With a flourish that was almost theatrical, the Guan Clan head slid to the front—nearly ending in a kneeling skid.
Before Wang Yu could speak, he declared, "City Lord, these are the Guan Clan's next-generation prodigies."
"Guan Yingdong, Guan Yingxue—come greet your future master."
From behind his rotund figure stepped a pair of twin sisters, dressed in matching ivory lotus skirts—curiously short, barely covering a third of their thighs. Two chiffon ribbons tied into fluttering bows at their waists added a playful charm.
Their slender, porcelain legs were delicate yet striking.
Their synchronized steps hinted at a paired artifact—likely a dual-type weapon not yet refined.
One wore a golden snake coil around her left leg, the other a silver snake on her right. Both were intricately carved, revealing glimpses of pale jade-like skin beneath.
First-tier top-grade dual artifact: Golden-Silver Serpent Slippers.
Looking up—
The twins were identical in every way. Their hair was styled in twin waterfall buns, with soft bangs framing their delicate faces. Their swallowtail locks draped over each shoulder, making them appear like mirror images.
Their voices were soft and fragile, evoking instinctive sympathy.
Wang Yu couldn't help but inhale sharply.
These weren't prodigies—they were bait.
Especially with the Guan Clan head's suggestive gaze, the implication was clear.
"Yingdong greets Master."
"Yingxue greets Master."
The girls bowed with flawless etiquette. Wang Yu sighed inwardly. He had no interest in girls this young.
If they wanted to play this game, he preferred older women with thunderous personalities.
But he didn't want a Dao companion.
Taking disciples was a political move—to solidify alliances with the Guan and Jiang Clans.
Still, the Guan Clan was clearly more eager to show loyalty. Even sending twin sisters was… excessive.
After a pause, Wang Yu asked, "Which of you is the elder?"
"Yingdong is the elder. Yingxue is the younger."
"Very well. Come forward."
Considering the Guan Clan's importance, Wang Yu accepted them. The twins beamed, knelt respectfully, and stood beside him—awkwardly close to Snow Jade.
Not to be outdone, the Jiang Clan head stepped forward.
"City Lord, the Jiang Clan's prodigies are here as well. Jiang Li, Jiang Chuan—come greet your future master."
The two boys seemed unfamiliar with each other. One was dark-skinned and scrappy, the other plain-looking but with sharp eyes.
He stared at Wang Yu boldly.
"Not bad."
Wang Yu accepted all four disciples. He didn't plan to teach them seriously—they understood this was a political apprenticeship. They were pawns.
"Kirin children" was just flattery. They did have Foundation Establishment potential, though.
With that formality complete—
The Guan and Jiang Clan heads exchanged glances and handed over storage pouches and jade slips. These contained supplemental taxes—about 100,000 spirit stones each.
It was a symbolic gesture. Enough to show sincerity, but not enough to hurt.
Inkveil Gate, Fragrant Doctrine, and Violet Dragon Mountain also paid their five-year land rent.
Altogether, Wang Yu's spirit stone reserves broke the million mark. Converted to mid-grade stones, it was over 110,000—a substantial sum.
Enough to bid on a Core Formation treasure at Goldfull Pavilion.
Of course—
Core Formation treasures needed to match one's attributes. Otherwise, failure was likely. Wang Yu still sought yin-ice aligned items.
Seeing everyone obedient, Wang Yu decided to share the spoils.
"The Bai Clan's spirit fields and shops—you may divide them. But the allocation will follow my rules."
The five factions were overjoyed. Bai Clan's fall had become their fortune.
This wasn't just about stability—it was about redirecting resentment. If Bai remnants returned, these factions would be the first to hunt them down.
A new ruler, a new court. Such was the way.
Wang Yu's lips curled.
"You all know that the City Lord's spirit fields are being occupied by unruly squatters. Many shops in the north and central districts have been seized.
"Whoever returns the most assets to the City Lord's Manor will receive the largest share of Bai Clan property. The top contributor may choose first."
Silence fell.
Because the seized assets were mostly in their hands. The "unruly squatters" were clearly them.
In effect—
Wang Yu was trading Bai Clan assets for his own stolen property. From his perspective, it was a loss—a reward.
From theirs, it was an even exchange.
More importantly, their assets would be legitimized. Even if the Blood Reversal Sect investigated, the paperwork would be clean.
No fear of punishment.
Inkveil Gate's quiet representative was the first to nod.
"City Lord speaks wisely. This is a gain for us. Within half a month, I will recover the Manor's assets."
He glanced at the others.
He couldn't do it alone. But if they all cooperated, the recovery would be swift. The faster they acted, the better the Bai Clan rewards.
Others quickly followed.
"Guan Clan agrees. Three days for results."
"Fragrant Doctrine agrees."
"Violet Dragon Mountain will assist."
"Jiang Clan… agrees."
Satisfied, Wang Yu said, "Very well. That concludes today's meeting. One last thing—
"Spread the word: in seven days, the City Lord's Manor will recruit talented cultivators. Qi Refining mid-stage and above may join the city guard."
Spiritridge had ten gates—four on the front and back walls, six on the sides. These guards didn't need high cultivation. Just vigilance and discipline.
Everything was falling into place.
The ragtag team would mature under his guidance. After all his efforts, Wang Yu had finally gained control of Spiritridge.
Managing it was a future concern.
Building a bigger pie benefited everyone. He couldn't do it alone.
Now, it was time for seclusion.
He needed to digest his gains, advance his soul-path inheritance, and convert resources into strength. Otherwise, what was the point?
…
Seven days later—
Wang Yu emerged from seclusion. At the plaza before the City Lord's Manor, he had enclosed a space with 1.5-meter-high ice walls—to keep the crowd at bay.
Before him stretched a line so long it vanished into the horizon.
His four disciples and Snow Jade stood beside him.
Jiang Li and Jiang Chuan sat at desks with ink, paper, and brushes.
One recorded names, origins, cultivation, and specialties.
The other noted reasons for joining and what they could offer.
Guan Yingdong and Guan Yingxue held signs—"Selected" and "Rejected." They stood beside Wang Yu, ready to raise their placards.
Wang Yu reclined on Snow Jade's back, listening. Final decisions were his.
It was a whimsical setup.
But if it dragged on, even whimsy would become drudgery.
"Begin."
"Understood. Please step forward one by one. Joining the City Lord's Guard means maintaining order in Spiritridge. Benefits are generous. Qi Refining mid-stage and above may apply.
"Foundation Establishment cultivators may become official retainers, receiving annual spirit stone stipends and merit rewards—exchangeable for techniques and secret arts.
"Anything below third-tier is fair game. Register here."
Recruitment lasted three days.
On day one, mostly local cultivators applied. They lived here, raised families here. Official status meant protection.
A few outsiders joined.
On day two, numbers doubled. Motives varied—fleeing enemies, escaping past crimes. Wang Yu accepted anyone with talent.
Spies from various factions were inevitable.
On day three, the campaign ended—many left disappointed.
Wang Yu didn't fill every slot.
He recruited:
1,000 Qi Refining mid-stage guards, split into ten squads of 100. Late-stage cultivators served as captains. They patrolled the city walls, outskirts, and farms—protecting mortals and spirit farmers.
500 patrol cultivators, 100 per district, with 50 rotating shifts. Day and night coverage. Captains were Qi Refining eighth to ninth layer.
100 City Lord's Manor guards, all late-stage Qi Refining.
10 instructors, elderly Qi Refining peak cultivators with no hope of advancement. They had deep theoretical knowledge and would train the seedlings.
With everything in place—
Wang Yu's days of staying indoors began. Aside from occasional meetings with the five factions, he often wandered the central district, visiting branches of Crimson Kite Territory's dominant powers.
Like the Goldfull Pavilion Spiritridge Branch.
(End of Chapter)