The atmosphere was somewhat chilly, and nobody spoke. Bai Ruoyue glanced around, confused as to why no one was acknowledging her.

  She thought her suggestion made perfect sense.

  "Since we're worried about disturbing the Mountain God, we should just ask the god's opinion directly."

  "True," Left Tianzheng nodded. "Since it's the Mountain God's Black Mountain, it's only right to consult the Mountain God."

  "Regarding how to restore and even improve the peace in Black Cloud, I'll come up with a feasible plan, but I'll need everyone's cooperation," he continued.

  "Of course."

  Now the others were more engaged.

  During this time, both Lu Qingmo and Jiang Wenwu from the Defense Bureau stayed silent, letting Left Tianzheng continue speaking.

  He didn't bring up any more serious topics but chatted with the group casually. Even though his face remained mostly indifferent, a faint smile appeared occasionally.

  At the end of the conversation, Left Tianzheng invited everyone to stay for a meal, but the others politely declined.

  "Lu Commander, Jiang Commander, do you have time afterward?"

  "The Ghost and Spirit Bureau still has matters to attend to," Jiang Wenwu replied with the same excuse, and then he left.

  Bai Ruoyue and Han left together with Lu Qingmo.

  Left Tianzheng watched the three leave, his eyes narrowing slightly as he turned to his attendant.

  "Who is the person with the daughter of Taibai Hall Master?"

  This was only his second day in Black Cloud, and there was still much he didn’t know. The previous day, while he was recovering from his injuries and getting to know the local officials, he had already summoned the leaders of all the factions today.

  "He is Taibai Hall Master's personal disciple, known as Black Cloud's number one talent. He is closely connected with Lu Commander, and it is suspected that he has been learning Dao techniques from her..."

  The attendant provided more detailed information about Han.

  "Black Cloud's number one talent... a genius," Left Tianzheng muttered coldly, his eyes darkening for a moment before he suddenly chuckled. "Taibai Hall Master’s daughter is quite the beauty, even in Yujing, she would be considered a rare gem. Absolutely captivating."

  "Is Taibai Hall Master really at the Bone Washing realm?"

  "Yes, verified personally by Lu Commander," the subordinate added.

  "And Bai Ruoyue has connections with Lu Commander as well?" Left Tianzheng raised an eyebrow.

  "Yes," the attendant confirmed. "It seems Lu Qingmo has changed quite a bit in this remote place. She’s much more approachable now."

  Left Tianzheng shook his head. "Since Taibai Hall Master is at the Bone Washing realm, and Bai Ruoyue has ties with Lu Qingmo, it’s no matter."

  "There’s no need to offend Lu Qingmo over a woman. The greater plan is what's important."

  He then shifted his thoughts, asking, "The second earthquake in Black Mountain, that was because Taibai Hall's group entered Black Mountain early, correct?"

  "Yes, but it’s said that when they entered, the savage beasts were still in the final stages of their rampage. Due to their lack of strength, they didn’t gain any benefits."

  "Didn’t gain anything..." Left Tianzheng smirked. "I don’t believe that."

  "Any news on the Sky-Mending Vine?"

  "None. Since arriving in Black Cloud, we've been investigating it thoroughly but have found nothing. No one in Black Cloud has obtained it, and there’s no record of anyone having seen it."

  "Keep searching," Left Tianzheng ordered firmly, his voice resolute. "The Emperor has said there must be Sky-Mending Vine in Black Mountain."

  "We cannot miss any clue. Everything else can be postponed, but the Sky-Mending Vine is the most important."

  "And the Emperor's side?"

  "This is something the Emperor personally entrusted to me," Left Tianzheng glanced at his subordinate. "You just need to follow orders. Leave the rest to me."

  "Understood, sir."

  Left Tianzheng clenched his fist, his eyes burning with determination.

  "The Sky-Mending Vine will be mine."

  "Also, analyze which of the local factions in Black Cloud is easiest to win over, and then bring them in separately."

  "Understood."

  On their way back, Han said, "This Left Tianzheng really has big ambitions. Does Yujing have plans for Black Mountain?"

  "Most likely," Lu Qingmo nodded.

  "Once the Mountain God passes, Black Mountain will be leaderless, and the Cloud River Dragon King won’t be able to defend it alone. The Imperial family will surely try to claim it."

  In theory, all mountains and bodies of water within the Da Qi realm belonged to the empire.

  But this was a world where practitioners existed.

  Laws didn’t always hold much sway here. In many places, the imperial court had tacitly allowed sects and families to govern the land.

  Even during the founding of the Qi Dynasty, certain regions were explicitly allocated to major factions, and the court had no say in them.

  For example, the mountain where Xuan Du Temple was located.

  Which Da Qi official, even royal family members, would dare claim that Xuan Du Temple's Xuan Fa Mountain belonged to them?

  Not even the Emperor would dare say that.

  "A land without a master, especially a paradise like Black Mountain, is of great importance to the Imperial court," Han mused. "It’s a treasure."

  That massive Black Mountain truly was a hidden treasure, and the smaller mountains they’d visited before were just extensions of that paradise.

  Even the areas that were merely offshoots of this divine land produced countless valuable items. The sights within could only be imagined.

  "So, Left Tianzheng wants to dominate Black Mountain?" Bai Ruoyue asked, belatedly realizing.

  Han gave her a glance.

  "Setting rules and restricting outsiders from entering Black Mountain, what kind of authority would be needed to do that?"

  Bai Ruoyue thought for a moment and said, "The owner of Black Mountain."

  "But the Mountain God has already made agreements with other equal powers," Han shook his head. "What is Left Tianzheng trying to do, setting rules when the Mountain God’s influence still holds sway?"

  "He hasn’t even taken ownership of Black Mountain yet, and he’s already trying to exert control," Lu Qingmo warned. "Stay out of this as much as possible."

  "Supporting the town's stability is one thing, but blocking others from entering Black Mountain is another. Don’t stick your neck out."

  "While the Mountain God is still here, those outsiders may be angry, but they dare not act. Once the Mountain God is gone, however, Black Cloud's strength won't be able to hold back the anger of the masses."

  Han nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.

  Left Tianzheng was clearly trying to use the local forces of Black Cloud.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  He had only brought a few people, and they had already suffered heavy casualties. Any major action he wanted to take would likely require the local powers' help.

  If the families and martial halls cooperated with him to block outsiders from entering Black Mountain, then, with the Mountain God still present, those outsiders wouldn’t dare to act.

  As long as the Mountain God lived, the local powers of Black Cloud had an inherent shield of protection.

  The Mountain God might not care about the fate of these powers, but one could never take the risk of betting against what the god might or might not care about.

  If they used the god’s protection to act recklessly, once the god passed, they would likely face consequences.

  Lu Qingmo went alone to the Ghost and Spirit Bureau, while Han and Bai Ruoyue returned to the martial hall and filled Zhang Yuantao and the others in on what had happened that day.

  "This Left Tianzheng, his next move won't be small," Zhang Yuantao analyzed.

  "Maintaining Black Cloud’s stability is probably the least of his tasks. The real purpose behind all of this is more complex."

  Yujing didn’t send a team all the way here just to manage Black Cloud.

  Left Tianzheng’s claim that the Emperor was losing sleep over the commoners of Black Cloud was clearly an exaggeration. If that were true, the Emperor would have collapsed from worry five years ago when a great drought hit Tianyang County.

  If it were about the Emperor being furious over not getting Black Mountain, then people would believe it.

  "We'll cooperate when we need to, but we should stay in the shadows when we don't," Zhang Yuantao concluded.

  That evening.

  "Lu Qingmo, since Yujing wants Black Mountain, isn’t it strange that they sent a commissioner at the Bone Refining stage? Isn’t that a bit too weak?" Han asked, raising a concern.

  "At this stage, Bone Refining or Bone Washing isn't much different. As long as the person isn’t too weak, it shouldn’t matter," Lu Qingmo replied, shaking her head.

  "But Left Tianzheng’s eagerness to reveal his intentions for Black Mountain was something I didn’t anticipate. He’s only at Bone Refining, but he’s acting too hastily."

  Just then, Lu Qingmo’s expression changed slightly as she looked outside the peach grove.

  "Left Tianzheng is here?"

  "Is he outside now?"

  "Yes."

  "Why has Left Tianzheng come here?"

  Lu Qingmo's voice echoed outside, then she seemed to listen for a moment before saying, "Since the matter isn’t urgent, Left Tianzheng, you may return. Tomorrow is another day."

  "It’s already late, and it’s not convenient for me to meet with you tonight."

  Han nodded in agreement. Of course, it would be inappropriate for a grown man to visit a woman living alone at this hour.

  He, on the other hand, was at home, so he was free to do as he pleased.

  With that, Lu Qingmo ignored the outside world, and Left Tianzheng, realizing the situation, departed without further insistence.

  "What is he here for?" Han asked, his tone laced with curiosity.

  "He claims he's here to discuss matters concerning Black Mountain. But I have no interest in getting involved. I cannot speak on behalf of Xuandu Temple either," Lu Qingmo replied calmly, showing no concern for the fact that the imperial envoy had been turned away.

  "If Xuandu Temple had any intentions regarding Black Mountain, they would directly inform me. There's no need for him to bring it up."

  "And as for who Black Mountain belongs to, that’s not something we can decide," he added.

  Han nodded in agreement and remarked, "It seems like Zuo Tianzheng is in a bit of a hurry."

  "Perhaps he has other tasks," Lu Qingmo said, shooting Han a look. "Did you study today?"

  "..."

  It felt like being back in school, being urged by adults to study. But how was it that at this age, he was still being pushed? What went wrong?

  Three days later, Zuo Tianzheng once again sent someone to invite them for a discussion. After the officials left, Bai Ruoyue muttered, "This man is so annoying. Why does he have so many things to deal with?"

  Arriving at the commander's residence, Zuo Tianzheng got straight to the point.

  "I've been investigating the current state of Heiyun, and things are not looking good."

  "I plan to expand Heiyun Town, and in addition..."

  Zuo Tianzheng continued with various policy details that didn’t directly concern Han and the others. Building homes, registering households—none of that required their involvement.

  "But," Zuo Tianzheng added, "I also plan to establish a temporary organization, the Heiyun Guards, which will consist of both martial and Daoist divisions, to assist the Ghost and Divine Affairs Bureau, and the Stabilizing Bureau with managing Heiyun's affairs and maintaining stability."

  "However, the local government doesn't have enough personnel, so I might need your assistance."

  Hearing this, everyone perked up. Finally, this matter had direct implications for them.

  Some subtly glanced at Lu Qingmo and the others, hoping to gauge their reaction. The Heiyun Guards—though claimed to be aiding both bureaus—were clearly about distributing power.

  But Lu Qingmo and his companions didn’t change their expressions, appearing uninterested.

  "I, Long Tianchong, am willing to send a Bone Refining practitioner, three Vital Organs practitioners, and six Tendon Refining practitioners to assist Lord Zuo!" Long Tianchong was the first to step forward, offering his support, causing everyone to exchange curious looks. It seemed he had privately contacted Zuo Tianzheng.

  "Good. Long, you’re truly devoted to the people. I will report to the court and request merit on your behalf," Zuo Tianzheng said, giving Long Tianchong a meaningful look.

  Once Long had set the tone, others followed suit, stating their willingness to contribute to the Heiyun Guards.

  In the end, only the Taibai family had yet to respond, so all eyes turned to them.

  Bai Ruoyue hesitated before speaking.

  "Our Taibai Martial Arts Hall has only been established for a little over ten years, and our foundation is still weak. We don’t have any Bone Refining practitioners."

  "We only have three Vital Organs practitioners. The remaining four disciples are all in the Tendon Refining stage, so we can’t offer many more."

  "My father is not here, and I am standing in as the hall master. My sixth junior sister is still too weak, and my third junior brother has to handle daily tasks for the hall..."

  Because of the Zhen Shen Yu Kong map, Han had already advanced to the Vital Organs stage, which remained a secret.

  "Lord Zuo, our Taibai Hall will send one Vital Organs practitioner and two Tendon Refining practitioners to join the Heiyun Guards. How does that sound?"

  "..."

  It seemed underwhelming compared to the other martial halls.

  But Zuo Tianzheng didn’t criticize them, as the situation of Taibai Hall was clear to all. Having three Vital Organs practitioners already contributed enough, and Bai Ruoyue had made it clear that as the acting hall master, she couldn’t send the full force of her hall.

  "Then, what about this Black Mountain genius?" Zuo Tianzheng turned his attention to Han.

  Bai Ruoyue remained silent, leaving it to Han to make the decision.

  Lu Qingmo suddenly spoke up, "Han is with the Ghost and Divine Affairs Bureau."

  His implication was clear: hands off, he's under my protection.

  Zuo Tianzheng heard this and reluctantly dropped the matter.

  With personnel from the six factions, along with the local government forces, Zuo Tianzheng immediately had them divided into six teams—four martial and two Daoist. The martial teams were each led by a Bone Refining practitioner, while the Daoist teams had a Day Wanderer practitioner as their leader. To ease any concerns, each team was composed of personnel from different factions.

  Afterward, everyone left to select disciples to report to the commander's residence.

  "Daoist and martial guards—this corresponds to the Ghost and Divine Affairs Bureaus," Han commented. "What is Zuo Tianzheng really trying to do?"

  "He has consulted us about this," Lu Qingmo replied. "What he means is that he's leveraging the forces of all parties in Heiyun to stabilize the town. The court cannot be the only one providing support."

  Han shook his head. "If that was his intention, he could have just sent people to temporarily join the Ghost and Divine Affairs Bureaus and the Stabilizing Bureau. It would achieve the same result."

  Lu Qingmo shrugged, "Let him be. His actions are beneficial to Heiyun Town."

  "Some minor authority? It's hardly worth mentioning."

  What would it matter, holding power in a place like Heiyun Town?

  Lu Qingmo had no desire for political power. She wouldn't stay in Heiyun Town forever, anyway.

  In the end, with power in hand, what could one really do?

  Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, Zuo Tianzheng issued a public recruitment notice for the Heiyun Guards, inviting cultivators from various counties and districts to join.

  This raised some eyebrows. Was Zuo Tianzheng so power-hungry?

  As for the Taibai Martial Arts Hall, it was Shen Long, Su Chang'an, and He Feng who reported to the commander's residence.

  "I'm a Bone Refining practitioner from the Wild Blade Martial Hall, under Xie Kuang," Shen Long introduced.

  "Our team leader is Lin Lufei, a Bone Refining practitioner from the Lin family."

  Su and He joined another team.

  "But guess what I heard?" Shen Long asked with a mischievous grin.

  "Spill it!" Shen Yu urged.

  "This Zuo Tianzheng seems to have a serious thing for beautiful women," Shen Long said with a wink. "I’ve heard that many of the female disciples from Tenglong Martial Hall have been sent to him by Long Tianchong."

  "And he insists on being served by women in the commander's residence, even demanding a beauty chair where a woman has to kneel beneath him so he can sit on her."

  "And at night, he has to have women place his feet in their laps to keep them warm. No coldness, no hard surfaces—only their breasts are allowed to massage his feet."

  "Also, there's more..."

  "Brother, stop!" Shen Yu interrupted.

  Bai Ruoyue frowned. "How disgusting."

  "I hope he causes less trouble. I really don’t want to see him again."

  Han couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sympathy. Only someone from Yu Jing could act so shamelessly.

  But, at the same time, he felt a sense of caution. Zuo Tianzheng seemed to be a man driven by desires.

  Nonetheless, Han had to admit that Zuo Tianzheng was quite competent. Over the next few days, under his leadership, Heiyun Town improved significantly.

  He was decisive in his actions and generous with rewards, winning over many lone cultivators.

  Having come from Yu Jing and being favored by the emperor, Zuo Tianzheng had some powerful connections, making him highly attractive to cultivators in such a remote place.

  With Shen Long and the others involved, Han kept an eye on the martial and Daoist guards, staying informed of their tasks.

  Everything seemed normal—no suspicious activities.

  Zuo Tianzheng didn’t summon the factions again. Instead, he worked hard himself, often ignoring his own injuries to help stabilize Heiyun Town.

  On the surface, he appeared to be a dedicated official, tirelessly working for the town’s development.

  Then one day, all the martial and Daoist guards received the same order from Zuo Tianzheng. The rogue cultivators who had attacked him were now found, and many had already been killed in recent days. Their crimes were too numerous to count, and they had to be captured and executed immediately.

  However, the most elusive ones had escaped into Black Mountain.

  Zuo Tianzheng ordered all guards to enter Black Mountain, track down these rogues, and eliminate them to prevent further chaos.

  To make sure of their success, he generously provided each team with a sensing artifact. If the artifact detected any rogue cultivators, it would immediately respond.

  Of course, only those below Bone Refining and Day Wanderer would have infiltrated Black Mountain.

  The mission made perfect sense and no one objected.

  However, Han still made some preparations for Shen Long and the others, ensuring their safety once they entered Black Mountain.

  Curious, Han also examined the sensing artifacts provided to them. The artifacts worked as Zuo Tianzheng claimed, but Han couldn’t quite understand how they detected the rogues.

  There were no specific clues in the artifact to indicate how it sensed evil cultivators. Was it designed specifically for them?

  Watching Shen Long and the others leave, Han remained calm.

  Zhang Yuantao approached and said, "Those evil cultivators dared to linger near Heiyun Town after attacking an imperial envoy. They must be incredibly bold."

  Han shook his head. "Who knows? They’re evil cultivators. Their reasoning is always hard to understand."

  Zhang Yuantao continued, "Zuo Tianzheng really cares about Black Mountain."

  Han agreed with that assessment.

  Was it all just an imperial task?