West Wind City became thoroughly lively this time.
The reason was that the City Patrol Guards were recruiting City Patrol Guards, not just one or two, but over a thousand.
For most people, the fact that the City Patrol Guards killed Pan Qi and Gu Zhanjian to take complete control of West Wind City wasn’t anything extraordinary.
In West Wind City, leaders were often replaced. Pan Qi had only risen to power in recent years. He killed his predecessor and took over his territory; it was just that simple.
But it wasn’t enough for the City Patrol Guards to take over the territory—they even started recruiting City Patrol Guards, offering quite generous ways.
One Crystal Stone per month, barely enough for a common low-level cultivator to cultivate and use.
This was just one aspect. The City Patrol Guards even took control of the city gates and the Household Registration Office, introduced new rules, and even banned Joy Stick...
No matter what the future held, the current recruitment of City Patrol Guards attracted most people living in West Wind City who lacked a regular source of income.
In less than half a day, about five thousand people had registered.
Had Yan Mei not stopped the registrations in time, it wouldn’t have been strange if the number exceeded one hundred thousand.
From these five thousand people, one thousand two-hundred were selected, almost every one of them exceeding the original qualifying conditions.
Yan Mei handled these matters with ease.
After selecting one thousand two-hundred people, he then appointed five Guard Captains, with Wu Xun and Behol among the captains.
Each of these Guard Captains led a hundred men to reorganize the eastern, southern, western, and northern districts of West Wind City.
It didn’t stop there. The east, south, west, and north of the city each had a Guard Captain establish a sub-branch of the City Patrol Guards to ensure timely response to emergencies.
As for Gu Bin, he was appointed as the Guard Captain responsible for the city’s defense, leading five hundred men to guard West Wind City.
Even the Record Officer Peng Leizhi was put to use by Yan Mei, tasked with even greater responsibilities.
Peng Leizhi, leading a hundred people, took over the Household Registration Office, controlling the registration of all residents in West Wind City, immediately arranging for non-registered people to be documented.
Apart from the Household Registration Office, Peng Leizhi was also in charge of the Tax Office.
...
Inside a small courtyard in the Crystal District.
Ding Huan easily broke the simple prohibitions on four Storage Bags. The largest space in these storage bags was less than two cubic meters, far inferior to the Star House.
What shocked Ding Huan was that he collected fifty thousand Crystal Stones from the four Storage Bags.
Especially the Storage Bags of Pan Qi and Gu Zhanjian, which together held forty thousand stones.
Various low-quality Spirit Grass, ores, low-level Cultivation Techniques, Magic Artifacts, and so forth were piled up in the four Storage Bags, and Ding Huan kept all of these in his own Storage Bag.
In one of the Storage Bags, Ding Huan found a plate inscribed with ’Ascension Realm.’ He didn’t know its use, but for now, he just threw it into the Star House.
With everything organized, Ding Huan planned to wait for Yan Mei to return, then pass on Luo Shijin to Yan Mei before starting his seclusion to deduce his Foundation Establishment direction.
At that moment, the simple prohibition outside the courtyard was triggered.
Ding Huan extended his Divine Will and saw a woman in black.
He felt that once Yan Mei returned, he would need to set up a Protecting Array outside this courtyard…
If the courtyard had a Protecting Array, it wouldn’t be convenient for Yan Mei to enter and leave, so at the very least, he should set up a Protecting Array outside his own room.
If he was disturbed while deducing his Foundation Establishment direction during his seclusion, then what was the point in secluding?
"Who are you looking for?" Ding Huan walked out of the courtyard.
The woman in black bowed to Ding Huan,
"City Lord Xue would like to invite you to the City Lord Mansion for a chat, Mr. Ding. Do you have time?" The woman in black spoke very politely.
Ding Huan thought about how he had eliminated Pan Qi and Gu Zhanjian and requested to take over the Central District, realizing he would inevitably confront this fellow sooner or later.
To avoid being woken up during his seclusion later, it might be better to settle things with this person first.
"Lead the way," Ding Huan agreed to the woman in black’s invitation.
Two guards at the City Lord Mansion saw Ding Huan coming and quickly lowered their heads.
In such a short time, this individual whom they deemed doomed from the City Patrol had not only survived but was now invited by the City Lord.
"Lady of the City, Mr. Ding has come to visit," the woman in black reported to City Lord Xue outside his residence with measured reverence.
Ding Huan thought to himself mockingly, "He’s come to visit?" They really knew how to flatter him.
If he hadn’t known that if he didn’t come, City Lord Xue wouldn’t have the courage to go to the Crystal District; he really wouldn’t want to come.
"Ha ha, Captain Ding, please come in," Xue Bo’s voice sounded quite hearty and enthusiastic.
Ding Huan did not wait for the woman in black to open the door for him and walked in directly.
A flash of anger crossed City Lord Xue’s face but quickly turned into a smile as he said,
"Please, take a seat. I’ve been very busy. I only recently heard that a talented individual emerged from my City Patrol Guards, so I took the time to invite you over."
This guy, can’t he stop pretending?
If he had just arrived here, he might have actually been fooled by this man.
Now Ding Huan was very clear, in West Wind City even if he killed Xue Bo, it probably wouldn’t lead to severe consequences.
Ding Huan didn’t have the time to play mind games with such a hypocrite like Xue Bo. He got straight to the point,
"City Lord Xue, just speak plainly, I’m quite busy."
Ding Huan had observed on his way here that there was only a Second Level Defense Array outside the entire City Lord Mansion.
Inside the City Lord Mansion, there was only one First Level Attack Array and one Trapping Array.
If it had been a Second Level Attack Array, Ding Huan might have been somewhat cautious. But a First Level Attack Array and a Trapping Array were as good as non-existent to him.
Hearing Ding Huan’s straightforward words, which gave no face at all, Xue Bo’s expression turned very ugly.
As long as Ding Huan maintained a facade of amiability, the two parties could agree on some matters.
The City Center was off-limits to Ding Huan, but other places were not his concern.
"Captain Ding, I hope you will withdraw the City Patrol from the city center. I won’t interfere elsewhere, but this place must remain untouched."
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Ding Huan was not in the mood for beating around the bush, and Xue Bo had no choice but to just come out with it.
Xue Bo wasn’t afraid of Ding Huan making a move against him here, deep down he didn’t want to fall out with Ding Huan.
Killing Ding Huan would be ideal, but if the Killing Trap Array couldn’t take Ding Huan out, that would be trouble.
His only goal in staying in West Wind City was Foundation Establishment, so long as Ding Huan didn’t disturb his cultivation or affect his income, he didn’t care about anything else.
Ding Huan clearly controlled all the city’s taxes and management fees, even banning Joy Stick, which essentially left him no room to survive.
After saying all this, Xue Bo seemed to worry about Ding Huan turning against him, and so he took the initiative to say:
"I heard you were cracking down on the Joy Stick trade in West Wind City, I could actually help you with that.
The main person dealing with Joy Stick in West Wind City is Wan Qian, a discarded disciple of Da Xing Sword Dao. Wan Qian is not a simple person; I could join forces with you to take him down."
Ding Huan remained expressionless, appearing to be thinking with his eyes closed.
In fact, Ding Huan was using the Big Calculation Skill to calculate the outcomes.
Soon Ding Huan opened his eyes, he understood Xue Bo’s intention.
In West Wind City, Wan Qian might be involved in the Joy Stick business, but Xue Bo here was definitely one of those dealing with Joy Stick as well.
This guy was quite scheming—wanting to use him to kill someone else.
By having him go against Wan Qian and take him out, Joy Stick business would then only be left to him.
And the consequences of taking out Wan Qian would essentially be borne by him, Ding Huan.
How could this be so wicked?
Just as Ding Huan was figuring out how to deal with this Xue Bo, a guard hurried to the door and reported loudly:
"City Lord, the City Patrol has confiscated all the houses in the Central District without property deeds, and they have also killed Teng Xiaosheng."
"Why?" Xue Bo’s face was so dark it seemed water could drip from it.
His fists clenched; had Ding Huan just shat on him without even finalizing their negotiations?
Teng Xiaosheng was his man, and that shop was his too.
"They said Teng Xiaosheng was selling Joy Stick and had killed several people, and the house was also seized…"
Xue Bo inquired, and the guard dared not hide anything.
"Captain Ding, aren’t you being a bit too excessive?"
Xue Bo suppressed the anger in his heart, staring at Ding Huan as he spoke word by word.
These guys did a good job. Yan Mei really was a capable man, fortunately, he wasn’t possessed by the Dual Soul Sect, otherwise, it would have been a pity.
Completely ignoring Xue Bo’s words, Ding Huan stood up:
"You have two choices, first, stay in the City Lord Mansion and continue your cultivation properly. Second, leave the City Lord Mansion now, this place is not suitable for you."
"Ding Huan, do you know who I am?" Xue Bo roared angrily, standing up.
This little City Patrol Captain was really going too far.
"Oh, who are you?" Ding Huan asked in surprise.
Xue Bo, enraged to the extreme, remembered that even with the collaboration of Pan Qi and Gu Zhanjian, Ding Huan had killed them, so he could only forcibly swallow his anger.
"I am the City Lord appointed by the Lord of Blazing Star Lord Country, protected by Blazing Star Lord Country and recognized and protected by Da Xing Sword Dao.
To tear your face from mine is to go against both Da Xing Sword Dao and Blazing Star Lord Country."
Xue Bo was not quite sure if Ding Huan could withstand a Second Level Killing Array, so he still did not make a move.
"You really can endure, huh? Now, you have three seconds to decide, three…"
Ding Huan had barely stated one number when Xue Bo raised his hand and flung several Array Flags, and at once, the space before him changed.
The space instantly became nebulous, and killing intent swept towards Ding Huan wave after wave.
Amidst this killing intent, Xue Bo brought out his long blade, aimed at where Ding Huan was, True Yuan erupted, and he slashed down with all his might.
He wished he could chop Ding Huan into debris with one strike.
Ding Huan also grabbed several Array Flags and threw them at the same time his figure flashed.
"Crack!" Xue Bo’s blade split the chair Ding Huan had just been sitting on in two.
Before Xue Bo could react, the killing intent of the space changed, and Xue Bo, shocked, discovered that although he controlled the Killing Array, the killing intent at this moment was enveloped around him.
Trouble—Ding Huan was also an expert in Array Dao.
Xue Bo reacted immediately, his heart instantly filled with regret.
His daring to act against Ding Huan was reliant on a Killing Array and a trapping array here.
Using the worst Killing Trap Array against someone proficient in Array Dao was him seeking his own death.
A Qi Refiner proficient in Array Dao was somewhat shocking to hear. He could activate the Killing Array with the Array Flags because this Killing Array had been set up by someone beforehand.
But Xue Bo’s realization was too late; a Wind Blade tore through his neck.
"Da Xing Sword Dao will not let you off." After Xue Bo spoke these words, he collapsed to the ground.
Ding Huan collected the Array Flags, and the space once again returned to calm.
Cang Yiyi walked in to see Xue Bo slain by Ding Huan, disbelief written all over her face.
She quickly came to her senses:
"Mr. Ding, I was only doing the City Lord’s work."
Ding Huan nodded:
"Don’t worry, I know what to do."
Cang Yiyi quickly backed away, swearing in her heart that if she did not bring this news to Da Xing Sword Dao, she would be unjust as a person, considering Xue Bo was also a disciple of Da Xing Sword Dao.
"Pfft!" A Wind Blade entered her neck from behind, Cang Yiyi wanted to turn back and ask Ding Huan why he wanted to kill her, but regrettably, she couldn’t utter a word.
Ding Huan snatched Xue Bo’s Storage Bag and walked away.
He would let Yan Mei clean up here later.