Chapter 396 - 390: Survival of the Fittest

Bai Yuan only stayed in Huanglong Prefecture for three days.

He made a trip to the Divine Mansion Sect, then left Sister Qiao on Shenfu Mountain.

Huanglong Prefecture was entirely his territory, making it the safest place for Sister Qiao.

With that done, he set off for Lingzhou City alone.

Lingzhou City had now become a military garrison. Its inhabitants were all soldiers heading north to fight the Demon Sect.

The city's food supplies were all transported in from various parts of Xuan Yang.

Every day, convoys of grain carts could be seen entering the city. Rations for a hundred thousand people were no small matter; the Three Shuofang Continents alone could never have provided enough.

Fortunately, the Profound Sun Grand Protector Yan Shao'an was personally overseeing things here. No one dared to skimp on rations under the watchful eye of such an important figure.

Lingzhou City. Before the city gates.

The once-bustling, prosperous scene was long gone, replaced by heavily fortified troops.

"Lord Bai?!"

The commander of the city gate guard stared at Bai Yuan, completely stunned.

Ling Province was extremely far from the Capital, but that didn't mean they were ignorant of happenings there.

Half the officials Grand Protector Yan Shao'an had brought with him were Capital Officials; naturally, they had their own sources of information.

News that Bai Yuan had left the Capital to assume his post as the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy had long since spread through Lingzhou City.

The gate guards simply hadn't expected Bai Yuan to arrive so soon.

Since his identity had been recognized, Bai Yuan saw no need to waste his breath.

"I need to enter the city to see Lord Yan."

"Yes!"

The guard immediately led Bai Yuan toward the city's former Prefecture Magistrate's Office, his attitude deferential.

Whether as a General or as the new Jiedu Envoy, Bai Yuan was not someone a mere seventh-grade military officer could afford to offend.

Before long, Bai Yuan arrived at the Lingzhou Prefecture Magistrate's Office.

By rights, his provisional government as the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy should have been established in Ling Province, following the precedent set by Du Qinghui.

But Yan Shao'an, a paramount figure who ranked among the highest ministers of the court, was here. Bai Yuan certainly couldn't ask such a heavyweight to move.

Therefore, Bai Yuan still planned to establish his provisional government in Huanglong Prefecture.

Bai Yuan strode into the Prefecture Magistrate's Office.

The front courtyard of the Prefecture Magistrate's Office was bustling with hurried officials. When they saw Bai Yuan, they all faltered in their steps.

Bai Yuan paid them no mind. After a guard announced his arrival, he walked straight into the main hall.

"This subordinate, Bai Yuan, greets Lord Yan."

Yan Shao'an was seated in a Grandmaster's Chair at the head of the main hall.

He gave a slight wave of his hand. "There's no need for such formalities with me."

Yan Shao'an gazed at Bai Yuan with appreciation.

Bai Yuan's return to Ling Province was entirely within his expectations. In fact, his entire plan—recommending Bai Yuan to the Hidden Dragon Gang, then sending him to the Capital to burnish his credentials—was designed for him to have a meteoric rise and eventually succeed Du Qinghui as the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy.

He just hadn't expected Bai Yuan to progress so quickly. In less than a year, he had accomplished what Yan Shao'an had originally envisioned would take at least a decade.

And he had done so by taking a path that had surprised even Yan Shao'an.

According to his original plan, Bai Yuan was supposed to become a Vice Minister of the Ministry of War with Xu Dingchun's help after arriving in the Capital.

The Ministry of War was the very government office responsible for managing the Jianghu's Martial Artists and the realm's military forces.

From there, Emperor Li Chengyuan could have justifiably appointed Bai Yuan as the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy to bring the Northern Border Martial World under control.

But Bai Yuan had gone to the Imperial Inspection Office instead, and had reportedly caused a huge uproar that swept through the city.

Though the paths differed, the destination was the same: he still ended up in the position of Shuofang Jiedu Envoy.

"What's your plan?"

Yan Shao'an had a very militaristic style, wasting no words.

This was, in a way, Yan Shao'an's final test for Bai Yuan before he began his purge of the Northern Territory.

He and Emperor Li Chengyuan had long harbored the ambition of bringing all the sects in the land under the Imperial Court's control. However, there were some things that neither he nor the Emperor could do themselves.

It wasn't a matter of dignity; rather, the impact on Xuan Yang's destiny would be too great. Thus, they needed a blade.

And Bai Yuan was the blade Yan Shao'an had chosen.

Or more accurately, he was Du Qinghui's choice.

Besides himself and Emperor Li Chengyuan, Du Qinghui was also a proponent of the Imperial Court controlling the Jianghu and the military.

Bai Yuan considered for a moment before replying, "First the weak, then the strong. First the near, then the far. Steady and sure."

Yan Shao'an was not satisfied with this answer. "And what of the Celestial Profound Sect? What's your plan for them?"

"Bide my time, gather my strength, and crush them in one fell swoop."

Only then did Yan Shao'an show a hint of satisfaction.

He knew full well that Bai Yuan's task would be far from easy.

If it were truly that simple, Xuan Yang would have unified the Jianghu five hundred years ago.

Hadn't the current Emperor Li Chengyuan's own grandfather personally tried to suppress the Jianghu, only to die from the resulting backlash of destiny?

Yan Shao'an waved his hand. "Go."

He said nothing more.

As the saying goes: trust those you employ, and employ none whom you distrust.

Bai Yuan was the man he, Du Qinghui, and the Emperor had chosen together. It was only right to let him act freely.

"This subordinate takes his leave."

Bai Yuan walked slowly out of the Prefecture Magistrate's Office.

Once outside the gates of the Prefecture Magistrate's Office, he walked alone along the somewhat deserted streets of Lingzhou.

In truth, he'd had his suspicions ever since he first arrived in the Capital and met his Master, Xu Dingchun.

Xu Dingchun had seen through the intentions of Du Qinghui, Yan Shao'an, and Li Chengyuan. That was why he had made a point of walking with Bai Yuan for a while—to give him a chance to choose.

If Bai Yuan had been unwilling to be the blade, then Xu Dingchun, as his Master, would naturally have stepped in to protect his grand-disciple.

In the entire Imperial Court, there were perhaps only three people who could snatch someone from Emperor Li Chengyuan's grasp.

Although Bai Yuan hadn't gone to the Ministry of War as Yan Shao'an had planned, his choice to join the Imperial Inspection Office was a clear statement. It showed he was willing to be the blade, even if it meant taking a much harder path.

Though Xu Dingchun was a political rival to both Du Qinghui and Yan Shao'an, it didn't stop them from seeing eye-to-eye on the matter of purging the Jianghu, and even the military.

That was why, even after being recalled to the Capital by thirteen consecutive golden edicts, he had never made any rash moves. Otherwise, with his prestige in the military, the Northern Garrison Army would have surely rebelled!

Bai Yuan looked up at the snowflakes drifting from the heavens.

A chill had already swept over Lingzhou, and soon it would envelop the entire Northern Territory.

'He had become the blade, and he had done so willingly.'

'He appeared outwardly calm about Mr. Yuan's appearance, but in reality, it placed immense pressure on him.'

'If he truly was a demon seed, he would be besieged by the entire world.'

'The Demon Sect was untrustworthy; he could only trust the blade in his hand.'

'Purging the Jianghu would inevitably lead to bloodshed, and killing was the fastest way for him to grow stronger. That was why he had not hesitated to make his stance clear to Emperor Li Chengyuan.'

'And if he had to kill, he would kill to his heart's content!'

The chill on Bai Yuan's face grew even colder, surpassing that of the howling blizzard.

'He had to increase his strength as quickly as possible. And to do that, he would have to make the entire Northern Territory tremble.'

...

Bai Yuan returned to Shenfu Mountain one last time.

He even made a special trip to find the Great Demon Raccoon Power.

This time, his previous fear was gone. He struck a deal with the demon: Raccoon Power would help protect the Divine Mansion Sect, and in return, Bai Yuan would help it find a way to break its shackles.

Raccoon Power readily agreed.

Once all his affairs were in order,

Bai Yuan led a group of men on horseback out of Huanglong Prefecture on a snowy night, heading straight for Yu State.