The years pass quietly, time flies, and in the blink of an eye, twenty years have passed.

"Sir, Little Yellow Mountain is just ahead!"

On the flat and open official road, shaded by green trees, the carriage moved slowly.

The driver was a middle-aged man, with a weathered face and a burly build, his hands rough and calloused, steadily driving the carriage with hardly any jolts along the way.

Inside the carriage, a faint scent of sandalwood lingered, and two people sat facing each other, both exuding a sense of calm.

Both of them were dressed as scholars, though one was a young man while the other was middle-aged.

Although the younger one seemed less mature, in terms of demeanor and presence, he was superior. With a flick of his folding fan, he lifted the curtain, revealing mighty mountains cleaved to carve out a wide road, with carriages and horses bustling back and forth.

"Cutting through mountains and creating a wide road, what a remarkable feat!"

Gazing at the broad official road and the traffic it bore, the young man expressed his wonder, with emotions complex and unreadable in his eyes.

"This deity... is indeed extraordinary."

The middle-aged scholar echoed, "And with great ambition!"

"Indeed, with great ambition!"

The young man laughed softly, "If the ambitions weren’t grand, how could he spare no effort to carve out such a mountain road?"

The middle-aged scholar nodded, "I’ve heard that the previous County Magistrates either collaborated smoothly with him or disagreed fiercely, the former mostly got promoted, transferred to the prefecture, while the latter..."

"Were mostly ostracized out of the county, some even punished and dismissed!"

The young man maintained his soft smile, "Over more than twenty years, five or six County Magistrates have come and gone."

The middle-aged scholar nodded, "Young master, you are new here, you should proceed cautiously, and definitely not repeat old mistakes."

"I understand."

The young man’s gaze was calm, yet deep like the sea, concealing untold waves, "He is a deity, I am a human; the Yin and Yang are distinct and clear. If he doesn’t overstep, I will not conflict with him, but if he goes too far, violating the laws of the Court, as an official, I cannot allow him to act recklessly." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"What the young master said is very true."

The scholar had no choice but to agree outwardly, while inwardly sighing as he advised tactfully, "However, since you are new here, without a firm foothold or foundation, you should be cautious and not act too hastily."

"Rest assured, sir, I know my limits."

The young man laughed lightly, unwilling to say more.

The scholar, seeing this, felt more helpless, but knew better than to say more, suppressing his worries deep within.

Qinghe County, Little Yellow Mountain!

This county and mountain have gained significant fame in Jinyang Prefecture in recent years.

The reasons should be recounted from twenty years ago.

Twenty years ago, the Song Clan rose to prominence, annihilating the remaining Five Immortals and the Three Strongholds Bandits, using this achievement to secure the position of Qinghe County Captain. Then they began to recruit local militia and clear the mountain bandits.

The bandit problem at Little Yellow Mountain had a long history, dating back a hundred years. Many bandits amassed in the mountains and forests, establishing camps and strongholds. Among them were evil ghosts and demons, with the worship of evil gods entrenched, despite multiple government expeditions, eradication was never complete.

Unexpectedly, after Song Wu assumed office as the Qinghe County Captain, he managed to eliminate the entrenched bandits at Little Yellow Mountain in one fell swoop, gaining notable recognition in Jinyang Prefecture. Some folklore even bestowed him with the moniker, "Suppressing Yellow Mountain!"

If it were only this, it wouldn’t have been much.

After all, Jinyang Prefecture covers tens of thousands of miles, with numerous local bandit problems within its jurisdiction. Some are entrenched like persistent weeds, while others are eradicated swiftly, turning into accomplishments. A Little Yellow Mountain alone isn’t particularly remarkable, not enough to make a name in Jinyang.

But the endeavors of the Song Clan went far beyond this.

After eradicating Little Yellow Mountain, the Song Clan donated a huge sum of money to assist the then Qinghe County Magistrate, Lü Wenxuan, in constructing a road through the mountains, thereby opening a new official road through Little Yellow Mountain.

As the saying goes, if you want to get rich, first build a road.

Since ancient times, road construction has been a significant indicator of local governance achievements because improved roads facilitate transportation, greatly aiding both military activities and commerce. Once completed, it represents tangible accomplishments.

This official road through Little Yellow Mountain is the same. Previously, Little Yellow Mountain spanned hundreds of miles, forming a barrier between Qinghe County and Huangshan County, not only hindering transport with steep mountains but also plagued by numerous bandits, evil ghosts, and demons, making commercial exchange difficult and even deterring locals from residing near.

After Song Wu quelled the bandits at Little Yellow Mountain, the Song Clan further provided significant funding to help the Government Office carve out a path, splitting Little Yellow Mountain and opening a through-the-mountain official road.

This through-the-mountain official road not only connected Qinghe County and Huangshan County, significantly shortening the cumbersome detour of hundreds of miles, but also put a stop to the livelihoods of some bandits relying on blocking the road for robbery.

The significance is profound.

Qinghe County, named after the Qinghe River, has a reason for its name. Within the county, the Qinghe River connects to the Weishui River, making Qinghe County’s fishery industry very developed and transport by water especially convenient.

Huangshan County, though lacking such convenience, is backed by one of the nation’s famous mountains, Huangshan. Its rare mountain treasures are esteemed across the land, and with ample plains, it is a major agricultural county, frequently attracting merchants to form caravans for trade there.

Yet, due to the barrier of Little Yellow Mountain, traveling from Qinghe County to Huangshan County required a detour of hundreds of miles, with constant vigilance against bandit attacks and demonic interference, resulting in highly inconvenient transport and difficult commercial exchange.

Now, thanks to the assistance of the Song Clan, the bandits have been eradicated, roads constructed, making transportation convenient, benefiting both counties significantly, and greatly boosting commerce and the livelihood of the people.