"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Chen Yuan, the Celestial Azure Envoy of Tangshan Prefecture, has bravely seized first place in the Immortal Ascension Battle, raising our nation's prestige, for which I am greatly pleased. I hereby bestow upon him ten jars of spiritual wine, three catties of spiritual tea, twenty bolts of brocade, and three thousand taels of gold. Summon him to the capital for service!"

The eunuch's uniquely shrill voice echoed within the Celestial Envoy Office.

Chen Yuan calmly raised his head and said in a low voice, "This humble subject obeys the decree!"

A flash of light appeared in the red-robed eunuch's hand, and a pile of rewards instantly appeared before everyone's eyes. Clearly, he also possessed a treasure similar to a Sumeru mustard seed.

The imperial decree was closed, and the red-robed eunuch yielded with cupped hands.

Chen Yuan stepped forward, bowed, and accepted the bright yellow imperial decree, then handed it to Yue Shan beside him.

The red-robed eunuch stared at Chen Yuan: "This humble servant, Yang Yuanqing, has today witnessed the audacity of the Demon Blade."

Even residing within the imperial palace, Yang Yuanqing still frequently heard news of Chen Yuan reaching the capital. Especially after winning first place in the Immortal Ascension Battle, defeating heroes from across the land, Chen Yuan's fame soared in the capital, enjoying unparalleled renown.

Naturally, he felt a tinge of jealousy in his heart.

Under normal circumstances, he would not speak coldly to Chen Yuan. After all, the latter was a renowned figure, and now he had successfully formed his Golden Core, becoming a Grandmaster-level existence.

In terms of status, he was far inferior.

But this time, he was an imperial envoy, acting under the Emperor's decree, naturally superior and wanting to put the other party in his place. If Chen Yuan were respectful and prostrated before him, it would satisfy his twisted psychology.

However, he never expected Chen Yuan to be unafraid of him, not even intimidated by his status as an imperial envoy, filling him with a deep sense of contempt.

"This official is conscientious and devoted, loyal to the Emperor and protecting the country. Where does this audacity come from? Eunuch Yang, be careful with your words, for disaster often comes from the mouth. Tangshan Prefecture is located at the intersection of three prefectures, bordering the Blood Province. Demonic and妖妖人often sneak in. If anything were to happen to you, I would not be able to answer to His Majesty!"

Chen Yuan wasn't afraid of a eunuch who couldn't make trouble.

This was Tangshan, his territory. Although kneeling wouldn't be a big deal, he simply didn't want to, especially considering the eunuch's arrogant attitude when they first met.

He really wanted to step on him, to show him who was the real power in Tangshan!

"You dare threaten me?"

Yang Yuanqing stared at Chen Yuan with a cold gaze, speaking each word deliberately.

"If you think so, then so be it." Chen Yuan raised his chin, squinting at him.

"Good, good, good..." Yang Yuanqing laughed in anger: "What an audacious Demon Blade, acting without restraint. This envoy will remember this. We will meet again in the capital. I hope Celestial Azure Envoy Chen will still be so arrogant then."

Chen Yuan smiled, unconcerned.

He didn't seem to take the eunuch seriously. If he needed to curry favor with a eunuch of equal cultivation, the reputation he had earned in the Jianghu over the past year would be meaningless.

Being ranked first on the Hidden Dragon List brought Chen Yuan more than just fame; it also granted him a certain status within the imperial court. At least, he had caught the attention of Emperor Jingtai. A mere imperial envoy was truly beneath his notice.

Yang Yuanqing snorted coldly and said indifferently: "This envoy has important matters to attend to in the Southern Border. I will definitely have a good sparring session with Celestial Azure Envoy Chen another day. His Majesty has decreed that you must arrive in the capital within fifteen days. If you are late, hehe..."

"Then I won't see you off. May the envoy have a safe journey."

Yang Yuanqing surveyed the officials of Tangshan Prefecture and said coldly: "Let's go!"

With that, the four soared into the sky and disappeared into the horizon.

This trip was not specifically for Chen Yuan. He didn't have the position or qualification for that yet. Yang Yuanqing's true destination was to visit the Prince of Zhennan in the Southern Border.

Chen Yuan was just a side trip for Emperor Jingtai on a whim.

"Seal all these gold, spiritual wine, and brocade into the treasury and hand them over to the Lady," Chen Yuan said indifferently.

"This subordinate obeys."

Mo Donghe said with a bow.

Du Ming and Han Yu exchanged a look and whispered, "Was Your Excellency a bit too much just now?"

Chen Yuan chuckled: "Too much? I don't think so."

The others exchanged glances. Seeing Chen Yuan's attitude, they didn't say anything more. However, Chen Yuan gazed at them and said softly: "These officials in Tangshan Prefecture need to be purged. This official wants to clear away some bad elements for the imperial court."

"Your subordinate understands."

Han Yu clasped his hands in a salute, naturally understanding what Chen Yuan meant. He was targeting those who had knelt, they weren't loyal enough!

Even Chen Yuan hadn't knelt, but they had been the first to do so, showing they had the imperial court in their hearts and not him, Chen Yuan!

As his base of operations, Chen Yuan wanted absolute loyalty. Anyone with even a hint of disloyalty would be completely expelled.

......

......

Before Chen Yuan left Tangshan Prefecture, Han Yu led another great purge, transferring all officials who weren't wholeheartedly loyal to Chen Yuan from important positions to idle posts.

Some were even stripped of their families and exterminated during a strict investigation.

In an instant, there was an atmosphere of unease.

Tangshan Prefecture seemed to have returned to the time when Chen Yuan had just taken charge.

Ouyang Zhi finally arrived in Tangshan Prefecture City that day and personally visited Chen Yuan. After learning that Chen Yuan had formed his Celestial Core and advanced to the Grandmaster Realm, his attitude became even more humble.

News of Chen Yuan being transferred to the capital also spread rapidly, bringing a sigh of relief to some small forces within Tangshan Prefecture and even to the nearby prefectures.

Especially the martial artists of Yunyang Prefecture.

When Han Yu and Du Ming led the Celestial Envoy Office and elites from the Military Preparation Army to destroy the Jinhua Temple, many were frightened. As they suspected, a force from Tangshan Prefecture extended its reach to Yunyang.

Just as they were preparing to join forces to deal with the Tangshan martial artists, the other party mysteriously stopped their expansion, only occupying the original territory of the Jinhua Temple.

Their retreat left the Yunyang Prefecture martial artists somewhat at a loss. Ultimately, fearing Chen Yuan's terrifying reputation, the alliance gradually disintegrated.

Now that Chen Yuan was leaving, they finally felt a glimmer of joy.

Unfortunately, they were overthinking things. The expansion of Tangshan Prefecture's power wouldn't stop because of Chen Yuan's departure; it would only become more covert. With Jiang He's support, they would gradually spread their influence throughout Qing Province!

Chen Yuan had already informed Jiang He of this, and the latter would fully assist him.

Apart from Jiang He, who didn't have the time to develop his own power, all the other Dao Lords of the Dao God Palace had their own forces. Even the Evil Ghost Dao Lord Yang Huatian, despite being a lone cultivator, had many disciples who controlled various forces.

That night, Chen Yuan contacted the Dao Lords of the Dao God Palace through the Heavenly Book, informing them that Emperor Jingtai had summoned him to the capital.

This immediately alarmed everyone, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of joy.

They felt that with Chen Yuan's presence, they would have a greater chance of rescuing Senior Moro. The Dao God Palace had developed some peripheral forces in the capital, but they didn't trust the backgrounds of these members, as they were too numerous and complex.

Only Dao Lords could truly be trusted. This matter couldn't be leaked; otherwise, their future attempts would be dozens of times more difficult.

Therefore, they had always restrained themselves, even passing up opportunities. Of course, this was also Senior Moro's instruction, as he said the time wasn't right yet.

If he escaped, it would enrage many, making future matters even more difficult.

The real opportunity would be within three years, Moro had told them personally.

So they had been enduring.

Now, with the three-year period approaching and action imminent, how could they not be excited?

Jiang He directly told Chen Yuan to meet him once he passed through Qing Province City. He would tell Chen Yuan the details, and they should proceed according to their previous plan.

Chen Yuan understood.

Regarding Han Yu's position as the Azure Envoy, Jiang He said he would take care of it, so Chen Yuan didn't need to worry. This relieved some of his concerns.

News of his impending departure, spread by busybodies in Tangshan Prefecture, began to reach other prefectures, causing envy among many Celestial Azure Envoys.

Anyone with ambition dreamed of serving in the capital.

It was said that you could bump into several eighth or ninth-rank officials with a random throw in the capital, highlighting its importance.

Moreover, Chen Yuan's appointment in the capital was different from others. Others had to rely on connections to obtain a position in the capital, and even then, it would be one with little power.

Chen Yuan, on the other hand, was summoned to the capital by the Emperor's golden decree.

Once in the Emperor's favor, how could he not be entrusted with important responsibilities? If he was only given a small amount of power, wouldn't that be laughable to the world?

It was this very point that caused so many officials to envy him.

Before his departure, he sent messages to Shangguan Yu and Zhang Xuan. Zhang Xuan told him to stop by Nanling Prefecture for a rest on his way, as he had something to say.

Shangguan Yu's response came from Shangguan Hong, who said she was in seclusion preparing to form her Golden Core and would inform Shangguan Yu upon her emergence.

Chen Yuan understood and said nothing more.

Madam Xu didn't pester him about going to the capital this time. She understood the importance of the matter and knew Chen Yuan wouldn't take her. Since that was the case, why ask?

Chen Yuan stroked Madam Xu's hand and told her to take good care of the Tangshan Prefecture, and if she encountered any problems, she could seek out Jiang He, the Golden Envoy of Qing Province.

He would return from the capital soon.

He wouldn't stay there for too long. Once the opportunity arose, he would immediately extricate himself. There were too many powerful individuals in the imperial court, and he didn't have much hope of controlling great power in such a dangerous place.

Moreover, power granted by the Emperor was illusory. He didn't want that. He wanted the power he controlled to be firmly in his own hands, determining his own fate.

Not like now, where the Emperor could summon him to the capital based on mere whim.

Although this suited the Dao God Palace's plan, Chen Yuan still felt uncomfortable. This was normal; he was used to having the final say in Tangshan.

Even if he had power in the capital, there were too many people who could manipulate him.

His personality was one of preferring to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Power!

He wasn't powerful enough. Not even a Golden Core Grandmaster, let alone a Transformation Yang True Person, would be taken seriously by the behemoth of the imperial court unless they stirred up unrest in various places.

Emperor Jingtai had given Chen Yuan fifteen days. A rough estimate revealed that the deadline was very tight, and Chen Yuan wondered if that eunuch, Yang Yuanqing, had dared to tamper with it.

Presumably, he wouldn't dare.

But given that news of his advancement to the Golden Core realm hadn't spread, Emperor Jingtai only knew he was at the Profound Connection Realm, making the time constraint incredibly tight.

If he were at the Profound Connection Realm, he would have to travel non-stop to reach the capital of Zhong Province within fifteen days. This made him harbor some ill will towards the Emperor Jingtai he had never met.

Although he didn't like Emperor Jingtai, he still had to make the journey. With his Golden Core cultivation, he could cross prefectures and arrive in the capital within seven days.

And that wouldn't even require rushing.

Therefore, Chen Yuan stayed in Tangshan for a few more days, giving Madam Xu many reminders. Because he was afraid she would be hungry, he even made her his exclusive stir-fried chicken.

The taste seemed to be really good, feeding Madam Xu until she was full. She said Chen Yuan's stir-fried chicken was amazing, and she never thought he had such skills. She probably wouldn't be hungry for several months, and Chen Yuan also gave her all his accumulated savings...

After staying in Tangshan Prefecture for two days, Chen Yuan didn't delay any longer and decided to depart for the capital. Originally, Chen Yuan had planned to leave quietly without disturbing anyone.

He didn't want any more complications.

But to his surprise, it seemed someone had calculated his departure time. Early in the morning, the entire city gate was filled with people, all of them commoners.

Most of their clothes were tattered, but their eyes were exceptionally bright.

Thousands of people stood there silently, waiting for Chen Yuan to leave the city, wanting to see him off!

Frankly speaking, Chen Yuan hadn't given these people too much care. He spent most of his time cultivating or busy with other matters.

He didn't have the leisure to stand up for ordinary people.

All he did were just his duties, but the common people didn't see it that way. They believed Chen Yuan was a truly good official who spoke up for the people.

Ever since Chen Yuan arrived in Tangshan, the overbearing Jianghu gangs had disappeared, the officials who accepted bribes were few and far between, Jianghu martial artists no longer oppressed the people, and government taxes were very low.

He even opened porridge shops outside the city to sustain the lives of some who couldn't afford food.

Didn't that make him a good official?

Didn't that official deserve to be called the Azure Sky?

Therefore, upon hearing the news that Chen Yuan was being promoted to the capital, these people felt both reluctant and happy for Chen Yuan. Finally, at a certain point, it erupted.

They spontaneously came to see Chen Yuan off.

Looking at the densely packed crowd before him, Chen Yuan's heart trembled involuntarily. He took a deep breath. To be honest, he hadn't really intended to be a good official.

The Jianghu gangs had disappeared because they stood in his way, wanting to join forces to kill him. In the end, Chen Yuan wiped them out in one fell swoop. With the big fish dead, the remaining small fry naturally wouldn't dare to move.

There were few officials who accepted bribes because he had carried out a great purge in the officialdom, replacing them all with his own people. And those newly appointed officials didn't dare to reach out their hands under his watch.

But when the water is too clear, there are no fish. Many people went to great lengths to become officials just to make money, didn't they?

After he left, everything would gradually return to the way it was before. Now, they were just coveting his power. And Chen Yuan wasn't very interested in strictly investigating this.

As long as they were loyal and didn't go too far, he wouldn't do anything.

Most officials were arrested not because of corruption, but because their backing was gone....

As for taxes, that was even more ridiculous. The reason why Liu Zheng Song asked him to reduce taxes was simply because Tangshan Prefecture's taxes had already been collected by previous officials for the next twenty years.

They couldn't squeeze any more oil from the poor.

Their real target were the clan forces with some wealth. They were the big fish, with oil and water on them. The taxes were very heavy, but due to limitations, most people didn't know.

And the most widely spread event, the opening of porridge shops to help the people, was something Chen Yuan didn't even know about. It was all done by Liu Zheng Song.

It was just attributed to Chen Yuan.

Moreover, the government didn't open porridge shops to support idlers; they had to work for the government, either cultivating fertile land or building roads and cities.

In fact, most of Liu Zheng Song's achievements were attributed to Chen Yuan. This was partly because Liu Zheng Song was grateful for Chen Yuan's kindness, but mostly because the storytellers had shaped Chen Yuan into too good of an image.

He was practically the Azure Sky reborn.

The people who didn't know much, told ten, ten told a hundred, a hundred told a thousand, and then combined it with the changes around them, naturally deified Chen Yuan.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Yuan didn't miss this good opportunity. With a solemn expression, he cupped his hands towards the dense crowd before him and said: "It is my good fortune, Chen Yuan, to have you, my elders and fellow villagers, see me off."

"Celestial Azure Envoy Chen."

"Celestial Azure Envoy Chen..."

Cries rang out incessantly.

An elderly figure, leaning on a cane and supported by several people, walked to the front of the crowd, holding a colorful umbrella in his hand, and said with cupped hands: "Celestial Azure Envoy Chen, this is a 'Ten Thousand People Umbrella' prepared by the people of Tangshan for you. We hope you will accept it."

Chen Yuan slowly descended from the void, personally helped the old man up, and said sincerely: "I dare not refuse what the elder bestows. Chen Yuan thanks you all."

Then, he looked at the crowd, cupped his hands with a solemn expression, and said loudly: "I have accepted everyone's wishes. It is not in vain that Chen Yuan has poured his heart and soul into Tangshan, which has such people. Everyone... please return."

With that, Chen Yuan took a step and returned to the void, looking at a graceful figure in the distance who was watching him, and transmitted his voice: "Treat the people well."

A good reputation was still very necessary. Since it didn't take much effort, why not do it?

In the future, perhaps these public opinions would be a great help to him.

Then, Chen Yuan took a deep breath and soared away.

The thousands of people watched the distant stream of light and said in unison: "Respectfully see off Celestial Azure Envoy Chen!"

"Respectfully see off Celestial Azure Envoy Chen..."

That day, the good name of Chen Yuan leaving Tangshan with the people seeing him off spread throughout Qing Province....

————

The monthly votes are a bit low, and it's already down to fifth place in the martial arts category. Brothers, top it off with any votes you have! We're going to the capital soon, starting a new legend.

A wave of climax is coming...

Don't raise the book...