Chapter 857: Green Ram City

After exchanging a few casual words with Shi Chuankong, Han Li fell silent and continued trudging along with the group.

After advancing another several hundred zhang, the sound of wind and sand gradually diminished, and the massive shadows seen earlier in the sandstorm began to take shape. They turned out to be two towering black peaks standing side by side, each a thousand zhang high.

The two peaks were covered with jagged rocks, their surfaces pitted and scarred, riddled with holes of various sizes carved out by wind erosion.

Han Li looked up and saw a massive canyon formed between the two peaks, and in the middle of the canyon stood a black castle over a hundred zhang tall.

The fortress was rugged in style, with three huge domed bunkers on top, separated by two sections of wall with walkways, and below, thick, tall black walls.

As Han Li and his group entered the canyon, the wind and sand were mostly blocked by the peaks and the castle, making things much easier.

Upon reaching the city gate, Chen Yang removed the cotton cloth from his face, shook off the dust, walked to a stone platform outside the gate, raised a palm, and slammed it down on a large bronze bell hanging there.

Dong...

With a deep, resonant chime, an opening suddenly appeared above the gate's archway. Several figures peered out, and a voice shouted, "Captain Chen Yang is back. Open the gate."

At the shout, a rumbling sound came from within the walls, accompanied by the clatter of mechanisms, and the two heavy black gates slowly swung inward.

"Brother Li, Brother Shi, let's go." Chen Yang walked back, greeted Han Li and the others with a smile.

The group slowly entered the castle, and the stone gate closed behind them.

Once inside, Han Li found the situation different from what he had imagined.

The castle was quite spacious, covering several hundred zhang in area. Large fire basins hung on the walls every few zhang, filled with some unknown beast's oil. They burned without smoke but emitted a faint, fishy smell.

Much of the castle's interior was occupied by various gears and mechanisms. In the center stood three massive stone pillars, around which three stone staircases spiraled up to the three bunkers on the walls.

Many people were coming and going inside, all busy with their tasks. Chen Yang's men led various beasts toward the right side of the castle.

Han Li and the others stood in the hall. Soon, two male demons in crimson robes approached, each holding a thick ledger in one hand and a brush dipped in cinnabar in the other.

Chen Yang seemed familiar with them. A smile appeared on his face as he stepped forward to greet them.

"Captain Chen Yang, looks like a fruitful hunt this time?" said the round-faced man with a sword-like protrusion on his forehead, smiling.

"Thanks to the two registrars' blessings, I was fortunate not to return empty-handed," Chen Yang replied with a laugh.

The other registrar, with long ears and a square face, looked somewhat cold. He gave Han Li and the other two a stern glance and asked, "Are they compliant citizens or surrendered citizens?"

"They are guests I invited back, also intending to join our Green Ram City. As for which category... let me first meet with the city lord before deciding," Chen Yang said, a bit embarrassed.

"According to the rules, the first thing upon entering the city should be a grade assessment. Captain Chen Yang, this seems inappropriate," the square-faced registrar frowned.

The other registrar quickly stepped in as a mediator, tugging at his colleague's sleeve, and said, "Can't you trust Captain Chen Yang? He is one of the city lord's most valued hunting captains. He said he'll do the assessment after meeting the city lord, not that he won't do it at all. A little wait won't hurt."

The square-faced registrar noticed that the round-faced registrar had emphasized the words 'most valued,' clearly a reminder, so he didn't insist further.

"In that case, a delay is fine," the square-faced registrar said.

"Thank you both. The spoils of this hunt have been brought back; I'll trouble you to tally them. Please accept this small token of appreciation," Chen Yang said with a grateful smile.

As he spoke, he reached into his sleeve and handed over two beast cores.

The round-faced registrar took them without a fuss, saying, "No trouble, you're too kind."

"I still need to see the city lord. Let me arrange for you to rest first," Chen Yang said, turning back to Han Li and the others with a smile after the registrars left.

"Who were those two?" Han Li asked with a slight frown.

"They are the two registrars of Green Ram City, responsible for recording the hunting teams' harvests and registering new citizens," Chen Yang replied, glancing at their retreating figures.

"What did they mean by 'compliant citizens' and 'surrendered citizens'?" Han Li pressed.

"Brother Li has sharp ears. Compliant and surrendered citizens are grades for different people in the city. Compliant citizens have higher status, can join the city defense or hunting teams, and get more resources. Surrendered citizens are lower, only fit for menial tasks, and receive fewer resources," Chen Yang explained.

"The assessment the registrar mentioned is for determining grades, right?" Han Li nodded and asked.

"Haha, let's talk as we walk..." Chen Yang said with a hearty laugh.

With that, he led the way, guiding Han Li and the others toward the left side of the castle.

Han Li and Shi Chuankong exchanged a glance and followed slowly.

"According to Green Ram City's rules, newcomers must undergo an assessment to determine their grade, which is then recorded. After that, they are assigned based on their grade. But I've seen your strength firsthand, so I want to report to the city lord and directly recruit you into my team. I assume you wouldn't want to be separated?" Chen Yang said as he walked.

"Wouldn't that break the city's rules?" Shi Chuankong frowned.

"Rules are dead, but people are alive. If you go through the assessment, the registrars will follow standard procedures and assign you to other hunting teams. That would be a big loss for me. However, whether an assessment is still needed depends on the city lord's decision," Chen Yang waved his hand.

"That's fine," Han Li shook his head.

"Brother Li, rest assured. With your strength, I think you'll become a hunting team captain before long. Don't forget my recommendation then, haha..." Chen Yang gave Han Li a meaningful look and laughed.

As they spoke, they passed through three stone archways and arrived before a round archway carved into the mountain.

Han Li glanced around and realized that this so-called Green Ram City was actually carved out of the two mountain peaks.

Inside the round archway stood a humanoid stone statue over ten zhang tall. Its appearance was somewhat similar to humans, without wings or scales, but its face was very blurry, making it hard to discern.

"Is this the statue of the city lord you mentioned?" Han Li asked curiously.

"Brother Li, you guessed wrong. This statue is extremely ancient, even older than Green Ram City itself. Even our city lord doesn't know who it depicts. Probably only Lord Elu, the city lord of Xuan City, knows the details," Chen Yang said, stopping to glance at the statue casually.

"I was just asking," Han Li said.

"The left peak of Green Ram City is divided into four levels. This level is the forging level, where all armor and weapons are made, and various beast pills are refined. Most of the armor, weapons, and pills belong to the city lord, who controls their distribution. Only a few are circulated and sold in the city's few shops," Chen Yang explained.

"What about the others?" Shi Chuankong glanced upward and asked.

"The next level up is where surrendered citizens live. The two levels above that are for compliant citizens. The top level is the city lord's residence. For now, you can rest at my residence while I go see the city lord," Chen Yang continued.

"Then we'll trouble you," Han Li said with a cupped fist salute.

After that, Chen Yang gave them a brief tour of the bottom level before leading them up a spiral staircase to the third level.

The third level was noticeably smaller, with fewer people than the two levels below. A wide corridor stretched out, with entrances to various cave dwellings along the way.

Chen Yang's cave dwelling was in the middle of the corridor. It was spacious, one of the better ones.

As Han Li and the others entered with Chen Yang, a woman and three men immediately came forward and bowed respectfully.

The three men were dressed as servants, while the woman's attire was slightly different. Though the color was a monotonous gray, it was well-tailored, accentuating her graceful figure.

However, her face was only average, not particularly striking.

"They are also surrendered citizens, but they are my private property. Brother Li, if you're interested, feel free to enjoy yourself with my maid. Here, women are a scarce resource; having one exclusively is not easy," Chen Yang said bluntly, his eyes roving over the woman's body.

"After a long journey, I'm not in the mood. I'd rather rest first," Han Li declined with a smile.

"Then you all go to the guest rooms to rest. After I meet the city lord, I'll come to entertain you," Chen Yang said with a slight bow.

Han Li and the others returned the bow.

"You all, take good care of our three distinguished guests," Chen Yang instructed solemnly before turning and leaving.

The ordinary-looking but alluring woman apologized and, swaying her snake-like waist, led Han Li and the others through the inner corridors to their respective guest rooms.

After she left, Shi Chuankong and the Crab Immortal left their rooms and came to Han Li's.

Once the stone door was closed, the two sat down across from Han Li at a stone table.

After she left, Shi Chuankong and the Crab Immortal left their rooms and came to Han Li's.

Once the stone door was closed, the two sat down across from Han Li at a stone table.