Chapter 452: A True Valiant Warrior

"Ruowu City!"

Walking through the city, Shen Yu looked around, constantly changing direction according to the guidance of the Compass.

The city was not exactly prosperous, but every person's face was brimming with smiles, showing that their lives were fairly comfortable.

Shen Yu walked along the interior of the city, and under the guidance of the Compass, he arrived outside a mansion that was relatively prosperous.

At this moment, a familiar figure was being ushered inside; it was the leader of the group of old and weak people Shen Yu had seen earlier in the wilderness who had wiped out the horse bandits, and he was likely the garrison commander of Ruowu City.

In Ruowu City, military and political powers were unified, unlike other places where they needed to be strictly separated; this meant this man was likely the highest official in Ruowu City.

In an environment surrounded by wolves, only having one person in charge could avoid people holding each other back and concentrate the city's strength to the greatest extent.

Yet, the direction of the Compass pointed exactly to his mansion.

"Congratulations to my husband for returning in victory, having wiped out the horse bandits who repeatedly plundered the merchant associations!"

"You are too kind, my lady!" Walking into the mansion, Mu Cheng changed out of his clothes and enjoyed his wife's service.

Only at this moment could he relax for a short while.

Living in such a place, he had to remain vigilant every single moment. Foreign tribes, horse bandits, internal troubles—a multitude of complicated matters plagued him, leaving him unable to sleep at night.

He looked to be fifty or sixty years old, but in reality, he was only just over forty; years of hardship had left his face weathered.

It was hateful that he had a heart full of ambition but could never put it into practice, forced to remain in such a place and dragging his family along to suffer with him.

Reaching out to pat his wife beside him, Mu Cheng could not help but sigh; he was a rough man and didn't mind, but he owed his wife too much.

His wife was originally a lady from a noble family who should never have had to touch spring water, but now her hands were as rough as a farm woman's.

And their child, born in Ruowu City, had seen nothing but Ruowu City and the endless desert outside.

Who wouldn't yearn for the flourishing World of the Central Plains? But guarding this place was their mission; without an order from the imperial court, he could only be nailed here.

He had been here for over twenty years, and his youth had been dedicated to this land. Sometimes, he truly doubted if the imperial court had already forgotten him.

"My lady, you have worked hard!"

"It is not hard, husband. Being by your side, I do not feel it is hard."

Laughing softly, the wife carefully massaged Mu Cheng's head. Before long, Mu Cheng felt drowsy, as if he might fall asleep at any moment.

And his wife quietly leaned against his shoulder, her face filled with indescribable happiness.

Cheek pressed against cheek, as if lingering on something.

"Husband, are you tired? If you are tired, then rest a while longer!"

"Good, good..." While barely responding, Mu Cheng felt he could no longer hold on and wanted to close his eyes and just fall asleep.

But at this very moment, a sudden external force stimulated him, causing Mu Cheng to wake up instantly.

As a veteran of a hundred battles, Mu Cheng was naturally sensitive after so many years of life on the frontier; at the slightest sign of trouble, he would immediately draw his sword.

It is no exaggeration to say that even when sleeping, he had to keep one eye open.

So, when the external force stimulated him slightly, it made him subconsciously prepare to defend, and his mind became exceptionally clear at this moment.

"Who?" Drawing his blade and carefully guarding his surroundings, Mu Cheng shielded his wife behind him, while he himself clamored to compete with the person who had suddenly struck.

Although this external force had not harmed him, it did not mean the other party was a friend rather than a foe.

Gu Ao

"Don't worry, I have no malice toward you!" Walking in from outside the room, Shen Yu looked at the Compass in his hand, then looked at the two people close at hand.

Afterward, his gaze locked onto the lady before him.

He had seen Mu Cheng before; if it were him, the Compass would have reacted long ago. Therefore, the result was already obvious.

The feeling this woman gave him was like that of a walking corpse, making one feel only coldness.

"Are you Lord Shen?" When he saw Shen Yu, Mu Cheng suddenly reacted.

This sudden figure was exactly the same as the portrait issued by the imperial court earlier.

Previously, the imperial court had suddenly ordered that civil and military officials everywhere should obey Shen Yu's commands whenever they saw him.

At first, he thought someone was faking the order; he had never heard of such a ridiculous order, and he wondered why none of the court officials had stood up to stop it.

With civil and military officials everywhere unconditionally obeying commands, was the imperial court not afraid of being hollowed out? If this person had rebellious intentions, the resulting chaos would be unimaginable.

But after confirming it repeatedly, he found that the order was indeed true. Not only did he receive such an order, but even his superiors and his colleagues around him had received it.

So, out of curiosity and even more out of precaution, Mu Cheng had memorized Shen Yu's appearance. It was precisely because of this that he could recognize Shen Yu at once.

To be able to make the imperial court issue such an order, this person was either extremely loyal or extremely treacherous. Unfortunately, he did not know that Shen Yu was neither.

In this world, as long as one's martial power exceeds a certain level, it is the greatest power in itself.

"Mu Cheng, Commander of the Ruowu City Military Commission, greets Lord Shen. I did not know of your arrival, and I failed to welcome you in time!"

Seeing that Shen Yu did not reply, Mu Cheng carefully glanced at Shen Yu, only to find that this shameless person was staring intently at his wife.

He admitted that his wife was indeed beautiful, but there was no need for a young man like him to be so fixated on her; he, the husband, had not even walked away yet.

"Lord? Lord!"

"Mu Cheng, has there been anything unusual in Ruowu City recently?"

"Unusual?" Taken aback by the question, their Ruowu City had not changed for years; how could there be anything unusual?

If one had to say there was something unusual, then Shen Yu, this legendary figure, suddenly appearing in their godforsaken place—did that count? However, he only thought this; he dared not actually say it.

"Lord, there is nothing unusual in the city recently; everything is no different from before."

"No difference? Then did Lord Mu not notice that something is wrong with the person beside you? Did you not see that your wife is already a Living Dead?"

"Living Dead?" Looking at Shen Yu, then at his wife, Mu Cheng said in a deep, grim voice, "Lord Shen, please do not joke with this subordinate!"

"I never joke; I have come specifically for her. Why don't you try touching her to see if your wife's hands are cold, and see if she still has a pulse!"

"This..." Looking toward his wife, Mu Cheng reached out his hand, intending to touch her; his purpose was originally to put her at ease.

But at this moment, his wife shrank her hand back, as if afraid of being touched by him.

This subconscious reaction made Mu Cheng's heart skip a beat. Having been husband and wife for so many years, how could he not see these abnormalities?

"Madam, you—could it be that what he said is true!"

"Yes, I have indeed already died, yet I can also be considered alive." She admitted it without hesitation, and then Madam Mu revealed a faint smile, the smile full of eeriness and coldness.

"And I will continue to live on, but some people may not!"

"Young people these days, they always like to seek their own deaths!"