How come I'm the one being conquered?

"You don't know me, but I know you?"

Seeing him like this, Bai Jun suddenly flashed a playful smile and said sinisterly.

Perhaps Jing Fang didn't realize it himself, but his glorious deeds had long since spread throughout Shence Mansion. Rumors had it that the supposedly indolent General, who turned a blind eye to governance, had indulged and harbored his own brother, bringing ruin to the common people!

Upon hearing of these deeds, the entire Shence Mansion was abuzz, with everyone discussing—General Jing Yuan has a brother!?

If that were true, how could they, who had worked in Shence Mansion for hundreds of years, not have heard of it?

Just as everyone's topic had shifted to whether this person was the General's illegitimate son, Jing Yuan himself came out to clarify that there was absolutely no such thing and ordered a thorough investigation.

The efficiency of Shence Mansion's public service was, as expected, unquestionable. Within an hour, they had unearthed the details of Jing Qi's ancestors for eight generations.

Bai Jun had seen his personal resume. Although he was uneducated and idle, he was exceptionally good with children. Whenever he had spare money, he would buy toys for them. It was evident that his heart was not in the wrong place, but his focus was not on important matters. However, it was worth mentioning that he had a knack for critiquing food. After freeloading meals at various restaurants, he could indeed provide reliable opinions and suggestions for improvement.

With this in mind, Jing Yuan tacitly approved of his actions. Otherwise, did they really think Shence Mansion would tolerate a scoundrel who tarnished and slandered the General's reputation to run amok?

Jing Fang felt a chill run down his spine under Bai Jun's gaze, cold sweat incessantly soaking his back, his legs trembling as he was on the verge of collapse. "You, you important figures must be incredibly busy with your work and wouldn't have time to remember a nobody like me. It's truly my greatest honor that you've spared a thought for me!"

As expected, people who could be shameless weren't simple. Despite trembling with fear, he could still spout flattering words effortlessly, showing considerable emotional intelligence.

Bai Jun suddenly raised his hand to interrupt Jing Fang's flattery. "Enough small talk. From now on, I ask, you answer. Understand?"

"Yes, yes..." Jing Fang's expression was stiff.

Bai Jun withdrew the faint smile from the corner of his mouth and adopted the posture of interrogating a criminal. "This isn't the first time you've freeloaded meals using your status as the General's brother, is it?"

"Yes..."

"How many times?"

"Five or six times, I've kind of lost count..." Jing Fang tried to count on his fingers but seemed to realize he didn't have a deep impression, only able to give a rough estimate.

"Alright, go to their shops, explain the situation, and then either wash dishes or work as a waiter to pay back the cost of the meals. Finally, bring me the letters of forgiveness from each shop owner."

"Ah?" Jing Fang let out a startled cry.

"What 'ah'? Or you can choose to serve three to five years in Yōqiú Prison." As he spoke, Bai Jun pulled out a thick law book from somewhere. "Because your actions have violated Article 35 of the Xianzhou Alliance Law regarding the infringement of the General's personal honor, Article 64 regarding fraud, and potentially Article 37 regarding provoking trouble..."

Each word echoed like an avalanche, making Jing Fang's face turn even paler. Terrified, he quickly begged with a tearful voice, "No, no, no! Sir! I'll do it, I'll do it, alright!"

Xianzhou people's nature often favored compromise and mediation. For example, if you said a room was too dark and needed a window, they would definitely refuse. But if you proposed demolishing the roof, they would then compromise and agree to open a window.

Bai Jun nodded, thinking, As expected. "It's good that you understand. Let's go."

"Yes, yes!"

Hearing this, Jing Fang immediately breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring his weak and trembling legs. He stumbled out the door, but before he could take a few steps, Bai Jun called him back.

"Come back, there's one more thing!"

"You, you say..." Jing Fang wore a smile that was even uglier than crying.

"I'll cover your breakfast cost this time, but don't think you've gotten away with it just because you haven't eaten. You'll have to work here later too." Bai Jun turned to the shopkeeper standing by. "Please be a witness. If he dares to come here and freeload again, don't hesitate to break this scoundrel's legs."

"Understood, understood!" Jing Fang dared not refuse, only wanting to escape quickly.

"One more thing." Bai Jun called out to Jing Fang again, his voice lingering.

This time, he didn't waste any words, simply tossing the two uneaten steamed buns to him. "Consider it my treat. In the future, focus your energy on the right path."

Jing Fang stared blankly at the buns in his hands, unable to speak for a long time. Finally, he tucked the buns into his embrace and fled without looking back.

After his figure completely disappeared around the street corner, Bai Jun stuffed the last bite of fried dough stick into his mouth. Just as he was about to take out money to pay, the system voice in his mind sounded.

"Ding—"

[Noble Morality Commendation +10]

[25/100]

This also increases morality?

Bai Jun silently swallowed the food in his mouth and placed three Xun Di on the table, considering it compensation for the extra money he paid.

"Guest, you can't do this!" The shopkeeper, upon seeing this, refused to accept the money no matter what and forcefully stuffed the Xun Di back into Bai Jun's pocket. Bai Jun didn't struggle much and let him return the Xun Di.

After stuffing the Xun Di back into Bai Jun's pocket, the shopkeeper finally breathed a sigh of relief. "If it weren't for you exposing that swindler, my old bones would have been taken advantage of for a few more meals!"

Bai Jun suddenly asked, "By the way, shopkeeper, is it true that General Jing Fang returned from his expedition as he said?"

"It's true, he returned yesterday at the Wushi hour." Although the shopkeeper didn't know why he was asking, he answered truthfully.

Bai Jun didn't respond but nodded thoughtfully and turned to leave the breakfast stall.

"Ah, what a good person."

The shopkeeper watched Bai Jun's retreating figure and subconsciously compared him to his own good-for-nothing son, feeling a surge of emotion.

Turning back to tidy the table, his peripheral vision caught a glint of light reflected from somewhere. He looked down and saw three Xun Di lying quietly on the table—the very ones he had just stuffed back into Bai Jun's pocket.

Chapter 9 Jing Yuan Did It Too

As soon as he stepped out of the breakfast stall, Bai Jun immediately began to regret it, wishing he could slap himself twice for what he'd just done.

"Why was I trying to show off? My wallet can't afford any more swagger..."

Bai Jun squatted in the corner of the vending machine, completely lacking the swagger he had when he left. Looking at his even emptier wallet, regret surged within him.

I really should have saved at least one Xun Di for myself. Now I might not even have dinner!

"Damn, damn, damn, damn..." He picked up a random stick and drew circles on the ground, grumbling about the evils of money and venting his dissatisfaction in a dark corner where no one paid him any attention.

Why was he hiding in the corner of a vending machine, you ask?

Because the only places you can cry are the bathroom and your dad's arms... Just kidding! He couldn't possibly throw a tantrum over his wallet in public, could he?

After he was done, Bai Jun sighed deeply, tossed the stick aside, and stood up, dusting the dirt off his pants. His expression returned to its usual calm, devoid of any discernible emotion, as if nothing had happened.

Although the money problem wasn't solved, he felt much better.

Wait a minute, wasn't General Jing Yuan back? That means...

Thinking of this, Bai Jun's eyes suddenly lit up, and he had an idea. Since it was still early for the Department of Earthly Rulings to be open, he immediately changed direction and headed towards Shence Mansion.

His relationship with Jing Yuan was a bit peculiar. They could be considered friends, but if he had to be precise, it was more of an employer-employee arrangement.

When he first arrived at Luofu many years ago, he didn't know how Jing Yuan had set his sights on him. At first, Jing Yuan, as the General, would just chat with him occasionally. Later, it evolved into interactions between friends. Having a General as a friend might sound like a dream come true for many, but it held little appeal for Bai Jun. Moreover, for some reason, he always had a vague feeling that Jing Yuan had ulterior motives regarding him.

As expected, when Jing Yuan heard that he was unemployed, he finally revealed his sharp fangs and coerced him into working for him with a mix of threats and promises!

"How can I bow and scrape to the powerful and make myself unhappy?"

Bai Jun certainly wouldn't be intimidated by power. At worst, he could leave Luofu and move to Fanghu. He couldn't be tied down to just one place. But in the end, he still succumbed to Jing Yuan's methods.

It couldn't be helped, Jing Yuan offered too much! The specific duties of this job were mostly trivial tasks like making tea, pouring water, and giving massages. The only thing that required any real effort was occasionally helping Jing Yuan with his overwhelming workload when he had too many documents to handle. However, Bai Jun was quite experienced in these matters, so it wasn't much of a hassle.

While the work was easy, Bai Jun only had to work one or two days a week, with the rest of his time being his own. It was truly a dream job for any salaryman!

However, everything has its price. The price of happiness is suffering. The price he paid for this high salary was taking on a service position at the Department of Earthly Rulings. But according to Jing Yuan himself, the work at the Department of Earthly Rulings was so easy and leisurely, it was as comfortable as wearing new underwear on New Year's Day.

Bai Jun actually believed him.

It wasn't until he had been working at the Department of Earthly Rulings for a week that Bai Jun finally realized he had been tricked by that scoundrel Jing Yuan!

What Jing Yuan called "easy and leisurely" was in comparison to the work of a Shence General! And how much work did a General have? Let's just say that the former General of the Swiftness Legion on Luofu was a peerless warrior who fought alone against the Abundance for seven days and nights without rest during the War of Abundance. Yet, after becoming a General, he wore out his body in less than two or three years, and after that, he relied entirely on the Divine Monarch to handle fights.

It was too late to regret it now. Bai Jun shook his head, pushed the jumbled thoughts to the back of his mind, and silently quickened his pace.

Shence Mansion was located in a corner of Changle Heaven, serving as the place where the Generals of Luofu's Cloud Cavalry handled official business. Although the General himself didn't often work there, the mansion's political significance far outweighed its practical value. Even from a distance, one could feel its solemn authority.

The glazed tiles on the crimson walls shone dazzlingly in the sunlight, and the exquisite, upturned eaves resembled phoenixes spreading their wings. The steps, built from pure white marble, wound upwards, leading directly to the solemn and imposing main gate.

The Cloud Cavalry guards, seated beneath the majestic stone lions on either side, wore standard iron armor and held long spears, exuding an aura of deadly seriousness.

The Cloud Cavalry guards at the entrance nodded slightly upon seeing Bai Jun and then let him pass directly into Shence Mansion without any complex or tedious procedures.

Upon entering the corridors of Shence Mansion, the interior possessed a solemnity no less than the exterior. It was a restrained elegance, unlike any other architectural style, grand in every aspect yet never appearing extravagant or ostentatious.

Outside the grand and magnificent main office hall, there was a specially designed ornamental pond, where occasionally passing birds were reflected. It was exquisite and elegant without being jarring. Beside the lake, there was also a considerable martial arts training ground. Rows of armor were tied to stakes, and straw dummies served as archery targets. Even on the walls, one could see numerous indentations left by arrows.

Despite this, as a training venue, both the area and the facilities seemed rather meager, insufficient to support long-term, large-scale troop training. But as mentioned earlier, the political significance of Shence Mansion far outweighed its practical value, so the martial arts training ground's purpose was far more profound than mere usage.

If showcasing military strength could be considered a diplomatic maneuver, then the magnificent sight of elite soldiers practicing their martial arts could certainly be considered a trump card in diplomacy.

That being said, on normal days, the vast and busy Shence Mansion remained empty except for the martial arts training ground. Coupled with the General's recent expedition, this emptiness felt even more desolate.

However, today was different.

The General, dressed in casual attire, stood in the center of the empty martial arts training ground, holding a Formation Blade heavier than a greatsword with one hand. He assumed an upper-stage stance, exhaled, and slowly swung the blade. Just as the Formation Blade was about to touch the ground, he stopped abruptly, the air tearing with a fierce gust. Then, he inhaled and raised the Formation Blade back to the upper-stage stance. His usual lazy and carefree gaze was gone, replaced by a sharp, piercing look as he continued to wield the Formation Blade.

After repeating this movement hundreds of times, even Jing Yuan's face showed a slight flush, his breathing slightly uneven, and sweat dripped down his cheeks.

"Hmm, the blade movements are like flowing water, yet the power is sharp and unparalleled. He's reached a critical point in his technique, yet he can still forcefully retract his strength."

A voice he hadn't heard in months reached him. Jing Yuan was slightly startled, then turned to look at the source of the sound.

He saw Bai Jun, who had arrived by the lake at some point, commenting on Jing Yuan's movements while scribbling in a notebook he carried. Only when Jing Yuan put away the Formation Blade did he stop writing. "I didn't expect your martial arts to improve after your expedition. With both hardness and softness now in harmony, and both internal and external forms perfected, your swordsmanship must have reached a new realm."

"You're here, Qing Yan. Should I say it's been a long time?" Jing Yuan put away the Formation Blade, retied his sweat-soaked white hair, and a lazy smile returned to his face.

"Hmm, if it's only been two months, it's not exactly a long time. But it's fine as a greeting for our reunion." With a flick of his pen, Bai Jun pocketed it after twirling it between his fingers. He closed his notebook and gave a very serious reply.

"Haha, as expected of Qing Yan, your answers are always out of the ordinary."

"Thank you for the compliment. By the way, do you know that thanks to someone, people who know me now call me Qing Yan?"

Hearing the name "Qing Yan" again, Bai Jun couldn't help but look at the "culprit" who loved to give nicknames with a helpless expression.

Jing Yuan, the culprit, pinched his chin with one hand, showing no embarrassment for his mistake. Instead, he nodded with schadenfreude and chuckled, "I think it just proves that the name Qing Yan is catchy and suits your personal characteristics."

"Whether it's catchy or not, I don't know. Where did you get the conclusion that it suits my personal characteristics?"

"It doesn't suit you?"

"Not at all!"

Hearing Bai Jun's disgusted retort, Jing Yuan wasn't in a hurry. He counted on his fingers and patiently explained, "Listen to me carefully. The character 'Qing' means the color of the East. Wood gives birth to fire, from birth to cinnabar, the truth of cinnabar and azure is thus..."

Bai Jun's head started to ache. He crossed his arms in front of his chest in an 'X' shape, interrupting Jing Yuan's hardcore etymology lesson. "Stop, stop, stop! Let's get down to business."

"Business? You're not here to chat this time?"

He received a deadpan denial from Bai Jun: "No."

"I'm so hurt. Qing Yan, how can you be so cold and heartless? I didn't forget to bring you a gift when I was on my expedition." As he spoke, Jing Yuan pretended to wipe away a tear, eliciting an even more disgusted look from Bai Jun.

"If your gift were a bit more normal, maybe I would actually be moved?"

"Was it the Noxious Star Class Giant Octopus from last time that you didn't like? I even had the Divine Monarch repair its tentacles for it."

"No normal person would like it!" The more he said, the more Bai Jun's stomach churned with nausea, recalling how he had eaten giant octopus for three consecutive months. His voice grew louder as he complained.

Seeing Bai Jun's annoyed bristling, Jing Yuan, who was perfectly content, let out a soft laugh. The two were like old friends reuniting after many years, bantering familiarly.

"By the way, where's Yan Qing?" Bai Jun sighed, smoothing down a stray lock of hair. He scanned his surroundings but couldn't see the young blond who usually stuck to General Jing Yuan's side, calling him "General" repeatedly.

"The fleet Yan Qing is part of has other missions. It will likely be some time before he returns."

The Generals who command the various Xianzhou ships defend the safety of the Xianzhou citizens and bear the heavy responsibility of conquering the Abundance's blighted creatures. They often guide themselves by the residual light arrows of the Emperor's Bow, leading the Cloud Cavalry fleets to end the immortal pollution among the stars.

The names and configurations of the Xianzhou Alliance's Cloud Cavalry fleets vary. For example, the Yaoqing Cloud Cavalry Fleet has the "Crane Feather Guard" and "Dan Ge Guard"; the Fanghu Cloud Cavalry Fleet has the "Mystic Pearl Guard"; and the Luofu Cloud Cavalry Fleet has the "Drooping Rainbow Guard," "Spring Thunder Guard," "Bi Fang Guard," and "Chuan Qiang Guard."

Despite these differences, their roles are largely the same. Each fleet typically surrounds the flagship commanded by their General, serving to share defensive duties, reconnaissance, auxiliary attack, and logistics.

As the youngest Cloud Cavalry General of Shence Mansion, and the most promising talent in all of Luofu to inherit the position of Sword Master, or even the Sword Champion of the entire Alliance, Yan Qing's skill is beyond doubt. He is naturally responsible for serving as an auxiliary firepower point for the expeditionary fleet, sharing the burden of fire with the General's main ship, and for subsequent cleanup operations.

Yan Qing's current follow-up mission involves covering the rear of the fleet and clearing out any remaining Abundance remnants from this hunt. There is no danger for him, so there's no need to worry.

However, it was rare to see Bai Jun concerned about someone else, which made Jing Yuan's thoughts wander. Teasing Bai Jun was a significant seasoning that kept his monotonous office life from becoming too dull. "Speaking of which, Qing Yan, aren't you usually wary of that child Yan Qing? Why the change of attitude today?"

Jing Yuan leaned closer to Bai Jun, a mischievous grin on his face. "Could it be that you're worried about him?"

"Rather than worrying about him, I'm more worried about this."

Bai Jun sighed faintly, pushed Jing Yuan's approaching face away, and then silently took out his own shriveled little frog. The thin green fabric fluttered slightly in the air, saying more than a thousand words without uttering a single one.

"What is this?"

Jing Yuan blinked in surprise. It took him a while to recognize the shriveled little frog as a wallet, and then he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at? Who do you think caused me to be so short on money? That kid Yan Qing owes me a mountain of debt." As he spoke, Bai Jun pulled out a long string of IOUs from his pocket. The bright, glaring white slips of paper hung straight down to the ground in the air, all of them detailing Yan Qing's bills for various swords he had borrowed money to buy.

These included, but were not limited to, single-handed swords, greatswords, claymores, short swords, daggers, and twin curved blades...

It was one thing to buy them, but one sword wasn't enough. He often bought two of the same sword. According to Yan Qing himself, it was roughly for one to be unboxed and used, and the other to be kept in pristine condition. He also put extra effort into sword sheaths, sword tassels, and so on. Sometimes, when purchasing a new sword, he would see different scabbards that he felt were very fitting.