Longzang

Chapter 172 Resetting the Four Counties
Western Jin Dynasty, Ningzhou, Qianqiu City.

Qianqiu City has stood for three thousand years. A thousand years ago, the Xu family rose to prominence, moved here, and renamed the city Qianqiu. A thousand years later, it has become a large city with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants.

This is the location of the Xu family's mortal clan, and also the hub connecting the Xu family to the immortals and mortals.

There was an area in the west of the city that was kept exceptionally clean. The roads were paved with identical bluestones and were spotless, but several servants were still sweeping and cleaning it repeatedly.

Within this area stand three almost identical halls, with people occasionally seen entering and exiting, all in a hurried manner. All three halls exude a chilling murderous aura, and faint screams can occasionally be heard. This is the location of the main family's three halls: Heavenly Secrets, Privy Council, and Night and Day. While it may not be the place with the highest nominal authority, it is undoubtedly the most feared place in the entire city.

Inside the Privy Council, a dozen or so people were sitting around the center of the hall, gazing at the sand table map in the middle. This map encompassed most of Ningzhou and Ningxi, and was extremely detailed.

The people in the hall were seated high above, giving them an air of looking down upon the world. However, most of them had droopy eyes, and it was clear at a glance that they were all gloomy and extremely difficult to get along with.

At this moment, someone said, "I heard that the Ningxi branch family has run into a lot of trouble. The things that the Immortal Ancestor wanted have been stolen?"

One of the people sitting on the outermost side of the hall said, "As far as I know, that immortal stone has already recognized its owner and has now established a firm foothold. The General Affairs Hall even lost two elders because of this."

A middle-aged man with a dark complexion snorted heavily and said, "Although the General Affairs Hall is full of good-for-nothings with no hope of promotion and who only care about worldly pleasures, they have all cultivated to the Dharma Aspect stage. How can they just be dismissed like that? Why don't they report to the emperor and just send troops to pacify that side?"

The man near the outside said, "There is a reason for this. It is said that there are currently two most favored children of the younger generation of the Bao family and the Xiao family in the Immortal Stone Realm. The General Affairs Hall is hesitant to act too aggressively and has been trying to secretly push the Witch Clan to take action. However, they did not expect that the Witch Clan would suffer consecutive defeats and lose three Great Witches. It is said that those young people still possess immortal techniques."

The old man in the center slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, "Immortal methods? Isn't the Immortal Lord of the Primordial Palace fighting with the Immortal Ancestor in the heavens? Even immortals can withstand it, so what can immortal methods do? Those people in the General Affairs Hall are becoming more and more useless. The clan gathering, which takes place every three years, is coming up soon, and it's time to change the people."

The middle-aged man, his face shrouded in darkness, asked, "What is the strength of the Immortal Stone Realm?"

"Latest news: There are tens of thousands of mortals in the realm, about three thousand Body Forging cultivators, and over one hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"Is that all the strength they have? We might as well just raise an army and wipe them out!"

The elderly man in the center slowly raised his hand, and the hall fell silent.

He said slowly, "The Taichu Palace has been making large-scale northward expansions in recent years, which has long been a source of discontent for the King of Jin. First, let our people in the court submit a few memorials, so that the court will also lend a hand. Then we will do our best to blockade the borders and prevent the Taichu Palace from easily supporting the Immortal Stone Realm. This time, when we encounter the Taichu Palace's cargo convoy, we shouldn't stop them, but attack them directly, allowing at most one or two of the ten Taichu Palace's cargo ships to pass. We should also communicate with the Wu Clan. Are they really going to let it go just because they lost three Great Wu?"

"As for the Immortal Stone Realm itself, there's no rush to destroy it. Since the Immortal Stones have already recognized their master, taking them back would just mean cutting them up, greatly reducing their value. It's better to let them hold out there, forcing the Primordial Palace to provide as much assistance as possible. If they want to support the west, the Primordial Palace will have to pay four or five times the price of the north. We'll bleed the Primordial Palace dry first, and then..."

The old man pointed, and a region in northern Ningzhou lit up on the sand table. That region was several thousand miles in circumference, and at that moment, it bore the mark of the Taichu Palace. With the old man's movement, the Taichu Palace mark was erased and replaced with the Xu family's mark.

The old man continued, "If Taichu Palace wants that piece of land in the west, then give it to them, but they'll have to exchange it for the land in the north."

The black-clad cultivator said, "If we're going to bleed the Taichu Palace dry, we can't let those little guys at the Immortal Stone have it easy. How about this: we'll take a thousand elite soldiers from our clan's army, add some auxiliary soldiers to make it five thousand, and send them west as bandits to teach those little guys a lesson, so they'll know that people die in the Western Regions."

The old man said, "Alright."

Someone asked, "But what about the two children from the Bao and Xiao families?"

The old man said, "They must have some kind of life-saving tricks given to them by their families. Fight them all, they won't die. As for the clan soldiers, they're dead if they die. Those two kids have killed too many of our people, and the Bao and Xiao families will lose face. They will definitely call them back."

The person on the outermost side said, "I'll make the arrangements right away. But there's one more thing."

The old man frowned slightly, already showing his displeasure.

The man seemed somewhat fearful, but still said, "We haven't heard from the people we sent into the Shattered Cave Heaven. None of the three teams of ninety people have come out. I suspect that thing may have awakened. Under normal circumstances, it shouldn't be able to escape from the cave heaven, but what if..."

A middle-aged woman with a gloomy face asked in a somewhat high-pitched voice, "What if it escapes from inside? What cities are nearby?"

"The nearest major city is Quliu Town, which is also very close to the Immortal Stone Realm."

The woman sneered, "Isn't this perfect? ​​It would be best if we killed them all, so it wouldn't have anything to do with us."

The old man then said, "That's enough about the western affairs. Let's discuss the affairs of other areas."
-
Western Jin Dynasty.

Before dawn, civil and military officials had already filed into the main hall. King Xian of Jin reigned for twenty years and was a model of diligence in governing.

The King of Jin sat high on his throne, and after his ministers shouted "Long live the King!" three times, he ordered them to rise. At this moment, an old minister stepped forward from the front of the civil officials and said, "I have heard that the shamans on the western border have retreated and ceded thousands of miles of territory. That land originally belonged to our Western Jin Dynasty. This is a divinely granted opportunity, and it is only right that we take it back. I request Your Majesty to issue an edict to re-establish the four prefectures of Ningxi and to appoint governors and viceroys to guard them."

The old minister presented a memorial, which was very detailed and even included a list of recommended candidates for governor and prefect.

After reviewing the list, the Prince of Jin understood the situation and asked, "The Ningxi prefectures are the foundation of our ancestors' territory. Now that the Wu people have retreated, it is only natural that we must reclaim them. However, is there enough boundary stones left in the treasury?"

The Minister of Revenue reported, "There are only two boundary stones left in the treasury, which are intended for use in the north. There are indeed no extra boundary stones at the moment."

Another official stepped forward and said, “Without boundary stones, how can we define and defend our territory? The list compiled by the Right Chancellor is insidious; most of those on it are people he has always disliked. He intends to use others to do his dirty work and eliminate dissidents! Your Majesty, please investigate carefully!”

The Right Chancellor sneered, saying, "I am wholeheartedly dedicated to recommending worthy men for the country, yet you speak of me in such a despicable way! Imperial Censor Liu, you only know that there are no boundary stones in the national treasury, but you do not know that someone in the west has already erected boundary stones and opened up the border. My recommendations this time are all excellent opportunities to make contributions! Although those people have grudges against me, am I the kind of person who would abandon public duty for personal reasons!"

Imperial Censor Liu was clearly unaware of this matter and was speechless for a moment.

The King of Jin became interested and asked, "How can a single boundary stone cover the territory of four commanderies? Since you have submitted this memorial, there must be a reason for it."

The Right Chancellor said, “Your Majesty, I know that this old minister’s thoughts cannot be hidden from you! As far as I know, that boundary stone is of the highest quality, and may even be of the highest quality! This one boundary stone can cover more than two prefectures, and if one or two more boundary stones are added in the future, it will be enough to recover the four prefectures of Ningxi.”

A burning desire flashed in the eyes of the Prince of Jin, who asked, "A top-grade boundary stone? Is this true? Who brought this boundary stone here, and why is it placed there?"

The Right Chancellor reported: "That boundary stone was originally in Ningxi, an unknown ancient artifact, which was accidentally triggered by a junior from a sect, thus planting the seed."

The King of Jin was overjoyed and said, "Since this ancient artifact was discovered on the territory of my Western Jin Dynasty, then this boundary stone naturally belongs to me. The Right Chancellor's proposal is approved!"

The Right Chancellor immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude.

The Prince of Jin then said, "However, there are still some things I don't understand about this list, my dear minister. The candidates for governors and prefects are acceptable, but who is this Assistant Prefect Sun Chaoen? And why was he promoted so exceptionally?"

The Right Chancellor said, "Sun Chaoen previously served as the county magistrate of Bianning County. Not long ago, he fought a bloody battle with the Northern Liao for several months. Despite being seriously wounded, he did not back down and killed the young chief of the Liao barbarian Agula tribe, triggering internal strife within the Agula tribe and making great contributions. This man is both literate and martial, truly a rare pillar of the state. The Western Regions are in dire need of reconstruction, and we need such capable people to take charge."

The Prince of Jin nodded and said, "Since you strongly recommend it, then I grant your request."

As noon approached, the court assembly concluded, and officials filed out of the palace.

The Right Chancellor strolled leisurely out of the palace gate. At that moment, another high-ranking official approached and said, "May I borrow the Right Chancellor's carriage today?"

"Welcome."

A moment later, the carriage set off, and the two high-ranking officials sat facing each other. The man then asked, "This Sun Chaoen is merely a minor county magistrate; how did he come to catch your eye?"

The two men were both Jinshi graduates from the same year and had always served together in the court. The Right Chancellor did not hide anything and said, "This man has rendered meritorious service in defending the territory and has received many rewards. Then he found a way to get in touch with me and actually offered up all his rewards in hopes of getting a promotion. He is talented, but what is even more commendable is his filial piety."

The official then said, "It would be good to send him to the west to gain some experience. A good dog needs to be raised in the wild; it might turn into a wolf. But are we really going to make those men prefects? Wouldn't that be too easy on them?"

The Right Chancellor laughed and said, "Am I such a generous person? You don't know, the greater the merit over there, the greater the risk. The Xu family has already lost two Dharma Ministers, otherwise why would they have come to me? I know the temperament of those four people, none of them are easy to deal with. But if such people are sent to the Western Regions, they might encounter misfortune at any time. Let's just watch and see, even if only one dies, it will be good."

"A profound and far-sighted plan!" The official admired.
-
The Azure Netherworld.

A caravan stopped at the edge of the border, and then a dozen or so knights rode up to them. The caravan leader looked very nervous, and only breathed a sigh of relief after the knights had inspected the goods and paid him with silver. He handed over three wagons to the knights and then quickly left with his dozens of men.

In the Broken Realm, the line between caravans and bandits is very thin, and their identities depend on the mood and circumstances of the caravan leader at the time.

The caravan leader had already realized that the dozen or so knights who were receiving the goods were all Foundation Establishment cultivators, and he was immediately terrified. Fortunately, the other party didn't intend to turn his group into cargo as well, so naturally they didn't dare to linger. However, the members of the caravan were all very excited. The Azure Netherworld was such a large realm; if they were to seriously do business there, it would be an excellent way to make a living.

A moment later, three trucks stopped in front of Wei Yuan. Behind Wei Yuan stood fifty knights, and all sixteen young masters and ladies of the Heavenly Rank were present. Feng Tingyu stood on the other side, dragging a long sword. The remaining thirty-odd people were also carefully selected, all of them Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Wei Yuan opened the truck, and found it was filled with masks.

Wei Yuan called out, "Everyone, come and pick one you like. The other two carts contain clothes and cloaks; you'll all have to change into them in a bit. From now on, as long as we wear masks, we are the number one bandit gang in the Western Regions: the Battle Heaven Gang! Oh, the name can be discussed later. Anyway, whatever we do, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Primordial Palace or the Realm."

(End of this chapter)