The Gao Clan, Ancestral Hall.
The air seemed to have frozen, thick with a suffocating, deathly silence and oppression.
Every core member of the Changshan Gao Clan was gathered here; all told, there were nearly thirty of them.
To be considered a core member of the Gao Clan, the primary requirement was to have reached the realm of Acupoint Opening and Foundation Establishment—meaning that nearly thirty Foundation Establishment Martial Masters were gathered in the hall at this very moment!
Even if most of them were only in the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, this was a force to be reckoned with, an undeniable power within Changshan County.
Right now, everyone's gaze was fixed on a corpse on the floor, covered by a white cloth. Their eyes burned with suppressed rage and humiliation.
The Government Office had "delivered" it back not long ago. Upon receiving the body, the Clan Leader, Gao Yuanfeng, had immediately rung the bell for an emergency meeting.
How many years had it been...
Since the Gao Clan had risen to become one of the top powers of Changshan Mountain, when had they ever suffered such a monumental humiliation?
A core clan member, a scion the family had spared no effort to support, was cut down by a single saber strike in the middle of a Military Camp, in front of everyone! And to top it all off, he was posthumously charged with "insubordination against a superior, a death well deserved"!
Once word of this spread, the Gao Clan would lose all face, their prestige suffering a heavy blow.
What was more terrifying was the potential for a chain reaction. The position of a top power was not unassailable. The Gao Family controlled numerous interests and had long been the object of envy.
Even the Huang and Yang Clans, who maintained a peaceful facade with them, were they not constantly fighting over and encroaching upon their interests in private? The moment the Gao Family showed any sign of weakness, they would be surrounded by a pack of wolves.
Although that possibility seemed low for now, they had to guard against it, had to remain vigilant!
Seated in the most central seat of honor, the eldest, the Fourth Great-Uncle with his white hair and beard, swept his turbid yet sharp gaze slowly across the hall. He struck his Black Wood Walking Stick heavily against the floor, and the dull THUD drew everyone's attention.
"It seems... this may be the final answer from that County Captain Wu." The Fourth Great-Uncle's voice was aged but carried undeniable weight. "What have the Huang Clan and Yang Clan said?"
The current Clan Leader, Gao Yuanfeng, replied in a low voice:
"Fourth Great-Uncle, the Huang and Yang Clans have agreed to pressure the Government Office alongside us. They propose we give Wu Kuang a real 'show of force,' to make him thoroughly understand just who calls the shots here in Changshan County!"
"Exactly! That's what we should do! We must make that man surnamed Wu, and that arrogant punk Chen Sheng, pay the price!"
"No one from our Gao Family dies for nothing!"
Several hot-blooded young core clan members immediately chimed in, their faces full of indignation.
"Silence, all of you!"
The Fourth Great-Uncle's voice deepened. His walking stick struck the ground again, this time louder, and he waited until the hall was silent once more before slowly continuing:
"Those two families certainly have it all figured out, goading us to take the lead... The Government Office, in the end, is still the Government Office. If this truly gets out of hand, the aftermath... I fear it won't be easy to clean up."
"Rest assured, Fourth Great-Uncle. I understand the stakes."
Gao Yuanfeng quickly bowed and said in a low voice, "The Huang and Yang Clans have offered to cede some of their interests as compensation afterward. Besides, I have no intention of completely falling out with Wu Kuang just yet.
Since this turmoil was stirred up by the North City commander, Chen Sheng, we will target him first. We can use this opportunity to gauge Wu Kuang's reaction and his limits, and then decide how to proceed. What do you think... is this a sound approach?"
The Fourth Great-Uncle was silent for a moment. His wrinkled face betrayed no emotion. Finally, he just said slowly:
"You are the Clan Leader. This matter is for you to decide. But remember, do not bet everything on a single throw. The Gao Family is not what it once was. With hundreds of clan members, a single move can affect the entire body.
You must weigh the pros and cons in all things, think one step ahead, and consider the consequences of escalation."
Having given his advice, he said no more. Leaning on his walking stick, he slowly departed with the help of a servant.
Only after the figure of this stabilizing pillar of the clan had vanished did the suffocating, oppressive atmosphere in the hall ease slightly. The few young clan members looked to the Clan Leader again, their eyes still filled with indignation and a desire for battle.
Gao Yuanfeng glanced at the crowd, his expression regaining the calm and indifference of a family head.
"Third Brother."
"Big Brother, I'm here."
A sharp-featured, middle-aged man standing beside him immediately rose and responded. He was Gao Yuanfeng's third brother, Gao Yuanhe, and one of his most important aides.
"Go tell Ma Changhai," Gao Yuanfeng's tone was calm, yet it carried an indisputable command, "to have the Seven Stars Gang 'stir up' some trouble in North City. Doesn't the Government Office value 'stability' above all else?
Then let's throw North City into chaos for a while. I want to see what methods that Chen Sheng has to deal with unrest in his own district!"
"Yes, Big Brother! I'll see to it at once!"
A harsh glint flashed in Gao Yuanhe's eyes as he quickly bowed to accept the order.
Watching his third brother's departing back, Gao Yuanfeng sighed inwardly.
'Actually, when I first met that calm and capable young commander, Chen Sheng, at the Gathering Immortals Tower that day, my impression was quite good. I even considered roping him in through a marriage alliance.'
'But fate is unpredictable. In the blink of an eye, we've come to the point of open hostility and confrontation.'
Now, he could only hope that Wu Kuang would be pragmatic, know when to retreat, and not escalate the conflict.
Otherwise, if they had a complete falling out, the aftermath would be difficult to manage. He clearly remembered that the previous County Captain had ended up leaving in disgrace after being jointly targeted by the major powers.
Although that incident had been a moment of triumph for the local Noble Families, he had also heard that it had displeased certain important figures in the Prefecture City.
If they made too big a scene this time and ended up thoroughly angering the Prefecture City... even if the Gao Family had deep roots in Changshan Mountain and some backing, they absolutely did not have the confidence to openly confront the entire Government Office.
...
「North City Military Camp, within the Government Office.」
Chen Sheng sat cross-legged, the qi and blood in his body circulating slowly like a stream as his mind sank into his cultivation.
[Basic Saber Skill Perfection (45/2000)]
[Golden Bell Body Refining Technique: Great Success (15/1000)]
[Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique: Minor Achievement (4/500)]
[Demon-Suppressing Triple Extremes Saber: Minor Achievement (50/500)]
With Gao Qiheng dead, the hidden troublemakers in the North City Military Camp were indeed scared silent. No one dared to stick their neck out anymore.
This allowed Chen Sheng to calmly make his arrangements and begin reorganizing the camp's affairs according to his own will. His "tossing a stone to check the path" was complete. Now, the focus of the pressure shifted to Wu Kuang and the Prefecture City.
Although his analysis and the information revealed by the Celestial Book of Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil suggested that the Prefecture City's attitude was inclined to support local consolidation, Wu Kuang was, after all, a newcomer with an unstable foundation. He was inevitably anxious, afraid of becoming a pawn discarded by his superiors.
With the situation still unclear, the only thing Chen Sheng could do was to continue lying low, cultivating diligently, and constantly improving his own strength.
His cultivation at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, the Bone Forging realm, could be considered expert level in Changshan County, but it was far from enough to let him act with impunity.
Even with soaring ambitions, before the real storm arrived, he could only be like a hidden dragon in the abyss—patiently accumulating his power.
Just as his mind was immersed in circulating his Inner Breath, the page of the Celestial Book of Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil, which had been hanging motionlessly in his sea of consciousness, suddenly shuddered without warning. It began to radiate soft yet distinct halos of golden light!
Chen Sheng's heart stirred, and he immediately focused his mind inward to observe.
He saw the originally stable characters on the Celestial Book slowly fade away, while new, more frantic scrawls gradually appeared:
[My name is Chen Sheng. When you see this message, I am filled with endless regret... Because I killed Gao Qiheng, the Gao Clan was enraged. However, intimidated by Wu Kuang and weighing various factors, they did not dare to have a complete falling out, instead turning their spearhead toward me.
They ordered the Seven Stars Gang to create chaos in North City, leaving me exhausted and putting me on the defensive. Later... in a moment of impulse, I acted too aggressively and made a grave mistake.
Although County Captain Wu did his utmost to protect me, the reply from the Prefecture City had not yet arrived. As a result, I was publicly reprimanded by County Magistrate Lin Shou for "ineffectiveness" and was nearly transferred out of the North City Military Camp! Furthermore, because of this turmoil, some of my background details were secretly uncovered, which alerted Ma Changhai. He became terrified, and in the end... he actually chose to offer the Secret Treasure my father left me to the Gao Clan.
Only later did I learn... that the Treasure my father left was no ordinary object. It was a drop of the extremely rare Earth Core Spirit Milk. If I had just managed to endure that momentary anger, perhaps the outcome would have been different. Every time I think of this, I am filled with regret....]