Rules
The Lord of Beigu City grew increasingly suspicious. Something wasn't adding up. A while back, the Zhuo clan had been decimated, with their talented individuals captured. There hadn't been any news of new prodigies since. He racked his brain but could find no logical explanation.
Little did he know, Zhuo Luo's rise was nothing short of extraordinary, defying all expectations. It wasn't just a new swordsman emerging—it was a wild beast stepping into the world, one that no one could have foreseen.
"Enough! I'll wipe them out sooner rather than later. Keeping dangerous people like them alive is a threat in itself. Eliminating them is the only way to secure my position as city lord. With rewards from the higher-ups, I might even break through the barrier of the tenth level!"
Once the threat had surfaced, the city lord couldn't afford to let it grow. Sword Continent was filled with talented individuals, and if he failed to maintain his standing, someone stronger would inevitably replace him. Losing his position would mean losing access to critical resources, halting his cultivation entirely.
This scenario was unacceptable. Even a one-in-a-million chance of losing power had to be eradicated. Only by removing all threats could he ensure his continued access to resources. For the city lord, survival was a competition, and he intended to win.
The ancient lands were already viewed as the possession of Sword Continent, but rebellion still simmered beneath the surface. If it grew unchecked, it could lead to outright war, a scenario that Sword Continent could scarcely endure after years of conflict. Another war would not only destabilize the region but also shatter the city lord's dreams of transcending his limits.
For someone as obsessed with perfection as he was, such stagnation was intolerable. Hence, he maintained an iron grip on those under his rule. Strict measures were necessary to eliminate dissent and maintain control.
The Zhuo clan had been one of the most defiant factions just a year ago. They would have been exterminated if not for a rare pardon granted by Sword Continent to placate public sentiment. The city lord had opposed sparing the ancient lands' people, viewing them as an inherent problem. Yet the rulers of Sword Continent, as outsiders, had relied on temporary leniency to solidify their dominance.
This strategy, however, came with risks. The ancient lands' people would either submit or rebel. And over time, stronger individuals could emerge, posing direct threats to Sword Continent's rule. To counter this, Sword Continent had established a covert assassination organization tasked with eliminating threats, regardless of allegiance.
The assassin that Zhuo Luo encountered earlier was a member of this organization. While the group was terrifying, only its elite members posed a significant danger. If the organization were entirely composed of such individuals, Sword Continent would have already conquered the ancient lands.
For now, three factions maintained a tenuous balance. But the city lord didn't concern himself with such complexities. His sole focus was gaining power and controlling his destiny.
"This time, you brought this upon yourselves," the city lord muttered with a sneer. "I won't let you off. I've been waiting for a chance to destroy you. Now that your flaws have been exposed, this is simply your fate. Weaklings have no right to choose!"
The city lord dismissed the Zhuo clan's strength as insignificant. Their most formidable member barely reached the fourth level—half his own strength. Such opponents were incapable of causing even the slightest ripple.
Eliminating them would bring him recognition and rewards, further cementing his position. The inequality in the system was clear, but Sword Continent's rulers allowed it, tacitly endorsing the suppression of the ancient lands.
The Zhuo clan patriarch had long understood this brutal reality. When he warned Zhuo Yuan about the assassin, it was because he knew this world was far from fair. Danger lurked everywhere.
Despite their efforts to remain hidden, their existence was eventually discovered. Sword Continent's strict surveillance system ensured that prolonged absences were noted and investigated. If someone from Sword Continent was killed, retaliation was swift and ruthless, with ancient lands' people paying the price.
This was the rule—the unfair, unyielding law of the strong. And for the people of the ancient lands, there was no changing it. Any attempt to alter the status quo would only plunge the world into chaos.