Immortality Starts From Making Money.

Chapter 384: The City Lord’s Trouble.

Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, the City Lord sat beneath a quiet pavilion, calmly sipping a cup of spirit tea.

The gentle fragrance of the tea drifted through the air, mixing with the faint scent of blooming flowers nearby.

Seated opposite him was an old man with a long white beard.

The old man held a delicate porcelain cup between two fingers, his gaze lowered as if lost in deep thought.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Silence lingered in the pavilion.

Then, after a moment, the old man finally broke it.

"The craftsmanship of these artifacts is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before," he said slowly.

His voice was laced with shock and disbelief.

With decades of experience and countless years of traveling across various regions, he had encountered numerous rare treasures, mysterious techniques, and powerful artifacts.

Over time, very few things had been able to surprise him.

Yet now, in this seemingly ordinary city, he had experienced one shock after another.

The first had been the sudden rise of football.

A strange and unfamiliar mortal game that had quickly spread throughout the city.

Although it had initially caught his attention, it had not truly shaken him.

After all, in the world of cultivation where individuals pursued immortality and ultimate power; mortal games were insignificant.

No matter how entertaining they were, they could never compare to the pursuit of immortality.

But now...

His gaze fell upon the two artifacts placed carefully on the wooden table between them.

These items were entirely different.

After carefully examining them, the old man had discovered something astonishing.

At first glance, the artifacts seemed ordinary.

Their structure was built primarily using lower-tier runes.

However, upon closer inspection, he noticed several intricately embedded runes hidden within the design.

Those runes...

He had never seen them before.

Not only were they unfamiliar, but their arrangement also differed greatly from traditional rune structures.

It was as if the creator had abandoned conventional methods entirely and forged a new path.

The deeper he studied them, the more unsettled he became.

Such craftsmanship was not something an ordinary artifact master could achieve.

The old man slowly lifted his gaze and looked at the City Lord.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, his tone turning serious.

Then he added, "We must find the grandmaster behind these artifacts. I believe this same person is also responsible for the Game Replay Crystals."

"I think so as well," the City Lord replied quietly as he set his teacup down.

His expression was calm, but his eyes carried a hint of gravity.

He understood the significance of this matter.

A grandmaster capable of creating such artifacts would possess extraordinary skill.

More importantly, such a person could refine powerful artifacts and weapons that might influence the balance of power within the city.

Although he held the title of City Lord, that did not mean his position was secure.

On the contrary, he had countless enemies.

Many were constantly watching him, waiting for the slightest sign of weakness.

If someone else managed to win over this mysterious grandmaster first, the consequences could be disastrous.

The City Lord rose to his feet and walked a few steps forward, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked toward the distant horizon.

"At the moment, our only connection to this matter is the group behind the football enterprise," he said.

"Then what are you waiting for?" the old man demanded immediately.

His voice turned cold.

"Summon them here and force them to reveal the identity of the grandmaster behind these artifacts."

The City Lord let out a faint sigh.

"Do you think I haven’t considered that?" he replied.

He shook his head slowly.

"We know nothing about the forces behind them. This is not the time to act impulsively."

"We cannot risk gaining more enemies than we already have."

"So what?" the old man retorted stubbornly.

"What difference does one more enemy make?"

To him, this was a rare opportunity.

A chance to meet a grandmaster of such caliber was something cultivators might not encounter even in a lifetime.

Why should they let fear of the unknown stop them?

"Old man," the City Lord said with a helpless sigh, "you are no longer young. You should reconsider your approach to such matters."

The old man frowned but did not interrupt.

"For now, we must be patient," the City Lord continued.

"We are not the only ones searching for the grandmaster behind these artifacts."

He paused briefly before adding,

"Let us observe how the other noble clans react."

"Especially after the recent provocation from the Blood River Gang."

At the mention of this, the old man’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"With such a direct challenge, none of the proud noble clans will remain silent," the City Lord went on.

"In the next few days, we will likely learn more about the mysterious force behind the football game."

The old man remained quiet for a moment.

Then, slowly, he nodded.

"Very well," he said.

"Then what about the football matter itself?"

"Rumors are spreading rapidly throughout the city. If you do not respond, it will damage the reputation of the City Lord’s Mansion."

The City Lord’s eyes narrowed.

He had initially intended to ignore the challenge altogether.

In his view, a so-called "football match" was beneath his attention.

However, he had underestimated the influence of The Times Newspaper.

Even within his own mansion, whispers had already begun to spread.

Servants and maids were quietly discussing how the City Lord and the noble clans were afraid to participate in a mere mortal game.

Such rumors were dangerous.

This was no longer a simple matter of entertainment.

It had become a battle of wit.

A battle of reputation.

He could not use his authority to suppress the challenge.

Doing so would only confirm the rumors.

Nor could he ignore it.

That would be seen as cowardice.

The realization that he and every noble figure in the city had been cornered by a single calculated move filled him with irritation.

A cold glint flashed across his eyes.

’Once I uncover the people behind this... I will make them regret ever being born,’ he thought silently.

He knew very well what their objective was.

They were using the noble clans and even himself as stepping stones to elevate the fame and influence of their football game.

And that infuriated him.

Yet, for the moment, there was nothing he could do.

"For now... we wait," the City Lord said finally, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"Our focus should remain on finding the grandmaster behind these artifacts."

"That’s more like it," the old man replied, nodding slightly.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I assume you already have a plan?"

"Of course," the City Lord answered calmly.

"And if everything proceeds as expected, we should receive news by tomorrow."

Meanwhile...

At the top floor of the Thunderpool Trade Hall, a different conversation was taking place.

A beautiful woman sat elegantly on a cushioned chair, dressed in a long flowing purple robe.

Her posture was graceful, and her presence carried a quiet authority.

Before her stood a middle-aged woman, respectfully positioned near the corner of the room.

"Have our people discovered anything about them?" the woman in purple asked calmly.

Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable weight.

The middle-aged woman bowed slightly before replying.

"Miss, we have not yet received any concrete information."

She paused briefly before adding,

"However, I believe we will receive news soon."

The woman in purple nodded thoughtfully.

"Good," she said.

"We cannot afford to miss such an opportunity."

Her gaze turned slightly toward the window, as if looking out over the entire city.

"These artifacts are far too valuable."

"We must secure the rights to distribute them exclusively."

Her tone remained calm, but her words revealed a firm determination.

As the most powerful trade hall in the city, they could not remain passive in the face of such a development.

If anything, they had to act faster than everyone else.

"At the very least," she continued, "these artifacts must pass through our hands."

As for the mysterious grandmaster behind them...

She was just as curious as everyone else.