Chapter 478: Fine, I Promise You

Lin Xun knocked on the door and walked inside.

In this vast room, a young girl turned around from the window and looked at Lin Xun.

The moment the girl turned around, Lin Xun felt a massive pressure.

This pressure was like a great mountain, pressing directly down on Lin Xun’s body.

This was a suppression originating from Bloodline.

A Bloodline belonging to a higher race.

This Bloodline caused a flicker of fear to rise from the depths of Lin Xun’s heart.

It was as if he were the weakest, most insignificant being before her, unable to resist anything about her.

If Lin Xun were just an ordinary Cultivator…

Then at this moment, Lin Xun would have knelt before her.

Unfortunately, Lin Xun’s Realm was simply too high.

For a person of Lin Xun’s high Realm, this Bloodline suppression was merely a faint sensation once he offered even a slight bit of resistance.

However, based solely on this pressure, Lin Xun had essentially confirmed the other party’s race.

Perhaps she really was of the legendary True Dragon clan.

Because such a powerful Bloodline pressure was something Lin Xun had only ever seen from her.

Aside from that, no matter the race, none should possess such formidable pressure.

As expected, the True Dragon clan had not actually gone extinct; did they still exist now?

Seeing Lin Xun standing still without a trace of being oppressed, let alone being unable to withstand her Bloodline pressure and kneeling, the True Dragon girl was also quite surprised.

In the girl’s eyes, this man’s Realm was much higher than she had anticipated.

To be honest, in the girl’s memory, those who could withstand the full release of her Bloodline pressure without breaking a single drop of sweat were very, very few.

The girl felt that Lin Xun’s Realm was close to her own, or at least greater than the Ascension Realm.

Silence fell over the room.

However, Lin Xun didn’t feel the slightest bit of awkwardness.

At this moment, Lin Xun was observing this Dragon Clan girl.

Lin Xun looked her up and down, estimating that this Dragon Clan girl appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old.

Of course, Lin Xun knew her age was definitely much older than she appeared on the surface.

A hundred years is a lifetime for a human, but only a year for a Dragon.

This Dragon Clan girl was likely at least over a thousand years old, wasn’t she?

Regardless, he looked at her long dragon tail and the scales that spread up her legs to above her knees.

There were also the dragon horns atop her head and that pair of golden dragon pupils.

Specifically, every blink of her dragon eyes made Lin Xun feel that this girl was incredibly pure, without any malicious intent.

It was as if he could trick her with a single lollipop.

One could say that this True Dragon girl’s appearance was far too deceptive.

It easily made Lin Xun feel as if she were truly harmless.

However, how could a harmless girl manage four cities?

As a City Lord, relying solely on strength without sufficient cunning and shrewdness was not enough.

“Young Master Lin, isn’t it? Please, have a seat!”

The Dragon Clan girl standing by the window tilted her head and looked at Lin Xun.

The girl did not open her mouth, yet her voice echoed continuously within the room.

“In that case, I won’t be formal.”

Lin Xun sat in a chair, and the Dragon Clan girl also walked over to sit across from him.

At this time, a maid knocked and entered, pouring a cup of tea for Lin Xun and her master.

Then, the maid stood beside her master.

This maid was no ordinary servant.

Lin Xun could sense the fluctuations of Qi within her; she was at least in the Jade Purity Realm.

“I have many questions…”

The Dragon Clan girl continued to “speak.”

“Actually, I have many questions as well…”

Without worrying about whether there was anything in the tea, Lin Xun took a sip and spoke.

“Young Master Lin is the guest; you may ask first!”

The Dragon Clan girl made a “please” gesture toward Lin Xun.

“However, after Young Master Lin asks me a question, I will also ask Young Master Lin a question.

If we encounter something either side does not wish to say, we may remain silent.

But if we do choose to answer, we must speak the truth. What do you think, Young Master Lin?”

“No problem.”

Lin Xun nodded.

“Do we need to sign a Soul Contract?”

“No need.”

The Dragon Clan girl shook her head.

“A verbal agreement will suffice.”

“Since that’s the case, I’ll ask first.”

Lin Xun glanced at her.

Sometimes, a verbal agreement could be much more complicated than signing a Soul Contract.

Lin Xun knew this Dragon Clan girl was indeed not simple; one definitely couldn’t be fooled by her appearance alone.

“Might I ask what the City Lord’s name is?” Lin Xun asked first.

“I have a true name, but it cannot be known by others, and I have no alias; they simply call me the Dragon Lord.”

The girl replied to Lin Xun’s question.

“However, if you insist on a form of address, then you may call me Peony.”

“Peony? Why?” Lin Xun didn’t know why she would take such a name.

“You have already asked me one question; now it is my turn to ask.” The girl who called herself Peony did not answer Lin Xun’s question.

“…”

Lin Xun was slightly speechless, but he still made a “please” gesture.

“Lady, please ask!”

“What is your Realm?”

The girl’s eyes blinked as she looked at Lin Xun, as if those golden vertical pupils could see through his thoughts.

“I am in the Ascension Realm, yet I am not.

I am higher than the Ascension Realm, but I have not reached the Spirit Refining Realm.

You could say I am currently in that awkward stage between the Ascension Realm and the Spirit Refining Realm.”

Lin Xun answered truthfully, feeling there was nothing wrong with saying this.

Peony nodded. “Young Master Lin, please continue.”

“How old is Lady Peony now?”

“After twenty thousand years, I stopped counting seriously.”

Lin Xun: “…”

Peony: “From which of the Nine Continents do you hail, Young Master Lin?”

Lin Xun: “Qianye Prefecture.”

“Lady Peony, do you still have any family?”

“No, my father died fifteen thousand years ago. I am the only one left now.”

“And you? What is your purpose for coming to the Desolate Domain?”

“My purpose is simply to see what exactly exists within the Desolate Domain.”

“It’s my turn to ask,” Lin Xun said. “Does only the four cities under Lady Peony’s control exist in the Desolate Domain?”

“No.”

Peony shook her head.

“Aside from these four cities I control, there are dozens of other kingdoms in other parts of the Desolate Domain.”

Peony: “Why did you come back? Is it because you were worried about Honeysuckle?”

Lin Xun: “Correct, I couldn’t leave her. After all, Honeysuckle was captured because of me. I couldn’t leave with a clear conscience before confirming her situation.”

Lin Xun: “What is your Realm?”

Peony: “Early Stage Spirit Refining Realm.”

Peony: “There is a weapon inside your body. it seems very powerful and gives me a bad feeling, but I am very curious. Can you let me see it?”

“No.”

Lin Xun refused decisively.

“You said there are dozens of other kingdoms in the Desolate Domain. So, how do the Realms of those City Lords compare to yours? Are they all in the Spirit Refining Realm as well?”

Peony shook her head. “Among the other dozens of kingdoms, only four of their rulers are in the Spirit Refining Realm; the rest are mostly in the Ascension Realm.”

Hearing that there were four more in the Spirit Refining Realm, Lin Xun was greatly shocked, his fingers involuntarily clenching.

One must know that outside the Desolate Domain, his own Realm was the highest, yet even he hadn’t reached the Spirit Refining Realm.

But here in the depths of the Desolate Domain, there were actually three or four in the Spirit Refining Realm.

Lin Xun could imagine what would happen if these City Lords, these monsters from the wild, were able to leave the Desolate Domain.

The current two worlds would be completely overturned.

“You seem to be worried.”

Peony watched Lin Xun’s silent expression and continued to ask.

“Although your Realm is not as high as mine, I feel that if we were to fight, I might not necessarily win.

If I cannot defeat you in this Desolate Domain,

Then no one else can either.

So what are you worried about?

As long as you want to leave, I don’t think anyone can stop you.”

“I’m worried about what changes it would bring to the world if you all left the Desolate Domain and went to the outside world.

If you could leave the Desolate Domain, what would you do?”

“I don’t know about others.”

The girl shook her head.

“But if it were me,

I would take a good look at the outside world.

And after seeing it, I would continue to stay here.

But hearing you say that, does it mean the people outside don’t know of our existence in the Desolate Domain?”

“They don’t. Perhaps the only ones who know monsters exist in the Desolate Domain are me, Honeysuckle, and my master.

I forgot to ask—are you a True Dragon?”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘True Dragon’.

But my father told me that we are Dragons.

The most noble Bloodline.

You just mentioned your master.

Who is your master?

What kind of person is he?”

“My master also came to this Desolate Domain, but he was driven out by you all.

Next question.

How much do you know about the outside world?”

“I don’t know about the other Dynasties, but I personally don’t know much.

How long will you stay here?”

“Hmm?”

Hearing Peony ask him such a question, Lin Xun was also taken aback.

“I don’t know how long I’ll stay; probably for a period of time.

Maybe a week, maybe a month.

Of course, it depends on you all.

If your attitude toward me becomes dangerous, then I’m afraid I won’t stay for more than a few days before leaving with Honeysuckle.

Why do you ask?”

“Because I want to make a deal with you.”

“What kind of deal?”

“A deal just like this one.”

At this point, Lin Xun and the Dragon Clan girl named Peony simultaneously ended their Q&A session and returned to a normal conversational tone.

“During your time in the Desolate Domain, you may ask me all sorts of questions.

I will also provide you with various information depending on the situation.

In exchange, when I ask you about things in the outside world, you must also answer me.

We don’t need to sign a contract.

But you’d better not lie to me. If you encounter a question you don’t want to answer, you can remain silent.

Perhaps you won’t believe it, but I can actually tell whether a person is telling the truth or a lie.”

“No wonder you didn’t want to sign a contract with me.”

Lin Xun smiled and shook his head.

“Speaking of which, it’s actually quite unfair between the City Lord and me.

After all, the City Lord can tell if I’m telling the truth or not.

But I have no way of knowing which of the City Lord’s words are lies.”

“You needn’t worry about anything…”

Peony looked at Lin Xun calmly.

“Because if I choose to answer, I will definitely tell the truth.

If I don’t want to answer, I will remain silent.

I have never told a lie; it has been so since I was growing up.”

“…”

Listening to Peony’s words, Lin Xun found himself understanding this girl less and less.

But regardless, this was perhaps the simplest and most effective way for him to understand the Desolate Domain.

After all, being able to learn about the Desolate Domain directly from a City Lord’s mouth…

Such an opportunity was definitely extremely rare.

“I agree.”

Lin Xun looked Peony in the eye and responded.

“Since that’s the case, let us exchange information. However, I hope to start three days from now.”

“Three days from now? Why? Why wait three days?”

“Because I want to go and see your town again.

To see the local customs and people of your town.

I find these things quite interesting.”

Lin Xun spoke half the truth but hid the other half.

While finding the town’s customs interesting was one thing,

On the other hand, Lin Xun wanted to learn from the mouths of the residents what kind of person their City Lord actually was.

Regardless, one could see the whole through a small part by talking to the residents.

“Fine, I promise you.”

Peony did not refuse.

“Then starting from the fourth day, come to my palace every afternoon before dinner.

We will ask each other questions and exchange information. How does that sound?”

“Agreed,” Lin Xun nodded, accepting readily.

“I will arrange accommodation for you and treat you with the courtesy due to a guest.

If you are not comfortable with that, you can also find your own place to stay.

In any case, just come to my palace every afternoon starting four days from now.”

Peony wasn’t worried at all about Lin Xun leaving.

After all, if Lin Xun wanted to leave, she couldn’t stop him anyway.

“However, there is one thing I feel I must tell you in advance.”

“What is it?”

“That is, you’d better not lie to me. Don’t even think about trying. What I hate most is being deceived by others.

If you lie to me, I cannot guarantee what might happen.”