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

Chapter 31 Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit.
Chen Sheng's decision to reveal his true identity to Wu Kuang at this moment was also a well-considered one.

Firstly, as Wu Kuang said, faced with the possibility of a coalition of the three major families, they urgently need a breakthrough to divide them.

The reason of "hatred for killing one's father" naturally carries a strong personal grudge, which is enough to highlight the Gao family to a certain extent and make them the primary target of attack.

This plan may not be able to dismantle them, but it might allow the other two to stand by and watch the tigers fight.

Secondly, Chen Sheng was well aware that his background was not without trace, and as his reputation rose in Changshan County, it would inevitably attract the attention of various forces.

Rather than being discovered in the future and passively falling into suspicion, it is better to take the initiative to be honest with Wu Kuang. This will not only demonstrate sincerity but also transform potential hidden dangers into a foundation of mutual trust.

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuang's many doubts suddenly vanished.

He finally understood why Chen Sheng wasn't particularly interested in money, but was so determined to wipe out the Seven Star Gang.

Putting myself in their shoes, if I were to suffer such a blood feud, I would probably do the same at any cost.

Therefore, he felt no anger at being kept in the dark; on the contrary, he valued Chen Sheng even more—this young man's ability to endure until now and to plan before acting showed his extraordinary character.

However, on the surface, he still kept a stern face and pretended to be displeased: "Such an important matter, you should have told me about it earlier! If I had known the reason earlier, I would have helped you take revenge sooner."

"It was my oversight and I had too many concerns. Please forgive me, sir."

Chen Sheng readily accepted the good advice and immediately bowed to apologize.

"That's all."

Wu Kuang waved his hand, his expression softening. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, lost in thought. "Since there's this reason, things will be much easier from here on out. The hatred for killing one's father is irreconcilable; no one can find fault with you. Using this as a starting point, we might be able to make some progress..."

He knew that the Gao family alone was not a threat, but if the three families were united and joined forces to fight against the government, the situation would be extremely difficult.

The most crucial point right now is to find a way to break their alliance, divide them up, and defeat them one by one in order to truly weaken the power of these local bullies.

The two then held a long private discussion in the study until it was late at night before Chen Sheng finally took his leave.

Meanwhile, news of the Seven Star Gang's demise has caused a huge uproar in Changshan County.

The Seven Star Gang, which had been entrenched in the north of the city for many years and backed by the Gao family, was uprooted by the North City Martial Camp in a single day!

The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the county and causing a stir among various forces.

Chen Sheng's name, along with this swift and decisive annihilation operation, once again resounded throughout the county, his prominence unparalleled for a time.

The atmosphere inside the Gao family mansion was completely opposite to the hustle and bustle outside; it was so oppressive that it was suffocating.

The council chamber was brightly lit, yet the gloom that permeated it could not be dispelled.

First, Gao Qiheng, a direct descendant of the Gao family, was killed, and now the Seven Star Gang, an important ally, has been wiped out. The government's intentions toward the Gao family are now obvious.

Although the Gao family was the first to provoke, the government's retaliatory response was so fierce and merciless that it sent chills down the spines of the entire Gao family.

The patriarch, Gao Yuanfeng, had a somber expression.

Wu Kuang's undisguised warning in the county government office today still echoed in his ears, making him clearly feel the imminent crisis.

As the head of the clan, he bore the responsibility for the lives of hundreds of clan members and would never allow the Gao family's foundation to be destroyed.

That's why he suppressed his anger and urgently recalled his third brother, Gao Yuanhe, who had almost clashed with Chen Sheng, choosing to temporarily avoid the limelight.

The pressure from the government cannot be borne by the Gao family alone; the Huang and Yang families must both get involved, and no one can escape unscathed!

He has already sent people to invite the heads of the two families to come and discuss matters.

While waiting, Gao Yuanhe frowned, his mind replaying the scene of his confrontation with Chen Sheng earlier that day. The more he thought about it, the more he felt a strange familiarity with the features of Chen Sheng's face, and an inexplicable doubt lingered in his heart.

"Third brother, what's making you so uneasy?"

Gao Yuanfeng noticed his younger brother's unusual behavior and asked him what was wrong.

Gao Yuanhe exhaled a long breath and expressed the strange feeling in his heart:

"Brother, I feel like I've seen Chen Sheng's face somewhere before, especially his eyebrows and eyes, the more I look at them, the more familiar they seem..."

"Oh? Who does it resemble?" Gao Yuanfeng's curiosity was also piqued.

Gao Yuanhe closed his eyes, desperately searching his memory. Time passed slowly, and after about a hundred breaths, he suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, and blurted out:

"Chen Xingzhou, it's Chen Xingzhou! Brother, that kid's features are almost identical to Chen Xingzhou's!"

Chen Xingzhou... Chen Sheng...

When the two names were put together, the Gao brothers exchanged a glance, their expressions turning serious.

"Brother, do you think this Chen Sheng might be the son Chen Xingzhou raised outside back then?" Gao Yuanhe's voice was low and tinged with disbelief.

The Gao family knew back then that Chen Xingzhou had a son being secretly raised outside, but it was kept extremely well hidden, with few even knowing about him within the Seven Star Gang. After eliminating Chen Xingzhou, they instructed Ma Changhai to eliminate any potential threats and to find and deal with this son at all costs.

Unfortunately, the child seemed to have vanished into thin air, and a long search yielded no results. Later, with Yang Kaisu's suicide, the trail went cold, and the matter was ultimately left unresolved.

Six months later, they had almost forgotten about this potential problem.

"They both have the surname Chen, their ages match, and their appearances are so similar... it seems they are almost certainly the same person."

Gao Yuanfeng's eyes were sinister, and his fingertips unconsciously tapped the back of the chair. "No wonder this kid is so hostile to Qi Heng and the Seven Star Gang. So he wants to avenge his father's death! Hmph, this Chen Xingzhou's son is really capable. In just half a year, he has transformed himself into an official and even dares to return to Changshan County to stir up trouble."

His tone grew colder, filled with murderous intent: "However, if he thinks this is a story of thirty years of prosperity, and that he can stage a king's return, then he is far too disrespectful to the Gao family."

"Brother, I'll go kill him right now to prevent future trouble!"

Gao Yuanhe suddenly stood up, his face contorted with murderous intent.

"Wait a minute."

Gao Yuanfeng raised his hand to stop him, "Of course this person should be killed, but it may not be necessary for my Gao family to do it personally. The Huang family and the Yang family have been watching for so long, it's time for them to do their part."

Gao Yuanfeng knew perfectly well that killing a military commander appointed by the imperial court was a serious matter.

If the Gao family were to handle this matter entirely, and it were to provoke a furious retaliation from the government, the Huang and Yang families would likely reap the benefits. He absolutely could not allow the Gao family to be placed in such a dangerous situation.

Although Gao Yuanhe was unwilling, he understood his elder brother's concerns and could only sit down angrily, his murderous intent towards Chen Sheng growing stronger.

Before long, Huang Dongchun, the head of the Huang family, and Yang Yi, the head of the Yang family, arrived together.

After exchanging greetings, Gao Yuanfeng recounted in detail the destruction of the Seven Star Gang and Wu Kuang's open provocation that day, deliberately portraying Wu Kuang's intentions as a crackdown on all local powerful figures.

As for Chen Sheng's personal grudges with the Gao family, he glossed over them lightly.

He had to make the Huang and Yang families realize that Wu Kuang's blade was aimed at them all; only in this way could he firmly bind them to the same chariot.

Sure enough, after listening to Gao Yuanfeng's account, Huang Dongchun and Yang Yi's faces both darkened.

"It seems that this County Magistrate Wu is determined not to cooperate."

"If we do not retaliate, he will only become more emboldened, and we will never have a peaceful day again."

Seeing that the time was right, Gao Yuanfeng followed suit and said:
“What you two say is absolutely right. Killing Wu Kuang is too risky and could easily provoke the wrath of the prefectural city. But if we don’t teach him a lesson he will never forget, he will really think that Changshan County is a place where he can do whatever he wants.”

"Brother Gao, what are your thoughts?" Huang Dongchun asked, turning his gaze to Gao Yuanfeng.

Gao Yuanfeng pondered for a moment, a cold glint flashing in his eyes:
"Since Wu Kuang has already made his move and drawn blood, we must respond forcefully to deter such villains. Chen Sheng, one of his subordinates, is not a high-ranking official, but he is highly trusted by Wu Kuang and can be regarded as his henchman."

"If we can eliminate this scoundrel, we will not only cripple Wu Kuang, but also demonstrate our resolve to the fullest extent, letting him know that we are not people to be trifled with!"

“Chen Sheng is, after all, a ninth-rank official. If we kill him, will…” Yang Yi hesitated, showing some concern.

"How can we make an example of someone if we don't kill the chicken?"

Gao Yuanhe couldn't help but retort, "If we don't take swift and decisive action, Wu Kuang's next move will probably be to ride roughshod over all of us!"

Yang Yi frowned but did not reply.

Huang Dongchun, however, largely agreed with Gao Yuanfeng's view that if a counterattack was to be launched, it had to be ruthless enough to achieve a deterrent effect.

He stroked his beard and said, "Brother Gao is right. In the past, even if a county magistrate or county lieutenant did not know the rules, we could make it impossible for him to move an inch. How much more so for a mere commander?"

Seeing Huang Dongchun's stance, Gao Yuanfeng felt reassured and then seemingly casually suggested:

“Brother Huang, I have heard that your family recruited a poison master known as the ‘Bone-Melting Hand’ in your early years. His strength is formidable, almost comparable to a martial artist in the Marrow Transformation Realm. If he were to deal with Chen Sheng, it would surely be a sure thing and would ensure that there would be no mistakes.”

Upon hearing this, Huang Dongchun's pupils contracted slightly, and he looked at Gao Yuanfeng with a forced smile: "Brother Gao, you really know everything about my Huang family."

His tone was calm, but a hint of wariness and displeasure rose deep in his eyes. The existence of the "Bone-Melting Hand" was a secret even within the Huang family, yet the Gao family could accurately state it, which immediately made him feel uneasy.

Gao Yuanfeng smiled calmly, his words carrying a hidden meaning: "We're in the same boat. Changshan is only so big. The three major families have been closely connected for many years. How many secrets could they possibly have between each other?"

Huang Dongchun remained silent for a moment, then snorted coldly:
"Chen Sheng is only at the Bone Forging Realm. Isn't it a bit of a waste to have 'Bone-Melting Hand' personally take action?"

“Even a lion will use all its strength to fight a rabbit.”

Gao Yuanfeng said solemnly, "As far as I know, Chen Sheng has a weapon that appears to be a treasured sword, and it is exceptionally sharp. An ordinary Bone Forging Realm martial artist might not be his match."

To ensure a decisive strike and eliminate any future trouble, it's best to proceed with caution. If we underestimate him and allow him to escape, or even harm our men, then we'll truly suffer a greater loss.

After much deliberation, considering the Gao family's contributions and shared interests, Huang Dongchun finally nodded.
"Very well, we'll do as Brother Gao says. The Huang family agrees to this."

With the tone set, the group no longer hesitated and immediately lowered their voices to secretly plan the specific time and place of their operation.
(End of this chapter)