Chapter 320 : Chapter 320

Chapter 320: The City Lord and the Nightmare Demon

“Is this all? Is there nothing else?”

Tan Han adjusted her posture, her gaze fixed on the Ninglan New City official holding a stack of documents in front of her.

“I’m truly sorry, miss. This is all the intelligence the City Lord has instructed me to share with you at this time. Please do not doubt the sincerity of Lord City Lord. The existence of the Nightmares and the Nightmare Demon is also a huge threat to our Ninglan New City. The City Lord also hopes to expel them as soon as possible.”

“Alright, you can spare me the pleasantries. Can I meet with the City Lord? If I can’t see him, I highly doubt the sincerity of your Ninglan New City. Don’t forget what price we paid to help you drive out that Nightmare Demon earlier!”

Tan Han’s attitude was a bit forceful at this moment.

“Calm down! Miss, please calm down. I understand your grief over losing a companion, but Lord City Lord is swamped with city affairs and has no time to see to you all. Please forgive him. The fact that Lord City Lord specifically sent me to receive you all already shows the importance our Ninglan New City places on this matter.”

Tan Han was naturally not satisfied with the intelligence she had received.

Except for the one time she had forcefully found the City Lord directly and learned some basic information, the other party was, after all, a city lord and not an intelligence officer, so she only got a general idea of many things.

Now, when she tried to find the City Lord again, she couldn't even get a meeting.

It had been like this the past few times, and the intelligence she obtained was as frustrating as squeezing toothpaste.

“Sigh…”

At this, Tan Han finally sighed and stood up.

“Is Miss Tan Han preparing to leave? Then let me see you off.”

The official also stood up.

After all, he was a professional at haggling.

He was tired of dealing with all sorts of bizarre outsiders here every day.

This Miss Tan Han was one of the few who could be communicated with normally.

If he could, he would also like to help this young lady, but there was nothing he could do.

Who made him an underling?

This was not something he could have any personal say in.

They walked out of the reception room and into the long corridor outside.

“You don’t need to see me off any further.”

“It’s no trouble, it’s on the way.”

Tan Han didn't say anything more and just followed silently.

Just as they were walking, one of the decorative art pieces on the side of the corridor fell to the ground in front of them with a loud crash that echoed through the corridor.

“Sorry, it seems this place needs some maintenance,” the official said a little awkwardly as he went to move the decoration to the side.

At this time, Tan Han’s hand moved behind her back.

A small mouse silently dropped from her palm to the ground and then quickly disappeared down the corridor.

“It’s fine, but… you all really should renovate this place.”

In the end, the two parted at the Ninglan Township Fortress as if nothing had happened, each going their own way.

But Tan Han did not go far.

Instead, she came to a relatively remote place that was still very close to the Ninglan Township Fortress.

The mouse just now was a summoning spell released by Tan Han, but unfortunately, it was just a very ordinary mouse.

But when combined with some other spells, it could become an excellent tool.

“Shared vision, body control,” Tan Han said softly, activating the spells.

At this moment, the mouse that had already burrowed into a hidden corner of the Ninglan Township Fortress, its eyes glowed red.

A glimmer of light suddenly filled its pair of dull little eyes, and even its originally flexible body stiffened for a moment.

Then, the mouse moved forward in a strange posture, its target being the location of the City Lord within the Ninglan Township Fortress.

“Strange… not in the office… how is that possible?”

Facing the scene of a bunch of officials busy at work, Tan Han did not act rashly.

Although it was very likely that there was information or documents she didn't know about here, if her summoned mouse appeared here, it would probably be killed immediately.

Moreover… her purpose for doing this was not just for those documents, but more importantly, to complete a transaction.

Before long, Tan Han controlled the mouse and began to search within the Ninglan Township Fortress.

Finally, she heard a voice in the City Lord’s bedroom.

“Why would he be here?”

Tan Han muttered to herself in a low voice, but she didn't suspect anything.

She just complained a little, was this the City Lord who was busy with affairs…

The level of security at the Ninglan Township Fortress was unexpectedly tight.

If she didn't want to fall out with Ninglan New City yet, Tan Han's little tricks naturally couldn't be discovered by them.

But this was the convenience of a spellcaster.

They had too many means to easily obtain what they wanted.

But now Tan Han found that she had still underestimated this Ninglan City Lord.

They knew that they couldn't deal with the outsiders' characteristic of ignoring everyone.

Since their soldiers couldn't stop them, then other outsiders could.

Tan Han discovered the figures of other outsiders in the Ninglan Township Fortress.

She didn't know what kind of benefits the City Lord had promised.

But it was highly likely related to some intelligence.

When outsiders and the people of this world couldn't have any material intersection, information and intelligence became the only currency of trade between the two.

Then it seemed there was some reason why they valued intelligence so much.

Did they hope to gain the upper hand in this crisis by relying on their early intelligence advantage?

But even if those were outsiders, people who could be so easily ordered around naturally couldn't stop Tan Han's steps.

---

At this moment, inside the City Lord’s bedroom.

“Is this all it takes for you to not be able to take it anymore? We Nightmare Demons haven’t even used our signature skills yet. It won’t do to surrender so early.”

“How about it? We Nightmare Demons are much more capable than those outsiders, aren't we? Those are just useless trash. Instead of expecting those guys to help you clear out those Nightmares, you might as well let us help you. And you only need to pay a small price, and that price doesn't even need to be paid by you. Those lowly commoners are enough.”

“Think about it, those ordinary commoners can finally shine and contribute to Ninglan New City.

Linking the Nightmare attacks with death, and you, the City Lord, become the only savior. Isn't this more conducive to your rule? And even… I can help you get rid of those guys you don't like.”

“No… let me think about it some more…”

The City Lord said in a tired voice at this moment.

“Still need to think about it? You’ve already been thinking for a long time. You already have an answer in your heart, so why be so hesitant?”

“If only your decisiveness could be as firm and decisive as these muscles of yours. Such a big thing has happened in Ninglan New City, and it has already exhausted your city's energy. The low point of the external energy tide has passed. In a short while, the energy tide will come again.”

“At that time, the pressure your Ninglan New City will have to face will be greater and greater… what do you think?”

“I…”

“Oh my how careless. How did a little peeping mouse sneak into this so-called safest City Lord’s bedroom?”

Just as Ninglan Qiuyun was about to speak, the Nightmare Demon suddenly got up, twisting her enchanting figure as she got off the bed.

“Still want to run? You can’t escape It seems it’s a little mouse from the dream,” the Nightmare Demon slipped into the dream, her hand clenched into a fist, and a rapier appeared.

Then she stabbed the little mouse with one blow.

“It really is a mouse,” the Nightmare Demon said with a smile as she watched the mouse dissipate at the tip of her sword.

Then she turned around and looked at the City Lord with a smile.

“Now… it seems you have no choice.”

“No…”

“This mouse is a spell effect, so… what do you guess? Is this the spontaneous action of those outsiders, or… oh it seems it doesn’t matter anymore, right?”

“Now, if you still want to hold on to your position as City Lord, you should know what to do better than I do.”

---

At this moment, outside, Tan Han’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

Realizing something was wrong, she immediately activated a spell and moved far away from the Ninglan Township Fortress.

Her scouting mouse had been killed in one blow, but before that, she had discovered even more explosive news.

That City Lord… was actually in cahoots with the Nightmare Demon!

She didn't even want to recall that scene a second time; it was simply an eyesore.

But this also indicated that the worst-case scenario had already happened.

After knowing what kind of existence the Nightmare Demon was, Tan Han was already a little wary.

But whether it was the outsiders from the transcendent academies or the Nightmare Demon, to the City Lord of Ninglan New City in this world, they were all outsiders.

This had nothing to do with friendliness, only with interests.

Even if those Nightmare Demons caused great damage to Ninglan New T-City, the other party could still drive them away, or rather, feed on the Nightmares.

This was not to be questioned, and their efficiency was far greater than that of the outsiders from the transcendent academies.

“This City Lord… is he actually preparing to sacrifice those ordinary people to create a situation of high-pressure rule…”

Tan Han naturally understood that Nightmares could not cause death.

But if the City Lord cooperated with the Nightmare Demon, then the death caused by the Nightmare Demon absorbing people’s soul-substance would be shifted onto the Nightmares.

And the City Lord, who was cooperating with the Nightmare Demon, would become the only one who could solve the Nightmare problem.

Even if the ordinary people wanted to resist, they probably wouldn't have the strength to do so, unless they wanted to live under the threat of death from the Nightmares forever.

Once such a situation was formed, they, the outsiders, would be at a complete disadvantage.

And those Nightmare Demons, in order to maintain this cooperation for a long time, would not completely eliminate those Nightmares, which meant that they, the outsiders, would not be able to go back.

This was a vicious cycle.

If such a situation really formed, they, the outsiders, would not even have any bargaining chips to negotiate with the other party.

They themselves were a threat, and could even be food for the Nightmare Demon.

How could they be so kind as to let them go?

After reaching a safe place, Tan Han thought it over and, following the location in her memory, came to a street-side coffee shop.

“What can I get for you, customer?”

The shop owner asked enthusiastically.

“A cup of Star Moon Coffee,” Tan Han said, but her gaze subconsciously glanced at the menu behind him, on which there was no such coffee.

“Is it Miss Tan Han? What an honor,” the shop owner greeted in a low voice.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“Help me contact Ninglan Qiuyue. Give her my name, thank you,” Tan Han said.

This was the way Tan Han contacted Ninglan Qiuyue.

After all, Tan Han couldn't use the communication devices in Ninglan New City.

To find the other party, she needed to go through some special places to communicate with her.

This action of hers was naturally not her own personal action, but also a premise for cooperation with the young girl Ninglan Qiuyue.

Tan Han had come into contact with this young girl named Ninglan Qiuyue before, but later the other party took the initiative to find her, and then they had the current cooperation.

Since there was no breakthrough in the intelligence and information obtained from that City Lord, obtaining intelligence from this young girl was also a way.

After all, the other party was the City Lord’s daughter.

In fact, compared to this daughter who was not valued by the City Lord, Tan Han actually wanted to contact the person named Ninglan Qiuyu more.

She had been to the Ninglan New City History Museum, and none of the past Ninglan City Lords were female.

This was enough to show that Ninglan Qiuyu was being groomed by Ninglan Qiuyun as the next Ninglan City Lord, even if the other party still seemed a bit rough around the edges now.

But a flaw couldn't obscure the jade's beauty.

The other party definitely knew more about many things than this young girl named Ninglan Qiuyue.

But the other party seemed to have some hostility towards outsiders.

This hostility seemed to stem from the fact that all the disasters in Ninglan New City were related to their arrival.

Before long, a figure walked into this coffee shop and was welcomed into a private room by the enthusiastic shop owner.

“Hello, Miss Tan Han, we meet again. It seems you have brought me good news?”

Ninglan Qiuyue closed the door as soon as she came in, looked at the young girl in front of her, and asked.

“I might have to disappoint you. The news I brought might not be good news for you,” Tan Han shook her head and said.

“Father… did he really…”

“It might be worse than you think.”

“What on earth happened? Please be more specific,” Ninglan Qiuyue pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Tan Han, asking.

“I know, but this is a transaction of information for information. I have confirmed your suspicions, but I need you to provide equivalent intelligence in exchange for the specific details,” at this moment, Tan Han also paused and did not continue.

“So… you still don’t quite trust me,” Ninglan Qiuyue was also calmed down by Tan Han’s pause.

Then she composed herself and put away her previous anxious attitude.

After all, she had already obtained the intelligence she wanted to confirm the most.

“That’s natural. After all, we don’t have much of a foundation of trust. Your Ninglan New City is a little too obvious in its defense against us outsiders. I just want to get more of what we should know,” Tan Han said calmly.

“Indeed, there’s no need for our relationship to be so stiff. We only had a brief conversation before. I wonder how much trust you have in that young girl you mentioned, named Little Han?”

“Little Han? Why are you suddenly bringing her up?”

“Your reaction is a bit big. It seems she has a high status in your heart. Originally, we shouldn’t have had much contact, but that Little Han recommended you to me. She has a very high opinion of you.”

“Little Han mentioned me to you? Where is she now? That extraordinary research association, she’s not there anymore.”

“You really want to know? It seems we still have some common topics. How about we have a chat? Let’s try… not to treat our meeting as a transaction of intelligence and information, but as a conversation between friends? That Teacher Little Han… oh no, she should be Scholar Little Han now. She has caused quite a stir, to the point where even I can’t interfere.”

“Alright,” Tan Han nodded.

She also really wanted to know what Little Han had been up to.

“That’s more like it. Friends should let down their guard like this. Let’s… start by talking about Little Han? I’m very curious about her. I can’t see through her. All of her actions seem to be veiled in my eyes, and I don’t know their true meaning. Would it be convenient for you to tell me something about her?”

“I think… she must also be a legendary figure in your world, right?”