Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1660 - 1653: Tianguan Town

Chapter 1660: Chapter 1653: Tianguan Town

Baiyang Yu’s Baiyang Clan is a prominent household in Fangzhou.

Fangzhou’s name is rather straightforward, as the province is indeed a near-perfect rectangle. To the east lies Yun State, to the west Tong State, to the north Northern Province, and to the south, the renowned Yin State, home to the illustrious Yichuan Clan.

In theory, Fangzhou’s strategic connectivity ought to make it widely renowned. Yet, the reality is that neither Fangzhou nor the Baiyang Clan have particularly stood out on the Dongsheng Empire’s political stage.

The Baiyang Clan lacks the staunch literary affiliations of the Yin State’s Yichuan Clan, known as the founders and steadfast supporters of the Wen Family. Nor does Fangzhou share the martial commitments of Yun State or Northern Province’s powerful households, who align with the Wu Family.

This unique geographical positioning dictates that the Baiyang Clan cannot fully lean toward either the Wu Family or the Wen Family.

As a result, the Baiyang Clan adopts a practice similar to most prominent families: while actively cultivating individuals gifted in martial endeavors, they simultaneously invest in those unable to pursue cultivation but excel in literary pursuits, sending them to participate in the Imperial Court’s examinations to become officials.

Baiyang Yu appears to be one such young official born under this system. By his appearance alone, it is evident that he is not a cultivator, simply an ordinary man.

"Your imperial court truly never seems to take its eyes off us," Cheng Ziang remarked with a faint smile after some thought.

"Ah, my lord, you speak too seriously. The might of the Saints is known across Kyushu," Baiyang Yu replied, showing his obvious discomfort and inability to convincingly lie.

Cheng Ziang carefully examined Baiyang Yu. It was evident at first glance that he was not a cultivator.

Baiyang Yu had a slim, tall frame, an air of gentility, and a studious appearance—he looked entirely like a scholar and not at all like someone holding a magistrate’s office.

His looks bore some resemblance to Huayu Ting, but whereas Huayu Ting, a high-level cultivator, exuded an unmistakable sense of pressure, Baiyang Yu lacked such an aura entirely.

What surprised Cheng Ziang even more was how Baiyang Yu, despite his position as an official, personally engaged in agricultural labor. His hands, feet, and even his clothing bore traces of mud, painting quite a disheveled picture.

Baiyang Yu’s youthful, delicate features made him resemble a boy rather than a grown adult. Coupled with his tall, lanky figure, his appearance felt distinctly incongruous.

"You’re an official of the imperial court?" Cheng Ziang mused aloud.

"Yes, I am the court-appointed magistrate of Tianguan Town," Baiyang Yu responded with his head bowed.

His posture was so deferential that it left the other attendees momentarily confused about who was the official here and who the outsider.

"A magistrate who delights in leisure and shares in the joys of the people, I see," Cheng Ziang remarked with intrigue, his gaze tracking Baiyang Yu’s dirt-streaked hands and face.

"Ah, my apologies for the embarrassment," Baiyang Yu blurted out, hastily wiping the grime from his face and brushing the dirt off his limbs.

"I know a bit about farming techniques, so I thought I might contribute some practical insights by heading into the fields personally. Unfortunately, I must apologize for running into you all in this state," Baiyang Yu explained.

"No worries. This is rather admirable—there’s beauty in the efforts of the laboring masses," Cheng Ziang said with a shrug, displaying a magnanimous demeanor.

"You’re heading to Shengyuan Prefecture, correct?" Baiyang Yu asked.

"Why bother asking a question when you already know the answer?" Cheng Ziang retorted with a cryptic smile.

"Ah," Baiyang Yu hesitated before lowering his head and, after a moment of silence, remarked, "If you do not mind, I invite you to my humble residence for a chat. It would be my honor to showcase some hospitality as your host."

"Very well, lead the way," Cheng Ziang replied, agreeing without hesitation.

From the moment the Advance Team set foot in Kyushu, it was unmistakable to Cheng Ziang—they were under constant surveillance by the Dongsheng Empire’s Wen Family-led court.

The Wen Family court was determined to prevent such a formidable force as the Advance Team from aligning with the Wu Family. Thus, they would spare no effort in courting the team. Rather than struggle to maintain an impartial stance, Cheng Ziang figured it wiser to go with the flow, enjoying the Wen Family’s deliberate hospitality throughout their journey.

Under Baiyang Yu’s lead, the carriage proceeded deeper into Tianguan Town.

Baiyang Yu showed barely any semblance of official decorum, rolling up his sleeves and hitching his garments as he ran ahead with awkward, clumsy energy—an image far removed from the gravitas expected of a proper magistrate.

Cheng Ziang found it hard to watch and ultimately invited Baiyang Yu to sit on the outer bench of the carriage, where he began conversing with him, probing him for information related to the court.

Through their conversation, Cheng Ziang discovered Baiyang Yu was truly as clueless as he seemed. Upon learning he was appointed magistrate of Tianguan Town, he set out in a hurry with just a few attendants.

They traversed the passes guarded by the Anxiang family, crossed mountains, and toiled painstakingly to earn the trust of the local free-spirited folk before Baiyang Yu could formally assume his post.

Places like Tianguan Town were seldom chosen for voluntary postings unless the country was in disarray. Such administrative units often merged political and military responsibilities under the magistrate’s authority.

Awkwardly, Baiyang Yu lacked military command. The town’s armed forces remained under the control of the local leader mentioned by Bahàn.

Baiyang Yu was merely the political magistrate, but the free-spirited locals rarely adhered to their official mandate and required someone imposing to keep them in line, a role only their leader could fulfill.

In essence, although Baiyang Yu was nominally Tianguan Town’s political and military head, he functioned more like an assistant, cautiously serving the leader of the Qi State’s local populace.

Remarkably, Baiyang Yu seemed unbothered by this and did not despair over his situation. Beyond his farming endeavors, he was proactively working to bring order to Tianguan Town’s chaotic bureaucracy, tallying assets, compiling registries, and other administrative tasks.

The town hadn’t seen any drastic changes following his arrival, yet the locals gradually noticed their lives improving day by day, becoming less aimless and disordered.

All of this was thanks to Baiyang Yu’s tireless efforts—a fact that some might think spoke to his naive earnestness.

In Cheng Ziang’s estimation, Baiyang Yu’s upbringing in a prominent family and his competent abilities suggested there was likely more to his story. Though only a magistrate, Baiyang Yu’s appointment came directly from Cabinet ministers.

Cheng Ziang suspected this was a deliberate trial from the Cabinet—a chance for Baiyang Yu to hone his abilities at the grassroots level while staying away from courtly disputes, before being recalled to a higher position when the time was right.

From the Advance Team’s observations thus far, the Wen Family-led Dongsheng Empire’s court, particularly the Cabinet, was a collection of calculating, dispassionate minds—a highly efficient administrative body.

These individuals knew precisely what they were doing, what they intended to do, and the risks involved. Every move they made was meticulously calculated to weigh advantages and disadvantages and determine acceptable levels of risk.

Unlike the Wu Family’s brash and unreasonable methods, the Wen Family’s court relied on subtle plotting and valuation of individuals’ worth—an approach that was often more unnerving than brute simplicity.

Guided by Baiyang Yu, the carriage entered the town. Tianguan Town boasted a quaint and ancient charm. Moss-covered stone slabs lined the ground; ivy draped over the brick walls of houses flanking the roads.

Due to its unique geography, Tianguan Town had been continuously inhabited since its founding. Buildings visible to the Advance Team dated back over a thousand years, and the stone paths beneath their feet had been laid during the town’s earliest days.

The town shared similarities with Bianzhen Town in being a vestige of the Kyushu Empire, now inherited by the Dongsheng Empire.

Thanks to well-maintained waterworks, the whole town was free of waterlogging, cool, and pleasantly void of troublesome insects like mosquitoes—a near-perfect summer retreat.

The streets bustled with pedestrians, mostly locals and a few individuals from the Demon Clan. All craned their necks and stood on tiptoe, staring curiously at the hefty carriage.

The attire of the Qi State locals was simple yet unique, predominantly short sleeves and knee-length pants that left their limbs exposed. Laborers wrapped cloth strips around their hands and feet, while children ran freely and naked through the town streets, a sight that conveyed the distinctive local culture.