Immortals Step into Heaven

Chapter 217: Yunzhou City Lord Old Man

A faint glint flickered in his deep eyes as he gazed silently at the City Lord. After a moment, a faint chuckle curled up his lips, a laugh that seemed to penetrate everything, causing the City Lord's heart to tighten. Zheng Yuan then spoke slowly, "Old man, you've been managing this place for many years, and you've developed quite a keen sense of purpose. It seems you're quite tactful today." There was a subtle hint of teasing in his words, yet it was impossible to refute.

The city lord's heart trembled. He hurried forward, bowed deeply, and with a humble smile on his face, he said in a trembling voice, "Your Excellency is too kind. I am merely scraping by in this small city. If Your Excellency commands anything, I will do it with all my heart." His eyes revealed a hint of nervousness and anticipation.

Zheng Yuan stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his white robes, whiter than snow, only accentuating his otherworldly demeanor. Standing in the hall of the City Lord's Mansion, he listened to the City Lord's words with a slight nod, a hint of satisfaction in his deep eyes, as if he had anticipated the City Lord's answer. Then, he opened his thin lips, his voice cold yet carrying undeniable authority: "This immortal requires you to issue a bandit suppression order in Yunzhou.

When the city lord heard this, he was so frightened that his whole body trembled and his face lost all color. He raised his head, his eyes full of fear and worry, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and after a moment, he stammered, "My Immortal, you don't know, there are many bandits in Yunzhou, and their forces are complicated. Although the bandits are rampant now, the various forces check and balance each other, and it has not been completely out of control. There are intricate relationships behind the bandits in various places, or they are colluding with other sects in the mountains, or secretly dealing with some powerful people in the city. And the military force of our Yunzhou City is really limited, and the deployment of troops in various cities is even more complicated and cumbersome. The slightest carelessness will trigger a mutiny. Once this order to suppress bandits is issued, I am afraid that everyone will be in danger, and Yunzhou will surely fall into chaos! By then, lives will be lost and people will be unable to make a living. I really can't bear such a responsibility, and I hope that the Immortal will revoke the order!" As the city lord spoke, he kept wiping the sweat from his forehead, and his body trembled slightly with tension.

Zheng Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his sleeves fluttering gently in the breeze, like an inviolable deity. He listened quietly to the City Lord's words, filled with worry and evasion, his expression as calm as water, unperturbed. Only his starry eyes grew deeper, like a bottomless, cold pool, leaving no one able to guess what was contemplating them.

After a long moment, his voice was cold yet carried an unquestionable certainty: "I will not easily take back what I have decided. However, you do not need to be so panic. I will not make things too difficult for you. When you issue the order to suppress the bandits, you only need to add a clause welcoming heroes from all walks of life to suppress the bandits. You, the city lord, do not need to send a single soldier. As for what the final results will be, you do not need to worry too much about it." After that, he raised his hand and waved it lightly. Five silver notes worth ten thousand taels flew in front of the city lord like a light butterfly.

"These fifty thousand taels of silver notes will be regarded as the reward for this bandit suppression. As for the specific reward and arrangement, it will be decided by you, the city lord." Zheng Yuan's tone was not loud, but there seemed to be an invisible pressure that made the city lord dare not slack off.

Upon hearing this, the old city lord's frown instantly relaxed, and a hint of unconcealable joy appeared on his face. His eyes widened slightly, glittering with a mixture of greed and surprise, as if he couldn't believe this sudden turn of events.

"Sir, is that all?" The City Lord's voice trembled slightly, his uncontrollable excitement pulsing through his words like a wisp of electricity. He didn't dare act too boldly, so he spoke the second half of his confirmation carefully, as if handling a fragile treasure. Throughout his decades of official career, he had heard countless tales of the Immortals. The Immortals in those stories were all arrogant and powerful beings, ready to punish anyone who displeased them, taking their lives in the blink of an eye. This forced him to maintain constant awe and vigilance.

At this moment, Zheng Yuan's request was like a timely rain, hitting the mark precisely on his heart. The city lord knew full well that as the helmsman of Yunzhou's largest capital, the rampant banditry within his jurisdiction was a sword hanging over his head, a constant threat to his career and reputation. Although he had previously been unable to suppress the banditry due to the involvement of various factions, the situation was now significantly different with the support of this immortal. Issuing a bounty for the bandits would not only leverage external forces to curb the bandits' arrogance, but also avoid internal unrest and strife without using his own forces. It was a win-win situation. This was undeniably a blessing. He even began to envision a peaceful future for Yunzhou City. However, he suppressed all these emotions in front of Zheng Yuan, not daring to reveal them. He quietly waited for Zheng Yuan's response, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

Hearing the city lord's repeated question, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a faint smile that seemed to see through everything, yet remained elusive. Then, his expression returned to composure, and he said in a steady, cool voice, "That's all."

Upon hearing this, the old city lord's face flushed instantly, a color mingled with excitement and shame. He had served as an official for many years, and while he had worked hard to maintain order in Yunzhou, he had never made any significant progress in combating the banditry. Now, this immortal had arrived, offering a simple yet effective solution. How could he not feel ashamed? But even more so, he was filled with gratitude. After all, if this bounty were used properly, it might actually alleviate the banditry in Yunzhou and allow the people to live in peace. So, he hurried forward, bowed deeply, practically bending his already hunched back, and said in a choked voice, "Thank you, Immortal, for your compassion for the people! On behalf of the hundreds of millions of people in Yunzhou, I express my gratitude for your great kindness. Rest assured, Immortal, I will do my utmost to resolve this matter, even if it means sacrificing my own old bones. I will never let you down."

As he spoke, his eyes were full of determination and resoluteness, as if he had suddenly become several years younger and had regained the passion and responsibility he had at the beginning of his career as an official. He was already planning in his mind how to issue the bounty order to suppress the bandits in order to achieve the best effect.