An Unexpected Elder and a Thousand-Year Garrison

“Oh?” Feiluo covered her small mouth, her gaze fixed on An Yaozhen with a hint of surprise. An Yaozhen had been dispatched by Moxi to be stationed in Luoxi City. This revelation led Feiluo to wonder if An Yaozhen was also a member of the Blazing Spirit Sect.

“Does this mean you’re also a disciple or an elder of the Blazing Spirit Sect?” Feiluo inquired.

“Heh heh, didn’t expect that, did you? I’m an elder of the Blazing Spirit Sect too!” An Yaozhen placed her hands on her hips, seemingly quite pleased with Feiluo’s look of astonishment.

Feiluo glanced at Moxi, hoping for confirmation that An Yaozhen wasn’t merely jesting.

Moxi nodded, confirming, “An Yaozhen is indeed an elder of the Blazing Spirit Sect; she was originally dispatched here by me.” Feiluo detected a subtle hint of relief in Moxi’s voice as she spoke, as if a long-standing burden had finally been lifted.

In that instant, Feiluo grasped Moxi’s true intentions. It was likely that An Yaozhen’s incessant chatter was simply too exasperating; her continued presence within the Blazing Spirit Sect would inevitably incite a collective uprising against her. Thus, Moxi had strategically dispatched her to be stationed in Luoxi City.

Firstly, An Yaozhen could offer assistance to the residents of Luoxi City. Secondly, it spared everyone in the Blazing Spirit Sect, Moxi included, from the constant barrage of An Yaozhen’s aggravating remarks. What a truly ingenious way to kill two birds with one stone!

Feiluo found herself admiring Moxi’s shrewdness, realizing the wisdom in sending away An Yaozhen, that veritable source of chaos. Otherwise, had An Yaozhen remained within the Blazing Spirit Sect, there was no telling how many individuals she might have twisted into becoming ‘yin-yang people.’ The mere thought of Blazing Spirit Sect disciples constantly engaging in sarcastic, passive-aggressive banter sent a shiver down Feiluo’s spine. That would be truly dreadful!

Thankfully, An Yaozhen now held the position of City Lord of Luoxi City. It seemed improbable she would return to the Blazing Spirit Sect anytime soon. Feiluo let out a soft sigh of relief.

Suddenly, a question occurred to her, and she turned to An Yaozhen. “Speaking of which, Elder An… I presume I can address you as Elder An?”

“Why call me Elder? That’s far too formal! You’re Moxi’s disciple, so just call me Sister An!” An Yaozhen dismissed the formality with a wave of her hand.

‘Haven’t you realized that if I address you as such, your seniority would be lower than Moxi’s…?’ Feiluo mused internally, though her expression remained perfectly neutral.

“Then, Sister An, what exactly was your position within the Blazing Spirit Sect?”

“Position?” An Yaozhen paused, momentarily taken aback.

“Yes, every elder has a department they oversee—for instance, the Pill Medicine Hall for healing and alchemy, the Battle Arts Hall for training disciples in combat techniques, and the Artifact Forging Hall, which is responsible for crafting magical artifacts and spirit armor, and so forth…” Feiluo elaborated for An Yaozhen.

“Hmm…” An Yaozhen mused for a moment before replying, “I don’t recall having any specific department. When I was still with the Blazing Spirit Sect, these formal systems hadn’t even been established yet. Everyone simply determined their roles based on their individual capabilities and unique talents.”

As she spoke, she turned to Moxi. “Moxi, assign me a position! How can I, a venerable elder, be without one? And it absolutely must be at the Hall Master level!”

“Alright, alright, fine then. From this day forward, you shall be the Hall Master of the Garrison Hall, responsible for all affairs pertaining to the garrison of Luoxi City.” Moxi cast a dismissive glance her way, her tone utterly perfunctory.

“Excellent! From now on, I too am an elder of Hall Master rank!” An Yaozhen declared, brimming with pride and delight.

‘This ‘Garrison Hall’ sounds suspiciously like Moxi just invented it on the spot!’

‘Could An Yaozhen really not discern Moxi’s blatant perfunctoriness?’

‘And “responsible for all affairs pertaining to the garrison of Luoxi City”…’

‘Doesn’t that simply translate to ‘manage yourself’?’

‘It’s utterly indistinguishable from how things were before!’

Feiluo unleashed a torrent of silent complaints in her mind, yet her expression remained perfectly composed.

“Enough of that for now,” An Yaozhen declared, “let us return to the history of Luoxi City.”

She proceeded to recount the city’s past. “After Moxi dispatched me to aid Luoxi City, emissaries from the Imperial Dynasty returned on several occasions, seeking out the then-City Lord. Their sole objective was always to conscript Luoxi City’s residents as cannon fodder for the battlefield.”

She puffed out her chest, a proud glint in her eye. “However, I gave every single one of them a thorough beating! And then I tossed them all out of Luoxi City! Eventually, the Imperial Dynasty must have realized that with me, An Yaozhen, stationed here, their objectives were utterly unattainable, so they ceased their attempts altogether.”

“While Luoxi City certainly boasts a sizable population, other regions are not devoid of people. The Imperial Dynasty had no need to stubbornly persist here if their aim was merely to acquire commoners as cannon fodder.”

An Yaozhen sighed, a wistful expression crossing her face. “However, I couldn’t extend my help to people in other regions, as I had no way of knowing where the Imperial Dynasty would next seek cannon fodder. Furthermore, had I truly provoked the Imperial Dynasty into deploying Tribulation Transcension stage cultivators, my cultivation at the time, not being exceptionally high, would have been utterly insufficient to resist them. Not only would I have met my demise, but I would also have dragged down the Blazing Spirit Sect, which was then still in its nascent stages of development.”

Observing An Yaozhen’s somewhat wistful demeanor, Feiluo felt a strong urge to offer solace, yet found herself at a loss for words. Just then, she felt a gentle touch on her head. Turning, she saw Moxi, as she had anticipated.

Noticing Feiluo’s gaze, Moxi offered a gentle smile. “She doesn’t require your comfort, my dear disciple. An Yaozhen has long since reconciled herself with such matters; her current mood is merely a fleeting moment of regret. See? She’s already returned to her usual self.”

Feiluo turned her gaze back to An Yaozhen, and true to Moxi’s words, after a brief spell of melancholy, An Yaozhen had indeed reverted to her former composed and unruffled self.

Witnessing this, Feiluo felt a flicker of surprise. ‘Could Moxi truly understand An Yaozhen so profoundly?’

It was unexpected that Moxi, despite outwardly maintaining a somewhat indifferent attitude towards An Yaozhen, possessed such deep insight into her in many ways. ‘Perhaps their relationship was, in fact, exceptionally close…?’

As this thought surfaced, Feiluo felt an inexplicable pang of sourness in her heart.

‘No, no, what reason do I have to feel envious?’

‘If their relationship is good, then it’s good; what business is it of mine?’

Feiluo shook her head with determination, striving to banish the lingering sourness from her thoughts.

Oblivious to the subtle exchange between master and disciple, An Yaozhen resumed her historical account. “Subsequently, as the war showed no signs of abatement, I continued to reside in Luoxi City. Following the demise of the previous Luoxi City Lord, I was nominated as the new City Lord, largely owing to my frequent interventions in repelling external threats from the city.”

At this juncture, An Yaozhen cast a reproachful glance at Moxi. “We had clearly agreed that I could return to the Blazing Spirit Sect once the war concluded. Yet, when that day finally arrived, Moxi turned to me and said, ‘You’ve already ascended to the position of City Lord; can you truly bear to abandon the residents of Luoxi City and return to the Blazing Spirit Sect?'”

“And so, I have occupied this seat as Luoxi City Lord for over a millennium. Aside from occasional visits to old friends, I have scarcely set foot in the Blazing Spirit Sect again.”

‘It’s a blessing you never returned to the Blazing Spirit Sect,’ Feiluo mused silently. ‘Otherwise, who knows what kind of ‘yin-yang people’ prevalence the Blazing Spirit Sect would be enduring by now.’

Abruptly, An Yaozhen, who had been leading the way, halted her steps. Just as Feiluo began to wonder why they had paused, An Yaozhen turned to face both Feiluo and Moxi, gesturing towards a particular building. “We’ve arrived. This is my home.”