In fact, Wang Qing was not taking Mu Tian or Feng Ziling back to Fire Country. He just said that to test them.

After one week, they arrived in Black City.

None of the three countries could rule Black City, so this place came with nobody's jurisdiction. It was not that these countries abandoned the city willingly but that this place was difficult to control. More importantly, the other two countries would never just sit and watch if any of the countries attacked Black City.

Black City was as thriving and prosperous as any of the capitals of these countries. Located on the border of the three countries, it had well-developed transport networks and heavy traffic.

This city was well-regulated. To Murong Xue's surprise, Black City was a highly democratic city where all the policies were made and practiced with openness and transparency and people had their representatives in policymaking. Moreover, the guards' weapon made her eyes wide open.

At the gate, she saw every guard with a pistol on his waist.

Murong Xue caught hold of Wang Qing's robe. "What's going on here?"

Wang Qing said carelessly, "This city is the gray area. None of the three countries has control over it. What's wrong? Prosperous as it is, Black City does not surpass the imperial city. Why are you so surprised?"

"I'm not asking about that. Do you see the gatekeepers?" Murong Xue revealed the carriage's curtain and pointed to the guards at the gate nearby.

A smile touched Wang Qing's lips and disappeared very quickly when Murong Xue came near him unconsciously. He looked out of the carriage in the direction she pointed. "Yes. Why do you ask? What's wrong with the guards?"

Murong Xue asked with a grave face, "Did you notice the thing on their waist? Do you have that in your country?"

If what Jiu Yan told her before was true, Snow Country did not have such advanced weapons or technologies. They did not even have gunpowder, let alone firearms. So she was wondering why Black City had pistols. It seemed impossible.

Unless there was someone like her who also came from the future and had advanced knowledge.

Wang Qing felt puzzled. "What's that? Why are you so surprised about a decoration?"

"You haven't seen it before?" Murong Xue found it strange that all the countries had no clue while pistols were exposed openly in Black City.

Wang Qing frowned. "Yes, I have seen it half a year ago when I came here. But what is it good for?"

Actually, he was very curious when he saw the pistols for the first time and he made an investigation. However, this city was well-regulated and people living here were highly united and loved their hometown. Wang Qing had no idea how the governor achieved these. He once tried to make friends with the governor, but he was ignored.

Wang Qing did not gather useful information and he did not see them use the pistols, either. Therefore, he mistook it for a harmless decoration. But Mu Tian's reaction implied that he had been wrong.

Murong Xue continued to ask, "Have you ever seen them use it?"

Wang Qing shook his head and turned to Mu Tian. "What? Do you know what it is?"

"No." Murong Xue answered with a very grave face. She did not plan to tell Wang Qing about it. The pistols caused an uproar inside her. She determined that there must be someone from the future in this city.

Since advanced weapons like pistols had already been put into production here, Murong Xue knew she might be unable to surpass them even if she started making firearms now.

More importantly, if the two sides were equally capable of military strength, the common people would be the only group suffering from the war. She had wanted to help Jiu Yan for the common people, but now she had to reconsider it. To help them kill people was not what she wanted.

She had to figure out what kind of person the governor was first.

Wang Qing asked her, "What's wrong? You seem to have a lot on your mind."

Murong Xue looked up. "I want to see the governor of Black City."

A smile touched Wang Qing's lips. "You want to see the governor. Why?" Mu Tian had been distracted since she saw that thing on the guard's waist.

Wang Qing was determined that Mu Tian knew what that thing was and that it was not as useless as he had thought. He felt that he might as well carry out new research and try to get one for further study.

"You don't need to know why. Can you help me meet with the governor?"

Murong Xue made a request as if she hadn't been his prisoner now.

Wang Qing had been very friendly and gentle to Mu Tian these two days. Instead of getting physical with her, he became attentive, kind, and loving.

"This is not my territory. I can't promise you. It's a long shot." But for the other two countries, he would have taken Black City for his own. If so, the governor would never have been so arrogant and refused his visit.

But Wang Qing was not someone who acted on impulse. He decided to take his time with Black City as defeating the other two countries was the top priority. Wind Country agreed to cooperate with Fire Country in order to take out Snow Country, but he knew Wind Country had the same plan of dividing and conquering. After they defeated Snow Country, Wind Country would turn against Fire Country. He had to consider all the possibilities and prepare in advance.

However, Wang Qing might change his mind if he knew what the pistols could do.

Murong Xue understood that Black City would not choose to only produce pistols. They probably had cannons as well. Wang Qing's response told her that the governor had no fear of leaking, so she wondered what this governor's goal was and if he wanted to conquer the world.

She would not interfere if the governor was not a tyrant. She just wanted to leave this world instead of getting involved in its development.

Murong Xue said firmly, "He'll agree to receive me."

Wang Qing paused for a moment, and his eyes staring at Mu Tian became deeper. "What's the relationship between you and the governor? Is he your lover?"

It was not surprising that Wang Qing came up with such a theory. No one knew who the governor was, and the man Mu Tian loved and mentioned before, Huangfu Yi, was also nowhere to be found. No family name in this world was Huangfu, so Wang Qing doubted that Mu Tian made it up to refuse him.

However, it occurred to Wang Qing that the governor of Black City also showed up out of nowhere. This capable man managed to control Black City and build military bases before all three countries could respond.

The three countries had considered attacking Black City, but this city was in the charge of different strengths that were too tough to be defeated by force, which only sparked greater riots. Instead of conquering Black City, they suffered great losses in military strength. The three countries balanced each other, so none of them could send more armies than the other two, which allowed this mysterious man to gain advantages.

The governor of Black City reorganized all the forces in a shockingly short time. Within half a month, he cleaned up everything and built military bases. The three countries could not bear to see Black City expand, so they agreed to establish their own bases in the city for monitoring what was going on there. Also, spies from the three countries scattered around the city.

However, half a year passed, and Black City did not make any move. Their spies were unable to investigate the military bases, but everything else seemed pretty normal. Stranger still, the governor carried out democratic reforms and guaranteed everyone equal rights. As for these bizarre ideas, Wang Qing felt puzzled and waited to see the governor reap what he sowed.

To his surprise, Black City was unprecedentedly united because of the strange policies. This city got rid of chaos and everything was in order.

Changes in Black City, together with the treaty that was close to its expiration, made the three countries get fidgety, so Fire Country chose to cooperate with Wind Country, the closer one, to defeat Snow Country first. Snow Country was far away, so the other two decided to attack it to cut down expenses. Meanwhile, they were always keeping an eye on Black City.

Compared with Snow Country, Black City was too small to attract much attention.

Murong Xue answered, "No. We might be strangers, but he and I must come from the same world. You wouldn't understand."

Wang Qing raised a cold smile. "Do you remember that you'll be my queen when we return to Fire Country after visiting Snow Country? I don't care about your lover or anything else. You just need to be good and wait to marry me."

Murong Xue's face went dark. "I don't understand. What do you love about me? I can change it. Or, are you one of the shallow people who fall for pretty faces?"

"Huh, interesting. I am a shallow person. What's wrong with it?" Wang Qing was not someone who would be influenced so easily.

Murong Xue did not expect him to admit that. Having nothing to say to change his mind, she saw the fruit knife on the table in the carriage and she grabbed it quickly to cut her face. She had no mercy for herself, and the deep cut started bleeding at once. The pain twisted her expression slightly, and she began to sweat.

Wang Qing changed his face, frightened. He snatched the knife from her and threw it out of the window. He clasped her hands and cried, "Are you crazy?"

Murong Xue asked in pain, "My face is destroyed. Can you let me go now?"