Before Chu Xisheng headed north to search for his secret medicine, he made a point of checking on the situation in Hezhou.
Bai Lingxi Two's progress was particularly gratifying. In just over two months, this "Deputy Pacification Commissioner" had taken most of southwestern Hezhou.
Hezhou had a total of 129 county-states. Bai Lingxi Two had swept through a quarter of them, occupying the vast territory of nearly thirty-two county-states for the Great Law Dynasty Court.
Just five days earlier, this "Deputy Pacification Commissioner" had petitioned the Imperial Court to send officials to govern the region and organize migration to Hezhou to populate it.
Bai Lingxi One had chosen to land in Hezhou's northwestern corner.
She had landed a full three days earlier than Bai Lingxi Two.
Besides the five hundred thousand surrendered Great Ning troops the Imperial Court had assigned her, she had also obtained the Grand Secretariat's permission to recruit troops near Penglai Island at her own expense.
Penglai Island lay south of the Divine Land and covered an area equivalent to two Eastern Provinces. It was a lawless land beyond the Imperial Court's control.
Penglai City of Nevernight, on the island's southeastern side, was one of the world's three strongest overseas powers.
Penglai Island itself enjoyed an excellent location, linking the Divine Land and the Southern Sea Islands. It was rich in natural resources, possessed the world's most abundant mineral deposits, and had countless spirit fields used to grow ingredients for all kinds of spirit medicines.
As such, Penglai Island had not only attracted countless maritime merchants but also supported a dense population.
Since its inhabitants were not registered in household rolls, its exact population could not be estimated. However, it was said to be no smaller than that of He and Luo Provinces, possibly exceeding two billion.