“Thank you, Master, for the reward!” Lin Yun expressed his gratitude.
“My disciple, even when you take up the role of prefect in Dongyuan Prefecture, you must not slack in your cultivation. In my eyes, you have the potential to step into eternity in the future. Once a full-scale war with the demon beasts erupts, only Eternal Beings can truly play a pivotal role,” Emperor Huoyun said.
“Your disciple will certainly strive hard in cultivation,” Lin Yun vowed confidently.
“Very well, you may go now. Remember to attend the morning court session on time tomorrow,” Emperor Huoyun waved his hand.
“Your disciple takes his leave.”
Lin Yun bowed and then exited the hall.
After Lin Yun left, the red-furred cat hopped out again.
“Master, are you really letting him become the prefect of Dongyuan Prefecture? He’s only recently joined the empire, and you’ve always been cautious about appointing prefects,” the red-furred cat remarked.
The Huoyun Empire had a total of eighteen prefectures. Naturally, Eternal Beings wouldn’t be appointed as prefects—having transcended the mundane, they wouldn’t be tasked with handling trivial administrative matters in a prefecture.
To an Eternal Being, a prefect’s role was little more than a glorified errand-runner.
Thus, the position of prefect was typically filled by top-tier Eighth- or Ninth-Turn Tribulation Realm cultivators who were also trustworthy.
“He puts his heart into every training mission I assign him and completes them diligently. Even this Great Kun ruins mission, which he managed to accomplish with boldness and capability, proves he’s someone worthy of bearing great responsibility. Moreover, he doesn’t belong to any faction in the court,” Emperor Huoyun explained.
“Master, in peacetime, being a prefect wouldn’t be difficult. But with ongoing skirmishes in Dongyuan Prefecture and the chaos there, he might not be able to stabilise the situation,” the red-furred cat voiced its concern.
“That’s precisely why this is also a form of training for him. Let’s see how he performs,” Emperor Huoyun replied.
…
On the other side.
After leaving the hall, Lin Yun sighed, “I never thought I’d be returning to Dongyuan Prefecture again.”
He felt a mix of anticipation and unease.
After all, he had never taken on such a role before, and he wasn’t sure if he could do it well once he assumed the position.
Moreover, with Dongyuan Prefecture in turmoil, it posed an even greater challenge!
However, once in Dongyuan Prefecture, Lin Yun would have far more freedom than here—he’d essentially be the local ruler there.
…
After leaving the palace, Lin Yun made a trip to the imperial treasury to sell off the spoils from his journey for Spirit Crystals.
The Holy Spirit-level weapons and artifacts left behind by the defeated teams fetched a decent sum.
The imperial treasury also offered a recycling service. Lin Yun didn’t keep a single item, selling them all for over 60 million Spirit Crystals.
Adding the more than 30 million Spirit Crystals he’d already collected from the storage rings, Lin Yun now had a total of 100 million Spirit Crystals—enough to sustain him for quite a while.
As he exited the imperial treasury, Lin Yun bumped into a familiar figure at the entrance—Liang Yuan.
“Brother Liang!” Lin Yun quickly greeted him.
Liang Yuan had brought Lin Yun from Dongyuan Prefecture to the capital and treated him with genuine kindness. He was one of Lin Yun’s few friends in the Divine Capital.
“Lin Yun, it’s you! You suddenly left the Divine Capital a few months ago, didn’t you?” Liang Yuan smiled warmly upon seeing him.
“Yes, I went out for a training mission,” Lin Yun replied with a polite smile.
“By the way, Brother Liang, I noticed your expression didn’t look good just now. Is something wrong?” Lin Yun asked.
“No… it’s nothing,” Liang Yuan said with a forced smile, waving it off awkwardly.
At that moment, another figure approached.
“Lord Liang, what a coincidence running into you here,” the newcomer said, looking at Liang Yuan.
Lin Yun glanced over. The man was middle-aged, dressed in luxurious gold-threaded robes.
“Greetings, Lord Shi Wen,” Liang Yuan immediately bowed to him.
“Lord Liang, how have you considered the matter I mentioned before? If you agree, I’ll immediately arrange for you to leave that dump of a Martial Examination Hall and secure you a better position,” the man named Shi Wen said.
“This… Lord Shi Wen, I’m afraid that simply won’t do,” Liang Yuan replied, his expression uneasy.
Shi Wen’s face darkened completely. “Lord Liang, don’t be ungrateful. You should know the consequences of offending me!”
“Lord Shi Wen, it’s not my intention to offend you. It’s just that I truly can’t agree. I hope you’ll show some leniency,” Liang Yuan said, lowering his stance.
Seeing the situation turn tense, Lin Yun stepped in. “Brother Liang, what’s going on?”
“At a banquet a few days ago, Lord Shi Wen took a liking to my daughter and wants her as a concubine,” Liang Yuan explained.
“Oh? Something like that happened? Lord Shi, isn’t that a bit excessive?” Lin Yun turned to Shi Wen.
“Who are you to dare lecture me, Shi Wen?” Shi Wen sneered at Lin Yun, exuding a powerful aura of authority.
“I’m Lin Yun,” Lin Yun replied.
“Lin Yun? So you’re His Majesty’s newest disciple. It’s rare for a newcomer to be granted a third-rank title,” Shi Wen said with a smile.
Then his expression hardened, and his tone shifted. “But I hear you’ve refused to join our Dongguo Party—a grave mistake. As for meddling in this matter, I’m afraid you’re not qualified. I’d advise you not to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. Crossing me over someone as insignificant as Liang Yuan isn’t worth it. Our Dongguo Party fears no one—not even you, Lin Yun!”
“The Dongguo Party?”
“No wonder he dares act so outrageously—he’s got the Dongguo Party backing him,” Lin Yun said with a cold laugh.
Staring at Shi Wen, Lin Yun continued icily, “I don’t know if I’m qualified to intervene, but I’d advise you, Lord Shi Wen, to have some底线—some底线—when you act. Don’t harbour any more improper thoughts!”
With that, Lin Yun turned around.
“Brother Liang, no point wasting words on him. Let’s go!”
Lin Yun grabbed Liang Yuan and headed down the street.
“You…”
Shi Wen’s face turned livid as he watched Lin Yun and Liang Yuan walk away.
“Liang Yuan, if you don’t know what’s good for you, prepare to face my wrath!” Shi Wen shouted after their retreating figures.
After walking some distance, Lin Yun and Liang Yuan slowed their pace.
“This Shi Wen will likely retaliate against me. He holds a high position in the Dongguo Party. Offending them means I’ll have a tough time surviving in the court from now on,” Liang Yuan said, his face pale.
Previously, Liang Yuan had merely been sidelined and overlooked, but once the Dongguo Party targeted him for revenge, it would be far worse than just being marginalised.
