"Alas, they say three years as a prefect yields one hundred thousand silver taels in illicit gains, yet you've managed only fifty thousand after five years... Truly a useless waste!" Jun Moxie continued to sigh dramatically.

You yourself mentioned a prefect and a hundred thousand, yet I am merely a county magistrate, and one governing a county with only tens of thousands of people at that... worlds apart from a prefect, several ranks lower. Lord Pig Intestines grumbled inwardly, though his face maintained an expression of utmost deference as he listened to the reprimand from the Great Pioneer Jun.

"However, it's not a disaster; perhaps one learns from every stumble. Now that Young Master has arrived, you'll know what to do. Oh, and in another two months, Young Master will be returning from the Southern Heaven. By then, you probably won't even be able to use this carriage anymore. You'd best speed up your timeline over these next two months—wring the people dry, hurry up and take bribes. When Young Master returns, we'll need an even better carriage. Prepare yourself! Opportunity only ever knocks for those who are ready!" the Young Master Jun instructed thusly.

Pig Intestines tumbled to the ground, kowtowing furiously like pounding garlic, tears streaming down his face: "Young General, your subordinate dares not do so again! Your subordinate will absolutely correct his past errors, turn over a new leaf, and find the right path! [He will sincerely work for the welfare of the vast populace, exhaust himself with dedication, serve with utter devotion, rack his brains...] This..."

"You truly have an education! To deploy so many idioms. Say a few more; if you say just a few more, I might soften my heart and show some mercy!" Jun Moxie watched him with a smile, offering praise.

Pig Intestines hammered his head against the floor, prostrating himself completely. In that moment, he had made a resolution to never change, even unto death: Being an official, it was far better to be an honest official! A corrupt official... one simply couldn't do it, brothers; meeting this Young General was enough to show the true suffering of a corrupt official...

Regret washed over him... This rascal actually expected another carriage in just two months?

I weep, my tears soak my heart!

If I cried in front of him, I'd likely lose my life instantly...

I must rally all the corrupt officials under heaven—you must all become honest officials! You must serve the people! Just as Young Master Jun had finished his brutal extortions, the Soul-Devouring troops returning from the bandit suppression arrived outside, the heads they carried dripping blood that spattered onto the county office hall floor, nearly causing the poor Pig Intestines to faint dead away...

These are heads! By the gods, why are there so many...

Great Pioneer Jun, having eaten his fill and extorted enough, hitched up his rear and departed. Pig Intestines then began anxiously awaiting the army of Jun Wuyi, because Jun Moxie had warned him: If there is even the slightest lapse in supplies for the army, I will return immediately to build a carriage; if you fail to build it well, you'll be swiftly executed. And the quality of the military supplies will be judged by Lord Jun Wuyi. You figure out how to proceed...

Consequently, Pig Intestines' enthusiasm was almost chilling to Jun Wuyi, the Great Marshal. What kind of person was this? As for Great Pioneer Jun Moxie, he continued leading his ragged band of two hundred and fifty-plus Soul Devourers, marching spiritedly straight south. While there may not have been literal mountains parting or bridges being built over rivers, the path was undeniably drenched in blood and gore as they rolled southward.

Naturally, under the Pioneer's deliberate, bloody tempering, the strength of the two Soul Devourer corps improved by leaps and bounds, covering a thousand li in a day. The inherent aura of each man grew increasingly saturated with killing intent.

Every single one resembled a vengeful ghost summoned from the depths of hell. Their piercing gazes and chilling auras clearly revealed them to be a terrifying entity, like a human meat grinder designed for the battlefield!

Punishment is trivial; reputation is what matters!

It was only noon on the fourth day when Jun Moxie and his small entourage had already put a full four hundred li between themselves and the main force. Jun Moxie reclined comfortably in his carriage drawn by six magnificent horses. This carriage was quite spacious: two meters wide and three and a half meters long. Inside, there wasn't just a small bed, but also a tea table and benches—enough space for Young Master Jun to hold a meeting while in the mood for some... inspiration.

However, Jun Moxie only managed to do such a thing once, and it was abruptly terminated after less than half an hour. For no other reason than this: these strapping fellows who had been trekking over mountains and valleys all day long—even with shoes on, the odor emanating from their feet was enough to knock a man over! Especially in this nearly hermetically sealed carriage, that smell was akin to the scent of freshly fried, authentic salted fish. As such, the Young Master spent a full day recovering the air quality afterward...

"Reporting to Young Master, ahead... someone is blocking the road." The speaker was Wang Dong, leader of the Soul Devourer squad.

At this moment, this leader, known for his brutal methods and now considered a seasoned killer, seemed to be stammering slightly.

"Blocking the road? Damn it! People dare block my path within the borders of Tianxiang Nation?" Jun Moxie asked in astonishment, leaping down from the carriage after throwing aside the curtain. He intended to see just who this audacious fellow was.

Upon stepping out, Jun Moxie took in the scene at a glance and immediately gasped—My heavens! No wonder Wang Dong was stuttering!

Before him stood two figures. One was surprisingly not particularly terrifying, but rather charmingly naive and adorable, holding a snow-white small leopard. The leopard was blinking at Jun Moxie, sticking out its tongue, giving the distinct impression that it wanted to throw itself into his arms...

The other person was clad in robes as white as snow, her delicate face icy, radiating aloof pride; peerlessly beautiful and gracefully alluring, possessing an unparalleled bearing.

These two, these two great beauties, looked upon Jun Moxie with the satisfied expression of a cat that has finally cornered a mouse.

The pair were none other than Guan Qinghan and Dugu Xiaoyi!

Jun Moxie groaned, feeling an urge to simply faint away.

Such utter shock!

No wonder he hadn't seen the two women bothering him for the two days before setting out on the expedition. He had actually misunderstood that they had seen reason. It turned out they had conspired to run away from home back then! And now, they were waiting for him right here.

What to do?!

For the first time, the Young Master Jun regretted accepting the coveted post of vanguard pathfinder!

He regretted it completely, truly regretting how these two hot potatoes had finally landed in his hands. What sins had he committed in a past life?

Why, oh why, did I insist on being the vanguard? Wouldn't it have been perfectly pleasant to simply follow along with the main troops? Then, my third uncle would have handled everything, and I wouldn't have to deal with this trouble! Now look at this mess—truly a situation where heaven won't answer and earth won't yield...

This is a journey to the Southern Heaven, not a vacation!

Young Master Jun no longer knew what to say; what could he say?...

Jun Moxie kept looking back, desperately wishing that behind him, dust clouds would rise and Jun Wuyi, leading twenty thousand troops, would descend like divine soldiers from the heavens! To rescue the pitiable me from this fiery pit...

But that was an utterly extravagant hope. The distance between them was over four hundred li; there was no way they could arrive in time!

"Stop looking. It's useless. We made inquiries long ago; we specifically came here to wait for you," Guan Qinghan regarded him calmly. "Now, you can get out of the carriage. Xiao Yi and I will take the carriage, and you can ride a horse. You won't object, will you?"

Jun Moxie was left speechless for a moment.

A seemingly amicable suggestion? What opinion could I possibly have? What is domineering and tyrannical?

This is it.

Compared to the directness of this female sovereign before him, what he did to that Pig Intestines felt insignificant! She was directly kicking me out of the carriage—isn't this the legendary cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest? Surrounding Soul Devourer members were snickering quietly. Jun Moxie shot them a fierce glare, and the laughter instantly ceased; everyone stared straight ahead with grave solemnity.

"Ahem! Cough, cough..." Jun Moxie cleared his throat, preparing to unleash his silver tongue to persuade these two determined beauties to abandon their path and return. "I say... Sister-in-law, uh, and Miss Xiaoyi..."

"Mmm, Brother Moxie, are you surprised, very surprised, to see me here? Are you eager to embrace me? I know, I understand; that's just how I am!" Dugu Xiaoyi jumped cheerfully in front of Jun Moxie, tilting her head to look at him.

Just like Little Whitey, she gave off a strong vibe of wanting to throw herself into his arms. However, the young lady was slightly more reserved than Little Whitey. Little Whitey had already leaped over, but Young Miss Dugu was likely waiting for Young Master Jun to make the first move before gracefully yielding to a 'flying swallow embrace.'

Surprised?

I only feel horrified! Though I am certainly taken aback. As for the embrace, I feel no urgent desire for one; rather, I have a strong urge to spank that little behind of yours soundly! Jun Moxie glanced sideways. Hmm, perhaps it wasn't that small anymore. If I gave it a good few smacks, it should have a nice feel to it...

Lost in this strange wandering of thoughts for a moment, Jun Moxie suddenly remembered: what was the point of haggling with these two girls right now? He needed to send them back immediately! His expression instantly darkened, and the Young Master adopted an air of stern righteousness: "Sister-in-law, Miss Dugu, we are deeply grateful on behalf of all the soldiers of this Southern Heaven expedition for your concern. However... the journey to the Heavenly Punishment zone is long, dangerous, riddled with bandits and fierce beasts. Furthermore, you are both unaccompanied women; traveling together presents many inconveniences! I shall dispatch men immediately to escort you back to Tianxiang City."

Upon saying the words 'unaccompanied women,' Jun Moxie noticed that the two girls had genuinely not brought a single personal maid with them! Did they think this was a sightseeing trip funded by the state? We are going to war!

"You try it. I'd like to see who dares send us back," Guan Qinghan said coolly, paying him no mind.

"Brother Moxie... can you really bear to send us back? We've already come this far." Dugu Xiaoyi lacked Guan Qinghan's confidence. She looked at him pitiably, her eyes turning red and on the verge of tears. "Brother Moxie, this place is over a thousand li from Tianxiang. On such a long journey, if anything were to happen to Sister Guan and me... how could you bear it? Besides, the roads are perilous, and human hearts are unpredictable..."

"Don't try that trick on me! Those tearful eyes won't work on me," Jun Moxie remained unmoved. Now they worry about dangerous roads and unpredictable hearts? Did they not think of that when they set out? Did they really think I was such an idiot to believe that?!