As winter arrives, it seems as if everything in the world undergoes a change.
The rebels manipulated by the Rebirth Tower successfully advanced to the borders of Feiyun Commandery, occupying a vast territory and establishing a connection with the rebels in Tianhe Commandery.
The imperial army pursued them to the border but suddenly halted, engaging in a standoff with the rebels from afar.
Minor skirmishes persisted between the two sides, but large-scale warfare never erupted. Instead, cultivators from both camps engaged in fierce battles across the vast landscape.
Meanwhile, within Feiyun Commandery, the areas previously captured by the rebels have been successfully retaken.
However, the widespread devastation and the suffering of the populace are not things that can be healed in a short time. Especially now, with snow falling heavily, progress has nearly come to a standstill.
This year's snowfall is much heavier than in previous years, burying many official roads and freezing numerous rivers. It is unknown how many people will perish during this winter.
In a manor in Hengshan County, after capturing the three counties, Ji Yuan moved in with his people.
Incidentally, this manor was formerly occupied by a minor sect that had pledged allegiance to the rebels. Now, it is at their disposal.
The place remains the same, and there have been no changes among the servants and maids.
The only difference is that a new group of people now owns this estate, and a young maid from the woodshed has unexpectedly become the young mistress of the manor.
"I really can't figure it out. They were fighting to the death before, and now they can just stand off without moving."
In the main hall of the manor, Mo Yiyan let out a sigh of lament.
The people around him couldn't help but shake their heads. They had expected the conflict to continue until one side could no longer hold on and was utterly annihilated.
Yet, in a silent, imperceptible manner, both the court and the rebels seemed to possess a complete understanding, and after a series of actions, they ceased to engage in further combat.
"Everyone is taking sides, or waiting for the right wind to blow."
Compared to the apprehension of the Nine Xuan Sect disciples, Li Buwei appeared much more relaxed. He smiled helplessly and said, "Let's just watch. As long as a new emperor has not ascended the throne in the capital, this situation will continue."
Even the Nine Xuan Sect has recalled its disciples from the front lines, dispersing them throughout Feiyun Commandery to mitigate the impact of the rebels on the populace.
It seems everyone is waiting for the struggle in the capital to conclude, to see which prince will successfully ascend the throne.
"The capital must be in turmoil right now."
Li Junxian sighed. If he had the chance, he would truly like to witness it.
However, he was also well aware that with his meager cultivation, getting too close would likely result in his unknowing demise.
Cultivators of the second realm are already considered top experts in the ordinary martial world. However, in the turbulent capital, they are merely pawns.
Only cultivators of the third realm or above can involve themselves and slightly influence the current situation.
"Those matters are ultimately too far from us."
Ji Yuan sat in the main seat and said calmly, "What we can do now is to do our best to improve our cultivation and, at the same time, assist the court in governing this small piece of land."
Currently, various factions in the capital are vying for the imperial throne, and all the court departments are engaged in constant infighting, leaving no room to deal with local trivialities.
Furthermore, in various prefectures and commanderies, the turmoil caused by the Rebirth Tower and the rebels has left them in disarray, with severe manpower shortages. Consequently, there are no surplus forces to appoint officials for the recovered territories.
For instance, the three counties of Hengshan are currently unified under Zhang Qingyang's administration. He alone shoulders the responsibility of governing five county towns and numerous surrounding townships and villages.
This young county magistrate is both distressed and exhilarated. On one hand, his hair has turned much grayer from worry; on the other hand, he feels that his learning and aspirations finally have a place to be realized.
It must be said that under his governance, the five county towns have not only stopped deteriorating but are even showing signs of improvement.
Of course, this is also due in no small part to Ji Yuan and his companions. Whether it's the cultivators of Mount Xiaoyuan or the disciples of Mount Xuantian, they have all played a significant role.
Even the divine avatar on Mount Xiaoyuan, the Flood Dragon that has fully inherited its ancestral status in the Lin Fu River, and its subordinate divine officials have contributed considerably.
And Ji Yuan has obtained what he desired.
In addition to a large batch of spoils of war and the monthly tribute from the five counties, City God pavilions in various places have erected statues of the Water God in their side halls, and the local county yamen will ensure the incense is abundant.
Furthermore, new Water God temples are being built in townships outside the county towns, attracting local residents to pray and offer incense.
As a result, the divine avatar on Mount Xiaoyuan has not only significantly improved its cultivation but has also received abundant incense and wishes from all directions. This has allowed it to comprehend the Great Dao of heaven and earth, and its realm has been advancing at an extremely rapid pace.
Moreover, due to the establishment of the Water God temples, the five counties have been incorporated into its incense offerings, bestowing upon Mount Xiaoyuan the augmentation of heavenly power. In the unseen realm, it has gathered a vast amount of fortune.
This enables the divine avatar to exert power comparable to the late third realm while on the mountain and receive significant augmentation of heavenly power when moving within the five counties, equivalent to the middle third realm.
This is the marvelous aspect of the divine path. However, in the past, the court's power was stable, and no one could spread incense so widely, thus it could not manifest.
Now, Ji Yuan has successfully extended his Water God temple's incense offerings to the five counties by leveraging the chaos created by the Rebirth Tower and the rebels. The benefits far exceed his initial expectations.
According to the current progress, with the incense offerings from the five counties, it is likely that it will only take ten to twenty years to push the divine avatar's cultivation to the late third realm.
Once the impact of the war subsides and the populace returns to their normal state, the incense and wishes will become even more abundant.
Throughout the winter, Ji Yuan, both in his main body and as his divine avatar, has been diligently leading his forces to help the five counties recover their pre-war prosperity.
Cultivators from Mount Xiaoyuan and disciples from Mount Xuantian can often be seen traveling throughout the five counties, using their cultivation to assist in recovery and construction efforts.
Concurrently, they are responsible for cooperating with local officials to eliminate bandits and mountain thieves.
In times of chaos, such dregs are never in short supply, seeking to take advantage of the disorder to become local despots and live like petty kings.
The situation in the five counties, led by Lin Fu County, is still quite good, at least with powerful cultivators like Ji Yuan.
In other county towns, even if there are cultivators present, at most their cultivation is in the middle to late first realm, or at most the early second realm.
This has led to rampant banditry and mountain thievery within their territories, harming local residents and passing merchants and caravans.