Chapter 989: Handover of Qingyuan Prefecture, I Was the One Who Turned Wuliang Mountain Into a Basin |
...
When Ying Gou and Min Fang saw and heard all of this, they were already sick of saying the word "envy."
Both were special envoys. Look at them, then look at Lu Ding.
Five regions in the west were all under Lu Ding's sole command. What he said was law.
Then look at themselves. They hadn't even figured out a single territory yet, couldn't even manage it properly.
When orders were passed down, the efficiency was ridiculously slow.
A special envoy like Lu Ding was what a special envoy should be. Just two words: prestige!!
Of course, more importantly, there was a saying: poverty breeds cunning, wealth nurtures kindness.
Compared to the eastern, southern, and northern divisions, the western region was smaller and poorer. The local forces had plenty of leverage, and Lu Ding could seize and wield it. Other places had leverage too, but not as extreme as the west.
Like cutting celery stalks.
Moreover, the atmosphere in the west didn't allow a situation like the Snow City Deputy Director and his wife, where one family dominated and controlled the entire city's lifeline.
Forces with that kind of real power would have long since developed in wealthier areas.
So Lu Ding's current situation was impossible to replicate.
It was also the reason he had chosen the west from the very beginning.
Easy to develop.
Anyone who didn't obey and had leverage against them would be wiped out. After all, there were countless people wanting to rise up.
Lu Ding looked at Min Fang. "Then shall we go?"
Min Fang instinctively stood behind Lu Ding. "Alright."
The three of them then flew toward Qingyuan Prefecture.
Meanwhile, inside the Qingyuan Prefecture 749 Bureau, Chai Yun, the special envoy of Qingyuan Prefecture, was still agonizing over the Wuliang Mountain incident.
"Who could it be..."
Then.
A phone call came into the office.
Chai Yun answered.
A voice came through: "Special Envoy Chai, Special Envoy Ying Gou from Jinhua Tian Temple, Special Envoy Min Fang from Gold Flat, and the western region special envoy, Grand Duke Lu, are here. They wish to see you."
Compared to the addresses for Ying Gou and Min Fang.
The way they addressed Lu Ding on the other end.
Was filled with utmost respect.
Calling others "special envoy" was respect for their positions.
Introducing Lu Ding as a special envoy while respectfully addressing him as "Grand Duke."
This was respect for his personal strength and personal reputation.
Unconsciously, the wind of Lu Ding's rising fame had already blown into every corner of the new city.
People might not recognize their own region's special envoy, but they would absolutely never fail to recognize the Corpse-Shattering Tai Sui, who had bloodily swept through five regions and shaken the entire west.
Chai Yun also caught the key point.
"Lu Ding?"
His heart tightened.
Was he here to seize territory?
No, that didn't make sense.
Qingyuan Prefecture wasn't even adjacent to the western region. Taking it would just create an exclave, not suitable for development.
Right now, Chai Yun's assistant investigator was also dealing with problems among the major forces within his jurisdiction.
Without him by his side, Chai Yun didn't even have anyone to discuss matters with.
There was no way he could recklessly leave Lu Ding waiting outside, was there?
The beaten Snow City special envoy, Meng Yu, was a lesson from the past.
He had no choice.
Chai Yun could only steel himself and invite Lu Ding and the others in.
In the reception hall.
Fruits, snacks, and tea were served.
Lu Ding sat in the left secondary seat of honor. Ying Gou and Min Fang took the seats below in order.
Chai Yun sat in the right secondary seat of honor.
He didn't have the courage to take the main seat, but letting Lu Ding take it would make him look too cowardly.
So he could only arrange it this way.
"Grand Duke Lu, may I ask what brings you here this time?"
Lu Ding didn't exchange pleasantries but remained polite: "Special Envoy Chai, I was thinking, maybe you could relocate?"
It was still the same principle: courtesy before force.
They were all colleagues. As long as someone showed face, Lu Ding wouldn't make things too ugly.
Chai Yun's brows furrowed. Was he really here to seize territory?
He sighed. "Sigh... Grand Duke Lu, I can relocate, but I want to ask, what use would this exclave be to you?"
Wuliang Mountain had seen such a major incident. Whether it was the culprit behind the scenes or the post-incident repairs, both were problems.
From that perspective, Chai Yun wasn't that unwilling. This place was starting to feel like a hot potato.
But he was still a bit reluctant, after all, he had invested time and effort.
Lu Ding didn't hide it from him. If he dared to do it, he dared to admit it. "I was the one who turned Wuliang Mountain into a basin. The cost of post-incident compensation was too great, so I figured I'd just take this place and exchange it with Special Envoy Min for Gold Flat to avoid the compensation."
Suddenly.
Chai Yun breathed a sigh of relief. So it was L—
"YOU DID IT!?"
Chai Yun stood up belatedly, his voice rising as he shouted.
Lu Ding nodded.
Confirmed once again.
Chai Yun's gaze toward Lu Ding now carried a trace of fear and a hint of wariness.
But only for a moment. He quickly let it go.
He didn't feel any sense of injustice.
That was just how the world worked: the strong preyed on the weak. In the new city, there was no rule saying who had to govern what. Whoever had the greater ability got more territory.
Chai Yun could take from others, and others could take from him.
Healthy competition, settled by strength.
He accepted it.
Besides, this was a friendly negotiation.
Even if it didn't look all that friendly, it depended on who you were dealing with.
Given Lu Ding's reputation, the fact that he could sit here, be cordial, and call him "you" respectfully was already very friendly.
Chai Yun didn't say anything more. After all, the end result would either be him moving out gracefully or Lu Ding resorting to force.
He knew the difference.
"Then give me some time to move, alright?"
Since the other party was showing face now, Lu Ding had to reciprocate. He couldn't just bully the weak because he was strong.
The strong preying on the weak was the law of nature, but people needed to have humanity and know how to handle things.
Lu Ding nodded. "No need to be so polite. This time, I was the one at fault. It's hard to justify from any perspective. I was just relying on my strength."
"But I don't have anything particularly good to offer right now, so please take this as my compensation."
Lu Ding casually took out several porcelain bottles from the Red Coffin.
Inside were the marsh water essences he hadn't sold yet.
Chai Yun's emotions were complicated for a moment. He hadn't expected Lu Ding to be so considerate in handling this.
He could have easily given nothing and forcibly made him move.
Yet he still gave.
Chai Yun refused. "No need, Grand Duke Lu. To be realistic, even if you hadn't come, cleaning up after Wuliang Mountain would have been a headache for me. Now that you're here and asking me to leave, I can't refuse. Your attitude has already shown me enough respect."
"In the future, if people talk, I, Chai Yun, can at least say I was a special case."
"Now you're giving me something, and I feel like I can't accept it. We're all colleagues. This... sigh..."
Lu Ding smiled at him. "Reality is that I'm strong, but I never deny my faults as a person. This isn't anything particularly good, just decent. A few bottles of ten-thousand-year marsh water essence."
Chai Yun immediately felt like Lu Ding was humble-bragging. This was ten-thousand-year marsh water essence! It was immensely helpful for Spirit Refinement realm Qi Refiners.
Forget others. Take Chai Yun himself. He was currently at the peak of Spirit Refinement sixth layer. One step forward and he could break through to the seventh layer. With these few bottles, reaching the seventh layer would be a breeze.
The remaining medicinal energy could also help him refine his physical body.
This was a heavy treasure.
Chai Yun's heart stirred. This was something he urgently needed.
Sensing his thoughts.
Knowing there were others around, Lu Ding didn't say it outright. This stuff was like meat that had fallen on the ground. When no one was watching, you'd pick it up and eat it. But with outsiders present, it became awkward. Pick it up or not? If you didn't, it was wasteful. You'd normally pick it up anyway, but picking it up would cost face.
Lu Ding pushed the items toward Chai Yun. "Just take it, Special Envoy Chai."
Seeing it was about to fall to the floor.
Chai Yun quickly reached out to catch it. The moment their hands touched.
Lu Ding's voice echoed in his mind.
.
Thank you to Lord Jun Shen Hongchen for the two Gift Kings sent over. I'll take a rest today and continue with extra chapters tomorrow. Love you all, mwah!