“Why don't you have a seat? We have much to talk about," Qin Yun said, motioning to the wooden chair before him, yet Liao Cheng did not move.

He remained standing in the doorway with a single hand behind his back. He was slowly pooling his Qi into it, forming a dark vortex. His eyes had dilated briefly, only to narrow soon after, becoming the coldest glare Sun Yu had ever seen.

Qin Yun could feel the room's temperature drop from the man's presence alone. It wasn't something physical, only the impression Liao Cheng gave to others as if he were an ice deity in the dead of winter.

Both men looked at each other, yet none spoke, enduring the uneasy silence, while Sun Yu slowly sipped the cup of tea in her hands. She couldn't be bothered to play mediator between these two men.

Seeing as this was going nowhere, Qin Yun broke the silence.

"Suit yourself if you'd rather keep standing. If you must know, I don't despise your cautious attitude. Once upon a time, I used to be like you, but time changed everything.”

Qin Yun sighed just before taking a sip of his own cup, which he then put down on the nearby table.

Liao Cheng frowned further, unable to ascertain this man’s intentions. Knowing that remaining silent wouldn’t grant him the answers he sought, he could only ask.

“I thought you’d be long gone after stealing this uniform.”

Liao Cheng's eyes couldn't help but scrutinize this man seated before him. Qin Yun still wore the uniform he had removed from the guards he had subdued, yet what was unsettling was that both sleeves were full. Furthermore, Liao Cheng could see a gloved hand sitting on Qin Yun's right thigh.

Qin Yun smiled as he noticed Liao Cheng's gaze resting on his right arm. He raised it and unveiled what lay beneath his sleeve for Liao Cheng to see. There were countless small metal gears and rods intricately arranged within an exterior cage resembling an arm. All these mechanisms spun and shifted as Qin Yun moved this artificial arm, producing next to no sound. Only through a lack of exterior coating could one realize this was made of metal.

It was a marvel of engineering, yet much more than that. Liao Cheng was fascinated by the fact that he couldn't feel any Qi used in this construct. He couldn't understand how Qin Yun was able to move that limb otherwise or how he acquired it on such short notice.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Qin Yun said. "A shame this thing is mostly useless to cultivators. After all, how hard is it to regrow a limb? Still, going around with a single arm would catch much attention."

"Why are you still here?" Liao Cheng repeated, slightly losing his patience, yet he didn't stop the vortex in his end from growing.

“And become a fugitive?" Qin Yun replied, shrugging. "No, thank you. Do you know how much of a pain that would be? I still have some things to do in this city before I leave."

Qin Yun then used his mechanical arm to take another sip of tea. Without knowing this limb was made of metal, Liao Cheng wouldn’t be able to tell it was fake from the way it moved alone.

“Besides, I doubt the city lord even cares about that sword of mine,” Qin Yun added. “Isn’t that right, Miss Sun?”

Qin Yun turned to face her, yet, as expected, her expression didn’t betray any of her thoughts, only remaining a slight smile. Qin Yun didn’t expect her to validate his conjectures as he didn’t need her to. The situation spoke for itself.

“Thinking I could evade a Soul Formation cultivator would be nothing but a pipe dream," Qin Yun continued after he put his cup back down. "If he wanted me found, I wouldn't be able to be here right now. No, this was never about the city lord, only about yourself, my friend."

Liao Cheng eyed Qin Yun in silence for a moment longer, yet he couldn't find that man's depths. He prided himself on having experienced much of the world, yet he still seemed like a child in front of him, as if all his secrets were laid bare.

He shook his head, driving this preposterous thought away, before crushing the vortex materialized in the crux of his hand. He knew from Qin Yun’s expression that his intentions had already been seen through. Still, he had no reason to panic. He finally took him up on his invitation and sat before turning to Sun Yu. Yet, before he could express his thoughts, Qin Yun spoke first.

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“Miss Sun didn’t tell me anything; have more faith in her. You know, you’re lucky to have a woman willing to sacrifice so much for you. It's not every day you find someone willing to go against a man of true power like the city lord for a stranger..."

“Our relationship doesn’t concern you,” Liao Cheng said, cutting him off. “Speak. What are your intentions here?”

“To make friends, of course.” Qin Yun said, showing a bright smile, yet Liao Cheng couldn’t help but doubt him.

“You’d think I’d believe that? How naive do you think I am?”

“I know you're not," Qin Yun sighed. "But that also comes with its own set of issues. Betrayal comes easy for you. Therefore, you project this state of mind onto others. No need to make that face. I've seen many people like you. Cold, practical, driven, but there's always an underlying issue spurring it all. While I don't know about your past, I know your future. Bloodshed. Endless bloodshed. Honestly, I've lost interest in that path a long time ago."

“You sure know how to run your mouth,” Liao Cheng replied, barely concealing his animosity. “Assuming your intentions are true, what’s in it for me?”

“Before we get into the meat of it, I've been curious about what happened once I lost consciousness. After all, it's not every day one gets to witness such creatures. I assume the city is in an uproar?" Qin Yun asked casually.

Liao Cheng frowned even further. Qin Yun could feel murderous intent spilling out of him. While he knew he was edging a fine line, walking next to a precipice, he needed to be the one to drive this negotiation. Fortunately, Sun Yu was present and remained cool-headed, as she had no stake in this matter. She gently held Liao Cheng's hand, which prompted him to calm down.

"Surprisingly, nothing major happened after their appearances," Sun Yu replied. "The heads of each major and minor clan were invited to discuss the matter, yet nothing came of it, for now. The most surprising is that many of those who have lost consciousness following their appearances have no memories of it anymore, which can be considered a small comfort. As such, the city mostly returned to normal. You wouldn't happen to know what those things were?"

Qin Yun was taken aback by how forthcoming she was. It seemed he hadn't misjudged her. Sun Yu was much more flexible in her ways than her fiance. It had been a great idea to include her in those talks. Otherwise, Qin Yun was sure Liao Cheng would have already sprung into action.

"Invaders from beyond," Qin Yun replied. "I thought it was obvious from how the world reacted to their presence."

“And how would you explain your role in all this?”

“Honestly, I’d like to laugh it up as a joke the world played on me, but it is much more serious than I first believed," Qin Yun said, feeling a slight hint of guilt. After all, his irresponsible actions had snowballed into something he would be forced to face sooner or later. Unlike all other things, he couldn’t avoid this one as long as he lived in this world.

“You seem strangely unconcerned,” Sun Yu replied. Her gaze was riveted on him, trying to uncover whatever he sought to hide.

“With our current strength, there is not much we can do about it. After all, even the world seemed to have its hands full repelling them, so why stress about it. We can only do what we can until the time comes.”

“You seem to have a plan in mind. Care to share? After all, this involves all living beings in this world. Burying our heads in the sand won't do us any good."

“I’m glad you feel that way, but unless you reach the realm of immortality, you won’t even be considered canon fodder in the conflict to come. Besides, there’s no need to be in a hurry. This conflict began a long time ago. Unless the world’s will declines, they won’t find a way in anytime soon.”

“You seem strangely confident. How would you know?” Liao Cheng asked, unwilling to believe him. “How can we know you aren’t waiting for them to invade? After all, you already made a way for them once. How can we be sure you won’t do it again?”

“I didn’t know you cared about the world?” Qin Yun replied with a smile, but then his expression turned darker. “Drop the pretense; it’s unbecoming. You couldn’t care less about the world; otherwise, you wouldn’t have tried to reach Paradise.”

Liao Cheng's expression remained passive, yet his fist unintentionally clenched but for a moment, only fleeting enough that Qin Yun could notice it. This proved his conjecture. After all, how could he and Feng Xia not be related somehow? Their arrival would be much too coincidental otherwise.

"Paradise?" Sun Yu asked, perplexed. She had never heard those terms. Liao Cheng had never confided in her how he had reached this place. She turned to him, seeking answers, yet his gaze was occupied by the man sitting before him.

"Paradise is a land where all your dreams come true, or something along those lines," Qin Yun replied dismissively, as he alone had no interest in such a thing. "Whether riches or power, you can get your hands on anything you want, provided you know how to get there."

“Sounds too good to be true,” Sun Yu replied without thinking.

"Doesn't it?" Qin Yun replied, shrugging. "Since when did cultivators believe in such fairy tales? Yet, this doesn't stop the most hard-headed ones from trying to reach it. If you care about reading them, there are books about it in the Qin Clan's library."

“Where is she?” Liao Cheng replied, barely controlling his rage.

“You’ll have to be more specific as I know quite a lot of people,” Qin Yun said. He was quite satisfied with Liao Cheng’s reaction.

While Qin Yun had led him all the way, he was gratified to know he had reached the right conclusion. Whether the situation would evolve into what he wished to achieve was yet to be seen. Still, the foundation was there.

“I know you must have met her; otherwise, how would you know about Paradise!" he almost shouted. He was on the verge of exploding once he knew she must be nearby.

“I don't know what you're talking about; who's she?" Qin Yun replied, trying to sound clueless. "I just saw Miss Sun's maid trying to buy a Bird of Paradise's core for you. Its greatest use would be powering a tracking device that could lead to Paradise. I simply made an educated guess."

“How would you know such a thing?” Liao Cheng almost barked, yet his agitation had slightly subsided. Still, he wouldn’t believe Qin Yun that easily.

“Didn’t you know who that black token’s owner was when you flashed it earlier?” Qin Yun replied, showing a slight condescending smile. “Lian Qian gave it to me because he appreciated my refining talents. I could forge that item for you in exchange for certain conditions.”

Sun Yu’s eyes widen at the mention of that token. She was aware that the city harboured a master artifact refiner, yet she had never known who it was. In fact, not even her father was privy to that fact. While she could scarcely believe it, the doubt was already planted in her mind.

Meanwhile, Liao Cheng was already deep in thought. While his greatest chance of success was finding that stupid bird, having a backup plan wouldn't hurt. Still, he could hardly trust that man to keep his word. However, Liao Cheng didn't linger in hesitation for long.

"If you want me to trust you on this, prove to me that you are worth it," Liao Cheng said as he sprung from his chair, a dark vortex swirling in his hand.