Chapter 223: Empty Rainfall

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“You will not be going into the city,” Liu Jin tells his soldiers.

Predictably, no amount of newly-gained discipline is enough to stop the outcry that arises from the company. It has taken them a long time to reach Rainstorm City, and they have fought all manner of Spirit Beasts on the way. The experiences have sharpened them. Many have gone up in cultivation. They are rested, healthy, and ready for action.

They had all been looking forward to drinking and partying in the city.

“Enough.”

Liu Jin lightly raises his Qi, and that’s enough to quiet down the entire company.

“We will not be spending much time here, so there is no need for you to enter the city.”

His words are a half-truth at best. The real reason why Liu Jin does not allow the soldiers to go in is that he is nearly certain that at least one of his men is a spy. By making the soldiers stay outside the city, he’s making it harder for the spy to relay information without giving himself away.

Besides, he does not want his men to lapse into bad habits.

“This decision is not up for debate,” Liu Jin says, narrowing his eyes at the soldiers. “Am I understood?”

The soldiers straighten their backs and salute.

“Yes, sir!”

There are no more protests after that, not a single unhappy grumble. While the soldiers set up a camp outside, Liu Jin enters Rainstorm City in one of the Flame-Wheeled Wagons.

The view behind the city walls is a bleak one. Rainstorm City does not look nearly as destitute as Cloudburst City, but it has undoubtedly seen better days. The houses are dirty and rundown. The people look miserable and walk with hunched backs. Even the sky over their heads looks depressed.

Only when they are around seven blocks away from City Lord Lei Jihai’s house does that change. It’s like stepping into a more colorful world. There are lights and sounds everywhere, and the smell of alcohol and perfume is heavy in the air. Gambling dens and whorehouses are aplenty, and the soldiers go in and out of them without a care.

Even the soldiers guarding City Lord Lei’s house look like they spend the night drinking and gambling.

“Commander Qing!” City Lord Lei Jihai says as he welcomes them into his house with open arms. “It’s a pleasure to welcome you to Rainstorm City.”

Just by looking at him, Liu Jin can tell he’s related to Lei Kong. They have the same dark hair and eyes, and even the shape of their mouth is the same. However, Lei Jihai is noticeably older. There are a few gray streaks in his hair and lines under his eyes. Since he is in the True Realm, he could be anywhere between a decade to a century older than Lei Kong.

It is always hard to tell.

“We are grateful for your hospitality, City Lord,” Liu Jin says as a serving girl wearing far too little fills his cup with wine.

Unlike others, Lei Jihai doesn’t receive him in some menacing hall but in a room more suited for a party. There are plush couches, plenty of food, and aromatic incense. There is even a servant playing soft music in the corner.

“You say that, but I see you have not let your soldiers enter the city,” City Lord Lei points out. “Don’t tell me you don’t plan on staying for at least a few days?”

“That is correct, City Lord,” Liu Jin says before taking a sip from his cup. It pleases him that it is not poisoned. Not overtly, at least. There are a few chemicals meant to make one more… pleasure-inclined, but none are strong enough to affect him or those with him. “We are here on a mission, after all.”

“Please! Surely, it wouldn’t be wrong for you to enjoy what my city offers?” City Lord Lei asks him. When the serving girl comes to fill his cup, the City Lord pulls her onto his lap. If this surprises her, the girl gives no sign of it. She just smiles and giggles when the City Lord’s hands wander over her body. “I ask that you reconsider, commander. Your men must be tired after marching all the way here. Think of what you will miss if you don’t sample the city’s delicacies.”

Lu Mei’s soft laughter rings beside Liu Jin.

“I am afraid your words are wasted on him, City Lord,” she says. “This man is far too duty-minded to ever relax.”

“Oh?” There is a glimmer in the City Lord’s eyes that Liu Jin does not like at all. “Or perhaps he feels no need to sample other flowers because he already has such a fair one at his side.”

“That is indeed the case,” Liu Jin says, making Lu Mei preen and the City Lord laugh.

“I knew you were a man after my own heart, commander,” City Lord Lei says. “However, you should know a man cannot possibly eat the same meal every day. How am I supposed to show my appreciation for you if you do not stay? Besides… how am I supposed to spend time with my cousin if you’re so eager to leave?”

The City Lord’s lips stretch into a smile as he glances at the man standing behind Liu Jin.

“Little Kong!” He says. “It has been a while!”

Liu Jin resists the urge to sigh. He knew this would happen. He had told Lei Kong that he could stay outside the city if he wished to, but his servant had declined. By going with him, they would be able to confirm whether word of Lei Kong’s survival had already reached the Lei Clan, something they heavily suspected but did not know for sure.

It was a solid enough argument, but as Lei Kong tenses up behind him and the air becomes full of static, Liu Jin is forced to rethink the wisdom of this choice.

“The whole family grieved for you, Little Kong. Did you know that?” City Lord Lei says while drinking from his cup. “We had a funeral for you. It was lovely.”

“Is that so?” Lei Kong asks in the deadest voice that Liu Jin has ever heard, a wonder considering he has heard actual corpses. “I cannot imagine such a thing.”

The City Lord laughs.

“You always had such a great sense of humor, cousin. Come on!” He gestures at him with his free arm. The other one is firmly wrapped around the serving girl’s waist. “Come closer. Let your old cousin get a good look at you.”

An almost imperceptible look passes between Liu Jin and Lei Kong, followed by an equally imperceptible nod from Liu Jin.

Lei Kong takes a deep breath and walks up to Lei Jihai.

“As you can see, I am alive and well, cousin. Many things have happened since I was separated from General Murong’s army. I’d like to believe they have made me a better person.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Separated? Is that what you are calling it?” The City Lord’s smile twists into something ugly. “Oh, Little Kong, there is no need to pretend. We’re family. You can just say you run away like the coward you are.”

“City Lord, that’s my servant you are speaking to,” Liu Jin says. “Even if this is your city, I advise you to be civil.”

“Oh, but this is civil, Commander Qing,” City Lord Lei replies, chuckling softly. “There is nothing more civil than a few jokes between cousins, especially when things are just so very… funny. You see, Little Yu and Little Kong joined General Murong’s army at the same time, yet Little Yu, the shining star of our clan, died while this cripple now stands before me. How is that anything but a joke?”

The serving girl on City Lord Lai’s lap yelps as he abruptly stands up, making her fall to the floor.

“Look at you!” He says, laughing scornfully as he walks up to Lei Kong and points at his arm. “You walk around as though you were a full man, but no matter how much this fake looks like the real thing, you cannot fool me. We all know what happened to you!”

Liu Jin’s eyebrows rise as the City Lord grabs Lei Kong’s restored arm. He can feel Lu Mei fighting the urge to giggle next to him. The City Lord probably meant to shame Lei Kong by snatching away what he assumed to be a prosthetic. Instead, the City Lord’s face morphs with shock as he feels very real flesh and, under it, very real blood and very real Qi.

“Impossible,” he says, his voice almost a whisper. “How can it be real? Your arm… your meridians… they were…”

“They were damaged during a tragic training accident,” Lei Kong says, easily shaking off the City Lord’s grip. “It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Lei Kong, the prodigy of the Lei Clan, died that day.”

The City Lord’s face pales as Lei Kong’s Qi rises and fills the room.

Earth Realm, Level One.