Chapter 0471: The Competitive City Master
“Lord Ning Cheng, the several of us want to defect to your banner …..” A cultivator spoke up with a face full of embarrassment standing in front of Ning Cheng. He felt greatly embarrassed even before speaking the words.
This cultivator’s name was Lan Wenbin. They had initially met each other on the day of arrival at Receiving Heaven’s Stone.
Initially, when he had met Ning Cheng at the Receiving Heaven’s Stone, he felt quite optimistic about Ning Cheng. It was only later when Ning Cheng razed the Silver Thunder Chamber of Commerce’s Rest Stop did a feeling of disappointment towards Ning Cheng arose. He had genuinely thought that Ning Cheng was irrational with his conduct. To not involve himself and his group with Ning Cheng, he led the rest of his trio away from Ning Cheng once they reached the Rootless Black City.
What he had never thought was that Ning Cheng destroying the Silver Thunder Chamber of Commerce’s Rest Stop would turn out to be an inconsequential matter in the grand scheme of things. Not only was it an insignificant matter, he even levelled the entire Silver Thunder Chamber of Commerce just after reaching the city. Now that Ning Cheng returned once again to the Rootless Black City and forcibly occupied the City Master’s Mansion, Lan Wenbin realised that he had honestly misread Ning Cheng.
Since Ning Cheng dared to do such a thing, it meant that he indeed possessed the ability to do so. Now that he heard Ning Cheng needed labour, he did not hesitate to take the other three to request a meet with Ning Cheng.
Ning Cheng already knew the intent behind the other party’s words; however, he did not care about it and spoke with a laugh, “Many thanks to Brother Lan for lending a hand. Shen Zimo is currently recruiting for the cultivator army. Since Brother Lan has already arrived, I will have to request Brother Lan to also provide some help to Shen Zimo. Wu Marui can stay here with me. In any case, there might be some people that might arrive at the City Master’s Mansion to cause trouble for me.”
“Good.” Lan Wenbin also did not talk any more nonsense. He quickly left the area with Mao Liangpeng and Ji Ying.
Wu Marui was someone with a significant hulking stature. Among Lan Wenbin’s quartet, Ning Cheng had the best impression of him.
“Congratulations to Brother Ning for returning to the Rootless Black City safe and sound.” An incomparably clear voice from a woman resounded, while Ning Cheng also saw a man and a woman coming over towards him with a smile over their faces.
Ning Cheng knew that middle-aged man; he was Steward Mu Cunjian of the Heaven City Chamber of Commerce. When Ning Cheng had just arrived at Receiving Heaven’s Stone, he had chosen to stay at the Heaven City Chamber of Commerce’s Rest Stop.
“So it turned out to be Brother Mu. I always thought that you resided at Receiving Heaven’s Stone. I didn’t think that Brother Mu had also returned to the Rootless Black City. Please come in.” Ning Cheng greeted them with cupped fists and a grin over his face.
Mu Cunjian felt pleased after hearing Ning Cheng’s words, “I really did not misread Brother Ning. You really are a man amongst the dragons and phoenixes, not someone who would stop amazing the world with just a single brilliant feat. Oh right, this is my Heaven City Chamber of Commerce’s Lord Gan Anran.”
“Greeting’s Lord Gan….” Ning Cheng did not think that the Heaven City Chamber of Commerce’s Lord would actually turn out to be a female cultivator; moreover, her cultivation was also not low. From what he could see, she seemed to be at least at the 2nd Level of Plundering Life Realm.
Gan Anran showed a faint smile and spoke, “I heard City Master Ning’s invitation and immediately came over. It looks like I would have to rely on City Master Ning to take care of me from now on.”
While Gan Anran spoke, she carefully scrutinised Ning Cheng’s face; however, she discovered that when she addressed Ning Cheng as City Master, Ning Cheng’s face did not change even the slightest. It immediately affirmed that the Rootless Black City’s original City Master Xu Kai indeed ended up perishing at Ning Cheng’s hands. It looks like it was right for her to come here.
This City Master Ning indeed was decisive with his actions. After killing Xu Kai, he immediately started forming a cultivator army. In a place like the Rootless Black City, once any cultivator army took root, even if all the other forces united, it would still not be enough to contend against them.
As for the other forces, Gan Anran felt it impossible for them if they wanted to form another cultivator army after the City Master’s Mansion. Ning Cheng currently was the new City Master, since he gave the order to build a cultivator army, it would just be impossible for a second cultivator army to appear within the Rootless Black City.
In case a second cultivator army could emerge within the Rootless Black City, Anran wouldn’t be standing in the City Master’s Mansion in front of Ning Cheng. Since Gan Anran affirmed this point, she did not hesitate to refuse the talks with the rest of the other forces. At the same time, she took the initiative to come to Ning Cheng at his place.
“Please come in. Come in…..” Ning Cheng naturally understood the intent behind Gan Anran’s words and actions. That is to say, her Heaven City Chamber of Commerce has chosen to abandon the alliance with other factions. At the same time, they were also the first to come to Ning Cheng’s side. Therefore, implicitly implying that he had to also support them in the future.
“The Rogue Cultivator Alliance’s Chao Jimeng comes to visit on City Master Ning’s invitation….”
“The Black City Array Formation Alliance’s Wu Yingxin comes to visit on City Master Ning’s invitation….”
……
Only an hour had passed from the time that Ning Cheng easily bypassed the Extinguishing Karma Starry Sky Fleet’s Sound Isolation Array Formation and delivered his invitation. Yet, representatives of every dominant faction within the Rootless Black City had already gathered within the City Master’s Mansion.
“Although this Ning Cheng has invited you all to visit my City Master’s Mansion, it is not out of fear, but as thanks for all of you to respond to my invitation….” Although Ning Cheng was the one to send out to invite, he never thought that these people would come at all.
His intent behind that invitation was to crack down on the remaining ten significant forces within the Rootless Black City; at the same time, win over two or three of them to his side, if possible. Contrary to what he expected, there was no bond between the ten significant forces of the Rootless Black City, to the point that he easily divided them all with a single sentence.
The first to arrive were the Heaven City Chamber of Commerce, the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, and the Black City Array Formation Alliance. Showing that they were apparently standing on the side of Ning Cheng.
When Ning Cheng spoke, the more than a dozen cultivators sitting in the Discourse Hall of the City Master’s Mansion did not choose to talk. Some of them even felt a little strange. Just a few moments ago, they were all sitting together to decide on a matter. However, the difference between now and from a few moments ago was not just the change of place, but also the addition of another person, Ning Cheng.
Just as Ning Cheng wanted to continue speaking, Mao Xiuxuan of the Auspicious Star Chamber of Commerce suddenly spoke up, “Dao Friend Ning, the City Master of the Rootless Black City was originally Xu Kai, while this place also belongs to Xu Kai. So why would Dao Friend Ning suddenly appear here? I even heard someone call out ‘City Master Ning’ on the outside; however, we don’t know anything about it at all. It stands to reason that if a new City Master arose within the Rootless Black City, then we also have some qualifications to be made known about it.”
Seeing Ning Cheng stare at Mao Xiuxuan, Gan Anran showed a smile and spoke, “City Master Ning, this is the Auspicious Star Chamber of Commerce’s Deputy Chief Mao Xiuxuan.”
“Oh, I did hear about it. This Chamber of Commerce contained a degenerate called Cecile, who died by my hands.” Ning Cheng responded with a calm tone.
Mao Xiuxuan’s eyebrows pricked up, “Dao Friend Ning, as for the reason why Cecile was killed, the only reason why we haven’t pursued this matter is because the Association Head of our Auspicious Star Chamber of Commerce is still in seclusion, while I did not have the qualifications to investigate it at that time. Since we are in a meeting to discuss matters about the new City Master, I hope that Dao Friend Ning could provide us with a proper answer. This is not just a personal issue for me; it is also an issue that affects the other people of the Rootless Black City.”
Ning Cheng disdainfully stared at Mao Xiuxuan, “Association Head Mao, you can’t represent others, you can only represent the Auspicious Star Chamber of Commerce at most. As for your question about why someone addressed me as City Master Ning, I really had not paid any attention to it. However, since you have kindly reminded me about it, then let’s just say that from now on, I am the City Master of the Rootless Black City. Oh, since you also asked about Xu Kai, well I killed him. If you want to be a City Master, it’s easy really, just come forward and kill me.”
“Humph…..” Mao Xiuxuan suddenly stood up, “Ning Cheng you must have killed City Master Xu with tricks. Did you think that you are the most formidable person within the Rootless Black City? I’m sorry, I don’t agree with you being the City Master. Not only do I disagree, but even the others also would not agree to it. You want me, Mao Xiuxuan, to challenge you, fine. I’m not afraid of a Crucible Transformation 1st Level ant.”
Ning Cheng also calmly stood up; glancing around at the rest of the people, he asked, “Are there still anyone among you who do not agree with me as a City Master? If so, then please do stand-up right now.”
An extremely formidable murderous intent swept out along with Ning Cheng’s sweeping gaze. Even Jian Xuanming felt his heart sink in the face of it. Even if it were he, he would never be able to release a murderous intent this powerful. It also showed that Ning Cheng undoubtedly possessed a strength that could allow him to kill someone at the Late Stages of the Plundering Life Realm, without the use of any tricks.
Ning Cheng’s gaze finally came to a stop on Jian Xuanming. Jian Xuanming also possessed the highest cultivation among the people here.
Jian Xuanming on seeing Ning Cheng’s eyes stopping on him felt a chill run down his back for no reason. He immediately coughed. As the ice-cold killing intent dissipated a little, he finally spoke up, “Association Head Mao is not wrong; moreover, the City Master of the Rootless Black City is always chosen through a vote. Since the representatives of the major factions of the Rootless Black City are here, why don’t we take this opportunity to elect a new City Master?”
Ning Cheng suddenly sat down and spoke up quite amiably, “Captain Jian is right. Since this is a democracy, let’s take in everybody’s vote.”
It felt as if the man who was just overflowing with a strong killing intent from before was not the same person who sat down.
Gan Anran immediately spoke up, “I vote for Ning Cheng on behalf of the Heaven City Chamber of Commerce.”
Chao Jimeng took the next lead, “I also vote for Ning Cheng on behalf of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.”
Mao Xiuxuan did not hesitate to cast a vote for Jian Xuanming, followed by the Void Sect, Gale Void Alliance, and the other Black City’s forces casting their respective ballots for Jian Xuanming.
Ning Cheng received four votes, respectively, from the Heaven City Chamber of Commerce, the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, the Black City Pill Union, and the Black City Array Formation Alliance. The Void Adventure Squad abstained from voting. Jian Xuanming of the Extinguishing Karma Starry Sky Fleet also received four votes.
“Ning Cheng, it seems you can’t be the City Master now.” Mao Xiuxuan felt angry in his heart that four of the significant forces actually chose to vote for Ning Cheng. At the same time, he was also thinking of ways for sending Ning Cheng out of the city before getting rid of him. He already knew that he had to unite forces with Jian Xuanming before they then moved on to integrating the rest of the powers within the Rootless Black City.
Previously, when Xu Kai was in power, he did not dare to entertain any such thoughts. However, in the face of Ning Cheng, he felt no fear at all. Miao Xiuxuan had already seen the battle images of Ning Cheng and compared it with information about Xu Kai; immediately coming to the conclusion that the difference between them was too huge. Although Ning Cheng might have killed Xu Kai, he must have used some cheap tricks.
Ning Cheng looked at Jian Xuanming with a smile on his face before asking, “Brother Jian. Would you like to vote?”
Jian Xuanming lightly spoke, “Since you and I are competing for the City Master’s position, then the two of us naturally cannot vote.”
“That would be for the best then.” Ning Cheng clapped his hands and spoke up, “Since everybody has elected me as the City Master of the Rootless Black City with such kind intentions, then I will reluctantly take up this position.”
“Who are you to recommend yourself to the position of the City Master of the Rootless Black City? The voting clearly showed that we bilaterally received four votes each. Since you did not receive an extra vote, so why should you be the City Master?” Mao Xiuxuan immediately stood up and shouted.
Ning Cheng coldly gazed at Mao Xiuxuan before speaking up without any hesitation, “Since I am competing for the position of the City Master, then I must come up with a bit of sincerity on my behalf, Shen Zimo…..”
“Subordinate reporting for orders.” Shen Zimo was just like a ghost as he suddenly materialised in the middle of the Discourse Hall.
“Report the results of your investigation.” Ning Cheng calmly spoke up.
“Yes.” Shen Zimo responded with a clear voice, before speaking in a calm tone, “The Auspicious Star Chamber of Commerce, in the past 50 years, has forcefully abducted 78 female cultivators just after they exited Heaven’s Way. At the same time, they killed 191 rookie cultivators who could not afford to pay the demanded Black Coins, along with 231 people for other things. They also robbed the properties appointed to 297 cultivators, killing all the 297 people… All of these claims are substantiated; however, these are only a small part of their crimes.”
The entire venue turned silent. No one doubted what Shen Zimo said. That was because every significant faction dabbled in such acts and was not a big deal for them.
“How many people has my City Master’s Mansion recruited for the cultivator army?” Ning Cheng asked again.
“A total of 1,341 people, all of them possess Crucible Transformation Cultivation.”
“Very good. The newly formed cultivator army requires baptism by blood. You should immediately take all of them to raze down every single building, Rest Stop, Merchant Shops and any other establishments belonging to the Auspicious Star Chamber of Commerce… For such a garbage dump of a Chamber of Commerce, there is no need to leave behind anything.”
“Yes!”