Prospering the State

Li Fan traveled underground for hundreds of miles, leaving the Baiyue Mountain area, before emerging to fly through the air on his sword in the plains.

Along the way, one could see carts and supplies flowing endlessly towards Baiyue Mountain. Every few hilltops, one could see marching formations and garrison camps, many of whom were newly recruited soldiers being transferred to fill vacancies in the Baiyue Mountain defense area.

When passing through nearby towns, Li Fan stopped for tea and inquired about news.

Just as predicted, the Xun Kingdom is going to attack Baiyue Mountain again. Even the waiter in the teahouse knows that the Ruler of Xun Country has once again gathered an army of 100,000, vowing to sweep away Baiyue Mountain and wipe out the remnants of the Luo Feng Devil Palace.

Honestly, the Ruler of Xun Country probably has a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder, just like Li Fan. He gathers an army of 100,000 men at the drop of a hat. It's said that this is the fifth 100,000-strong encirclement and suppression campaign he has personally launched since ascending the throne. However, he has never succeeded in doing so all these years, and he hasn't even been able to touch the shadow of Luo Feng Cave Heaven...

Well, anyway, it's clear that the Xun Kingdom is quite powerful, managing to withstand such repeated setbacks...

If we include the local governors, generals, and powerful clans who routinely send their private armies to rob the Six Ministries of Mountain Ghosts, then Xun Kingdom's wars against the Hundred Mountains region can be described as relentless and militaristic. However, Li Fan observed the town's atmosphere and the general demeanor of the Xun Kingdom's people, and found them surprisingly quite good...

Actually, it makes sense when you think about it; the geographical location of Xun Kingdom is just too good.

To the west lies the resource-rich Li Country, to the east the wealthy Zhen Country, to the north the heartland of the Central Plains directly under the jurisdiction of the Three Enclosures, and to the south the Mountain Ghosts Tribe and the rogue cultivators of the South China Sea, who could plunder at will with no power to fight back, as well as the Li River waterway for transporting goods. This well-connected transportation hub naturally made the south a commercial center even more prosperous than Li Country.

Furthermore, the Xun Kingdom's royal family maintained a superficial harmony with the four major clans and explicitly promoted the traditional academy policy of agriculture and warfare. Up until the current struggle for the throne, there had been no political infighting. It must be said that the Ruler of Xun Country was quite capable.

Although the problem of land annexation by powerful clans was equally serious in Xun Kingdom, Xun Kingdom could still seize land and people from the Mountain Ghosts and reward them to commoners and generals in exchange for their loyalty. Therefore, there was a balance of power, and the powerful clans did not become as arrogant as they were in Li Country, where they climbed over the head of the ruler.

Militarily, the Xun Kingdom employs a hereditary military system that favors its generals, allowing them to pass down their private retinues to future generations. Many of these retinues are seasoned veterans, maintaining considerable combat strength. They are also stationed in the form of military settlements on the fertile plains south of the Li River, safeguarding the Xingye City of Xingye. This large-scale military settlement system not only provides for its own food supplies but also allows it to trade a portion of its provisions. It is also the Xun Kingdom's royal family's greatest asset in deterring foreign powers and suppressing powerful clans.

In addition, the recent turmoil, natural disasters, wars, and civil uprisings in the north have led to most of the refugees fleeing the war from the Central Plains being detained and settled in the stable and prosperous Xun Kingdom. After all, compared to the remote Li Country, the Xun Kingdom is closer to the Central Plains. As a result, a large amount of wealth, technology, and knowledge have been brought to Xingye City, which has enabled the Xun Kingdom's industry and commerce to develop significantly.

In addition, the Mountain Ghosts spirits were abducted and enslaved, providing ample manpower. This once barbaric land was transformed into a rich and fertile land almost indistinguishable from the Central Plains.

This place, as long as it doesn't fall into internal strife, is indeed enough to carve out a territory and eventually conquer the world. No wonder Yang Sheng is willing to serve the Xun Kingdom. There is indeed an opportunity to achieve great things.

Even Li Fan doubted whether the Three Realms would truly allow the Xun Kingdom to become so powerful if the remnants of Luo Feng were completely wiped out. Constantly drawing large armies from Xun Kingdom to fight the Luo Sect, the Demonic Sect, and the Divine Sect—wasn't that a sign of some defensiveness?

Of course, the reason why Sanyuan allowed Xun Kingdom to be left to its own devices might also be because the Ruler of Xun Country had a rather fatal shortcoming: in a world where immortals and demons roamed freely, his subordinates lacked high-end combat power among their cultivators.

After all, the current imperial family members were promoted to the throne later in life and lack sufficient foundation.

The high-end immortal cultivation inheritances they possess might not even be comparable to those of the four great clans. Therefore, the cultivators of Xun Kingdom today mainly come from two factions: the academy and the army. The cultivation methods they learn are mostly third-rate trash from the Immortal Palace.

It's said that they could gather fourteen Nascent Divine Transformation, but that includes the ancestors of the four great families, the in-laws of Zhen Country, and the backers of Sanyuan. They'd probably come to help during the war of national annihilation. If there were really so many Divine Transformation cultivators at their beck and call, how could Luo Feng Immortal Palace possibly resist?

So to put it bluntly, no matter how well the Ruler of Xun Country manages things, he will ultimately not escape the grasp of the Three Enclosures. To put it more absurdly, following the example of the previous dynasty, it is possible that his entire family could be wiped out overnight.

From this perspective, the Immortal Palace does have capable people, and their methods are truly ruthless. They take preventative measures and, given the opportunity, eliminate the Luo Feng Immortal Army and other trusted confidants with their own lineage as soon as possible. Otherwise, if the Xun Kingdom had a ruler like the Jueyin Shenjun, they might have already launched an attack on the Three Realms.

Tsk tsk, whether it's the vassal king of Xun Kingdom or the traitor of Luo Feng, with the Three Enclosures above them, it's quite difficult for these ambitious people to achieve anything.

As Li Fan pondered these random thoughts, he inquired about the future of Xun Kingdom while simultaneously crafting his own character. He then used his Sword Light to fly towards Xingye City.

These days, it's not really appropriate to pretend to be a Daoist priest when you're out and about. If you're a legitimate Daoist priest, they'll definitely check your lineage, Daoist certificate, and sect when you enter or leave the city. If you can't answer those questions, you're considered a wild Daoist priest who worships evil gods and performs licentious rituals, which is not tolerated by the Three Great Sects.

In a relaxed place like Li Country, where everyone is a free cultivator, things would be fine. But the situation is different in Xun Kingdom, because this is considered the territory of the Immortal Palace, and the Immortal Palace doesn't really like Daoists.

Whether it's the orthodox Xuanmen sect, the unorthodox sects like Ink Bamboo Mountain, or those rebels in the north who worship the Yellow Heaven, these outsiders, relying on their ability to fly and disappear, do as they please every day, disregarding the rule of the king, which is very annoying. In addition, Luo Feng Immortal Army used to impersonate Daoists to assassinate members of the royal family, which has ruined the reputation of Daoists in Xun Kingdom.

Therefore, the most popular independent sect in the Central Plains in recent years is Buddhism. Heaven knows where Buddhism came from in this world, but it must exist. Among the Twelve Countries, Zhen Country has the most and most prosperous temples, and Xun Kingdom also has quite a few. The Ruler of Xun Country has recruited many bald monks as henchmen, which is better than nothing.

Of course, Li Fan wouldn't shave his head, especially since he wasn't familiar with the Buddhism. This time, he was building up his persona as a rogue cultivator from the South China Sea, a reclusive master, and the master of Tan Flower Island, Li Yaoshi. His special skills were the Dalu Jing Tian Finger Divine Power and the Jade Flute Sword Method.

Oh, so you showed off your Jade Flute and Lightning Style skills at the Luo Feng Immortal Palace, right? No problem, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of swordsmen these days. We can just skip the high-end Xuan Profound Heaven Sword Method Technique. Hmm, let's just use the basic Puhua Sword Method from the Outer Sect of the Beichen Sword Sect. Anyway, he's always been instructing Asha, so I've mastered it perfectly. That way, I can later attribute my lineage to some unknown outcast from the Beichen Sword Sect Yan Xingyun. Hmm, perfect!

As for why he insists on holding the flute in his hand, it's not because he wants to show off, cough cough, okay, just a little bit. It's mainly because his mood cap has been raised to 6000, but his mood is still less than 5000, so he can play the flute whenever he has nothing to do to improve his mood and cultivate his character. Cough cough cough, seriously playing the flute, don't get the wrong idea.

So Li Fan sang "Two tigers, two tigers, running fast" to cheer himself up and flew towards Xingye City. Halfway there, he scanned the area with his Divine Sense and discovered that he had unexpectedly encountered bandits robbing people. He sang "How strange, how strange" again, turned around and flew back, landing on a treetop to check the situation.

Judging from the overturned carriage, it was an oxcart. The carriage itself was quite old, but it was still inlaid with gold and jade, and was very finely maintained. Judging from the luxurious style of this carriage, the victim was probably an official's family. There was a woman and three young children hiding inside the carriage, while the servants outside had scattered. Only an old personal guard was still standing guard with a knife, but he was also seriously injured and on the verge of death.

The group of thieves who attacked the carriage consisted of about a dozen people, most of whom were at the Foundation Establishment stage. They were all masked, bare-chested, tattooed, and carrying bows, crossbows, and short knives, dressed like Mountain Ghosts. For the moment, they did not make a move, but instead turned their heads to look at Li Fan, who was flamboyantly playing the flute on the tree branch, since he was not hiding himself either.

Li Fan initially thought it was Luo Feng's men making some kind of move, and that he'd stumbled upon an inside man, saving him the trouble of running all the way. But upon closer inspection, he couldn't help but sneer. "Ha, is this what Mountain Ghosts are like? Not even properly dressed, what kind of wild ghosts are they? And those tattoos on their faces, they're clearly painted on with glaze! Mountain Ghosts, huh? They look more like mountain demons..."

Looking at the scene before him, Li Fan immediately understood. Oh, this is just the kind of "Your wife and children are in my hands, do as I say if you don't want them to die!" scenario. They can pin everything on the Luo Feng Devil Palace, how convenient. But it seems the power struggle between these two palaces is getting increasingly out of control, directly resorting to kidnapping people's families and using their wives and children as leverage.

Li Fan didn't waste any words with them. He immediately used them as practice targets, channeling his energy from a distance, pointing and poking at them until all ten or so were numb and weak-kneed, collapsing to the ground. Then, he said to the dumbfounded veteran leader, "It is the duty of chivalrous people like us to help those in need. No need to thank me, send them to the authorities."

Hehe, you're pretending to be Mountain Ghosts, huh? I'll throw you in the yamen then, let's see how you get out of this mess!

The dozen or so bandits were also taken aback. How could such a meddlesome lunatic suddenly appear out of nowhere... So they looked at each other, bit their teeth, and actually all bit through the poison sacs in their mouths and committed suicide!

Holy crap? Li Fan was shocked. This was ruthless! They were all trained assassins?

The veteran bowed to Li Fan, then coughed up a mouthful of black blood and died a swift and decisive death.

Seriously... are you trying to argue or what? What's the point of comparing these things...?

The women and children in the carriage were stunned for a moment, then burst into tears.

Li Fan was speechless; good heavens, this escort mission was way too hardcore...

But he couldn't just leave her stranded in the middle of nowhere, so Li Fan had no choice but to jump down from the branch and ask bluntly, "Where is this lady going? I'll escort you all the way. How much will you pay me?"

The woman in the car was sobbing and muttering to herself. She had a slight accent from the Jiangnan region, and it took Li Fan a long time to understand her, only with the help of the system's translation.

This Lady Zhou, originally from a powerful family in Xun Zhou Family, had her husband dismissed from office and exiled after committing a crime. She suffered as a result. Fortunately, an old friend of the Zhou Family pleaded for her husband, and he was finally pardoned and reinstated. Tragically, this unfortunate man died of illness before her. Lady Zhou was forced to take Zhou Family three young sons back to Xingye City to seek refuge with relatives. Unexpectedly, they were robbed by Mountain Ghosts, and now her loyal servant is dead, and her household servants have fled with the remaining family property. What should she do? Sobbing

Li Fan was a little confused for a moment.

That's it? But it sounds like the Zhou Family has already fallen on hard times. Why bother sending so many assassins to kidnap this widow and her child?

Li Fan took out his Si Nan and glanced at it, but the spoon pointed north to Xingye City. It seemed they weren't hiding any special treasures or lucky charms...

However, Zhou kept whimpering, which gave Li Fan a headache. "Oh, stop whimpering. Just tell me where the Zhou Family, and I'll take you there."

Zhou continued to sob, saying she didn't know. The Zhou Family's ancestral property was long gone, and she only heard about being reinstated and able to return to the capital from the old servant. Oh dear, she used to be a young lady from a wealthy family, how could she have such a miserable life? Sob sob sob!

Li Fan was completely exasperated. "You must have had a destination on your way to the city, right? Don't tell me this old servant arranged everything? You brought your three sons and didn't even ask where you were going?"

Finally, Zhou asked where they were going.

It is said that her deceased husband had an older brother who was supposed to inherit the Zhou Family business and marry the eldest daughter of the Ruler of Xun Country, but he died young. Although the princess remarried, she was still kind-hearted. It was this sister-in-law, who had been her sister-in-law for several years, who helped to exonerate the Zhou Family from their crimes. Therefore, they were going to seek refuge with this eldest princess of Xun Kingdom.

"Oh, the eldest princess of Xun Kingdom, is that right? Alright, let's go." At least she got a name. Surely the eldest princess of Xun Kingdom wouldn't be so poor as to not be able to support a few idle people.

Without further ado, Li Fan casually lifted the oxcart, supported it with his hand, and flew into the air, using his lightness skill to run straight to Xingye City to hand in the mission.

Zhou had never seen anything like this before, and she was so frightened that she kept whimpering. The three children also started wailing and making a ruckus.

Li Fan was so annoyed. Ugh, you really can't just randomly accept these missions...

However, with such an exaggerated escort method, ordinary bandits and monsters dared not show themselves to interfere. He managed to fly and leap all the way, and finally saw the outer city of Xingye City in the distance.

"Xingye" means to promote national prosperity and build a thriving industry.

You know what, Xingye City does have a regal air about it. The Li River flows eastward here, first north, then south, and then east again, forming a V-shape. There's also a tributary that meanders southeast, and the name Crouching Dragon Pool) is quite clever. And the rocky mountain that sits on the river to the north resembles a crouching tiger, so calling it Crouching Tiger Ridge would be more fitting.

Xingye City is bordered by the Yangtze River to the north and Crouching Dragon Pool to the south. It stands across the river, built against the mountains and moats along the river, with a strategically important and rugged terrain, resembling a coiled dragon and a crouching tiger. Nestled between mountains and water, with the river flanking it, its strategic importance is evident from afar. It is the foremost stronghold south of the Yangtze River. Whether the northern army marches south or the southern army Northern Expedition northern expedition, Xingye City is an indispensable choke point for controlling both sides of the Yangtze River.

This city was indeed expanded and renovated from a military camp and fortress. In the previous dynasty, it was a naval garrison. From the island in the middle of the river at the entrance of Crouching Dragon Pool, one could see the allied navy of Xun Kingdom in the distance. Their banners blocked out the sun, their masts reached the clouds, and white bones were scattered like flying snow. Countless warships were lined up side by side, and from a distance, it looked as if another city had been built, blocking the great river.

Although Xingye City is indeed smaller in overall layout compared to Changsi City, it is still well-planned.

Nestled to the north by Crouching Tiger Ridge lies the Tiger Crouch Palace, the royal domain of the Xun Kingdom. The city walls are adorned with the Red Flame Flying Tiger Flag, a favorite of the royal family, said to commemorate their High Ancestor, known as the "Tiger of Jiangdong," who led his army to seize the throne and establish the kingdom. The outer city wall is a thousand feet wide, with five gates. Inside the palace, there are inner walls, a garrison city to the east, an armory city to the north, and a horse-riding garden city to the west. At the very center is Taichu Hall, the forbidden palace where the Ruler of Xun Country holds his daily reins.

On the south bank of Crouching Dragon Pool, merchants and officials lived together, and the population was diverse, with a constant flow of vehicles and boats. There were millions of people who lived and worked in Xingye City for a long time, and even more people traveled to and fro from east to west and north to south. If you take it a step further, the entire south bank of the Li River and the plains and farmlands on both sides of Crouching Dragon Pool can be considered the suburbs of Xingye City.

Judging from the aura alone, there are nearly a hundred Nascent Soul Stage level auras in this city, and as many as five Transformation Stage. At first glance, this number is much stronger than that of Changsi City back then. However, Changsi City is not actually the center of the cultivation world in Li Country, while Xun Kingdom is at least on the surface united, so it is understandable that many elites gather in the capital.

The powerful clans, led by the four major families, likely did not have their patriarchs in the city. Most of their estates and lands were distributed throughout the Xun Kingdom, while those serving as officials in the court naturally purchased properties and estates along the banks of Crouching Dragon Pool. The prices were exorbitant, and some officials from humble backgrounds couldn't even afford to rent or buy houses in the inner ring of the capital, so they simply lived on pleasure boats in Crouching Dragon Pool.

You know what, Crouching Dragon Pool also has another name, Rouge Pool. This river is where the most concentrated merchants and officials from both the north and south of Southern Country gather, as well as the most beautiful courtesans in the land. Every day, when they splash their washing water into the river, they dye the surface of the water rouge-colored. Li Fan has also been admiring it for a long time. Cough cough cough cough!

In short, let's complete the escort mission first, then find a pleasure boat to stroll around and see for ourselves whether the real courtesan or Jin Qing from the South China Sea is superior, cough cough.

Fortunately, the eldest princess of Xun Kingdom seemed to be quite famous. At least when Li Fan arrived on the waves with an oxcart, the Xun Kingdom's immortal soldiers who stopped him all changed color upon hearing that he was going to see the eldest princess. They immediately put on friendly and approachable smiles, reminded him that non-motorized vehicles were not allowed on the fast lane, and then pointed out the way. They didn't dare to ask any more questions and let him go.

Hmm, judging from their cowardly behavior, the princesses of various countries must be particularly difficult to deal with. I wonder who they remarried to, that they're so arrogant...

"How dare you! Who dares to trespass into the Grand Commander's residence!"