Chapter 105: On the Warship (Part-4)

For a moment, Bai Ye thought he had misheard. He had laid out the facts, the risks, and the benefits so clearly. In his mind, unity was the only logical path. Yet Ryan rejected it outright.

Why?

Even if Ryan himself was confident, what about the others? Didn’t he care about the people around him? About Fengyue City?

“Yes, I refuse,” Ryan said again calmly. “Whether you can enter Western Mansion is your own matter.”

His tone was flat, almost indifferent. To him, the so-called union offered no real benefit.

With strength at the level of an Upper Exalt, entering Western Mansion was never in question. Even bringing the Li Clan along posed no problem for him. He had promised Li Gengxin to help his clan, not to shoulder the fate of all thirty-six cities of the North District.

He was not a saint to do such favors.

Helping those close to him was already enough.

“Why?” Bai Ye pressed, unwilling to give up. “Li Wei, your strength is undeniable. Entering Western Mansion is certain for you. But what about your companions? Don’t you think about them at all?”

“I have my own arrangements for them,” Ryan replied lightly. “I don’t need to join you.”

Bai Ye clenched his fists, feeling a surge of frustration. To him, Ryan’s attitude was arrogance, pure and simple.

Before he could speak again, someone stood up from the Fengyue City side.

“Li Wei, how can you be so selfish?” Fan Wei said loudly, his voice righteous and full of fervor. “Entering Western Mansion determines a warrior’s future. Whether we can reach a higher level depends on this opportunity. If you refuse to unite, that’s your choice, but it doesn’t mean the rest of us won’t!”

“Yes, Fengyue City is willing to unite!” voices echoed around him.

Ryan glanced over calmly. “Do whatever you want. Unite if you wish. I don’t represent you. But the Li Clan and I will not take part. We will be on our own.”

“I won’t unite either,” Mu Xianling suddenly added.

Ryan looked at her in mild surprise, then nodded inwardly, saying nothing.

“Even so,” Zhu Yin said hesitantly, “unity still increases everyone’s chances. I believe it’s the right path.”

Bai Ye nodded, seizing the momentum. “Exactly. Only by standing together can the North District grow stronger.”

He thought Ryan might finally relent under the pressure.

Instead, Ryan laughed softly. “It makes no difference to me. My brothers and sisters of the Li Clan will enter Western Mansion. That is something I can ensure. As for the rest, I frankly don’t care.”

“All up to Brother Wei.”

“Whatever Brother Wei decides, we follow.”

“I listen to the young master.”

Li Wujie and the others spoke without hesitation. To them, Ryan was already more reliable than any so-called alliance. With him around, what did the thirty-six cities even matter?

Fan Wei snorted coldly. “Hmopf, Arrogant.”

He looked at Ryan with clear disdain. Seeing Ryan reject unity so decisively only deepened his resentment.

“Brother Bai,” Fan Wei said, turning back, “since Li Wei has no intention of joining, there’s no need to force him. We still have plenty of people willing to unite.”

Bai Ye hesitated. Losing Ryan meant losing a terrifying combat force, and that worried him. But Ryan’s stance was firm, and forcing the issue would only backfire.

In the end, he nodded. “Very well. I won’t push you, Brother Li. I hope you truly can lead the Li Clan into Western Mansion. As for the others willing to unite, send a representative. We’ll discuss the details.”

Fan Wei was soon chosen and left with representatives from other cities. As he walked away, he shot Ryan a smug glance, as if to say, “Leadership isn’t about strength alone.”

With Fan Wei gone, a subtle shift occurred. The candidates from Fengyue City gradually distanced themselves from Ryan and the Li Clan, gathering on the other side. In contrast, Ryan’s group stood out clearly, isolated amid the crowd.

“Miss Zhu, let’s separate,” Ryan said calmly to Zhu Yin. “It looks like we don’t share the same path. So, there is no point in sticking with one another.”

Zhu Yin opened her mouth, then closed it again. In the end, she quietly moved back to the Fengyue City group.

As she sat down, confusion lingered in her eyes. She couldn’t understand why Ryan would reject something that seemed beneficial to everyone. Was it confidence? Or arrogance?

For the first time, Ryan’s image in her heart wavered, shadowed by doubt. No matter what others thought, Ryan truly did not care. After all, only he himself understood his own intentions.

He had once considered helping the people of Fengyue City.

Even if he could not accompany them through everything, he was willing to lend a hand when the opportunity arose. But now, that thought no longer seemed necessary. Everyone had already made their own choices, and once a choice was made, there was no need for him to interfere.

Ryan was not a saint. He could make his relatives and friends stronger, but he doesn’t want to carry the fate of the entire world on his shoulders. Other people’s paths had nothing to do with him.

He was only one person, nothing more.

At this moment, only a handful of people remained seated beside Ryan.

Apart from Li Wujie, Li Shu, and Li Baijie, who had never intended to leave, Mu Xianling and Wang Bi’er were still there as well.

Wang Bi’er’s reasons were obvious. She had personally witnessed Ryan’s strength and knew clearly that whether he united with others or not made no difference to his future. Entering the Western Mansion was never in doubt for him.

As for Mu Xianling, the gambling agreement bound her fate. By that agreement, she was now Ryan’s servant. Regardless of her personal feelings, she had no choice but to stand on Ryan’s side.

Thus, a small group of six had naturally formed.

The matter of alliances gradually died down. One by one, the candidates aboard the Void Warship closed their eyes to rest, waiting for the ship to reach the Western Mansion headquarters. At that moment, however, a strange sound suddenly echoed from the distant sky.

A low, vibrating hum rolled through the air.

“Did you hear that?”

“Yes… It sounds like it’s buzzing right next to my ears. What is it?”

“Look over there! What’s that?”

Following one candidate’s shout, everyone turned their gaze in the same direction. Far ahead, a tiny black dot was rapidly approaching the Void Warship.

A chill ran through the crowd.

The Void Warship was traveling at astonishing speed, yet whatever that black dot was, it was catching up from behind. The thought alone was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

Elder Lu, who had been standing atop the phoenix statue at the stern, leapt up at once. His expression darkened as he stared intently toward the approaching figure.

The buzzing grew louder and louder. The black dot expanded quickly, revealing its true form.

It was another warship.

Its bow and stern were pitch black, and a skull-emblazoned banner fluttered violently in the wind.

A skull-bannered warship.

Shock rippled through the crowd. Everyone knew that warships were the exclusive domain of the Western Mansion. So what was this? What kind of force could possess such a vessel? More importantly, was it friend or foe?

Fear spread silently.

Ryan’s gaze locked onto the skull banner, and his brows knitted together. A sharp sense of unease surged from deep within his chest, making every hair on his body stand on end.

This warship was definitely not here with good intentions.

As if confirming his intuition, Elder Lu’s solemn voice rang out across the deck. “Everyone, listen carefully. This is a band of out-of-region pirates known as the Reaper Bandits. They are extremely cruel. All candidates are to find shelter immediately. Western Mansion personnel, assemble at once and prepare to engage the enemy!”

“The Reaper Bandits”

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