The Town in the Clouds guarded the Palace Council Hall.
Zhang Yuhe sat at the head of the room, with Qian Lingling serving attentively behind him.
Seated below him were the heads of each family: Qian Weiguang of the Qian family, Sun Pengcheng of the Sun family, Li Jiuming of the Li family, He Chifeng of the He family, and Concubine Mingyue, the owner of the Hyacinth Building.
Everyone stared silently at the teacups before them, though in private, they quietly observed Zhang Yuhe, attempting to sense his cultivation.
By now, Zhang Yuhe had learned to be cautious. He kept his true power hidden, disguising his aura at the early Yuan Infant stage. Unless someone with superior cultivation confronted him, it was difficult to discern his true strength.
His gaze swept over the room and lingered briefly on Concubine Mingyue, seated at the back.
She was stunning, but her beauty wasn't what drew his attention.
What stood out to Zhang Yuhe was the strange aura she emitted. On the surface, she appeared to be at the early Yuan Infant stage, but beneath that, he sensed something far more powerful.
He couldn't determine exactly what, but he was sure of one thing—it wasn't what it seemed.
"This woman is not simple," Zhang Yuhe concluded swiftly.
Clearly, Ming Fu had been deceived.
Initially, Ming Fu had told him that among the five factions, Hyacinth Building was the weakest, with only the landlord being an early Yuan Infant cultivator.
But in Zhang Yuhe's opinion, Concubine Mingyue was the most dangerous one in the room.
Zhang Wuji and his mother had been right—beautiful women were often the most deceptive.
Aside from her, the other family heads didn't seem remarkable. They were all at the early Yuan Infant stage as well.
Of course, as leaders, that didn't necessarily make them the strongest in their respective families. Each family had multiple Yuan Infant cultivators, and there might even be hidden Nascent Soul experts among them.
After exchanging brief glances with the others, Zhang Yuhe cleared his throat and spoke.
"I've just arrived in Yunzhong Mansion as the new town guard. Today, I simply wanted to meet with all of you. I hope we can cooperate well moving forward."
"Your Excellency is too modest," Qian Weiguang said with a polite smile. "You're representing the Dao Holy Sect in Yunzhong Mansion—of course, we are at your disposal. If you need anything, we will handle it to the best of our abilities."
"Yes, yes, whatever orders you may have, we will do our utmost," the others echoed one after another.
Zhang Yuhe studied their expressions but couldn't immediately determine who was genuine and who was not.
Still, it didn't matter much to him.
Words meant nothing without action.
He took a light sip from his teacup and continued.
"Now then, as you can see, I don't have many people in the Town Guard Mansion. I'd like to borrow some men from your families to come serve under me. How about that?"
He paused, then added with intentional crudeness, "Just so we're clear—I don't pay wages. I don't have money."
Zhang Yuhe deliberately adopted a domineering and dismissive tone. He wanted them to underestimate him, to ease their guard, so he could move more freely. If they watched him too closely, he wouldn't be able to do anything.
He hadn't come with grand plans—initially, he only wanted a peaceful place to cultivate. But whether he intended to take action or not wasn't the point.
Yunzhong Mansion was not a simple place. If he wasn't careful, he might fall into a trap he couldn't escape.
Before beginning cultivation, he needed to clear the board, or at least identify any threats.
He didn't have a full picture yet—but that was fine. Everything would come with time.
As soon as Zhang Yuhe finished speaking, He Chifeng replied calmly.
"No problem. I'll arrange for someone to come to the Town Guard Mansion tomorrow. But our He family's younger generation isn't particularly strong—most are only at the Qi Refining stage. I hope that's acceptable, my lord?"
Zhang Yuhe fell silent for a moment.
You've got to be kidding me.
The He family had been established in Yunzhong Mansion for tens of thousands of years and had influence over dozens of cities. Their clan included over 100,000 cultivators.
And you're offering me a few Qi Refining juniors?
Who are you trying to insult?
Zhang Yuhe responded lightly, "Forget it. If it's just Qi Refining cultivators, I won't force it. I was merely asking."
He turned his gaze toward the others, landing next on Li Jiuming.
Li Jiuming immediately stood and offered with an apologetic tone, "Our Li family has declined in recent years. Perhaps I can arrange for a few Foundation Establishment disciples to come assist?"
"Forget it," Zhang Yuhe replied coldly, then looked at the remaining three.
Qian Weiguang stood up at once, still smiling.
"It's an honor to serve you, my lord. I'll send five disciples at the Golden Core stage tomorrow."
Zhang Yuhe nodded slightly.
Sun Pengcheng also responded quickly, "Same here—five from the Golden Core realm will be sent to your service."
"Good," Zhang Yuhe said.
Finally, his eyes turned to Concubine Mingyue.
He still couldn't see through her—so he had to tread carefully.
Concubine Mingyue rose slowly, her voice soft and smooth.
"There are few people left in our Hyacinth Building. If you don't mind, perhaps I could come serve in the Town Guard Mansion myself?"
Zhang Yuhe waved dismissively, still holding his teacup.
"That's enough for today."
The five leaders glanced at each other, then quietly exited the hall one after another.
After they had gone, Zhang Yuhe tapped his fingers lightly against the table.
Asking them here today and requesting subordinates was partially out of necessity—he did lack manpower.
But that wasn't the main reason.
If he truly needed people, he could post a recruitment notice outside the Town Guard Mansion, and countless applicants would appear. He didn't need to rely on these local powerhouses.
The real purpose had been to test their attitudes.
Ming Fu had been right—the He and Li families were clearly problematic.
When an inner disciple of the Dao Holy Sect arrives to serve, the local forces should at least show proper deference, even if they didn't go as far as groveling.
There was no future in opposing the Dao Holy Sect.
As town guard, Zhang Yuhe could remain in Yunzhong Mansion for hundreds of years.
If he wanted, he could cause trouble for the He and Li families anytime.
But judging by their behavior, they clearly didn't fear him.
Their refusals were blunt and deliberate.
To be so bold, they must have some kind of backing.
Their surface strength didn't justify that level of arrogance.
So either they had hidden power—or someone powerful stood behind them.
Could it be a Dao Holy Sect elder? Or another influential force?
"This is going to be a tricky situation," Zhang Yuhe murmured, falling into deep thought.