“Hehe, what a shame, old Bao. You can’t even handle someone so weak. Tsk, tsk!”

The newly arrived Lie Zheng sneered, crossing his arms as he watched Bao Hui.

“HA! I am merely the leader of the Treasure Pavilion. My greatest power doesn’t lie in combat!” Bao Hui raised his nose arrogantly, as if his defeat were irrelevant.

“Oh? Yes, I know that.” Lie Zheng nodded in agreement but soon smirked sarcastically. “Your greatest power is your stinginess!”

“Damn old wastrel! How can you say that?! Believe it or not, I’m going to report you to the sect leader!” Bao Hui growled back, annoyed.

Lie Zheng laughed and didn’t care.

“Well, I only came to save your ass. Your job isn’t over yet; the rest is still up to you!” Elder Lie said, shrugging.

Bao Hui rolled his eyes and pointed his thumb toward where the mountain lord had been just moments ago.

“He fled the moment you arrived. Looks like the sect leader will have to act now.” He shrugged.

…

Seconds later, Tian Zhu appeared before them, firmly holding a visibly battered mountain lord.

The man was weakened but still conscious. Tian Zhu hadn’t crippled him yet, as he intended to judge him after Lie Zheng confirmed his character.

For now, he was simply using physical contact to force his spiritual energy into the enemy’s veins and dantian, sealing his ability to manipulate his own power.

“What do you want from me?!” the mountain lord shouted, his voice a mix of fear and threat. “I warn you, even if you have a Golden Core, I send 50% of the mountain’s revenue to the Bamboo Sword Sect. If you kill me, they won’t hesitate to avenge me!”

Tian Zhu maintained his indifferent expression, paying no attention to the threat. Instead, he turned to Lie Zheng, waiting for his assessment.

Lie Zheng studied the man for a few moments before coldly declaring:

“He’s lying. He doesn’t send 50% of the revenue, and the Bamboo Sword Sect doesn’t care about him. But the part about paying a percentage is true… just nowhere near that amount.”

Hearing those words, the mountain lord’s eyes widened, shocked and confused about how this man knew.

Tian Zhu nodded and signaled for Lie Zheng to continue the interrogation.

…

Under intense fire, the mountain lord’s corpse was burned to ashes.

Aotian pondered over the information he had obtained.

‘In summary… He pays 30% of the mountain’s profits annually to the Bamboo Sword Sect, which only recognizes his sovereignty over this land without offering anything in return. No protection, no support. They simply take the money effortlessly.’

This kind of policy disgusted him, though not too much. After all, it was similar to paying taxes on Earth.

‘But at least there, the money was invested in improving the nation… Or at least most of it… Some of it… Ahem! Well, that’s what they said, and who am I to disagree?’ He thought, amused and powerless.

Returning to what truly mattered, Aotian pondered:

‘Even if I take this mountain, my Golden Core power is already enough to make the Bamboo Sword Sect avoid conflict over a mere perfect first-grade vein. This means that this mountain could serve as a temporary base for my sect… until I have the strength to seize an even better vein!’

A wave of excitement surged through his chest.

Tian Zhu turned his gaze from the ashes on the ground and looked at Bao Hui.

“Take over the mountain’s operations.”

He didn’t bother explaining much, but Bao Hui understood immediately.

First, because the order was obvious.

Second… because they were the same person.

“Uhm! Leave it to me!” Bao Hui responded firmly, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Without wasting time, he rushed down the mountain.

Soon, he once again encountered Guard Xu and Manager Mu, who were watching the battlefield from afar with anxious expressions.

Seeing Bao Hui return unharmed, the two nearly died of shock.

Their hearts pounded—especially Guard Xu, who had already considered himself a dead man for provoking a Foundation Establishment cultivator without knowing it.

Of course, it was Bao Hui who had intimidated him from the start, but the guard knew very well that in this world, where strength dictated the rules, the weak were always in the wrong.

“You, guard, are fired. You accepted the wrong amounts repeatedly and allowed people to enter without control. Now, this mountain is under the rule of my sect, and I cannot allow such a wasteful guard to work in tax collection!” Bao Hui declared coldly, his gaze filled with authority. It seems he clearly ignored the fact that the one responsible for these actions was himself.

Guard Xu was dumbfounded for a moment, unable to believe what he had just heard. However, as soon as he processed the situation, his expression changed to relief and gratitude.

“T-That! Y-Yes, sir! Thank you very much for your mercy!” He quickly bowed, not questioning anything.

Even without understanding, he knew that this terrifying man could change his mind at any moment. So, without waiting another second, Guard Xu turned and ran off immediately, fearing that Bao Hui might suddenly decide to kill him.

Aotian simply enjoyed the scene. He had no intention of harming the guard, but he didn’t consider him a good person either.

He knew very well that Xu was arrogant and corrupt in his position as a city guard. Even though this “dismissal” was just a joke to Aotian, Xu wouldn’t have kept his job for long under his new management anyway.

But the real reason Bao Hui had come down the mountain wasn’t the guard.

He scanned the area until his eyes locked onto a trembling, pale man who was watching everything, paralyzed with fear.

“You!” He pointed directly at the old man with a terrified expression.

“Y-Yes, sir!” The man stammered, lowering his head in respect and fear.

“I heard the guard call you ‘Manager Mu.’ I want you to tell me who, besides the mountain lord, has the most authority and knowledge about everything that happens here.”

Bao Hui’s voice was unquestionable. His usually shrewd gaze now exuded majesty and absolute dominance.

Old Mu swallowed hard.

“I-I-I… I…” He could barely speak. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.

He was in a panic. If he spoke, he might draw the mountain lord’s wrath… But if he lied, he might die instantly at the hands of the man before him.

Bao Hui noticed his hesitation and, instead of getting angry, a mischievous smile curled the corner of his lips.

“Fortunately, I was already prepared for this,” he said, amused, giving a light tap on the storage bag at his waist.

In the next instant, the bag released an object that Bao Hui grabbed by the hair.

Manager Mu’s face lost all color, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

In Bao Hui’s hands was the decapitated head of the former mountain lord.

“I thought it would be easier if I kept this to show you all,” he said casually, lifting the head by its hair before the old man’s wide eyes. “The body was destroyed, but I brought this little souvenir.”

Mu began to hyperventilate, feeling his heart falter.

“Now, let’s try this again…” Bao Hui’s voice grew heavier. He pushed the severed head closer to Manager Mu’s face, forcing him to stare into the dead eyes of his former leader. “Who manages everything here after this man?”

The old man’s eyes widened, his mind on the verge of collapse.

“I-I-It’s m-m-me!!” he stammered frantically, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.

Bao Hui discreetly glanced at Lie Zheng, who remained leaning against a tree. The elder didn’t even bother looking directly at the old man before giving a disinterested nod.

That was enough for Bao Hui. Lies wouldn’t escape Lie Zheng’s perception.

“Great!” Bao Hui cheerfully smiled and pulled the severed head away from the manager’s face.

Old Mu’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground.

“Now, you will help me manage everything here. If I lose even a single spirit stone, I don’t think I need to tell you what will happen, do I?” Bao Hui’s voice was friendly and gentle, just like his smile.

But to Manager Mu, it looked like a grinning demon.

…

A few hours later…

With Manager Mu’s help—and the relentless strength of Lie Zheng and Bao Hui—the entire mountain was brought under control.

The family of the former mountain lord, bearing the surname Shi, had ruled the area for over a thousand years. Generation after generation, they managed to produce at least one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators, which allowed them to maintain their hegemony… until the elders arrived.

This time, however, the current generation had only one Foundation Establishment cultivator. And according to information from Manager Mu himself, there was another with potential to ascend, but he had been discreetly eliminated by the mountain lord to prevent any division of power.

When the head of the pillar is rotten, the rest cannot be much better. So, Bao Hui and Li Zheng had no choice but to ‘cleanse’ the mountain…

A cleansing of necks.

But Aotian decided not to do something like cutting the grass and cleaning the roots. He wouldn’t exterminate the entire Shi family.

He allowed the few innocent ones to leave freely.

Even though there was a risk that they might one day return seeking revenge, he saw no sense in massacring children, women, and men who had never committed any crimes—just as a precaution.

He reflected deeply on this while sitting alone in his room.

‘I don’t believe these remaining Shi family members can grow stronger than my avatars and me and come back for revenge. But if they can… well, let them come.’

Even knowing that completely eliminating the root of the problem would be the safest method, Aotian simply couldn’t execute innocents.

‘My mindset isn’t like that yet. I can’t kill indiscriminately just to eliminate an almost nonexistent risk. I’m not that kind of person… and I don’t want to be.’

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes filled with determination.

‘Maybe, one day, I’ll regret this decision. But I don’t believe that will happen!’

He smiled slightly.

‘Let me live up to my name for once, and be that… arrogant celestial dragon!’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep