The first day the Divine Mansion Army arrived in Qinghe, all was calm.

The second day the Divine Mansion Army arrived in Qinghe, Flying Eagle Castle Lord Ji Chang reappeared before the public, announcing his fealty to the new Commander and his intention to purge the lingering poison of Ji Hanming.

The third day the Divine Mansion Army arrived in Qinghe, the Iron Saber Gang Leader came to beg for forgiveness and received the new Commander’s pardon.

And so, the people of Qinghe County all cheered for the great Commander Bai, who had brought light to Qinghe.

Of course, all of the above was thanks to Zhao Han fanning the flames.

Bai Yuan listened to the children outside singing songs cheering for the great Commander Bai... ’This hero worship is laying it on a bit thick.’

In just three days, he had swept away all opposition in Qinghe.

For someone like him, who controlled a terrifying machine of violence like the Divine Mansion Army’s Wei Camp, it was a simple matter of giving the word.

He had only even shown his face twice during the entire process; Zhao Han had done everything else.

When Old Dong sent the Wei Camp to the counties of southern Huanglong Prefecture, like Qinghe, it wasn’t just to exterminate the remnants of Demon Sects like the Soul-Chasing Tower and the Celestial Heart Sect.

Suppressing the various counties and making the Martial Artists here once again deeply feel the supreme authority of the Divine Mansion Sect was also a crucial part of the mission.

Only fear could make these people abandon the foolish notion of hiding Demon Sect followers.

Bai Yuan knew how to adapt to local customs.

Only a protagonist like Long Aotian could pull off something as sci-fi as starting a revolution for equality in this Otherworld. Since his surname wasn’t Long, he naturally wouldn’t do something so thankless and foolish.

Otherwise, his fate would be no better than that of Mr. Wang, who had tried to implement reforms in Xuan Yang eight hundred years ago.

"Commander Bai, these are the account books from Flying Eagle Castle and the Iron Saber Gang."

Zhao Han said, pointing to a stack of ledgers beside them that was as tall as a man.

These account books detailed all the assets of Flying Eagle Castle and the Iron Saber Gang, including information on their disciples and clan members.

Of course, Bai Yuan didn’t want these books to investigate them for corruption; they were simply for convenience when it came time to confiscate their assets.

If Flying Eagle Castle or the Iron Saber Gang showed the slightest sign of dissent, these books would become King Yama’s death ledger, used to wipe them from Qinghe completely.

"Well done."

Bai Yuan nodded. Zhao Han was indeed very efficient.

’I wonder which commander Zhao Han offended in the Slaughter Camp to get demoted to the Wei Camp.’

"By the way, is there any news on the remnants of the Demon Sects, the Soul-Chasing Tower and the Celestial Heart Sect?"

"I’ve already sent men out to investigate."

"Mm."

Bai Yuan grunted in acknowledgment.

Business still had to be taken care of. Besides picking up Sister Qiao, his main reason for coming to Qinghe was to exterminate the Demon Sect remnants. If he achieved nothing here, it would be hard to answer to Old Dong.

Those Demon Sect remnants were all prime targets for enhancement points, so he naturally wouldn’t let them get away.

The more chaotic the world, the faster he grew.

Seeing that Bai Yuan had no further instructions, Zhao Han tactfully and quietly exited the room.

The moment Zhao Han closed the door, Xiao Qiaoniang lifted the curtain and walked out.

"Brother Yuan~"

She called out softly.

She had overheard their conversation. ’My man really is amazing.’

’Those once high and mighty Fortress Lords and Gang Leaders can now only bow at Brother Yuan’s feet.’

Sister Qiao reached Bai Yuan in just a few steps.

After three years of martial arts training, Sister Qiao had changed completely. She had a slender figure with taut thighs. Her waist, honed by spear practice to be slender enough to grasp with one hand, made her figure seem even more dramatic. A high ponytail made her look sharp and heroic, just like a wandering swordswoman of the Jianghu.

Just as Sister Qiao was about to speak, a gust of wind suddenly rushed her face.

"Oof..."

Sister Qiao’s body was suddenly swept up with immense force.

An hour passed.

The solid yellow flower pear wood bed showed faint signs of being unable to hold up.

"Husband, I really can’t take it anymore."

...

The door creaked open from the inside, and a fully dressed and refreshed Bai Yuan walked out of the room.

Through the crack in the door, one could vaguely see Sister Qiao, who had been thoroughly worn out, leaning shyly against the headboard.

She probably wouldn’t be getting out of bed today.

Martial Artists were all hot-blooded. As Bai Yuan was currently at the Blood Refining Pass, his Qi and Blood were particularly vigorous, so he was even more so.

He had been holding back for quite a few days.

The first clap of spring thunder was naturally going to be powerful.

It was a good thing Sister Qiao was a Martial Artist; an ordinary woman’s body truly wouldn’t have been able to withstand his vigor.

Bai Yuan had just stepped out of the courtyard gate.

He saw Chu Yuan, Ma Dingjun, and the others already standing at the entrance.

Zhang Yang chuckled slyly and patted Bai Yuan’s shoulder.

’A Blood Refining Pass Martial Artist’s stamina is really something else. To make such a commotion, and for two hours! Two whole hours!’

’When I become a Blood Refining Martial Master, I’m going to go at it like that too!’

Zhang Yang was practically dying of envy.

Chu Yuan and Ma Dingjun also had strange expressions; they lived in nearby courtyards, so they had naturally overheard some of the commotion. Thankfully, Sister Qiao’s master, Cheng Li, lived farther away.

Bai Yuan remained expressionless. "Senior Brothers, let’s go."

Of course, he had been the one to summon Chu Yuan and the others; he’d just misjudged the timing.

’I still have a long way to go before I’m a master of time management. If that were a class, I’d definitely have to upgrade it to legendary level!’

...

「County Magistrate’s Office.」

The person in the Grandmaster’s Chair in the main hall had long since changed. Magistrate Zhang knew his place and had moved, taking a seat to Bai Yuan’s left.

Besides Chu Yuan and the others from Huwei Arts Hall, all the other influential powers in the city had also sent representatives.

This naturally included Flying Eagle Castle Lord Ji Chang and Iron Saber Gang Leader Tie Tu.

The current Ji Chang was a miserable sight. The legs of his trousers were empty; his entire lower body was simply gone. From now on, even if he wanted to take a few more concubines, he would be willing but unable.

This was all, of course, the work of his "good" son, Ji Hanming—or rather, Long Ao.

Fortunately, with Ji Chang’s Strong Organ Pass realm, even without his legs, his strength was still above the Muscle Tempering stage. Otherwise, even if Bai Yuan hadn’t intervened, Flying Eagle Castle would have long since had a new master.

Ji Chang sat to Bai Yuan’s right, gazing with a complex expression at the young man who had emerged from Qinghe.

The last time he had seen Bai Yuan was at the Divine Mansion Sect’s disciple recruitment ceremony. He never expected that when they met again, their positions would be completely reversed.

However, if not for Bai Yuan, he likely would have been left to die by Ji Hanming in the sunless Water Prison.

That was why he had unhesitatingly brought Flying Eagle Castle to pledge allegiance to Bai Yuan.

Of course, had he hesitated in his choice for even a moment, Flying Eagle Castle would likely be controlled by someone else now.

Bai Yuan only needed an easily controlled proxy; who that person was didn’t really matter.

Sitting next to Ji Chang was the Iron Saber Gang Leader, Tie Tu.

Compared to Ji Chang, he was far calmer.

The strong rule—this was an eternal truth of the Jianghu.

He had seen the image of Bai Yuan cutting down Ji Hanming with a single slash. The gap in their strength was too vast for him to harbor even a shred of defiance.

People called him Tie Tu, the Wolf of Qinghe, but in front of a true expert, he could be more docile than a dog.

Seeing that everyone was seated.

Magistrate Zhang cleared his throat and began to speak, "Everyone, I imagine you have all heard about the matter of the Northern Demon Sect. The Court and the Divine Mansion Sect wish to purge the hidden Demon Sect remnants from Qinghe County, and we hope for your full cooperation."

Though his words requested cooperation, the threat was palpable.

If anyone present dared to voice an objection, they probably wouldn’t make it out of the county office’s gates.

As the head of a county dispatched to Qinghe by the Xuan Yang Court, his understanding of the war in the Northern Territory was even greater than that of Tie Tu and the others.

For a thousand years, the Demon Sects had vanished from within Xuan Yang’s borders, but they had been quietly proselytizing in the Northern Plains, and now their followers numbered in the millions.

The Northern Plains were fierce, a land where humans and demons coexisted.

The Demon Sect, the Celestial Heart Sect, was not well-known in Xuan Yang, but it had been preaching in the Northern Plains for a thousand years, accepting all without discrimination. Among its million followers were not only northern barbarians but also countless demons.

The Xuan Yang Dynasty had always known little about the affairs of the Northern Plains, only realizing how terrifying the Demon Sect was when it invaded from the south.

In addition to this, the Soul-Chasing Tower, which had been rooted in Xuan Yang for a thousand years, was a constant headache for the Court.

Countless masters had died at the hands of Soul-Chasing Tower assassins.

Fortunately, there were innumerable sects within the Xuanyang National Territory, which had managed to quell the riots instigated by the Soul-Chasing Tower in various regions. Otherwise, the Xuan Yang Court’s forces alone would have been completely overwhelmed.

The previous dynasty had exhausted itself suppressing rebels everywhere, only to have its capital stolen from under its nose.

Perhaps it was precisely by learning this lesson that the Grand Ancestor Emperor had decided to rule the world alongside the sects.

Take Huanglong Prefecture, for example. Because the Divine Mansion Sect was stationed there, the Court didn’t actually need to exert much effort.

The hall was silent.

Everyone present was a Martial Dao expert with long, drawn-out breaths, to the point that not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

Bai Yuan broke the silence. "Since no one has any objections, the Divine Mansion Army will assign each of you a jurisdiction to oversee. If any mistakes are made, you will bear the consequences yourselves."

’In my past life, I was a working stiff too, so of course I understand the principle that the boss has to have the last word. Only then can you lay down the law and establish your authority.’

Seeing Bai Yuan speak.

Ji Chang and Tie Tu were the first to declare their stance: "We will follow Commander Bai’s orders!"

When the others saw that the two strongest men in Qinghe had responded this way, they naturally didn’t dare say more and chimed in with their agreement.

For a moment, the hall was filled with a harmonious and cheerful atmosphere.

Bai Yuan, of course, knew that the meeting was just a formality. The measures that followed were what truly mattered.

If anyone dared to go back on their word later, he would show no mercy.

Chu Yuan and the others, representing Huwei Arts Hall, sat next to Magistrate Zhang. They naturally supported Bai Yuan—after all, they were all on the same side.

Chu Yuan was a broad-minded person by nature and wouldn’t do something as petty and incompetent as being jealous. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

He knew full well that if Huwei Arts Hall wanted to advance further, they had to cling tightly to Bai Yuan’s thigh.

Although his own talent was decent, compared to Bai Yuan, he was leagues behind.

But Chu Yuan was self-aware; sometimes, knowing how to latch onto a powerful patron was a skill in itself.

Seeing that everyone had stated their positions, Bai Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

Finally, it was time for Magistrate Zhang’s concluding remarks.

As a seasoned old official who had navigated the bureaucracy for decades, this sort of thing was second nature to him; he didn’t even need a script.

"I’ll just briefly make three points."

"First, we must work together with one heart... This point has fifteen sub-points. The first of which is..."

Magistrate Zhang spoke for an hour straight, his words flowing like a torrent, on and on.

If Bai Yuan hadn’t forcibly interrupted him, he probably would have kept talking for much longer.

Seeing Magistrate Zhang’s expression, which suggested he still had more to say, Bai Yuan was secretly amazed.

’It’s a pity this Magistrate Zhang was born in the wrong place. If he were in my previous world, he could have at least become a Third-Grade Official.’

In Xuan Yang, martial prowess was revered.

Therefore, high-ranking officials in the Court generally had considerable Martial Dao cultivation. The cultivation of those who reached the pinnacle of power was even more unfathomable.

Magistrate Zhang was only a Strong Internal Martial Artist; the highest he could ever reach in this life was a seventh-grade official.

Now over sixty, his hopes for further advancement were basically gone.

The Divine Mansion Army moved quickly. The very next day, the various major families received their assigned areas of responsibility.

Powers close to Bai Yuan, like the Li Family, were assigned safe areas within the city.

As for the other powers, they were assigned to the mountains outside the city.

Since he had power, of course he had to make good use of it.

Bai Yuan had no time for laughable ideas like being impartial and selfless.

In this world, self-preservation was the top priority. As for righting wrongs and bringing about an era of eternal peace, those were problems for Saints to worry about.

’Of course, if my panel had Saint as a class, I wouldn’t mind giving it a try.’

Under the intimidating pressure of the Divine Mansion Army, everything in Qinghe County proceeded in an orderly fashion.

During this time, there were of course some who refused to submit, but they were all dealt with by Zhao Han, one by one.

If Bai Yuan hadn’t stepped in to dissuade him, Zhao Han would have nearly annihilated those few families.

For some reason, news of this matter reached the ears of the common people of Qinghe.

Many people praised him, saying, "That Commander Bai is a surprisingly good guy!"