Chen Sheng quietly listened to Yang Hu bare his heart, and was in no hurry to state his position.
He could clearly sense that, besides the hatred so thick it could not be dissolved, there surged in Yang Hu’s words an undisguised ambition. The tempering of these past months in the gangs had clearly remade him completely.
Though Yang Hu still maintained his old deference on the surface, in the subtleties there was already an indescribable estrangement, even a faint trace of disdain toward his “former young master’s” current strength.
Sure enough, a moment later Yang Hu changed the direction of the conversation, his tone becoming exceptionally “sincere”:
“It’s only a pity that I’m still lacking in attainment. If… I mean if, Young Master, you can recall any clue regarding that ‘great treasure,’ I earnestly hope you can lend me a hand. In that case, I’ll have a few more chances of avenging the Old Master.”
Clearly, in Yang Hu’s understanding, Chen Sheng was still that frail young master with no strength to truss a chicken, someone who needed protection. A matter of blood and fire like revenge naturally should not, and could not, be expected of him.
“If I can remember anything, I’ll naturally help you.”
A gentle smile hung on Chen Sheng’s face as he nodded readily.
He had only reunited with Yang Hu today, so of course it was impossible for him to open his heart at once. Still less would he casually expose his own strength and trump cards merely to gain the other party’s regard.
Everything still required observation. He would have to see what guidance the Heavenly Book of Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity gave next before deciding what to do.
Of course, even if Yang Hu went to the Seven Stars Gang to inform on him right now, Chen Sheng was not afraid.
The so-called four great gangs of Changshan County, in his eyes, were nothing more than a band of ruthless jianghu ruffians entrenched in the local area. In the end, they could not truly step onto the stage.
Those who truly controlled the lifeblood of Changshan County had always been those deeply rooted powerful clans.
Tonight’s banquet alone had shown a clue—the so-called major gangs did not even have the qualifications to take a seat at the table.
As far as he knew, that Vice Gang Leader Ma of the Seven Stars Gang who had usurped power was only at the Bone Tempering stage of the middle Foundation Establishment realm. If it truly came to blows, Chen Sheng reckoned that although he had no certainty of victory, he was by no means without the strength to fight.
After chatting idly for a while longer and learning more details from Yang Hu about the Seven Stars Gang’s recent movements and the situation within the city, Chen Sheng politely declined his attempt to make him stay, rose, and took his leave.
On the road back to the military preparedness camp, Chen Sheng’s fingertips unconsciously rubbed the warm, lustrous jade tucked close to his body, his thoughts deep.
This heirloom warm jade—after transmigrating, he had carefully examined it many times as well. But no matter how he looked at it, it seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary piece of warm jade of decent quality, capable of faintly nourishing blood and qi, without any miraculous or extraordinary quality.
Could it… truly be related to that so-called “great treasure”?
After returning to the military preparedness camp, Chen Sheng had intended to continue cultivating, but learned that Wu Kuang had already sent someone to pass on a message, ordering him to head to the rear residence of the county yamen immediately upon his return.
Chen Sheng did not dare delay and set out at once.
Inside the study of the rear residence of the county yamen, candlelight flickered.
Wu Kuang had already changed out of the fine clothes he wore at the banquet and was dressed only in a loose everyday robe. The smell of wine still lingered about him. Seeing Chen Sheng enter, he rubbed his brow and asked casually,
“The banquet had not yet ended. Why did you leave halfway through?”
“Reporting to my lord,” Chen Sheng answered respectfully. “This subordinate is originally from Changshan. Now that I have returned to my old home, it was inevitable that I would be mindful of it, so I took some time to go back and look at the old residence.”
“Oh? I did not ask in detail before. Who is left in your family now?” Wu Kuang asked casually.
“My parents passed away early. Now, in my family… I am the only one left.”
Chen Sheng’s voice was low, carrying just the right degree of desolation.
Wu Kuang nodded, his tone softening somewhat. “In that case, all the more reason you should start a family early, spread your branches and leaves, and continue the incense of your line. Find an opportunity to take a few wives and concubines.”
“My lord is right. This subordinate will remember it.”
“Alas…” Wu Kuang sighed, pressing hard at his temples with his fingers as worry appeared on his face once more.
“You saw the situation tonight as well. This is what Changshan County is like now. If not for strict orders from above, this official would never be willing to clash head-on with these local tyrants. It’s just…”
He did not finish speaking, but his meaning was already clear.
As an old hand in officialdom, how could he fail to see through today’s routine of first coldness and then warmth, of using both soft and hard measures? The meaning of the local powerful families was very clear: either cooperate and share the profits, or they would obstruct him at every turn and make it impossible for him to take a single step in Changshan County.
“My lord, please forgive this subordinate for speaking frankly.”
Chen Sheng took a step forward, lowering his voice further. “At today’s banquet, it seemed as though they treated you with utmost respect, but in truth their words concealed sharp edges. It was not without an intention to threaten you. They did not truly place you, my lord… on equal footing with themselves.
And the strict order from the prefectural city is for you to purge the local area. If we outwardly obey but inwardly defy, I fear that once our superiors assign blame in the future, the consequences will be hard to predict.”
“How could this official not know the crux of the matter?”
Wu Kuang gave a bitter laugh, his smile filled with helplessness. “It is precisely because I’m caught between two difficult choices that my head aches. This official came here intending to live freely and comfortably, and to pick up some benefits along the way. I do not want to fight to the death!”
Back in the military camp, fighting life and death battles with rebel forces could not be helped. But if he still had to worry over these matters every day in a local post, then wouldn’t he have bought this official position for nothing?
“My lord, in fact, if you look at it from another angle, this may not be a bad thing,” Chen Sheng suddenly said, changing the subject.
“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”
Wu Kuang raised his head, surprise and doubt in his eyes as he looked at Chen Sheng.
“As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought amid danger. My lord, think about it. These three great families of Changshan County have been entrenched here for a hundred years, their roots deep and their branches vast. The wealth they have accumulated is probably an astonishing figure.
If, this time, my lord handles things properly and can find an opportunity to… reasonably and lawfully ‘scrape’ them clean, then the harvest will likely far exceed ordinary gains. In that case, my lord’s trip here would not have been in vain.”
“How could it be so easy?!” Wu Kuang subconsciously shook his head, but his eyes brightened slightly.
“My lord, in your hands are the strict orders from above and the authority to mobilize troops within Changshan County!”
Chen Sheng’s tone was certain, and a sharp light flashed through his eyes. “If it truly comes to the point where the dagger is revealed, my lord can completely request aid from above. Yunzhou has only just been pacified, and the higher-ups have clearly realized how formidable the rebels are. That is why they transferred people from the military to prepare for a thorough purge of the local areas and to intimidate the petty villains.
As long as these great families dare make any unusual move, even if it is only the slightest sign, we can seize the opportunity to mobilize troops and suppress them in the name of ‘quelling unrest’! Whether they are truly rebelling may require evidence, but for you to say they are ‘in revolt,’ sometimes all that is needed is a pretext and a battle report sent to the prefectural city!”
“But I… how can I determine for certain that they are rebelling?”
Wu Kuang subconsciously pressed on, but his body had unconsciously leaned forward.
Chen Sheng smiled faintly, his smile carrying a cold edge.
“My lord, you are the county commandant, entrusted with maintaining peace and suppressing unrest. Within the boundaries of Changshan County, whether or not they have rebelled is, much of the time… not a matter decided by a single word from you?”
Hearing this, Wu Kuang was abruptly stunned. As if truly seeing Chen Sheng for the first time, he carefully sized him up for a long while, then suddenly let out a low laugh. The laughter grew louder and louder.
“Heh! Good lad! Back in the camp, I really didn’t see it. You damned brat really do have the makings of an official! Your mind is flexible enough, and ruthless enough. Keeping you in the army is truly wasting your talents.”
The two looked at each other, and everything was understood without words. Knowing laughter rang out in the study.
In Chen Sheng’s view, Wu Kuang had clearly been bound hand and foot by fixed officialdom thinking before, always feeling that a newly appointed official had to take the balance of all parties into consideration, leaving him constrained at every turn.
But Chen Sheng saw more clearly—the reason the higher-ups had transferred people from the military to reinforce the local administration was precisely because they wanted this sort of “rule-breaking” ruthlessness and execution, to break open the tangled situation of local powerful clans.
As long as they did not provoke a large-scale civilian uprising and cause the situation to spin completely out of control, the higher-ups would likely turn a blind eye to the process, and might even be pleased to see it.
As for the so-called great powerful families, though they seemed to cover the sky with one hand in Changshan County, in truth they were ultimately only local snakes trapped in one corner. This world, in the end, was still the court’s world.
He still could not see through matters on a higher level, but these county-level powerful clans clearly did not have the qualifications to oppose the government.
Wu Kuang, being in the midst of the situation, might not have grasped this for the moment, but Chen Sheng, who came from another world, did not have such mental shackles.
In fact, deep down, he rather looked forward to conflict erupting between the government and the powerful clans, because only when chaos arose and the waters were muddied would he have the chance to fish in troubled waters and find an excellent ladder to climb upward!
Of course, though the idea was good, carrying it out still required advancing step by step with caution.
Wu Kuang clearly still had many misgivings. Whether it was opening channels in the prefectural city or preparing his own strength, all of it required time. After careful consideration, he decided to first think of a way to create some movement, on the one hand to show his attitude and ability to the higher-ups, and on the other to probe the reactions of all sides.
In the end, Wu Kuang handed this task of “firing the first shot” to Chen Sheng, ordering him to choose one of the posts of military preparedness commander in the eastern, southern, western, or northern city, and to produce results as soon as possible.
“My lord, this subordinate is willing to serve as the military preparedness commander of the northern city!”
Chen Sheng did not hesitate in the slightest. With a solemn expression, he cupped his fists and requested the assignment.
The northern city was precisely the territory where the Seven Stars Gang was located, and also the place where the grievances and entanglements of his past lay.
“Good!”
Wu Kuang heavily slapped the desk, his eyes flashing with expectation.
“Do well! As long as we can produce results and obtain the support of our superiors, we two brothers will scrape up a great fortune in Changshan County! As long as you do not fail me, this official will certainly grant you wealth and glory!”
His gaze burned as he stared fixedly at Chen Sheng.
Chen Sheng met his gaze. Resolute and decisive, he said word by word,
“I am willing to go through fire and water for my lord, and will not refuse even death!”