Under Zi He’s escort, Yang Lingrui and his companions safely returned to Yansha.

At the northern marketplace, he commissioned a body-preserving artifact to store the severed arm.

Gu Zhengyuan rushed to offer condolences upon hearing about the Yang Family’s casualties. When he learned it was martial cultivator Yang Linghu – the man who’d sat opposite him days before – who had perished, his face clouded with regret.

That day, he’d probed Yang Linghu with his divine awareness. Though the young man’s Qi meridians were ordinary, his physical gifts were remarkable. Given time, reaching the perfect realm seemed within his grasp. Yet now this sudden calamity had cut his destiny short.

“Sigh…” Gu Zhengyuan’s heavy exhalation filled the room. “They claim life’s uncertainties shape fate, but this was pure malice! That accursed Solitary Moon Mountain flaunts all laws!”

Yang Lingrui wordlessly presented the gold-sealed imperial decree along with two spiritual materials: black snake’s blood scales and Mayfly Essence. “Senior Gu, the Yang Family has fulfilled the dynasty’s task.”

“With my brother gone,” he continued flatly, “I’ve no will to stay. We depart at dawn.”

He knew Gu Zhengyuan understood their sacrifices without theatrical displays. Truthfully, he lacked the energy for pretense.

“Done!” Gu Zhengyuan slapped the table. “Young Lingrui, I’ll personally ensure your safe passage home!”

At daybreak, three full-level cultivators escorted the Yang Family quartet beyond Yansha Town. The Immortal Patrol Office provided two tenth-level Gathering Qi cultivators, but Zi He deemed this insufficient. Spending his own merits, he secured a twelfth-level Gathering Qi expert from the Exterminate Evil Division.

“I know you hate hearing it,” Yang Lingrui told Zi He before departure, “but the Yang Family won’t forget this. We’ll repay you someday.”

Zi He shook his head, clasping the younger man’s shoulder. “Few remain in this world I bother remembering. Don’t die too quickly – I’d hate losing my last conversation partner.”

A ghost of a smile touched Yang Lingrui’s lips. “I’ll survive until achieving Condensing Essence.”

As dawn gilded the eastern horizon, their caravan rolled homeward.

Ten days later, while the Yangs journeyed, an influential figure from Chongtian City arrived in Qiulu. Representatives from the He Family, Feng Family, Wanhuamen, Daoyuanshan, and other dynasty-aligned factions gathered in the city lord’s hall.

Presiding over the assembly, City Lord Liao Jian announced post-crisis resource allocations. His finger trailed down the official documents as he read:

“The He Family of Wanzhong Forest shall receive Wuhui Peak’s Patriarchal Treasure Tree from the northern foothills.”

“Qiulu Feng family received a copy of Zhujunge’s Spirit Communication secret method.”

“Wangyue Wanhuamen gained ten additional direct disciple slots for the next thirty years.”

“Zhaoyang Lake Daoyuanshan finally obtained their long-sought prize – an intact physical body of a late-stage Condensing Essence cultivator.”

…

Other powerful forces also received corresponding compensations.

All these benefits originated from the three northern mountain territories.

Despite their rage, Solitary Moon Mountain maintained rationality and kept basic principles.

Moonfall only targeted the pawn-like forces, avoiding harm to true dynasty cultivators.

However, the three sects led by Wuhui Peak grew reckless, daring to provoke Tiger-Chasing.

They foolishly believed the current situation mirrored past decades’ back-and-forth power plays.

Unaware the dynasty had already resolved to purge dissent.

Three days after their actions, three Spirit Communication cultivators emerged from Chongtian City as blazing trails of light.

Within three days, Tiger-Chasing cavalry crushed the three sects’ mountains. Surviving members were imprisoned, while senior cultivators were “invited” to Chongtian City.

The parent sects panicked upon learning this, scrambling to negotiate with Tiger-Chasing. Knowing their subordinate sects had violated rules first, they swallowed bitter losses and paid exorbitant compensations to retrieve their captured members.

Though lives were spared, rebuilding within Tiger-Chasing territory became impossible.

This campaign solidified Tiger-Chasing’s control over the northern dynasty region.

Remaining northern sects secretly submitted owed rare treasures through intermediaries.

“Sir, the final report.”

Liao Jian lifted the last document detailing the dynasty’s lowest-level pawns.

“Hm.”

A faceless cultivator sat shrouded in mist upon the central throne.

His blurred features defied observation from any angle.

Subordinates heard his voice but never glimpsed his true form.

Liao Jian spent fifteen minutes reciting the lengthy final account.

“Qiulu performed adequately. Wangyue unexpectedly yielded two successful imperial decree missions.”

The throne’s occupant remarked, “We’d prepared for total failure given Solitary Moon Mountain’s decades-long entrenchment.”

His gaze swept the assembly.

“Who identified these two?”

Two Condensing Essence cultivators stepped forward – one in yellow elemental robes, another with green arboreal embroidery.

“Qingfeng Cave in Beipu was cultivated by our Wanhuamen.”

“Songshan Yang Family falls under He Family’s oversight.”

Twenty-one imperial decrees had been issued across Wangyue territory.

Only Songshan Yang Family and Qingfeng Cave succeeded. Others failed through either incompetence or deliberate half-measures.

The successful groups sacrificed lives to complete missions.

The nineteen failures merely pretended to explore secret treasure sites, fleeing to dynasty towns when danger approached.

But the dynasty wasn’t fooled.

These late-stage Gathering Qi practitioners and minor sects miscalculated their importance.

Believing imperial favor permitted laxity, they failed to grasp their disposability – the dynasty could replace them as easily as scattering elixirs.

“Good. Though few, beginnings prove hardest. Their strategic north-south positions create useful symmetry.”

The mist-shrouded leader added, “Notably Songshan Yang Family – weakest with no late-stage Gathering Qi practitioners – achieved their mission regardless. Remarkable.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep