Upholding Righteousness

After Madam Jiuzhen dealt with the Golden Robe Divine Envoy, she turned her gaze to Long Shanying, the old patriarch of the Dragon Elephant Tribe, who was kneeling on the ground.

Long Shanying felt Madam Jiuzhen's stare.

His scalp tingled.

He kept his head bowed honestly, not daring to meet Madam Jiuzhen's eyes.

No matter how you looked at it, the Golden Robe Divine Envoy was a Heavenly Human Divine Demon.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, Madam Jiuzhen had captured him.

This woman was incredibly formidable.

"Now that you have entered the Wei River and your names are registered, you will naturally be under the protection of my Water Mansion."

"Today, these people from the Golden Brilliance Imperial Dynasty have been subdued by me."

"From now on, you shall serve the Water Mansion well."

Long Shanying said gratefully:

"Thank you for your help, Great One, for saving my Long Shan clan."

"We will definitely offer sacrifices to the Divine Lord every day from now on, and we will not dare to be negligent in the slightest."

Having said that, Long Shanying turned to Longshan Lie, who had returned upon seeing the situation improve, and said:

"Lie, quickly take out the items and present them to Great One."

Longshan Lie trotted forward and presented a jade box.

"This is a small token of our Dragon Elephant Tribe's sincerity."

"Please accept it, Great One."

Madam Jiuzhen took the jade box and opened it.

She raised an eyebrow slightly.

She hadn't expected such a treasure to be found among such a fallen tribe.

She put the jade box away.

She nodded slightly at Long Shanying:

"You are thoughtful."

"I will accept this item."

"Tomorrow, a Divine Official from the Water Mansion will come to register your tribe."

"Currently, the twelve guards of the Water Mansion are recruiting Dao Soldiers."

"Dao Soldiers can receive specific cultivation methods and receive a yearly stipend."

"If there is a war, you can also exchange military merits for contribution points. Contribution points can be used to exchange for Dao Artifacts, elixirs, spirit beasts, and even Dao Methods and Divine Abilities at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion of the Water Mansion."

"If you do not wish to join the army, you can also participate in the Divine Official examination. Becoming a Divine Official will still allow you to obtain contribution points."

Seeing Long Shanying's utmost respect, and considering that the Dragon Elephant Tribe was a natural warrior race that might have a future, Madam Jiuzhen did not hesitate to offer some guidance to foster good relations.

Upon hearing Madam Jiuzhen's words, Long Shanying said gratefully:

"If not for your words, Great One, how would we know these things?"

"Our Dragon Elephant Tribe vows never to forget your kindness, Great One. We will follow your lead from now on."

Madam Jiuzhen raised an eyebrow. Truly, an old fox.

But she did not refuse.

Power abhors a vacuum.

If she did not seize the power within the Water Mansion, other Hall Masters and Commanders would.

The amount of power determined one's say in the Water Mansion.

Ultimately, it affected resources and one's Dao path.

Therefore, Madam Jiuzhen accepted Long Shanying's allegiance.

"If you need anything, you can find me at Bitao Mountain by the Wei River."

With that, Madam Jiuzhen paid no further attention to them.

She transformed into a streak of light and entered the Water Mansion.

After Madam Jiuzhen left, it took a long while for Long Shanying, who had been kneeling, to stand up.

He looked at his descendants, hundreds of Dragon Elephant tribesmen, and tears streamed down his face:

"We've done it."

"From now on, our Dragon Elephant Tribe will no longer have to worry about the Golden Brilliance Imperial Dynasty's retaliation every day."

"With the Water Mansion's protection, we can finally have peace!"

Once freed from their shackles, the old patriarch of the Dragon Elephant Tribe felt as if the sky was vast and the sea was boundless.

As for the Golden Brilliance Imperial Dynasty, it had long been forgotten.

"Even if the Golden Brilliance Imperial Dynasty has a Dao Lord backing them."

"Madam Jiuzhen still dared to act without hesitation and capture the Golden Robe Divine Envoy."

"This shows that the Wei River Water Mansion doesn't fear the Golden Brilliance Divine Race at all."

"Therefore, the Wei River Water Mansion also has a Dao Lord supporting them from behind."

Thinking of this, the old patriarch of the Dragon Elephant Tribe felt a sense of relief.

When the sky falls, the tall ones will bear it.

Anyway, his Dragon Elephant Tribe was just a small tribe, only seeking a place to live and multiply.

Now that they had joined Madam Jiuzhen's command, their safety was assured.

"The next step is to show our value."

Long Shanying looked towards the surging Wei River.

Ambition flickered in his eyes.

The Dragon Elephant Tribe had been a warrior tribe since ancient times.

Now was a time of great contention.

In his opinion, the Wei River Water Lord was also someone who wouldn't be content with a quiet life.

"Tomorrow, the Water Mansion will come to register us."

"Let's see what the rules of the Water Mansion are."

The Dragon Elephant Tribe had been dormant for too long.

Perhaps, this was an opportunity.

Madam Jiuzhen entered the Water Mansion and went directly to the Internal Affairs Hall.

"Greetings, Hall Master."

The Divine Officials handling affairs in the hall saw Madam Jiuzhen and quickly put down their work, bowing to greet her.

She was their direct superior.

"No need for formalities."

Madam Jiuzhen took out the jade box offered by the Dragon Elephant Tribe.

"Give this to the Treasury Hall for registration."

"Also, have the Divine Officials in the Treasury Hall estimate its value and retrieve an equivalent amount of elixirs and magic artifacts."

"Tomorrow, you will record all the tribes upstream of the Wei River in the Jade Book and Golden Tome."

"The Dragon Elephant Tribe has a connection with me, so leave these elixirs and magic artifacts for them."

The Divine Official took the jade box and respectfully agreed.

Clearly, this situation was not the first time.

The Water Mansion dominated the Wei River, and countless tribes hoped to connect with the important figures within the Water Mansion.

Thus, offering gifts had become commonplace.

But these tribal cultivators dared to offer gifts.

The Hall Masters and Commanders, who had just ascended to high positions and enjoyed power, dared not accept them casually.

After all, there were Divine Lords above who saw all with keen eyes.

And below, there was the Inspection Department, directly under Guizhenzi, patrolling inside and out.

If they were caught with any wrongdoing, losing face was a small matter; damaging their relationship with their lord was a big one.

Moreover, the offerings Zhou Yuan gave them were not low.

They also had their own Dao fields producing resources.

It was enough for their cultivation needs.

Therefore, the Hall Masters and Commanders of each hall unified the offerings and ill-gotten gains, turning them into public funds.

As the superiors set the example, the Water Mansion's atmosphere was thoroughly cleansed.

The Dragon Elephant Tribe had clearly expressed their intention to pledge allegiance to Madam Jiuzhen, and for future subordinate tribes, Madam Jiuzhen was not stingy.

She directly exchanged their offered Crimson Dragon Ginseng for elixirs and magic artifacts for the Dragon Elephant Tribe's cultivation.

After handling this matter.

Madam Jiuzhen tidied her clothes and went to pay respects to the Grand Steward.

"Although this fellow is from the Golden Brilliance Imperial Dynasty's divine race, he is not core."

"He doesn't have much value."

"He does know the locations of several divine iron ore veins."

"You can give this information to the Artifact Hall. When the time is right, we can find an opportunity to seize the ore veins."

After using some methods to interrogate the Golden Robe Divine Envoy, Guizhenzi casually killed him.

He then didn't give the matter another thought.

"During this period, you've been patrolling the Wei River. Have all these tribes that came to pledge allegiance been recorded in the Golden Book and Jade Register?"

Madam Jiuzhen smiled and said:

"Ninety-nine percent of the tribes are already in the Water Mansion."

"There are still a few tribes upstream that have just arrived and haven't been registered yet."

"But I've already instructed my Divine Officials, and the task should be completed tomorrow."

Guizhenzi cautioned:

"For the Water Mansion to develop, these tribal cultivators are the most crucial."

"The policies set by the Lord must be implemented by your Internal Affairs Hall."

Madam Jiuzhen said seriously:

"Don't worry, Grand Steward."

"Although we are not talented, we dare not be negligent in any matter entrusted by the Lord."

She knew that they were all originally insignificant beings, with no outstanding roots or innate talent.

If not for the Lord's compassion, how could they have such prestige now?

Therefore, everything else could be disregarded, but the Lord's wishes must be strived for.

Guizhenzi knew that these Hall Masters and Commanders never did things carelessly, so he only mentioned it briefly.

"Alright then, you should all focus on your cultivation."

"The Lord lectures once every ten years."

"You should all seize this opportunity."

Zhou Yuan lecturing once every ten years was to help the people of the Water Mansion catch up.

After all, the Water Mansion's foundation was still too shallow.

The cultivation of Old Man Qingrong and the others was considered decent among rogue cultivators.

However, in the eyes of some major clans and powerful forces, it was simply not enough.

Old Man Qingrong was also grateful for Zhou Yuan's kindness. They came from humble backgrounds as rogue cultivators and knew the hardships of seeking the Dao.

Now that someone was generously helping them on the path of cultivation, it was akin to a second life.

Guizhenzi raised his head to look at the sky, Heavenly Secrets flowing in his eyes. His aged face held both hesitation and joy:

"There isn't much time left."

Madam Jiuzhen circulated the spiritual energy within her body, and she murmured:

"It's coming soon!"