During Huo Ling's more than hundred years of garrison duty at the Bronze Citadel, he had remained far longer than the time he had originally promised Bael.
Over that time, Huo Ling had steadily encroached upon the authority of the other war zones, making all manner of under-the-table deals with their commanders.
By now, there were five war zones in total: four on the outer ring and one on the inner ring.
Huo Ling had taken these war zones into his grasp. The troops under his command even provided them with Legendary-level power.
This greatly eased the defensive pressure on those war zones, allowing their commanders to go from operating at a loss to turning a profit.
Huo Ling and those war zone commanders both benefited. In theory, Bael did not lose out either.
After all, he also received a share of those war zones' profits.
Yet profits could not make up for the loss of authority. Huo Ling's dealings with those war zone commanders all fell within the bounds of the rules, and Bael could not overstep those rules to interfere.
During the first fifty years, Huo Ling had behaved himself, because he had been accumulating strength.
When his garrison term expired, Bael had not found a suitable commander to replace Huo Ling, so he did not drive him out.
From then on, the garrison clause became this: if Bael found a suitable devil duke to replace Huo Ling, then Huo Ling could be replaced.
But after fifty years of development, Huo Ling began extending his claws and fangs, steadily encroaching upon other powers.
Behind Huo Ling stood a great many advisers. They found all kinds of loopholes in the clauses of Purgatory and began helping Huo Ling scheme and plan.
Even when Bael found suitable dukes, they saw