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

into the night.

The Green Dragon Society, Yiyue Hall.

Liu San Niang, dressed in black night clothes, silently infiltrated the headquarters of the Azure Dragon Society.

He possessed early-stage Divine Vein Realm cultivation. His concealment techniques were superb, allowing him to evade both overt and covert sentries along the way.

"The Azure Dragon Society... I'd like to see what secrets you have up your sleeve."

I climbed over a wall and landed in the backyard.

A garden. Artificial hills and flowing water. Quiet and elegant. Crouching low, I crept along the wall towards the main building.

Suddenly stopped.

Ten feet ahead, a figure stood with his hands behind his back, his back to her.

A middle-aged man. Wearing a long blue robe. Tall and imposing. With a restrained aura. He stood there quietly, yet gave off a sense of imposing authority, like a mountain.

Liu San Niang felt a chill run down her spine.

Instinctively, it sensed danger.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, the man spoke calmly.

"Since we're here, why rush to leave?"

The sound wasn't loud. It sounded like it was right next to her ear.

Liu San Niang's expression changed. She turned around and was about to use her movement technique to escape.

The foot had just been lifted—

A flower in front of you.

The man had already appeared in front of her. They were no more than three feet apart.

She didn't even see how he moved.

"you……"

Before she could finish speaking, the man reached out and casually tapped her shoulder with a finger.

A surge of force rushed into his body, instantly sealing his inner energy. He froze on the spot, unable to move, his eyes filled with horror.

"Who are you?!" she asked in a trembling voice.

The man withdrew his hand, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I am Shangguan Jin Hong, the leader of the First Hall of the Azure Dragon Society."

Liu San Niang's pupils suddenly contracted.

Hall Master?

She had initially assumed that Meng Xinghun was the highest-ranking member of the Azure Dragon Society. She hadn't expected there to be such a powerful figure behind him. This Shangguan Jin Hong before her, capable of subduing her, a mere early-stage Divine Meridian Realm cultivator, in a single move—his strength was at least…

Grandmaster.

The two words exploded in my mind like a thunderclap.

The Azure Dragon Society is overseen by a grandmaster.

"What...what do you want?" Liu San Niang tried to remain calm, but her voice still trembled slightly.

Shangguan Jin Hong didn't answer. She turned and walked to the stone table in the garden. She sat down and poured herself a cup of tea.

"The White Lotus Sect, having survived the suppression of the Xuan Tian Dynasty for so many years, is indeed not to be underestimated." He picked up his teacup and gently blew on it. "I am quite interested in your White Lotus Sect."

Liu San Niang's heart sank: "You want to learn about the White Lotus Sect through me?"

"Smart." Shangguan Jin Hong took a sip of tea. "As the branch leader of the White Lotus Sect, you should know quite a lot. The White Lotus Sect's strength distribution, high-ranking figures, cultivation techniques, and hidden strongholds... I need to know all of that."

"You're dreaming!" Liu Sanniang gritted her teeth. "I'd rather die than betray my faith!"

Shangguan Jin Hong put down his teacup and glanced at her.

"You won't die. I'm keeping you alive; you still have a use."

He stood up, walked to Liu San Niang, and looked down at her.

"The White Lotus Sect and the Azure Dragon Society have already clashed. A conflict is inevitable sooner or later. I dislike fighting unprepared battles, so I need some intelligence from you."

"you……"

"You can choose not to speak," Shangguan Jin Hong said calmly. "But I have plenty of ways to make you talk. However, I don't want to resort to those underhanded methods. I'll give you three days to consider. If you still don't speak after three days..."

They didn't continue.

Liu San Niang had already felt the chill.

Shangguan Jin Hong turned and left, leaving behind a single sentence.

"Lock her up. Keep a close watch on her. Don't let her die."

From the shadows, Lu Zhangke and Hebi Weng appeared. They grabbed Liu Sanniang from the left and right and dragged her into the dungeon.

North of the city. Headquarters of the Mad Blade Sect.

Lei Potian returned from Zuixianlou, his face ashen.

"This is outrageous!" He slammed his fist against the wall. The wall cracked. "A mere junior at the early stage of the Profound Realm dares to demand my submission?"

"Sect Master, what about the Azure Dragon Society..." the Deputy Sect Master asked cautiously.

"Azure Dragon Society? Hmph." Lei Potian sneered. "I'll show them sooner or later that the Mad Blade Sect is not to be trifled with. Issue my order: gather all disciples, tonight—"

The conversation wasn't over.

A scout stumbled in.

"Sect Master! Something terrible has happened! The Iron Sword Sect has made its move!"

Lei Potian suddenly turned around: "What?!"

"Iron Hand Sword Elder is personally leading the team! Three elders are accompanying them! More than twenty people! They are heading towards the north of the city! They say—they say they will raze the Mad Blade Sect to the ground!"

Lei Potian's expression changed drastically.

I didn't expect the Iron Sword Sect to make a move so quickly. I also didn't expect the Iron Hand Sword Elder to personally take action.

Late stage of Divine Meridian Realm...

Lei Potian was only at the mid-stage of the Divine Meridian Realm, a whole minor realm below him. If it were just him, he could fight to the death and hold his own. But with hundreds of disciples from the Mad Blade Sect—how could he possibly stop them?

"Sect Master, what should we do?" the Deputy Sect Master asked anxiously.

Lei Potian remained silent for a moment. Then, he gritted his teeth.

"Prepare for battle! In the twenty years since the founding of the Mad Blade Sect, we have never surrendered without a fight. All of you, heed my command and follow me into battle!"

That night, the city of Pingyang was stained with blood.

The war between the Iron Sword Sect and the Mad Saber Sect started in the north of the city and quickly spread throughout the entire city.

Iron Hand Swordsman wielded a rusty iron sword, his movements laced with powerful sword energy. Each strike carried the weight of decades of accumulated skill. Though he was only at the late stage of the Divine Meridian Realm, his swordsmanship was incredibly refined. Every move was as solid and weighty as a mountain.

Lei Potian exerted all his strength. He wielded his golden-backed broadsword with ferocious power, unleashing a torrent of sword energy.

The gap in skill level cannot be bridged by desperate efforts.

Thirty moves. He was at a disadvantage.

"Lei Potian, surrender!" Iron Hand Sword Elder repelled him with a single sword strike. His voice boomed like thunder. "Your Mad Saber Sect will perish today."

"Don't even think about it!" Lei Potian gritted his teeth and charged again.

Iron Hand Swordsman pierced his shoulder with a single strike. Blood splattered.

The Mad Saber Sect disciples suffered a crushing defeat. The Iron Sword Sect, with its three peak Profound Realm elders and over twenty elite disciples, far surpassed the Mad Saber Sect in combat strength. Within an hour, the Mad Saber Sect had suffered over half its casualties, retreating from the north of the city all the way to the city center.

The flames of war spread. The entire city of Pingyang was plunged into chaos.

In the streets, people closed their doors and windows. Shops shut down one after another. Spies from various factions scurried about, relaying the latest battle updates.

Zhenfu Division, Thousand-Household Office.

Lu Zhennan stood on the pavilion, gazing at the distant flames and shouts of battle from the north of the city. His face remained expressionless.

"My lord, the Iron Sword Sect and the Mad Saber Sect are fighting." Mo Wuhen stood behind him. "Should we intervene?"

"Take action?" Lu Zhennan sneered. "Under what pretext?"

"Maintaining public order."

"Maintain order?" She turned to look at him. "The Iron Sword Sect and the Mad Blade Sect are locked in a fierce battle, the more intense the better. Once they're both crippled, we can clean up the mess."

He walked to the window and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Pass down the order. The entire Garrison Command shall remain stationary. Under the pretext of 'maintaining order,' no one is permitted to leave the city. Let them fight. Let them fight until both sides are severely weakened."

"Yes."

Mo Wuhen turned and left.

Lu Zhennan gazed at the distant flames, a calculating glint in his eyes.

"Let's fight the Azure Dragon Society... Iron Sword Sect... Mad Saber Sect... White Lotus Sect... In the end, Pingyang County will still be under the control of my Zhenfu Division."

Qinghe City. Zhenfu Branch Office.

Dongfang Weiwo stood in the courtyard, gazing at the faint lights of Pingyang County. His brow was slightly furrowed.

He held a paper crane in his hand. This was the latest news from Shangguan Jin Hong.

The Iron Sword Sect and the Mad Saber Sect have engaged in a full-scale war. The Mad Saber Sect is suffering repeated defeats. The Garrison Command remains inactive, observing the conflict from the sidelines. Meanwhile, Liu San Niang of the White Lotus Sect infiltrated the headquarters at night but has been subdued by her subordinates and imprisoned in the dungeon, awaiting interrogation to extract information about the White Lotus Sect.

Dongfang Weiwo finished reading. He crushed the paper crane.

Shangguan Jin Hong did a good job. Liu San Niang is the leader of a branch of the White Lotus Sect, so she should know a lot of information. Through her, we can find out the details of the White Lotus Sect.

As for the Mad Blade Sect—

Lei Potian has refused now. He'll naturally return once the Iron Sword Sect corners him. At that point, the condition won't be submission anymore.

It's a merger.

He turned and walked back to the quiet room. He sat down cross-legged and continued to consolidate his cultivation.

The war outside was none of his concern.

He only needed to cultivate quietly in Qinghe City, secretly directing the Azure Dragon Society to gradually erode the entire Pingyang County.