Otherworldly Desert Dust-Chapter 423 378: The Villager Stuck in the Mire

"Prey City has two major risks,", Levi said gravely and seriously, "one is that Evil Spirits are prone to breed, and the other is that gaps are likely to appear because the constant mergers cause many factions in the administrative layer. Lacking a sense of belonging, once they see no hope of dominating in this city, they might defect to the opposition forces."

Wu Hen didn't quite understand this.

He had reached this conclusion merely through sensible conjecture and his observations of the entire city fortress earlier.

"But we can't change anything now; Chi Luo is intent on hunting down Evil City," Wu Hen said.

"First, let's notify our people and tell them to prepare for battle and evacuation," Levi suggested.

"It feels like our chances of escape are even slimmer this time, especially if Grand Canyon City is prepared. Perhaps the moment we descend from a high place, we'll be caught in a huge net," Wu Hen voiced his concerns.

Levi also found himself in a dilemma.

He had tried his best to dissuade them, but he was, after all, just a newly promoted deputy mayor. How could he possibly contend with Mayor Chi Luo, who had already formed a stubborn faction?

Despite this, after his decision, Mayor Chi Luo would likely be universally condemned; no commander would follow his orders anymore, but this decision could doom Steel Eagle City forever...

Evil City now seemed to Wu Hen and Levi no different from the depths of Hell.

The closer they got to Evil City, the stronger their sense of foreboding became.

"I actually know a lot about the engines of Evil City. This fortress was designed by a close friend of mine for otherworldly merchant fleets so they could gather like a series of stations for free trade, and naturally disband when they needed to purchase supplies or move on."

"It was never expected that such a unique design would catch the attention of bandits, turning most of these Wood Armor engines into dens of iniquity, making it easier for them to form gang fortresses and increasing our difficulty in capturing them," Levi said, sighing heavily as he looked at Evil City.

"You actually want to recover this technology?" Wu Hen asked.

"It's not about recovering it, as the technology has already spread among those with malevolent intentions, making it impossible to completely ban it... You and I think alike. If Steel Eagle City attacks Evil City, chances are high that Grand Canyon City will trap us, making it impossible to escape. So, we need to plan an escape route for ourselves and our fellow townspeople, at least we can't end up as the slag of Grand Canyon City," Levi explained.

"Yes, Grand Canyon City is too powerful, and even if I exert all my power, I might not be able to battle them. A wise man does not stand under a collapsing wall... If the total assault fails, I might have to take Mr. Ding and retreat," Wu Hen said, no longer concealing his thoughts.

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"The lives of the people in Steel Eagle City don't concern me, but those old friends in town..." Levi's mood grew heavy.

Although he was just one step away from becoming the final mayor, he understood that this calamity was unavoidable.

Wu Hen could just walk away.

But what should he do? He couldn't just abandon the residents of Prison Town.

"I can stay and help you, but you need to have a viable plan to ensure our safety," Wu Hen stated, not without compassion.

Now the pressure was on Levi.

He had to come up with a plan that would preserve the lives of the townfolk.

Levi was smart, and he understood what Wu Hen meant.

His gaze moved to the monitor overlooking the scene, peering through the thin clouds at Evil City nestled among the decayed fir trees. The fortress's wooden structure exuded an ancient simplicity and tranquility, yet it housed a group of extremely vicious criminals who also knew how to manipulate Living Cities.

"I have an idea."

"That once Steel Eagle City gets caught in a tough battle, we'll all sneak into Evil City and then, using Wood Armor City technology, quickly escape to various parts of the marsh. Once everything is over, we can regroup using the technology's locator. This way, even if Steel Eagle City loses, everyone can still survive. Or rather, no matter who ultimately wins, we'll have an escape option," Levi explained.

"That's a great idea!" Wu Hen said with a smile.

"But we need to eliminate all the villains in the fortress first..."

"You've constructed a new prison, haven't you? That's where they belong," Wu Hen pointed out.

Levi also smiled, relieved that if Wu Hen was willing to help, then moving the town's residents as per the plan wouldn't be so difficult.

"There's one day left before the attack. I'll inform the trustworthy people about this plan. The townspeople trust them and will follow them in whatever needs to be done," Levi stated.

"Could I... While I'm at it, scout out Evil City first?" Wu Hen suggested.

"That would be best," Levi nodded.

...

Twenty-three hours left until the attack.

Steel Eagle City was currently setting up restraining underground devices around Evil City to prevent the fortress from splitting apart and escaping, which indeed required some time.

Meanwhile, Wu Hen left Steel Eagle City and headed directly to Evil City.

Through the ground full of rotten leaves and around the marshes, the fortress stood in a cluster of relatively clean fir trees.

In front of the fortress gates, one could occasionally see caravans entering and exiting.

The masters of Evil City were not fools. They wouldn't hang black Skull flags in front of the gates and have several heavily scarred burly men standing on the walls with ill-intentions.

Their flags were clean and they'd even have beautifully shaped women representing the facade of the fortress, welcoming travelers passing by this place. Seeing the fortress adorned with numerous small red lanterns and graceful elder sisters waving, the weary travelers naturally understood!

After all, they had just made some money and could now enjoy their time in this fortress.

Most of the evildoers inside also took up roles as vendors, cooks, guards, merchants, craftsmen, and skilled masters. Upon entering this fortress, you couldn't possibly realize that more than half of the population here were fugitives. They were no different from a typical mobile trading town.

Wu Hen observed for a while and realized that Evil City also had its daytime side — maintaining a modest trading atmosphere as much as possible to attract passersby, merchants, and nomadic groups...

And just like other towns, they had their main business.

Their main business was that after the sky darkened, those flamboyant elder sisters would be driven out by fierce-looking people to operate.

Most of the time, people in Evil City wouldn't resort to violence.

They calmly conducted their pimping business. After all, even a ruthlessly fierce bandit mostly lived like an ordinary person -- too many fights and killings wouldn't have allowed him to live until now.

Wu Hen was also an old hand at commerce.

To better blend into the atmosphere of the fortress, he hurried to the gates to find a female companion as soon as he entered.

The female companion, like a little guide, would take you around the fortress, bring you to delicious restaurants, and chat with you to lift your spirits. This mode was the favorite of the traveling businessmen—it was like renting a temporary girlfriend.

Wu Hen wasn't deliberately trying to adhere to local customs.

Mainly, he didn't want to arouse the suspicion of the managers of Evil City.

"Brother, let me tell you, they are all the honorable ladies of the town. Damned wars have destroyed their families, and they are left with no choice but to do odd jobs here. Let's be clear, they accompany you just for sightseeing and chatting; don't get any other ideas..." A skinny man began introducing with a smile.

The girls stood in a row at the gate, letting Wu Hen choose.

Wu Hen made eye contact with each of them, finally selecting a young woman whose eyes seemed a bit more astute.

Looks weren't important; he wasn't genuinely here to visit a brothel.

Mainly, he wanted to ascertain the situation here from the girl and find the key figures of Evil City!

"Go on, have a good time accompanying the young man. Don't stay out all night," the pimp pushed the woman Wu Hen had chosen.

The woman's eyes flashed with a hint of wariness, but she concealed it well, deliberately squeezing out a coquettish smile. Then, she gently took Wu Hen's arm, intending to lead him toward the golden fir tree in the fortress.

The golden fir tree stood at the center of the fortress; its leaves like pieces of gleaming gold adorned the stone-bricked ground beneath it, which happened to be a pale blue color, adding a uniquely beautiful autumnal charm to the fortress.

"I like sitting here daydreaming. You should try it, too. It makes many of life's troubles disappear," the woman said cheerfully.

"I don't know your name yet," Wu Hen asked.

"Oh, I'm..." the woman hesitated briefly before disclosing her name, "Chen Yuanyuan."

As a Fourth Rank Spiritual Awakened, the micro-expressions of a person were very clear to him.

Even though the woman was good at disguising and feigning weakness, Wu Hen could still discern all her emotions.

There was a hint of disgust, mixed with helplessness, but she always maintained a strong demeanor, doing her best to craft another pleasing persona in order to stay in a relatively safe condition.

"What about you?" the woman actively asked for Wu Hen's name.

"My surname is Wu..." Wu Hen paused, then added his name, "Wu Sangui."

"Wu Sangui???" The woman who called herself Chen Yuanyuan widened her eyes, looking at the otherworldly man in front of her, "Hehe, sir, don't joke like that."

"It's you who started joking with me first. If you're called Chen Yuanyuan, then I'm Wu Sangui," Wu Hen said.

The woman was completely stunned, and then joy that she couldn't suppress welled up in her eyes, mixed with a shimmer of tears...

Fellow villager!!

Wu Hen noticed the swift change in the woman's expression and immediately understood.

When he had previously observed her eyes, he felt a distinct flavor there, characteristic of his fellow villagers.

Indeed, a fellow villager!

Still deeply trapped in the quagmire.