Becoming a god by following the natural order and seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

Chapter 30: Harvesting Honesty
The Seven Stars Gang had been entrenched in the north of the city for many years. Although they had to hand over most of their profits to the Gao family every year, the wealth they had accumulated was still considerable.

Under Chen Sheng's command, the soldiers searched house by house, registered and cataloged the property, and worked for two whole hours before they had roughly finished taking stock of the gang's valuables.

The storeroom alone contained over 2,300 taels of silver, all sealed in wooden boxes, gleaming brightly and dazzling to the eye.

This doesn't even include the gold and silver utensils, jewelry, jade artifacts, and other valuables found in various locations. If these are all valued at a discount, the total amount would likely increase by several times.

In addition, numerous land deeds, house deeds, and shop documents were also found, all of which belonged to the Seven Star Gang and had been acquired over the years.

Looking at the preliminary list in his hand, Chen Sheng couldn't help but feel glad once again that he had chosen to be transferred back from the border army.

If one were still on the harsh northern frontier, even if one could achieve military merit, how could one accumulate such abundant wealth so quickly?

At the border, every gain requires fighting with blood and lives, but beneath the seemingly calm quagmire of Changshan County lies a more turbulent and "convenient" opportunity.

Of course, he knew that all of this was predicated on Wu Kuang's tacit approval and support.

Chen Sheng had no intention of unilaterally distributing these spoils of war.

Wu Kuang was a man of considerable ability and skill; his only vice was perhaps greed.

And this, at times, becomes the place where he is most comfortable dealing with people.

What Chen Sheng needs most right now is protection from his superior and time to grow steadily. For this, he is not hesitant to give up most of his benefits.

Therefore, after completely taking control of the Seven Star Gang's headquarters and packing up and sealing all the valuables and evidence, Chen Sheng did not linger and immediately went to the county government to see Wu Kuang.

Inside the side hall of the county government office, the lights were on.

Wu Kuang sat in the main seat, carefully reviewing the list of assets and land deeds presented by Chen Sheng.

When he saw the entry for over two thousand taels of silver, as well as the deeds to several well-located shops, a barely perceptible glint flashed in his eyes, and he tapped the list lightly with his fingertips.

"well done."

Wu Kuang put down the document, his tone calm but with a hint of satisfaction.

He did not inquire about the details of Chen Sheng's actions. For him, it was enough that his subordinates were capable of doing their jobs and knew how to present the results to him.

"It is all thanks to Your Excellency's strategic planning that the Gao family and Magistrate Lin have been held back. I was merely following orders and deserve no credit for my insignificant contribution," Chen Sheng said, bowing respectfully.

"You're good at everything, except you're too modest."

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuang's face broke into a more genuine smile, and he then asked seemingly casually, "You've reaped quite a harvest this time. Did you... keep anything for yourself?"

"How to allocate it is entirely up to you, sir, and I have no objection," Chen Sheng replied without hesitation.

Wu Kuang's admiration deepened, but a doubt also crept into his heart: This young man is neither greedy for money nor lustful, and he acts decisively and knows when to advance and retreat. So what is he really pursuing?
However, this thought only flashed through his mind. He was not a narrow-minded person. He didn't think it was a bad thing that his subordinates were capable and principled.

After a moment's hesitation, Wu Kuang reached out and tore off the page of the list that recorded the amount of cash, then pushed it in front of Chen Sheng:

"I will accept these house deeds and land deeds. As for the two thousand taels of silver, you can take them back."

Before Chen Sheng could decline, he continued:

"How it is distributed is not my concern. This is what you deserve. Although you are so reasonable, we should indeed establish a set of rules to avoid future complications. In the future, if there are similar gains, I will take 40%, you will take 30%, and the remaining 30% will be distributed to the brothers who have worked hard. Since we are asking them to risk their lives for us, we cannot let their hearts be chilled."

"My lord, is 30% too much? Your subordinate..."

Wu Kuang directly raised his hand to interrupt him:

"You are still young and may not yet truly understand the importance of money. In this world, gold and silver are not omnipotent, but without them to pave the way, everything is difficult."

Now that your cultivation has reached the Bone Forging Realm, you should know that every step of your future cultivation will require massive resources. A single high-grade 'Tiger Bone Pill' is worth no less than thirty taels of silver. Without sufficient wealth, continuing to advance on the path of martial arts will be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

He paused, leaned forward slightly, and his tone became serious: "Moreover, the situation in Changshan County is now clear. My forceful action this time is tantamount to putting the conflict in the open. The Gao family, the Huang family, the Yang family, and those local powerful families will not sit idly by and wait for their doom."

If they wanted to retaliate, they could come directly at me, but they might not have the courage or the confidence. However, as someone close to me, you will be the first to bear the brunt. These are things you earned with your life, and they are the foundation for your future livelihood. You need not refuse.

Although Wu Kuang was greedy for money, he was never stingy, especially towards subordinates who were worth investing in.

Chen Sheng has proven his value and loyalty through his actions, so he naturally doesn't mind giving him a sufficient reward. He is not worried that Chen Sheng will surpass him in the future; on the contrary, he believes that cultivating a strong assistant would be more beneficial than harmful in the long run.

Based on his observations of previous events, he judged that Chen Sheng was a person who valued loyalty and righteousness, and even if he were to surpass his teacher in the future, he would most likely not do anything ungrateful.

"Your subordinate...thanks for your kindness, sir!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng stopped being coy and bowed respectfully. Wu Kuang's words were truly heartfelt, pointing out the reality and offering real support.

"Ah."

Wu Kuang nodded in satisfaction and added, "Furthermore, some truly precious cultivation resources are often priceless and unavailable; money alone may not be enough to buy them. If you need to purchase such supplies in the future, I may be able to introduce you to some channels and help you procure them."

"What does Your Excellency mean?" Chen Sheng's heart stirred.

Wu Kuang smiled slightly, and said with a hint of deeper meaning, "Since the higher-ups have sent me to clean up this mess in Changshan, they will naturally provide me with some corresponding conveniences. I have priority access to some special resources in the official circles of Beiling Prefecture. Helping you out is just a small favor."

Chen Sheng was naturally delighted upon hearing this.

While silver is important, the ability to open up channels for acquiring high-level resources is far more valuable than gold and silver.

The Tiger Bone Pill, which Wu Kuang just mentioned, has a remarkable effect on tempering bones and strengthening the foundation of martial artists in the Bone Forging Realm. In places like Changshan County, it is difficult to buy even if you have money. Usually, you can only buy things like Bone Nourishing Pill and Tendon Protecting Pill, which are much less effective.

He immediately asked Wu Kuang to help him purchase a batch of tiger bone pills.

After discussing resource allocation and cultivation, Wu Kuang steered the conversation back to the current situation in Changshan County.

"The elimination of the Seven Star Gang is gratifying, but it's also like stirring up a hornet's nest."

Wu Kuang tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "Your success this time is not only due to your good planning, but also because those local bullies initially did not take us seriously. They thought they could make us submit with a little coercion and enticement. Gao Qiheng's provocation that day was one of their tests."

He snorted coldly: "They are unwilling to easily break off relations because they feel the cost is too high. Unfortunately, my attitude seems to be more forceful than they expected."

Now that they've realized what's happening, they'll undoubtedly join forces to counterattack. These various factions have been entrenched in this area for years, their influence deep-rooted and their resources not to be underestimated. With our current strength, a direct confrontation would be extremely difficult.

Wu Kuang's current concern is how to break up this temporary alliance, but he's struggling to find a suitable entry point. His in-depth conversation with Chen Sheng is also an opportunity to discuss this matter.

Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng's face showed a thoughtful expression.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and decided to stop hiding part of the truth and cooperate with his superior. Sometimes, appropriate honesty is more effective in gaining trust than blind obedience.

"My lord, the reason I am so determined to take action against the Seven Star Gang is not only due to official duties, but also because of a personal motive."

"Oh?"

Wu Kuang looked slightly surprised and raised his eyes to look at him. "What kind of selfish motive?"

Chen Sheng's gaze was calm as he said, word by word, "Ma Changhai, the former leader of the Seven Stars Gang, had a blood feud with me for killing my father. My father was Chen Xingzhou, the former leader of the Seven Stars Gang."

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuang was genuinely taken aback, and his body unconsciously straightened up. He never expected that there was such a deep-seated personal grudge between Chen Sheng and the Seven Star Gang.

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