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Chapter 480: Presenting the Captives

"You did well," the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner praised, nodding in approval. "If someone had died within the walls of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau, our reputation would have taken a hit."

When did it become "our" reputation... Chu Liang silently grumbled to himself. I haven\'t even seen a single penny from you as payment for the work I\'ve done.

Standing beside Chu Liang was Jiang Yuebai, her expression composed. She had just returned from investigating the situation at Black Pine Ridge and now had to report her findings to the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner since she was still officially handling the case on behalf of the bureau.

"This matter..." the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner muttered, his expression darkening as he listened to Jiang Yuebai\'s account.

The annihilation of a major sect was not a small matter. Incidents of such a heinous nature hadn\'t been seen in the nine provinces for quite some time.

The last time something like this occurred was over a decade ago, during the Jiang Family\'s annihilation. When the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner thought about this, he glanced briefly at Jiang Yuebai and chose not to bring it up.

Instead, he said, "This matter is indeed perplexing, and there are still hidden truths that need to be uncovered. Miss Jiang, your swift capture of the key points shows remarkable talent. How would you feel about working with the Imperial Supervisory Bureau for a period in the future?"

Chu Liang smiled upon hearing this. This old man truly never misses a chance to recruit people.

"Let\'s wait until Chu Liang\'s matter is resolved first," Jiang Yuebai replied calmly.

"It should be soon," the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner said. "After this incident, the Red River Sect should realize that this case is far from simple. They probably won\'t hold him responsible anymore. In a few days, even if there are no further developments, he can leave."

That would be great, Chu Liang thought, a flicker of delight crossing his face as he heard the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner\'s words.

He said, "Sir, having received your teachings these few days, I\'m almost reluctant to leave."

"After you’ve represented Mount Shu in the Assembly of Immortal Sects, you’re welcome to stay as long as you wish," the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner replied. "The capital of Yu is far more vibrant than those secluded immortal sects of yours; it\'s the perfect place for young people to mingle and thrive."

"Indeed," Chu Liang said as he glanced out the window. "I heard quite a commotion early this morning. It’s not a festival, so what could they be bustling about?"

"Tomorrow is the day when the East Sea General presents captives in the capital of Yu. The citizens have been preparing to line the streets for the welcome," the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner explained. "After that, there will be a grand court assembly in the palace, which I will attend. For today, handle the documents from various places. When you are done with them, place them here, and I will review them when I am back."

"..." Chu Liang was inwardly shouting a string of curses, but he still managed to keep a warm smile on his face. He replied calmly, "Alright."

"Don\'t worry." The Imperial Supervisory Commissioner smiled as well. "I won’t let your efforts these past days go unrewarded. Here, these are for you."

As he spoke, he raised his hand, casting out two beams of light.

Chu Liang and Jiang Yuebai each caught one, revealing two identical pieces of jade in their palms. The jade was smooth and lustrous, warm to the touch, and brimming with spiritual energy—enchanted tools, without a doubt.

"What is this?" Chu Liang asked.

"These two pieces of jade are called the United Hearts Jade," the Commissioner explained. "With these, two people can communicate their thoughts across thousands of li through the domain within the jade. I thought they would make the perfect gift for you two."

"United Hearts Jade..." Jiang Yuebai murmured, her gaze lowering slightly.

Chu Liang, however, casually slipped the jade into his chest pocket and flashed a warm, innocent smile. "This is truly too much... I feel so embarrassed to accept the gift."

...

Once everything was settled, Jiang Yuebai set off to return.

After seeing her off, Chu Liang went back to the office of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau to continue his tasks. Now that he had received some benefits, his attitude toward the work assigned to him had completely changed.

Previously, Imperial Supervisory Commissioner Qi Yingxuan had been more than satisfied with Chu Liang\'s work efficiency. But now, he was stunned to realize that Chu Liang had only been using half of his potential before. With his current speed, even the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner—who was no stranger to witnessing genius—was left in awe.

"Haha," the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner chuckled. "If you keep honing yourself like this for a while longer, I might as well hand over the position of Imperial Supervisory Commissioner to you."

Chu Liang simply replied with a calm smile, "That would come at a different price."

The reason he was working at full throttle was simple—he wanted to finish his tasks quickly so he could finally use the United Hearts Jade.

As his divine sense delved into the jade, a lush green space unfolded before him, shimmering like emerald waves.

This object worked on a principle similar to the Soul Subjugator Token he had confiscated earlier, though it was much more advanced. Naturally, he used it with ease. With just a thought, words began to form within the space.

[Chu Liang]: "Have you arrived? Rest for a bit after landing, no need to rush. Take care of your health."

[Jiang Yuebai]: "Arrived, busy now, will talk later."

[Chu Liang]: "..."

Since Senior Sister Jiang was busy, Chu Liang chose not to disturb her further. He wandered around the headquarters of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau for a while. Though stepping outside the gates was inconvenient, no one here kept a close watch on him, so he was free to take in the scenery from where he stood.

The headquarters of the Imperial Supervisory Bureau was located near the imperial city, a place seldom visited by ordinary folk. The broad street out front usually lay empty, save for the occasional official carriages and horses passing through during court assemblies.

But today was different.

Outside, countless passersby bustled back and forth, busy setting up something. It seemed preparations were in full swing, likely in anticipation of the East Sea General’s arrival to present the captives, just as the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner had mentioned earlier.

This was no small affair for the Yu Dynasty; it was a significant event. Chu Liang had already heard whispers about it during the banquets over the past few days.

The situation in the East Sea had always been complex, and the captives to be presented this time were from the Roupu Kingdom of the East Sea.

Although the nine provinces fell under the rule of the Yu Dynasty, it was not the only nation in existence. The Western Regions alone had thirty-six nations, and after centuries of conflict and war, their numbers had only grown. The seas in all directions—east, south, west, and north—were dotted with countless islands ruled by different kingdoms, some of them as vast as an entire province.

Yet, as long as they were ruled by humans, they were required to revere the Yu Dynasty as the imperial power, paying tribute and allegiance year after year. In times of natural disasters or calamities, the Yu Dynasty would also extend its protection to its vassal states..

Things would have remained peaceful. Yet, turmoil had begun brewing in the East Sea, and at the root of this chaos was the rise of the Fuyao Kingdom.

The Fuyao Kingdom was originally home to local natives who, two thousand years ago, still lived a primitive lifestyle. However, this was a region with a mild climate, fertile land, and an abundance of spiritual qi. Whenever war and chaos erupted in the land of the nine provinces, countless people would cross the sea to seek refuge there.

Over time, these migrants integrated with the local natives, forming a unique society of their own. More than a thousand years ago, the people of sixteen islands united and established a kingdom, naturally preparing to pay tribute and allegiance to the dynasty of that era.

This happened before the rise of the Yu Dynasty. During the era of the former dynasty, the united sixteen islands had become the largest nation outside its borders. The largest of these islands in the Fuyao Kingdom was as big as an entire province. At the time, the former dynasty grew wary of their unification and refused to recognize the islands as a single kingdom, insisting that they establish themselves as separate entities instead.

This clashed with the islands\' ambitions at the time. After decades of effort, they finally secured the most powerful backing they could find—Penglai.

Although the immortal sects maintained close ties with the dynasty of the nine provinces, their allegiance lay with humanity as a whole, not just the ruling dynasty. In fact, to prevent imperial authority from growing too powerful, the sects with sufficient influence would often lend their support to smaller nations.

For instance, the Celestial King Sect, Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals, and Endless Sword Sect among the Divine Nine Sects, as well as the Night Saber Sect of the Terrestrial Ten, all secretly shared a deep connection with certain nations.

After all, the allegiance and tribute these smaller countries could offer were things the mighty dynasty could never provide.

The islands of Fuyao pledged to recognize the Penglai Supreme Sect as their nation\'s guiding religious authority, offering all their resources and talent to Penglai whenever needed. In other words, they fully embraced Penglai\'s rules as their own.

And just as they had hoped, this devout allegiance earned them the strong support of Penglai, ultimately leading to the successful establishment of the Fuyao Kingdom.

For the next thousand years, the two sides maintained a relationship of mutual support and loyalty, much like that of a kind father and an obedient son.

Back then, Penglai had yet to attain the status of the foremost immortal sect it holds today, and the Fuyao Kingdom was merely an emerging power. Yet, over time, both grew stronger, complementing one another.

Today, the Penglai Supreme Sect stood as the foremost immortal sect, and the Fuyao Kingdom reigned over the East Sea, its dominance in the region firmly established. Yet, it continued to pay tribute and allegiance to the Yu Dynasty. This had never changed.

But just because the Fuyao Kingdom showed no signs of rebellion on the surface did not mean it wasn’t quietly scheming in the shadows.

Just over a decade ago, the Roupu Kingdom of the East Sea declared that it would no longer pay tribute to the Yu Dynasty, instead choosing to acknowledge the Fuyao Kingdom as its ruling authority.

As a small island in the East Sea, calling the Roupu Kingdom\'s territory a "tiny speck" would be an understatement, if not an outright insult to tiny specks.

The few fish it offered in tribute each year were hardly worth the Yu Dynasty’s attention. However, if such an unfavorable precedent went unaddressed, what would happen if other neighboring vassal states decided to follow suit in the future?

Thus, the court dispatched a seventh-realm Eminent One as an envoy to confront and rebuke them. Given how small the Roupu Kingdom was, this so-called "envoy" could strip off his outer robe to reveal the insignia of "General of the Eastern Expedition" beneath if the questioning did not go as the Yu Dynasty hoped. The envoy would become the general leading the army to punish the rebellious Roupu Kingdom.

It wouldn\'t be difficult for a seventh-realm envoy to destroy this small kingdom.

However, when he arrived, the Roupu Kingdom received him with utmost sincerity and respect.

The Roupu Kingdom subtly pointed out that they were separated from the land of the nine provinces by a vast ocean, yet only a short boat ride away from the Fuyao Kingdom. They hinted that they lived entirely at Fuyao’s mercy, with no choice but to obey its commands. Between the lines, it was more than clear that everything was dictated by the will of the Fuyao Kingdom.

The Yu Dynasty had expected this, but dealing with the Fuyao Kingdom was not as simple as handling the Roupu Kingdom. After all, the Fuyao Kingdom had a formidable military and had the support of Penglai. It was much more challenging to subdue the Fuyao Kingdom.

As for the Roupu Kingdom...

Even if they wiped it out and sent troops to occupy the land, the annual yield of two fish wouldn\'t be enough to cover the military expenses.

And so, the matter of the Roupu Kingdom was temporarily shelved.

Naturally, the tension between the Yu Dynasty and the Fuyao Kingdom in the East Sea only escalated from that point onward, and it has persisted ever since.

But recently, news of the Demon God\'s return began to spread like wildfire across the nine provinces and the four seas.

People that lived near the borders of the Western Regions started migrating inland, and countless citizens of the small kingdoms there fled to the Yu Dynasty in search of refuge.

Amid this, chaos erupted within the Yu Dynasty itself. Strange incidents occurred one after another, and the air grew heavy with resentment.

In such troubled times, nothing could divert this brewing discontent and boost the people\'s morale quite like a war against an external enemy.

At this moment, the small island of Roupu, the sole kingdom among the four seas that was no longer paying tribute to the Yu Dynasty, naturally caught the attention of the imperial court.

The officials within the court exchanged sinister, hee-hee-hee laughter as their eyes turned toward Roupu Kingdom.

When the Roupu Kingdom stopped paying tribute over a decade ago, hardly any of the Yu Dynasty\'s citizens took notice. After all, the effect on their daily lives was nothing more than a noble’s dining table missing a single fish. Who would care about such a trivial matter?

However, with the court\'s deliberate propaganda, the matter spread like wildfire within days, as though it had only just occurred. The situation with the Roupu Kingdom was elevated to a direct challenge against the dignity of the Yu Dynasty.

How dare such a tiny speck of a nation act so audaciously?

Amidst public outrage, His Majesty the Emperor made a sweeping decision. With a wave of his hand, he appointed General Wu Anmin as the East Sea General.

With thirty thousand elite soldiers, ten towering ships, and several Eminent Ones under his command, Wu Anmin charged straight toward Roupu Kingdom.

Though the Roupu Kingdom was small, its people responded with surprising tenacity.

Their first move? A swift and decisive wave of surrender. What could the Yu Dynasty possibly do now?

In fact, they had already surrendered long before Wu Anmin and his troops even set foot on their shores.

As the East Sea General approached the borders with his vast army, he was met with an unexpected sight.

There, on the beach, a large crowd of Roupu citizens knelt, led by their king. Each had already packed up their belongings, with a small bundle strapped to their back.

They had even laid out the few pieces of gold, silver, and other valuables on the side, offering them up as travel expenses for the army.

It was as if they were saying, "No need to lift a finger. All the valuables are right here."

They were so well-behaved that it made one\'s heart ache for them.

Wu Anmin couldn\'t even bring himself to accept these funds.

You toil under the scorching sun year-round just to sell a few fish. How much could you possibly earn? Just keep it for yourselves, he thought. But you all still have to come with me, he added. The Yu Dynasty needs a grand ceremony of presenting captives to lift public morale. I am sorry for the trouble.