Pacifying the County

The entire Pingrong County became lively because of a single sentence from Sect Leader Kang Da.

However, only two months had passed. Whether it was a major Foundation Establishment sect like Ingenious Craftsman Fort, which had been ordered by the state court to relocate to Pingrong County; or a minor Qi Refinement clan like the Xue Household family, which had been mostly destroyed; or a branch force sent by the Immortal Dynasty like Double Brightness Trade Market, they all Pingrong County training ground according to the rules and schedule set by Sect Leader Kang Da, contributing their men and paying their taxes.

Several deputy officials who usually bullied and acted recklessly in the county because of their family background have all changed their appearance and put on a meek and obedient demeanor.

"Ingenious Craftsman Fort, Hemu Dao, Fish Mountain Fellow Cultivators Association, Mandarin Duck Hall in the county, Caishi Lu Household, Xue Household Pine Forest Ravine. Reporting to Master, all fifty-one forces are present without exception." Duan Anle, who was in charge of calling out the names, closed the roster and landed in front of Kang Dabao, who was standing under the black banner, riding a wisp of wind.

The latter did not speak, but nodded slightly. With a single gesture, he summoned all the leaders of the fifty-one factions.

As he greeted them, Sect Leader Kang Da waved his sleeve. A map screen, ten zhang in diameter, suddenly unfolded and floated in mid-air. Everyone looked at it, and the huge screen clearly showed the mountains and rivers of the entire Pingrong County.

Not only were all the various factions included, but also the approximate locations and scales of well-known bandits and Evil Cultivator hiding places were drawn.

Not to mention the various factions present, even Great Wei Immortal Dynasty certainly wouldn't have such a clear map.

Before the leaders of each sect could ask any questions, Sect Leader Kang Da spoke up, "Listen up, everyone. I have summoned you here on the orders of the state court and the Earl, to wipe out all Evil Cultivator and bandits in Pingrong County within two months."

The words had barely left his lips when one or two of the crowd below trembled in fright, thinking to themselves, "Wow, thank goodness! It turns out my family isn't considered a bandit sect in the county magistrate's eyes after all."

"Let's look at the map first." Before the cultivators could react for long, Kang Dabao lightly made a spell, and hundreds of thick lines appeared on the map, dividing the entire Pingrong County into many areas.

While clearly indicating which organization was responsible for overseeing the area, the names of the corresponding entities were also noted down by the various Evil Cultivator sects.

It's not hard to see that the forces each family is targeting are mostly far from their own territory. The leaders of each family present are not fools; they know that this is another strategy devised to prevent them from betraying their own side and colluding with each other.

Even though Kang Dabao had allocated the tasks according to the power of each family beforehand, there is never absolute fairness in this world. Those who are given easy tasks will be happy, while those who have to gnaw on the tough ones will naturally be worried.

The Sect Leader Kang Da disregarded their feelings and waved his hand, sending the patrolmen drawn from Double Brightness Trade Market into the pre-arranged groups of various factions.

"The military supervisors are all ready?!"

"I only have two months, so you fellow practitioners only have one month. Let me state this in advance: there will be rewards for early arrivals and punishments for delays. During this period, you may also try to tip off those scoundrels you have connections with in your own homes."

However, I must add a word of caution: do not let these military officers I have sent discover you. Otherwise, that man surnamed Kang will teach you a lesson."

Fang Yi these words were spoken, many of the heads of the various households frowned, bowing their heads and agreeing in order to conceal the fierce glint in their eyes.

The Sect Leader Kang Da, standing beneath the banner, wore a black cloak and exuded an air of sternness rather than malice. Thanks to the exceptional eyesight granted by his Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes, he effortlessly observed the subtle movements of the people below.

But after seeing it clearly, he just grinned and said, "I suppose some of my comrades in the ranks may already be harboring some wicked thoughts, but that's alright. I am also a soldier on the front lines, and it is inevitable that I will suffer some injuries while doing my duty to the country."

But let me make this clear for now: if none of your families have lost more than half their members, and if the military officer I dispatched is in danger, then I can guarantee that any remaining members will be sent to Liangxi and Haibei to continue serving the country!

"You son of a bitch!" In an instant, countless cultivators cursed inwardly.

"Furthermore, of the spoils seized this time, thirty percent must first be handed over to the county temple for use as compensation and rewards." The first blow had barely landed when Sect Leader Kang Da lashed out again without hesitation:

"Fellow practitioners, you may hide or conceal yourselves. But I'll say it again: if I discover you, you'll know what's what! I have my own methods, and I'll make you wish you could crawl back into your mother's womb!"

With just a few dozen words, Sect Leader Kang Da spoke softly, without any dramatic or forceful tone, yet his words sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

Even Foundation Establishment cultivators like Mo Wen and Li Mingyuan couldn't help but raise their heads and carefully examine Kang Dabao.

Both of them were outsiders and had not had much contact with Kang Dabao. Therefore, their impression of the latter was mostly negative, such as "good at bullying women" and "a crooked opportunist."

However, after their previous experience of forcing Changning Sect to retreat with the help of the New Cloud Alliance, the two knew that Sect Leader Kang Da was not someone to be trifled with.

But upon seeing him again today, I began to feel that Kang Dabao's temperament had changed again, and his sharpness had suddenly increased.

One of them came from a long-established sect, and the other had experienced the Golden Core battlefield. They both considered themselves to be worldly-wise and not ignorant cultivators. However, in their eyes, the decisive and ruthless aura that Sect Leader Kang Da exuded today was in no way inferior to those veteran military officers who had commanded armies for hundreds of years.

"As expected, not just anyone can be the eldest son-in-law of the Fei Household!" Mo Wen thought that it would be difficult for the Ingenious Craftsman Fort to have any other ambitions in the future, and the only way would be to focus on making knives with the Chongming Sect. He couldn't help but feel a little sad.

He wasn't the only one with mixed feelings; many of the heads of various families had watched Kang Dabao grow from a penniless peddler wandering the streets to the lord of the Pingrong of the barbarians and the head of a major sect.

Among them were people who were far superior to Kang Dabao back then, people who had joked and teased the "master peddler," and even people like Shao Meng who had taken advantage of Kang Dabao.

But now they could only shrink back, bow their heads and agree, not daring to even glance at the Foundation Establishment True Cultivator the banner.

They had lost all their arrogance. At this moment, faced with Kang Dabao's harsh conditions, even though they were angry, they couldn't even utter a single "no."

A flicker of jealousy flashed in Hemu Dao Han Wo's eyes. He suddenly felt that being the sect leader was meaningless. Looking at Sect Leader Kang Da, he felt displeased, but also relieved. "No wonder Black Shoes chose you!"

The various factions of Pingrong, each with their own hidden agendas, arrived unprepared. Under the intimidation of Sect Leader Kang Da, they were forcibly brought together. Then, they were branded with the "loyalty to the emperor and service to the country" label, and soon after, they were ordered to disperse to various places to eradicate evil cultivators.

It seems that after blasting them aboard, Sect Leader Kang Da had no intention of letting them off easily.

If those on board want to return to shore, they can only carry the lives and heads of their target, the evil cultivator, to pay for the port entry and landing costs; no one can escape.

After Sect Leader Kang Da finished speaking, he activated his Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes, his golden pupils sweeping over all the cultivators present. Not a single one dared to meet his gaze. Even Mo Wen and Li Mingyuan, both at the Foundation Establishment stage, chose to temporarily avoid his sharp edge.

Kang Dabao's gaze finally settled on his three colleagues beside him. Nowadays, in Cloud Horn Prefecture, officials of the Immortal Dynasty are worth much more than before.

Therefore, these three new assistants were already of good background. Sect Leader Kang Da only needed to glance at them a few times to easily see the air of privilege emanating from them.

"These words are for them, and also for my colleagues. I hope the three of you will do me the honor of listening."

Their cultivation was inferior, their methods were inferior, and even their background, which they had always relied on, was inferior. How could the three people in front of them dare to say a word? They were too busy nodding to even acknowledge the situation. How could they show the slightest sign of difficulty?

They responded in unison, "We dare not disobey the county magistrate's order!"

While they praised him verbally, they cursed inwardly, "Damn it, is that little bit of tribute worth your father taking such a big risk? Where does this fat man get such fierceness? He's no less formidable than those veteran soldiers who have been fighting the Demon Race for years on the northwestern border. We need to send a message home immediately so we can move to another place as soon as possible!"

Lu Yunniang, along with several newly recruited retainers, surrounded a sallow-faced Evil Cultivator who wielded a white bone flail.

Their arrival was sudden; the group of Evil Cultivator were unprepared and caught off guard, gaining a huge advantage. In just one exchange, Lu Yunniang and her men killed three of the five Evil Cultivators, and with a final push, only the leader remained.

The yellow-faced Evil Cultivator was quite powerful, already at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, and the evil technique he practiced seemed to be of a high grade as well. Therefore, even with five capable retainers, Lu Yunniang still found it difficult to subdue him.

With a clang, the white bone flail, coated with a layer of bloody light, knocked back the dragon-patterned black iron scissors wielded by Lu Yunniang, causing the latter's tiger's mouth to burst open and blood to splatter everywhere.

The yellow-faced Evil Cultivator had no time to press his advantage. He turned around and smashed the brains of a guest of the Lu Household who was too close. Just as he was about to rush out, Lu Yunniang Spirit Awakening insect bag and used a swarm of spirit bees to block him.

The sallow-faced Evil Cultivator cursed under his breath, peeling back the nail of his right pinky finger. The blood-red essence from the white bone flail condensed into a grain of rice-sized crimson blood essence, which he then concealed back under the nail.

Then the yellow-faced Evil Cultivator spat his Essence Blood from the tip of his tongue onto the white bone flail, and ghostly fire suddenly ignited on the flail, causing the spirit bees that were swarming around him to hiss.

Seeing that his skillful use of will-o'-the-wisp had worked, the yellow-faced Evil Cultivator showed no joy whatsoever. Instead, he shouted angrily, "Damn it! You ugly woman from the Lu Household, my brothers are enjoying themselves in the north of Pingrong County. What business is it of yours, cultivator in the south of the county? You wouldn't dare to ruin your hometown here, would you?!"

Seeing that Lu Yunniang only bit her lip and did not answer, the yellow-faced Evil Cultivator felt even more miserable.

He had heard before that Lu Yunniang's swarm of spirit bees had advanced to the First-Tier Middle-Grade, and the spirit honey they produced could bring in hundreds of Spirit Stones for the Lu Household every year, which could be considered the Lu Household's largest source of income.

Now that Lu Yunniang is even willing to use these treasures that can generate Spirit Stone to defend against enemies, how could the yellow-faced Evil Cultivator not see that she is going to fight to the death!

"When did we, the Five Heroes of Tall Wood Cave, offend your Caishi Lu Household?! We didn't offend your Lu Xun when he was doing business a few years ago; we even helped him out."

Lu Yunniang didn't answer. Seeing the spirit bees that fed her family fall to the ground after being scorched by the yellow-faced Evil Cultivator's ghost fire, she showed no pity whatsoever. Instead, she took out the Flood Dragon Pattern Iron scissors and slashed them viciously at the latter.

The yellow-faced Evil Cultivator was indeed formidable, but Lu Yunniang was no pushover either.

Not only was she also Late Qi Refinement cultivator, but in her early years, when she and the entire clan fell to Jiang Qing Qingjian, she was someone who earned his respect.

Under Lu Yunniang's leadership, all the cultivators of the Lu Household held back. The yellow-faced Evil Cultivator was overwhelmed and unable to keep up. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lu Yunniang seized the opportunity to cut open the blood-stained clothes, sever the body, and cut it in two.

"When exactly did we, the Five Heroes of Tall Wood Cave, offend the Caishi Lu Household?!" Huang Lianxie gasped for breath, asking in a hoarse voice as he lay dying.

Lu Yunniang remained silent, then severed the head of the yellow-faced Evil Cultivator. In his dying moments, he only heard a half-sentence explanation from a guest of the Lu Household: "Your Majesty, the cruelty towards the people has gone too far; they deserve to be executed!"

"Crippled people?! It has always been like this for thousands of years?! Ordinary people are the crops, and what we gather are wild seedlings, not the crops planted by your fences!"

What crime have you committed?! What crime have you committed?! Even if it's the Caishi Lu Household, the Two Instruments Sect, or even the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, are you any cleaner than us?!

The yellow-faced Evil Cultivator's resentful words before his death were difficult for others to hear. Lu Yunniang expressionlessly picked up the Storage Bag and several retainers gathered their fallen companions and surrounded her.

"Master, before that military supervisor arrives, let's..." A guest elder with thick eyebrows and large eyes looked intently at the Blood Qi- stained Storage Bag in Lu Yunniang's hand. He only said half of his sentence, but everyone present understood.

"Silence!" This well-intentioned advice only earned him a scolding from Lu Yunniang. Although the guest who spoke was taken aback, he still advised, "Master, Fellow Daoist Ma has passed away, and most of your spirit bees have been burned by the Evil Cultivator's ghost fire. The family's expenses will likely be much tighter in the future."

The supervisor sent by the upper sect has accomplished nothing this time. Are we really going to hand over this Storage Bag without a second thought?! We should at least take some valuables first, so we won't lose out!

"Guest Elder Zhang, if you say another word, I will settle the Spirit Stone with you now, so as not to delay you from finding a bolder master." Lu Yunniang's tone was icy, which made all the guests present shudder.

No one had expected that Lu Yunniang would so readily turn against her comrade who had just fought alongside her.

Zhang Keqing's face visibly fell apart quickly. At this moment, the patrol officer who had led two members of the Lu Household to inspect the Evil Cultivator's warehouse also arrived.

"Military Officer Fu."

"Master Lu Household."

After exchanging greetings, Lu Yunniang handed over the still-warm Storage Bag of the Evil Cultivator to Military Officer Fu. Unexpectedly, the latter didn't ask any questions or examine them carefully, and directly opened the Storage Bag one by one to check them.

Military Officer Fu's actions didn't change Lu Yunniang's expression, but they made Zhang Keqing look somewhat smug. "Why bother?! It would have been so much better to listen to me! You've suffered the consequences! Women always lack a bit of boldness."

"I witnessed firsthand the Lu Household's loyalty to the public and their exemplary conduct in leading from the front. Upon my return, I will certainly report this clearly to the magistrate. The magistrate is benevolent and will certainly not allow the Lu Household to suffer any loss."

Military Officer Fu checked the contents of the Storage Bag, copied them onto a piece of spiritual silk, and then took the list he had made in the Evil Cultivator's treasury. He checked it with Lu Yunniang and carefully affixed his spiritual mark.

Under Military Officer Fu's watchful eye, Lu Yunniang pocketed about 70% of the spoils. Fu Junzheng then crossed out the corresponding items one by one, and then signed and stamped the document.

These two pieces of silk are to be returned to the county temple for safekeeping and cannot be handled carelessly.

"In this way, the two Evil Cultivator forces that the county magistrate entrusted to the Caishi Lu Household have been completely wiped out. Afterwards, all I need to do is have Patriarch Lu Household accompany me back to the county temple to report. The rest of you fellow cultivators may return to your respective places if there is nothing else to report."

"Thank you, General!"

"I have not accomplished anything and do not deserve the gratitude of the Lu Household head."

Instead of sending the Lu Household cultivators back, Lu Yunniang followed Military Officer Fu to explore a mortal town under the jurisdiction of the bandit cultivators of Tall Wood Cave.

"The road is littered with bones, and people are treated like livestock." Lu Yunniang sighed as she looked at the lifeless scene before her.

Judging from the town's layout, it must have been quite populous in the past, but now there are less than a thousand people left in the town, most of whom are women with slightly better looks, who have been kept by Evil Cultivator for their debauchery.

Occasionally, a few children would appear, but none of them could speak, were naked, walked on all fours, and were like beasts.

Military Officer Fu also upset by the scene before him. He had been recruited as a patrolman in Double Brightness Trade Market because he was a bandit under Shao Meng. Even someone with such a bad reputation felt sad, which showed how vicious and violent this group of Evil Cultivator was.

He then said, "According to the county magistrate's map, more than twenty years ago, this was a small town of twenty or thirty thousand people, bustling with commerce and quite prosperous. Now, only this few people remain."

Lu Yunniang was somewhat dazed. This was just a small corner of Pingrong County; how many other places in the world were like this?

What's even more lamentable is that the Golden Core False Core in the Two Instruments Sect were too lazy to care about this matter; the civil and military officials in Cloud Horn Prefecture Court were too busy to care; in the end, it was only the Sect Leader Kang Da, such a lowly and insignificant official, who had to take care of it.

"They deserve to be disciplined! It's no wonder the Kuang Household can't hold onto their power!"

A presumptuous thought suddenly popped into Lu Yunniang's mind, and she was so startled that she came to her senses. Just then, she saw Military Officer Fu bowing and saying apologetically, "Please wait a moment, Patriarch Lu Household. I need to send a message to the Wu family in Willow Grove Wu Household nearby. This town is under their jurisdiction, and these mortals still need them to settle them down."

This was an act of charity, Lu Yunniang did not object.

Only half a day later, the head of the Wu Household rushed over, tears streaming down his face.

Neither Lu Yunniang nor Military Officer Fu meant to blame them. The Wu Household family was so weak that they weren't even on the list compiled by Sect Leader Kang Da. The patriarch was old and frail, and his cultivation was only at the Third Layer of Qi Refinement. Where would they get the ability or resources to compete with the Evil Cultivator for this town?

This world.

After finishing dealing with the town, Lu Yunniang did not immediately return to Pingrong County Temple with Military Officer Fu. Instead, she led the cultivators of her clan, loaded with the large amount of goods they had seized, to the He Household's simple warehouse nearby.

This warehouse was temporarily set up by the He Household to facilitate the buying and selling of war profits. Items like First Tier spirit ore and spirit materials are large and heavy, and ordinary Storage Bag cannot hold many of them. They are also cheap, so it is convenient to sell them here.

The He Household owned three warehouses in Pingrong County, one each in the east, west, south, and north. These warehouses were built even earlier than the time when Sect Leader Kang Da launched his troops.

Moreover, the warehouse not only offers buying and selling, but also provides exquisite treats such as spiritual food, wine, and fragrant tea. However, the most important items are the female cultivators of the Mandarin Duck Hall.

Well, according to Sect Leader Kang Da, loyalty to the emperor and serving the country are not bound by formalities.

The guest retainers had quite a bit of fun, while the two younger members of the same clan who went out with Lu Yunniang could only watch with envy.

Another night wasted, and the next day, Military Officer Fu, looking haggard, did not delay his business any longer and returned to the bustling Pingrong County Temple. Magistrate Kang did not offer any timely words of comfort upon their return.

He's busy; he's killing someone.

Thank you to reader 20210215001243179 for the Extended Net Moon.

Thank you jjhjj33 for the Extended Net Moon.

Thanks to book friends whose last number is 7000 and classmates Zhou who suppressed the barking for their two monthly passes.

Thank you to the following readers for their monthly tickets: 9086, Shujian Piaoyi, 3706, Yiban Aikanshu, Heiyunke, Beiguangzhilei Mori Shenshi, 5456, Riri Zhangtingban, 3153, Qiaoben Xie, 2513, and Zhanwojianwo.

Thank you all for reading, subscribing, voting, and commenting!