All Heavenly destiny reduced to ashes
Chapter 392 - 35: The First Step of the Foundation

Chapter 392: Chapter 35: The First Step of the Foundation

The chaos in the city had somewhat settled.

Following An Jing’s order, the townspeople all returned to their homes to await further instructions, while the herds of creatures returned to their original migration routes and slowly departed.

In the midst of the snowstorm, An Jing exchanged glances with the mountain masters. The Great Demon Spirits, equivalent to the Martial Meridian realm, silently watched Linjiang City, indeed sensing an aura within the city that made them yearn.

However, compared to their instinct-driven offspring, these intelligent Demon Spirits knew very well that no possession is worth having if it costs them their lives. Even the king of Broken Blade Mountain, the Four-Winged Moon Snake, had left early without the slightest desire to interfere, so it was best for them not to attempt either.

Survival. Humans act out of desire, while beasts act for survival.

They turned their heads, issuing a high and clear cry, slowly turned around shaking the snow off their bodies, and continued migrating southward with the long line of creatures.

Seeing the Beast Tide depart, An Jing finally exhaled a breath of relief, turned around, jumped down from the city wall, and returned inside the city.

"I really thought this herd was another calamity,"

An Jing, having relaxed, complained to Subdue Evil in his Divine Sea, "Just now, while I was up there making fierce declarations, my heart suddenly skipped a beat, wondering if this beast attack counts as a calamity... If it were, then the troubles I’d face this time could be no less severe than in Kanming City, possibly costing thousands or even tens of thousands of lives."

"Looking at it now, thankfully, those Great Demon Spirits were restrained, saving me a trip back to the Tianyuan Realm to get more firepower."

An Jing’s heavy firepower had been mostly used up in Kanming City, although he still had plenty of Thunder Beads left, the self-destructing drones were almost gone, unable to take on so many tough-skinned Demon Spirits.

"Those Demon Spirits must have sensed the Dragon Qi,"

Subdue Evil analyzed, "And the Dragon Qi has already been transferred to Ruohui. Once they calmed down, they naturally stopped being impulsive... This indeed counts as a calamity. Had you not had the means to handle the Dragon Qi, either by sealing it or transferring it, the surrounding Beast Tide would definitely have attacked the city."

"I know, looking back, I indeed overlooked this point,"

An Jing nodded slightly, "But what about in the future? As long as there are people in Linjiang City, in another ten days or half a month, Dragon Qi will be produced again. Do we just keep sending it to Ruohui?"

"She indeed needs it, but probably not that much." Subdue Evil pondered, "Although I am well-versed in the Dao of Qi Refining, I only specialize in Sword Arrays... How to suppress and store Dragon Qi? You should ask Ruohui about this later; she should be more familiar with it."

"Alright."

An Jing wiped away a nonexistent sweat, "Lucky for me... I’m confident against Linlang Commerce Chamber and the True Demon Sect, but facing so many Martial Meridian Great Demon Spirits, I wasn’t sure at all."

"Don’t be nervous, An Jing, you’ve already done very well,"

In response to An Jing’s reflection, the Sword Spirit shook its head, "In this world, how many things can be 100% certain? Even a certainty of eighty or ninety percent is rare. If you wait until everything is utterly predictable before taking action, that predictability can only signify stagnation and failure, not success."

"You’ve done well, An Jing. As a leader, you should talk tough, make decisions decisively, bluff when necessary, and exaggerate when appropriate."

"After all, losing isn’t shameful, but winning gains prestige. Why not make a deal with no capital? In my view, you have great potential, at least your decisions are very bold, much better than those who hesitate for ages just to pick a sword."

"That’s true."

An Jing recalled and laughed, "Just like when in battle, you must say you’ll twist the enemy’s head off to make a wine jug, though you might not actually do it, you definitely wouldn’t say anything like ’Our army is defeated!’ or ’Our army will surely lose.’"

An Jing indeed was a person daring enough to make judgments, even if the outcome sometimes went awry, it was still better than being indecisive, which was certainly a strength of his.

Behind the walls of Linjiang City, Bai Qinghan and Xu Tai, who had been waiting anxiously, came up to meet An Jing.

"Congratulations, Eldest Senior, on capturing Linjiang City and erecting your first stele of a new foundation,"

Bai Qinghan, with a serious expression, clapped her hands and praised joyfully, causing An Jing to subconsciously feel as though he had already started a rebellion—he shook his head and said, "I haven’t started a rebellion yet, so far it is only to protect my mother."

"Then what do you plan to do next?"

Bai Qinghan was not concerned about An Jing’s less convincing words. She earnestly said, "Eldest Senior, your sword has already won you the power to establish laws. In this Grand Da Chen, with the upper echelons of True Demon and Linlang Commerce Chamber essentially emptied, you are the uncrowned king here in Linjiang City."

"Whether or not it’s a rebellion, Linjiang City is now yours. What do you plan to do with these people next?"

Hearing this, before An Jing could come up with a response, Xu Tai beside him became unsettled.

——What the hell, what kind of rebellion are these siblings stirring up? Am I going to be swept into some nonsensical Demon Sect story?

Xu Tai wasn’t foolish; when he heard Bai Qinghan respectfully calling An Jing ’Eldest Senior’, he knew that this seemingly gentle and tranquil girl was definitely from the Heaven’s Will Demon Sect!

And seeing her strength, it was likely she was from the elite of the Inner Sect, a Peak Master’s true transmission... An Jing, the heretic Divine Mandate, indeed still had deep ties to the Heaven’s Will Demon Sect just like other apostate disciples from the past!

Not to mention, these siblings were making jokes about rebellion right in front of him... No, could it be that these two were going to silence him soon?!

Xu Tai frightened himself until his face alternated between shades of light and dark, but soon, he figured it out.

Even if An Jing truly had unseverable ties with the Heaven’s Will Demon Sect, it didn’t matter; that was something for the Bright Mirror Sect and Da Chen to worry about. Besides, currently, An Jing was indeed a genuinely good person who had managed to protect the city amidst the forces of Linlang Commerce Chamber, True Demon Sect, and the Beast Tide.

Such merits were enough to qualify him as a city lord—even though a city lord should at least have Martial Meridian, An Jing’s strength far surpassed normal Inner Strength. For now, it was sufficient, not to mention he also held a Divine Skill Token, comparable to a one-time Divine Weapon’s intimidation, surely enough to secure a city.

"Let’s start by tallying the food supplies... Xu,"

Meanwhile, as Xu Tai was lost in his thoughts, An Jing had already figured out his next move. He turned to the tall Escort Leader beside him and said, "The situation has changed, can you call back all the people from your escort agency?"

He spoke solemnly, "The city lacks manpower, and I lack warriors I can trust. Whether it’s distributing food or tallying people, we need manpower."

"I think they haven’t gone far. If you have the means, call them back to lend a hand... Putting in some effort now could lead to a great harvest later, you understand?"

"...I do!" Xu Tai initially paused, but quickly his expression turned serious, and he earnestly promised, "I will call them back immediately!"

Assist the City Lord in managing a city? The moment he heard this, Xu Tai instinctively knew it was a tremendous opportunity—whether it was becoming a true power in his own right or making a renowned name in Northern Border, this was a big chance!

Encountering An Jing was indeed like meeting a noble benefactor!

Xu Tai was known for keeping his word, but the promise An Jing casually made was worth far more than gold!

Xu Tai went to the side to summon the Escort Masters back to Kanming City with the Water Mirror, while An Jing turned to look at Bai Qinghan.

He furrowed his brows but soon relaxed, "Qinghan, what about your subordinates?"

"They could also contribute some manpower, get them over here as well."