Chapter 908: Duke's Domain

Blue Pond City.

At noon, three of the largest magical airships came from the eastern sky, moving swiftly and growing larger in view; the city's residents saw a huge square banner hanging on the middle airship, embroidered with a double-headed eagle.

It is the Empire flag, the sign of the Consul's travel.

The Consul has arrived!

Pedestrians on the street stopped, looking up at the magical airships; excitement and awe filled their faces, and many rushed to spread the news.

The airships quickly entered the city's sky.

Those with sharp eyes saw rows of Transcendents in fine armor standing on the deck, weapons in hand, heavily on guard, exuding a formidable aura; each wore a double-headed eagle medal on the chest, displaying their rank—Rick Guard!

"Consul, sir."

Lei En stepped out of the cabin, and amid the synchronized salutes of the guards on the deck, stood at the front edge of the deck, looking down at the city below.

All that his eyes could see were his own lands and subjects.

Blue Pond City is the largest city of Ousian Province—now renamed "Ousian Duke's Domain"—built along a great river; its west‑to‑east district stretches like a ribbon, with mountains to the north and south, and a long valley cutting north‑to‑south, making the whole city resemble a huge "X".

Naturally, the junction of the river and valley is the city center of Blue Pond City, where the provincial Governor's Office stands.

Looking westward is the endless Seine Plateau.

Over a hundred li away on the plateau, between mountain ranges stretching hundreds or even thousands of li, lies a massive lake.

Even from such a distance, the sparkling surface reflects sunlight into the sky, casting a crystal‑blue hue that gives the illusion of a huge mirror set in the high mountains, hence the name "Heavenly Pool Lake".

It is called a lake, yet up close it feels like a sea.

"The largest inland lake in the world, truly lives up to its name!" Lei En exclaimed.

A moment later.

The magical airships slowed their speed and descended; the engineer captain precisely landed them on the open ground of the Governor's Office.

The three airships lined up in a row.

A large number of officials and guards had already been waiting on the ground, their eyes fixed on the central airship, but the side airships' doors opened first.

Bang! Bang! Bang…

Heavy footsteps seemed to tread on people's hearts, and then dozens of Transcendent warriors in blue armor disembarked.

Encased in fortress‑like metal armor, their faces hidden, their towering 2.5‑meter frames and the tremor‑inducing aura reminded everyone at the Governor's Office of these Transcendent warriors' identity.

Extreme Warrior Corps!

Following the disembarkation of the Extreme Warriors came five hundred knights riding bronze warhorses; their armor glimmered with holy light, they bore peculiar soul spears, long swords at their waists, and rode their mounts into the air, forming a net that surrounded the Governor's Office.

The other airship released a large contingent of dwarves, some in armor wielding warhammers and shields—clearly dwarf warriors—while many wore craftsman attire.

Finally, the central airship opened its doors.

The Rick Guard disembarked, its leading knight bearing a long spear and square banner; the cavalry spread out on the ground, forming rows.

Such display and grandeur let the remote people of Ousian Province witness the Empire Consul's majesty.

Everyone present felt awe, their eyes fixed on the airship doors, filled with anticipation.

Amid the crowd's expectation, a tall figure appeared before them.

He looked very young, perhaps just over twenty, his upright frame clad in fitted mithril armor, a strange long sword at his waist, a blood‑red great cloak draped behind, a faint smile on his face that made people feel instantly friendly and greatly fond of him.

Empire Consul!

The youngest Holy Soul Wizard in history, the lord of Ousian Province, the Gold Emblem Duke!

He was as young and handsome as the newspaper photo, and as formidable as the rumors described; though not a single breath escaped him, the Transcendents' keen perception and instinct caused an inexplicable dread in the crowd, prompting them to glance up then bow their heads.

Lei En strode down from the airship, seeing a crowd of people standing on the ground, a sea of black.

At the head stood a tall, thin middle‑aged man; his Soul Eye showed him to be a level‑19 Shadow Assassin, having reached Legendary Peak, with considerable strength, dressed in black formal attire, two medals on his chest representing two different identities.

Imperial Senator and Provincial Governor.

Lei En recognized the man as Governor Mo Seli'ao of Ousian Province, though they had never met, as Mo Seli'ao belonged to the Balance faction.

"Greetings, Consul!"

Mo Seli'ao loudly saluted, leading the half‑kneel.

Behind him, officials and Transcendent guards of the Governor's Office, as well as mayors and chief officials from four other cities, and the upper echelons of Blue Pond City, all bowed together, then shouted, "Greetings, Consul!"

"Governor, no need for formalities," Lei En replied gently, "Everyone, please stand."

"Yes."

Mo Seli'ao quickly rose, stepped forward two paces and said, "Sir, I once had a brief encounter with you at the Temple of Truth, but unfortunately could not hear your teachings face‑to‑face. Now that you have arrived in Blue Pond City, I finally have the fortune to make up for that regret—truly a blessing of the goddess!"

Lei En smiled without replying; since becoming Consul, he could see through such flattery.

"I dare not accept your teachings, Governor, you are older than I," Lei En still offered the courtesy, "I also thank you for casting a vote for me in the Imperial Council."

"It is my lifelong honor to vote for you," Mo Seli'ao said, a look of pride on his face.

Lei En halted the small talk, his gaze shifting to the crowd behind Mo Seli'ao, "Governor, please introduce them to me."

"Very well."

Mo Seli'ao introduced each of Ousian Province's chief officials and upper‑class figures one by one.

In fact, before arriving, Lei En had sent people to gather dossiers, roughly mastering Ousian's various forces; now meeting them in person, he matched each to the information in his mind.

Each person before Lei En was extremely respectful, greeting him with smiles.

Yet the Soul Eye saw beneath their smiles some were nervous, some trembling, some indifferent merely putting on a show, and even some cold, harboring hostility toward him but unwilling to reveal it.

They are the vested interests of Ousian Province; now the whole province has become a private domain, so some people's interests will be harmed.

Usually the strong dragon does not crush the local snake.

But I am a great dragon, and they are merely small snakes in the grass; crushing them is no harder than crushing ants.

Lei En kept these hostile people in mind; Ousian Province is his domain, and he will not tolerate any troublemakers.

Anyone who dares to rise, be they demon or snake spirit, will be dealt with mercilessly, all eliminated.

The Ousi'an has just become my Duke Domain.

Lei En stood before the crowd and said calmly, "I am new here and not yet familiar with the territory. You have been in Ousi'an for many years; my governance of the domain cannot do without your help, so I will be relying on you from now on."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare…"

"As long as the Duke gives a word, we will never shirk."

"We unconditionally obey the Consul's will!"

The crowd quickly voiced their support; someone pounded his chest so loudly it rattled the heavens, and added a few over‑the‑top compliments. Lei En kept watching with his Soul Eye, seeing that most were eager to please, but some spoke insincerely, harboring hostility toward him.

Lei En sneered inwardly, his tone suddenly turning cold: "To be blunt, I have great expectations for the Ousi'an Duke Domain, intending to make it a development pilot and later spread it throughout the Empire. Soon, the Ousi'an Duke Domain will undergo even larger changes; everything is moving in a good direction."

"If anyone dares to say one thing and do another, to set traps behind my back, once I discover it, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

As he spoke, a terrifying aura swept across.

The crowd on the open ground felt the Consul's cold words, their souls trembling, and the whole scene fell silent as if chilled by cicadas.

The strongest, Governor Mo Seliao, also bowed his head, daring not to utter a sound.

"Everyone, disperse."

Lei En waved his hand; the crowd didn't linger a second and hurried away. Governor Mo Seliao, unable to leave, forced himself to say, "Sir, may I give you a tour of the Governor's Residence?"

"What a trouble, Governor."

Lei En's face brightened again, letting Mo Seliao breathe a sigh of relief, and he bowed, "Please, let me follow you."

The Governor's Residence spanned a vast area; besides a five‑story office building, there were seven or eight other structures scattered around and several courtyards, serving both as the officials' residences and as a barracks for a Transcendent Army of roughly two thousand guards.

This Transcendent Army was, of course, far weaker than the Empire's legions, with an average rank below two levels, poor weapons and gear, and was called the "Ousi'an Security Squad."

They answered to the Governor, handling city security and border patrols.

Ousi'an also has four cities; their population, economy, and size are all less than Qingtan City, but they still field a number of security squads, bringing the province's Transcendent Guard to nearly four thousand.

Now Ousi'an has become Lei En's Duke Domain.

According to the rules, all officials, citizens, and the entire Transcendent Security Squad in the domain belong to Lei En; he may freely appoint officials, ennoble lower‑rank nobles, collect taxes himself, and bear all administrative expenses.

But there is one exception: the provincial Governor.

The position is appointed by the Empire's Consul; once a province becomes a Duke Domain, the Governor role disappears.

To the others in Ousi'an, it may seem merely a nominal change of duke, but for the Governor it is a colossal loss.

The Governor is a high‑ranking official who dominates the province, wielding power, personnel, and wealth!

His authority is practically on par with a duke's.

When Ousi'an became a Duke Domain, the Governor lost everything.

During the tour of the Governor's Residence, Lei En kept watching Mo Seliao with his Soul Eye; outwardly the man was very respectful, speaking openly even about secret matters, yet he hid deep frustration, resentment, and a slight grudge over losing his authority.

Lei En could understand Mo Seliao's feelings.

If it were him, a sudden newcomer snatching away everything he owned, with such high prestige and a power gap that he lacked the courage to resist, would have no choice but to accept this path.

Earlier, when Mo Seliao introduced Ousi'an's higher‑ups, Lei En saw that this Governor held great local prestige.

From the Q&A, Lei En also observed that Mo Seliao's abilities were impressive and his character upright.

His own prior covert investigation found that Ousi'an Province's assessment of the Governor was good, ranking him among the top provincial Governors in the Empire.

For such talent, Lei En was not stingy about offering an opportunity.

In an instant, in the spacious top‑floor office of the Governor's Residence, Lei En sat in the seat that had belonged to Mo Seliao, while Mo Seliao stood across the desk, hands bound, awaiting the judgment of fate.

"Mo Seliao," Lei En asked, "How long have you been in Ousi'an?"

"Thirty‑three years."

Lei En nodded; serving as a provincial Governor for so many years revealed Mo Seliao's capability, and he asked, "Your family is all in Qingtan City, right?"

"Yes, sir," Mo Seliao said, his heart tightening, yet he answered truthfully.

"Your clan is rooted in Ousi'an, your career and interests are all here. Now I have stripped you of everything; will you hate me?" Lei En asked with a teasing tone.

Mo Seliao jumped in shock, waved his hands repeatedly, and forced a bitter smile, "How could I dare to hate you! Sir, you are the Empire's Consul and a Holy Soul Wizard of the Supreme Council; even if you gave me a hundred more courage, I would not utter a single grievance."

"Really not at all?" Lei En stared at him.

"At first I was indeed unwilling," Mo Seliao hesitated then mustered courage, "Just the day before yesterday I went to Flaniss Floating City to request an audience with the Duke, but he did not see me, only having Master Oti Luk send a message, telling me to wait calmly."

He sighed, "Actually I understand the situation well; even if the Duke were willing to see me, there would be no solution, so I accepted."

"I plan to finish the handover to you, then move my family to Longpis."

Longpis is Tim*Kenan's Duke Domain and the city where Flaniss Floating City is located.

The Soul Eye saw that everything Mo Seliao said was true.

Lei En stared at Mo Seliao for a few seconds without speaking; the inexplicable pressure made cold sweat bead on his forehead. Suddenly he heard Lei En say, "I now give you two options: First, the Governor position of Sulan Ye Province has just become vacant; I can appoint you Governor of Sulan Ye as compensation…"

Mo Seliao couldn't help but feel ecstatic.

Sulan Ye Province borders Ousi'an Province, lying just east of Ousi'an; its area is more than three times larger and its population reaches thirty million. Since Governor Herts fell in Banbei City, countless people in the Empire have coveted that governorship, never expecting it to fall to me.

Moreover, Sulan Ye Province is also within Duke GreyEagle's sphere of influence.

Further east of Sulan Ye lies the Longpis Duke Domain; being originally a neutral party, the Duke will surely support this appointment.

Mo Seliao almost agreed immediately, but he barely restrained himself from speaking.

He continued listening to Lei En: "Or, you may stay in Qingtan City, but you can no longer serve as Governor. I will appoint you as the steward of the Ousi'an Duke Domain, assisting me in governing the territory, albeit temporarily; your future promotion will depend on your performance."

Having finished, Lei En waited for Mo Seliao's response.

He was willing to give Mo Seliao a chance; beyond his ability and familiarity with Ousi'an, Lei En also valued his personal talent.

Mo Seliao is a Legendary Peak Shadow Assassin, but at just over a hundred years old he is relatively young, with a great chance to break through the Saint Rank and become King of Shadows!

If he helped him, perhaps he would ascend within a few years.

Of course, the prerequisite is choosing to stay.

After hearing the two options, Mo Seliao's joy gave way to a hesitant expression.

He had served as governor for over thirty years; although it was a poor border province, he paid close attention to the upper echelons of the Empire, knowing full well how great Lei En's power and influence in the Empire now were—surpassing all previous Consuls, almost the master of the Empire!

Many people wanted to cling to Lei En's thigh but had no chance.

But staying would mean breaking with the Balance Faction; his current strength and status are largely due to his own efforts, yet also inseparable from the support of Flaniss Floating City. Suddenly having to draw a clear line with the Balance Faction, whether from his character or personal feelings, he could not accept it at once.

Once he leaves, there's no turning back.

Mo Se Lidun suddenly recalled his encounter the day before in Flaniss Floating City, feeling somewhat gloomy; evidently, in the eyes of Title: Duke, he carried little weight.

Perhaps it's time to choose another path; I cannot miss this rare opportunity!

His hesitation vanished quickly; he bowed to Lei En and loudly said, "Mo Se Li Ao greets Title: Duke!"

(End of chapter)