Young Master Ji San thought for a moment and said, "If you want somewhere sparsely populated, we'll have to leave the city. Within the Glazed Royal City, spots like that are hard to come by. But outside the city, the Panlong Great Clan has countless properties — finding a few dozen such locations would be no trouble at all."
Under the Glazed Royal City's jurisdiction, the territory spanned several million li. As the premier clan of the Glazed Royal City, the Panlong Great Clan's holdings naturally dotted the entire region.
Finding a remote place like this would be easy enough.
"Brother, what are you planning to do?" Ji San asked curiously.
"Training. Breaking through," Jiang Chen said with a smile.
Ji San didn't press further and nodded. "Leave it to me. When do you need it?"
"The sooner the better. Ideally somewhere near water — a lake would be perfect." Jiang Chen added a few more requirements.
"No problem. I'll get things arranged right now and take you there tomorrow. Sound good?" Ji San was as straightforward as ever. These matters were utterly trivial in his eyes.
Compared to what Jiang Chen had done for the Clan Leader, they weren't even worth mentioning.
"I appreciate it, Brother Ji." Jiang Chen didn't stand on ceremony. This time, he wasn't preparing for himself, but for Long Xiaoxuan.
Long Xiaoxuan had mentioned wanting to break through back then, and nearly half a month had already passed. If he didn't make arrangements soon, Long Xiaoxuan would fly into a rage.
After returning to the Taiyuan Pavilion and resting for a night, Jiang Chen said to Huang'er, "Huang'er, Long Xiaoxuan needs to break through to the Imperial Realm, and it's urgent. I'll need to leave the city and find an open area to help him through."
Last time, Huang'er had already met Long Xiaoxuan, so she was no stranger to him.
"Would you like Huang'er to come along?" she asked, ever considerate.
"You've been cooped up in the Glazed Royal City for ages — it must be stifling. If you don't have anything pressing, we could take a trip together. Consider it a change of scenery."
Huang'er's heart lifted with joy, and she nodded.
Early the next morning, Ji San arrived at the Taiyuan Pavilion and found Jiang Chen straightaway. "Brother, I've found a few spots. Here's the map — take a look and pick one."
Jiang Chen took the map and saw that the selected locations had clearly been carefully vetted, each one quite suitable.
He chose one from the options. "This one will do."
Ji San grinned. "Need me to stand guard for you?"
Setting aside the Clan Leader's orders to ensure Jiang Chen's safety, Ji San himself didn't want anything happening to the man.
But Jiang Chen shook his head. "No need. Just keep watch back in the Royal City and make sure no one follows us. This isn't something that needs too many people involved."
Ji San understood — cultivation was a private matter, and having too many people around was counterproductive. He nodded readily. "Rest assured on that front. Anyone who tries to tail us in the Glazed Royal City simply can't."
Ji San made a few arrangements and ran a series of diversions around the Glazed Royal City, successfully getting Jiang Chen and Huang'er out of the city without a trace.
"Brother, I can guarantee no one followed you. But out here, law enforcement is far less reliable than inside the walls. There are all sorts of adventurers roaming about — more than a few desperadoes among them. Stay sharp. If things get too dangerous, remember the Silver Dragon Token you carry."
With the Silver Dragon Token, ordinary rogue cultivators wouldn't dare cause trouble.
Jiang Chen chuckled. "I've cut my way through armies of thousands before. Today I'm just stepping out of the city — Brother Ji, no need to worry so much."
When it came to self-preservation, the cards Jiang Chen had up his sleeve were probably far more plentiful than Ji San's.
"Right, here's my written order. Take it to the local overseer and tell them you're temporarily taking charge of the area. Once they see the order, they'll hand the place over without question. Use it for as long as you need — no worries. It's all Panlong Great Clan territory."
Jiang Chen took the order and gave Ji San a cupped-fist salute. "Brother Ji, see you when I return."
Ji San waved farewell, watching Jiang Chen and Huang'er disappear into the distance before slowly withdrawing his gaze. He murmured to himself, "It took so long to make a real brother, and now we're parting ways. Hard not to feel a little attached."
With that, he chuckled and turned to Commander Mo at his side. "Old Mo, let's stay here a while longer to make sure no one's tailing them before we head back."
Commander Mo nodded. "That would be wise."
Following the map, Jiang Chen and Huang'er arrived at their destination half a day later.
The local overseer, surnamed Zhang, was the lord of this territory. He had received advance notice and, after reviewing the written order, addressed Jiang Chen with deep respect. "Lord Pill King, the surrounding three hundred li have been designated a restricted zone. You may cultivate in peace within — absolutely no one will dare disturb you. Any fool foolish enough to trespass is an enemy of the Panlong Great Clan. We will cut them down without mercy!"
"Excellent. Thank you, Commander Zhang. Once I'm finished, I'll make sure to express my gratitude properly." Jiang Chen didn't pull rank despite the man's lower standing, and his manner was remarkably courteous.
Commander Zhang was overwhelmed. "I wouldn't dare! Lord Pill King is the Clan Leader's most valued personage. For a subordinate like me to do such a small thing — how could I presume to take credit?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "Commander Zhang, there's no need to be so formal. Since we're all part of the Panlong Great Clan, we're like family — no need for such distinctions."
Hearing this, Commander Zhang was swept up in a rush of complex emotions.