"People from Guang’an say the situation in Linchuan is the worst of the Four Mansions."

Li Lu had gone to great lengths to climb the ranks, managing to gather some general information from the new arrivals. But what he heard was enough to horrify him!

Cheng Zongyang’s heart sank as he listened.

A moment later, he continued asking about matters in the county. The situation in the County Town was his only concern right now.

Through their back-and-forth, Cheng Zongyang finally learned the full picture.

It was just as he had suspected a few days ago. Chang Younian had not only sabotaged the original relief plan but had also created even more problems.

The plague alone was enough to give Luo Dingran a massive headache.

Even if Luo Dingran had a cure for the plague, he would still need Medicinal Materials and time.

More importantly, Chang Younian had allowed Wang Tianfeng to completely consolidate the factions within the County Town, establishing a monopoly on power. Chang Younian had also secured support from his own family to bolster the Wang Family’s influence in Jade Peak County, all to secretly oppose the new County Magistrate.

To put it bluntly, their goal was to make life difficult for the new County Magistrate. They hadn’t given up on Jade Peak County!

With backing from the Chang Family in the Commandery City, Wang Tianfeng was naturally emboldened. He couldn’t act openly, but stirring up trouble behind the scenes without leaving any evidence was no problem at all.

Naturally, Luo Dingran couldn’t afford to be reckless. But he could still handle matters within the Government Office.

The men in the Inspection Bureau were replaced with people Luo Dingran brought. Qi Yue and the others could only follow Chang Younian to Linchuan and Guang’an.

With manpower being short, Li Lu, a Martial Artist, was the first to pledge his allegiance. He was naturally made a new constable and was even granted a personal audience with Luo Dingran.

The two Chief Constable positions were temporarily vacant, giving the constables a bit more authority for the time being.

After learning about Li Lu’s experience and strength, Luo Dingran made a promise—as long as Li Lu was strong enough, a Chief Constable position would be his.

As the first to pledge allegiance, and a local Martial Artist and government official at that, making such a promise was convenient for future business, a way to win over the people, and a chance to show everyone the new County Magistrate’s stance.

This was why Li Lu was so eager upon seeing Cheng Zongyang.

Upon learning this, Cheng Zongyang asked, "And the Martial Artists?"

Li Lu sighed. "In the time before the new County Magistrate arrived, Wang Tianfeng moved to swiftly consolidate all the local powers. He arrested many Martial Artists who wouldn’t cooperate. There are more than a dozen of them in jail. To stop them from siding with the new County Magistrate later, Wang Tianfeng had their limbs crippled. They can’t use martial arts anymore. Even if they heal, they’ll be no different from ordinary people."

Cheng Zongyang was inwardly shocked. ’This Wang Tianfeng is truly decisive and ruthless. He doesn’t leave his opponents any room to maneuver at all.’

"Done. So, can you do it?" Cheng Zongyang said in a low voice. "Six of them. After you take care of them, deliver them immediately to No. 28, South Pond Sixth Lane. It can’t take more than a day. I’ll handle things from there. Then, I’ll give you a method to cultivate to the Eighth Grade within two or three months."

Li Lu’s eyes lit up at the words, his expression filled with excitement. "Are you certain? Are there any side effects?"

Cheng Zongyang chuckled. "Yes, it will be very painful. If you can bear it, you’ll succeed. If you can’t, you’ll fail."

"Hahaha, pain is nothing!" Li Lu was ecstatic. "I’ll get on it right now. I’ll be there by midnight!"

Cheng Zongyang nodded. "Deal! Then I’ll first..."

"Oh, right. There’s one more thing."

Just then, Li Lu remembered something and interrupted Cheng Zongyang to say, "The wanted notice for you has been revoked. After Chang Younian left, I told Lord Luo a bit about your situation, and he rescinded the warrants for both your families. But to avoid any potential trouble, you should still be careful for now."

"Hahaha, wonderful! Thank you, Uncle Li," Cheng Zongyang said happily, clasping his fist in his palm.

"It was a trivial matter," Li Lu said, waving his hand.

Having settled the matter, Cheng Zongyang didn’t linger and headed for his own residence. Just before leaving, he remembered Ma San and asked Li Lu to look into his situation and wait for news.

On his way back toward South Pond Lane, he thought about what Li Lu had said. With refugees pouring into the city, occupying vacant homes and even seizing occupied ones, he had a good idea of what he would find at his own house.

A moment later, he saw his door had been violently kicked in. With a cold expression, Cheng Zongyang walked inside, Bow and Arrow in hand.

Inside, a dozen or so men were brazenly looting his belongings. It seemed they had already divided up the rooms.

"Get lost, you brat! There’s no room here!" a scrawny young man said with a foul expression, pointing at Cheng Zongyang.

Cheng Zongyang raised his bow, drew the string, and let his right hand go slack. Instantly, while the man’s hand was still pointing at him, a Wooden Arrow had already sunk into his skull and emerged from the back of his head.

At this, the others’ faces changed drastically in fear, and they turned to run.

Cheng Zongyang gave them no chance, picking them off one by one with incredible speed.

A moment later, three men knelt before Cheng Zongyang, weeping and wailing. He spoke with an indifferent expression:

"I’m giving you half an hour. Put all the furniture back where it belongs, move the bodies outside, and scrub away all the blood. Otherwise, I don’t mind finishing you off right now."

"Y-yes, yes! I’ll do it right now. Please, my lord, don’t kill me!"

A middle-aged man with a deathly pale face kowtowed again and again before getting up to move the furniture. But his legs went soft and he fell to his knees again. It took him several tries to stand up on trembling legs and hurry to work.

The other two, as if granted amnesty, scrambled off to work, wetting themselves in fear, terrified that being a step too slow would mean death.

Cheng Zongyang looked at the main gate and cursed Chang Younian’s entire family line.

He had many things to do and couldn’t just stay here. But for now, he could only wait for these three men to clean his home.

A quarter of an hour later, one of the men came before Cheng Zongyang with a long face and stammered, "M-my lord, the... the well... there’s no water in it!"

"Move all the bodies first!" Cheng Zongyang roared.

"Ah, yes, yes, sir!" The man was so frightened he jolted and collapsed to the ground, then scrambled off to continue working.

Another half an hour went by. The three men, utterly exhausted, knelt prostrate on the ground, their bodies trembling like sieves. Their tattered clothes were soaked with sweat, though it was impossible to tell if it was from fear or exertion.

"Get the hell out of here!"

Cheng Zongyang couldn’t be bothered to kill them, since he’d just have to clean up the bodies himself.

He closed the main gate he had just put back in place, then gave everything a once-over.

Overall, it was fine; nothing was seriously damaged. He ignored the bloodstains on the floor for now and walked straight into the inner room. He then entered the Wilderness World to practice his Wind-Stepping Step and quietly wait for night to fall.

Tonight, he still had two things to do.

Time flew by, and soon it was the hour of Chen.

Wiping sweat from his brow at the door of the market hut, Cheng Zongyang looked at his progress on the Wind-Stepping Step and let out a sigh of relief.

—

Wind-Stepping Step (1/1000, Beginner’s Practice)

—

In his mind, new insights regarding the Wind-Stepping Step were gradually digested and absorbed, transforming into brand-new experience.

Although the effect wasn’t the same as with the Body Refining Skill, he had successfully brought this Body Technique to the Beginner level.

After glancing at the wall clock, Cheng Zongyang put down his sweat towel, gave Ma San a few instructions, and left the small hut.

Ma San, meanwhile, waited inside the hut.

Reappearing in the outside world, Cheng Zongyang’s eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. He quickly left his residence, heading toward the eastern part of the city.

From what he knew, the granaries of the Noble Race and the Government Office were mostly located in the eastern district.

This time, he planned to bring some refugees back, which meant he needed to procure more grain. He was more than happy to engage in a little "zero-cost acquisition."

Clad in black with a dark cloth covering his face, he employed a peculiar stepping technique. His body moved like wind brushing past a willow; each stride forward covered a distance of about three meters.

The first level of the Wind-Stepping Step: Go with the Wind!

Like wind brushing past a willow, the movement wasn’t exceptionally fast, but it stabilized his breathing. Walking with this specific gait, his body seemed to drift on the breeze. Covering three meters in a single step was, naturally, much faster than a normal walk.

Most importantly, his breath remained steady, his Body Technique was nimble, and his steps were silent. In the darkness, he was like a phantom.

Several minutes later, Cheng Zongyang arrived at the first of the Wang Family’s granaries.