Chapter 211: The Prefectural Governor’s Son, Blue Moon

At the Ironclad Department Yamen in Changhe Prefectural Capital.

Li Jun’s face was deathly pale. He was already severely injured, and now, after the grueling journey by horse and cart, jolting all the way, he had nearly vomited out his bile.

Yun Ruo caught the stench emanating from him and frowned slightly.

“Director Yang, is he really the son of the Immortal God Sect’s Sect Leader, Li Fengxian? If this identity is genuine, it will be a tremendous help in our crackdown on the Immortal God Sect.”

“Director Yun, do you think we should send him to the Capital by fast horse?”

Yang Ling asked.

Yun Ruo gave a slight nod. “He does need to be sent to the Capital. But who will escort him there?”

Oh, right. Who would go?

That was the problem.

Yang Ling pondered.

He was about to sweep through Changhe Prefectural Capital to purge the Immortal God Sect, and Yun Ruo was his right hand.

Of the three Directors of the Bandit Apprehension Division, he only trusted Wen Kongxuan. But Wen was merely Eighth-Rank in cultivation, making the journey too dangerous.

Sun Biao and Shi Xin had already left Changhe Prefectural Capital.

He couldn’t exactly send Zhang Tie and his men, either—their cultivation was even worse than Wen Kongxuan’s.

Just then, Lü Zhan strode in quickly, cupping his hands in salute. “Directors, a Seventh-Rank Ironclad Department agent has arrived from Yunwen Provincial Capital. He says he wishes to see Director Yang.”

Lü Zhan was someone Shi Xin had specifically left behind to assist Yang Ling.

Yang Ling had already made Qin Mo a Chief Constable under his command. If Lü Zhan performed well in the future, he would become the second Chief Constable.

“A Seventh-Rank Ironclad? Has some Director from Yunwen Provincial Capital come all this way? Why would a Director personally make the trip?”

Yun Ruo looked puzzled. “What’s his name?”

“He says his name is Zhang Hu,” Lü Zhan replied.

Yang Ling and Yun Ruo’s eyes lit up. They exchanged a glance and immediately knew what the other was thinking.

They had found their escort for Li Jun.

In the reception hall, Zhang Hu spotted Yang Ling and Yun Ruo, strode forward, and cupped his hands in a bow.

He was wearing Seventh-Rank Ironclad Armor, and the saber at his waist had also been upgraded from a peashooter to a cannon.

“Director Yang, this is your Seventh-Rank Ironclad Armor and your Seventh-Rank Official Saber.”

The Seventh-Rank Official Saber was resting atop the neatly folded Seventh-Rank Ironclad Armor.

The Seventh-Rank Ironclad Armor looked vastly different from the Eighth-Rank version.

Its patterns were denser, its weight lighter, yet its toughness far surpassed the Eighth-Rank.

「Seventh-Rank Ironclad Armor: Boost 300 HP」

「Seventh-Rank Official Saber: Boost 10 Strength, 10 Agility, Attack Power 100, Exclusive Skill: Gather Momentum (Usage Condition: Seventh-Rank Ironclad Official Status)」

Yang Ling’s eyes lit up. The stats on this Seventh-Rank Official Saber already surpassed the Jiaogu Saber!

The boosted attributes were the same, but its Attack Power was 100 points!

The Jiaogu Saber only had 50!

Attack Power was related to armor penetration!

On top of that, this Seventh-Rank Official Saber actually had an exclusive skill: Gather Momentum.

“Gather Momentum… it can condense saber momentum?”

Yang Ling thought to himself as he stripped off his Eighth-Rank Ironclad Armor, put on the Seventh-Rank Ironclad Armor, and grabbed the Seventh-Rank Official Saber to hang at his waist.

He now had two sabers at his waist, along with one Centenary Refined Vermilion Gold Pickaxe.

A considerable number of ordinary throwing daggers and Centenary Refined Vermilion Gold Throwing Daggers were also tucked into his belt.

At first glance, it gave a rather bulky impression.

For an ordinary person, this would be the equivalent of several dozen jin of weight.

Yang Ling didn’t mind—this was all his wealth!

Just then, a system notification appeared:

「Constable profession has been upgraded」

「Daily uses of Insight +1」

“I can use Insight Technique four times a day now.”

Yang Ling gave a slight nod inwardly.

Zhang Hu silently retrieved the Eighth-Rank Ironclad Armor and Eighth-Rank Official Saber.

Yang Ling noticed this and asked curiously, “Zhang Hu, what are you doing?”

“The Ironclad Department cannot waste its funds. These two items can be sent back for repair and then reissued to other colleagues who have been promoted to Eighth-Rank Ironclad,” Zhang Hu explained.

Yang Ling nodded with a smile. “That’s only proper.”

He paused, then said, “Your timing couldn’t be more perfect. I have a matter I’d like your help with.”

Zhang Hu looked a bit puzzled but still nodded. “Go ahead.”

Yang Ling recounted the situation with Li Jun.

Zhang Hu exclaimed in surprise, “The son of the Immortal God Sect’s Sect Leader was hiding in Green Mountain City? That’s too much of a coincidence…”

“Yes, it really is quite the coincidence. This boy’s identity is of great importance, and I hope Brother Zhang Hu can personally escort him to the Capital.”

A grave expression appeared in Zhang Hu’s eyes. “Since Director Yang trusts me, I will personally escort him. I will not betray that trust.”

Before long, a carriage drove out of the Ironclad Department Yamen and gradually disappeared into the distance.

After sending off Zhang Hu and Li Jun, Yun Ruo immediately handed Yang Ling a list.

There were roughly three to four hundred names on it.

“These are all the heretic cultists of the Immortal God Sect. The three Directors of the Bandit Apprehension Division have been preparing over the past few days and are keeping an eye on them. Once the Immortal God Sect’s Prefectural Branch Leader here in Changhe Prefectural Capital shows himself, we can close the net.”

Yun Ruo’s gaze was serious. “These heretic cultists are clever. They preach among all walks of life—fishmongers, vegetable vendors, housewives, elderly men and women—they target anyone they can.”

She paused, then added, “But among them, the proportion of Martial Artists is very low. Hardly any of them are Martial Artists, let alone registered at Ranked Level.”

“What’s the story with that Branch Leader?”

Yang Ling asked thoughtfully.

Yun Ruo smiled. “We captured a few heretic cultists and learned about the Branch Leader from their mouths. But none of them have ever met him. They usually only see the subordinates he sends. However, one thing is certain: this Branch Leader is quite wealthy. The Immortal God Sect’s funding basically comes from him, with a small portion coming from donations collected from the followers below.”

Yang Ling then shared the intelligence he had obtained from Luo Yu.

“Director Yun, does every Prefectural Capital have such a Martial Market?”

Yang Ling continued, “To be able to control a Martial Market, there should be some connections and methods behind it, right?”

Yun Ruo’s expression suddenly turned unprecedentedly grave.

She pondered for a moment, then nodded lightly. “Every Prefectural Capital has a similar Martial Market. The Pharmacy Guild and the Mining Guild usually cooperate with them.”

Yang Ling nodded. The items sold in the Martial Market were basically all related to Martial Artists.

There were blacksmith shops, medicinal shops, and the like.

“The Martial Market in our Changhe Prefectural Capital is backed by the Prefectural Governor’s son, Blue Moon.”

“The Ironclad Department estimates that Blue Moon makes at least over a hundred thousand taels of silver each year from the Martial Market.”

Yun Ruo said in a low voice, “If he is the Immortal God Sect’s Branch Leader, this matter will get a bit troublesome.”

Yang Ling was a bit surprised. Yun Ruo had a strong background—she was a disciple of the Nine Immortals Dao Palace, and her uncle was the Director of the First Division of the Public Security Department in Yunwen Provincial Capital.

And she was saying it would be “a bit troublesome”?

“You haven’t spent much time in Changhe Prefectural Capital before, so you might not be fully aware of some things.”

Yun Ruo explained, “The Prefectural Government in Changhe Prefectural Capital handles finances, culture, education, construction, water conservancy, and the like. The Ironclad Department is independent of the Prefectural Government and does not get involved in their affairs. Similarly, the Prefectural Government cannot meddle in Ironclad Department matters.”

“Typically, the Prefectural Governor has a garrison force under his command, at least five hundred men strong. The Imperial Court has specifically allocated this to Prefectural Governors across the state.”

“The existence of the garrison force serves a similar function to our Public Security Division, but their importance surpasses ours.”

“One-third of the garrison troops are equipped with crossbows.”

“You can think of it this way: we all follow the orders of the Ironclad Department Head.”

“The Prefectural Governor follows the orders of our Zhao State Emperor.”

Yang Ling’s expression gradually turned serious.

He understood. They were subordinates of the Ironclad Department Head.

The Prefectural Governor was a subordinate of the Emperor.

There was a clear difference between the two!

“Also, the Prefectural Governor is typically a Sixth-Rank official. You would have to address him as ‘Your Excellency,’” Yun Ruo said slowly.