Immortal Road.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

As usual, Lin Shan arrived at the alchemy hall early in the morning and skillfully went forward to check the alchemy furnace, the Starry Sky Pill being refined inside, the furnace temperature and fire, and whether the medicinal materials were properly condensed.

Several Nascent Soul stage alchemists who had been keeping watch all night stood up and respectfully greeted him upon his arrival.

Here, regardless of their skill level, they are all apprentices, and Lin Shan is their teacher!

Of course, the fact that this teacher only knows one type of seventh-grade star-shaped pill is something that most people in the Northern Normal Star Palace know.

However, Xingxiang Dan has recently shone brightly in the battle against bandits in the starry sky, receiving high praise from all the soldiers. As a result, his position has been stabilized in a short period of time, and his outstanding performance has earned him a large number of contribution points. He has also been granted cultivation pills.

From this perspective, Beijing Normal University is not bad; it's quite comfortable for me to stay here.

After working for a long time, you get used to it and you're not so resistant to work anymore. You're quite comfortable staying in your comfort zone.

However, it is said that the unrest outside is getting more and more intense because the Northern Star Lord has increased taxes and reduced salaries, causing public discontent and complaints to boil over.

Exorbitant taxes and levies caused prices to soar, and reduced salaries led to decreased income. Both the residents of the Immortal City and the officials of the Star Palace expressed their dissatisfaction, which also dampened the morale of the soldiers who were fighting bandits in the field.

With such a small amount of money, who's going to risk their life for you?
This resulted in repeated setbacks in the battle, with the Three Wolves of the Northern School failing to achieve their goal, while other robbery groups became even more rampant.

"Pharmacist Qiong, Pharmacist Yu, you've arrived early today!"

Lin Shan saw his colleagues in front of the hall and greeted them with a smile. These two veteran alchemists often only came once every two or three days. It wasn't because they were lazy, but because the higher the grade of the alchemy, the longer the refining cycle was. They could just leave the alchemy furnace burning there. With apprentices watching over them day and night, they didn't need to sit there all the time.

The two elders slowly sat down, and the three of them chatted casually.

Over time, the other party generously shared their knowledge, enabling him to progress further and further in the art of star alchemy.

He had vaguely expressed his desire to get involved in alchemy, but the two seasoned veterans easily evaded his request.

Let him focus on his job and refine the Starry Sky Pill; that's currently his only skill that allows him to make a living in the palace.

Cultivating high-level items like elixirs has always been the livelihood of the two elders, so naturally they didn't want him to get a share.

"If you really want to try, you can use your points to exchange for some spiritual herbs in the treasure vault and go back to your cave to practice first. If you are not absolutely sure, Lord Xingjun probably won't agree."

Can I exchange points for medicinal herbs?
Lin Shan did go to check it out. With his status as an alchemist, he could indeed exchange it for precious medicinal materials like Star Wind Pueraria, but the problem was that it was expensive!
Compared to that, nothing beats these two old guys getting something for free.

Only they themselves know how many pills are produced in a single batch. Most are handed over to the Star Palace, while a small portion is kept in their own pockets, and outsiders have no way of knowing.

Looking at their fat heads, big ears, and oily faces, they are all at the late stage of the Void Realm. You can tell how much kickback they have taken by relying on the resources of the Star Palace!

Lin Shan despised these parasites in the Star Palace from the bottom of his heart, wishing he could also get kickbacks.

He is currently in the mid-stage of the Void Realm, and his cultivation pool is only half full. He obtained it entirely by following the old Taoist Jinchi in the Immortal Realm and fishing like crazy. He definitely cannot complete the rest by hard work alone.

It is said that the pool in the later stages of the Void Realm is ridiculously large. To reach the threshold of immortality, one needs a vast amount of resources to fill it. Many people cannot fill it even after thousands of years, which shows how difficult it is.

Just then, an apprentice rushed in from outside, hurriedly reporting to them.

"Three teachers, the Star Lord is furious today, it seems something terrible is about to happen, you should go and see quickly."

The three exchanged a glance, then instructed the people in their respective halls to keep an eye on the alchemy furnaces, and then went together to the main hall of the Star Palace.

Before even entering, one could hear the roar of the Northern Star Lord inside.

"What a bunch of useless trash! My Star Palace has been raising you for so long, and you can't even handle a few groups of space pirates. Are you just too weak to fight, or did you never even want to fight?"

Clang!

The sound of things being smashed came from inside; this young star lord is quite irritable.

The three carefully climbed the steps and entered the main hall.

They discovered that all the civil and military officials had arrived, including Haosheng Sanren, Xiongpi Jushi, and their group.

They just watched quietly as Beishi Xingjun raged on top, while the three generals below lowered their heads and remained silent.

All three of them were at the peak of the Void Realm.

Commander-in-Chief, Inner Ring Road Inspection, Outer Ring Road Inspection.

The Commander-in-Chief controls the Star Palace troops, the Inner Ring Inspector holds the Immortal City barracks, and the Outer Ring Inspector commands the guards of the eight auxiliary stars.

The three groups joined forces, having received intelligence a while ago, and together they surrounded and wiped out the three wolves from Beijing Normal University who were robbing people on the road. However, they were unexpectedly defeated on the spot and fled back in a sorry state!

This shocked Juxing!
The combined forces of all the troops of Beishi Star couldn't even defeat a single Beishi Three Wolves gang; if word got out, it would only make them a laughingstock.

If the Star Palace hadn't been so impregnable, those robbers would have stormed in, captured the Star Lord alive, and looted the treasury. That would have been quite a spectacle!
That's why the Northern Star Lord was so angry.

"The envoy from the Luofu Star Region just left a while ago. I patted my chest and guaranteed that I would resolve the internal troubles within a year and ensure smooth shipping on the border. But half a year has passed, and not only have you failed to achieve anything, you have also made me lose face so badly!"

"If I fail to keep my promise, my superiors will strip me of my official position. If I lose my position as Star Lord, none of you will have an easy time either!"

"Hmph, a mere band of robbers managed to cause such a commotion in my territory. Our well-equipped and well-supplied troops were routed. Commander Wu, you are primarily responsible. Do you admit your guilt this time?"

Commander Wu looked dejected and replied in a low voice.

"I confess my guilt. This great defeat is entirely my fault. I am willing to resign from my post and retire to my hometown so that a capable person can take my place."

"Very well! Since you have resigned voluntarily, then this Star Lord will not pursue the matter further. Hand over your seal and token, and leave on your own."

The Master of Peking University looked down coldly, his gaze as icy as a glacier.

Everyone's hearts pounded. Commander Wu was a high-ranking military officer appointed by the Star Court. As long as he didn't want to leave, even the Star Lord couldn't dismiss him. Why did he resign voluntarily today?
Two elderly people immediately stepped forward from the stage.

"My lord, you mustn't do that! Wu Du is highly skilled and has unparalleled combat power. He is the pillar of our Beishi Star. If he leaves, the Star Palace Guard will be leaderless, and the two major military camps outside will be at odds with each other. Wouldn't that make the Three Wolves of Beishi even more arrogant?"

"So it's the Star Minister and the Registrar. You two are in charge of internal affairs and finances, but the internal affairs are a mess, and there are deficits and shortfalls in pay. I haven't even settled accounts with you yet, and you still have the nerve to plead for mercy here?"

Upon hearing this, the two men's faces changed drastically, turning a deep liver color, and they spoke with trembling beards.

"Sir, you seized power so forcefully as soon as you arrived, and you've been trying to win over your cronies and divide factions. Isn't this just causing everyone to shirk responsibility and making your orders ineffective?"

"And then there's the exorbitant taxes and levies, all of which are used to recruit beauties, build wine pools and meat forests, and expand your harem. Where am I supposed to get the money and grain to pay the soldiers?"

They were talking about things that were happening right now, and anyone with eyes could see that clearly, but none of the officials dared to agree, and Lin Shan and the others watched coldly from the sidelines.

Since it's none of their business, they'll mind their own business. As long as the star pirates can't break into the Star Palace, they're safe. Why go against the Star Lord?
As expected, the Star Lord of Beijing Normal University was arrogant and domineering, with the eyes of an eagle and the gaze of a wolf.

"You two old bastards, incompetent is incompetent, and you dare to shift the blame onto me? Don't think I can't touch you. Have you forgotten how those two old geezers, the priest and the minister of agriculture, left us?"

The High Priest and the Minister of Agriculture, both senior officials who had achieved official rank, were in charge of the sacrificial activities and weather conditions on the stars, but they resigned in anger due to disagreements with the Star Lord. These two positions remain vacant, and the Star Court has not yet appointed any replacements. It's highly likely they've already been put up for sale, but currently no one dares to take the risk.

The Star Lord and the Registrar were trembling with anger. They knew all too well how powerful the Star Lord was. While he couldn't directly appoint or dismiss them, it would be easy for him to punish them. He could simply find a pretext to throw them out to deal with the Three Wolves of the Northern School, and they would definitely not come back alive.

If you die at the hands of space pirates, you'll have nowhere to seek justice!

Seeing this situation, wise men know better than to suffer a loss, so they all knelt down and begged for forgiveness, abandoning all pretense of dignity to save their official positions.

"Please forgive me, sir. I was just talking nonsense. Please just consider it as me farting."

"Your subordinate knows his mistake. He will go back and find a way to collect money and grain so that you can once again mobilize troops to wipe out the space pirates!"

"Hmph, that's more like it."

Beishi Xingjun ignored the two old men and turned to look at Wu Dutong, who had already handed over his seal of office.

Now that he was free from official duties, he felt much lighter and less constrained than before. He looked around the hall, nodded, and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Lord Star Lord, when the old Star Lord was in charge, the North Star Palace was among the top ten most prosperous in the Luofu Star Region. I hope you won’t squander the legacy he left behind.”

"You don't need to worry about it."

"Okay, then I'll take my leave."

Commander Wu no longer showed any respect. Instead, he straightened his back, took off his armor and put on a long robe, exuding a refined air. He flicked his sleeves and stepped out the door, acting as dashingly as could be.

Everyone could only watch helplessly as the expert, without uttering a word or offering any explanation, released the seal and disappeared from sight.

"Inspector Liang, Inspector Gu."

"Your subordinate is here!"

The two inspectors, upon hearing the Star Lord's order, immediately lowered their heads in response.

"The position of Commander-in-Chief is currently vacant. Which of you two can quell the banditry? I will then submit a memorial recommending you to succeed me as Commander-in-Chief. Do you understand?"

The carrot and stick approach taken by Beishi Xingjun is clearly intended to make them compete with each other and motivate them to do things well.

To everyone's surprise, the two hesitated on the spot.

"This"

"Hmm? What, don't you want to share my burdens?"

Hearing the change in tone from above, he immediately knelt down and began to complain.

"My lord, it's not that we don't want to, but recently there have been signs of mutiny among the soldiers. This is all due to the reduction in their salaries and pay, which has led to widespread instability in the army. Now that we have just suffered a major defeat and the commander-in-chief has been dismissed, we are afraid that we are powerless to deal with the Northern Army's Three Wolves."

Ultimately, if you don't have enough money, no one will be willing to risk their life for you.

Throughout history, everything can be cut except military pay. Once it is cut, no one will be willing to do their job properly, and the collapse of the regime is only a matter of time.

Bei Shi Xingjun understood this principle, but he spent money to buy an official position. Wasn't buying an official position just to make money?
All the money went to your salaries, so what am I supposed to earn?
"In this way, wartime military merit points will be doubled, and the points for killing space pirates and cultivator raiding gangs will be doubled again. At that time, the Star Palace Treasury will be opened, allowing everyone to exchange military merit points for resources as rewards. Do you think we can fight?"

No money, but double the military merit.

Anyway, the Star Palace Treasury belongs to the assets accumulated by the Northern Star over the years, not to the Northern Star Lord personally. This move is equivalent to overdrawing the potential of the Star Palace, but he, who bought his position, doesn't care about these things.

The internal and external inspectors listened, hesitated slightly, exchanged glances, and reluctantly nodded.

If that's the case, it's not impossible.

"I am willing to give it a try."

"I'm not asking you to try, but you must clear the universe and restore a clear sky to the surrounding stars within six months!"

Bei Shi Xingjun's eyes were intimidating, and his tone was forceful, giving them no room to maneuver.

The meeting was then adjourned.

The officials watched him leave before whispering amongst themselves about the unfavorable situation in the war outside.

While they were discussing this, the two patrol officers from the inner and outer rings had already left in a hurry, presumably busy preparing for battle.

"Alright, alright, this has nothing to do with us. Just focus on your work in the Star Palace and do what you're supposed to do."

"Yes, I just graze my horses on the hillside, and I don't need to worry about winning or losing."

"The Star Palace is as solid as a rock, and it is also protected by a celestial array. No matter how much trouble the space pirates cause, they will not be able to get here."

"It's a pity about Commander Wu; honest people always end up taking the blame."

Of all these, the Bear Spirit was the most worry-free. Several times when the group passed by the pasture, they saw this bear spirit riding an ox and reading a book on the hillside. The book he was reading was one he had borrowed from the library.

To be honest, this is the first time anyone has ever seen such a studious bear.

Even Haosheng Sanren would slack off every day. The rumbling noises from the clam's belly made outsiders think he was constantly refining weapons, but in reality, he was studying late into the night, eagerly learning knowledge!

You know what, these two are really eye-opening. At times, even Lin Shan, who came from the same immortal realm, feels inferior to them.

At that moment, no one else cared; only he was interested in the double military merit reward.

If I could participate in the bandit suppression, my contribution points would skyrocket, and I could exchange them for a large amount of Star Wind Pupae in the warehouse.

He understood that the North Star Palace was just a temporary stop; he wanted to make a quick buck and run away. But figuring out how to acquire enough resources in a short time would require taking some risks.

"Fellow Daoist Xiong Shan, you've been delving into the Alchemy Hall lately, learning a thing or two about alchemy. Have you managed to steal a single trick or two from the experts?"

Haosheng Sanren and Xiongpi Jushi quietly approached. As old friends, they knew why he had come and wanted to see how he was doing.

Lin Shan rolled his eyes. Those two old guys, Qiong and Yu, were like thieves, keeping the door tightly shut when they were refining pills. How could I possibly learn from them?

"No need. I have the pill formula, I just lack the medicinal materials. As long as I have the medicinal materials, I can also refine cultivation pills. The main difficulty now is that I don't have enough points."

He showed the two the effects of the Zheli Dan and also explained his intention to go out and suppress bandits.

The two immediately pleaded with him:
"Are you out of your mind? Why go out and risk your life to earn military merits? If you're short on points, just tell us, brothers. We'll pool our resources to exchange for medicinal herbs, refine some pills, and then share some with us, right?"

The crowdfunding idea came about.

Lin Shan was immediately stunned. These two simpletons were willing to exchange their points for medicinal herbs; he couldn't be happier! (End of Chapter)