Another Reward

After two years of continuous crackdown, most of the remaining evil sects in Ping and Jin counties have been completely eradicated.

But these things are like spring breezes that keep growing back; Evil Method is easy to create, but people's hearts are hard to calm. Being able to maintain a relatively peaceful world is already the best result that Sect Leader Kang Da can achieve within his capabilities.

The two counties were not wealthy places to begin with, and in the past, no one was in charge of them. Although these evil cultivators, who were skilled at extracting souls and refining spirits and congealing blood into ointment, lived a simple life, they were happy to enjoy themselves.

However, ever since Chongming Sect's son-in-law from the Fei Household took over as Pingrong County and concurrently managed Jin County, the methods he used were far too ruthless.

This is not only reflected in the ever-changing, ferocious heads that appear on the city gate towers of the two counties every ten days and every month; it is also reflected in the fact that now all the well-known households in the two counties have been bound with ropes by Sect Leader Kang Da, and are very obedient.

By using both harsh measures and sweet promises, Kang Dabao had basically managed to get each household to adhere to the policy of guarding their homes, abandoning the tacit understanding they used to have with the Evil Cultivator and bandits, and ensuring that they would no longer have any contact with them.

But as the saying goes, "No one does a losing business, but everyone's eager to do a business that could cost them their life." Money can corrupt people's hearts, and there are always some stubborn souls in this world who want to run up to the city gate and enjoy the breeze without any worries.

But as long as the knife is sharp and bright enough, weeds will never grow faster than they can be cut, and these will only be minor ailments.

In this way, Ping and Jin counties were practically turned into an impenetrable fortress by Kang Dabao, leaving almost no space for such evil practices.

Therefore, among the few remaining evil practitioners in the two counties, even those who were truly reluctant to give up their evil ways and become honest and upright, all abandoned their families and left these two barren places early on, turning to neighboring counties to make their fortunes.

As a result, Sect Leader Kang Da has completely ruined his reputation among the Evil Cultivator and Bandit Cultivator of Cloud Horn Prefecture.

People in the circle say that after he joined a powerful family, he completely disregarded his hometown ties and was a heartless scoundrel.

Mingming's reputation for "bullying women" and "being vindictive" was well-known in Cloud Horn Prefecture. He hadn't even cleaned up his own mess yet, so how dare he come out and meddle in the affairs of his fellow Daoists? What kind of moralist was he pretending to be here!

However, the Sect Leader Kang Da himself did not cherish his reputation in the Evil Cultivator circle. He had only just wiped out most of the evil cultivators, and he had already begun to worry about the affairs of mortals.

--Jin County, White Fruit Township, within the township elders' residence.

Reluctantly Xie Er closed the door bolt, turned around, and walked back, muttering filth under his breath. Back at the table, while several high-ranking clerks were boasting, Xie Er shrank back and secretly stole a few sips of wine.

The banquet was very lively, with several old officials in black robes each embracing innocent women they had abducted from various families. The sounds of crying, laughter, and conversation filled the air.

A thin, toothless man withdrew his large hand from the woman's breast beside him, still seemingly unsatisfied, and began to discuss the only serious matter at the table. "Several officials in the county who were of rank have been dismissed from their posts in the past year or two."

Before leaving, a trusted aide relayed a message: the magistrate of Pingrong County wanted to cleanse every household of bandits and vagrants within his jurisdiction, to create a peaceful and prosperous world. He added that the newly appointed county magistrate would also be inspecting the various towns soon to urge and expedite the process.

These words caused a huge stir.

"She's a servant girl, how could she possibly have a good life after that?!"

"I wonder what level of Qi Refinement the new county magistrate is? Could he be a mid-stage cultivator?"

"What an era! The previous magistrate was already Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could Cloud Horn Prefecture still have Early Qi Refining Stage -stage official?"

"That's true, but so what if he's a mid-stage cultivator? Brother Hu isn't without..." The person who was speaking saw the middle-aged man with a gloomy face glare at him from the main seat, and quickly swallowed the rest of his words, only burying his head in caressing the virtuous woman who had snatched him onto his lap.

"Lately, everyone should keep their tails between their legs. These four newly appointed officials are all new faces, and none of us here are even mid-stage cultivators. Even if we wanted to curry favor, we couldn't."

"That man from the Chongming Sect is not someone to be trifled with. He's also a master of seeking fame and fortune. Over the years, he's killed countless immortals. If we break any taboos, we'll be doomed!" The middle-aged man slammed his wine bowl down, looked around at everyone, and warned them sternly.

Everyone understood the implications and readily agreed.

However, this serious demeanor didn't last long. An old official, growing increasingly angry, simply tore off the clothes of the woman beside him, shouting, "Never mind! Let's live for today! Once the official document arrives, we'll truly have no good days left. Let's enjoy ourselves while we can!"

This reasoning is correct. After all, there is still some time before the official document is issued. It is thought that even if the officials in the county have a lesson to teach, they will still have to summon people to explain it before implementing it, otherwise it would be "punishing without teaching," which would be completely undignified.

Infected by his behavior, the beasts at the banquet also became unleashed, and even the only cultivator present, "Master Hu," followed suit and became unrestrained.

Xie Er, standing to the side, watched with envy and thought to himself, "You bunch of people usually collude and use your martial arts skills to make things difficult for me. And that county magistrate was also elusive."

"That's great! Once I've gotten on the good side of the new county magistrate, I'll send you all to guard the village! In a few years, some of the cowards will be unlucky enough to fall into the hands of a passing Evil Cultivator and be turned into flesh and blood pills."

"Slap." Xie Er, who was sitting in the corner, didn't have time to lose focus for long before he received a solid slap in the face.

The old, sharp-tongued official, thinking his good days were numbered and filled with resentment, threw down the wine he was carrying and yelled, "You blind fool! Can't you see we're out of wine?! Go get some more!"

Xie Er hurriedly shrank his head and got up to agree. He took a few steps with his head down. As soon as he stepped out of the main hall, he saw the gate outside the courtyard wide open. A handsome man carrying a bamboo and wooden book box walked slowly in the moonlight.

"Pah! These filthy bastards, they've even gotten involved with the Rabbit!"

Xie Er cursed under his breath a few more times, then realized something was wrong—he had just locked the door!

Then the man asked in a gentle voice, "Feng Wan is appointed by the county magistrate as the county lieutenant of Jin County. Who are you?!"

"Xie Er to the County Magistrate, I am a junior officer in the local militia."

"Xie Er." Feng Wan conjured a piece of yellow paper out of thin air, covered with names written in dense small regular script.

"Oh, you're not up there." Feng Wan smiled. Xie Er looked up and saw her face, feeling as if she were Celestial Person being descended to earth. Compared to the vulgar beauties he had seen in the brothels, this fairy was incredibly beautiful!

"Xie Er, you idiot, have you encountered a ghost or something!" The old clerk with the sharp tongue, disheveled, came out from behind the crowd. He was startled when he saw Feng Wan in the courtyard, then grinned, a lewd look appearing on his ugly face:

"You're quite clever! Where did you find such a fine piece of mutton? Good, good, I'll go and ask Master Hu to reward you!"

"How dare you! This is the county magistrate!" Xie Er perked up and pointed at the sharp-tongued old clerk, cursing him out.

"The county magistrate?" The old clerk, reeking of alcohol, instantly sobered up. His tongue trembled, and he saw Feng Wan shift the corner of his robe, revealing a black token with gold lettering. His thin legs went limp, and he knelt on the ground with a thud.

"Sir, spare my life!" The old official felt as if his soul was about to leave his body, trembling like a leaf, and he lost control of his bladder on the ground.

What's his name?

Seeing that Feng Wan showed no anger, Xie Er was somewhat disappointed, but still carefully replied, "Xue Xi'er, the White Fruit Town."

"Oh, he's up there." Feng Wan glanced at the yellow paper again and nodded.

At this moment, the people inside the house also heard the commotion and came out in twos and threes.

Haha, Lao Xue, you've had too much to drink.

"You're no good in bed, and you're no good at tablework either. Next time you get something good, how will you have the nerve to compete with me?"

"See? I told you this wine was bad. Next time I go to buy wine, I'll kill that old woman in the shop to avenge the village magistrate. Come, let me help you up, sir."

With them out, the respectable women inside were no longer restrained, and seeing the door wide open, they mustered their courage and ran out.

A group of drunkards laughed and tried to stop them a few times, but then let them go. Let them run away, there are plenty of decent women in this town, they can just knock on their doors later and get them, it's good to have something new.

"Silence!" The leader, Master Hu, finally realized something was wrong. His gaze lingered on Feng Wan's clothes, his expression changed, and he immediately bowed, "Greetings, County Magistrate."

"Greetings, County Magistrate!" The entire courtyard of drunkards knelt down in unison. Some of them were still drunk and were just following their colleagues' movements, bowing on the ground in a daze.

"What are their names?" Feng Wan asked softly again.

"Hu Yong, the village head of White Fruit Township; Jin Jiu, the thief; and Song Zhong, the village official." Xie Er checked them one by one, and Feng Wan checked them against the yellow paper one by one before finally nodding and saying, "Good, they're all on there."

"We didn't know the county magistrate would be arriving tonight, and we were still drinking. We deserve to die!" Hu Yong pleaded, prostrating himself on the ground.

"It's alright, getting drunk is good, it won't hurt."

The moment the word "pain" was uttered, Feng Wan's expression remained calm as countless wind blades suddenly flew out from her sleeves, slashing towards the people in the courtyard.

Among them were Martial Ancestor who had achieved great success in body refinement; caught off guard, they instantly perished on the spot.

Only one person managed to break free, holding a sharp, wrist-splitting Talisman Artifact upside down. He lunged forward, but Feng Wan dodged, causing the man to miss his attack and turn to flee.

With a few quick leaps and bounds, his body moved like a hawk, and in just a few breaths, he was on the roof and had run quite a distance.

His footwork was ghostly and unpredictable, quite remarkable among low-level rogue cultivators.

Xie Er, who was watching in a daze, inwardly praised, "This immortal is indeed an immortal. Martial Ancestor in this courtyard can only offer their necks for slaughter, but only Hu Yong is able to escape."

It's a pity, though. Feng Wan raised her hand again, and as before, countless wind blades flew out. Hu Qiangfu, who came from a wild cultivation background, had nowhere to dodge. The short blade Talisman Artifact had no effect on slowing down the wind blades at all, and Hu Yong was cut into pieces by the wind blades.

Xie Er was so frightened that his legs trembled. At the same time, a thought began to form in his mind. He was a clever man. With so many positions suddenly vacant in the village, what would happen to him?

At this moment, Feng Wan's voice came, this time colder. "Xie Er, I remember now, it was supposed to be yours, but this yellow paper is too narrow, there's no room to write it down."

Xie Er trembled all over, his strength gone, and he collapsed onto a pile of yellow puddle, kicking his legs and begging for mercy, "Master, spare me! Master, spare me!"

The next morning

Old Cui was pushing his incense-collecting cart down the bluestone street when he heard a small group of people gathered outside Huang Shusheng's house. Too afraid to approach and ask, he simply watched from a distance.

Before long, the men of the Huang family dispersed the onlookers, and a roll of straw mat containing something was carried out.

The woman, her face streaked with tears, cried out that she wanted to see the house off, but her husband, Huang Shusheng, stopped her, uttering words of shamelessness and disgrace. He hurriedly closed the door, avoiding the neighbors' gazes.

Old Cui immediately knew what was wrapped in the straw mat; it wasn't surprising, he'd seen it many times before.

Though he was of lowly status and illiterate, he still possessed a basic sense of shame, and sighed softly to himself, "Who truly knows no shame?"

The cart carrying the night-blooming jasmine continued its journey along the bluestone street, where more and more local militia, rarely seen in the past, appeared. Old Man Cui, terrified, hid and hid, vaguely hearing something about the county magistrate arriving.

He didn't care about any of that; all he wanted was to get the cart of sap back as soon as possible to compost it, so that his family could harvest more grain this year. After paying tribute to the corrupt officials and landlords in the village, he could have some money left over to buy some meat for his wife and children.

After traveling about five li outside the city, they arrived at the outskirts of the village. Old Man Cui, panting heavily, stopped his car on the path at the village entrance to rest.

Before they had rested enough, they saw a large group of local soldiers rushing towards the village in the distance. Old Man Cui was so frightened that he abandoned his manure cart and hurriedly ran back to the fields. He called his wife and young children, and together with his friends, they fled up the mountain to hide.

Sure enough, not long after they went up the mountain, they saw flames soaring into the sky and shouts of battle echoing through the village. Old Man Cui was still shaken. Luckily, he had managed to escape with his family; otherwise, they would have certainly met a bad end if they had run into the group of arsonists.

As for whether the village militia might cause any other problems, Old Man Cui couldn't imagine it.

"Boss, why are those stupid villagers running away?" A village soldier who was setting fire to and besieging the local tyrant in the village asked Xie Er in a low voice.

Wearing a new set of clothes, Xie Er looked impatient. He glanced at the yellowed paper still smelling of ink and replied coldly, "What do you care about him? Hurry up and open the Song Household. We still have several places to go. If you delay the county magistrate's business, I'll chop you up alive!"

"Die!" A burly, dark-skinned man leaped out from the wall of the Song Household compound. After landing, he swung two short axes repeatedly, killing and injuring several village soldiers who were carrying firewood and setting fires.

"There's a Blood Refining Realm hidden in his family. No wonder he made it onto the Yellow List before me."

Xie Er couldn't sit still any longer. He drew his gleaming silver sword, which made the dark-skinned man squint. With a roar, he abandoned the soldiers he was chasing and turned to rush over. The iron axe and silver sword clashed fiercely.

When the two sides clashed, the Song Household's entangled thugs and militia were not lacking in skilled fighters, who rushed out in twos and threes to engage in fierce battles with the local soldiers brought by Xie Er.

Dressed in brocade robes, Master Song was now prostrate on the ground, showing no trace of the imposing manner he usually displayed as the elder cousin of a local official.

"I beg the immortal to remember the past respect my family has shown and to save the Song Household!"

A young Daoist priest sitting opposite him looked annoyed. "I've only taken less than a hundred boys and girls from you, is it really necessary to nag like this? I've already said that my old injuries haven't healed yet, so I can't take action. I'll take good care of your life, what are you panicking about?"

"My Song Household, numbering over a hundred, all need the immortal's help!"

"Ha, a hundred or so people, most of them are your concubines and courtesans. If they die, just find more. What's there to be afraid of?"

Master Song was at his wit's end and could only stand there, crying on the ground.

After fighting for only a short while, Xie Er Erqi, who had fought with all his might, emerged victorious. He swung his iron axe, sliced open the black man's belly, removed his heart and liver, and tossed them to a nearby attendant, instructing, "Keep this safe; we'll use it as a snack with our drinks later."

The local militia's morale soared immediately, and they almost simultaneously defeated their opponents. The thugs who ran fast managed to escape with their lives, while those who ran slowly were either chained up by the militia or beaten to death on the spot.

"No looting, no rape. We'll open the granaries and treasuries and distribute the grain and silver directly to the people of the village. Anyone who dares to take anything privately will be dealt with severely." He then proceeded to defeat the thugs and enter the Song Household without any obstacles.

The local militia only heard half of Xie Er Erxin's outrageous orders before their morale was dampened, when Xie Er, who had just entered the main hall of the Song Household, was struck by a dark light, his flesh and clothes turning into a pool of pus.

"You're courting death!" A young Daoist priest with a sinister expression pulled Song Household out of the door.

"An immortal!" someone among the village soldiers exclaimed in surprise, and they immediately scattered like birds and beasts.

Damn it!

The young Daoist priest didn't chase after the scattered village soldiers, and casually tossed Master Song aside.

He sighed immediately; he had been exposed after all and had to run!

He took out a horn-shaped magical Law Artifact, blew on it with his mouthpiece, and a wisp of yellow smoke appeared. The yellow smoke carried a corrosive aura and quickly filled the entire Song Household.

In a short while, the Song Household members screamed in agony as the yellow smoke slowly devoured their flesh and blood. Before long, the once-large Song Household was reduced to a pile of bones, and all the living creatures in the courtyard were consumed by the yellow smoke.

The young Daoist priest carefully examined the wisp of yellow smoke for a while, making several calculations with his hands, before softly saying, "It can still be used for two hours." He then stepped onto the yellow smoke and rose into the air.

After walking for a short while, they looked down and saw a scholar dressed in blood-stained clothes, carrying a book box, squatting in front of them.

When the scholar saw him arrive, a look of relief appeared on his handsome face. He pointed to the heads on the ground, then looked up at the young Daoist priest and smiled, murmuring, "Only you were left!"

The scholar's cultivation was only at the Early Qi Refining Stage. Although the young Daoist was still recovering from serious injuries, he was confident that he could kill him. However, his injuries were too severe, so he did not want to cause any further trouble and ignored him, focusing only on continuing his journey through the yellow smoke.

"Really not going to make a move?" Kang Rongquan, who was hiding in the distance, looked at Duan Anle beside him and asked softly.

"Master said that he should clean up the parasites in the Pingrong County government office and take down these few remnants of the Grass Witch Cult hiding around Pingrong County, so that he can be firmly established as the county magistrate."

Then we can don this fake tiger skin and see if the Jingnan Yuan Household will be even slightly wary. If we fail, at least we'll die cleanly and honorably, which will be considered a fulfillment of our wishes."

His voice was indifferent, and his face was expressionless.

"Ou Long was a direct disciple of the Grass Witch Cult back then. Although his cultivation is shallow, he is probably no match for even Late Qi Refinement among ordinary Rogue Cultivator. Feng Wan is doomed to die. If he dies, my little aunt will cry herself blind!" Kang Rongquan advised from the side.

Duan Anle remained silent, inwardly cursing, "Junior Brother Kang is so honest. If Master really wanted us to ignore this, why did he send the two of us here? To collect corpses?"

As the two were talking, Feng Wan took out a huge iron bow from his Storage Bag. Without even nocking an arrow, he shouted, spread his arms wide, drew the bow to its fullest extent, and fired it at Ou Long in the sky.

An arrow formed from spiritual energy shot out, its power startling Ou Long in mid-air, who stopped abruptly, inwardly cursing, "Since you're using the method of drawing a bow and arrow, why are you still acting like a scholar?"

He quickly tapped his feet, and a wisp of yellow smoke split off beneath him, forming a thick shield that blocked the arrow. The two collided, the arrow broke off and fell to the ground, the yellow smoke dissipated, and a stench of rotting flesh filled the air around Ou Long, causing him to frown.

That scholar has amazing archery skills!

This yellow smoke spell of mine is Desolate Rank, Supreme Grade Law Technique. Once I've mastered it to a minor level, I can use it to fight against ordinary Late Qi Refinement Law Technique when I'm at my peak.

This scholar, relying on a mid-grade Law Artifact, actually possessed such great power.

Duan Anle couldn't help but sigh. Ou Long's Daoist techniques were not weak; even he had to put in some effort to break them. As for Feng Wan's archery skills alone, it would be difficult to find someone comparable to her among the Qi Refinement cultivators in the surrounding counties.

Her Martial Uncle He's words weren't entirely empty praise; her husband was indeed incredibly skilled in archery. It was just a pity, though, that his Five Spirit Roots were too inferior, making a future of little potential difficult.

Just as Ou Long was about to make a move, he felt a dull pain in his chest. He knew that this was a lingering effect of the injury he had suffered years ago from the wicked leader of the Chongming Sect. He could no longer admire the scholar's archery skills and was about to continue his escape, stepping on the yellow smoke.

However, the scholar kept launching spiritual arrows from below, while the yellow smoke beneath his feet gradually diminished.

"How can this guy have such abundant spiritual power!" Ou Long became anxious, and the pain in his wound intensified.

The scholar on the ground showed no signs of exhaustion. Although blood was flowing from his mouth and nose, he seemed to be drawing the bowstring higher than the full moon in the sky.

The scholar's handsome face grew paler and paler, yet he remained standing still, as steadfast as a pine tree, while the arrows he fired became faster and more powerful.

Ou Long once again separated a wisp of yellow smoke, which took the shape of a Buddha's hand, and grabbed an incoming arrow. The arrow could not break free, but the next arrow followed, shattering the Buddha's hand and dissipating it, its momentum undiminished.

Ou Long was startled. The arrow grazed his left ear, and the powerful gust of wind ripped open his face, revealing a row of teeth!

Ou Long cried out in pain, seeing that the scholar on the ground was also in bad shape, spitting out a mouthful of hot blood, but his arms still did not stop. Ou Long could see that his bowstring was covered with blood and flesh, but the scholar was still staring at him with his phoenix eyes.

"When did you kill this bastard's entire family?!" Ou Long thought to himself as he dodged another arrow. If this continued, he feared he would be entangled by other powerful cultivators!

The young Daoist priest revealed a ruthless look on his face. He then abandoned the yellow smoke, turned around and pounced down. He spat out a black light and knocked away several spiritual energy arrows that Feng Wan had shot to block him. He was about to pounce on Feng Wan's side.

Kang Rongquan and Duan Anle sprang out from their hiding places, about to capture Ou Long, when they saw a golden-feathered arrow appear on Feng Wan's bowstring. The latter's arm muscles bulged, stretching open his wide sleeves.

"Go!" With another sharp shout, Feng Wan's eyes were firm. She exhaled a breath of white steam, and the golden arrow, with a few drops of blood on its fletching, shot out with great force.

"Not good!" Ou Long was truly panicked at this moment. He hurriedly stopped and turned around. With a change of his spiritual incantation, flesh and blood squeezed out of the bones in front of his chest. These bones and joints emitted a faint glow and were arranged in a row. In a moment, a crystal-clear bone shield was formed on the outside of the flesh and blood.

The golden arrow, however, was incredibly powerful. Its arrowhead pierced the bone shield with a sharp crack, and the seemingly strange and sturdy bone shield instantly shattered, with pieces of bone armor falling off like fish scales.

At this moment, Ou Long's chest was a bloody mess, and without the support of his bones, his body was folded up like a chair.

He forced his head up and saw the scene before him. His expression was one of horror. He took a step and turned to leave, but he was still a step too slow. The golden arrow caught up with him, pierced through his chest, and instantly shattered his body.

Feng Wan stared wide-eyed at Ou Long's mangled flesh falling to the ground, panting heavily. Her long robe was soaked with blood and sweat, making it look as if she had just walked through water.

Duan Anle walked over with Kang Rongquan, who spoke first, his tone still icy. "Fortunately, at least my master's Spirit Stone weren't completely wasted."

To be fair, without thorough preparation, Duan Anle wouldn't have been able to withstand that arrow just now. He underestimated him.

That golden arrow was no ordinary weapon; countless bones and meridians in Feng Wan's arms were severed. Seeing that only Duan Anle and his companion had arrived, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. Ignoring the excruciating pain, he thanked them profusely, saying, "Thank you both for your protection."

Kang Rongquan remained silent, while Duan Anle took out some medicine and applied it to Feng Wan's wounds.

Kang Rongquan's brow twitched at the sight. This senior brother was still using the tiger bone ointment that Kang Dabao had used left over from back then. He couldn't help but think to himself, "Senior Brother Duan's habit of hoarding things is indeed inherited from his great-uncle."

Seeing that Duan Anle had finished applying the medicine to Feng Wan, Kang Rongquan instructed, "Alright, you can now focus on being a county magistrate in the county magistrate's office. As for whether the Yuan Household comes to see you or not, that's up to you. Since you risked your life to get this job, then do it well, and do it for as long as you can."

At this point, Kang Rongquan's tone changed, and he spoke with absolute certainty, "But let me make this clear beforehand, your master has already told you that you can no longer see your little miss."

The handsome scholar, who had fallen to the ground, was taken aback at first, then smiled. He looked so good that the nearby flowers and grass paled in comparison. He looked up at Duan Anle, and with all his might, he only uttered a faint, "Good."

--In the clouds above all others

Kuang Liuting asked Kang Dabao, "You spent two days bringing me here to see this? The fighting between mortals is insignificant; how utterly pointless!"

The latter replied respectfully, "Your Excellency, we can see the big picture from small details. Although mortals are insignificant, they are the foundation of cultivators. But what we see before us means that in just over a month, Ping and Jin counties will be able to clear away corrupt officials and eradicate local tyrants."

From then on, the common people of the two counties could live and multiply in peace. Before long, their populations would be abundant and their offspring would be numerous. Fertile soil is essential for growing good crops, and accomplishing this will surely bring immeasurable benefits.

Upon hearing this, Kuang Liuting shook his head and said softly, "Magistrate Kang has misunderstood. I did not mean to look down on mortals. After all, our ancestor was born into a peasant family, yet he attained the Spirit Transformation realm with his Five Spirit Roots."

I simply feel that Magistrate Kang's actions are merely a stopgap measure, unsustainable in the long run. The strong will always be strong, and the weak will always be weak—a situation even cultivators struggle to resolve, let alone ordinary people.

The bureaucracy of the Immortal Dynasty is so corrupt that it's beyond repair; you can't reverse it with a knife alone.

"Your Excellency is right. What I have done is indeed only a temporary solution, but it is not useless. I believe that 'sitting idly by and watching the situation unfold without taking any action will likely lead to an irrecoverable situation.' Since a fundamental solution is hard to find, let us search for it along the way. With persistent effort, we will eventually find a feasible method."

Kang Dabao's words piqued Kuang Liuting's interest, and he said, "Magistrate Kang, please tell me more."

"Select capable officials and dismiss mediocre ones. Appoint local wealthy families as village officials and recruit honest and Rogue Cultivator to work for ordinary people. Establish rules and regulations to evaluate their performance and make them feel awe and respect."

The latter requires making the best use of talent. When recruiting such cultivators, their cultivation level is not a requirement; they simply need to understand that 'the common people are easily oppressed, but the local government is difficult to bully.'

Ordinary Rogue Cultivator can serve as mentors to aspiring immortals who are not recruited by sects or Lineage. Even if there is one more cultivator with Five Spirit Roots, it is a good thing, as it can also give back to the local area.

Having a skill, even if it's not highly accomplished or you haven't reached a certain level, can still be very useful.

Puppet Master modify agricultural machinery, talisman masters exorcise evil spirits, Alchemist prescribe medicines to cure diseases, geomancers dredge water systems, and agricultural masters breed crops and teach skills. All these things can bring peace of mind, prosperity, and safety to the people.

As Lord Bo said, the founding emperor of this dynasty rose from a peasant family.

"As long as the policies of lower officials can be consistently implemented, who knows if the next pillar of the Immortal Dynasty, the white jade pillar supporting the sky and the purple gold beam spanning the sea, might just be an ordinary farming family in these two remote border counties of Ping and Jin?"

"That's interesting. It's something that the officials in the court disdain to do, and that high-ranking officials in the prefectures and provinces find difficult to accomplish. I think I've seen a glimmer of hope in what Magistrate Kang has said and done." Kuang Liuting lavished praise on him.

"Over the years, the prefectural government has sent out many county officials, including many from prominent families. Yet none of them have achieved the same merits as Magistrate Kang."

"This humble official is humbled; Your Excellency flatters me. Pacifying the region and uniting the various families are of great benefit to this humble official. Thanks to Your Excellency's great kindness, in the past two years alone, our sect has taken in as many as eleven disciples with only Triple Spirit Root, something we never dared to dream of before. Not to mention the matter of taxes."

Kuang Liuting interrupted him directly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "Stand up straight. If I say you did well, then you did well. There's no reason for you to be coy or pretentious."

"You've done well, so you should reap the rewards, and your Chongming Sect should prosper. If anyone is dissatisfied, they should govern two peaceful counties for me before we discuss this further."

The Earl of Nan'an then said, "This junior official is loyal to the king; I remember him. Keep a close eye on him."

"To be honest, Your Excellency, it is..."

"Wait, Clear Spirit Physique born into a male body, that's truly rare?!" Earl of Nan'an's eyes swept over the body, his tone filled with surprise and doubt. "I understand, the abbot of Original Response Temple Snow Mountain Circuit."

"Tsk, he's a hot commodity in Shannan Circuit, probably more valuable than a Golden Core Formation Pill." Kuang Liuting chuckled for a moment, then asked suspiciously, "So that's why Magistrate Kang wanted to bring me here?"

"It can't escape the Lord's discerning eye."

"Ha, you're lying." Kuang Liuting shook his head and laughed. "Alright, he's just a mere temple protector, I don't even care about him. I remember this minor official, but as for the others, let's not discuss them for now. Earlier, I heard your Boyue say that Black Shoes intended to take you to Mountain-Viewing Cave?"

"My senior uncle cherishes me."

"Well, in that case, let's go find Tie Xishui again and have him open the treasury to select some items to take back for use." Kuang Liuting looked at Kang Dabao carefully, patted his shoulder, and said in a deep voice, "You must be careful. Mountain-Viewing Cave is just a Golden Core cultivator's residence, nothing special. Don't risk your life for some worthless items."

"Cloud Horn Prefecture is too shallow a pool; it's not very interesting. We need to keep a close eye on things; there's still much to be done in this Great Wei empire."

Thank you Shaohua Tianjun for the 2000 coins.

Thank you to the super handsome guy who's always sleepy for the eleven Extended Net Moon!

Thanks to satan Tanlang for the eight monthly tickets

Thank you for the seven Extended Net Moon, JianV.

Thank you Zdeli for the six Extended Net Moon.

Thank you to Bai Ri Dang Ge and Lin Tong Ma for the five Extended Net Moon.

Thank you Qianyuji for the Extended Net Moon.

Thank you to BeiTuNan, Ye's Peach, and Pig's Jump Club for the Extended Net Moon.

Thank you to the following for their Extended Net Moon: Big Bone Who Loves to Sleep, Method of Identification, Stars Shine in All Directions, Big Bear Loves Two Bears, Xiao Yulou, goululutw, Honest Old Wang Next Door XD, Multiple People's Burden, Muyu, and Not Hard Enough.

Thanks to the following readers: 2898, dragonets, 3566, 9177, 1060, 0262, 0262, Naturally Loves Ziran, 4491, 3883, 2592, English Is Hard to Learn, MaiMaiMaiYuLian, June Rain, Book Famine, Roaming the Bookshelf, QingLuo Is Weak, and Bridge. Benxie, Book Friend Number 3839, Book Friend Number 6620, WED Deng Ai, Zhizhen Fresh Shrimp Burger, Black Mass Thirteen, Book Friend Number 4166, Purple Bubble Gum, Book Friend Number 5414, Book Friend Number 1559, Always Meeting Here, Clear Sky and Sea of Books, Night is Not Yet Over and Joy is Not Yet Grieved, Book Friend Number 6563, My Smelly Feet, Who Can Hear It?, A Man's Journey 31, Book Friend Number 1265, Book Friend Number 3198

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