By the order of Jingtai, Chen Yuan governs the martial affairs of the Three States, seeming to hold immense power. Even former Divine Envoys did not enjoy such honor during their training outside the Capital, but the reality is quite different.

The lands of the Three States, particularly the South State, are much like Liangzhou, where military governance and political power rest primarily in the hands of Prince Zhen Nan, Nangong Lie, with the authority of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau being relatively minor and its presence low.

Everything hinges on Prince Zhen Nan, Nangong Lie.

If he shows favor towards the court, the South State's Heavenly Patrol Bureau might have some authority; if not, it essentially becomes but a ceremonial position.

The Blood State presents even greater challenges. Its territory equals that of two Qingzhous combined, and its resources rank among the top three of all State capitals in the world. However, the problem is that a vast majority remains beyond the court's control.

Only those two regions near Tangshan Prefecture and Shuzhou are directly under administration.

In addition, one must constantly worry about the potential for rebellion by Demon Dao rogue cultivators, for them to slaughter government officials may not happen routinely, but it surely hangs over the heads of all Blood State officials like a drawn sword.

Thus, the only place where Chen Yuan can truly gain power is Shuzhou!

This state's territory is also considerable, slightly larger than Qingzhou, with cultivation resources relatively abundant—among the forefront of the Thirteen States of Great Jin.

The most crucial aspect is that Shuzhou has an Immortal Sect!

Not one like the Taixu Palace, which has secluded itself from the world, but akin to Wudang Mountain, establishing itself openly in the human realm, proclaimed as the Sword Sect of mankind, and a holy land for Sword Cultivation.

Moreover, it holds a prominent position in Shuzhou's Jianghu.

The character of Shushan has always been resolute, unlike the sideline Taoist sects such as Wudang Mountain, primarily acting with tranquility, Shushan disciples prefer to bend rather than break, exhibiting exceptionally high Sword Intent.

Chen Yuan once feared Shuzhou greatly, and even now, that sentiment persists.

The only somewhat good news for him is that Chen Yuan has no real grievances with Shushan. Previously, by the order of Jiang He, he executed Zhao Hao from the Hidden Dragon List's Sixteen Gentlemen Sword, offending a Core Realm Elder of Shuzhou.

However, Jiang He later resolved the issue; he is known as the Sword God, having studied swordsmanship at Shushan, so the people there gave him some respect. Eventually, Chen Yuan reconciled with Bai Changqing, the Senior Brother of the current generation of the Shushan Sword Sect.

It was through an encounter born from conflict, the relationship smoothed out.

Last time, when Chen Yuan was searching for his uncle Wu Daozi, Bai Changqing heard of it and even invited him over, but Chen Yuan had already left after dealing with the matter.

This time, he plans to make Shuzhou his base of operations, being the core of the Three States, he must establish good relations with Shushan.

He doesn't expect other forms of assistance, nor does he want Shushan to interfere, as long as the well water doesn't mix with the river water, he would already be satisfied.

Last time, Tang Xianzhuo caused considerable harm to the Shu Central region by luring and killing quite a few Core Realm Grandmasters to revive his beloved. In essence, it indirectly assisted Chen Yuan.

Chivalry violates the ban, the higher the cultivation, the more disdainful of the government and defiant, Chen Yuan has already prepared for a large-scale purge.

One reason is to scavenge resources in preparation for rebellion; the other is to neutralize most of the troublemakers, to gain control of Shuzhou, though Jiang He has managed Qingzhou for many years.

But the Taoist Divine Palace initially sought to establish an existence on par with the Immortal Sects, yet its forces weren't sufficient.

Moreover, Qingzhou's terrain is generally flat, easy to attack but hard to defend. Once the court's army arrives, circumstances dictate a retreat, but managing Shuzhou well won't be easy, Chen Yuan discovered after careful examination.

The world reveres martial arts, and the North only boasts the Wudang Immortal Sect due to border issues, rendering it weaker compared to other regions.

The central area is tightly controlled by the Sima Family and serves as a primary choice for many martial artists, hence the South.

This region has not endured major warfare for centuries, with resources incredibly wealthy—even the coastal areas pale in comparison, possessing nearly half of the Ten Immortal Sects.

More than half of the Five Great Families reside here, alongside numerous formidable forces second only to the Ten Immortal Sects, deeply rooted and intertwined, so if there are hidden families, it's inevitable they dwell in the Southern region.

Such chaos fosters a flourishing martial ethos, making control even more challenging.

After leaving the Tangshan Buddha, Chen Yuan began considering how to lure the Scholar in White, Song Lun, out of the Blood State for a covert assassination, although certainly, now the other party remains very alert.

He plans to first manage Shuzhou's situation, then devise the actual major plans.

The Shu Central divides into several sections, but Shuzhou City doesn't lie within the Shu Central region, also because it steers clear of Shushan's edge, following Great Jin's founding, Shuzhou City was established near the South State.

The location is average, the resources abundant yet not especially noticeable, much of the glory ceded to Shushan Sword Sect.

After traversing more than half of Shuzhou, Chen Yuan finally arrives at Shuzhou City on the Twenty-second of July in the ninth year of Jin Jingtai.

Chen Yuan acted very low-key and believed he was inconspicuous, but upon reaching Shuzhou City, he was slightly surprised once over; the new Golden Envoy of Shuzhou, Lu Renjia's brother, Lu Renyi, along with the elite of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau transferred from the Capital and other states, as well as Shuzhou's governor and Shuzhou's Right Fourth Rank titled Pingnan General himself went out of the city to welcome him.

The scene was grand, drawing thousands of citizens to observe curiously.

Actually, this is quite normal, as Chen Yuan is currently the direct Third Rank martial position Heavenly Divine Envoy of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau, boasting vast fame, and nominally commanding the Three States.

In terms of official rank, at least throughout the entire Southern region, other than Prince Zhen Nan, Nangong Lie, no one surpasses him.

Each state's governor possesses only a Third Rank official title, being weak civil officials, while military officers inherently command authority, now even weaker compared to Chen Yuan by quite a margin.

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