Chapter 234: Chapter 206: Lu Zhao’s Methods, Hann Song Bows His Head

「Three days later.」

Inside Broken River Castle, the simple yet Spiritual Qi-rich cave residence of the former Commander, Brother Liuu, had been claimed by Lu Zhao. He sat cross-legged on a cold stone meditation cushion, a faint blue mist swirling around him as he slowly concluded his cultivation session.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

A light knock sounded on the stone door, exceptionally clear in the silent cave residence.

"Come in," Lu Zhao said, his voice flat, not even lifting his eyelids.

The stone door slid open silently, and Zhao Xiaoshu’s figure appeared in the entrance. He bowed deeply, his face holding a barely perceptible trace of exhaustion and resignation.

"Elder," Zhao Xiaoshu said as he walked into the cave residence, bowing once more.

Only then did Lu Zhao open his eyes. The sharp glint within them was contained as he looked at the young man. "What is it?"

Zhao Xiaoshu took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts before speaking with a wry smile. "Elder, the Cultivators of these Broken River Plains are truly..." He seemed to struggle to find the words, pausing for a moment before continuing, "For the past three days, the leading figures of the clans and Wanderers outside the castle have been trying every method imaginable to get close to me. They’re sending Spirit Stones, Pills, Talismans... someone even tried to gift me beautiful concubines!"

His tone was filled with vexation and a hint of anger. "I’ve kept your teachings in mind, Elder, and haven’t dared to overstep my bounds in the slightest. I’ve politely refused everything. But they... they don’t seem to give up. Their words are full of probing questions, and they’ve even hinted that if I just put in a good word for them with you, there will be... benefits in the future."

Lu Zhao suddenly let out a soft laugh, interrupting Zhao Xiaoshu. His face held a trace of amusement. "Gifting you Spirit Stones, Pills, and they even want to send you beautiful women? Such terms... tsk tsk. Even I, the Commander, haven’t enjoyed such treatment yet!"

He watched Zhao Xiaoshu with great interest, as if observing an amusing spectacle.

Zhao Xiaoshu grew flustered under Lu Zhao’s gaze and hurriedly bowed. "Elder, please don’t make fun of me. How could I dare accept those things? I am completely loyal to you, Elder, without a hint of disloyalty. I only wish to help alleviate your worries..."

"Why not accept them?" Lu Zhao’s smile suddenly vanished. His tone became flat, yet it carried an air of authority that permitted no argument.

Zhao Xiaoshu froze, thinking he must have misheard. "Elder?"

"I said, the next time you encounter such ’good fortune,’ accept it all," Lu Zhao repeated, his gaze calm as he watched him.

"Elder! I’m not that kind of person! My loyalty to you..." Zhao Xiaoshu’s heart clenched. He thought Lu Zhao was testing his loyalty and was desperate to prove it.

But Lu Zhao waved his hand, cutting him off. "It’s not that I don’t trust you." He stood up and walked to the cave’s single stone window. His gaze seemed to pierce through the stone walls, fixed on the Wanderer encampment outside the castle. "Accepting those things will be very helpful for me to placate the locals."

He turned back to the confused Zhao Xiaoshu and explained, "Those Qi Cultivation Clans are likely on pins and needles right now, so worried they can barely eat or sleep. They can’t get a read on my temperament, so they don’t know if my arrival is a blessing or a curse. If they weren’t too afraid to approach me directly, all those gifts would have been piled up at my own door by now."

"If you accept, they’ll actually breathe a sigh of relief. They’ll think they’ve found an ’in,’ a channel of communication. That’s much better than letting them make wild guesses and conspire amongst themselves."

Zhao Xiaoshu was no fool; he instantly understood Lu Zhao’s intentions. This wasn’t about greed. It was a management tactic, a way to temporarily pacify the restless local powers and make them easier to control. With a flash of understanding, he bowed. "I understand, Elder. I will accept these things on your behalf."

"Mm," Lu Zhao acknowledged quietly, saying no more.

Taking the hint, Zhao Xiaoshu excused himself. "I will take my leave now." He then turned and departed from the cave residence.

The stone door slid slowly shut, and silence returned to the cave. The indifferent expression on Lu Zhao’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of cold severity and impatience.

’This petty squabbling for power and profit?’ he muttered to himself with a trace of disdain. ’I, Lu Zhao, didn’t come here to play these games with you.’

’My goals are clear and precise: Tier Two Demon Beasts! Tier Two Spiritual Materials! And breaking through to become a Tier Two Puppet Master! These Broken River Plains are simply my hunting ground for resources.’

’And to hunt these resources efficiently, those local powers who have been entrenched outside the castle for years—these Qi Cultivation factions who know the terrain and are well-informed—are a force I can’t ignore. They’re useful, but they must be obedient. They must be made to serve me!’

’Consolidation! I must consolidate these forces in the quickest, most direct way possible. I’ll make them my eyes, ears, and fangs!’

His mind made up, Lu Zhao’s figure vanished from the spot, leaving behind only an imperceptible ripple of aura. He didn’t use the main entrance; instead, he directly employed an Escape Technique, silently melting into the dark shadows of Broken River Castle.

...

「The Hann Family’s Residence, Quiet Chamber.」

Flickering candlelight illuminated the wrinkled face of Patriarch Hann Song, a face now etched with deep worry. He was listening to a report from one of his family’s Stewards.

"Patriarch, that new Commander’s attendant, the one named Zhao... he’s completely incorruptible. Nothing works on him, neither soft nor hard tactics. He pushed back the Spirit Stones and Pills we sent without even looking at them. And he pretends not to understand any hints about future benefits. It’s the same story from the other families," the Steward said with a grimace.

Hann Song’s brows were tightly knit. His fingers tapped unconsciously on the tabletop, making a dull, rhythmic sound. He waved his hand, his voice laced with exhaustion. "Alright. You’re dismissed."

Looking greatly relieved, the Steward bowed hastily and retreated.

Only Hann Song remained in the Quiet Chamber. He stood and began to pace back and forth in the small space, the unease in his heart growing like a wild vine.

’For the new Commander’s attendant to be so cautious, so impeccable... it’s definitely not a good sign. Either this Elder Lu is extremely strict with his subordinates, or his ambitions are so great that he scoffs at such petty bribes!’

’Either way, for local powers like us, it means a huge, unknown variable has entered the equation.’

Sighing deeply, Hann Song felt utterly drained. He walked to the window and stared out at the dim light, trying to calm his frantic thoughts.

Just then, an indescribable chill swept over his entire body without any warning! The hairs on Hann Song’s arms stood on end as his Qi Cultivation Peak Spiritual Sense screamed a frantic warning!

On pure instinct, without a second thought, the Magical Power in his body erupted. Light flashed from the Storage Bag at his waist, and a Flying Sword, gleaming with a biting cold light, was instantly summoned, its tip aimed directly behind him!

However, when his gaze locked onto the target, his pupils contracted to pinpricks!

There, in a corner of the Quiet Chamber, on the very beast-hide-draped chair he usually sat in, a figure was now seated—a figure that hadn’t been there a moment ago!

Clad in a Profound Daoist Robe, with a calm face and eyes as deep as a Cold Pool—who else could it be but the new Commander, Lu Zhao?!

’When did he get in?! I didn’t sense a thing! This Quiet Chamber is supposed to have a simple isolation Restriction!’

Immense terror seized Hann Song’s heart. His face went deathly pale, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead. His summoned Flying Sword hovered in mid-air, frozen, daring neither to advance nor retreat.

"E-Elder Lu!" Hann Song’s voice was dry and hoarse, laced with an uncontrollable tremor. He forced down the tempest in his heart, retracted his Flying Sword with lightning speed, and dropped to his knees with a thud. "I was unaware of your arrival, Elder! For disturbing you, my crime deserves a thousand deaths!"

Lu Zhao remained seated, looking as if he had merely changed his location to continue meditating. His calm gaze swept over the kneeling Hann Song. He showed neither praise nor blame for the man’s violent reaction, treating it as a triviality.

"Patriarch Hann," Lu Zhao began, his voice calm and even, yet carrying an invisible pressure. "I have come uninvited. I suppose that is rather presumptuous of me."

He said the word "presumptuous," yet his tone held not a shred of apology, only a detached indifference, as if his presence was only natural.

Hann Song bowed his head even lower. "Not at all! Not at all! Your presence in our humble home is the Hann Family’s greatest honor! Whatever you command, Elder, I would not dare refuse, even if it meant my death!"

Lu Zhao didn’t tell him to rise, but simply continued in that same flat tone. "My time is precious. I have neither the mood nor the interest to play your convoluted little games."

A chill went through Hann Song’s heart.

"Your so-called petty profits here in Broken River Castle, your endless scheming..." Lu Zhao’s voice took on a barely perceptible edge of impatience. "In my eyes, they are utterly worthless."

Hann Song held his breath, not daring to speak.

"I have only one demand for you minor clans and factions," Lu Zhao’s gaze felt like a physical weight settling on Hann Song. "When I give an order, you will carry it out to the letter. Should there be the slightest hesitation, the slightest half-heartedness..."

He paused, not finishing the sentence, but the frigid killing intent that emanated from him caused the temperature in the Quiet Chamber to plummet.

"You," Lu Zhao said, looking at Hann Song, "go tell the other leaders out there. If they can meet this demand, they can stay. If they feel they cannot..."

The corner of Lu Zhao’s mouth curved into a bone-chilling smile. "Then they can leave Broken River Castle right now. I, Lu Zhao, will not stop them."

Hann Song felt a chill shoot up from the base of his spine and explode in his skull.

"But if they stay and still dare to feign compliance while secretly defying me..." Lu Zhao’s voice turned icy, like a gale from the Nine Netherworld. "Hmph."

That single, soft snort was more oppressive than any spoken threat.

Before the sound had faded, Lu Zhao’s figure rippled like water, blurred for an instant, and then vanished completely from the chair as if he had never been there. Only his final words remained, echoing like a cold brand in the deathly silent Quiet Chamber:

"You people know what the consequences will be."

Hann Song remained kneeling stiffly, his head bowed, unable to move for a long time. Cold sweat had already soaked the robe on his back, clinging to his skin with a bone-chilling cold.

He gasped for air, his heart hammering so violently it felt as if it would burst from his chest.

’Appearing and disappearing like a ghost! His control over his Divine Sense... it’s sublime, almost supernatural!’

’This new Commander Lu... how can he be an ordinary Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator?! That level of control over Divine Sense and Escape Techniques is simply horrifying! I have no doubt that if he had wanted to take my life just now, I wouldn’t have even had a chance to react!’

"...know what the consequences will be," Hann Song repeated numbly, the last trace of color draining from his face.

He struggled to his feet, his legs still weak. He stared at the spot where Lu Zhao had vanished, his eyes filled with nothing but boundless awe, fear, and a hint of complete, resigned despair.

He knew that from this moment on, the heavens over the Broken River Plains had changed completely. This Commander Lu was no Commander Liuu, someone who could be fooled or managed. The Hann Family, along with every other power outside the castle, now had only one path: bow their heads and obey.

He had to, immediately and without delay, relay Commander Lu’s words to everyone, word for word.

Hann Song took a deep breath to suppress the frantic beating of his heart, then staggered as he pushed open the door to the Quiet Chamber. His figure disappeared down the dim corridor.

The night over Broken River Castle seemed deeper than usual. And in the Wanderer encampments outside the walls, a silent storm had already begun to brew.

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