Deep within the North City Martial Camp office, Chen Sheng stood steady and composed, practicing the stance work of the Golden Bell Body-Forging Method.
His eyes were half closed. The qi and blood throughout his body surged like running streams, his inner breath cycling again and again. Each breath drew a faint humming from his tendons and bones.
[Basic Saber Technique: Perfected (125/2000)]
[Golden Bell Body-Forging Method: Great Accomplishment (273/1000)]
[Toad-Fishing Force Secret Art: Small Accomplishment (14/500)]
[Demon-Subduing Three Ultimates Saber: Small Accomplishment (106/500)]
As his consciousness swept over the progress that appeared clearly in his mind, Chen Sheng’s state of mind was already vastly different from before.
Previously, he had cultivated bitterly because he could clearly sense every inch of his own advancement, and he found joy in it. But now, after beginning to refine that drop of Earthcore Spiritual Milk, what surged in his heart was true excitement and shock.
In merely two short days, the pure energy transformed from that spiritual milk had been like a river bursting its banks, continuously merging into his limbs and bones.
He could clearly feel that his qi and blood were growing stronger at an astonishing speed, and his inner breath was becoming ever more vigorous and surging. His cultivation progress could truly be called advancing a thousand li in a single day.
“Earthcore Spiritual Milk truly lives up to its reputation…”
Chen Sheng ended his exercise and stood still, a sharp light hidden in his eyes.
According to his estimate, he had not yet refined even one-fifth of that drop of spiritual milk. If he could absorb it all, it would likely be enough to push his cultivation to the peak of the Bone-Forging Realm.
And this was only spiritual milk of an ordinary age. He had once heard that if it was a precious product over thirty years old, it would not only increase cultivation, but also possess the miraculous effect of cleansing the marrow and purging the meridians. Of course, such a rare treasure of heaven and earth was absolutely not something the current him could covet.
Aside from the joy of his cultivation advancing, Chen Sheng was also well aware of the increasingly strange situation within Changshan County.
The destruction of the Seven Stars Gang was like a massive rock thrown into stagnant water, and the ripples it stirred were constantly spreading. On the surface, the various powers remained silent, but in secret, undercurrents were already surging. The Gao family in particular would never let the matter rest.
To prevent the local powerful clans from completely banding together, he and Wu Kuang discussed matters carefully and settled on two countermeasures.
The first was to proactively spread the “true reason” why Chen Sheng had wiped out the Seven Stars Gang—namely, “vengeance for his father’s death.” This move was intended to clearly direct the government’s target of attack toward the Gao family and its subordinate Seven Stars Gang, hinting that the matter arose from a personal grudge rather than the authorities intending to strike at all local powers.
Though this strategy did not achieve a perfect result, it did indeed shake the already loose alliance to a certain extent. Many factions inevitably began to consider: since the government’s spearhead was mainly aimed at the Gao family, why should they force themselves into the lead and clash head-on with the authorities?
After all, if the Gao family fell, it might even benefit them more.
After the Gao family learned of this news, they were naturally furious. They had not expected Chen Sheng to expose his own weakness like this, and could only do their utmost to explain the stakes, emphasizing the principle that when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. Only then did they barely keep the alliance from immediately falling apart.
But cracks had already appeared in the trust between them, because quite a few forces were happy to see the Gao family suffer losses.
The three great families seemed to be united by a common breath, but in truth, they were also competing. After all, Changshan had only so many resources. If you ate one portion more, the others could only eat one portion less.
Unless they encountered a true crisis, even the local powerful clans would still be locked in endless internal strife.
The second was to divide and win over. Wu Kuang even took the initiative to show goodwill toward the county magistrate, Lin Shou. No matter what, Lin Shou was the ruler of an entire county, and it was said that he also had certain connections in the prefectural city. His cooperation with the local powerful clans was more a matter of mutual use; he was absolutely not willing to serve as a puppet.
Faced with the olive branch Wu Kuang extended, Lin Shou weighed the pros and cons and chose to accept it. However, he also threw out a “sugar-coated cannonball”—a marriage alliance.
A marriage alliance was undoubtedly one of the most direct and effective ways to declare a position and build an alliance.
Wu Kuang himself had already married a principal wife, and he had little interest in taking concubines. Thus, Chen Sheng, who was young and promising and also Wu Kuang’s trusted aide, became the most suitable candidate.
A North City Commander who had attained the proper ninth rank at such a young age was undoubtedly a marriage partner with immense potential.
Lin Shou did not hesitate for long before deciding that the family for the marriage alliance would be the Yang family, one of the three great families.
The reason was simple. Lin Shou’s principal wife was a legitimate daughter of the Yang family, making them in-laws, and their relationship was closer. At the same time, among the three great families, the Yang family was also known for keeping a low profile, allowing him to exert influence through them.
Regarding this, Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang understood each other without needing to say it aloud.
The marriage alliance was nothing more than an expedient measure, a title in name only. Marriages among great families involved cumbersome procedures, which could be used perfectly to delay for time.
Their goal was very clear—to first concentrate their efforts on dealing with the Gao family. Once the Gao family fell, whether or not this engagement would still be fulfilled would no longer be up to the other side.
Today was the appointed day to meet the female members of the Yang family for the first time.
However, Chen Sheng’s thoughts were not entirely on this meeting filled with calculations.
Because early that morning, the Heavenly Book of [Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity] in his mind had once again revealed words, bringing with them a heart-palpitating warning:
[My name is Chen Sheng. When you see these words, I am filled with remorse. Because I destroyed the Seven Stars Gang, the Gao family finally deduced my identity after meeting me, and thus formed a killing intent toward me. They still had misgivings about dealing with Wu Kuang and the others, so they locked their target onto me. The three great families plotted together. This time, they used no schemes, seeking only a swift kill, intending to intimidate Wu Kuang.
On the evening of the sixteenth day of the tenth month, I was practicing as usual in the office. Unexpectedly, someone took advantage of the Martial Camp’s rotation leave and thin defenses to infiltrate and launch an assassination! The attacker was a Marrow-Transformation Realm martial master, and he had also cultivated a terrifying poison art. Though I struggled with all my might until reinforcements arrived, I was still injured by his poisonous qi… In the end, due to the corrosive effects of the deadly poison, part of my martial foundation was damaged. Every time I think of it, I am filled with regret. If only I had known earlier…]
The cold words seemed to carry unfinished blood and hatred.
Chen Sheng withdrew his mind expressionlessly, but a chilling light had already turned sharp and cold in the depths of his eyes.
“What truly vicious methods…”
He sneered inwardly. These three great families were indeed not the fools from storybooks who would send people in waves to deliver him experience. The moment they made a move, it was a killing trap.
To deal with him, a mere Bone-Forging Realm cultivator, they had actually directly dispatched a Marrow-Transformation Realm martial master—and one skilled in poison arts, seeking to kill with a single strike. This clearly left him no path to survival, and also aimed to use this thunderous method to fiercely intimidate Wu Kuang.
Unfortunately, they had miscalculated one thing.
Chen Sheng clenched his fist, feeling the qi and blood surging endlessly within him because of the spiritual milk. Since he had already learned of this matter in advance, he naturally could not possibly fall into the trap again.
This time, not only would he make their efforts fail at the final step, perhaps… he could even use this opportunity to turn the situation around and make an issue of it, further sowing discord among the already self-interested alliance of the three families.
At this thought, Chen Sheng suppressed the surging killing intent and straightened his slightly wrinkled robe. After his expression returned to calm, he stepped out of the office and boarded the carriage that had been prepared long ago.
The carriage shafts turned, and it slowly headed in the direction of the Lin residence.
This meeting was not being held at the Yang family, nor was it on his own territory. Instead, it was taking place in the residence of the county magistrate, Lin Shou, with his wife coming forward to push the marriage alliance along.
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Asking for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets.
I hope everyone will support me.