No sooner had Jun Mo Xie entered this place than he almost believed he had returned to Tianxiang City, nearly searching everywhere for Fatty Tang's noble residence.

The reality was that this location bore absolutely no resemblance to the outside world...

The two guards trailing behind him exchanged glances, both seeing in the other’s eyes an unconcealed contempt. An owner of the Ethereal Physique? Bah! He was clearly just a country bumpkin seeing a city for the very first time, someone who had seen nothing of the world. For the Ethereal Physique to fall into the hands of such a person, Heaven must truly be blind, casting pearls before swine, wasting a celestial gift...

He even paused to gaze appreciatively at a vendor selling green vegetables... Good grief, has this fellow never even seen a vegetable seller before?

This was the main thoroughfare of Heart Illusion City. Along both sides of the road sat several small stalls: some hawked handicrafts—tiny birds and beasts carved with astonishing lifelikeness; others sold fresh vegetables, prepared foods, and toys... The storefronts lining the street were even more dazzling, offering a dizzying array of goods.

Countless fluttering streamers and signs, bearing names of inns and establishments, danced in the breeze down the street, creating a surprisingly grand spectacle at first glance. Waves of powdery perfume drifted from near and far, intoxicating enough to make one woozy; occasionally, the sweet, lingering laughter of women could be heard—ah, we must be near the brothels...

One could see men in fine attire entering these places, and others emerging, legs weak, their faces alight with satisfaction and lingering pleasure. The flow of patrons into the taverns was ceaseless, the aroma of strong liquor suffusing the entire street...

"Truly bustling," Jun Mo Xie murmured with genuine admiration, noting that this place seemed even more vibrant than Tianxiang City.

Casually tossing out a copper coin, Jun Mo Xie procured a string of candied hawthorns, walking and eating, until his mouth was smeared with syrup, which he didn't even bother to wipe away.

"So sweet! Such flavor! Truly delicious! Another string, please!"

The two men behind him exchanged looks, feeling utterly mortified to be following such a lout... The thought that this bumpkin had instantly won the favor of the entire Illusion Mansion, being treated like an ancestor by Cao Guofeng... filled them with bitter resentment!

Heavens above, Earth below, all the gods and Buddhas in the cosmos... Could you please open your eyes! Send down a lightning bolt and strike this fellow down...

They truly couldn't stand it anymore...

Just then, a group of men came charging forward from up ahead, marching with an ostentatious swagger. Their faces were fleshy and rough, moving like crabs across the asphalt grid, each man clutching a thick, white-waxed cudgel. Their hats were cocked jauntily, their lapels carelessly flung open, and their eyes glinted with savage menace.

"The City Wardens are here! Everyone scatter!" Someone must have roared the alarm first, and instantly, the street vendors dispersed like startled birds and beasts.

"City Wardens?" Jun Mo Xie’s eyes widened as he stared at the approaching figures. Goodness, this place was surprisingly advanced! They already had city... wardens...

His momentary pause drew the sideways glance of one of the men. "What are you staring at? Never seen one of us before? Keep looking, and I'll pluck those eyeballs out and stuff them up your—you blind, impertinent brat!"

Jun Mo Xie stumbled slightly. These people were too aggressive; they dared to provoke someone without even knowing who he was. Little did he know that his current appearance was a far cry from the polite description of a 'country person visiting the city'—he looked like the ultimate provincial slob, a true cliché of a peasant.

Several of the wardens were already swinging their clubs to clear the area. One man summarily kicked a vendor who couldn't flee fast enough to the ground, then rained down blows with his cudgel while roaring curses, swiftly snatching the money pouch from the vendor’s grasp and tucking it into his own robes with practiced ease.

He continued beating and shouting, "Damn you, you manage to earn this little after setting up shop all day! Are you not ashamed? Why don't you just go die instead of daring to peddle wares here!"

The vendor curled up on the ground, clutching his head, writhing and begging for mercy until he was soon covered in blood...

Nearby, another City Warden leaned on his club, his face alight with a lewd smile, flirting shamelessly with a courtesan standing at the entrance of a brothel, performing acts of utter vulgarity and depravity... He casually reached out and groped the woman's ample bosom, then brought his hand to his nose, inhaling deeply with an expression of sheer bliss. "So fragrant, so fragrant..."

The courtesan cried out in mock surprise and playfully tried to swat him, but the man pressed closer, seizing her in a bold embrace in broad daylight and engaging in brazen flirtation...

The other wardens watched this display with thinly veiled jealousy and irritation, swaggering into the shops lining the street, bellowing threats, and propping their boots up on dining tables with menacing scowls.

"Protection fees are due! Hurry up, dammit! You don't want to keep your business, do you? Stop dawdling, you mother—! Want me to shut this place down tomorrow? Be quick about it!"

Immediately, the shop owners rushed forward, bowing and scraping profusely, first handing over substantial piles of gleaming silver, then furtively slipping something into the pockets of the wardens...

The wardens patted their pockets, their expressions shifting from anger to delight. With a loud whistle, they exited the storefronts and proceeded down the street to continue their extortion...

"What kind of people are these? How can they be so tyrannical?" Jun Mo Xie stared at this all-too-familiar scene, utterly dumbfounded, his legs beginning to tremble: he suddenly felt as if he had time-traveled once again...

Before the two guards could respond, the fleshy-faced brute not far ahead grew impatient, swaggering over with his shoulders thrust out. "What's your problem? Boy, you trying to ask who we are?" As he spoke, he grabbed a nearby passerby, kicked him to the ground, and planted the toe of his highly polished leather boot squarely on the unfortunate man's chest, sneering upwards. "Tell this kid who we are!"

That pedestrian had been walking with extreme caution, almost sidling along the path, terrified of brushing against them, only to suffer this unprovoked disaster. He let out a sharp cry, tears and snot streaming down his face, babbling, "Sir, sirs, you are the administrators of Heart Illusion City! You are the heavens sent to protect us common folk, sirs..."

The brute clearly felt sufficiently satisfied, grunting and lifting his foot to let the man go. The pedestrian scrambled away instantly, not daring to look back. The brute then eyed Jun Mo Xie sideways. "Did you hear that? Kid, get over here obediently, kowtow and apologize to your master, and then use that filthy tongue of yours to clean my boot... and I might let you off! Otherwise, hmph, you're a spy! And if I have to take the trouble, I'll make you regret it!"

"I'm a spy?" Jun Mo Xie nearly burst out laughing. "How did you know, eh?" This 'City Warden' was truly sharp-eyed, discerning that I was a spy at a single glance—impressive, most impressive! So many Saint Emperors and those beyond hadn't noticed...

That's right, this young master is a spy! What are you going to do about it?

"You're not a spy?" The brute let out a harsh, grating laugh, the black hair on his chest shaking wildly. "Even if you aren't a spy, if I say you're a spy, then you're a spy! What of it? Don't look at me with such anger, or I might just kill you on the spot! Even if I actually did kill you, you'd just be a dead man!"

"I understand what kind of people you are..." Jun Mo Xie’s gaze grew steadily colder. To think that this type of scum existed in every world! This was truly an eye-opener. This supposed Illusion Mansion, this land of peace, turned out to be no different!

The two guards behind him smiled faintly, choosing to observe from the sidelines, watching coldly to see how this bumpkin would resolve the situation. They knew that although this fellow possessed astonishing innate talent and the Ethereal Physique, his own cultivation level wasn't very high, and he might not be able to handle the current trouble. If he couldn't sort it out himself, he would have no choice but to beg their assistance.

However, what happened next made them regret their apathy deeply.

"You two, come over here and kill this piece of trash for this young master!" Young Master Jun commanded imperiously. Why would he risk exposing his identity by acting personally when he had capable muscle nearby? "Hurry up, or I’ll go tell my Master that I was bullied outside while you stood by watching the fun! Do you think my Master would believe me or you? If I actually got injured in the slightest, what do you think Master would do to you two?!"

The two guards instantly exchanged panicked looks. They hadn't expected this seemingly guileless boy to have such a trick up his sleeve. If he truly went back and complained... regardless of the truth, they would both be finished!

They knew the boy wasn't just complaining to Cao Guofeng; there were six other Saint Emperors, every single one of whom treated this boy like a precious jewel!

If... if that happened, their entire future prospects would be utterly destroyed!

If they were unlucky and he sustained even a minor scrape, those several senior Saint Emperors might just tear them limb from limb—that wouldn't be a rare occurrence at all!

Considering these two were both experts at the Supreme level, their intrinsic cultivation base even surpassed that of Ying Bokong from before, they possessed their own understanding of subtlety. A surge of fury rose in their chests, yet they dared not vent it on Jun Mo Xie. Thus, they turned their wrath upon this contingent of 'City Wardens.'

Slap! One guard delivered an ear-slap directly to the face of the leading brute. The man was sent flying off his feet, spinning like a top three feet in the air for a long moment, sending teeth showering like shards of jade, spraying outward like machine-gun fire as he rotated...

The other guard vaulted into the air with a whoosh, roaring mid-leap, "You blind bastards! All of you, get over here and—! If you’re not here within ten breaths, never bother coming at all!"

As it turned out, the bearing of Supreme experts commands awe wherever they go. Upon seeing this, the 'City Wardens' immediately fell silent, their legs turning to jelly from fright...

They had never imagined that merely coming out to perform routine enforcement would bring them into contact with such immensely powerful figures...

Ten breaths? It didn't even take five. The seven or eight men obediently walked over and quickly lined up. The two guards said nothing more, launching into a flurry of savage blows! As they beat them, they felt deeply aggrieved: they were dignified Supreme experts, and while they might not be towering figures within the Inner Court of the Misty Illusion Mansion, they were certainly not novices... yet here they were, beating ordinary people—this was genuinely the first time in their lives...

It felt deeply humiliating.

However, though their strikes were heavy, both men held back: they could teach these people a lesson, but absolutely could not kill them! After all, these people were necessary for the city's upkeep... Furthermore, this was part of the foundational infrastructure of the Illusion Mansion...

But after they stopped, both guards were stunned silent!

The eight men on the ground had been initially screaming and crying out, but now, all eight were bleeding from all seven orifices, their eyes bulging, utterly devoid of breath!

They were all dead... not a single one remained alive!

What in the world? Although their force was considerable, they hadn't used their inherent profound energy at all—at most, it was just the strength of a normal healthy person. There was no way they should have killed anyone...