Chapter 33: The Fruits of a Clean Sweep

The week following Jian Feng's report was one of controlled, methodical progress. While he awaited a response from the clan's capital, he became the de facto ruler of the Western Spur, and under his brief reign, the settlement began to heal.

He did not govern with an iron fist, but with the precise touch of a master physician. His days were spent overseeing the recovery. He walked among the miners, his presence a constant, calming reassurance. He used the clan's resources to write out prescriptions for simple, effective herbal remedies that countered the lingering toxic energy in their bodies. The miners, who had been treated as little more than beasts of burden for years, found themselves being addressed with respect, their health treated as a priority. Their sullen lethargy began to transform into a fervent, loyal gratitude.

He declared the majority of the mine sealed for a "comprehensive safety inspection," a believable pretext that allowed him to work undisturbed. He personally entered the main tunnels with a small, trusted team of foremen. Under the guise of reinforcing support structures, he moved through the veins of the mountain, using his pure Origin Qi to subtly cleanse the parasitic grey energy that had corrupted the jade ore.

The results were immediate and miraculous. The first carts of jade brought out from the newly "inspected" tunnels were of a quality unseen in decades. The raw ore glowed with a vibrant, healthy green light, rich with pure spiritual energy. The news sent a jolt of renewed vigor through the entire settlement. Production was not just recovering; it was soaring to historic heights.

A week after he had sent his report, a majestic Azure Dragon Sky-Ark arrived, descending from the clouds. This was not a simple transport vessel. It was one of the flagships of the clan's fleet, reserved for the Elder Council.

The Third Elder disembarked, accompanied by a retinue of the clan's finest formation masters, alchemists, and a detachment of the elite Azure Dragon Guard. He had been sent to verify, secure, and assume control.

The Elder's inspection was thorough and meticulous. He and his team spent two days verifying every detail of Jian Feng's report. They found the "catatonic" Elder Jin, his mind broken exactly as described. They inspected the collapsed and sealed entrance to Sector 07, with the formation masters confirming that the energy signatures were consistent with a massive, internal formation overload. They spoke with the miners, who were effusive in their praise for their Young Lord's benevolent and effective leadership. They assayed the new jade ore, their eyes widening at its unprecedented purity.

Everything Jian Feng had written, every seemingly impossible claim, was verified.

On the third evening, the Third Elder summoned Jian Feng to the command chamber of the Sky-Ark. The formal deference was gone, replaced by an expression of deep, undisguised awe.

"Your report was… conservative, Young Lord," the elder said, his voice heavy with meaning. "It detailed a victory. It did not detail a miracle."

He looked at Jian Feng, seeing not a sixteen-year-old boy, but a terrifyingly capable leader. "Grand Elder Wu, who assigned you this mission hoping you would stumble, has not left his chambers since your report was read before the council. You have not just succeeded; you have shifted the balance of power within the clan without even being present."

The elder then produced a small, intricately carved jade slip, glowing with the personal aura of the Patriarch himself. "A message from your father."

Jian Feng took the slip and infused it with his Qi. The message was not long, but its contents were weighty.

"An excellent game. The board is swept clean. Your return is awaited. The capital is stirring."

It was a quiet acknowledgement, a shared understanding between two grandmasters. His father had understood the subtext of his report perfectly. He knew his son had omitted the most crucial details, and he approved of the discretion. The final line, 'The capital is stirring,' was both a warning and a new directive.

"The Patriarch has decreed that your mission here is complete," the Third Elder said, confirming the message. "You are to return with me at once. The "Celestial Selection," the great gathering of the Empyrean Realm's chosen generation, is to be held in the Imperial Capital in three months. Your performance in the trial and your work here have ensured that your attendance is no longer merely expected; it is a matter of paramount importance to the clan's future standing."

Jian Feng looked out the viewport of the Sky-Ark, towards the distant, glittering capital he had only read about. The Western Spur had been a self-contained problem, a nest of serpents he could deal with in isolation. The Imperial Capital would be a venomous sea filled with ancient dragons, young tigers, and hidden leviathans, all circling each other in a game of immense political complexity.

His days of operating as a ghost were definitively over. He was returning not as a prodigy, but as a proven strategic asset, a prince of the clan whose true power had been glimpsed. The board was about to become infinitely larger, and the players far more dangerous.