Prefect Sheng Han Mei Qingquan, with peak Golden Core cultivation, is a Standard Fourth Grade Immortal Official, wearing the Purple Ribbon Golden Seal.

Under the jurisdiction of the Cold Plum World are nine prefectures and sixteen states. Only the prefect of the capital, Shenghan Mansion, holds a Standard Fourth Grade rank, while other prefects are Junior Fourth Grade, and the prefects range from Standard Fifth Grade to Junior Fifth Grade.

In terms of rank and authority, Mei Qingquan is second only to the Standard Third Grade governor in this Cold Plum World.

"This subordinate, Su Youlin, greets Lord Mei."

After quickly going over the person’s identity in his mind, Su Yuan cupped his hands toward the other party, responding neither arrogantly nor servilely.

In the official hierarchy, he was indeed two levels lower than Mei Qingquan, but since they didn’t belong to the same command, there was no need for excessive politeness; a courteous appearance would suffice.

Prefect Mei chuckled and said:

"I have already sent people to clean the Imperial Envoy’s Residence so that it’s spotless. The residence is adjacent to the Celestial Patrol Bureau. Su Imperial Envoy, you may settle your family and belongings first, and then we can enjoy a drink together."

"Thank you, Lord Mei."

Su Yuan replied politely, but in his heart, he was already on guard.

A distinguished Standard Fourth Grade official personally welcoming him and being so considerate clearly indicated he had something to discuss with him.

However, he wasn’t worried, because once he arrived in the Cold Plum World, if any issues arose, his teacher, Taibai Phecda, could reach him quickly.

Although Taibai Phecda had just broken through to Nascent Soul Stage recently, his actual combat power could easily crush someone like Blood Soul True Monarch.

Unless the governor of Cold Plum World personally took action, he feared no one.

After leaving Chen Nuoyi and the others at the residence and meeting with the subordinates of the Celestial Patrol Bureau, Su Yuan accepted an invitation to a scenic ice lakeside.

Mei Qingquan was walking alone along the lakeside.

After scanning his surroundings and confirming there was no one secretly watching, Su Yuan walked up beside Prefect Mei.

"In private, let’s forgo titles. I am older than you by several years, so calling you Nephew Su shouldn’t bother you."

"Uncle Mei, it’s my honor."

Seeing Su Yuan so tactful, Mei Qingquan nodded in satisfaction and then got to the point:

"Nephew Su, how strong are your roots in the Cold Plum World, and what are your thoughts on the governor above us?"

Su Yuan’s heart was stirred; from Prefect Mei’s tone, he heard that the other party was not in harmony with the governor.

Was this an attempt to form an alliance with him?

However... It might also be a trap.

Su Yuan thought for a moment, then said calmly:

"Uncle Mei, let me put it this way."

"In the Cold Plum World, officials of the same grade cannot monitor me, nor can they supervise me."

"If I want to do something, it will be done without fail, and what I don’t want to do, others cannot accomplish either."

"Will anyone below oppose me? Yes, but very few, unless they don’t want their official’s hat."

Pausing, Su Yuan continued:

"As for the governor above us? As long as he doesn’t obstruct me, I have no opinion about him."

Mei Qingquan listened quietly, his eyes flashing, his heart churning with waves of shock.

He had considered Su Youlin’s background to be remarkable but hadn’t expected the other party to have the audacity to be so blatantly arrogant.

Throughout the conversation, Su Youlin expressed just one thing.

In the Cold Plum World, beneath the governor, I am invincible; above the governor, it’s a one-on-one.

Was he bluffing? Was there any credibility to it?

Mei Qingquan couldn’t be sure now, but as future colleagues, if Su Youlin’s background was falsified, it would only be a matter of time before it was exposed.

Therefore, he leaned towards believing Su Youlin was genuine... at least more than half of what he said was true.

After a moment of silence, Mei Qingquan tested him with a playful tone:

"What if the governor obstructs Nephew Su’s path?"

Su Yuan: "The governor may not obstruct my path, but it’s unlikely that he won’t."

Mei Qingquan: "..."

My goodness, so young yet speaking so cryptically, truly a natural at being an official.

It’s as if something was said, yet nothing was said at all.

He contemplated for a long time, but couldn’t decipher what the other meant, so he had no choice but to say:

"Please, Nephew Su, enlighten me."

Su Yuan glanced in the direction of the governor’s mansion, his tone carrying a hint of reverence:

"I am filled with admiration for our governor, but as the saying goes, a soldier who doesn’t aspire to be a general is not a good soldier."

"So, while respecting and admiring him, I also aim for the governor’s position, constantly striving higher."

Mei Qingquan nodded thoughtfully.

He understood this statement.

It seemed as if the governor of the Cold Plum World was regarded as an idol, but in reality, it was a veiled intent to challenge the governor’s position.

Indeed, under this argument, the governor couldn’t help but obstruct Su Yuan’s path.

Between the governor and the Celestial Patrol Envoy, there is a certain conflict of interests... perhaps Su Youlin really is someone to consider allying with.

"Nephew Su’s grand ambitions command my utmost respect."

Mei Qingquan complimented, refraining from discussing official matters further, and instead invited Su Yuan to take a seat in a nearby pavilion.

After a round of drinking and casual conversation, where the host and guest thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as the sky gradually darkened, Mei Qingquan had Su Yuan sent back to the residence.

The residence was brightly lit, with charcoal stoves placed throughout the rooms, the cabinets glowing with a flickering fiery light, making the residence warm and spring-like.

"You’re back!"

As Su Yuan walked into the main hall, he heard a warm greeting and saw the blue-haired girl quietly waiting for him, seated on a chair.

"Yes, I’m back."

Su Yuan sat openly in the seat next to the girl and remarked:

"This Cold Plum World is really cold. I’ve heard that for most of the year, it remains winter, and in the last few months, temperatures can drop to minus forty or fifty degrees."

"Even though this world has developed many cold-resistant crops, it’s common for people to not have enough to eat."

As he spoke, Su Yuan couldn’t help but rub his exposed hands.

As a cultivator, cold and heat resistance is basic, but that doesn’t mean cultivators don’t feel the temperature.

In fact, the higher the cultivation, the more sensitive they are to changes in the environment.

"I made you a snow fox fur cloak because I knew how cold Cold Plum World is, so I started making it more than ten days ago."

Chen Nuoyi said, taking out a thick, warm black cloak with dense white fox fur at the collar from her arms and handing it over.

Feeling the mild warmth from the girl’s body temperature on the cloak, Su Yuan felt his heart warm and smiled:

"With this cold-resistant magical treasure, I won’t feel cold when going out."

However, Chen Nuoyi continued:

"Qi Hanyan and Motis also made some cold-resistant items for you."

Saying this, the girl took out two items from her storage magical treasure and handed them to Su Yuan one by one.

One was a red fluffy hat, similar to the one Motis always wore, but larger and more three-dimensional.

At first glance, it was clearly Motis’s handiwork.

But the other item made Su Yuan fall silent.

It was a pair of knitted gloves with uneven stitches, and a crookedly embroidered lotus flower, giving off a rustic vibe.

"Haha, Qi Hanyan’s taste and craftsmanship... how can I wear these gloves to meet people?"

Su Yuan shook his head helplessly and put all these things away.

Given that the Tribulation Moon Pearl had been contaminated to a terrible extent, he now had another storage magical treasure for daily items, so he didn’t worry about these clothes getting dirty.

"How was the conversation with Mei Qingquan today? Is he someone we can win over?"

Chen Nuoyi first handed Su Yuan a cup of hot tea to warm him up, then asked curiously.

Su Yuan thought for a moment and said:

"Prefect Mei showed considerable goodwill towards me, but whether we can actually win him over for cooperation, we’ll have to probe him a few more times."

He sighed and said:

"After all, we’re new here. If we act rashly without understanding anything, it’s easy to fall into traps. We must cooperate with reliable local Immortal Officials."

While speaking, a voice suddenly barged in from outside.

Carrying several Jade Scrolls:

"Su Yuan, Su Yuan, an unknown person just delivered a bunch of documents. Take a look at what they’re saying."

Without even lifting his head, Su Yuan could tell that the speaker was Qi Hanyan just by the voice.

Turning his head to speak, Su Yuan was suddenly stunned.

Because now, Qi Hanyan’s attire was completely different from what he had seen during the day.

"What’s with that floral quilted jacket you’re wearing? And what’s with those braided pigtails?"

If it wasn’t for her iconic pink hair, Su Yuan would have almost mistaken her for someone else.

The floral jacket, the braided pigtails—this girl looked entirely like a village girl. And because the quilted jacket and pants were stuffed too full, her previously slender figure now looked like a round ball.

Faced with this question, Qi Hanyan was first stunned, then slipped her hands into her sleeves and revealed a proud smile:

"I carefully selected these winter clothes, don’t they look great?"

Great, my foot!

Su Yuan rolled his eyes speechlessly.

Suppressing his urge to retort, he said:

"Hurry up and give me those Jade Scrolls to look at."

"Oh, oh."

The pink-haired girl hurried forward a few steps, bringing in cold air from outside as she rushed to Su Yuan’s side and gently placed the Jade Scrolls on the table.

Su Yuan casually opened one Jade Scroll as the two curious girls leaned in to take a look.

After a rough glance at the beginning, Su Yuan smiled in surprise:

"Interesting."

The content on the Jade Scroll was none other than the various scandals of the Governor of Cold Plum World.

It detailed monetary dealings and black-market transactions between the Governor and officials of various prefectures, as well as major cultivation clans and sect powers, clearly marked with specific officials and powers involved.

Besides this, the Jade Scroll also mentioned seemingly independent factions that were secretly controlled by the Governor, some of which even had powerful forces led by Nascent Soul masters.

It was obvious that these materials were sent by that old fox, Mei Qingquan.

This guy’s purpose was clear: to use Su Yuan as a weapon to investigate these major cases, uprooting the subordinate forces of the Cold Plum World’s Governor one by one.

It was an open scheme, after all, Su Yuan was now a Celestial Patrol Envoy, and his duty was to oversee the world.

To get promoted, he needed achievements, and nothing was faster than cracking a major case.

Su Yuan browsed through the Jade Scrolls, and his gaze suddenly paused on a piece of information.

"Joyful Union Sect..."