The Qingque Kingdom consisted of a total of thirteen prefectures and twenty-one cities.
Yong'an Prefecture was a city located in the eastern region of the Qingque Kingdom. Compared to Taiyun City in the western region, its scale was considerably smaller.
Fifty-five miles south of Yong'an Prefecture lay the capital city of the Qingque Kingdom.
It was precisely for this reason that the Kongshan Sect had not established a Stationed Envoy Residence within Yong'an Prefecture.
Riding his spirit horse, Chen Yan traveled along the road leading to Yong'an Prefecture.
He was wearing a pure white daoist robe.
On the sleeves of the robe were the distinctive gilded cloud crane patterns that symbolized Kongyuan Mountain.
A Kongshan Sect token was also fastened at his waist. However, the characters inscribed on this token with its ancient, rustic texture did not belong to any of the sect's seven major peaks.
Kongshan Pivot Court.
This entire outfit had been procured for him by Kong Yang.
It wasn't about acting ostentatiously. It was just that within the currently chaotic territory of the Qingque Kingdom, such attire was far more convenient than the simple, unadorned gray daoist robe Chen Yan had worn before.
Though he was still wearing a mask.
"We greet the Immortal Master!"
As Chen Yan passed through the city gate of Yong'an Prefecture, the several gate guards bowed hastily and saluted with clasped fists, their movements flustered.
These guards recognized the daoist robe Chen Yan wore.
Due to the Kongshan Sect's encirclement and suppression campaigns against Ding Qiu and his forces over the past two years, the guards of these secular forces had become very familiar with the robes of Kongshan Sect cultivators. They could even easily identify the standard styles of the robes from the seven major peaks.
However, the token currently fastened at Chen Yan's waist completely exceeded the understanding of these guards.
As he passed by these guards, Chen Yan reined in his horse, looked towards one of them, and asked:
"Do you know where Manager Li of the Kongshan Sect is?"
The guard who was questioned was slightly taken aback for a moment, then bent his waist even lower, his expression full of trepidation.
"In reply to the Immortal Master, this humble one truly does not know who Manager Li is. I beg for the Immortal Master's forgiveness!"
Chen Yan's eyebrows raised slightly.
He could understand that mortals would act nervous and reverent when encountering cultivators. After all, the mighty power of cultivators was something ordinary people could not comprehend at all.
However, the behavior of these guards at the city gate seemed a bit too exaggerated.
This struck Chen Yan as somewhat strange.
"Then, are there any cultivation families existing within Yong'an Prefecture?"
Chen Yan continued asking.
Cultivation families were, in reality, rogue cultivators who had taken root in the secular world, branching out and spreading in the form of clans.
Although the cultivation world of the Chenping Continent did not allow cultivators to interfere in secular political affairs, operating businesses and establishing industries in the form of cultivation families had always been tacitly permitted.
After all, cultivators also needed their own places to stay within the mortal world.
"There used to be three."
The guard at the gate paused slightly again, then answered Chen Yan's question, appearing somewhat hesitant.
"Used to be?"
Chen Yan asked.
"That's right..."
Looking at these guards before him who seemed to hold back their words, their expressions full of alarm, Chen Yan could roughly guess what was going on.
They were afraid of the Kongshan Sect.
And the reason, or at least one of the reasons, was definitely related to the Kongshan Sect having eradicated the three cultivation families within Yong'an Prefecture.
While traveling to Yong'an Prefecture after making his deal with Kong Yang, Chen Yan had heard about some of the events currently happening there.
Li Haowen had severely wounded Ding Qiu and his forces in Yong'an Prefecture, slaying hundreds of enemies, yet in the end, he still allowed Ding Qiu to escape by sheer luck.
Thus, Ding Qiu was at the end of his rope. His only way out now was to flee the Qingque Kingdom, escaping as far away as possible.
As for the cultivation families in Yong'an Prefecture, they had most likely been purged by Li Haowen as well during his encirclement campaign against Ding Qiu.
The original assets of Yong'an Prefecture's cultivation families should now be under the management of the Kongshan Sect.
In that case, as long as he went to the locations of the original businesses of those cultivation families in Yong'an Prefecture, he should be able to find people from the Kongshan Sect.
"Tell me, what were the largest businesses of those cultivation families in this city?"
Chen Yan asked.
"In reply to the Immortal Master, in the West Market area of Yong'an Prefecture city, there is a restaurant that originally belonged to the Lan Family of Yong'an."
The gate guard saluted with clasped fists as he answered.
"Understood."
Chen Yan nodded, then raised his hand and lightly waved it through the air, retrieving a few taels of broken silver from his storage treasure and tossing them to the guard who had just answered his question.
"Th-thank you, Immortal Master!"
The guard caught the silver and hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
Chen Yan paid no further attention. He simply rode his horse through the city gate, heading in the direction of the West Market the guard had mentioned.
That restaurant was very conspicuous.
Yong'an Prefecture wasn't large. Amidst the bustling, disorderly market stood a restaurant towering seven stories high, over twenty *zhang* tall. Naturally, it stood out prominently.
However, the reason Chen Yan so quickly identified this restaurant as the business of Yong'an Prefecture's cultivation family was, unsurprisingly, because several cultivators wearing Kongshan Sect daoist robes had just entered that establishment.
Chen Yan tethered his spirit horse to the side and walked towards the restaurant.
Upon entering, he found the main hall gathered with about twenty Kongshan Sect disciples. Most of them were outer sect disciples, and these Kongshan Sect disciples all bore injuries, some more, some less.
The Kongshan Sect was using the restaurant's main hall as a temporary place for its disciples to recuperate.
As Chen Yan entered the restaurant, he quickly attracted the attention of the Kongshan Sect disciples inside.
The Kongyuan Mountain daoist robe he wore was very eye-catching.
"Senior Brother, may I ask your purpose for coming here..."
A young disciple wearing an outer court daoist robe came forward to greet him. This disciple's cultivation realm was at the peak of the Qi Circulation Realm. For Kongshan Sect's outer court disciples, reaching such a cultivation realm at his age was clearly quite outstanding.
"To find Manager Li and discuss some matters."
Chen Yan said slowly.
"I am truly very sorry, Senior Brother. Manager Li is still in discussions today regarding matters related to pursuing the Ding Bandits. I'm afraid he has no time to come out and meet you."
The disciple wearing the outer court daoist robe replied.
"I have important business to discuss with Manager Li."
Chen Yan continued calmly.
"Senior Brother, I think perhaps nothing could be more important than discussions regarding the pursuit of the Ding Bandits, right?"
The outer court disciple continued to block his way.
Hearing this, Chen Yan let out a soft sigh, then reached his hand towards his waist.
After all these years, it seems handling matters still relies on this in the end.
...
"Manager Li! Manager Li!"
A panicked voice came from outside the room, causing Li Haowen to frown slightly.
"What is it?"
He lifted his head and looked at the outer court disciple who had just very rudely pushed open his door.
"Th-there's a Senior Brother from Kongyuan Mountain outside looking for you."
This outer court disciple said, panting for breath.
"What are you panicking about?"
Li Haowen questioned.
"Th-that Senior Brother... he's holding a Pivot Court token!"