Big Data Cultivation

Prefectural Governor Zhao understood immediately; the military was causing trouble again... arbitrarily tormenting the locals.

He didn't support such behavior from the military, but how to put it? It really is sometimes hard to control.

In Fushan County, the real head of the military was the Governor-General, while the Prefectural Governor could only command troops.

Governor Zhao really wanted a military force he could command like an arm, but that was impossible.

Now he heard that the military actually had the audacity to requisition things from Mount Zhige, and quite a bit; he really... felt like killing someone!

He didn't actually know the specific situation within, but he believed the military truly dared to do such things.

However, he was aware of the delicate situation on Mount Zhige at the time, where the Immortals were resisting, the Qi-Refining Practitioners were resisting, and the Martial Cultivators below were also resisting—affecting a very, very large number of factions.

And the military itself was "reckless," representing the official government and being a violent institution. Ignoring demands and rushing forward was normal.

But this reckless move must have thoroughly angered Feng Jun—a group of mortals, daring to requisition Immortal belongings?

Speaking of this, Governor Zhao felt he couldn't explain himself.

So he could only plead, "Mountain Master Feng, I'll give you twenty times the wealth, please don't make me kneel, it would be a loss of dignity."

"Is the dignity of Immortals not dignity?" Feng Jun asked with a cold laugh, "Do I not want to save face?"

Governor Zhao had already decided to disregard his pride, but he really didn't expect to face such harsh conditions, kneeling at the mountain gate of Mount Zhige for ten days—what would that become? "Mountain Master Feng, can't we change the condition?"

"Change the condition? Sure," Feng Jun grinned, his snow-white teeth gleaming in the air, "You can take all your sincerity away, I don't mind... but remember to dissolve your clan."

Governor Zhao's jaw trembled fiercely, "If I want to change the condition, you want to kill my whole family?"

"It's not like that," Feng Jun shook his head, speaking sternly, "Changing the condition might only kill you; if you take away everything you brought, then I'd kill your whole family, though I'm meticulous in my actions and would give your family a day to escape... two days are also possible."

Governor Zhao kept his head low, silent.

Feng Jun couldn't be bothered with him and turned to look at the county magistrate surnamed Ruan, "So bold of you, your predecessor Magistrate Han always maintained a good relationship with Mount Zhige, and yet you dare come to my territory to collect fees... what were you thinking?"

Since being captured, Magistrate Ruan had been in a state of daze, seeing the dignified Prefectural Governor kneeling like that, his heart was dead, and when Feng Jun asked him, he didn't speak in a daze.

Seeing this, Feng Jun didn't want to wait for him and gestured, "Hang him at the mountain gate."

"Wait," Magistrate Ruan finally snapped back, kneeling on the ground and wailing loudly, "This was the intention of my superiors, I am just a minor magistrate, I dare not resist."

"Bah!" The Magistrate was annoyed, spitting fiercely, "Did I instruct you to do this?"

Feng Jun cast a cold glance at him, "It's not your turn to speak yet, huh?"

The Magistrate immediately fell silent. He had invited Deng Yifu to testify, there would basically be no big problems, and with a basic guarantee, why stir up trouble for no reason?

Magistrate Ruan continued to wail loudly, weeping bitterly, "I am just a minor magistrate, how dare I offend the Immortal Family? I am wrong, but I am not the instigator."

Feng Jun looked at him coldly, waiting a while before speaking, "Are you finished?"

"I am willing to atone!" Magistrate Ruan sobbed while shouting, "Sincerity, sincerity... I have sincerity!"

"Forget about your sincerity," Feng Jun gestured dismissively, speaking coolly, "So many people have died, at least one official should die... hang him at the mountain gate."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Ruan screamed desperately, "Spare me, I also have ancestral treasures at home, willing to offer them."

Elder Liao Brother had already extended his hand and glanced at Feng Jun after hearing this.

"I don't care about his treasures," Feng Jun shook his head, "Return to his home, retrieve them if you can find them, otherwise just kill."

Magistrate Ruan cried out, "What crime has my family committed, Immortal Family..."

Yet before he finished shouting, Elder Liao Brother raised his hand and seized the person, turning away.

Feng Jun then turned to look at the Magistrate.

The Magistrate was initially confident he had no issues but shivered as he saw the gaze directed his way. Then he slowly spoke, "I have never taken any action against Mount Zhige nor issued any orders; I haven't even approved relevant documents."

Then he turned his head to Deng Yifu, "Elder Deng can testify."

"So it was all my doing alone?" Prefectural Governor Zhao couldn't help but shout, knowing that Magistrate Ruan was doomed, and he couldn't let the Magistrate off easily. "Don't try to make yourself look good. Pretending to be ill to avoid duties is always an option, isn't it?"

The Magistrate's face darkened at these words, "Prefectural Governor Zhao, I respect you as my superior, but let me ask you, didn't I try to dissuade you?"

Prefectural Governor Zhao sneered, "You call that dissuasion?"

The Magistrate turned to Feng Jun, "I didn't agree with attacking Mount Zhige from the beginning, but I couldn't change the Governor's mind, so I could only turn a blind eye. When it got pressing, I had to feign illness, truly ashamed."

Feng Jun nodded slightly, speaking expressionlessly, "I am aware of what you said. You indeed bore no malice towards Mount Zhige, but that doesn't excuse your inaction... As the master of this land, my legitimate rights were not protected by the official government. Do you think just saying you are ashamed is enough?"

The Magistrate wanted to say, with superiors and subordinates conspiring together, how could I protect your rights? Turning a blind eye was already good enough.

But he didn't dare say this official way of thinking to Feng Jun, so he solemnly nodded, "Mountain Master Feng is absolutely right. I indeed did wrong and am willing to offer compensation for it."

Feng Jun nodded slightly, not speaking, just looking at him.

In fact, he could understand the Magistrate's mindset; after all, in the Earth Realm, there were countless articles describing bureaucratic and workplace culture. However, at this moment, he couldn't allow the other party to brush over this causality lightly and had to demonstrate the strength of Mount Zhige.

After all, what he requested was also justified.

The Magistrate felt uncomfortable. He had never intended to compensate, even entertaining thoughts of claiming credit.

Now, compelled by circumstances, saying the word "compensation" left him with mixed emotions—I hadn't even thought about what to compensate with.

But he was clever enough and quickly thought of a way to compensate without personal expense, "North of Mount Zhige, there's a large area of forest and plain, approximately ten miles around, which Qingning Prefecture can allocate to Mountain Master Feng."

"Hmm?" Feng Jun raised his eyelids, looking at him in surprise, slightly tempted, "An unconditional allocation?"

His territory was just this not-so-large peak of Mount Zhige; north of the mountain, in those forests and plains, not many people resided. Even if they did, they were mostly hidden households, like Lang Zhen's family at Small Lake Village in the past.

Under that uninhabited land, there were actually some Destiny Stones, because the remnants of Mount Zhige extended underground. It wasn't that the mountain range completely disappeared as soon as it left the Zhige Mountain Area.

Previously, Feng Jun hadn't paid excessive attention there because he hadn't yet fully mined the Destiny Stones in the mountains and didn't need to worry about so much for the time being. However, if someone was willing to give it for free, he was naturally willing to accept it with pleasure.

"Of course, a free allocation," the Magistrate smiled slightly. This was within his jurisdiction, able to be generous at public expense without shouldering the costs himself, which pleased him greatly, "Since the Zhige County Magistrate position is currently vacant, I'll arrange for someone to handle it directly."

Yet another government cliché, and Feng Jun truly looked down on this Magistrate a bit. But regardless of his feelings, the official dialogue was objectively present. Its existence was reasonable, and moreover, he was benefiting from it. To be fussy at this point would be immature.

So, he nodded, "Alright, I'll have Elder Deng oversee this matter. If it goes through, I'll let it pass this time."

The Magistrate finally breathed a secret sigh of relief, thinking that Mountain Master Feng indeed deserved to be a genuine Immortal Family member, someone who could be reasoned with.

Just then, a distant, miserable shriek carried over. Everyone turned their heads and noticed a pole seven or eight yards tall erected on the Big Stone at the mountain gate, with a person hanging from it, struggling in the wind.

In a flash, Elder Liao Brother returned, speaking casually, "Mountain Master, I took the liberty of letting him scream for seven days and nights before he can die. I think doing so shows that Mount Zhige cannot be easily insulted."

"Hmm," Feng Jun nodded, feeling Elder Liao Brother's actions aligned well with his own thoughts, "Consider it a way to vent your frustration."

"Mountain Master Feng," Prefectural Governor Zhao spoke, his face pale, "I can also allocate a large area of land to you."

He had just been contemplating whether to kneel or not when he saw Magistrate Ruan hung on the pole, reportedly to die in seven days and nights. How could he dare to have any illusions?

Moreover, he loathed the Magistrate's cunning—taking the Imperial Court's resources to ingratiate yourself. Do you have any shame?

Then he quickly decided: if you can do it, so can I. I am, after all, a prefectural governor with more land under my authority.

Feng Jun, however, looked at him oddly, "I already have large tracts of land in the Cultivation World. Do you think I'm in need of land?"

"I..." Prefectural Governor Zhao's face turned ever paler—did he flatter the wrong way?

The Magistrate looked at him disdainfully, "Governor, the only reason I gave Mountain Master Feng a tract of land ten miles around is because that's the boundary of my Qingning Prefecture. Which land are you thinking of giving? It's best to clarify."

While this sounded like a mockery of the Prefectural Governor, it was actually a reminder. The Magistrate and the leader had a strained relationship, and if possible, he would also like to ease the conflict between them.

Prefectural Governor Zhao instantly understood and nodded continuously, "Yes, Zi Yi understands me. I'm just allocating this adjacent land."

Cultivators might not care about land, but connected lands should still be of interest, right?

At least there's no need to send out a separate team to manage it.

However, in the next moment, he looked at the Magistrate and asked, somewhat awkwardly, "Zi Yi, which prefecture is next door?"