“You are no different from 'that person'.” The district mayor calmed his nerves and then said calmly, “Giving it to you is the same as giving it to him. It wouldn't benefit the Lawless Lands at all.”

“Good things should be kept to yourself, but trying to keep it without the ability to protect it is an unforgiving mistake.” Ling Lan stood up from her seat and walked next to the district mayor. She then smacked him over the shoulder. “When everyone in the 11th Preserve District dies, do you think the natives of Lawless Land would still exist after a few decades?”

The district mayor's expression darkened significantly.

“You would rather sacrifice the future of the natives of the Lawless Lands than to take a chance on grasping a future where your people can finally hold their heads up high. How dumb can you be.” Ling Lan inched her face closer towards the district mayor. A constant smile was plastered on her face and her tone was full of mockery.

The district mayor tried to turn his head, but he knew he couldn't afford to. The lives of everyone in the district were on his shoulders. He couldn't evade Ling Lan's gaze. Once he evaded, it was like evading the responsibility on his shoulders.

After a short while, the district mayor finally calmed himself and asked, “If I tell you, will you let us go?”

Knowing he didn't have any choice, the district mayor began grasping for straws to survive.

Ling Lan shook her head and laughed, “You're too naive. No matter what you say, you will suffer the same end anyways. However, I can promise I won't slaughter the citizens in the 11th Preserve District. So, tell me the secret that would cause unrest amongst the lords. At least, your deaths would then be of more value.”

“Hahaha….” The district mayor suddenly laughed derisively towards the sky. After laughing, he looked at Ling Lan with an enraged look in his eyes as he spoke coldly, “If it's death either way, I would be an idiot if I told you anything.”

“Whatever. If you want to do that, sure. Anyway, now, I won't need to make him my enemy and I could just continue to be Lord Gen. That's not bad either,” Ling Lan had a nonchalant look on her face.

The district mayor started at Ling Lan to see if he could find any hints of hesitation. However, he didn't see anything but instead, he saw her becoming more confident. Maybe that was Lord Gen's real thoughts on this issue.

The mental wall of the district mayor completely collapsed. With the faith he had on the secret he held protecting them collapsing, he lifelessly flopped on his chair.

“You win!” said the district mayor bitterly.

His right hand slowly reached towards his waist to pull out a sharp dagger. With the dagger in hand, he stabbed his own left shoulder.

Blood spewed out of the wound. Diyi, who was still catching his breath, couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Ling Lan, Luo Lang and Zhao Jun on the other hand were only watching the district mayor calmly, being totally not surprised by his sudden self-mutilation.

The district mayor had always believed the citizens of the Lawless Lands were gifted with a heavenly physique, making them stronger, stronger than the average person, but these foreigners weren't even human. They were a bunch of abnormal beings.

Although the district mayor was going through a difficult time in his mind, the hand holding the knife didn't stop at all.

The knife continued to roughly cut open the flesh on his shoulder. He carved out chunks of his flesh to the point where his bones could be seen from the surface. When the bones surface in everyone's vision, they realized a part of his shoulder was actually made out of metal.

Despite the district mayor almost carving out a few pounds of flesh, no blood leaked out of his body due to his exceptional control over his muscle, which constricted the blood vessels around his shoulder.

He gritted his teeth as he used the tip of the dagger to chip against a certain point on his metal shoulder bone. As the knife chipped away the bone, a small compartment within the bone was revealed.

He then used the tip of the dagger to dig the compartment. A black object quickly flew out from there and shot towards Ling Lan.

Hundreds of silver threads suddenly appeared in front of Ling Lan and quickly created a net, instantly catching the black object within it.

The district mayor endured the pain and spoke with bated breath, “Everything you want is there. As for whether you can decrypt it or not, that'll depend on you.”

Ling Lan looked closely at the black object suspended in mid-air by her silver threaded net. She went into deep thought as she scrutinized the black object.

“I hope you can keep your word and let the citizens of the 11th Preserve District go. As for us, you can kill us if you want.” The district mayor laughed bitterly.

“He also has one of these, doesn't he?” Ling Lan didn't answer, but rather asked a question instead.

The district mayor's eyes narrowed. The look he gave Ling Lan was complicated.

“This is becoming interesting.” Ling Lan stood up. A slight look of helplessness was shown in her eyes, but also an unseen look of joy.

“We can finally go back. This time, we have to rest up well,” Ling Lan turned towards the door and didn't turn back.

Luo Lang and Zhao Jun followed suit.

The district mayor looked at the fading silhouettes of the three of them in both fear and surprise. When the three of them walked out the door, he finally couldn't help but ask, “You're not going to kill me?”

“Not interested. As for whether the 11th Preserve District will be able to live to see the next day, that's your problem, not mine.”

There was no one there, but Ling Lan's cold voice rang in the district mayor's ears.

The way she said it was cold and heartless, but it seemed to have made him feel somewhat… grateful?