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"Lady Cultivator… the city lord… he…" the tavern owner hesitated as if trying to decide what words to say next.

"Speak freely… this conversation will not leave this room," Xu Lu coldly spoke as she slid another bag towards the middle-aged woman.

The tavern owner picked up the bag and placed it in one of her apron\'s pockets.

A conflicted expression flashed across her face before determination surfaced in her eyes.

"The city lord… is a vain, petty, jealous and vicious man," the tavern owner\'s voice lowered to that of a mere whisper.

"He fears the strong cultivators and provides them with beauties, riches and luxurious whenever they visit the city."

"Because of that they turn a blind eye to the suffering that he inflicts on the people… still… he is a necessary evil."

"A necessary evil?" Xu Lu asked with a tinge of confusion in her tone.

"Yes. Although he may have his faults… the man maintains order in this city. Without him the various gangs and violent organizations would tear this place apart," the tavern owner replied.

"This city is on the outskirts of the continent… none of the major powers are interested in owning this place so the city lord is the one true authority."

"I think I understand," Xu Lu thoughtfully muttered.

The tavern owner drew in a shaky breath and silently muttered a prayer of thanks in her heart that this cultivator appeared to be reasonable.

She opened her mouth and explained why she had been so worried,

"Thank you… I know some righteous cultivators enjoy killing tyrants and arrogant nobles but… they never replace them or stick around long enough to quell the ensuring chaos."

Xu Lu slowly nodded her head in understanding and gave the matter some more thought.

Order was required for society to function, history was full of examples of rebellions that made the situation worse not better.

That was not to say that justice could not be delivered to corrupt officials and rulers, it was just that a great deal of effort would be needed to ensure that the fall out would not affect ordinary people.

"So tell me more about the gangs and various factions," Xu Lu spoke in a serious tone.

"They are nothing more than petty thugs…" the tavern owner replied with a dismissive smirk on her face.

"Lady Cultivator… I don\'t know how strong you are but even the most powerful warriors in this city cannot match the might of an immortal."

"The only threat to your safety would be the occasional demon cultivators that pass through this city but… they mind their own business."

Xu Lu leaned against the back of the chair and spend the next forty minutes chatting with the tavern owner to get a better idea about the city.

She learned a great deal about the city and its inhabitants.

White Lotus City like the rest of the continent followed the laws of the jungle.

The strong devoured the weak.

The soldiers maintained order under the city lord\'s command but the people here had their own unwritten rules.

Waves of monster attacks and the occasional raid by bandits meant that this place was an unforgiving place to live where death was commonplace.

Xu Lu was once again reminded that this world was vastly different from her own with different cultures, values and beliefs.

Human life was worthless in this place.

"Lady cultivator… um… what else did you want to know?" the tavern owner politely asked as she took a sip from the glass bottle on the table.

"Yes… I want to know about any rumors or gossip about mysterious ruins or strange happenings in the jungle," Xu Lu spoke calmly.

"Strange rumors?" the tavern owner pursed her lips together clearly lost in thought.

"Well… I can\'t say that I have heard anything over the last few weeks that was out of the ordinary… actually…" the tavern owner\'s voice trailed off.

"Wait! I think last month one of the strongest monster hunting teams in the city went missing and no trace of their bodies were found."

"Someone managed to find a sheet of paper in the last location where they were seen and there were words written down in a foreign language."

"That\'s it?" Xu Lu asked softly as she hid the disappointment in her heart. Just a scarp of paper and a missing hunting team was not a lot to go on.

Well maybe she had been a bit too optimistic. After all, this was just the beginning of her investigation.

She still needed to talk to more people around the city and hopefully someone would have the information that she was looking for.

"Yes… I can\'t think of anything else," the tavern owner replied hurriedly in case she had offended the powerful cultivator sitting opposite to her.

"I believe you… thank you for your help," Xu Lu politely spoke as she got up from the chair and walked out of the room.

She always had a good memory so she easily navigated her way through the long winding corridor and towards the main hall.

Xu Lu opened the door and found herself back in the large space where dozens of drunk customers were currently engaged in various conversations.

She nodded at the bartender and then made her way through the crowded hall.

The people in her path stepped to the side and the ones that were too drunk were pulled aside by those who were more sober.

The fear in the eyes of civilians when they saw her was something that Xu Lu was still getting used to.

She made her way out of the run-down building and out into the streets. It was now the evening and the sun was slowly making its way towards the horizon.

Long shadows were cast on the ground. Xu Lu walked a few hundred metres away from the tavern and thought about what to do next.

There was going to be a banquet held in her honour in just a few hours so maybe she should return to the city lord\'s mansion?

After hearing so many negative things about the lord… Xu Lu was not thrilled to be enjoying his favour.

Still… this was an opportunity to speak to the upper class of the city and try to find out more information.

Squeak! Squeak!

Xu Lu turned in the direction of the sound and saw the little white mouse from her master\'s peak running towards her.

"Wait… what are you doing here? Did you somehow manage to board the ship?" Xu Lu asked in confusion as she knelt down and picked up the mouse in her hand.

The tiny furry animal nuzzled against her palm and made a satisfied squeaking noise as if it was grateful to feel her warmth.

Squeak! Squeak!

The mouse licked Xu Lu\'s finger and playfully rolled on its belly. The saintess smiled beneath her mask and rubbed the creature\'s tummy.

Maybe this mission wouldn\'t be so unpleasant after all.