Chapter 191: 191. Chapter 188: The City Lord

191. Chapter 188: The City Lord's Fury

When Ding Huan returned to the City Patrol, Yan Mei and Lao Liu were happily counting spirit stones.

"Huan Ge…" Seeing Ding Huan return, Lao Liu rushed forward immediately.

Normally it wasn't this eager—mainly because it had realized a problem: no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't establish its Foundation here.

Since it couldn't establish its Foundation, the world had lost all color and meaning to it.

But today, it had found its own value and color in life.

Wasn't parading around Xifeng City with a gang of underlings, as an official representative, exactly why it wanted to establish its Foundation in the first place?

As for avenging its past life—ha, if it couldn't even establish its Foundation, what revenge could it possibly seek?

"Huan Ge…" Yan Mei also came over to greet him.

Gu Bin, Wu Tuan, Bei He'er, and Peng Leizhi, seeing Lao Liu and Yan Mei call him "Huan Ge," quickly followed suit.

Ding Huan's spiritual sense swept over the ground—a pile of spirit stones, several thousand in total.

Clearly, Yan Mei and Lao Liu had made a substantial haul this time.

"Well done. From now on, in the City Patrol, call me Captain. Sit down, let's chat." Ding Huan was very satisfied.

After everyone sat down, Ding Huan said: "Starting today, the City Patrol takes control of the entire Xifeng City."

"Huan… Captain, what about the City Lord's Mansion?" Yan Mei, unaware of the implications, asked immediately.

After all, in official rank, Ding Huan's position as City Patrol Captain was leagues below that of the City Lord.

Ding Huan waved his hand:

"Don't worry about the City Lord's Mansion—if he dares to interfere, Lao Liu can just deal with him."

Upon hearing this, Lao Liu immediately patted its chest:

"Huan Ge, leave it to me."

Whether he was Captain or not meant nothing to it—in its eyes, if something could be done, there was no need for pointless chatter.

Gu Bin and the others were stunned—after all, in the previous power structure, their City Patrol had been subordinate to the City Lord's Mansion.

Now Ding Huan had openly ignored the City Lord's Mansion, clearly planning to sideline the City Lord.

Yet thinking of the Tieli Alliance they had wiped out today, and the over a hundred shopkeepers who had aided it and were now dead, they wanted to speak but dared not.

Their current Captain was no soft-hearted man.

"Yan Mei, you won't be able to establish your Foundation in the short term. If you want to join a Sect, wait for now. If you don't want to join a Sect, why not train under me? What do you think?"

Ding Huan looked at Yan Mei.

Yan Mei answered without hesitation: "Huan Ge, I'll train under you."

Ding Huan's talent was poor, but the Shadow-Displacement Technique he taught him was absolutely top-tier.

Besides, today he had seen Ding Huan's killing methods—that invisible wind blade was absurdly powerful. He suspected even a Foundation Establishment cultivator facing Huan Ge wouldn't be certain of victory.

"Alright, I've found a place to live—in the Great Spirit Stone District. When you finish your business and return, I'll transmit to you my cultivation technique." Ding Huan said immediately.

He currently had no Foundation Establishment technique; he was searching for a small courtyard in the Great Spirit Stone District precisely to create his own.

With such exceptional conditions, if he still didn't seek a Foundation Establishment method suited to himself, he'd deserve to be trampled underfoot later.

"Captain, just give the order." Yan Mei didn't slap his chest like Lao Liu, but his tone was resolute.

He understood Ding Huan's intentions best—seclusion and hiding weren't the goal; finding a quiet place to strengthen himself was the true purpose.

Ding Huan had chosen Xifeng City—he wouldn't just stand still.

He trusted his own eyes and choices. He had chosen the Double Soul Sect wrong once—that was due to inexperience. If he chose wrong again, he'd truly be worthless.

Ding Huan felt speaking with someone as sharp as Yan Mei was simple:

"Yan Mei, take Lao Liu and these four others here, and recruit a City Patrol force in Xifeng City. Number… set it at twelve hundred."

"Ah…"

Gu Bin and the others, who had just been envious of Yan Mei, were stunned by Ding Huan's words.

Recruit twelve hundred? Was this rebellion?

Earlier, Ding Huan had said not to care about the City Lord's Mansion—that if it resisted, Lao Liu should act. That was already rebellion.

"Captain, I think, I think…" Gu Bin clenched his teeth and decided to speak out what he knew.

Today had been too intense—he'd faced life and death countless times.

"Everyone here in the City Patrol is family now. Say what's on your mind." Ding Huan told Gu Bin.

He felt Gu Bin had been wasting his potential—this guy still had some ability.

With Ding Huan's approval, Gu Bin hurried to speak:

"Actually, in the East City and South City, there's an Alliance Lord named Pan Qi, and in the North City and West City, there's another Alliance Lord named Gu Zhanjian.

Both are ruthless killers who've slaughtered countless City Patrol members. If we recruit soldiers and gather weapons, they'll surely move against us."

Ding Huan laughed heartily: "Later, take a few people and clean up the corpses on Shengdao Street. I killed Pan Qi and Gu Zhanjian just now on my way here—no need to worry."

The overwhelming surprise left Gu Bin and the others speechless for a long while.

In truth, though Yan Mei and Lao Liu had wiped out the Tieli Alliance, they hadn't felt safe.

As long as Pan Qi returned, he might even come to the City Patrol and kill them.

"City Lord, rest assured… no, Captain, rest assured—I, Gu Bin, will surely carry out your orders."

Gu Bin was so excited he nearly called Ding Huan "City Lord."

Ding Huan stood up:

"Gu Bin, you'll serve as Yan Mei's deputy and recruit the City Patrol in Xifeng City—twelve hundred men total. Pay: one spirit stone per month.

Additionally, the City Patrol will take over the city guard—no one can join or leave at will…"

To ensure his cultivation wouldn't be disturbed, and to bring some peace to Xifeng City.

Ding Huan not only recruited over a thousand City Patrol Guards, but also demanded Yan Mei take charge of the city's defenses. On the basis of the Zhuoxing Lordship's laws, he established new laws for Xifeng City.

These included collecting management fees from merchants, partial taxes, banning fights, reclaiming all houses in Xifeng City without property deeds—or rather, those seized by force…

Moreover, even Happy Branches were banned by Ding Huan from circulation.

This stuff is a drug; since Ding Huan now controls Xifeng City, it must be prohibited.

Only after two hours did Ding Huan leave the City Patrol Guards and return to his residence.

It's exhausting for a few days, but once Xifeng City stabilizes, he'll have peace.

…

When Ding Huan returned to his small courtyard in Dajing District to study the several storage bags, Xue Bo's face in the Xifeng City Lord's Mansion turned ashen.

Not only was his face ashen, but his hands trembled slightly.

Ding Huan was simply too arrogant—a mere City Patrol Captain dared recruit City Patrol Guards within Xifeng City.

Since the garrison troops of Xifeng City were disbanded, not a single garrison soldier had been stationed there for decades.

"Lord." As Xue Bo struggled to calm himself, a woman's voice came from outside.

"Yi Yi is back? Come in." Xue Bo forced his emotions to settle.

Moments later, a woman in black entered.

She was Xue Bo's trusted aide, Cang Cang Cang Yiyi. She stepped before him, bowed deeply, then said:

"Investigation confirmed: Ding Huan is extremely powerful—he effortlessly killed Pan Qi, Gu Zhanjian, Dan Hu'er, and Kong Xin. No one assisted him, and he didn't even use any magical artifacts—only wind blades…"

Xue Bo, who had been furious moments before, suddenly grew calm. Pan Qi, Gu Zhanjian, Dan Hu'er, and Kong Xin were all at roughly his own cultivation level.

"Is Ding Huan a Foundation Establishment cultivator?" Xue Bo asked, voice hoarse.

How else could he have killed four Qi Condensation Stage Nine cultivators at once?

Cang Cang Cang Yiyi shook her head: "I'm not certain. But if he's already Foundation Establishment, why would he come to Xifeng City?"

Xue Bo fell silent for a long while before speaking:

"I need to enter seclusion soon and strive for Foundation Establishment. Even if I leave Xifeng City after achieving it, I will kill this bastard."

"Yi Yi, watch the people in the Lord's Mansion. Just collect the shop taxes in the Middle District. Don't clash with Ding Huan's City Patrol Guards."

Cang Cang Cang Yiyi remained silent.

"What? Is there a problem?" Xue Bo frowned.

Cang Cang Cang Yiyi spoke uneasily:

"I just received word: Ding Huan has taken control of the entire Xifeng City, including the Middle District.

Almost all shops, except those in the Lord's Mansion, must now answer to the City Patrol Guards—taxes and management fees must be paid to them. Even the Household Registry Office has been seized by the City Patrol Guards."

There was one thing she didn't say: she suspected that, in time, even the Lord's Mansion might have to pay management fees to Ding Huan.

"Good… good…" Xue Bo spat out two "good" words, then grew eerily calm.

After another half incense stick's time, he sighed:

"Then we'll only deal in Happy Branches. No need to compete with him."

Cang Cang Cang Yiyi had to speak again: "The City Patrol Guards have explicitly banned Happy Branches. We probably won't be able to trade them anymore."

"Crack!" Xue Bo slammed his palm onto the tea table and stood up.

The composure he had just forced upon himself surged again toward explosion.

Who is the true Lord of Xifeng City—me, Xue Bo, or that Ding Huan?

"Go summon Ding Huan. Tell him the Lord's Mansion has urgent matters to discuss." After pacing the room several times, Xue Bo decided to confront Ding Huan.

If Ding Huan gives me not a single copper, am I to sit here drinking northwest wind? What's the point of striving for Foundation Establishment?

"Lord, I fear Ding Huan may harbor ill intentions…" Cang Cang Cang Yiyi couldn't help adding.

Xue Bo snorted:

"He won't dare. Even if the Zhuoxing Lordship ignores Xifeng City, if a Lord is killed, they will never stand idly by."

Cang Cang Cang Yiyi realized this was true. Xifeng City had endured countless upheavals over the years—but no one had ever dared touch a Lord.

Xue Bo knew deep down he was no match for Ding Huan, but within the Lord's Mansion, he still had confidence.

As long as Ding Huan hadn't reached Foundation Establishment, he could use the Lord's Mansion's killing array to eliminate him.

In his judgment, the chance Ding Huan had reached Foundation Establishment was negligible—he could only be a cultivator who had slain opponents above his own level.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator has no reason to remain in Xifeng City.