Seven days passed, but there was still no news of a new prefect.

Bai Yuan went into the mountains for Demon Hunting as usual.

He killed two Tier Five Tiger Demons, earning eight hundred reinforcement points.

He decisively spent these reinforcement points on the Four-Nine Book.

The matter with Murong Tian had been resolved thanks to his Divination Technique. If he could upgrade it to the master level, the results would surely be impressive.

Bai Yuan walked along the Official Road, carrying two large, bulging sacks filled with Tiger Demon meat.

He no longer had any use for demon meat of this level, but it was an excellent resource for the Divine Mansion Sect. He couldn’t let it go to waste; as the Sect Leader, he had to be frugal.

Just then, a robust young man approached him from the opposite direction.

"Excuse me, brother, could you tell me how to get to Huanglong Prefecture?"

The man spoke with an authentic Northern Lands accent, so he clearly wasn’t from Lingzhou.

Aside from the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office, most people in Lingzhou spoke with a northern dialect.

Bai Yuan replied, "I’m heading to Huanglong Prefecture myself. We can travel together."

They weren’t far from Huanglong Prefecture, so taking him into the city was no trouble. Besides, this robust man was clearly very powerful.

"Thank you."

The robust man gave a crisp salute, clasping his fist.

The man was quite talkative, and his mouth never stopped moving the entire way.

"Brother, were you out hunting in the mountains?"

Bai Yuan nodded. ’Technically, demons are beasts,’ he thought, ’so it’s not wrong to call it hunting.’

The robust man’s interest was piqued. "Are there any good hunting spots in Huanglong Prefecture? I have a few brothers who enjoy the autumn hunt. I could invite them to visit."

The term "autumn hunt" was rarely used among commoners, as it was an activity reserved for dignitaries and nobles.

The Xuan Yang Empire was founded on martial prowess. Although the Royal Family practiced martial arts, they couldn’t personally go into battle. Therefore, the Grand Ancestor Emperor established a rule: every year in the eighth month, they would enter the mountains to hunt.

Of course, their prey wasn’t ordinary beasts, but demons.

This was to demonstrate the abundant martial virtue of Xuan Yang.

This tradition trickled down from the top, and soon the wealthy scions of the Capital City took up hunting for sport, a trend that gradually spread throughout Xuan Yang.

Since the robust man mentioned the autumn hunt, his status must be quite high.

"You have a refined hobby, my friend."

Bai Yuan shook his head inwardly.

’These rich kids are always finding ways to kill time after they’ve eaten their fill. Isn’t it better to just earn reinforcement points like me?’

The robust man suddenly said, "It seems Sect Leader Bai is also a fan of hunting."

Hearing this, Bai Yuan stopped in his tracks.

He hadn’t expected this stranger to know his identity.

Seeing Bai Yuan’s reaction, the robust man laughed heartily. "No need to be surprised, Sect Leader Bai. My name is Yang Fangyu, and I am the new Prefect of Huanglong Prefecture. Mr. Dong was my superior in the Northern Garrison Army."

Mr. Dong...

The moment he heard the name, an image of Old Dong slaughtering people uncontrollably surfaced in Bai Yuan’s mind.

The two words "Mr. Dong" felt incredibly out of place when associated with Old Dong.

He sized up the man named Yang Fangyu.

He never thought his first meeting with the Prefect of Huanglong Prefecture would be under such circumstances. Clearly, the other party had arranged it this way.

But since he had mentioned Old Dong, it meant they were friends, not foes.

Yang Fangyu adopted a reminiscent expression. "Mr. Dong and I once fought side-by-side in the Northern Plains. What a thrill that was! Younger Brother Bai, you really should join the Northern Garrison Army. It’s much more interesting there than in Huanglong Prefecture."

"I still remember Mr. Dong’s magnificent style."

’He must be talking about the magnificent style of Old Dong’s slaughtering,’ Bai Yuan was certain.

"I heard Mr. Dong went to the Northern Plains, killed over a hundred Demon Sect experts in one go, and fought his way back to Xuan Yang."

"But not a single one of those barbarians from the Northern Plains didn’t praise Mr. Dong. Some Demon Sect experts even proclaimed that the Northern Plains only welcomes two men from Xuan Yang: one is Xu Dingchun, the other is Dong Wanjun."

"That’s how a true man should live to feel truly alive!"

Yang Fangyu looked on with pure admiration, like a total fanboy.

The corner of Bai Yuan’s mouth twitched.

’I’d heard the Northern Plains worships the strong, but I didn’t realize they had a masochistic streak.’

’They actually developed feelings for Old Dong after being slaughtered by him... What a wonderful place.’

Bai Yuan mused that he really should visit the Northern Plains when he had the time. A place where you earned more respect the more people you killed was rare indeed, and it was a perfect match for his cheat system.

With one being Dong Wanjun’s disciple and the other his fan, the two naturally hit it off.

From their conversation, Bai Yuan finally learned more.

Besides having fought alongside Dong Wanjun on the battlefield, Yang Fangyu had been appointed to the crucial position of Prefect of Huanglong Prefecture because he was aligned with the Minister of War, Xu Dingchun—or more accurately, with the Sixth Prince.

Although the position of Minister of War was far less prestigious than the heads of the Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Personnel, or Ministry of Revenue—and sometimes even ranked below the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Works—Xu Dingchun, as the War God of the Xuan Yang Empire, still wielded immense influence in the military.

The current Emperor of Xuan Yang was highly suspicious, but that didn’t detract from his talent.

He knew he was in the wrong for recalling Xu Dingchun, so as long as Xu Dingchun’s requests weren’t excessive, he would almost always grant them.

Yang Fangyu’s expression suddenly turned mischievous. "Brother Bai, although I’m the Prefect of Huanglong Prefecture and we’re on the same side, so things should be easy... that Jiedu Envoy is close to the Grand Protector. I’m afraid your days won’t be too comfortable."

The Xuan Yang Court was a web of complex factions. While on the surface everyone served the Emperor, in reality, they were divided into several cliques.

Perhaps this was a manifestation of His Majesty the Emperor’s "Emperor’s Heart Technique"—he was extremely skilled at maintaining a balance of power.

At the very top of the Xuan Yang Court were naturally the Grandmaster, Grand Tutor, and Grand Protector. However, the position of Grandmaster was perennially vacant and mostly honorary. The Grand Tutor and Grand Protector, on the other hand, were genuinely at the apex of the court, second only to the Emperor.

Below the Grand Tutor and Grand Protector were the Six Ministries, whose power could not be underestimated.

These were the high-ranking officials of the central Imperial Court. As for the next tier of Capital Officials and local officials, the network was even more intricate and could not be summed up in a single sentence.

The Grand Tutor oversaw civil affairs, while the Grand Protector oversaw military affairs.

As a major figure in the military, it was only natural that Xu Dingchun did not get along with the Grand Protector.

However, through the Emperor’s deliberate manipulations, everything was kept in a delicate balance.

Bai Yuan frowned slightly.

He knew very little about that Jiedu Envoy. Hearing Yang Fangyu’s words, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of concern.

But he quickly relaxed. ’These are matters for Old Dong to worry about, not me.’

Yang Fangyu clapped Bai Yuan on the shoulder. "Younger Brother Bai, you don’t actually need to worry. The situation in the Northern Territory is critical right now. I doubt Lord Du would do anything too drastic."

Now that Xu Dingchun was no longer in the Northern Territory, the course of the war was uncertain.

If he acted like the previous Prefect of Lingzhou, reprimands from the Court would likely be dispatched to Lingzhou the moment he made a move.

"Brother Yang makes a good point."

Bai Yuan nodded. In the Jianghu, one could act on grudges and gratitude freely, but the Imperial Court was a different game entirely. One misstep, and you could end up like that previous Prefect—demoted, with no chance of ever making a comeback.

...

「The next day.」

A new prefect arrived at the Huanglong Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.

This Prefect Yang was far stronger than his predecessor. His combat strength at the Perception Gate was enough to suppress the experts of Huanglong Prefecture’s major clans.

Of course, although Yang Fangyu had spent time in the Northern Garrison Army, his roots were actually with the Yang Family of Jiangzhou. He followed a Buddhist path of cultivation, which was how he was able to break through to the Perception Gate at such a young age.

The Buddha may be compassionate, but there are also times for a Vajra’s wrath to subdue demons. Yang Fangyu’s combat prowess was not to be underestimated, and his military record in the Northern Garrison Army was the best proof of that.

"So he’s one of us."

When Lu Yu heard the news about the new Prefect, Yang Fangyu, from Bai Yuan, he was overjoyed.

Bai Yuan was his brother, and Yang Fangyu was Bai Yuan’s brother. By that logic, wasn’t the new prefect his brother too?

This was how most relationships in the Jianghu were formed.

"Should we prepare some gifts to send to Brother Yang’s residence?"

Lu Yu rubbed his hands together.

Although he was now a live-in son-in-law of the Fang Family, he knew very well that to establish a foothold in Huanglong Prefecture—and even build a career for himself—he had to tie his fate to Bai Yuan’s.

Bai Yuan naturally understood what Lu Yu was thinking.

Lu Yu was shrewd and highly talented, making him a good person to win over, so Bai Yuan wasn’t opposed to cooperating with him.

He shook his head.

"Now is not the time."

Old Dong was Xu Dingchun’s trusted confidant, and he was Old Dong’s disciple. Logically, his relationship with Yang Fangyu should be good.

But when it came to personal connections, it was taboo to get too familiar too quickly. In the end, he had only met Yang Fangyu once. Sending a gift now would only seem overly eager.

Ultimately, their friendship hadn’t reached that level yet.

Now that Yang Fangyu was the Prefect of Huanglong Prefecture, they would have many more interactions in the future. There was no need to rush.

Lu Yu was well-versed in the ways of the world and naturally understood what Bai Yuan was thinking.

In the current political landscape of Huanglong Prefecture, the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office held the power. But in the Jianghu, it was the Divine Mansion Sect’s territory. The two were equals. There was no need to do something that would lower their own status, as it would only earn them contempt.

...

Yang Fangyu quickly demonstrated his firm hand.

First, he registered all the various powers in Huanglong Prefecture, including those from the Outer States.

Naturally, some refused to cooperate. But Yang Fangyu, having spent several years in the Northern Garrison Army, didn’t indulge them. He brought the City Guard Army along to "reason" with them.

With one chicken killed to warn the monkeys, the other monkeys naturally became much more obedient.

Of course, if anyone else had acted so domineeringly, they would have certainly been targeted by assassins.

But Yang Fangyu’s background and backing were simply too formidable. In the end, they could only pinch their noses and accept their losses. Such were the benefits of having a powerful background.

After Yang Fangyu’s few iron-fisted displays, the various powers in Huanglong Prefecture became much more docile, especially those arrogant factions from the Outer States.

His reason for doing all this was to ensure that the grain supplies could be safely delivered to the Northern Garrison Army in Dingzhou.

As the saying goes, "An army marches on its stomach." Even the strongest Martial Artists had to eat. You can’t kill enemies on an empty stomach, so transporting grain became the top priority.

Previously, assassins from the Soul-Chasing Tower hiding in Xuan Yang had repeatedly attacked the grain convoys, causing a food shortage for the Northern Garrison Army.

The Emperor Xuanyang was enraged, and for this and other reasons, he dispatched the four great Jiedu Envoys.

And the reason Shuofang had established his center of operations in Lingzhou was precisely because Lingzhou was a crucial waypoint on the grain transport route.

Yang Fangyu could not allow any problems with the grain convoys in Huanglong Prefecture. This meant he had to thoroughly investigate all the powers within the prefecture and root out the hidden Soul-Chasing Tower experts.

The vileness of those Soul-Grabbing Little Ghosts was no less than that of the Demon Sect barbarians and Demons from the Northern Plains.