The Great Jin Dynasty managed to maintain a balance between the Five Great Immortal Sects and the subterranean demons. While its prosperity was the result of a delicate equilibrium between these two similarly powerful forces, the Great Jin Dynasty itself possessed considerable strength. There were, after all, quite a number of cultivators within the Great Jin Dynasty.

Take, for example, the two rogue cultivators, Daoist Bichen and Daoist Biyi; they dared not cause trouble in the Great Jin Dynasty precisely because they feared the cultivators residing within.

Of course, although the Great Jin Dynasty harbored a significant number of cultivators, they were far fewer in comparison to the Five Great Immortal Sects.

The Great Jin Dynasty could be considered the third major power in this expanse of land.

While they commanded a respectable contingent of cultivators, it was impossible for them to station one in every county seat. Naturally, there were no cultivators stationed in Dongye County, and even the prefecture capital only hosted a very small number. Thus, when demons emerged from Guangye Mountain, the proper protocol was to report the matter up the chain. Since the lengthy process of reporting would take too long, Magistrate Huang of Dongye County took the initiative to invite a few cultivators himself.

When the head of the Asura was finally presented as proof of success, it was undoubtedly a major achievement.

The commendation arrived swiftly.

The one delivering the honors was a cultivator whose aura seemed by no means weak. Lu Yuan, currently observing from the rooftop of the county yamen, saw that this cultivator was a slender, middle-aged man. This middle-aged cultivator announced, "By decree, Magistrate Huang is hereby rewarded for the meritorious deed of slaying the demon, and is promoted to the position of Qian Cao of the Eastern Dao Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Huang was overjoyed.

The county was governed by a prefecture, and the prefecture was governed by a province.

The Great Jin Nation, Dongping Province, Eastern Dao Prefecture, Dongye County.

He had been the Magistrate of Dongye County, the leader of a single county, which was already excellent.

However, the role of Qian Cao—the Qian Cao of the Eastern Dao Prefecture—overlooked the finances of the entire prefecture. This position was dripping with benefits, far superior to that of a mere county magistrate. Moreover, only by reaching the level of the Eastern Dao Prefecture did one have more genuine opportunities for advancement; remaining stuck in Dongye County offered few such prospects. Thus, Magistrate Huang was naturally ecstatic.

As Magistrate Huang departed in high spirits, the middle-aged cultivator paid him little further mind. He scanned the area: "Where is Lu Yuan?" He was an Immortal Master patronized by Dongping Province, surnamed He, and named Qing. This time, upon receiving the report of an Asura appearing below, and shortly thereafter, the head of an Asura being delivered, he heard that the victor was one of the tenth-generation disciples of the Huashan Immortal Sect.

He Qing was astonished to hear this. Looking at the Asura’s head, he could tell this was no trivial demon, yet it had been dispatched by a tenth-generation disciple of the Huashan Sect.

What an extraordinary young immortal.

Thinking further that this young immortal belonged to the Huashan Immortal Sect, possessing such a formidable backing, He Qing could not help but wish to meet and observe him firsthand.

Lu Yuan had already been expecting the arrival of this He Qing.

Cleanup duty.

After killing the Asura, there remained the necessary cleanup work, and He Qing was likely dispatched to manage precisely that.

The core of the cleanup involved determining the channel through which the Asura had entered the human realm and then sealing that pathway.

All paths connecting the subterranean demons to the human world were guarded and sealed by personnel from the Five Great Immortal Sects and other sects, preventing the subterranean demons from easily invading the surface. If the demons could come and go freely, the consequences would be dire; the lives of mortals would be under constant threat.

For instance, that Asura, while not a major figure in the underground world, could easily devour the population of an entire county.

It was precisely because the routes leading from the subterranean world to the surface were sealed that the appearance of a demon from that realm here was considered so peculiar.

Hence, the necessity of the cleanup operation.

This He Qing, patronized by Dongping Province, was actually a rare type among cultivators: a Talisman Master. Most cultivators specialized in sword cultivation, but there existed a smaller number of specialized professions, such as Talisman Masters, who used talismans as their primary means of combat. Of course, the chief utility of a Talisman Master was sealing—sealing the very pathways through which the subterranean world accessed the surface.

There were also Alchemists, whose primary focus was pill refinement; such individuals were usually treasures of their respective sects and rarely involved in direct combat.

He Qing’s task this time was first to locate the path the Asura had used to reach the surface, and then to seal that location.

This was the cleanup work.

The reason Lu Yuan had lingered was precisely to wait for the Talisman Master to handle this aftermath, and now, He Qing had finally arrived.

Lu Yuan leaped down in one fluid motion. "I am Lu Yuan." Formality demanded the utmost respect; having originated from a prestigious grand sect, he was thoroughly versed in all necessary etiquette. He could not afford to show disrespect simply because he had never met the man. In truth, Lu Yuan inwardly found such formality quite tedious, but the reality was that if everyone else adhered to the rules, he had little choice but to comply.

He saw himself as merely a conventional, lazy person going with the flow, not some powerhouse capable of bellowing about defying fate and rewriting destiny.

Fortunately, his Master, Li Yuanbai, was decent enough, not overly strict with him. Unlike his sworn brother, Ninth Junior Brother Ye Fang, who was truly tragic. Ye Fang’s master was the Gentleman Sword, Fang Ru, who demanded that Ye Fang conduct himself like an ancient gentleman in every action—how he sat, how he stood, even the manner in which he ate required a certain decorum. Ye Fang was genuinely unfortunate; under his master, everything was scrutinized with extreme rigor. He wasn't even allowed a drop of alcohol, lest he face severe punishment. This upbringing had cultivated Ye Fang's reserved, somewhat repressed nature.

Returning to the matter at hand, He Qing was surprised upon seeing Lu Yuan, taken aback by how young he was—perhaps only sixteen or seventeen—to have defeated an Asura. This child’s future was boundless. The Huashan Immortal Sect was a superior power relative to the Great Jin Nation, and He Qing immediately felt inclined to forge a connection. He smiled warmly, "Truly, heroes emerge from the younger generation. To be so formidable at such an age, He Qing is deeply impressed."

He Qing and Lu Yuan exchanged polite pleasantries casually. One was an old hand who had lived long; the other was thoroughly experienced in navigating such social rituals due to his sect's training. They bowed and complimented each other. From beginning to end, He Qing paid no attention to Daoist Bichen and Daoist Biyi; in his eyes, two rogue cultivators lacking adequate magical power and true strength were not worth noting.

Daoist Bichen and Daoist Biyi stood nearby, nursing their indignation.

The prestigious great sects think they are something.

The esteemed grand sects are so self-important.

Undoubtedly, the two had not lessened their distaste for the great sects. They tried desperately to convey their resentment to Lu Yuan, attempting again and again, but the tragedy was that no matter how often they showed it, Lu Yuan simply ignored them, leaving them to weep inwardly.

——————

The cleanup was finished, and Lu Yuan returned to his home in Donglin Town for a period.

That time was, admittedly, quite leisurely.

He Qing had concluded his necessary tasks and was due to return to the provincial capital of Dongping. Magistrate Huang had been promoted laterally to the position of Qian Cao in the Eastern Dao Prefecture. As for Daoists Bichen and Biyi, they remained in Dongye County, but as they generally disdained the great sects, even though they inwardly respected Lu Yuan’s swordsmanship, they were too proud to humble themselves before a representative of a prestigious sect, and thus would never seek him out.

So, Lu Yuan found himself with free time.

Being idle was fine; he had merely intended to visit home, and the emergence of the demon in Dongye County was simply an accidental intersection of paths.

He held no genuine interest in those messy affairs.

He spent the remaining time at home.

Enjoying the cooking prepared by his mother, Madam Lu Zhang. Though not top-tier cuisine, it possessed a unique flavor all its own. His original plan was to stay home for quite some time, as the one-year period set by his Master was nowhere near over. However, Lu Yuan soon realized he could no longer bear to stay. Madam Lu Zhang had begun arranging matchmaking sessions for him.

Was she trying to drive him away? Matchmaking? What a joke.

How long did a mortal woman live?

And how long was his own lifespan?

Essentially, cultivators were rapidly becoming a species distinct from mortals. If the two tried to coexist in a relationship, there would be absolutely no shared ground.

He had explained that as a cultivator now, he could not engage in arranged marriages, but his mother remained undeterred, bringing a different young lady to visit every few days. He couldn’t stand the scrutiny in her eyes any longer. Lu Yuan was utterly helpless against his mother, Madam Lu Zhang. If you can't fight them, you can always run away, right? Finally, Lu Yuan left a letter and departed from home.

As he left, he couldn't help but reflect that every mother, truly, possessed the burning desire to secure a spouse for her son.

He departed as elegantly as he lived.

A single azure robe, a single long sword—that was all he took. He had brought nothing else. After all, he possessed ample silver; he could simply buy whatever he needed.

In the mortal world, silver was vital and highly valued, but in the cultivation world, such currency was abundant, and spending it freely caused no heartache whatsoever.

(First update tonight)