Dingbo Prefecture.

A carriage traveled along the wide streets.

A young man with a gentle smile on his face spoke softly:

“Of the thirteen prefectures in the Kingdom, Dingbo Prefecture has the cleanest governance, where the people live in peace and prosperity.”

Chi Changle was a thin man with sunken eyes. The long robe draped over his shoulders made him look like a walking coat rack.

Qi Yuan gazed out the window. Street vendors lined both sides of the road, shouting to sell their wares. While many wore coarse linen clothing, it was rare to see faces gaunt with malnutrition or skeletal frames.

By appearance alone, if Chi Changle took off his robes, he might look like the poorest person on the street.

“It’s certainly better than other places,” Qi Yuan commented.

Compared to Ninghe County, Fengshan County, or Lake Yeshan, this prefecture indeed appeared far better.

“Dingbo Prefecture is also known as Liu Prefecture,” Chi Changle said meaningfully.

The "Liu" naturally referred to the Liu family.

“In the past, many policies left behind by the Divine Descent were overturned by the royal court. Only Liu Prefecture has preserved a small portion of them,” Chi Changle said wistfully. “However, ever since Prince Zhenyuan took charge of Dingbo Prefecture, I don’t know how much longer these peaceful days will last.”

He spoke with a trace of worry in his voice.

“Is Prince Zhenyuan very powerful?” Qi Yuan asked.

Chi Changle froze for a moment, surprised that someone didn’t know about Prince Zhenyuan.

“One of the Seven Gods of the Kingdom, Prince Zhenyuan is among them,” Chi Changle said in a low voice. “Lord Liu is also one of the Seven Gods.”

Lord Liu was the strongest in Dingbo Prefecture, the sole Divine-tier Weapon Master here.

“It seems Prince Zhenyuan has been working hard in his cultivation,” Qi Yuan remarked.

Chi Changle chuckled. “You’d best not mention Prince Zhenyuan’s name so casually. In Dingbo Prefecture, his spies are everywhere. They are known as the Blood Hands. Wherever they appear, bloodshed follows.”

“How strong are they?” Qi Yuan asked.

“The four commanders of the Blood Hands are all peak Heaven-tier Weapon Masters, and the thousand-man captains beneath them are all Heaven-tier...”

“They don’t sound like they’re working hard enough,” Qi Yuan commented lightly.

“Brother Qi, be cautious with your words. If you offend the Blood Hands, not even the government can save you!” Chi Changle said anxiously.

“What’s there to be afraid of? We’re already walking targets with a bounty of 500,000 on our heads. What’s another enemy to us?” Qi Yuan replied calmly.

Chi Changle was momentarily stunned but then realized Qi Yuan had a point.

After all, they had joined Judgment. Being discovered by the royal court meant execution on the spot. Why should they fear offending Prince Zhenyuan’s lackeys, the Blood Hands?

“You’re right,” Chi Changle nodded seriously.

The carriage slowly made its way through the streets, passing through the bustling marketplace.

The shouts of vendors rang out constantly.

“Candied hawthorn skewers!”

“Hot steamed buns!”

“Golden plums! Fresh golden plums!”

Qi Yuan’s gaze paused for a moment on the overly bright-colored fruits being sold.

“What’s that?”

Chi Changle smiled. “That’s a ‘Ha’er fruit.’ You’re not from around here, so this must be your first time seeing it!”

“Why is it called a Ha’er fruit?”

“No one knows. It’s just called that,” Chi Changle replied.

Qi Yuan’s expression grew thoughtful.

“Ha’er fruit... only fools would buy Ha’er fruit?” he muttered to himself.

It seemed this world had indeed been deeply influenced by him.

Even the Ha’er fruit existed here.

He had once told the story of the Ha’er fruit to the enigmatic Silent Voice.

hr

After settling down at Judgment’s base, Qi Yuan’s life entered a period of relative calm.

Although peaceful, there was plenty to keep him busy.

For one, he was working diligently to advance his artifact-crafting skills, aiming to reach the level of a Divine-tier Artifact Master as soon as possible.

However, it was an exceedingly difficult task. Even with the talent of the Blind Artifact Master, his progress was slow.

Second, he was preparing to take on the role of the Divine Descent, gradually seeking out believers to solidify his image.

Lastly, he was waiting for updates from Judgment—keeping an eye out for news of specters and wrongdoers to bring justice to the land.

“Brother Qi, we’ve got a mission!”

A loud voice came from outside the door.

Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up with delight.

Finally, something to do.

“Wang Cong, just come in. The door’s not locked.”

Outside, a short, lean man with dark, sweaty skin hesitated for a moment as he sniffed at his sweaty clothes. Still, he decided to push the door open and step in.

“I just finished unloading some cargo at the docks. I’m covered in sweat,” Wang Cong said sheepishly, rubbing his short, cropped hair. Standing in the room, he didn’t sit down, likely worried about dirtying the chair.

“You’ve had a long day. Sit,” Qi Yuan said, pouring Wang Cong a cup of water.

Only then did Wang Cong sit down—barely, as if half his body was still suspended in mid-air.

Wang Cong was also a member of Judgment.

Chen Kangbao, Qi Yuan’s advisor, quickly voiced his concerns.

“Unlikely, unless... the plan has changed, or some other unexpected event has occurred,” Liu Chudong said thoughtfully.

“Should we wait a little longer, or perhaps split up to search for them?” Chen Kangbao suggested again.

“No,” Liu Chudong shook her head firmly. “Other than the Judicators, the rest of us are too weak. If we encounter the Blood Cloud Bandits alone, we’ll be in serious danger.”

The two Judicators nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan felt even more certain that the Judgment organization was little more than an amateur operation.

But then again, this world itself was a giant amateur operation, so it all made sense.

After some thought, Qi Yuan transformed a drone into a mosquito.

“Ack! There’s a mosquito biting me!”

Qi Yuan slapped his hand against his face, revealing a few small mosquitoes in his palm.

He opened his hand and let the mosquitoes fly away.

Seeing this, Liu Chudong exclaimed, “Brother Qi, you’re just too kind!

These mosquitoes are sucking your blood!”

Next to her, Wang Cong also glanced at Qi Yuan, his expression unreadable.

Not killing even a mosquito—this man was simply too kind.

“They weren’t biting me.”

“They weren’t?”

“They’re male mosquitoes,” Qi Yuan replied with a straight face.

hr

The group waited at the ambush site, but fifteen minutes passed without a sign of either the Blood Cloud Bandits or the Zhao family caravan.

The group began to suspect that something had gone awry.

At that moment, Qi Yuan’s eyes brightened. “Everyone, follow me. I have sharp ears and just heard the sound of a fight coming from another direction.”

“Huh?” Liu Chudong blinked. “Where?”

The two Judicators glanced at Qi Yuan, their eyes filled with doubt.

“Follow me,” Qi Yuan said as he mounted a horse.

The others hesitated briefly but quickly followed suit.

hr

Elsewhere, On a Secluded Road.

A group of dozens of bandits surrounded the Zhao family caravan.

The caravan consisted of only ten people. Other than the leader, an elderly man, and a young woman, the rest were burly men.

“Old Zhao, you’ve got some nerve. Miss Zhao is someone Commander Liu personally requested.

What’s the matter? Now that you’ve gotten close to General Li, you’re ignoring Commander Liu?”

The leader of the Blood Cloud Bandits was a one-armed swordsman, his face twisted into a menacing expression.

Hearing this, Old Zhao’s face turned pale.

As a wealthy man in Dingbo Prefecture, Old Zhao had quickly realized the political landscape was shifting after Prince Zhenyuan arrived.

His daughter, renowned for her beauty and listed among the top beauties of Dingbo Prefecture, was his most valuable “asset.”

Old Zhao had recently found an opportunity to offer his daughter to General Li, one of Prince Zhenyuan’s trusted subordinates.

However, Commander Liu—a powerful leader of the Blood Hands—had also taken a liking to his daughter.

Commander Liu wielded enormous influence as one of Prince Zhenyuan’s four commanders. But to Old Zhao, the Blood Hands were ultimately just spies, and the godson of a spy wasn’t worth comparing to General Li.

So he had secretly taken his daughter and fled toward Nanshan County to present her to General Li.

Unfortunately, the Blood Cloud Bandits had intercepted them.

Now, surrounded by dozens of bandits, Old Zhao was visibly trembling with fear.

“Chief, it was foolish of me. I’ll immediately offer my daughter to Commander Liu!” Old Zhao stammered, his voice trembling.

The one-armed bandit leader sneered, his expression cruel. “Too late. Commander Liu has already said he’s no longer interested in Miss Zhao.”

As he spoke, his lecherous gaze landed on the young woman.

“Before you die, consider it your good fortune to enjoy some time with me!”

Miss Zhao’s beautiful face turned deathly pale, her body trembling like a fragile rose battered by wind and rain.

Old Zhao was terrified to the core.

“It’s over. We’re finished!”

The Zhao family was no match for the Blood Cloud Bandits.

At that moment, the sound of galloping hooves echoed in the distance as several riders approached.

Miss Zhao’s pale face lit up with hope.

“Help us! They’re the Blood Cloud Bandits—subordinates of Commander Liu!” she screamed desperately, her voice raw with fear.

Old Zhao clenched his teeth and joined in the shouting.

The one-armed bandit leader scowled, understanding immediately what they were trying to do. A cruel glint appeared in his eyes.

“Miss Zhao, it seems you think the road to the underworld is too lonely and want to bring more company?”

He hefted his massive blade, his expression vicious.

“I’ll grant your wish.”

“Kill everyone except the woman!”