In Red Cloud County, some cities were occupied by sects while others remained independent.
Iron Mist City, because of its strategic importance, had long been under the control of the Ice God Valley, one of the four major sects of the Southern Martial Domain.
Occupying a city was no simple matter. A sect had to possess enough strength to defend it, otherwise holding such territory would be meaningless. Maintaining control also required the constant presence of powerful experts. If those stationed experts were wiped out by enemy sects, it would deal a serious blow to the sect's overall power.
Because of this, only truly strong sects dared to claim cities within Red Cloud County.
Most of the smaller cities remained under local rule, though even those had to pay taxes to the major sects.
Each year, even Martial Ascension Gate sent representatives into Red Cloud County to collect taxes from cities that were not directly controlled by the dominant sects.
