Snow falls in Maple Valley, and birds start to fly.
This place is already deep in Maple Leaf Valley. The fighting just now has caused most of the monsters to stay away from this battlefield. Only the manticore's crystal core remains in place without being collected.
Ji Zhiyi stood there alone. She was at the apex of the triangle. The other two corners of the triangle were Lan Che, surrounded by the holy flame, and Zi Quan, who had opened the body of origin.
The three people present did not know that there was actually such a deep connection between them, and there was no need to be so tense.
In fact, both Ziquan and Lan Che had heard about the incident in the City of Eternal Night. Relatively speaking, Lan Che, who was in Lanlan at that time and was the third noble family named Lan, knew more details.
But she didn't know Ji Zhiyi, the girl city lord.
Ji Zhiyi's position in that incident could be said to be insignificant, or it could be said to have affected the process.
The equal exchange she completed with Ao Xuehua made Ao Xuehua decide to participate in this incident as a member of the Aussie Empire, instead of simply staying out of it.
And she herself also lost her father in that incident, but she gained incomparable reputation and Ye Qing's personal promise. Aoxuehua handed her the repaired Nine Treasure Lotus Lantern, allowing her to use it as a matter of course. He became the youngest city lord since the establishment of this empire, taking charge of the complicated affairs of a county.
She was one of the participants in the private banquet hosted by Ye Qing by the Holy Lake.
The Xingche clan owes her a promise, and Xiche also owes her an explanation.
Before the incident in the City of Eternal Night, she was just a proud and vain superficial aristocratic girl, but after that night, she became an indispensable role in the empire.
However, they don't know this.
The snow rustled down quietly at this time, and the cold air was like the atmosphere between them at this time.
They originally had a good start, but their trust was gradually eroded. Finally, when they were close to their destination, they finally broke up openly. The identity hidden by Ji Zhiyi became the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Snowflakes were falling all over Ziquan, but none of them could fall on her body. The seemingly gentle and bright flames evaporated the snow into misty mist at the moment of contact.
"How can you make us believe you?" Ziquan heard what she said and did not relax his vigilance at all.
Ji Zhiyi smiled self-deprecatingly, then lowered her head and carefully tore off the disguise on her face, revealing the delicate and beautiful face of a girl. She shook her head and calmly looked at the two Ye Ye who regarded her as an enemy. Night student: "You and I have never been together, and paper clothes are so virtuous and capable that you can completely trust me."
Two years ago, this girl was still an ordinary and arrogant daughter of the city lord. She was proud but not easy-going. She could not hide her likes and dislikes. She liked what she liked, hated what she hated, respected what she feared and trampled on what she trampled on.
However, now, she stood there calmly, without being exposed at all. Her two years of life as a city lord had made her grow a lot, even exceeding many people's highest expectations for her.
"But in other words." Ji Zhiyi continued. She didn't defend too many useless things, she only said what was beyond doubt.
"At this moment, you are mercenaries." Her fingers swept over the two girls, and then pointed at herself. "And I am your employer. As long as I pay enough, you are obliged to accompany me to complete the next tasks."
She didn't talk about secrets or deceit, she only talked about the most fundamental relationship.
The simple contractual relationship between her and Ziquan Lanche still continues, and it has not been terminated because of her concealment.
Lan Che was so satisfied with her answer that he was a little surprised. The white holy flame was wrapped around her slender fingertips with some intimidation: "So, the Lord of Lanyin City is seriously ill and needs treatment with frost maple grass or something. It’s all lies.”
"Lying is one of a girl's natural skills." Ji Zhiyi made a faint joke and nodded.
"Yes."
"It's a public statement that I need to take this opportunity to avoid visitors in order to be here."
"Why?" Ziquan asked doubtfully.
She is a noble city lord, why would she condescend to such a dangerous place.
Ji Zhiyi laughed at himself and swept his fingers around: "Of course it's because of this place, this dense herbal land, Maple Leaf Valley."
Her voice suddenly became powerful.
"I want to get it back, instead of being occupied by a group of monsters like that."
"Just you?" Lan Che smiled sarcastically. In this state, she was powerful, calm and sinister at the same time.
Of course, the two of them could see that even Ji Zhiyi's strength at this time was not very high. He only had some kind of powerful defensive weapon, so he could talk to them here with confidence.
Ji Zhiyi was not angry: "That's just me."
Lan Che stopped smiling and recalled the last details about the City of Eternal Night.
The Nine Treasure Lotus Lantern was destroyed and collected by the Aussie Empire.
The Xingche clan retreated and apologized to the Lanye Empire for compensation.
The contents of the compensation were gold and jade, a promise, and three scrolls.
The promise is that within a hundred years, the Lanche clan will prevent Lanyin City from being destroyed.
The scroll is a forbidden spell level scroll made by the Star Lord himself.
Lan Che's expression changed - the corresponding entity for these compensations should actually be Lanyin City, so the person who controls these is the current Lanyin City Lord.
So the Ji Zhiyi in front of him now is not only skilled in using the Nine Treasure Lotus Lamp, but he also has three saint scrolls with unknown effects in his hands.
This might be enough to kill a powerful person in the Heaven Realm. When she said, "Just because of me," it was really not an exaggeration at all.
So when Zi Quan spoke, his voice was extremely solemn: "Scroll of Forbidden Curse?"
"It seems that my sister knows my details after all." Ji Zhiyi didn't panic at all when her identity was revealed. After her identity was revealed, she openly called Lan Che sister. After all, she is seventeen years old this year and will indeed grow into Lan Che. A bit, almost the same age as Ziquan.
"In that case." Ziquan didn't know much about all this, so he felt more calm.
Ge Sheng told her a story, but Ji Zhiyi didn't have much interaction with him, and it was not the focus of the story at all. Therefore, Ziquan could not accurately connect the vague person in the story with the person in front of him. Together.
So she calmly asked the core of the question: "Why us?"
"Black Crow recommended you to me." Ji Zhiyi said calmly without hiding anything.
Seeing the confused looks on the two people's faces, she smiled: "Black Crow serves me, but he is not mine. He belongs to Xicheng, and we only have a cooperative relationship."
Ziquan suddenly felt a toothache.
Having said that, Fei Xin Gym has done a lot of blood transfusions to Xicheng. Each generation of gym leaders has a quarrel with the mountain master. Black Crow comes from Fei Xin Gym, so it is not enough to have a relationship with Xicheng. Strange.
So with Xicheng's intelligence capabilities, it's not surprising to know the whereabouts and general capabilities of the two of them.
That’s why I recommend it!
"I originally just wanted to find a powerful mercenary team, led by Black Crow, to escort me to the depths of Maple Leaf Valley, but Black Crow finally recommended you to me and guaranteed that your strength is far beyond my imagination. And there will be unexpected gains.”
"I trusted him, so I followed you here."
"Looking at it now." Ji Zhiyi's smile was intriguing.
"The two people he recommended to me seemed a bit too good."
Ziquan shook his head.
She could not estimate the extent to which Xicheng had information about them.
The mastery of the body of origin has been in progress since Operation Yancheng. The college has provided her with great convenience, and even Dean Lin Xi himself has dedicated separate lectures.
The relationship between peers, rather than the relationship between master and apprentice, seemed to be in the heart of the dean, and the identity of the guardian of the college that she rejected had been tailor-made for her.
Therefore, she has actually made great progress personally. If necessary, she can really break through to the Heaven Realm within a month and surpass His Majesty to become the third youngest Heaven Realm powerhouse in the world.
But she couldn't. The consequences of doing so were so great that there was no remedy in the information currently known. If she advanced, she would be closer to elemental life and even lose part of her consciousness, so she never Considered this shortcut to power.
So at this time, she is actually more unpredictable than Lan Che.
But there was one thing that Xicheng was indeed right about.
Even in the grouping of the Friends Club at the end of summer, the strength of their group was only slightly stronger than that of Ye Qing's team with the oil bottle. But if a life and death battle really started, except for the existence of bugs like the Third Highness, They can desperately replace everyone else.
However, at this time, the two people with such potential were brought to this valley by Xicheng to complete this task that was originally thought to be simple, but became dangerous and unknown after the answers were revealed layer by layer.
She could only guess that the mountain master had his own intentions in making this arrangement, but whether this intention was good or evil, she didn't know.
So Ziquan slowly opened his mouth and said, "In that case, why didn't you explain this to us in advance."
Since Black Crow has informed you of so much information in advance.
"So what if you say it, so what if you don't say it?" Ji Zhiyi chuckled, then looked up at the leaden sky with snow, and said in a subtle tone: "All I need is someone to take me to the depths of this valley. Now, the next step is Zhiyi’s own business.”
"Whether it's the Black Crow or the elite team in the plan." Ji Zhiyi glanced at the two of them: "You two, including the mysterious Ye Ye students, are just boats carrying me to the other side."
"As long as we reach the other side, the boat will return, because what I want to do actually has nothing to do with you."
"If it weren't for my natural capital, I wouldn't be able to devote my energy to cultivating magic." Ji Zhiyi's tone had no regrets, but simply stated the facts plainly: "Originally, these boats were not needed."
"How sure are you?" Lan Che asked lightly.
"If the boat is reliable." Ji Zhiyi smiled: "Then I am more than 70% sure."
"If I remember correctly." Ziquan muttered: "This Maple Leaf Valley is not the private property of the city lord, but belongs to many medicinal farmers. Even if you can really close the crack, you still can't bring too much Lots of benefits.”
Ji Zhiyi nodded, then shook his head: "You can't bring me much, but you can bring a lot to my people."
This girl used the words "my people" quietly and surely.
“This is something my dad wanted to do but couldn’t, and this is something I want to do and can finally do.”
"This is something that my people want to see but are unable to change. This is also something that I have hoped for but always thought it had nothing to do with me."
"Those innocent drug farmers who died tragically here, I didn't know their appearance or experience at the time. After that, for the orphans and widows who lived on the streets, I just called them untouchables with contempt and disgust. I was unable to change their current situation and could only pray. The weak who are helped by others.”
Ji Zhiyi told this without any emotion. She was just a girl of seventeen or eighteen years old, but reality made her sit in a position that she was not supposed to be in, so she was forced to grow up to the point where she could not look up to her former self. to the point.
"It wasn't until I became such a weakling that I understood how deep-seated the level of unwillingness was."
“It wasn’t until I stood in the shoes of those they prayed for that I realized what expectations were carrying on my shoulders.”
"I'm not an overly noble person, and I also have a lot of little thoughts of my own." Ji Zhiyi smiled self-deprecatingly: "But I finally sat where my father wanted me to sit. In addition to not wanting to disappoint him too much, He, more than anything else, doesn’t want to let me down.”
"I promised my little maid that I would personally take her here for a walk this time when I go back, because she is the protagonist in my story." Ji Zhiyi smiled sideways, with a warm and reassuring smile: " I just don’t want to disappoint her, that’s all.”
"It's a good story." Lan Che smiled, lowered his head, and then raised his head. The sharpness in his eyes had disappeared, and his cat-eye green eyes showed the agility of a deer. "Your story moved me."
If the previous story of Ji Zhiyi made Ziquan, who had a similar experience, feel pity for him, then Lan Che could understand more of this story at this time.
She is an unattainable noble named Lan in the eyes of many people, and she is the child closest to the head of the third family.
Originally, her life should be perfect and carefree. On the surface, it was indeed like this.
But only she knows what kind of expectations she carries from her family, and what kind of expectations allowed her to gain such terrifying power and two completely opposite and almost separated personalities at such a young age.
In the internal struggle among the nobles surnamed Lan, the third family that was originally in charge of the priests has been on the edge of the cliff. They either choose to surrender and rely on one of them to get a chance to breathe, or they cultivate an absolutely powerful successor and wait for enough delay. After a lot of time, everyone's ambitions will be curbed again.
The proud descendants of the priest chose the latter, choosing Lan Che.
That's why she stepped into Ye Ye College to escape the persecution of the fourth royal family. She didn't lack any resources or teachings, but she only lacked time.
So this story about being helpless, about responsibility, and about freedom is the reason that moved her the most.
"It's a very good story." Ziquan nodded: "I am suddenly willing to accompany you there."
"No need." Ji Zhiyi shook his head lightly: "I have the awareness to still protect myself in the face of heaven, but you don't."
"Just drop me off nearby."
Before Zi Quan spoke, Lan Che spoke instead.
"Do you know why I noticed something unusual about you?"
Ji Zhiyi was stunned for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "Zhiyi thinks he is hiding everything perfectly."
Lan Che smiled: "It's your problem that it's too perfect."
"I deliberately released that manticore to you, but you look so scared, but your eyes are not panicked at all. I don't intend to expose you to two enemies at the same time, so I'm protecting you from exposing it for the time being."
Ji Zhiyi heard the intention: "What do you mean?"
"I mean." Lan Che smiled, with a sweet and sincere smile: "We always have unexpected value, Lord City Lord."
Ji Zhiyi shook her head troubledly, then lowered her head and took off the white cloth wrapping her head. This was the most common civilian dress, but the skillful and realistic way she made this dress was another level.
"Okay." Ji Zhiyi relaxed.
She deftly took out a piece of old purple ribbon in front of the two people, and quickly and elegantly tied up two cute ponytails: "As expected, I am still familiar with this."
The girl didn't care that she and a certain noble named Lan had a car collision, and stretched out her palms towards the two people.
On the fair and slender palm of the girl, a soft purple ribbon slipped lightly on the palm.
"As you wish, come with me. No matter whether Zhiyi lives or dies during this trip, you can use this token to receive corresponding rewards at the City Lord's Mansion."
Lan Che looked at the ribbon, but did not take it. Instead, he twitched the corners of his mouth slightly.
Ziquan slowly covered his face with an expression that he couldn't bear to look at.
Ji Zhiyi was a little strange: "What are you doing?"
Zi Quan covered his face with force and said helplessly: "Did this ribbon be given to you by a guy who looks like a rogue but who you feel is extremely trustworthy?"
Ji Zhiyi was slightly startled: "What do you mean?"
Lan Che smiled bitterly: "What we mean is that we really want to meet the mountain master now."
"Lord City Lord." Ziquan carefully considered his words and spoke slowly: "The two princesses are now our immediate superiors in every sense of the word. Can you understand a little bit when I say this?"
