Fang Wushang followed behind Gao Yiye as they entered Gaojia Fortress.
The fortress had stood here for several years now. It was no longer the gleaming, freshly built stronghold it once was. The walls bore the marks of time—some of the composite panels were worn, slightly warped, and roughened by weather.
There were stains on the walls, and children's doodles everywhere.
In some corners, grass, flowers, and patches of moss had begun to grow—tiny green life pushing up through cracks in the ground.
And yet, instead of appearing decrepit, this faint touch of age lent the fortress an air of solemn dignity—
a kind of gravitas that only time could forge.
Gao Yiye led Fang Wushang up the watchtower.
As they passed the first floor, which housed the ancestral shrine, Fang Wushang paused to bow respectfully before the statue of Dao Xuan Tianzun. Whispering a quick apology for trespassing, he slipped by and followed Yiye up to the third floor.
From there, the balcony opened to the broad autumn sky.
Qiu Ju and Dong Xue served them fragrant tea.
Across the table, Gao Yiye sat with perfect poise—gone was the lively, mischievous girl who usually laughed and joked around. Now, she carried herself like a dignified lady of noble birth. Fang Wushang immediately sensed the change and realized this meeting was serious.
He set aside his newly bought katana, straightened his posture, and said formally:
"May I ask what instructions the Saintess has for me?"
Gao Yiye smiled softly.
"It's not I who has something to say—but Tianzun himself."
Fang Wushang nearly jumped out of his seat. Instinctively, he looked up.
High above—sixty or seventy feet overhead—a small cloud floated gently, and just as he looked, it drifted a little closer, as though greeting him.
He immediately bowed again.
Gao Yiye continued, "Tianzun is a divine being. There's nothing in this world he doesn't know—only things he chooses not to know, or simply doesn't care to."
Fang Wushang nodded reverently. "Indeed. Naturally so."
Gao Yiye's tone shifted slightly. "So, the conversation you had the other day with Magistrate Liang—Tianzun already knows of it."
Fang Wushang stiffened, startled. He almost leapt to his feet.
"Don't be alarmed," Gao Yiye said quickly. "Tianzun holds no blame toward either of you."
"Whew…" Fang Wushang exhaled in relief.
"In fact," she continued, "he praises you both. He believes your concerns are perfectly reasonable."
Fang Wushang's eyes lit up. "Truly?"
"Tianzun," Yiye said, "has no interest in worldly power struggles. To him, the squabbles of mortals are as insignificant as an ant colony fighting over its next queen. Tell me—does such a thing matter to humankind?"
Fang Wushang replied solemnly, "That reasoning is flawless."
Gao Yiye smiled faintly. "However, Tianzun also believes that if certain mortals use deceit, treachery, or cruelty—if they exploit their power and disturb the peace of the realm—then such actions will displease him."
At this, Fang Wushang's expression grew serious. He knew the true purpose of this meeting was coming.
"The problem," Gao Yiye said, "is that Gaojia Village lacks a righteous enforcer."
"Eh?" Fang Wushang blinked.
"Tianzun says," she explained, "that unchecked power always breeds corruption. For instance, if I were to walk downstairs to the village storehouse and take whatever I wished—with no one daring to stop me—then even I, blessed by Tianzun, might slowly lose restraint. Power without limits leads the heart astray."
Fang Wushang was stunned. She actually used herself as an example?
"And I am not the only one," Yiye went on. "There's Shansier, Bai Yuan, He Jiaoxi—all of them command small groups within the village. Within their domains, they hold absolute power. For now, they remain good people—but power, if left unchecked for too long, can twist anyone."
Fang Wushang's thoughts echoed her words. Yes… just as Liang-daren and I feared. Those armed with Tianzun's blessings—grain, weapons, authority—if ever they turned wicked, the result would be disastrous.
"Tianzun could punish them himself," Gao Yiye said, "but he is… busy. He cannot watch every mortal every day. So, he has asked me to summon you—and to entrust you with a sacred and difficult task."
Fang Wushang immediately understood. He was being asked to become Gaojia Village's lawkeeper.
He straightened his back, speaking earnestly:
"Tianzun may rest easy. Even if I had not been summoned, I, Fang Wushang, am already the Inspector of Chengcheng County. It is my duty to uphold the law—any who commit crimes, I shall arrest and judge."
Gao Yiye smiled. "Being Chengcheng's inspector is not enough."
"Not enough?" he asked, puzzled.
"You must also serve as Inspector of Gaojia Village. Otherwise, you will have no jurisdiction to restrain the people here."
Her words made Fang Wushang's eyes flash with sharp light.
"If there is already an inspector in Chengcheng," he said, "why create another one in Gaojia Village? Does this not mean Gaojia intends to separate from the county—to raise a rebel banner and form its own nation?"
As he spoke, his aura surged. He looked ready to spring into battle at any moment.
Qiu Ju and Dong Xue gasped in alarm.
But Gao Yiye remained calm—Dao Xuan Tianzun was right above, watching through her eyes, speaking through her lips. She had nothing to fear.
"General Fang," she said gently, "please don't misunderstand. Gaojia Village has no intention of seceding."
"Then why appoint a village inspector?" he demanded.
"Because," Yiye explained, "not long ago, Gaojia's militia marched to Heyang County to assist their militia in fighting the rebel Wang Jiayin. I believe you've heard of that?"
Fang Wushang nodded. "Yes, indeed."
"Then allow me a small hypothetical," she said. "Suppose—just suppose—that while en route to Heyang, our militia robbed a local village and killed its inhabitants. Would you be able to intervene?"
Fang Wushang opened his mouth to say "of course"—but froze.
No, he couldn't. Heyang County wasn't under his jurisdiction.
He remembered the last time he defended Zhengjia Village against the "Fan Shan Yue" rebels—how he had been unable to pursue them afterward, simply because he had no legal right to cross into another county.
Realization dawned on him, and he looked awkward.
"Gaojia Village," said Yiye, "is a civilian organization. And as such, it has great freedom. Today it may aid Heyang; tomorrow, perhaps Yichuan, Xi'an, or even Shanxi. It may move anywhere across the realm. But your current post—Inspector of Chengcheng—binds you to one county alone. You cannot keep up with us that way."
"So," she concluded with a serene smile,
"Tianzun wishes you to take an additional post—Inspector of Gaojia Village."