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Chapter 400: Critics and Condemnation

"It looks like you approve of my building a city," Zhang Lie replied to Xiao Zhengyang.

"I was never in opposition—I just hadn\'t made up my mind."

"And those hunters caused you to make up your mind?"

Xiao Zhengyang sighed. "As you know, the world federation has had a hand in founding and governing Qi, and my status as the governor doesn\'t give me complete authority over what goes on.

"This situation with the hunters seems rather unusual, and I can\'t neglect the possibility that someone from the world federation is trying to make a move against you. Now that the location of Qi is known to quite a few enemy races nearby, it\'s in great danger. I can\'t afford to punish any hunters; we need all the manpower we can get. I apologize for the indignity you\'ve had to suffer."

"No, no, none of that at all! I\'m simply disgusted by their behavior. But if Qi\'s in so much danger, how could you stand my leaving now?"

Xiao Zhengyang sighed. "Would you stay just because I asked you to? Furthermore, it\'s important to have a place of last resort in case Qi ever falls; I hope you\'ll be able to take in any refugees from Qi then."

"I\'ll do my best." With Xiao Zhengyang\'s promises and well wishes, Zhang Lie left with the rest of Team Zenith and the teleportation apparatus. Not long after their departure, however, Zhang Lie heard footsteps from behind. He frowned. "Go into stealth, everyone."

The members of Team Zenith slowly faded from sight.

Zhang Lie turned to face those who were chasing after him: Su Hong, along with the three thousand soldiers that Zhang Lie had brought with him to invade the territory of the sura.

Zhang Lie materialized out of thin air, shocking the gathered hunters. He frowned. "What are all of you doing here? Do you think you\'ll be able to force me to return to Qi?"

Su Hong smiled. "We know we wouldn\'t be able to beat you, champion."

The hunters beside him added, "Right, even if we had ten times the number, we might not be able to bring you back."

Zhang Lie shook his head. "I\'m not your champion, and I never was."

"Well, we\'re no longer hunters of Qi anymore."

Zhang Lie\'s eyes widened.

Su Hong explained, "We want to leave with you, Zhang Lie."

Zhang Lie frowned. "Do you all know where I\'m headed? I\'ll be roaming aimlessly in the second realm. Return to Qi—it\'s surely safer for all of you."

"No matter where you\'re headed, we\'re willing to follow you."

"Through hell and high water, sir!"

The hunters laughed. "We\'re sure you\'ll take care of us, champion! We\'re willing to work for you."

Zhang Lie chuckled bitterly. "There\'s only going to be suffering ahead where I\'m headed."

Su Hong smiled again. "Don\'t worry. We\'ve all made up our minds to follow you, and we\'re mentally prepared for what to face. I\'ve heard the governor mention that you\'re going to be constructing a new settlement, and we\'re ready to be part of that.

How few settlements do we humans have in the second realm? Our names might even appear in the history books one day, and we won\'t let go of such an opportunity."

Zhang Lie turned to face the massed hunters behind Su Hong. "And what of you? Why are you here to follow me?"

The hunters shook their heads. "We don\'t have such grand aspirations—we just know that you\'re a good leader."

They had tasted the fruits of their labor when they followed Zhang Lie gallivanting across the sura lands. Although it had been a tiring expedition, the rewards were commensurate with the effort they had put in.

Su Hong steepled his fingers. "Don\'t chase us back to Qi, champion! Let me tell you something: before we left, we caught the group of hunters that tried to extort you and gave them the beating they deserved. We did it within the city, breaking martial law, so none of us can return now!"

Zhang Lie sighed. "If you really want to follow me, don\'t call me a champion. I\'m sick of being addressed as a champion or a hero."

"Yes, Zhang Lie!" the gathered hunters shouted, beaming.

Zhang Lie\'s party suddenly grew far larger.

At the same time, news of Zhang Lie\'s sudden departure from Qi had begun to spread.

"What?! Zhang Lie left Qi, never to return?!"

"What did I miss? Why\'s he doing that?"

"Are those hunters from Qi crazy? They should go see a doctor!"

The hunters\' forums began bursting with activity.

"Did something big happen in Qi?"

"The sura attacked Qi again—do you think that\'s big?"

"What? That\'s old news! Didn\'t you know that Zhang Lie was forced out of Qi?"

"What? Zhang Lie\'s gone?"

"A bunch of fools tried to force Zhang Lie to hand them some limit-breaking potions, and their actions disgusted Zhang Lie so much that he chose to leave!"

"Fools! If Zhang Lie hadn\'t saved Qi, it would be destroyed by now!"

"What\'s worse, they were calling him champion of mankind just yesterday, but a day later, they\'re kicking him out of Qi?"

"There are idiots everywhere—don\'t they see that they might even have perished if not for Qi?"

"A pile of ungrateful bastards! If I were Zhang Lie, I\'d choose to leave, too."

"People really are greedy, aren\'t they?"

"Well, regardless of where Zhang Lie\'s headed, the city of Feng would be very happy to host him!"

"No, no, he\'s closer to Ming! He should go to Ming!"

"We\'ll do anything to bring him to Wang!"

Who wouldn\'t want Zhang Lie around? He was a force comparable to a sura king. With him around, no city would have to fear being attacked. It was little wonder the three other human settlements were doing all they could to recruit him.

The hunters of Qi, seeing how fervently the hunters from the other three cities of the second realm were trying to recruit Zhang Lie, regretted their decision even more.

"If I see those hunters from Qi again, I\'ll give them a beating!"

Only a small fraction of hunters had spoken up and taken action against Zhang Lie, though there were naturally those who knew of what they were doing and had chosen to let things slide, in hopes that they too would be able to obtain these limit-breaking potions without dirtying their own hands.

Unfortunately for them, what those hunters had done had hurt all the citizens of Qi. What was Qi to do now that Zhang Lie was gone? They could hardly defend against the enemy races alone.

Naturally, they would blame the instigators who had tried to expel Zhang Lie in the first place.