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

Pingyang County, Liuxiang Meng Mansion.

A burner of sandalwood incense burned in the study. Wisps of smoke curled upwards, filling the air with its fragrance.

Meng Xinghun sat behind his desk with two invitations in front of him.

He picked up the first portion—given by Lei Potian—with two fingers.

The cover is embossed in gold, and the wording is polite yet arrogant, inviting you to "come to my home for a chat and discuss important matters."

He casually tossed the invitation to the left, his movements carrying a hint of nonchalance.

He picked up the second one—the one Zhao Tieyi had sent. It had a plain white cover, neat and legible handwriting, and even more polite wording, inviting him to "enjoy tea, discuss swordsmanship, and make friends."

He tossed the invitation to the right.

The two invitations lay side by side on the table, like flags facing each other in battle. Meng Xinghun didn't even bother to glance at them again, picking up his teacup and taking a sip. The tea had gone cold. He didn't ask anyone to replace it.

"Master, the Mad Blade Sect has arrived." Han Tang pushed open the door and entered, his voice flat.

"Let him in."

Lei Zhendong strode into the study and clasped his hands in a respectful greeting. His movements were perfectly executed, but a hint of urgency lingered in his eyes—something he couldn't hide.

"Chief Meng," the voice boomed, as if afraid others wouldn't hear, "my elder brother sent me to ask you a question—is the Azure Dragon Society willing to do a big deal with the Mad Blade Sect?"

Meng Xinghun raised his eyelids slightly, without getting up or even putting down his teacup: "What big deal?"

Lei Zhendong stepped closer, lowered his voice, and his eyes gleamed: "The Iron Sword Sect has a warehouse in the east of the city, containing pills and weapons worth 500,000 taels of gold. The Mad Blade Sect can't handle it all—if the Azure Dragon Society is willing to help, we can split the profits fifty-fifty."

Meng Xinghun put down his teacup and remained silent for a moment.

Then he laughed. Not a polite laugh, but a laugh tinged with a hint of sarcasm.

"Vice Sect Leader Lei," he said, leaning back in his chair with his hands crossed in front of his abdomen, "two hundred and fifty thousand taels of gold is indeed a considerable sum. However..."

Lei Zhendong's smile froze.

Meng Xinghun stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and spoke in a calm tone, as if he were talking about the weather: "Lei Potian wants the Azure Dragon Society to be his weapon? Go back and tell him—the Azure Dragon Society doesn't serve as weapons, and they don't need the money. If he needs help, he can hire beggars on the street. Don't bother my door."

Lei Zhendong's face was ashen. He was clenching his jaw so hard it was making a grinding sound.

He stared at Meng Xinghun's back for several seconds, his triangular eyes flashing with anger, resentment, and a hint of fear.

"Alright." Lei Zhendong cupped his hands in greeting, turned, and strode away. His footsteps pounded heavily on the floor, venting his dissatisfaction, but he dared not utter another word.

Han Tang closed the door and whispered, "Master, Lei Potian is a vengeful man. We're really humiliating him like this..."

"He wouldn't dare touch the Azure Dragon Society." Meng Xinghun turned around, picked up the cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp. "Lei Potian is a smart man."

He knows who he can mess with and who he can't.

He paused, walked to the window, and looked at the old locust tree in the yard.

"Have people keep a close eye on the Mad Saber Sect and the Iron Sword Sect. Report any movements immediately."

But remember—let them fight their battles, we'll watch ours. The Green Dragon Society doesn't take sides, and no one has the right to make us take sides.

"Yes."

Two days later, at the Zhenfu Division's Thousand-Household Office.

The council hall was spacious and bright, with a huge map of Pingyang County hanging in the center, marking the territories of various forces in red and black.

Lu Zhennan sat in the grand chair at the head of the table, dressed in official robes with a golden token hanging from his waist, exuding an imposing aura. He did not offer tea, exchange pleasantries, or even glance at the two of them—simply by sitting there, an invisible sense of oppression permeated the entire hall.

Even a slight, unintentional release of the aura of a late-stage Innate Divine Vein Realm expert is enough to make an Innate Profound Gang Realm master feel like they have a thorn in their back.

Lei Potian and Zhao Tieyi sat on the guest chairs on either side of each other, about three zhang apart, neither looking at the other. On the table in the middle sat a pot of fine Longjing tea, its aroma filling the air—but neither dared to touch it. They even deliberately held their breath.

Lu Zhennan spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, even somewhat deep, yet it felt like a mountain pressing down on their hearts.

"I am already aware of the brawl at the docks."

He didn't address me as "I," but rather as "this humble one." It wasn't an act of arrogance—it was the proper thing to do. As the Commander of the Pingyang Prefecture Garrison, he oversaw the affairs of the entire prefecture's garrison and was directly under the command of the imperial court. Within the entire Pingyang Prefecture, his words were law.

He took out a letter bearing the seal of the Zhenfu Division from his sleeve and casually tossed it onto the table. The seal gleamed with a dark golden light in the candlelight—it was the symbol of one of the three super-organizations of the Xuantian Dynasty, representing the will of the court, which was inviolable.

"I don't care who stole whose goods or who killed whose people." Lu Zhennan's gaze swept over the two men, like two knives stabbing into their faces. "But listen to me clearly—Pingyang County is the territory of the imperial court. The people in the city are the subjects of the imperial court."

He stood up. He wasn't particularly tall, but his imposing presence made Lei Potian and Zhao Tieyi tense up at the same time.

"If you want to fight, I won't stop you. The Zhenfu Division can't be bothered with grudges between the martial world." Lu Zhennan slowly walked between the two, his voice suddenly turning cold, "But—who dares to harm innocent civilians, who dares to set fire to civilian homes, who dares to indiscriminately kill civilians in the streets—"

He paused. He reached out and gently patted Lei Potian's shoulder. Lei Potian froze, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead.

"I will exterminate his entire family." Lu Zhennan spoke each word slowly and deliberately, each word like a hammer blow to their hearts. "The Zhenfu Division always keeps its word."

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Lei Potian's Adam's apple bobbed. He was the leader of the Mad Blade Sect, a mid-stage Innate Divine Meridian Realm expert, a figure who could roam freely in Pingyang County—but in front of Lu Zhennan, he didn't dare to utter a sound. He was not only afraid of Lu Zhennan himself, but also of the behemoth behind him.

The Xuan Tian Dynasty has three super agencies: the Zhenfu Division. For the Zhenfu Division, annihilating a martial arts sect is merely a matter of issuing a document.

Zhao Tieyi's face also turned pale. The Iron Sword Sect's headquarters was in Guangling Prefecture, and it had many experts, but in front of the imperial court, they were nothing more than a group of ants who knew martial arts.

"Lord Lu... Lord Lu." Lei Potian spoke with difficulty, his voice dry, "The Mad Blade Sect has always abided by the rules. As long as the Iron Sword Sect doesn't provoke us, my men will never harm a hair on the heads of ordinary people."

"The same goes for the Iron Sword Sect," Zhao Tieyi quickly interjected, his voice even lower than Lei Potian's.

Lu Zhennan glanced at them and nodded.

He sat back down in the armchair, picked up the teacup, and slowly blew away the foam.

"That's good. You can get out now."

Lei Potian and Zhao Tieyi, as if granted a pardon, stood up simultaneously and strode towards the door. They left the council hall one after the other, neither daring to glance at the other. Footsteps echoed down the corridor—one heavy as thunder, the other rapid as a drum, both carrying a hint of panic.

Lopsided.

Lu Zhennan sat alone in the empty hall, picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea had gone cold, but he didn't seem to care.

"Two mad dogs," he muttered to himself, a cold smile playing on his lips. "As long as they don't bite the common people, they can bite all they want."

"If it bites to death, I'll just find a more obedient one to offer tribute."

He gently placed the teacup back on the table. He closed his eyes to rest, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest.

The world of Pingyang County has never been peaceful.

But as long as the Garrison Command remains in power, the world cannot be turned upside down.