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

The atmosphere in the front hall was more somber than usual.

Zheng Yuanlang didn't sit behind his desk. He stood by the window, his back to the door, his hands clasped behind his back. Hearing footsteps, he turned around. The weariness on his face was even more pronounced than a few days ago—his eyes were sunken, and stubble had appeared.

"sit."

Dongfang Weiwo sat down, his expression calm.

Zheng Yuanlang skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point: "You've seen the situation in the city recently."

The Iron Sword Sect, Wanbao Trading Company, Blood Nether Sect, and Tianshan Sect have all swarmed into our little corner of Qinghe City. The brothers in our branch have been working non-stop these past few days; they've even lost two skilled men just from surveillance alone.

Dongfang Weiwo nodded: "I have heard about it."

"I called you here today for one reason only." Zheng Yuanlang stared at him, his tone solemn, "In the coming days, you and your three men must not wander around the city or its outskirts. Especially avoid the Cangmang Mountains area."

"What does Your Excellency mean?"

"It means don't get involved in this mess." Zheng Yuanlang waved his hand. "You're from the capital, I don't know your background."

But since Commander Han has sent you here, I have to be responsible for your safety.

"The forces outside the city now, any one of them has a Xiantian Realm expert in charge. Our branch's resources are barely enough to fill their teeth."

He paused, then emphasized, "Stay put in your assigned area. Practice your skills when you need to, and rest when you need to. I'll assign someone else to do any missions. This isn't a suggestion, it's an order."

Dongfang Weiwo was silent for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This subordinate understands. Thank you for your care, sir."

Zheng Yuanlang nodded, his expression softening slightly: "Go. Remember, don't show your face."

Dongfang Weiwo rose, bowed, and withdrew from the front hall.

He slowly walked back to the backyard along the corridor. His expression remained unchanged, and he had already memorized Zheng Yuanlang's words. Although this acting centurion was quite suspicious, he was still relatively kind in his dealings—he genuinely protected his subordinates.

Back in the backyard, I closed the door.

He sat cross-legged on the bed and began his cultivation.

The foundation of the Blood Exchange Realm requires daily nurturing. It cannot be rushed, nor can it be stopped. As his Qi and blood circulated slowly within his body, he gradually sank into his inner senses, becoming oblivious to the outside world.

The vast mountain range, the stronghold of the Azure Dragon Society.

In the Hall of Righteousness, Chen Jialuo sat in the main seat, a newly arrived secret report spread out before him. Wen Tailai sat to the side, wiping his palms. Zhao Banshan stood in front of the map, tracing lines on it with his finger.

"We have news from Han Tang." Zhao Banshan turned around and handed over a note.

Chen Jialuo took it. The note contained only a few words—

Seven remnants of the White Lotus Cult were wandering about fifteen miles south of the mine, suspected of exploring it. Han Tang has dealt with them all; there were no survivors, and our side suffered no casualties. One of them has been confirmed to be the man in black who was with Sun Liangyu.

Chen Jialuo burned the note over the candle flame and nodded slightly: "The White Lotus Sect branch is completely finished. Sun Liangyu is now a lone commander and can no longer cause trouble."

"Han Tang's sword is indeed fast." Wen Tailai rarely spoke, but his tone was full of admiration. "Seven people were all dealt with in the time it takes to drink two cups of tea. That man in black was at least at the Acquired Divine Strength Realm, yet he couldn't even withstand a single move."

Chen Jialuo didn't reply. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Put the White Lotus Sect's matter aside for now. Order Han Tang to retreat to the vicinity of the mine and not linger on the outskirts. The Iron Sword Sect and Blood Dark Sect are all in the mountains; they've run into trouble."

Zhao Banshan nodded and turned to relay the order.

Wen Tailai looked at Chen Jialuo: "Chief, how's Meng Xinghun's situation? How's it going with the mine?"

"He sent a message last night," Chen Jialuo said in a low voice. "The first batch of ore has been sold. Through a secret connection with Wanbao Trading Company, it was exchanged for 12,000 taels of gold. The ore is refined, top-grade Tianlan Stone, and the other party is very satisfied."

Wen Tailai's eyes lit up: "Twelve thousand taels? That's quite a lot."

"That's good," Chen Jialuo said. "Meng Xinghun is a prudent person. He didn't reveal his identity and only said that he found it by chance in the mountains. Wanbao Trading Company hasn't suspected anything yet."

"So what do we do next?"

"Hold on." Chen Jialuo stood up and walked to the window. "The Lord's order is—avoid fighting if possible, and try to delay as much as possible."

The malevolent energy barrier around the mine will take another three to five days to completely dissipate. Until then, no party will act rashly. We can use this time to reinforce our strongholds and give our men some training.

He paused for a moment.

"Also, send word to everyone that unless it is an emergency, no one should contact the Lord. The Lord has his own business in the city, and we should not cause him any trouble."

Wen Tailai nodded: "Understood."

Chen Jialuo gazed at the mountains outside the window, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

The Iron Sword Sect, Wanbao Trading Company, Blood Nether Sect, and Tianshan Sect—four forces are eyeing the mine with predatory intent. Although the Azure Dragon Society gained the initial advantage, they are not superior in strength. Fortunately, the people summoned by their master are all capable of handling things independently. With proper management, they may not be unable to defend this mine.

Zhenfu Division, Qinghe Branch Division.

In the evening, two people came to the front hall.

Zheng Yuanlang rose to greet them. He was meeting these two for the first time, but their cultivation level made him dare not be negligent. The man on the left was burly, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He wore a black close-fitting outfit and a thick-backed broadsword hung at his waist. His aura was as steady as a mountain—a peak-stage Innate Qi Sea Realm cultivator.

The person on the right was thin and small, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, and his eyes darted around like a street vendor. He was also at the peak of the Innate Qi Sea Realm.

"I am Zhou Gang." The burly man clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming.

"My name is Qian Qi," the skinny man said, bowing slightly in a high-pitched voice.

Zheng Yuanlang quickly returned the greeting: "Are you two gentlemen from the Thousand-Household Office?"

"Commander Shen requested reinforcements from the Thousand-Household Office, and Commander Shen sent us first," Zhou Gang said. "Three more brothers will arrive in the next day or two."

Zheng Yuanlang invited the two to sit down and ordered tea to be served. Qian Qi waved his hand and went straight to the point: "Commander Zheng, tell me, what's the situation in the city?"

Zheng Yuanlang recounted all the information he had gathered—the Iron Sword Sect, Wanbao Trading Company, Blood Nether Sect, Tianshan Sect, and Azure Dragon Society, including the number of members, cultivation levels, and movements of each faction. He also mentioned the annihilation of the White Lotus Sect branch and the disappearance of Sun Liangyu.

"The White Lotus Cult was wiped out?" Qian Qi raised an eyebrow. "Who did it?"

"It's unclear at the moment." Zheng Yuanlang shook his head. "Monsters eat people every day in the Cangmang Mountains. It's also possible that they encountered experts from other forces. Commander Shen went into the mountains to investigate, but there's been no news yet."

Zhou Gang and Qian Qi exchanged a glance and didn't press the matter further. Zhou Gang said, "What Lord Qianhu means is that the Tianlan Mine should not be monopolized by any martial arts force."

Especially outside forces like the Blood Demon Cult and the Heavenly Mountain Sect. If necessary, the Suppression Division can directly take over the mines.

Zheng Yuanlang's heart skipped a beat: "Take over? But the mine is currently in the hands of the Azure Dragon Society..."

"Then let's find out what the Green Dragon Society is all about first," Zhou Gang said. "Commander Shen is already investigating. We'll talk about it again once we have the results."

Qian Qi, fanning himself with a folding fan, interjected with a smile, "Zheng Shi, the centurion, how well has that little flag bearer from the east been behaving lately?"

Zheng Yuanlang was taken aback: "Dongfang Weiwo? He's well-behaved. I told him not to go out, and he just stays in the backyard, not going anywhere."

Qian Qi nodded and said nothing more.