Chapter 477: Hit by a Windfall

Hua Changxi used the 'Buddha Hand' to escort Song Weimin and his group to Lingguang Hall. Along the way, he neither deliberately concealed their tracks nor restrained his aura, so all the various forces in Nanxiang County received the news immediately.

Inside the main hall of Nanxiang County's government office, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed it could drip water.

Cultivators filed in one by one, their spiritual pressure subtle yet powerful—the lowest cultivation among those present was at the Nascent Soul stage, and several at the Spiritual Terrace stage sat among them.

Prince Fu sat high in the main seat, his expression as gloomy as water, his gaze sweeping over his subordinates before finally settling on the imperial secret order that had just arrived in his palm.

The cinnabar characters were particularly glaring, only five words written—Evacuate Nanxiang County.

Ever since Lingguang Hall emerged, Prince Fu had taken over Nanxiang County and painstakingly managed it for so many years; now being told to evacuate, he was truly extremely unwilling.

However, he dared not disobey the evacuation.

No other reason, he did not want to follow in Prince Shou's footsteps.

Prince Shou had been burned alive by the Lord of Lingguang Hall!

"I called everyone here today, nothing major."

Prince Fu really did not want to announce the imperial order, but he also understood that the cultivators under his command were trained at great cost by the imperial family; if they were truly lost in Nanxiang County, the imperial family's loss would be far too great.

"Now the Vermilion Army is becoming increasingly powerful, everyone must be prepared to evacuate Nanxiang County at any time." No matter how unwilling, Prince Fu gritted his teeth and said these words.

Upon hearing this, the cultivators surprisingly did not have much reaction.

The situation in Nanxiang County, this group of undercover personnel actually knew best.

The Lord of Lingguang Hall was too domineering; he would not allow beings like them to prance around under his nose.

Not having driven them away before was probably just because he hadn't had the chance to act.

Several Spiritual Terrace stage cultivators present, after hearing about the evacuation from Nanxiang County, all secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Since some time ago, after the phantom of a nine-story prison tower flashed in the southeast of Nanxiang County, many cultivators sensitive to danger felt a foreboding of panic and unease rise in their hearts.

A clear voice told them that the days of acting recklessly in Nanxiang County were over.

If they continued to do as they pleased relying on their high cultivation, perhaps spending the rest of their lives in the prison tower would be their final outcome.

"Your Highness."

A Nascent Soul cultivator spoke: "Then should we continue to search for traces of the blessed lands?"

When Prince Fu heard this, the gloom in his eyes grew even denser.

Wutong Forest, Ghost Fire Well, Zhurong Tomb...

The imperial family had discovered these three blessed lands long ago and had secretly made many arrangements.

But what was the outcome?

The imperial family didn't get a single blessed land!

"Continue the search, but shift from the open to the shadows, and reduce the number of personnel accordingly."

As long as Nanxiang County was in imperial hands, even if the imperial family openly searched everywhere for blessed lands, others could say nothing.

But once the Vermilion Army fully takes over Nanxiang County, doing the same would be provoking the Vermilion Army.

After announcing the decision to evacuate Nanxiang County, Prince Fu dismissed the crowd, but later summoned a number of people individually.

The first person Prince Fu met was the current Nanxiang County magistrate, Ji Huaice.

"I will leave the county town in a few days. The Lord of Lingguang Hall has taken Ghost Fire Well, so the many things the imperial family did there certainly cannot be hidden..."

Prince Fu looked at Ji Huaice. This man was his brother-in-law, and he had not hidden many things from him: "Although the imperial family voluntarily gave up Nanxiang County, we cannot just hand it over to the Vermilion Army for nothing. Arrange a group of people to go undercover."

Ji Huaice understood Prince Fu's meaning: "Your Highness, rest assured. This official knows what to do."

Prince Fu patted Ji Huaice on the shoulder: "You are learned and skilled in governance. When I selected you to be Nanxiang County's magistrate, I originally intended to accomplish great things with you. Never expected that now we would have to sneak away with our tails between our legs."

Ji Huaice also felt regret about this: "Brother-in-law... affairs in the world change; today's defeat does not mean there is no chance for a comeback tomorrow."

Prince Fu did not respond to that, only said: "The Vermilion Army has developed too quickly. Many times in management they patch things up only when problems arise. When they take over Nanxiang County, there will surely be many loopholes. This is our opportunity."

Ji Huaice nodded. The officials of the county office and the common people of the county town were all gaps they had inserted.

After meeting Ji Huaice, Prince Fu then met with all the Spiritual Terrace stage cultivators.

To the Spiritual Terrace realm cultivators, Prince Fu was somewhat more polite: "Everyone, the search for the City Lord's Token cannot be interrupted."

The highest-cultivation Spiritual Terrace realm cultivator frowned: "If we continue searching, once the Lingguang Hall Lord discovers us, I'm afraid our lives will be forfeit."

Prince Fu looked over: "The Grand Emperor and the Emperor both know the danger of the Lingguang Hall Lord, so they specifically instructed that during your search for the City Lord's Token, once you sense a crisis, you may withdraw immediately."

Seeing that everyone was silent, Prince Fu sighed: "Are you all truly willing to return empty-handed? The ground beneath our feet is Nanxiang City, one of the top ten powers of the Central Continent!"

As expected, at these words, the expressions of several Spiritual Terrace realm cultivators changed.

Prince Fu continued: "The royal family's promise remains unchanged. As long as you discover traces of the City Lord's Token, after the royal family takes over Nanxiang City, each of you may choose any cave heaven or blessed land within Nanxiang City's jurisdiction as your Dao field."

It was still the same Spiritual Terrace realm cultivator: "We understand Your Highness's meaning. We will do our utmost."

Upon hearing this, Prince Fu forced a smile: "In the struggle for the大势 (overall trend), everyone must contend. Here, I wish you all in advance that you may obtain the Dao fields you desire."

After watching the Spiritual Terrace realm cultivators leave, Prince Fu let out a long breath.

The royal family's ambition for Nanxiang City had a failure rate as high as nine-tenths; the remaining one-tenth chance of success depended on whether heaven would show mercy.

Since the royal family, the greatest power, was preparing to withdraw, it went without saying for the other powers.

Thus, within the county city, many places where cultivators gathered gradually became desolate.

Lihuo Cliff.

Out of respect for the master of artifact forging, and in consideration of the gift of the 'Dharma Robe and Mask,' Hua Changxi took Gongshu Xingyan for a tour around Lihuo Cliff.

After touring Lihuo Cliff, Gongshu Xingyan no longer had any qualms about forging artifacts for the Vermilion Bird Army; he even felt a dizziness as if struck by a pie falling from the sky.

"Hall Lord Hua, can I subdue the Nanming Ancient Flame in the sea of fire at the bottom of the cliff?"

Besides his unique talent for artifact forging, Gongshu Xingyan's cultivation aptitude was also quite high—he not only had a single fire spiritual root but also possessed a fire spiritual body.

For fire spiritual root cultivators, Nanming Lihuo (South Bright Separating Fire) was an absolutely fatal temptation.

Hua Changxi smiled at him: "Without affecting artifact forging, you can give it a try."

She had been able to subdue Nanming Lihuo because she had refined Vermilion Bird blood essence. She didn't know if this was a necessary condition, but what was certain was that Nanming Lihuo, as the Vermilion Bird's natal spirit flame, was definitely not something anyone could control.

Seeing her agreement, Gongshu Xingyan immediately grinned.

Even though he also knew it wasn't easy to subdue Nanming Lihuo, at least he now had the opportunity to try.

Even if he ultimately failed to subdue Nanming Lihuo, the complete artifact forging inheritance of the Vermilion Bird Army alone was an unparalleled opportunity for any artifact forger.

"From now on, you will be responsible for forging the Vermilion Bird Armor. I will assign a group of artifact forgers to follow your orders."

"One hundred thousand sets of Vermilion Bird Armor—I hope you can lead the team to forge them as quickly as possible."

"Come, I'll take you to meet the several supervisors in charge of Lihuo Cliff."

When the artifact forgers of the Vermilion Bird Army and the group of Yuan Xing, Duan Yue, and Tang Yuyuan realized that the person standing beside Hua Changxi was the legendary artifact forging master Gongshu Xingyan, their eyes nearly popped out.

Among them, Yuan Xing reacted the most.

Back when he was captured and brought to Lihuo Cliff, to gain Hua Changxi's attention, Yuan Xing had merely mentioned Gongshu Xingyan's name in front of her. Who would have thought that Hua Changxi actually rescued him from the Nine Nether Ghost Realm Fort?

Seeing the admiration in everyone's eyes, Gongshu Xingyan lifted his chin in great self-satisfaction.

However, thinking that Song Weimin initially had over three hundred subordinates under him, while Hua Changxi showed no intention of making him the head of Lihuo Cliff, he felt somewhat displeased.

"My artifact forging skill is far superior to these people."

"These people should all be completely under my command."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "Having excellent artifact forging technique does not mean you possess the ability to manage people. If you want everyone to obey you, it depends on whether you can make them willingly submit."

Was this letting him act on his own?

Hearing what he wanted, Gongshu Xingyan immediately shut up.

As for Hua Changxi, whether she ceded the Ghost Fire Token to Jing Sheng or directly delegated authority to Song Weimin to govern Nanxiang County, it was clear she was not someone who clung to power.

If he truly had the ability to make the people of Lihuo Cliff willingly submit, there was no reason for Hua Changxi not to let him govern Lihuo Cliff.

Thinking of this, Gongshu Xingyan grew excited. And recalling how Hua Changxi had readily ceded the Ghost Fire Well, perhaps, maybe, possibly, one day he could become the master of Lihuo Cliff?

One hundred thousand sets of Vermilion Bird Armor, right?

He absolutely had to show off his skills and let Hua Changxi see what a true genius refining master was!