Zhong Mu frowned. The more he learned about this place, the colder the city seemed.
It appears quiet and peaceful, without the hustle and bustle of the Forgotten City or the restraint of the Twin Cities. Beneath the surface of peaceful operation lies the coldest hell.
Every mark on the high priest's body is evidence of the city's crimes.
"It's alright... The city lord who imprisoned you is dead, and no one can imprison you anymore," Zhong Mu quickly reassured him.
The high priest silently curled the corners of his mouth. "The city lord is not dead. Everyone in the City of Fallen Life is a city lord. As long as they are alive, I cannot leave this place."
Zhong Mu glanced at the messengers behind him who were standing at the elevator entrance and hadn't come in.
The high priest was right. If Zhong Mu hadn't fabricated the lie that the gods would return, these divine messengers would have wanted the high priest to stay. When a city lord dies, many people will become the new city lords. Without external forces, the high priest would not be able to leave.
Fortunately, Zhong Mu and the others arrived.
"Your body is very weak, and your breathing is gradually failing. How long has it been since you ate?" Mu He hurriedly examined her body. It was probably because the power of the gods was still in the High Priestess's body that she was constantly regenerating, which meant that although there were no major problems with her body, she was just hanging on to her life.
"I don't remember. I haven't eaten since I was locked up here. Anyway, I'll just regenerate if I starve to death. They won't think about that." The high priest lowered her eyes and spoke in a nonchalant tone, but the weakness she exuded made it seem like she would close her eyes and collapse at any moment.
Zhong Mu glanced at the High Priestess, then turned and walked to the elevator door, staring intently at the divine messengers. "You can wait downstairs. The High Priestess doesn't want to see you. I need some time to negotiate with her. Whether it works out depends on the High Priestess's attitude."
The messengers glanced at the high priest, nodded hastily, and immediately made room for him, taking the elevator down to wait. When the high priest was needed to help the City of Destiny, their attitude was the most humble and respectful.
As soon as the divine messengers left, Zhong Mu immediately turned around and approached them, whispering to the high priest, "Do you want to leave here?"
The high priest raised his eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable. "Do I not want to? I want to every single moment, but I can't escape."
Zhong Mu lowered his head, took out the doctor's hand from his storage space, and while chatting with the priest about the current situation outside the city, he stitched up Mu He's arm.
I first explained to her the impact their arrival had on the City of Demise, as well as the situation of other cities after losing their gods. Finally, I talked to her about their escape plan and their arrangements for her.
Since the High Priest of the Forgotten City had gone to the Twin Cities, Zhong Mu thought that he might as well take the High Priest of the City of Destiny to the City of Immortality, so that he could meet up with Boss Ye and Brother Xiu and settle the High Priest of the City of Destiny in the City of Immortality.
As for what will happen to the City of Destiny afterward, let them fend for themselves.
The city dwellers' deep-seated affliction is their loathing of their incompleteness. All the city dwellers, under God's blessing, have obtained complete bodies and have forgotten that they themselves are an incomplete group of people. God's disappearance has only returned them to their original state. What has driven them to such madness is themselves.
The City of Destiny doesn't need anyone to rescue it; they must slowly accept themselves.
Zhong Mu only planned to escape with the high priest; he had no intention of caring about the city, nor could he care about anything else.
"Leave here and go to the City of Immortality?" The High Priest slowly lowered his eyes. "If I can leave here, I'll go anywhere. I hope my appearance won't cause any trouble for the City of Immortality."
With all the cities in chaos, they probably can't spare any attention for her, the high priestess on the run.
"It's alright. I know people in Changsheng City. They're very strong and have definitely taken care of things there. We can just go there directly." Zhong Mu nodded confidently, calming the High Priest's still uneasy mood. "What's more important now is you. We need your cooperation to leave."
The high priest nodded silently.
The city's inhabitants now believe in the method Zhong Mu brought to summon back the gods; as long as the high priest cooperates, they will have a way to leave the City of Fallen Souls.
The City of Demise has two gates, one leading to the City of Twins and the other to the City of Immortality.
Since they're going to the City of Immortality, they'll lure all the city's inhabitants to the gates of the Twin Cities. Escaping won't be difficult; they can take the High Priest with them, all they need is the High Priest's cooperation.
With the city lord dead, the prison will be gone. With Zhong Mu's lies as a guarantee, now is the easiest time for the high priest to leave. If he doesn't leave by this time, he will have no hope of leaving at all.
"I'll go with you." She wouldn't hesitate at all; no matter where these two people were going, she would follow them without looking back.
"It's okay, we'll take it slow. Right now, you need to get your body in better shape. You haven't eaten for too long, and you might vomit if you eat suddenly. But if you don't eat, you'll starve to death. You need to set aside some time to get your body in better shape, otherwise you might have an accident when you leave."
Mu He also had to prioritize the patient's condition. She rarely encountered such a frail patient. In this dark and hopeless prison, with no one to care for her, all her organs had atrophied. Now, let alone cooperating with Zhong Mu's performance, she could hardly even step onto the summoning platform.
The high priest shook his head. "No, the people of Fallen City are very impatient. We must leave quickly. If I die, I'll take my body with me. Anyway, I'll be reborn. Leaving here is the most important thing."
Mu He sighed helplessly, raised her head, looked in Zhong Mu's direction, and waited for Zhong Mu's reply.
"Won't you last until the summoning ritual ends?"
Mu He shook his head. "She can't hold on. The fact that she can still speak means she's gotten used to this state. A normal person would be in a daze or completely unconscious by now. If my estimate is correct, if she insists on going out in this state, she'll die on the summoning platform in a little while."
Zhong Mu stroked his chin thoughtfully, staring intently at the High Priest. "If you insist on leaving here quickly, you'll have to be patient."
"I promise you, the next time you open your eyes, it will be outside the City of Destiny."
A pale smile appeared on the high priest's gaunt face. "With your promise, I can rest assured."
"This is just one of the countless times I've died, but it's the one I've been looking forward to the most. I can't wait to close my eyes. I hope this time, it will be a good dream."
Whether Zhong Mu could do it or not, she remained calm, because it would simply mean returning to her original life and experiencing another disappointment.