Donghai City.
The afterglow of the recent victory had barely faded when the city's emergency broadcast sounded, plunging the people back into tension.
"Emergency Notification: A major upheaval has been detected in the ocean, suspected to be retaliation from the Deep Sea Merfolk. Please, citizens, remain at home. The three great Lords, Yan Jun, Yuzhe, and Shen Seng, have already arrived with troops to provide support. Believe in our strength; though the Deep Sea Merfolk are powerful, we are not weak! This is a difficult time; we must weather it together!"
As the broadcast ended, the city's residents froze. Moments ago, they had been celebrating victory, some dancing, others drinking and chatting. Now, everyone stood petrified, silently absorbing the latest news from the relentless broadcasts overhead.
After a long pause, they finally snapped back to reality. Many lost control of their emotions and rushed towards the city gates, determined to leave Donghai City and seek refuge inland. The string of recent events had become too much to bear.
However, the city was now under lockdown; they could not leave. Others, obediently staying home, seemed resigned to their fate.
The internet, meanwhile, erupted.
"I object to the lockdown! The sea race hasn't attacked yet, we have plenty of time to evacuate!"
"Yes, you can't tie our lives to Donghai City!"
"We need freedom, please give us freedom."
This faction wanted to leave. Most people understood; seeking safety was a natural instinct. Yet, at this critical juncture, defying orders and demanding the gates be opened was also a headache.
Another group had different opinions.
"Can the people upstairs please stop arguing! We're facing a crisis, and where would you go if you left now?"
"There are over a dozen cities around Donghai City, but they are all small. Once the enemy attacks, these small cities will be overrun even more easily."
"You're heading inland? The void trains have stopped running. With your strength, you have a ninety-nine percent chance of dying in the wilderness."
"It seems you've grown accustomed to a comfortable life."
"I can tell you're not adventurers; otherwise, you wouldn't have such naive ideas."
"Though our human race is strong, the wilderness is teeming with ferocious beasts. Without the void trains, and without seventh-tier strength, the chance of death is too high."
However, good advice often falls on deaf ears. Even though many adventurers had clearly explained the situation, these people simply didn't believe them. Panic spread, beginning to affect the city's stability.
Fu Yaozi stood on the city wall, gazing down at the rioting citizens below. "Where is City Lord Fang?"
"Reporting to Lord Fu Yaozi, the City Lord went outside the city and has not returned!" replied the adjutant.
Fu Yaozi grew impatient. He pointed at the troublemakers below. "Fang Jin is not here, I'm in charge. If they want to leave, let them go!"
The adjutant looked up at Fu Yaozi in disbelief. Letting them go was tantamount to sending them to their doom. These were not adventurers but ordinary office workers with low talent and strength. They would almost certainly die in the wilderness.
Fu Yaozi snorted, "Do my words not carry weight?"
The adjutant still hesitated, daring to ask, "Lord Fu Yaozi, do you know that if they leave, they will almost certainly perish!"
Fu Yaozi turned his gaze elsewhere and scoffed coldly. "Their lives are their own! You cannot stop those who wish to die. If I grant their wish, will they resent me?" He sighed, "Besides, if they don't leave, this city will descend into chaos."
Donghai City had millions of people, nine-tenths of whom were not adventurers. If they rioted, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Hearing this, the adjutant felt a pang of sorrow but nodded. Gritting his teeth, he shouted down to the soldiers, "Open the gates!"
With the order to open the gates, the soldiers felt a sense of relief.
"Open the gates!"
Whoosh!
The energy net blocking the city walls vanished instantly. The crowd that had been pressed against the city gates surged out the moment they opened.
"The gates are open, run!"
"Hahaha, finally, we can leave! You fools will just wait for death in the city."
"I am free, I'm going to fly!"
"Goodbye, die in the city."
Those who fled shouted maniacally. They seemed to envision the destruction of Donghai City and rejoiced in their choice. Behind them, on the city walls, tens of thousands of soldiers watched their retreating backs with icy expressions.
Almost everyone believed they were doomed. The world outside Donghai City was no paradise; even the roads between cities were fraught with natural dangers. Not to mention their destination was the distant interior. The journey would inevitably involve numerous life-or-death crises. Some had warned them, but they refused to listen.
Fu Yaozi believed in fate. He thus concluded that these people had chosen death, and their destiny was to perish outside the city. He would not defy fate; that was his principle.
Online.
Silence.
After a long while, an explosive wave of comments flooded the platform.
"Why did you let them go! They'll surely die!"
"They don't understand, do the higher-ups not understand either?"
"You can't stop someone who wants to die, damn it."
"We can only blame them for having bad luck."
"They made their choice, who can they blame?"
"Look quickly, those who escaped are even live-streaming!"
People rushed to watch the streams. They discovered the streamers were mocking them, calling them cowards for lacking courage. This angered many, who eagerly awaited their comeuppance.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour passed. Nothing happened to the escapees, which sparked suspicion.
"Why is it so quiet outside the city? Where are the beasts? Did they all die?"
Many noticed the absence of any wild beasts outside the city, which was peculiar.
At this moment, a streamer scoffed, "Haha, I knew you were all lying. It's perfectly safe outside, what danger could there be?"
"Yes, it's completely safe outside. They've been deceiving us for decades! I've never even left Donghai City, I hate them!"
"Those people who said it was dangerous outside, I think they were just repeating rumors."
"Ridiculous!"
The adventurers couldn't stand it anymore. These people with low talent and strength dared to mock them? However, these streams also caused many to doubt. Was it truly safe outside? Had they been living in a fabricated lie all along?
On the city wall.
The adjutant exclaimed angrily, "They deserve to die! We just cleared out the beasts outside the city!"
Fu Yaozi recited a Buddhist mantra, "It is all fate. Let the Taoist patriarch take them."
At this moment!
The tide of opinion on the internet suddenly turned.