Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The first thing Li Chenzhou did after taking control of the Azure Dragon Society was not to establish his authority, but to consolidate it.

The four hall masters fought for a month and a half, each achieving remarkable results. Shangguan Jin Hong's Dragon Scale Guard expanded to three hundred, and they eliminated the Heavenly Net's hidden agents three times without a single casualty.

Chai Yuguan wove a supply network covering three prefectures in Guangling Prefecture. Xiaoyao Hou controlled all the waterways of Xunyang Prefecture, so much so that even spies from the Blood Demon Sect dared not pass through his territory. Lei Sun had Tie Wushuang's five hundred elite troops bogged down in the White Wolf Valley area, unable to advance or retreat.

Well played. But they were fighting individually.

On the third day after taking over, Li Chenzhou summoned the four hall masters. The location was not in the main hall of a certain hall, but halfway up an unnamed hill outside Guangling Prefecture.

A stone table, five chairs, no tea, no attendants. A mountain breeze blew from the west, carrying the scent of pine from the direction of Qishan Prefecture, causing the robes of the five men to flutter in the wind.

Li Chenzhou was the last to arrive.

He slowly ascended the mountain path. The four hall masters were already seated, and no one urged him on. His steps were unhurried, each step landing silently on the rocks, yet causing the four grandmaster-level experts to simultaneously conceal their auras.

Shangguan Jin Hong lowered his eyes, Chai Yu Guan sat upright, Xiao Yao Hou put away his usual lazy smile, and Lei Sun's fingers on the armrest unconsciously stopped.

This isn't a deliberate attempt to exert pressure. It's a natural, intimidating presence that makes people afraid to look directly at it.

Li Chenzhou walked to the head of the stone table but did not sit down. He placed his hands on the edge of the table, leaned forward slightly, and looked down at the map of the thirteen western prefectures spread out on the map. His shadow was cast on the map, covering all four enclaves.

"One month." His voice wasn't loud, but the mountain wind suddenly stopped at that moment, as if even the wind dared not interrupt him.

The four hall masters looked up.

Li Chenzhou's finger traced across the map, and where his fingertip passed, Pingyang County, Guangling Prefecture, Xunyang Prefecture, and Yanmen Prefecture were connected by an invisible line:

"Open up the land routes between the four prefectures. Pingyang Prefecture to Guangling Prefecture, Guangling Prefecture to Xunyang Prefecture, Xunyang Prefecture to Yanmen Prefecture—connecting them in one line."

His finger paused at the center where the three lines intersected, and he pressed down hard. The muffled thud sounded like a blow to the chests of the four men.

"One month from now, I want the Azure Dragon Society's territory to be more than just four enclaves."

Li Chenzhou straightened up, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the four hall masters, and said slowly and deliberately, "It is a whole."

The four people had different expressions, but none of them questioned it.

Shangguan Jin Hong was the first to respond. He sat upright, his hands resting flat on his knees, as if ready to rise and draw his sword at any moment. When he spoke, his voice was soft, yet possessed a metallic quality:

"The road from Pingyang County westward to Guangling Prefecture has been cleared in ten days."

Chai Yuguan continued. He leaned back in his chair, one hand resting on the armrest, his fingertips lightly tapping the wooden surface. His tone was unhurried, as if he were calculating an account:

"From Guangling Prefecture to the border of Xunyang Prefecture, all of the Zhao family's properties will be transferred to Eryue Hall. The 15th."

Marquis Xiaoyao leaned forward slightly, straightening his back, which had been slumped against the chair back.

His usual lazy smile vanished, replaced by an unusual seriousness: "We'll land by water from Xunyang Prefecture, and there are still several bandit strongholds on the land route. Seven days."

Lei Sun's words were the simplest. He sat in the chair with his arms crossed, like a rock rooted to the ground. His voice was rough and hoarse:

"The road south from the southern border of Yanmen Prefecture is blocked by the remnants of the Wolf Fang Alliance and scouts from the Iron Blood Hall. Tie Wushuang is still stalling me. By the 20th, someone needs to hold off the main force of the Iron Blood Hall for me."

Li Chenzhou did not respond to Lei Sun immediately.

He walked to the edge of the cliff, stood with his hands behind his back, the vast sky behind him, and the boundless mountains and rivers before him. The four hall masters could only see his back—a back that wasn't broad, yet it was like a wall, like a mountain, like a knife stuck in the earth, unmoved by wind and rain. The mountain wind whipped his robes, making a rustling sound that echoed among the cliffs, lingering for a long time.

The four hall masters watched that figure from behind, each with their own thoughts.

Shangguan Jin Hong's gaze was as steady as an abyss, revealing neither joy nor anger. A glint of light flashed in Chai Yu Guan's eyes, which quickly returned to calm. Xiao Yao Hou narrowed his eyes slightly, the smile on his lips vanishing completely.

Lei Sun's brows furrowed into a deep frown, and the dark outline was reflected in his large, bell-like eyes.

"Tie Wushuang," Li Chenzhou's voice came from the mountain wind, devoid of any emotion, "I'll handle this."

The mountain breeze seemed to freeze at that moment.

The four hall masters raised their heads simultaneously. No one spoke, but their gazes changed in that instant—Shangguan Jin Hong's eyes held a scrutinizing look, Chai Yu Guan's lips curled up slightly, Xiao Yao Hou's pupils contracted slightly, and Lei Sun's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed.

After a moment of silence, Shangguan Jin Hong stood up first, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yi Yue Tang obeys."

Chai Yuguan was the second to stand up, hands behind his back, and nodded slightly: "Eryuetang, I obey."

The carefree Marquis stood up, lazily cupped his hands in greeting, his casual demeanor suggesting he was attending a pointless social event, but his eyes were serious: "Sanyue Hall, obeys."

Lei Sun was the last to stand up, his copper bell-like eyes fixed on Li Chenzhou's back. He said in a gruff voice, "Siyue Hall, obey."

The mountain wind rose again, scattering the edges of the map on the stone table.

Li Chenzhou did not turn around, nor did he say "meeting adjourned".

The four hall masters exchanged a glance, then turned and descended the mountain path. They left via four different routes, but this time, their paths converged.

On the other side is the Aoki Sword Sect.

When news of the ceasefire at Black Wind Ridge reached Qishan Prefecture, Master Qingxuan was polishing an ancient sword in the Sword Pavilion.

After hearing the report, he remained silent for a long time. The ancient sword gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the candlelight, its blade reflecting half of his aged face.

"Ceasefire." He finally spoke, his voice rising as if from the deepest depths, carrying a chilling aura. "Does the Blood Demon Sect realize that their ceasefire is ill-timed?"

Master Qingsong stood with his head bowed, not daring to speak. Having followed the sect leader for many years, he knew what that tone meant—it was the expression of suppressed rage, more terrifying than a roar.

Master Qingxuan put down his ancient sword, stood up, and walked to the window. Outside the window were the towering peaks of the Qingmu Sword Sect, with surging clouds and the sound of pine trees like a tide. His gaze passed over the clouds and landed on the eastern horizon, in the direction of Guangling Prefecture, which he could not see.

"In the battle of Pingyang County, Master Qingmu died in battle, and the two protectors, Tiemu and Qingsong, were killed in action. More than half of the hundred elite disciples were killed or wounded."

His voice was so calm it didn't sound like he was talking about his own family, but the knuckles of his fingers gripping the window frame were white. "At that time, we were confronting the Blood Demon Cult and had no time to spare. This gave the Azure Dragon Society a chance to catch their breath and also gave them time to grow stronger."

He turned around, his gaze landing on Master Qingsong's face. There was no grief or indignation in those aged eyes, only a coldness born of deep thought: "The war is over now. This score should be settled."

Master Qingsong raised his head: "What does the sect leader mean?"

"Which of the four hall masters of the Azure Dragon Society should we kill first?"

Master Qingsong was startled. He quickly weighed the options in his mind for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Shangguan Jin Hong is stationed in Pingyang County, and the Yiyue Hall has too deep a foundation; a direct attack would be too costly. Marquis Xiaoyao is in Xunyang Prefecture, which is too close to Qishan Prefecture, and it would be easy to alert them. Lei Sun is entangled with the Tiexue Hall in Yanmen Prefecture; if we touch him, we will drag the Tiexue Hall into it as well."

He paused, raised his head, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "Only Chai Yuguan—the head of the Eryue Hall, who is in charge of the central government of Guangling Prefecture and the hub for the allocation of supplies among the four halls. Killing him will sever the coordination between the four halls."

Master Qingxuan did not answer immediately. He walked back to the table, picked up the ancient sword, and gently stroked the spine with his thumb. The blade trembled slightly, emitting a low hum, as if responding to its master's killing intent.

"Shangguan Jin Hong killed Qingmu Zhenren, so this debt should be settled starting with him."

His voice was very soft, as if he were talking to a sword, "But the entire Azure Dragon Society must pay the price."

His finger hovered at the tip of the sword, the blade cutting his fingertip and drawing a drop of blood. The blood slid down the blade, congealing into a dark red bead on the hilt.

"Send people from the Sword Pavilion."

He sheathed the ancient sword, the crisp clang echoing through the sword pavilion. "Lu Chenfeng is leading the team, with Liu Xuantan and Zhong Mu accompanying him. Three peak Grandmasters, using the Three Talents Sword Formation—the very same evil master who could kill a Grandmaster Level 1 within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Killing Chai Yuguan is enough."

Master Qingsong bowed and accepted the order, then turned and left.

The moment he stepped out of the Sword Pavilion gates, he heard the sect leader's final words behind him, his voice as cold as the winter wind:

"Leave no survivors."