"This subordinate greets the County Lieutenant."
In the rear hall of the Changshan County yamen—Wu Kuang had evidently given instructions beforehand—Chen Sheng passed through without hindrance and went straight into the inner chamber. Wu Kuang was leisurely savoring a cup of fragrant tea; seeing him enter, he waved a hand casually.
"Sit."
Chen Sheng took his seat as instructed, but the moment he sat down, he could not help leaning forward to press:
"County Lieutenant, have we... received any word back from the prefectural city?"
Seeing him so anxious, Wu Kuang could not help but smile. He set down his teacup: "I knew you wouldn't be able to hold back. These past few days, with all the chaos in the city's north quarter, you've been under no small amount of pressure, haven't you?"
"This subordinate has clear objectives and knows what he's doing. A little turbulence is hardly pressure."
Chen Sheng shook his head, his expression calm.
"You..." Wu Kuang pointed at him and laughed despite himself, then his face grew serious. He drew a deep breath, and his tone abruptly turned solemn and weighty. "The reply from the prefectural city has arrived."
He paused, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Chen Sheng:
"The letter praises in the strongest terms our earlier measures to rectify military discipline and harshly punish insubordination, and it further encourages us to press on boldly and not shy away from responsibility. Moreover... it states explicitly that as long as we do not provoke a large-scale popular uprising that would cause the situation to spiral completely out of control, we are free to act as we see fit!"
At these words, the great stone in Chen Sheng's heart finally settled—but he knew that the one who truly needed this reassurance was Wu Kuang before him. He immediately displayed a suitably relieved expression:
"With those words from the prefecture, this subordinate is completely at ease. We will not fail the expectations of our superiors!"
"Mm." Wu Kuang nodded in satisfaction, leaning slightly forward and lowering his voice. "Then how do you plan to proceed from here?"
Chen Sheng's eyes sharpened, the killing intent in them barely concealed:
"This subordinate intends, with the force of a thunderbolt, to flatten the Seven Stars Gang outright—first severing an arm of the Gao family."
"Strike directly..." Wu Kuang's eyes flickered as his fingers drummed lightly on the table, clearly weighing the benefits and risks of such a move.
Seeing this, Chen Sheng quickly explained:
"Rest assured, Your Honor, this subordinate is by no means acting rashly. Before we move, we will 'gather' ironclad evidence sufficient to doom the Seven Stars Gang beyond redemption—treason, inciting unrest, slaughtering common folk... every last charge will leave them deserving of death ten times over, such that no one can find fault with our actions.
Once the Seven Stars Gang falls, it will be a genuine achievement to Your Honor's credit with the prefecture, and ample proof of the resolve and capability of the Changshan County Lieutenant's office. It will never leave you in a passive position."
With that, Chen Sheng laid out his side's advantages, the resistance they might encounter, and the general plan of action.
Naturally, he deliberately left a few small "oversights" and points of "incomplete consideration" in several details—precisely the spots left for a superior to offer guidance and display his seasoned experience.
Sure enough, after listening, Wu Kuang pondered a moment and then pointed out several key points:
"The evidence must be solid—leave no room for quibbling. Also, the Seven Stars Gang's storehouses must be seized immediately, lest they be plundered in the chaos, or someone secretly moves the assets..."
Chen Sheng's face showed just the right measure of "sudden realization" and "admiration" as he cupped his hands repeatedly:
"The County Lieutenant is truly a man of experience, with such thorough foresight! This subordinate is still young and hot-blooded, and my thinking has its shortcomings. Many thanks for Your Honor's guidance!"
Wu Kuang laughed heartily, in excellent spirits, and waved a hand. "Ah, no need for such modesty. At your age, to have such boldness and strategic sense is already rare."
"You flatter me, Your Honor."
After a few more brief flatteries, Chen Sheng rose to take his leave and return to make preparations for the operation. Unexpectedly, Wu Kuang suddenly stopped him, a barely perceptible trace of concern in his expression:
"When it comes to dealing with that Ma Changhai, how confident are you? A man who could rise to the position of gang leader is not to be underestimated. If you need this official to personally take command..."
He acknowledged Chen Sheng's strength, but the man was young after all, and he worried that in a swiftly shifting, bloody clash, Chen Sheng might not fully control the situation.
Chen Sheng turned and saluted with cupped fists:
"Rest assured, County Lieutenant. The Seven Stars Gang is nothing but a trifling affliction—why trouble Your Honor to act personally? Leave it to this subordinate to handle. Rather, it's the Gao family and the County Magistrate—if word reaches them, complications might arise, and then..."
At this, Wu Kuang's face showed a knowing, confident, and indifferent smile as he flicked his sleeve:
"In that case, then act freely. As for the Gao family and Lin Shou, this official will hold them off for you. If they dare move recklessly, this official will take the opportunity to weigh just how much they're worth!"
"With Your Honor's word, this subordinate has no worries left! I take my leave!"
......
North City Martial Camp, training grounds.
A murderous aura permeated the air. Over a hundred armored soldiers, fully armed, had finished assembling in formation—silent as crows, with only the occasional cold clang of weapons brushing against one another.
At the very front of the formation, ten dark "Wind-Breaker Crossbows" stood in a row, their thick bolts already strung, radiating a chilling gleam that made the heart tremble.
These were the government's true instruments of slaughter for suppressing regions and dealing with martial artists of high attainment!
When fired, the bolts carried the force of a thousand jun—even an ordinary martial master would be wounded on contact, and those at the Bone Tempering stage dared not take them head-on.
Below the Marrow Refining stage, they were harvesting tools for reaping lives.
In all of Changshan County, there were barely twenty such heavy crossbows, and half of them had been requisitioned this time—more than sufficient to deal with a mere Seven Stars Gang.
Though the soldiers on the training grounds dared not whisper among themselves, the glances they exchanged were full of bewilderment and tension.
A display of force like this was by no means an ordinary patrol or peacekeeping mission!
Only Deputy Commander Cheng's face was pale, beads of sweat faintly emerging on his forehead. In his heart, he had vaguely guessed the astonishing answer, yet he could not bring himself to believe the authorities would truly resort to such drastic measures.
'Tap... tap... tap...'
The heavy, rhythmic sound of hoofbeats approached from afar, breaking the oppressive silence of the training grounds.
Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound, only to see Chen Sheng clad in black light armor, riding a magnificent black warhorse, entering at an unhurried trot.
His gaze was calm, his features cold and stern, and a heavy, battle-hardened killing aura—the product of blood and fire on the battlefield—came rolling toward them, instantly enveloping the entire training grounds.
The warhorse came to a halt at the center of the grounds. Chen Sheng's hawk-like, razor-sharp gaze slowly swept over every face below. No one dared meet his eyes; they all lowered their heads, and even the words of protest on the tip of Deputy Commander Cheng's tongue were forcibly choked back by that invisible pressure.
"Soldiers, hear my order!"
Chen Sheng's voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly into every man's ears with a metallic resonance: "It has been verified that Ma Changhai, leader of the Seven Stars Gang, and his confederates have for years fomented rebellion, colluded with the bandits of Qinglin waters, ravaged the countryside, stirred up displaced mobs, and further robbed and murdered, piling up blood debts too numerous to record! Now, the evidence is conclusive—the ironclad case is set in stone!"
He paused briefly to let the words settle in the soldiers' hearts, then abruptly raised his voice: "I, your Commander, by order of the County Lieutenant, have resolved to wipe out the Seven Stars Gang this very day—to root out the wicked, cleanse the region, and restore to the people of Changshan a clear and open sky!"
Dead silence fell over the training grounds, with only the sound of heavy breathing rising and falling.
Chen Sheng took in everyone's reactions, then suddenly shifted his tone, even letting a smile of what could be called "warmth" cross his face—though the meaning behind that smile made hearts run cold:
"Of course, that was the official account—the justification by which we march under a righteous banner."
His voice regained a certain casualness, yet seemed even more piercing:
"As for what I'll say privately, I can put it more plainly for you brothers—these past few days, haven't those Seven Stars Gang scum been taking our North City Martial Camp far too lightly? Running wild on our turf? That's a death wish!"
He swept a hand abruptly, his voice iron-firm and resolute, brooking no doubt: "Today, this Commander has only one sentence, and you must all remember it—destroy the Seven Stars Gang, confiscate all their ill-gotten gains! Of the silver and goods obtained, aside from the portion turned over to the government treasury, the rest, between this Commander and you brothers... we shall share the riches together!"
His eyes blazed as he swept them over the assembly: "In this battle, those who fight bravely forward will be richly rewarded. Any who are wounded or fall in battle—compensation will be doubled!"
He suddenly roared: "Now you tell me—do these Seven Stars Gang dogs deserve to die?!"
"They deserve to die!!" Yan Ming was the first to raise his arm and shout himself hoarse.
"They deserve to die!!" Immediately after, all the veterans who had followed him from the Shan Battalion, like kindling set aflame, erupted into frenzied roars—they had long been bottling up their fury!
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
The deafening cries surged like a tsunami, wave upon wave, swiftly infecting the local soldiers who had still harbored some hesitation.
The lure of wealth, the fervor of their comrades, and the long-accumulated resentment toward the Seven Stars Gang's tyranny were at this moment ignited completely. The roars of over a hundred men fused into a towering malevolent aura!
Chen Sheng nodded slightly, greatly satisfied with this morale. He abruptly wheeled his horse around, his whip pointing straight toward the Seven Stars Gang's main hall, his voice like a sword drawn from its sheath—piercingly cold:
"Target: the Seven Stars Gang's main hall—march!"
"By your order!" Yan Ming answered loudly and immediately began directing the troops.
Companies of soldiers moved swiftly into action, armor clanging, blades and spears like a forest, pushing those ten daunting Wind-Breaker Crossbows. Like a torrent of steel they poured out of the martial camp's gates, marching with heavy, synchronized steps straight toward the heart of the city's north quarter.
"Commander, this... isn't this too extreme? Should we not reconsider..." Deputy Commander Cheng finally found his chance, edging up to Chen Sheng and speaking in a low voice, his face deathly pale.
Chen Sheng did not even look at him, merely spitting out two words with an authority that brooked no dispute:
"March."
Watching Chen Sheng's resolute back and the rolling tide of soldiers advancing before him, Deputy Commander Cheng gritted his teeth. In the end he did not dare defy the order, and could only steel himself and hurry after the column.
The spectacle of over a hundred fully armed government troops marching out of the martial camp was enormously imposing.
Pedestrians and vendors along the main street all turned pale with alarm, scattering in panic into the side streets and alleys, poking their heads out to watch in terror as this murderous army passed through the market. Cries of alarm and frantic discussion instantly erupted in every corner.