"What did you say? The government troops have surrounded the Gao Family?!"

Inside the main hall of the Huang Family, Huang Dongchun felt as if he’d been struck by lightning the moment he heard the news. He shot up from his Taishi Chair, his face a mask of incredulous shock.

The celadon teacup in his hand fell to the floor with a CRASH. Scalding hot tea splashed onto his satin robe, but he was completely oblivious.

Beside him, Elder Huang Ke’s expression also changed drastically. He hurriedly took a step forward and demanded:

"What exactly happened? Make it clear!"

The Huang Family disciple who had come with the report was pale, his voice trembling:

"I... I don’t know the details either. I just saw a large contingent of government troops surround the Gao Mansion completely. They charged right in with murderous intent... They were saying something about the Gao Family colluding with water bandits and plotting a rebellion..."

"Who was leading the troops?" Huang Ke pressed, his brow furrowed.

"I think... it was Chen Sheng..."

The young Huang Family disciple struggled to recall the terrifying scene, finally nodding with certainty. "That’s right, it was that Chen Sheng from North City. I saw him during the confrontation with the Baisha Gang. It was him; he personally led the men who charged into the Gao Mansion..."

"Impossible!"

Huang Dongchun’s face turned livid in an instant, shock and fury erupting in his eyes. "This is absolutely impossible!"

He simply couldn’t believe the news. Chen Sheng was supposed to have died in the Black Snake Water Stronghold! How could he possibly be in Changshan County Town, leading government troops to attack the Gao Family?

Huang Ke’s brow was also tightly furrowed. "Did you see clearly?" he asked in a grave voice. "Was it really Chen Sheng?"

"Absolutely certain... It was him..." The disciple’s tone was firm, and fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

Hearing such a certain reply, Huang Ke couldn’t help but gasp. He instinctively glanced at the Patriarch, Huang Dongchun.

He saw that the normally composed Huang Family Patriarch now wore an expression so grim it could drip water. His knuckles were white from how tightly his fists were clenched, a clear sign of how deeply shaken he was.

"It seems we’ve miscalculated again."

The Huang Family’s Uncle-Grandfather, who had been silent until now, spoke slowly, his voice low and grave. "Not only has this Chen Sheng returned alive, but from the looks of it, I’m afraid the Black Snake Water Stronghold no longer exists."

"But... how is that possible?"

Huang Dongchun still found this fact hard to accept. "Chen Sheng is merely a Martial Master in the Bone Forging Realm. How could he possibly withstand a coordinated pincer attack from Xu Meng, the Ink Water Flood Dragon, and Chuyue Mountain?"

The three great families had gone to great lengths to eliminate Chen Sheng, this thorn in their side. First, they had used the pretense of suppressing bandits to lure him to the Black Snake Water Stronghold, arranging for Xu Meng and Chuyue Mountain to coordinate an attack from both inside and out. At the same time, they had men closely monitoring the movements of County Captain Wu Kuang.

In Huang Dongchun’s eyes, the plan was flawless. Even if Chen Sheng possessed heaven-defying abilities, there was no way he could have survived.

"Could Li Huai Sheng have helped him?" Huang Ke suddenly considered the possibility, his expression turning even uglier.

Ever since they had been tricked with the "lure the tiger from the mountain" stratagem and their Spirit Marrow Gu was stolen, they had suspected that Li Huai Sheng might have already gone over to Chen Sheng’s side.

However, this matter involved a secret of the Huang Family, so they had not informed the other two clans.

’Was it really Li Huai Sheng who ruined everything and changed the outcome of the battle?’

"That’s impossible, too!"

Huang Dongchun denied it flatly. "Li Huai Sheng is in the Marrow Transformation Realm, but he specializes in Poison Skills. His strength in a direct confrontation is mediocre. Both Chuyue Mountain and Xu Meng are stronger than him."

As the family that had employed Li Huai Sheng as a Tributor for many years, the Huang Family knew his capabilities better than anyone. He was a master of covert poisoning, but against two Marrow Transformation Realm experts in a direct fight, Li Huai Sheng stood no chance.

"Don’t tell me the information was leaked again, allowing Chen Sheng to prepare in advance?" Huang Ke’s brow was furrowed, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"Enough. There’s no point in dwelling on this now."

The Huang Family’s Uncle-Grandfather stood up, his expression solemn. "Regardless of how Chen Sheng managed to turn the tables, our top priority now is that we absolutely cannot sit by and watch the Gao Family be annihilated."

He looked around at everyone present, his tone resolute. "Patriarch, Huang Ke, take your men to support the Gao Family at once. If the Government Office insists on making a move, then this time, we will not hold back.

"At the same time, send someone to inform the Yang Family at once. Yang Yi is a smart man; he should understand that if the Gao Family falls, we’ll be next."

The old man paused before continuing his instructions. "Also, immediately send someone to report to County Magistrate Lin Shou. I imagine he wouldn’t want to see Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng’s faction grow too powerful, either."

The Huang Family’s Uncle-Grandfather saw the situation clearly. Although the three great families schemed and fought amongst themselves on a normal day, they always stood united when facing pressure from the Government Office.

Once the Gao Family was destroyed, the Huang and Yang Families would be in grave danger. And County Magistrate Lin Shou, the clever man who had always maintained the balance between the various factions, would never want to see Wu Kuang’s power grow unchecked and upset the current order.

"Good, I’ll see to it at once." Huang Dongchun nodded grimly and strode away.

He had wanted to teach that arrogant Chen Sheng a lesson ever since the standoff with the Baisha Gang, but the circumstances had forced him to hold back. Now that an opportunity had presented itself, he certainly wasn’t going to miss it.

Watching the Patriarch’s departing figure, a sharp glint flashed in the cloudy eyes of the Huang Family’s Uncle-Grandfather. The situation was changing faster than he had anticipated, and even this old man, who had weathered countless storms, felt a sense of unease.

Meanwhile, a similar scene was playing out inside the Yang Mansion. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Yang Yi was just as shocked when he received the news.

He immediately convened the family’s core members to discuss their strategy and ultimately came to the same decision as the Huang Family: they would send a request for aid to County Magistrate Lin Shou while also personally leading the Yang Family’s experts to reinforce the Gao Family.

In that moment, the seemingly loose alliance of the three great Noble Families of Changshan County showed astonishing unity in the face of an existential threat.

...

「At the same time.」

The entirety of Changshan County was in a state of shock.

After all, the mobilization of government troops was impossible to hide, especially since they had surrounded the Gao Family and attacked them under the accusation of colluding with water bandits and plotting a rebellion.

Many people had even seen the troops charging the Gao Mansion with their own eyes.

The news spread like wildfire, and for a time, all of Changshan was in an uproar.

After all, the Gao Family wasn’t some minor household; they were a true Noble Clan with a centuries-long heritage. There was even an old folk saying in Changshan County: "The Government Office doesn’t run this town; the Three Clans of Changshan are the sky above our heads!"

And the so-called Three Clans of Changshan were none other than the Gao, Huang, and Yang Families.

This just went to show the extent of their prestige and power.

But now, government troops were about to annihilate the Gao Clan. How could this not be shocking?

...

Inside the Gao Family’s ancestral hall, Chen Sheng was completely oblivious to the turmoil stirring within the city.

He was carefully examining a palm-sized piece of Golden Jade Ointment. The object was crystalline and translucent, emitting a faint golden luster. It was smooth and warm to the touch, yet he could feel a subtle coolness emanating from within.

This was the very Body Refining Treasure Medicine from the Buddhist Sect mentioned in the [Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil] Celestial Book—the Golden Jade Ointment. According to the Celestial Book, this item had a miraculous effect on Body Refining and was especially suitable for cultivators of Buddhist Cultivation Techniques.

What Chen Sheng found regrettable, however, was that this piece of Golden Jade Ointment was not whole; a portion had clearly been used. Even so, he figured the remaining piece would be more than enough for his cultivation needs.

However, a question also arose in his mind:

Why would a Secret Treasure of the Buddhist Sect like this appear in the Gao Family’s possession?

As far as he knew, the Golden Jade Ointment was a secret formula of the Buddhist Sect, refined from numerous rare Spirit Medicines. It was a treasure rarely seen even in the Prefecture City, let alone in a place like Changshan. The Gao Family had no known dealings with the Buddhist Sect, so its appearance here was truly baffling.

Chen Sheng rubbed the Golden Jade Ointment in his hand, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

’It seems the Gao Family has some hidden secrets.’

————

First day of the month, on my knees begging for monthly tickets.