Chapter 86: A New Official Takes Office and Must Set Fires

"Second issue, within my Iron Cloud, there are an unknown number of spies planted by Wu Diqing over the years. I estimate that many of them hold high positions, both in the military and the government." Tie Butian smiled and said, "Mr. Chu, you once said that to stabilize the outside, one must first stabilize the inside. As long as you can complete the first task, which is the cleansing of the Buxiange, then the second task will also be entrusted to you. Finally, we will tackle the military and political strategies of the two countries! But the prerequisite is stability."

"There are many who are not afraid to die. If we can maintain balance until everyone is killed, it is still a balance." Tie Butian smiled, "But some people, if one is killed, it will shake the entire world."

Chu Yang gave a strange smile. He understood the implications of Tie Butian's words. In other words: if you cannot even complete the first task, then you should roll out as soon as possible. Don't even think about the second or third tasks...

As for the balance he mentioned, it was not just a casual remark. It referred to the current situation between the two countries and the political landscape of Iron Cloud: balance!

At present, maintaining balance and stability in Iron Cloud is far more important than rapidly developing and strengthening the country. This is also Tie Butian's bottom line.

"Mr. Chu, I entrust Buxiange to you." Tie Butian walked to the door, turned back, and smiled lightly.

"Buxiange, hehe, is the Crown Prince asking me to mend the sky here?" Chu Yang chuckled.

"Mr. Chu, if you want to cooperate, you must show your abilities and means. Divine weapons and tools are external things, and empty talk is just armchair strategy." Tie Butian smiled gently, "The current Buxiange is Mr. Chu's touchstone."

"Buxiange has been established for three years, but it is still just a雏形." With a meaningful smile, Tie Butian walked out gracefully.

Throughout the process, Tie Butian only introduced the situation and did not provide any support. If Chu Yang wanted to stand firm here, he had to rely on his own strength, stand firmly, and then talk about reorganization and cleansing. Ultimately, controlling Buxiange would be the first step in the cooperation between Tie Butian and Chu Yang!

Given Chu Yang's martial artist strength, acting alone to control Buxiange, where even the lowest ranks are martial masters, and to make this already well-coordinated group follow his commands and establish his authority, is an almost impossible task!

But Chu Yang had no choice. At this point, he had received the treatment and attention from Tie Butian that he wanted. The influence he created was already complete. Even the core of Buxiange, which he wanted, was given to him by Tie Butian!

In Chu Yang's eyes, although Tie Butian seemed somewhat effeminate and slightly 'feminine and perverted,' the trust Chu Yang most wanted, Tie Butian gave without reservation.

Everything Chu Yang hoped for before coming to Iron Cloud, he had already received.

Now, it was time for him to demonstrate his abilities. If he could not convince the people of Buxiange, it would prove that Chu Yang did not deserve Tie Butian's trust!

The current situation was that Chu Yang and Tie Butian had pushed Chu Yang to a point of no return!

Tie Butian had been gone for a long time, and Chu Yang was buried in a sea of documents, analyzing them bit by bit. These documents were just words, and words are often unreliable. But Chu Yang had to find the truth and the loopholes in the unreliable to have a preliminary grasp.

Finding the unreliable in documents that had already been screened by wise people was indeed a difficult task.

But Chu Yang's first step could only start from this. He did not have the intelligence network like the Heavenly Net. Now, he was still just one person!

Chu Yang firmly believed one thing: no organization is without vulnerabilities. Under Wu Diqing's plan, Tie Butian's side might not be flawless. The personnel responsible for screening on Tie Butian's side might not be... loyal!

Chu Yang spent the afternoon carefully reviewing the files of the 87 people in Buxiange. In just one afternoon, he memorized them all!

Closing his eyes, the information of the 87 people swirled in his mind, in every detail!

Then Chu Yang walked out.

"Your Excellency." Seeing Chu Yang come out, Ice Soul Saber Venerable Cheng Ziang stood up first. The people behind him also stood up. Compared to when Chu Yang arrived, there were seven more people, making a total of twelve.

These people looked at Chu Yang with some hostility, caution, and distrust, but they still stood up and saluted due to his title of "Your Excellency." Many had a mocking look in their eyes, clearly waiting for the show to begin.

"Lord Cheng, from now on, we are colleagues. There's no need for such formalities in the future." Chu Yang's words made the Ice Soul Saber Venerable's lips twitch.

Do you really think you're the boss? You actually say there's no need for formalities? But Chu Yang's first words were "Lord Cheng" rather than "Senior Cheng," indicating that he was following the rules of the secular bureaucracy, not the conventions of the martial world.

An official one rank higher can crush you!

Chu Yang's first words were a warning to Cheng Ziang. Even if you are a Saber Venerable, a high-level expert, this is the bureaucracy, under the Crown Prince! Even if a weak, scholarly official becomes your superior, you must be obedient!

In Chu Yang's heart, he indeed looked down on this so-called "high-level expert." Throughout history, there have been many high-level experts who could dominate the martial world, but how many of them coveted the glory and wealth of the secular world?

Since you have abandoned your transcendent status in the martial world to serve the secular court, you are an official.

By abandoning that identity, your mindset has already fallen. You are no longer a high-level expert! Even with such a title, Cheng Ziang would have no hope of victory against a peer high-level expert!

"Lord Cheng, please inform all the subordinates of Buxiange in Iron Cloud City to gather here early tomorrow morning." Chu Yang said calmly, "I am a new official taking office and must set three fires; this is a bureaucratic tradition. I hope for your full cooperation!"

Cheng Ziang was taken aback.

This newly appointed guest minister was truly straightforward! Even if you want to set three fires, you don't have to say it so bluntly, do you?

That night, when Chu Yang returned to the Tianbing Pavilion, he heard the sound of the wind in the backyard. It turned out that Gu Duxing was practicing his sword.

Chu Yang stood on the steps, watching Gu Duxing practice, lost in thought.

Gu Duxing, should I bring him out into the open? It must be said that Gu Duxing's combat strength in Iron Cloud City is undoubtedly that of a high-level expert. Having him by my side would make everything smoother.

After all, my current martial strength is only at the fourth level of martial artist.

Watching the rolling sword light in the backyard, Chu Yang finally shook his head. It's better for Gu Duxing to stay hidden. Buxiange is Buxiange, and Gu Duxing's strength is the reliance for our survival and development in Iron Cloud City.

Keeping a hidden ace is always more reliable than showing your strength openly.

"Brother Chu, you're back." Gu Duxing finished practicing, his clothes drenched in sweat, his face pale, clearly having exerted a lot of energy. It seemed he had activated the Mad Venerable Sword Technique.

Chu Yang found Gu Duxing strange. Chu Yang was much younger than him, which was certain. But for some reason, every time he faced Chu Yang, he felt that Chu Yang was far more mature than himself.

If we talk about age, I am older; but Chu Yang never talks about age with me. This made Gu Duxing very frustrated. How should he address him?

You call me Brother Chu, and I call you Brother Gu?

Chu Yang would never talk about age with Gu Duxing. If they talked about age... wouldn't he be at a disadvantage? This was a loss he could not afford.

And Gu Duxing could not see through Chu Yang's strength. Was this young man a Martial Ancestor or a Martial Venerable? Gu Duxing dared not guess lower, only higher.

If Gu Duxing knew that Chu Yang's current strength was only that of a martial artist, he might collapse on the spot...