He noticed that the protective shroud formed by the Earth Elemental energy around the governor had vanished.
Just moments before it disappeared, several individuals with menacing auras had located the governor.
Miao Yinuo, seeing Bai Zihe’s expression change, asked, "Brother Bai, what’s wrong? Did something happen?"
Bai Zihe nodded and said, "Miaomiao, if there's nothing else here, come with me to Nanmiao City. I have some business with the governor there."
"This place..."
Miao Yinuo glanced around, not giving it much thought.
Even though this was the legendary Tomb of the Gu Emperor, for Miao Yinuo, having already fused with the Gu King's Spirit Pearl and possessing the inheritance from her father, she had no further desires.
"There's nothing more to explore. Since you have matters to attend to in Nanmiao City, Brother Bai, let's head over now."
Bai Zihe nodded.
The two quickly exited the Tomb of the Gu Emperor.
"Swish..."
The Sky-Piercing Sword hovered in mid-air, having grown considerably larger. Bai Zihe lightly jumped onto it and said to Miao Yinuo, "Miaomiao, you come up too. This will be faster."
"Wow..."
"Is this the legendary sword flight?"
Miao Yinuo carefully stepped on, and as the flying sword ascended and accelerated, she became increasingly excited.
She was, after all, a young girl, full of innocence and vitality.
Now, flying with Bai Zihe on the sword, the experience was incredibly exhilarating, especially when she hugged Bai Zihe's waist from behind; the feeling was… indescribably wonderful.
Inside the hotel.
In the most luxurious private room.
Besides the governor, several other people were present.
The one in the center…
A middle-aged man with a square face, an aquiline nose, and eyes that occasionally glinted with sharp light, exuding an aura of long-held authority. He was clearly a formidable individual.
On either side of him stood four burly men, each about two meters tall, exuding immense pressure.
These men…
Their muscles were extremely robust, their eyes sharp and piercing, capable of shocking anyone at a single glance. Their temples were prominently bulging, indicating they were all martial arts experts.
In addition to them.
There was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in gaudy, colorful attire, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, appearing rather carefree.
They were the Nan family, the ancient martial arts family of Nanmiao City's foremost clan!
The middle-aged man was Nan Wentian, the head of the Nan family and a Grandmaster-level expert. The young man was his son, Nan Youwei!
This time.
They had come at the governor's summons, intending to seek tutelage from the Evil King.
The Evil King's reputation…
In Miaojiang, it was known to all.
If one could become a disciple of the Evil King, the Nan family would undoubtedly become even stronger, possibly even reaching the status of a hidden family comparable to the former Shangjing!
Therefore.
Nan Wentian had specially brought his son and his sincerity, arriving at the hotel at the earliest opportunity.
But now, the governor informed him that the Evil King had already left, and the matter of selecting a disciple had become a complete disappointment, enraging Nan Wentian immensely.
"Governor..."
Nan Wentian's expression was icy, his tone laced with impatience. "Lord Evil King has always kept his word. If he said he would take disciples, he would certainly take disciples; there's no such thing as him leaving midway."
"Today's matter..."
"You must provide an explanation."
"Otherwise, do not blame me, Nan Wentian, for being impolite."
Miaojiang had always revered martial arts, and Nan Wentian was the foremost expert in Nanmiao City. The Nan family was also the foremost clan, with vast influence and deep roots, making them considerably more powerful than the governor.
The governor's eagerness to secure that spot this time was partly an attempt to suppress the Nan family.
However…
The Evil King had been dealt with by Bai Zihe.
Now, the governor had no idea how to explain.
Should he tell the Nan family that this was merely a scheme by the Evil King to lure everyone here and then kill them all?
That was clearly untenable; no one would believe it.
Yet, beyond that, the governor had no other recourse.
"Patriarch Nan, please calm down!"
The governor’s face also darkened as he spoke soothingly, "This matter is a long story, and I don't quite know how to explain it at the moment."
"However..."
"You must believe me, I have absolutely no intention of being an enemy of the Nan family."
"What happened today is a colossal misunderstanding, not something that can be explained in a few words. You can wait a couple of days and see how the situation unfolds."
The governor was also at a loss.
He knew nothing about Bai Zihe.
As for the Evil King…
He knew about the bet between the Evil King and Bai Zihe. Based on the current situation, it seemed the Evil King had indeed been eliminated.
However, he couldn't confirm it!
"Misunderstanding?"
Nan Wentian's expression grew colder, his eyes almost freezing into ice crystals. "Governor, you gathered so many people here today just to tell us it was a misunderstanding?"
Nan Wentian was so exasperated he almost laughed.
This was truly a colossal misunderstanding.
"Even if you can gloss over this with me, you cannot gloss over it with the hundreds of thousands of Miaojiang people outside!"
"I see..."
Nan Wentian’s face showed seven parts anger and three parts schadenfreude. "Your position as governor is likely over today."
The governor’s complexion changed again.
In fact.
From the moment the Evil King's clone had vanished, the governor had sensed something was amiss, but he was indeed powerless.
Waiting here…
Was merely a fantasy, a hope that Bai Zihe would return and perhaps offer a solution.
But now, it seemed Bai Zihe would not be returning.
"Governor!"
Just then, a subordinate rushed forward. "There are about a hundred thousand Miaojiang people gathered outside, all here for the Evil King. The situation is getting a bit out of hand. Should we consider increasing security forces to stabilize order?"
Before the governor could speak.
Nan Wentian beside him sneered, "Increase security for what? The Evil King isn't even here anymore! This is just a farce orchestrated by our dear governor!"
"There is no Evil King here, and there is no matter of the Evil King taking disciples!"
The subordinate’s face immediately changed.
However, he didn't fully believe Nan Wentian and looked to the governor, asking cautiously, "Governor, is what Patriarch Nan saying true?"
The governor remained silent.
He didn't know how to answer.
Without an answer, the subordinate began to infer, his face instantly turning grim. "This, this, Governor, this is going to be a disaster!"
"What?"
Just then, a few people outside overheard their conversation and became furious.
"The Evil King is not here!"
"This is a farce created by the governor!"
"What did you just say? The Evil King didn't come, and there was no intention of him taking disciples?"
"This damned governor..."
The news spread with incredible speed.
From one to ten, then to a hundred, in the blink of an eye, the hundreds of thousands of people present almost all knew.
The Evil King hadn't come, and there was no intention of him taking disciples!
The governor’s face contorted with misery; the worst-case scenario he had feared had finally occurred.