The Seven Stars Gang had entrenched itself in the north of the city for many years. Though it had long been required to hand over more than half its profits to the Gao clan, the wealth it had accumulated was still considerable.
Under Chen Sheng’s command, the soldiers searched house by house and recorded everything in ledgers. They busied themselves for a full two hours before they had roughly finished taking stock of the gang’s assets.
The ready silver stored in the warehouse alone amounted to more than two thousand three hundred taels, all sealed in wooden chests, the gleam of silver dazzling to the eye.
This did not include the gold and silver vessels, jewels, jade artifacts, and other movable wealth found elsewhere. If those were appraised together, the total would likely rise by several more tenths.
In addition, they found a number of land deeds, house deeds, and shop documents from various places, all properties the Seven Stars Gang had acquired over the years.
Looking at the preliminary inventory in his hand, Chen Sheng could not help feeling glad once again that he had chosen to transfer back from the border army.
If he were still on the bitterly cold northern front, even if he could render military merit, how could he possibly accumulate such abundant resources so quickly?
At the border, every gain had to be fought for with blood and life. Yet beneath the seemingly tranquil mire of Changshan County lay opportunities that were far more turbulent—and far more “convenient.”
Of course, he knew full well that the prerequisite for all this was Wu Kuang’s tacit permission and support.
As for the distribution of these spoils, Chen Sheng had no intention of deciding on his own.
Wu Kuang was no ordinary man; he had both ability and methods. His only indulgence, perhaps, was greed for wealth.
And that, at certain times, instead made him the easiest sort of person to deal with.
What Chen Sheng needed most right now was the protection of this immediate superior, as well as time to grow steadily. For that, he would not be stingy about yielding the majority of the benefits.
Thus, after completely taking control of the Seven Stars Gang’s headquarters and sealing all the assets and evidence of crimes into chests, Chen Sheng did not linger at all. He immediately hurried to the county yamen to request an audience with Wu Kuang.
Inside the side hall of the county yamen, the lamps burned bright.
Wu Kuang sat upright in the main seat, carefully reading through the asset register and the various land deeds and documents Chen Sheng had submitted.
When he saw the entry for more than two thousand taels of ready silver, as well as the deeds to several shops in rather good locations, an almost imperceptible glint flashed through his eyes. His fingertips tapped lightly twice on the register.
“Well done.”
Wu Kuang set down the documents. His tone was calm, yet carried a trace of satisfaction.
He did not ask about the details of Chen Sheng’s operation. To him, it was enough that a subordinate was capable of handling matters and knew to present the results before him.
“It was all thanks to Your Excellency’s planning from afar, holding back the Gao family and County Magistrate Lin. This subordinate merely acted according to orders. It is a trifling contribution, and I dare not claim credit.” Chen Sheng cupped his hands, his tone sincere.
“You, now—everything about you is good, except that you are far too modest.”
Hearing this, Wu Kuang’s face revealed a somewhat more genuine smile. Then, as if casually, he asked, “The harvest this time was not small. Did you… keep some for yourself?”
“How it is to be distributed is naturally entirely for Your Excellency to decide. This subordinate has no objections,” Chen Sheng replied without the slightest hesitation.
The appreciation in Wu Kuang’s eyes deepened, but a trace of doubt also could not help passing through his heart: this young man was not greedy for wealth, nor fond of women; he acted decisively and knew when to advance and retreat. Then what, exactly, was he truly pursuing?
But the thought only flashed by. He was not a narrow-minded man. In his view, a subordinate who had ability and principles was not a bad thing.
After a brief moment of thought, Wu Kuang reached out, tore off the page of the register that recorded the amount of ready silver, and pushed it in front of Chen Sheng.
“I will take these house deeds and land deeds. As for these two thousand-plus taels of ready silver, take them back.”
Before Chen Sheng could refuse, he continued:
“I will not concern myself with how you distribute it. This is what you deserve. In addition, though you are so sensible, you and I should indeed set down a rule between us, to avoid further complications in the future. From now on, if there are gains of this sort again, I will take forty percent, you personally will receive thirty percent, and the remaining thirty percent will be rewarded to the brothers below who put in the effort. Since we are asking them to risk their lives and serve, we cannot chill their hearts.”
“Your Excellency, is thirty percent not too much? This subordinate…”
Wu Kuang directly raised a hand and cut him off.
“You are still young, and perhaps have not truly experienced the importance of silver. In this world, gold and silver are not omnipotent, but without gold and silver to open the way, everything becomes difficult.
“Your cultivation has now reached the Bone Tempering Realm. You should know that in future cultivation, every step requires vast resources to support it. A single high-grade Tiger Bone Pill has a market price of no less than thirty taels of fine silver. Without sufficient wealth, to continue advancing on the martial path is as difficult as ascending to the heavens.”
He paused, his body leaning slightly forward, his tone turning grave:
“Moreover, the situation in Changshan County is already clear. My forceful action this time is equivalent to putting the conflict out in the open. The Gao family, the Huang family, the Yang family, and those local powerhouses will absolutely not sit by and wait for death.
“If they want to strike back, they may not necessarily have the courage or confidence to come directly at me. But you, as someone close to me, will inevitably bear the brunt. These are what you exchanged your life for, and they are also the foundation upon which you will establish yourself in the future. There is no need to refuse.”
Though Wu Kuang was greedy for wealth, he was never stingy, especially toward subordinates worth investing in.
Chen Sheng had already proven his value and loyalty through his actions, so Wu Kuang naturally did not mind giving him sufficient returns. He was not worried that Chen Sheng might surpass him one day; on the contrary, he believed that if he could cultivate a powerful assistant, the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks in the long run.
Through observing many prior incidents, he judged that Chen Sheng was a man who valued loyalty and bonds. Even if, in the future, the student truly surpassed the master, there was a high chance he would not do anything ungrateful.
“This subordinate… thanks Your Excellency for your generous regard!”
Hearing this, Chen Sheng no longer put on airs. He bowed solemnly. Wu Kuang’s words could be said to be sincere and open-hearted; they had pointed out reality while also providing tangible support.
“Mm.”
Wu Kuang nodded in satisfaction, then added, “Also, some truly precious cultivation resources often have a price but no market. Money alone may not necessarily buy them. If you need to procure such materials in the future, I may be able to introduce you to certain channels and help arrange them on your behalf.”
“Your Excellency means?” Chen Sheng’s heart stirred.
Wu Kuang smiled faintly and said with slight meaning, “Since those above sent me here to clean up this rotten mess in Changshan, naturally they would also grant me certain corresponding conveniences. For some special resources through official channels in Beiling Prefecture’s capital, I have access to priority procurement. Helping you out would only be a matter of convenience.”
Chen Sheng was naturally delighted to hear this.
Silver was certainly important, but opening up channels to obtain high-level resources was worth even more than gold and silver.
For example, the Tiger Bone Pill Wu Kuang had just mentioned had miraculous effects for Bone Tempering Realm martial artists in refining their bones and solidifying their foundations. In a place like Changshan County, even with money, it was difficult to buy. Usually, one could only purchase things like Bone-Nourishing Pills and Tendon-Protecting Pills, whose effects were far inferior.
He immediately followed the opportunity and requested that Wu Kuang help purchase a batch of Tiger Bone Pills on his behalf.
After they finished discussing the distribution of resources and matters of cultivation, Wu Kuang brought the topic back to the current situation in Changshan County.
“The Seven Stars Gang has been uprooted. Though it is a cause for great satisfaction, it is also equivalent to poking a hornet’s nest.”
Wu Kuang’s fingers lightly tapped the tabletop. “That you were able to proceed so smoothly this time was not only because your planning was proper, but also because those local snakes did not initially take us seriously. They thought that with a little coercion and temptation, they could make us submit. Gao Qiheng’s provocation that day was one of their probes.”
He snorted coldly. “They were unwilling to tear off all pretense so easily because they felt the price would be too great. Unfortunately for them, my attitude seems to have been far tougher than they expected.
“Now that they have already reacted, they will certainly join forces to counterattack next. These families and forces have occupied this place for many years. Their roots run deep, and their foundations cannot be underestimated. With only the strength you and I currently possess, confronting them head-on will inevitably be strenuous.”
What Wu Kuang was pondering at the moment was how to divide and dismantle this temporary alliance. He merely suffered from having no suitable point of entry. His deep conversation with Chen Sheng this time also carried the intention of taking the opportunity to discuss this matter.
Hearing this, Chen Sheng’s face showed a look of contemplation.
A moment later, he took a deep breath and decided not to keep part of the truth hidden any longer. When cooperating with a superior, appropriate honesty could sometimes win more trust than blind obedience.
“Your Excellency, in truth, this subordinate’s insistence on taking action against the Seven Stars Gang this time was not only for official duty. There was also a layer of personal motive.”
“Oh?”
Wu Kuang appeared slightly surprised and looked up at him. “What personal motive?”
Chen Sheng’s gaze was calm as he said, word by word, “The Seven Stars Gang’s former leader, Ma Changhai, bore a blood feud with this subordinate for the murder of my father. This subordinate’s father was Chen Xingzhou, the previous leader of the Seven Stars Gang.”
“What?!”
Hearing this, Wu Kuang was truly taken aback, his body unconsciously sitting a little straighter. He never would have imagined that between Chen Sheng and the Seven Stars Gang, there was still such an irreconcilable private grudge hidden away.
——
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