"Oh, Junior Brother Li, I've taken care of that matter you mentioned. Before long, wealthy and influential mortals from all sides will gather in the royal capital to discuss our campaign against the bandits."
A little while after Li Ling ended his communication with Shang Yuxian, Zhou Cheng brought up another matter.
Li Ling said, "You've already notified everyone? You certainly have quite the network, Senior Brother Zhou."
Zhou Cheng said, "You flatter me, Junior Brother Li. We may be outsiders, but we do bear the title of immortal master attendants."
Everyone laughed at that.
Whatever else they might be, they were Qi Refining cultivators, more than qualified to stand above the nobles of small countries with sparse populations.
"Still, I don't think those mortal princes and dukes have the ability to scheme against us," Zhou Cheng said after the laughter subsided. "Before the Blood Shark Bandits captured me, they didn't know I was from Mystic Xin Peak. They most likely came after me because I was an attendant."
Li Ling looked thoughtful. "So they were targeting the Bamboo Step Kingdom's attendants?"
Zhou Cheng said, "Some vicious pirates call this 'plowing up the courts and sweeping out the dens.' They concentrate their forces to wipe out everyone in a place who opposes them, turning it into a bandits' paradise where they can run wild and plunder at will."
An older senior brother from Mystic Xin Peak beside them added, "Pirates at sea come from complicated backgrounds. You can't view them in the same way as officials and bandits on land.
"You may not know this, Junior Brother Li, but in some places, bandits actually govern, managing the country and its market trade.
"You can't even call those places black markets anymore. They fence stolen goods and do business in broad