The stolen magic is a bit magical

That night, Lin Xiaosu lay on the wolf's back, her thoughts drifting far away.

As for this part, it's actually quite unfair.

The ground was full of potholes and sharp stones, making it unsuitable for sleeping.

If they absolutely had to sleep, the most normal thing to do would be for Lin Xiaosu to lie down while a beautiful woman nestled in his arms, using him as a cushion.

Lin Xiaosu did the same thing when she slept with all the other women.

The only person who does this is Mad Wolf when he's with Mad Wolf.

Her main selling point is that it's durable and reliable...

Lin Xiaosu's thoughts drifted back to the old Kuncang, following that butterfly, flying into the martial arts world where her elder brother had once walked...

That senior brother, he would call him his true senior brother.

He is Lone Sword with Dust.

When he roamed the martial world, his name was Jian Wuchen.

Jian Wuchen, with unparalleled swordsmanship and a pure heart, rides a white horse in light robes, roaming freely in the mortal world.

However, one day, he encountered a reincarnated saintess named Du Yuexin.

Du Yuexin played the zither by the lake and danced under the moon, accompanying him through the longest romantic chapter of his journey through the martial world, and also quietly veiling his swordsmanship with a soft veil.

He didn't want his swordsmanship to be veiled, and he didn't want his unbridled path in the martial world to deviate from its course.

He fled from her far away.

However, on a moonlit night, at the distant Jianmen Pass, Du Yuexin caught up with him.

That night, all the paths of life finally reached a turning point, and they accomplished something good.

The following day, the prodigal Jian Wuchen ran away again.

This time, Du Yuexin searched the entire world but failed to find him. Disheartened, she shaved her head and became a nun.

These words were spoken by Gu Jian You Chen today.

Lin Xiaosu sensed his "dust".

Upon entering this realm, he saw information related to Du Yuexin in the Heart Pavilion's archives; the place where she shaved her head was the Fallen Flower Nunnery.

He also saw pictures of Jianmen Pass.

The majestic pass under the moonlight is infinitely desolate.

It seems to be inherently accompanied by life and death...

The next three days.

There was no wind or waves.

Lin Xiaosu was perfecting the process of deeply integrating her primordial spirit with the cells of her entire body, teasing Fufu, or rather, being teased by Fufu, teasing her every time, teasing her until she couldn't resist anymore.

Fu Fu brought this trouble upon herself and didn't say much. The key issue was that this torment was very unequal. Lin Xiaopiao had a way to relieve it. She walked out of the room, greeted Kuang Lang, and then went to the familiar cave.

The Mad Wolf's greatest advantage has also been fully demonstrated.

That is, no matter how much passion Lin has, she can take it all in on her own.

Afterwards, at most he would close his eyes, lie down for half an hour, and then return to his post with high spirits, wearing heavy armor weighing thousands of pounds, standing on the flagship with full energy and spirit.

Ningcheng and the six prefectures below it experienced no setbacks.

For the remaining six cases, they fulfilled their promises. All those involved in the backlog of cases related to the Ministry of Justice, whether they were outer disciples, inner disciples, holy sons, or elders, were all bound and escorted to Ningcheng in full view of everyone, to be handed over to the clerk of the Ministry of Justice to close the cases.

All kinds of real estate amassed over thousands of years were handed over, and all the wealth was distributed to the people of each prefecture.

Every day, countless people from Ningcheng come to kowtow outside the restaurant where Lin Xiaosu works.

Although the turbulent currents are not visible in other prefectures and counties in Jiangnan, many things are quietly changing. The biggest change is that almost all the clans have become more restrained.

The blatant bullying that used to be stopped has all ceased, and the sect leaders who used to run rampant in major cities have become much more rational.

Within the sect, all the sect leaders emerged from seclusion.

The sect meetings are held daily.

No one knows what these sects are plotting.

However, one thing is obvious: the cultivation path in Jiangnan has been truly shaken, and no sect can remain indifferent anymore.

On the third day, the continuous rain finally stopped.

Looking at the clear autumn sky over Moon Lake, many literati began to recite poems, the most frequently recited being "A crane soars into the clear sky, leading poetic thoughts to the azure heavens."

As soon as the sun came out, a beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky.

At the end of the rainbow, a golden bridge suddenly appeared.

A rainbow connects to a golden bridge; such a stunning celestial spectacle captivated everyone's attention.

On the rooftop of the restaurant, Lin Xiaosu, who was enjoying a shoulder massage, suddenly opened her eyes.

Zhang Tao, who was standing next to him, also suddenly turned around.

Zhang Tao was quite sensible these days. He wouldn't look while Fufu was massaging the master's shoulders, but at this moment, when he turned around and saw the unusual sight in the sky, his eyes lit up: "My lord, someone from the capital has arrived!"

Above the sky, thousands of auspicious clouds drifted.

Three dragon horses arrived, striding across the imperial golden bridge.

A palace attendant stood before the dragon horse and announced loudly, "His Majesty has decreed that Su Lin, the fourth-rank chief inspector, and Zhang Yiran, the fourth-rank registrar, shall receive this decree!"

With a whoosh, a person flew up from the prefectural government office.

It was Zhang Yiran.

Another person flew up from the roof of the restaurant; it was Lin Xiaosu.

The two landed simultaneously on the golden bridge in the sky to receive the imperial decree!
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Su Lin, a fourth-rank official in charge of the Imperial Censorate, has been ordered to inspect the Jiangnan region. His actions have greatly pleased the Emperor. He is hereby appointed as a third-rank official in charge of the Imperial Censorate, in charge of the inspection of the entire empire. Zhang Yiran, a fourth-rank official in charge of the Huzhou region, has reformed Huzhou with order and discipline, and is both virtuous and capable. He is hereby appointed as a third-rank official in charge of the Huzhou region, exercising the powers of a prefect!"

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!" Lin Xiaosu accepted the decree.

Zhang Yiran was greatly shocked, his mind wandering for a moment, but when Lin Xiaosu gently touched him, he quickly accepted the decree.

A thunderous cheer erupted in Ningcheng.

"Lord Su has been promoted!"

"Lord Zhang has also been promoted to Governor of Huzhou, exercising the powers of a prefect!"

"Our dream has come true, we really have a prefect who loves the people..."

"The sky over Huzhou has cleared up. Thank you for Your Majesty's great favor!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace..."

Cheers erupted in the prefectural government office. Song Lifu, seated on the prefectural seat, slowly rose and smiled at the various officials below, who were exchanging bewildered glances: "Gentlemen, His Majesty has bestowed official titles, and the people are all grateful for His Majesty's great favor. What are your thoughts?"

Everyone in the room broke out in a sweat because of this seemingly lighthearted remark.

Especially the Provincial Administration Commissioner and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner.

Logically speaking, if a prefect is dismissed for committing a crime, there are only two ways to appoint a new prefect: either a vice minister from above is appointed, or the new prefect is chosen from among the provincial governor and the provincial judicial commissioner.

They, too, had their fantasies.

But today, all illusions have been shattered.

A minor prefect whom they had long suppressed was promoted to the position of Governor of Huzhou, exercising the powers of a prefect. In fact, everyone knew that this Governor of Huzhou was just a transitional position; he was actually the prefect.

The prefect who was once heavily suppressed by them suddenly became their superior.

Moreover, His Majesty trusts him so deeply.

The sky over Huzhou may be clear for the locals, but for them, it's absolutely a thunderous storm.

"Come, follow me to welcome the governor. I can also take this opportunity to hand over the reins." Song Lifu stepped out of the government office and led the officials of the prefecture to welcome Zhang Yiran.

Lin Xiaosu also returned to the rooftop of the restaurant.

Fu Fu held his newly acquired third-rank official robe, her face beaming with joy. She rubbed the robe with her hands, practically wanting to post it on social media right then and there: "My husband changed clothes again! What rank is this? I don't understand, please help!"

A golden light streaked across the sky, originating from the prefectural government office, and two figures walked through the air.

They are Song Lifu, Minister of Justice, and Zhang Yiran, the newly appointed Governor of Huzhou.

"Lord Song, Lord Zhang!" Lin Xiaosu bowed slightly.

Zhang Yiran stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Greetings, Lord Su!"

His back was bent even more deeply than Lin Xiaosu's.

This bow signifies that he still considers Lin Xiaosu to be his superior.

In fact, this is unreasonable.

Although their official ranks remained equal, Zhang Yiran, as the governor, exercised the power of a prefect, and could essentially be regarded as a second-rank prefect.

From this perspective, his position is still higher than Lin Xiaosu's.

However, he completely ignored the implicit superiority he possessed and still treated Lin Xiaosu with the respect due to a subordinate.

Having been in officialdom for a long time, how could Song Lifu not see through it?

He stepped forward and said, "Lord Su, I am returning to the capital today, and have come to bid you farewell!"

Lin Xiaosu smiled and said, "When Lord Song returns to the capital, I have prepared some gifts for you. You may wish to take them back to the capital."

Song Lifu smiled and said, "I have been receiving Lord Su's gifts for three days now, and I have collected them all. I originally intended to take them back to the capital."

The "rites" he understood naturally referred to the more than two hundred people associated with the unsolved cases in the Ministry of Justice.

However, Lin Xiaosu's gift was not this.

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Tao lifted up a box.

Song Lifu's body trembled slightly: "What is this?"

"Among the wealth plundered from the people by the Broken Sword Sect, there are eight million taels of silver and gold. Lord Song, please bring them to His Majesty!"

"Eight million?" Song Lifu was shocked.

"Yes, the Broken Sword Sect claims to be the number one sect in Huzhou, and its resources and foundation are indeed greater than those of the other sects."

Song Lifu waved his hand lightly, and a guard behind him stepped forward to take it.

Song Lifu sighed deeply: "It seems that the miracle created by Lord Su's trip to the south of the Yangtze River continues."

Lin Xiaosu smiled: "But the trip ahead probably won't yield such results every time."

"Next, we will face the sect leader!" Song Lifu said solemnly, "Lord Su, if you can do it, then do it; if you can't, then it's fine to stop here. In the Jiangnan region, there is the example of Huzhou, which has already had a huge deterrent effect on the Jiangnan region. Other prefectures have also responded, saying that the sects have greatly restrained themselves. In fact, the purpose of going to Jiangnan has already been achieved."

Lin Xiaosu said, "I understand Lord Song's reminder."

But you still chose to move forward!

"Yes! Tomorrow, I wish to enter the Fallen Flower Hermitage!"

Song Lifu bowed deeply: "On behalf of the one billion people of Jiangnan, I thank Lord Su for this bow!"

Lin Xiaosu returned the greeting: "I wouldn't dare!"

"I await good news in the capital. Farewell!"

"Let's go, sir!"

Song Lifu soared into the air and returned to the capital. He took with him the murderers in the cold case of Huzhou, who were connected to the Ministry of Justice, and also the last harvest of Huzhou.

This marks the first stop of Lin Xiaosu's journey to Jiangnan, and it has now come to a perfect end.

The entire prefecture, ten counties, ten major sects, plus the Heart Pavilion, half were destroyed and half were subdued. The cash obtained exceeded 40 million wild gold. What does 40 million wild gold mean?
This is equivalent to half of the annual revenue and grain of the Great Wilderness Kingdom!
The purging of sects in an entire prefecture, which yielded half the treasury's funds, may seem incredibly glorious, but this path is one that cannot be replicated.

Why?

Because the money given to His Majesty is only given when an entire clan is destroyed.

He wiped out a sect that had been plundering for thousands of years in one fell swoop. Can such a thing be replicated indefinitely?

Obviously it can't be done.

He cannot proceed smoothly in the future; he must focus on intimidation. Ideally, the sects will accept his intimidation.

If you accept, the sect will simply give you all the private businesses.

According to the previous regulations, these industries were all divided up by the original owner and the local people, and not given to His Majesty.

Lin Xiaosu was a little worried that His Majesty would be blinded by the lure of wealth and constantly eyeing money, so she gave Song Lifu a heads-up in advance.

Fortunately, Song Lifu was not an impulsive person.

He was well aware of how difficult the next steps would be. He even told Lin Xiaosu that if the road ahead was difficult, they could stop. Even if the journey to Jiangnan ended here, it would already be a great success.

Once this bottom line was clearly stated, things became much easier.

If it works, go; if it doesn't, retreat.

There's no pressure.

Lin Xiaosu waved her hand gently: "Lord Zhang, how about having a cup of tea?"

"Please, Lord Su!"

The two sat down at the coffee table, and Lin Xiaosu flicked her finger, creating a drop of water that formed a screen.

Zhang Yiran raised his teacup: "Three days ago, Lord Su's words contained a profound meaning, which I could not believe at the time. Today, the imperial decree has been issued, and I am truly grateful for your kindness in helping me. Today, I will offer you a cup of tea instead of wine."

Lin Xiaosu raised her teacup: "Lord Zhang has taken office as the governor of Huzhou and will exercise the powers of a prefect. I wonder how you intend to exercise these powers?"

Once the topic was brought up, the two talked for a long time.

Zhang Yiran was a former top scholar in the imperial examination and had been involved in officialdom for many years. In theory, he had an absolute say in governing local areas.

However, as soon as Lin Xiaosu opened her mouth, he felt an extremely strong sense of crushing pressure!

Yes, crushing them!
The problems he encountered in his administration, which he pondered for ten years in Shangqiu without finding answers to, were resolved by Lin Xiaosu with just a few words.

Seven questions in a row...

The former top scholar stood up and said, “Lord Su, I really want to write down my thoughts immediately and strongly recommend you to His Majesty as the Prime Minister of the Great Wilderness! If your extraordinary talent for governing the country cannot bear fruit in the Great Wilderness, it will be the greatest loss to the billions of people of the Great Wilderness.”

These words, spoken by a former top scholar who is now acting prefect, represent his highest affirmation of Lin Xiaosu's governance abilities.

Lin Xiaosu smiled: "Don't say that. If you agree with my point of view, then go ahead and do it in Huzhou. This will be the biggest help I can give when I go south of the Yangtze River."

Zhang Yiran pondered for a moment: "Even though I am but a humble official in Huzhou, can I still assist you in your grand undertaking in Jiangnan?"

"Lord Zhang needs to understand that if the people of Huzhou live in peace and contentment, they can naturally spread this allure to the other states in Jiangnan. The spontaneous yearning for a better life among the people will form the strongest public opinion, forcing other states to follow suit and thus creating a magnificent trend of people moving south to Jiangnan," Lin Xiaosu said.

"The world is swept away like a whirlwind, and I am caught in it!" Zhang Yiran slowly raised his head: "My lord, I will take care of it immediately!"

The political turmoil has been temporarily put to rest.

Zhang Tao could finally sigh with emotion: "This Lord Zhang is truly blessed. He was originally a powerless prefect, living a simple life as a farmer in Shangqiu. But after meeting you, sir, he has truly risen to prominence overnight."

"That's right. So when this prefect came to pay his respects to our lord, he did so with the courtesy due to a lower-ranking official. Doesn't that imply gratitude for being recognized and valued?" the deputy captain said.

The two captains have gradually become familiar with Lin Xiaosu and know that their leader is approachable and easy-going, so they dare to speak directly.

Lin Xiaosu laughed: "You really think Lord Zhang is benefiting from my influence? Maybe he's being implicated because of me?"

"You're joking, sir!" Zhang Tao laughed.

Lin Xiaosu shook her head: "I'm not kidding! If it weren't for my influence, he could have gone straight to the position of prefect."

Everyone was stunned.

This includes Zhang Tao, Fu Fu, and even Kuang Lang, who was secretly excited on the sidelines with the same mindset as Fu Fu. The reason why she and Fu Fu have the same mindset is because they have something in common: Fu Fu regards Lin Xiao Su as her sweetheart, and Kuang Lang regards him as her sweetheart as well, or at the very least, as her "body's person".

How could I not be happy when my lover is rising through the ranks of officialdom?
Zhang Tao's eyes widened: "My lord, what makes you say that?"

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "Why don't you think about it? When His Majesty promotes someone, does he have to include me in the promotion as well?"

Zhang Tao said, "That's a must!"

Zhang Yiran was introduced by Lin Xiaosu.

In terms of achievements, Lin Xiaosu was in charge of the entire area, while Zhang Yiran was just a task assigned to him.

In terms of achievements, Zhang Yiran is completely incomparable to Lin Xiaosu.

There are rules for promotion in the imperial court, and rewards and punishments must be clearly defined.

If Zhang Yiran is promoted, Lin Xiaosu must be promoted at the same time; otherwise, it will be unfair and will give others grounds for criticism.

“Yes, we must ensure fairness and a clear path for officials. For every rank Lord Zhang is promoted, I must also be promoted. His Majesty originally intended to promote him directly to the position of prefect, but due to my influence, he cannot be promoted that high. Therefore, there is a third-rank official, the governor of Huzhou, who acts as the prefect.”

Zhang Tao scratched his head, seemingly understanding but not quite: "Sir, if he can be promoted to the second rank, why can't you be promoted to the second rank in one go?"

“You…” Lin Xiaosu gently shook her head: “I belong to the supervisory system, and the head of the supervisory commissioner is only a second-rank official! If I were promoted to the second rank, do you think I could still go out of the capital to conduct inspections?”

Zhang Tao's eyes lit up: "In the Great Wilderness official system, the highest-ranking official in charge of the nationwide inspection is the third-rank Vice Minister, whom you are currently serving as. If you are promoted to the second rank, you will no longer be able to conduct nationwide inspections."

“Yes, if I’m promoted to the second rank, I’ll only have two options left: either be demoted to a prefecture or become a Grand Secretary in the capital. But then I won’t be able to travel around with my brothers.” Lin Xiaosu said, “Now you can give your opinion: do you hope I get promoted, or do you hope I don’t?”

Zhang Tao hesitated for a long time before saying, "My lord, may I speak the truth?"

"Say!"

"This humble general hopes that Your Excellency will always hold your current official position and lead your subordinates to conquer all directions!"

Haha, Lin Xiaosu laughed.

Fu Fu burst out laughing.

A smile appeared on Mad Wolf's lips.

Zhang Tao laughed at himself.

With a whoosh, a figure landed on the rooftop; it was Gu Suixin, who had disappeared for three days.

Gu Suixin looked around, asking, "What's going on? Did I miss something interesting?"

Zhang Tao laughed: "You missed my father's promotion ceremony."

"Tch! As if I'm oblivious to everything around me at Xianyin Pavilion. How could I not see such a grand scene?" Gu Suixin scoffed. "Tell me, what other interesting things happened?"

“There’s something else interesting,” Fu Fu said. “Captain Zhang told his family that his junior brother had just received a bonus of one hundred Wild Gold and couldn’t wait to run to the Immortal Music Pavilion.”

"Damn it!" Gu Suixin cursed, "I knew this guy would exaggerate this. Senior brother, I must clarify, I went to Xianyin Pavilion not to listen to music in a brothel, but to gather military intelligence."

"Gathering military intelligence? What did you find out?" Zhang Tao asked.

Gu Suixin said, "The woman who challenged my senior brother to his face three days ago was Han Yan, the second Holy Maiden of Tiandu, with the cultivation of the Dao. She entered the Dao through music, and a single whim can destroy a thousand armies!"

Everyone fell silent.

Everyone knows the origin of the cold smoke.

However, very few people knew the details of her cultivation level.

The realm of the Way is reached through music; a single piece of music can annihilate a thousand armies.

This is the military intelligence he gathered.

Lin Xiaosu smiled gently: "It's best that you're back, Junior Brother. Come with me on a trip!"

"Should we go to Fairy Sound Pavilion or Cold Moon Valley?"

"Neither! Go to Luohua Nunnery!"

"Luohua Nunnery? Senior brother, are you really going to harm the nuns?" Gu Suixin shouted.

Lin Xiaosu glared at him: "What nonsense are you talking about? Are you going or not?"

"My senior brother has given the order; we're ready to face any danger, even mountains of knives and seas of fire! However, I must remind you, senior brother, that nuns are really not a good fit for us brothers. These bald women are stubborn and difficult to persuade..."

Lin Xiaosu broke through the air in one step.

gone.

Gu followed his heart.

Zhang Tao followed.

Fu Fu shouted, "Brother Su, I want to go too!"

But Lin Xiaosu's voice echoed back: "You shouldn't go. Stay with Kuanglang and keep the army in check!"

Mad Wolf's gaze fell upon the target: "Let's go, let's go back to the flagship."

Grab Fufu's hand and soar into the sky.

Lin Xiaosu's side.

The three crossed the Pearl River.

There is an ancient mountain gate in front of us.

The mountain resembles a standing Buddha, majestic and imposing.

The mountain was covered with peach trees, but by this time of year, all the flowers had already fallen, leaving only sparse yellow leaves.

This mountain is Chanjing Mountain, located beside the Pearl River.

This place is Luohua Nunnery.

The fallen flowers refer to peach blossoms.

Isn't this a reflection of life itself?

A woman of the martial world grows old in the martial world, half a lifetime of youthful beauty, half a lifetime of sorrow.

When the wounds were severed, no one in the world could heal her deep wounds; only a desolate mountain and a peach orchard could cure them.

Lin Xiaosu and the other two descended from the void, landing in front of an ancient temple where yellow leaves were fluttering.

In front of the temple, an elderly nun was sweeping away the endless piles of yellow leaves. She slowly raised her eyes and asked, "Amitabha, who are you three benefactors?"

As soon as the four words "Amitabha" were uttered, the sound waves quietly spread out, and the bell of Luohua Nunnery rang out without wind.

Circles of Buddha's light rose from all directions, and yellow leaves fell at their feet, together creating a majestic scene of Buddhism and Taoism.

"Brother Su, Luohua Nunnery has clearly made preparations." Gu Suixin's voice reached Lin Xiaosu's ears.

This is a classic case of the layman watching the spectacle while the expert sees the details.

He knew very well that these rays of light carried a strong sense of hostility. It was unlikely that the Buddhist community would be hostile to ordinary worshippers. Only when they knew that the visitor was an enemy would they display such a radiant light of Buddhism that was not full of compassion but omnipresent in its majesty.

Lin Xiaosu laughed loudly, "Having slaughtered a million soldiers in Jiangnan, the blood on my sword is still fresh. This old nun doesn't recognize a hero, and is still eagerly asking his name!"

His voice soared to the heavens, transforming into an incomparably powerful sound wave that swept away the boundless Buddhist light.

Only three heroic figures remained. (End of Chapter)