon.
Where should he go now?
Standing in place, Shen Houyun felt lost.
He asked a passing child, who, upon hearing his situation, immediately pointed in a direction. “Walk that way, and you’ll see rows of white houses. That’s the temporary residence area. It’s free to use. If you have money, though, you can come with me. I can host you.”
“Is your family running an inn?” Shen Houyun asked, looking at the young child in front of him.
“No, but we can take in guests. My home is big, and there’s a place for you to stay,” the child said with a playful blink and smile.
Shen Houyun lowered his head and asked, “Aren’t you afraid I might do something bad in your house?”
“No one dares to do bad things in Hope City. Anyone who does will be caught by the police. Our police are incredible. No bad person can escape!” the child said proudly, puffing out his chest.
Shen Houyun ended up following the child. What he saw was a ‘home’ unlike any other city—a spacious place filled with all kinds of things.
“Are you from the upper class?” Shen Houyun asked.
“Nope, we’re just ordinary civilians,” the child replied.
“Why can you live in such a big house?” Shen Houyun asked.
“It’s because my grandparents took out a loan to buy it. It’s not expensive; we just pay a portion back to the city lord each month. Ours is small. Many others who are still strong and can work harder bought bigger ones,” the child said, blinking and smiling brightly, like twinkling stars. Then the child went to the kitchen and brought out a white steamed bun. “Grandpa and grandma haven’t come back yet—they’ll return after sunset. I can’t cook, so you’ll have to settle for this.”
Shen Houyun took a bite of the steamed bun, but then he noticed something was off. It wasn’t a steamed bun—it was a meat-filled bun, its juicy, flavorful filling instantly igniting his appetite.
“I love the buns that grandpa and grandma make the most. This meat was about to expire at the supermarket, so they lowered the price to avoid wasting it. That’s when we buy it to eat. Though it’s not as tasty as fresh meat, I still love it.”
Listening to the child, Shen Houyun was utterly shaken. This… was this paradise? Even ordinary families could create such extravagant food?
“Child, do you know where Angel City is?” Shen Houyun asked, savoring the delicious bun with each bite.
“I know!” The child pointed directly in one direction. “There’s a road there; just take a car to get there. But why do you want to go to Angel City?”
Shen Houyun understood that the news they had heard was likely true. Angel City had indeed become part of Hope City.
“Do you know why Angel City is there?” Shen Houyun asked.
“Because the city lord beat them!” The child enthusiastically mimicked a fight, waving and flailing as if demonstrating, “The city lord did this, then that, and then that, knocking them down!”
Shen Houyun watched the child’s comical antics and asked, “Who told you that?”
“Grandpa told me,” the child said, spreading their arms wide. “He said the city lord is amazing.”
Shen Houyun’s expression shifted slightly, but he simply finished the last bite of the meat bun.
“Do you want more?” the child asked.
Shen Houyun was a bit surprised. “Are you still willing to give me more?”
“Guests should eat until they’re full, that’s what Grandpa says,” the child replied solemnly with a firm nod.
“Do you have enough food for yourselves?” Shen Houyun asked.
The child frowned. Seeing this, Shen Houyun speculated that perhaps ordinary families might not have enough to eat. Perhaps this child, being so eager to share, would go hungry because of him.
“We don’t have enough because I can’t cook,” the child said, troubled. “Big brother, can you cook? If you can cook, then we’ll have enough to eat!”
Shen Houyun was taken aback, but he thought about the unbelievably cheap food at the supermarket and finally accepted the reality that this city truly had no shortage of food. “I can’t cook, but we could go to the supermarket and buy something to eat.”
“If you’re hungry, big brother, let’s go to a restaurant instead.”
“A restaurant?” Shen Houyun was startled.
“A new owner recently came from the main city, and everyone says their food is super tasty. Big brother, do you want to go? Do you have money?” The child’s eyes sparkled as they looked at Shen Houyun, their intention to tag along for a free meal almost entirely transparent.
“Alright.” After learning about the prices, Shen Houyun decided to check if the food at this so-called restaurant was overly expensive, as it often was in mobile cities…
However, when Shen Houyun saw the prices, he was stunned. Were they really this cheap?
They sat down. There were many others in the restaurant at the time. The décor was excellent—bright and beautiful. People sat in small groups, smiling and chatting about their day, how much they earned, how much they saved, and what special treats they wanted to enjoy to improve their meals.
When Shen Houyun saw the dishes laid out on the table, his shock reached its peak. The moment he tasted the food, with its incredible flavor, a strange thought crossed his mind—it was even better than the food in prison!
“Wow, the food is amazing! No wonder the boss came from the main city; the food they make is just fantastic,” the child sitting in front of Shen Houyun said while shoveling rice into their mouth, their eyes sparkling. Shen Houyun felt that his expression was probably no different from the child’s.
“What is the main city?” Shen Houyun asked.
“It’s the city of the city lord. I’ve never been there, but it must be an incredible place,” the child answered.
“What is the name of that city?” Shen Houyun asked. Hearing the child’s explanation, he began to suspect that the true strength didn’t lie with Hope City, but rather with the main city.
“The main city is just called the main city,” the child replied, looking puzzled. “That’s what we all call it. But I heard that the people from Angel City call it Mirage.”
Shen Houyun ate quietly, but his thoughts wandered far and wide.
Mirage.
He had traveled far and wide but had never heard of the names “Mirage” or “Main City”. Were they recent emergences, or had they always existed, just too low-profile to notice?
But…
This place was truly wonderful.
“Big brother, do you want to stay here?” the child asked.
“Not for now,” Shen Houyun replied.
“Why not?” The child tilted their head, looking adorable.
Shen Houyun looked at the child’s round, chubby cheeks in front of him. Such a wholesome appearance could only come from a good life.
Shen Houyun reached out and gently poked the soft cheek. His expression finally relaxed a little. “Because big brother has to go bring his family back.”
Shen Houyun was the first member of the Black Flag mercenary squad to betray Hope City. Back then, he had made an agreement with the city lord to bring his family to this city. Even in prison, he could see the goodness of this place, and of course, he wanted his family to share in it.
When Shen Houyun finally came out and saw the overwhelming beauty of Hope City with his own eyes, he knew his decision had been the right one.
But…
He still felt like he had lost something.
The city lord of this place was willing to accept anyone who came here, which rendered Shen Houyun’s original condition—to bring his family here—entirely meaningless.
Shen Houyun lowered his gaze, realizing that he had been at a loss. After all, it was an agreement he himself had made back then.
But…
Shen Houyun’s fingers quietly clenched.
He looked around the restaurant at the people laughing freely and heartily. Despite the noisy atmosphere, he seemed to hear the sound of wind chimes—crisp, serene, and peaceful.
Shen Houyun did not leave Hope City to bring back his family. Instead, he stayed, spending his days looking for odd jobs to familiarize himself with the city and his nights finding temporary lodging, for which he always paid.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the young city lord of Hope City.
The moment there was news of the city lord, he would rush over immediately.
He knew many were keeping an eye on him—soldiers, police officers, and even some rumored to be from the “main city”—but he didn’t care.
Until one day, he finally met that person.
He ran over at lightning speed.
At the same time, he saw the young city lord’s expression turn to one of surprise. The city lord then uttered something Shen Houyun didn’t understand: “Oh my heavens, a purple-tier quest is charging at me?”
