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

Late the next night, thirty miles outside Qinghe City. A desolate, wild mountain area.

The moonlight, as clear as water, spilled onto the winding mountain path.

Dongfang Weiwo rode a chestnut horse back to Qinghe City from Pingyang County.

Shen Lian was still handling business in Guangling Prefecture. He used the excuse of "feeling unwell" to return early—in reality, he wanted to personally deal with a matter.

Sun Liangyu and Chang Si.

These two remnants of the White Lotus Cult had been hiding around Qinghe City for nearly a month, and they had always been a thorn in his side. Like two thorns stuck in his territory, they meant he could never feel at ease as long as they were around.

They reached a bend in the mountain path. Steep cliffs lined both sides, with only a narrow path wide enough for two horses to pass side by side—an ideal ambush location. Dongfang Weiwo reined in his horse, dismounted swiftly and cleanly, tied it to a dead tree by the roadside, took out a signal flare from his pocket, and pulled the fuse.

"Whoosh—Bang!"

A beam of red light shot into the sky, exploding into a striking crimson firework in the night. It was visible for miles around.

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, two dark figures darted out from the depths of the forest. Their speed was like that of ghosts. Stepping on the treetops, they were silent and stealthy. In a few leaps, they landed in front of Dongfang Weiwo—the Xuanming Elders.

Lu Zhangke bowed respectfully and said in a low voice, "My lord, I have located Sun Liangyu's hiding place. It's in a cave three miles ahead. The entrance is disguised; if Zhao Banshan hadn't sent men to keep watch beforehand, no one would have been able to find it."

"How many people?" Dongfang Weiwo asked.

"Three." Hebi Weng held up three fingers. "Sun Liangyu, Chang Si, and an old farmer who delivers food. The old man is from a nearby village, not a member of the White Lotus sect, but was hired to deliver food."

Dongfang Weiwo paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Sun Liangyu and Chang Si, we need to see them alive." He paused, not saying the second half of his sentence—but the Xuanming Elders understood.

"Yes, ma'am."

The two elders of Xuanming vanished into the dense forest in a flash, without even disturbing a few fallen leaves.

Dongfang Weiwo leaned against a big tree, arms crossed, eyes closed, resting.

Before an incense stick could burn, a brief sound of fighting came from the end of the mountain path—two muffled groans, a scream, and then the dull thud of a heavy object falling to the ground. Then, everything fell silent.

The sound of footsteps grew louder as they approached.

Lu Zhangke returned carrying a blood-covered man, which he threw on the ground like a tattered sack.

Sun Liangyu.

He was once the leader of the Qinghe branch of the White Lotus Sect, a master at the early stage of the Qi Sea Realm.

He looked like a stray dog, utterly disheveled. His body was covered in blood, his left arm bent at an unnatural angle—the bones were broken into countless pieces. His face was smeared with dirt and blood. But his eyes remained open, fixed on Dongfang Weiwo. His gaze held fear, resentment, and a hint of disbelief.

"You...you are...that junior officer from the Garrison Command?" His voice was hoarse and weak, his lips trembling. Every word he spoke aggravated his wounds, causing him to gasp in pain.

Dongfang Weiwo crouched down to look him in the eye. Moonlight shone on his young face, his expression as calm as a stagnant pool.

"Master Sun, we meet again."

Sun Liangyu's lips trembled even more violently. His gaze suddenly passed over Dongfang Weiwo and fell on the two black-robed old men behind him—their auras were as cold as the deepest abyss, and their cultivation was unfathomable. One was hunchbacked and held a deer-shaped staff, while the other was tall and thin and held a crane-shaped writing brush, both surrounded by a faint chill.

How could a master of such cultivation take orders from a mere fifteen-year-old garrison commander? The Dongfang family? Impossible, otherwise they wouldn't have come to this small place. So it can only be…

A lightning-fast thought flashed through Sun Liangyu's mind.

The Green Dragon Society.

That mysterious force that rose to prominence overnight. That Azure Dragon Society, capable of slaying even a Blood Demon Sect elder at the Innate Profound Realm with a single sword strike. That Azure Dragon Society, secretly plotting in Pingyang County…

"You...you are the Azure Dragon..." His pupils suddenly dilated, utterly horrified, and his voice was almost squeezed out of his throat.

"Master Sun," Dongfang Weiwo interrupted him, his voice very soft, "Some words, once spoken, are deadly."

Sun Liangyu's mouth was open, but she couldn't utter a single word.

But Hebi Weng's palm was already pressed on his head.

The chilling power surged in like a tide, and Sun Liangyu's thoughts froze for a moment.

His eyes were still open, his pupils reflecting Dongfang Weiwo's calm face. There was no murderous intent, no ruthlessness, not even any expression on that face.

It was this calm that made Sun Liangyu feel a chill seep into her bones.

"puff--"

A muffled thud. Sun Liangyu's eyes closed forever. Until his death, his face remained frozen in an expression of mingled horror and resentment.

Chang Si was also dragged over. He was more seriously injured; both his legs were broken, and he had been struck by at least five Xuanming Divine Palms. He was trembling uncontrollably. When he saw Sun Liangyu's corpse, despair flashed in his eyes.

"Spare me...spare me..." He lay prostrate on the ground, his forehead hitting the dirt. "I don't know anything...please..."

Dongfang Weiwo stood up, dusted off his knees, and didn't look at him.

"kill."

With a swift movement of his palm, Hebi Weng silenced Chang Si's voice.

Lu Zhangke took out a cloth bag from his bosom, which revealed a sharp knife. He squatted down and swiftly severed the heads of Sun Liangyu and Chang Si, carefully smearing them with lime powder before wrapping them in oilcloth. His movements were as practiced as someone who had slaughtered pigs his entire life.

"My lord, the head has been dealt with." Lu Zhangke presented it with both hands.

Dongfang Weiwo mounted his horse and glanced back at the desolate mountain under the moonlight. A slight smile played on his lips.

This trip was clean and efficient.

Three days later, at the Thousand-Household Office of Guangling Prefecture.

Shen Lian sat in the duty room, with two documents in front of him. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting stripes of light and shadow on the documents.

One document is a record verifying the identities of Sun Liangyu and Chang Si by examining their severed heads. The coroner wrote in detail: the incision on the skull was clean, the throat severed with a single, sharp blade; Sun Liangyu's facial expression was frozen in horror and fear, as if she had been greatly frightened before her death.

The other document was three secret letters from the White Lotus Sect found on Sun Liangyu, as well as a copy of the accounts between the sect and the Guangling Prefecture branch.

The other document is an application for the award of "Eastern Unique Self".

Shen Lian pushed the commendation application to the other side of the table. Zhao Tieshan sat opposite him.

"Lord Zhao, the Trial Commander, please sign here." Shen Lian's tone was indifferent, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Zhao Tieshan picked up the commendation application and read it through from beginning to end. His brows furrowed more and more, finally forming a knot.

"Commander-in-Chief rank?" He slammed the document on the table, his voice rising eight octaves. "This kid's only been here two months! Two months! From a junior officer to commander-in-chief, skipping two ranks? Old Shen, are you kidding me?"

"He didn't skip two ranks." Shen Lian picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and said slowly, "There's a trial rank between a junior flag officer and a general flag officer. The commander of the thousand granted special permission to directly confer the rank of general flag officer. It's clearly written in the document; you can take another look."

Zhao Tieshan picked up the document again and read it over with wide eyes. Sure enough, it clearly stated that he was specially awarded the rank of General Flag Officer, skipping the trial General Flag Officer stage.

"On what grounds?" Zhao Tieshan slammed the document on the table, his voice clearly filled with resentment. "I've worked in the Zhenfu Division for twelve years. It took me four years to rise from a junior officer to a senior officer. And he, a fifteen-year-old kid, got the rank of senior officer in just two months?"

Shen Lian did not answer immediately. He took the two oilcloth bundles out of the drawer, placed them on the table, and untied one corner.

A pungent smell of lime wafted out. Inside were two human heads.

Zhao Tieshan's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Sun Liangyu. Chang Si." Shen Lian said, enunciating each word clearly.

He pushed the coroner's record and secret letters in front of Zhao Tieshan: "Take a look at this too—it was found on Sun Liangyu. Secret letters between the Guangling Prefecture branch and the Qinghe branch of the White Lotus Sect, as well as accounts. These things are worth more than a head."

Zhao Tieshan picked up the secret letter and flipped through it page by page. The coded messages on the letter had been deciphered, and the translations were marked in red next to them: "Transfer three thousand taels of silver", "Support the Qinghe Uprising", "Contact person: Liu San Niang".

His expression changed.

These things are enough to overturn the White Lotus Sect's plans in half of Guangling Prefecture.

"He did it all by himself?" Zhao Tieshan's voice was a little dry.

Shen Lian did not answer directly: "All you need to know is that Sun Liangyu and Chang Si are dead, their heads are here, and the secret letter is here. Commander Qianhu is very satisfied."

Zhao Tieshan remained silent for a long time. He stared at the severed head for a long while—Sun Liangyu's face was frozen with an expression he had never seen before: horror, fear, disbelief, as if he had seen something completely beyond his comprehension before he died.

"This kid..." Zhao Tieshan muttered, "Just who is he?"

Shen Lian did not answer. He simply picked up his teacup, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

There are some things you shouldn't ask. That's the rule of the Zhenfu Division.

Zhao Tieshan gritted his teeth and finally signed the commendation application. His pen strokes were so heavy they almost pierced the paper.

"The acting captain will continue to receive his salary, but will not be promoted."

He read out the terms of the document, gave a wry smile, and said, "To put it bluntly, it's about giving money but not an official position. This kid is getting paid like a captain but doing the work of a lieutenant. The commander is shrewd too."

"Lord Commander has his own considerations." Shen Lian put the documents away and locked them in the metal cabinet.

Zhao Tieshan stood up and walked to the window. The sun was shining brightly outside, and several new flag bearers were practicing in the courtyard. He stared at the youngest figure among them for a long time.

"Old Shen," he suddenly spoke, "do you think... the situation in Pingyang County is about to change?"

Shen Lian also walked to the window and stood beside him.

"Whether it changes or not, what does it have to do with us?" His voice was very soft. "We are from the Zhenfu Division. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up."

Zhao Tieshan remained silent, but his brows furrowed even more deeply.

Outside the window, Dongfang Weiwo was walking past the training ground with Liu Tie, Zhang Dashan, and Su Wen. The young man walked steadily, his eyes fixed straight ahead, and his official robes were neatly worn.

Zhao Tieshan stared at his back until the figure disappeared around the corner of the courtyard wall.

"This kid... is not simple." He finally uttered this sentence.

Shen Lian remained silent.

He added in his mind—it's more than just not simple.