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

Chapter 73 The Punishment of Whipping (Seeking First Subscription)
Outside the military camp, dusk was falling.

A richly decorated carriage was quietly parked not far from the camp gate. The curtains fluttered slightly, and a beautiful young woman could be vaguely seen sitting inside.

Yang Xueyao gripped the silk handkerchief tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force. Her gaze kept drifting towards the military camp gate, her eyes filled with worry.

My aunt has been in the military camp for almost half an hour and has not come out yet.

What exactly happened in there?
This gave her a vague sense of foreboding.

Especially since she had just tried to request entry into the camp but was stopped by the soldiers, it made her even more uneasy and worried.

I hope my aunt isn't in any danger.

This unusual treatment made Yang Xueyao uneasy, but her aunt was, after all, the wife of the county magistrate. No matter how arrogant Chen Sheng was, she thought he wouldn't dare to be disrespectful to her aunt, so she suppressed her anxiety.

While worrying about her aunt's safety, she also felt a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe.

Despite her outward resistance, she gradually accepted the marriage proposal from Chen Sheng after repeated persuasion from her family and aunt. However, she had to pretend to be unwilling to do so out of consideration for her reputation.

Of course, while she accepted it, deep down she still harbored resentment towards the man who killed her fiancé. However, for the sake of her family's interests and some hidden feelings, she had essentially convinced herself.

To her surprise, when she finally made up her mind, Chen Sheng showed obvious indifference.

You should know that she had dressed up carefully before coming to the military camp with her aunt today, but she couldn't even get through the gate. The fact that they refused to let her in was undoubtedly a statement of their attitude.

Logically, she should feel fortunate about this.

But for some reason, when she actually faced this reality, she felt a sense of inexplicable loss. She couldn't help but wonder if it was the Yang family's previous hesitation that made Chen Sheng dissatisfied, or if the other party had already looked down on her.
What's wrong with me?

Yang Xueyao bit her lower lip, feeling confused and puzzled by her contradictory feelings.

Just as she was in a state of utter confusion, there was finally some movement at the gate of the military camp.

"Madam, please."

Hearing the voice, Yang Xueyao quickly pulled back the curtain to look.

The aunt walked out slowly, escorted by two soldiers. Although her demeanor remained dignified, a closer look revealed a slight, almost imperceptible, unsteadiness in her steps.

"aunt!"

Yang Xueyao quickly lifted the carriage curtain and hurried to greet her.

But the moment she touched her aunt's arm, she could clearly feel that the other's body was trembling slightly and seemed a little weak, as if she had just experienced a great deal of exertion.

"What's wrong with you?"

Yang Xueyao helped Mrs. Yang into the car with concern, her eyes carefully examining her face.

Madam Yang waved her hand to indicate that nothing was wrong, but her face showed an undisguised weariness.

This obviously strange situation made Yang Xueyao's heart tighten, and she quickly asked, "Auntie, did Chen Sheng disrespect you?"

Madam Yang's heart skipped a beat, then she shook her head, her voice slightly hoarse as she said:
"It's alright, I'm just a little tired."

"But could it be that Chen Sheng is making things difficult for you because of the previous marriage arrangement?"

Yang Xueyao was clearly somewhat skeptical.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Avoiding her niece's probing gaze, Madam Yang's tone was slightly flustered: "Commander Chen treated me with courtesy. It was just that my aunt caught a cold last night and was chilled, which is why her voice sounded a little different."

"But your face."

Yang Xueyao's voice trembled with fear: "Did Chen Sheng...hit you?"

She keenly noticed that her aunt's voice was not only abnormal, but her cheeks were also slightly flushed and even a little swollen, which made her think of some bad possibilities.

This guess sent chills down her spine.

If that were true, Chen Sheng's arrogance far exceeded her imagination. At the same time, she was secretly terrified, wondering what kind of treatment she would suffer if she really married such a person.

Upon hearing this, Madam Yang glanced at her niece with a complicated expression.

"Don't think too much."

Madam Yang forced herself to remain calm as she straightened her slightly disheveled clothes: "My aunt is the wife of the county magistrate. Even if Commander Chen is bold, he wouldn't dare to be so presumptuous."

She paused for a moment, then changed the subject: "As for the marriage alliance, Commander Chen's intention is to put it on hold for the time being."

"Did he really say that?"

Yang Xueyao was stunned, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

Although this was the result she had hoped for, hearing the other party's straightforward rejection still made her feel inexplicably humiliated. Did Chen Sheng think that she, the eldest daughter of the Yang family, was so insignificant?

"Don't take it too seriously."

Madam Yang noticed a change in her niece's expression and said softly, "I will explain to the head of the family."

Chen Sheng did not elaborate on the matter of the marriage alliance, but his meaning was already quite clear: given the Yang family's previous attitude, the marriage alliance was no longer possible.

However, with her mediation, Chen Sheng was able to let bygones be bygones and agreed not to pursue the Yang family's past mistakes, but he made another request—the Yang family must clearly take sides and fully support him and Wu Kuang.

Furthermore, they will have to pay a price for their past mistakes.

Madam Yang knew that this condition would put her brother Yang Yi in a very difficult position, unless she confessed everything about what Lin Shou had done, in which case there might be no hope of persuading him.

Hearing her aunt's words, Yang Xueyao felt relieved but also inexplicably sad, as if the marriage she cherished was unimportant to Chen Sheng.

Inside the main tent of the military camp, the air was thick with moisture.

Chen Sheng leaned lazily against the edge of the bathtub, feeling completely relaxed from head to toe.

His 'negotiation' with Madam Yang just now not only achieved his goal but also provided him with a unique kind of enjoyment.

The magistrate's wife was indeed a beauty. Although she was a bit older, she still had her charm. What was even more remarkable was her just-right submissiveness and accommodating manner.

This time, under his coercion, Madam Yang's bottom line was repeatedly pushed back, and she would only give up if she could subdue Lin Shou.

During his debate with Madam Yang, Chen Sheng also learned a great deal about Lin Shou's background.

The other party does indeed have a one-night stand.

Behind him was Hao Tong, the deputy general of the Ning'an Prefecture Armed Forces. He held the rank of sixth grade and wielded military power, making him a high-ranking and powerful figure. Moreover, his cultivation and strength were unfathomable, far beyond the mere entry into the Innate Realm.

However, according to Madam Yang's later account, the relationship between Lin Shou and Hao Tong was somewhat strange.

Lin Shou appears to have fallen out of favor, and Hao Tong no longer values ​​him.

Lin Shou usually takes the initiative to give gifts and curry favor, while Hao Tong rarely responds.

The reason Lin Shou had Madam Yang cultivate the "Chao Feng Pei Yuan Gong" was because he valued her Yin-type body and planned to present her to Hao Tong as a gift in order to regain his favor.

Learning of this result was undoubtedly good news for him.

The two sides are not closely connected. As long as Wu Kuang can handle things properly, Lin Shou will not pose a real threat. And that Deputy General Hao will not go against the orders of his superiors for the sake of Lin Shou, whom he has already abandoned.

Furthermore, judging from the hints given by the principle of "seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune".

Lin Shou's secret of having homosexual tendencies can be considered a weakness he has.

Deputy General Hao would not accept such a dirty reputation. If he spread the news, the other party would even take the initiative to sever all ties with Lin Shou.

However, he will also completely offend the other party and make an enemy of them.

Overall, it's a double-edged sword. He doesn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary, but he might be able to use it to control Lin Shou and force him to submit.

Of course, this is only effective if Lin Shou fully recognizes reality and encounters setbacks.

Once the other party has suffered repeated setbacks, this weakness can be revealed at the opportune moment, leaving Lin Shou with no other options.

Thinking of this, Chen Sheng smiled coldly, then leaped out of the bath tub, assumed a stance, and white mist rose from his body. In just a moment, the water on his body had evaporated.

The path of spiritual practice allows no room for slackness.

Continue your arduous practice!

"How was the harvest?"

When Madam Yang returned to her residence, exhausted, she was immediately summoned by Magistrate Lin Shou, who inquired about the outcome of her efforts to win over the woman.

Madam Yang, however, felt something was amiss.

How was the harvest?

The harvest was enormous.

They left empty-handed, but returned laden with spoils.

However, Madam Yang naturally dared not say these words aloud. She forced a smile and whispered, "Reporting to Master, Commander Chen did not agree. He only said that he would abide by his duty and obey the orders of the County Lieutenant and the County Magistrate."

Originally, Madam Yang suggested to Chen Sheng that they could temporarily appease Lin Shou, perhaps by feigning allegiance, and then turn against him once the position of Grand Commander was completely settled.

But Chen Sheng told her that she could simply refuse Lin Shou's offer.

After all, for Chen Sheng, the so-called feigned allegiance would be hard to explain once it got out, especially since it would make Wu Kuang think too much.

He didn't want any rift to develop between him and Wu Kuang.

Moreover, Lin Shou would never believe a mere verbal promise, and might even use it as an excuse to spread the news and cut off Chen Sheng's escape route.

Therefore, in Chen Sheng's view, there was absolutely no need to hide anything.

As soon as Madam Yang finished speaking, Lin Shou's face darkened instantly.

He had initially held onto a sliver of hope that Chen Sheng might change his stance under the lure of profit.

Now it seems that he is overthinking.

The other party didn't even try to cover it up.

"What a fine example of keeping one's duty!"

Lin Shou sneered, "He's determined to follow Wu Kuang."

Madam Yang carefully observed her husband's expression and said softly, "Sir, perhaps we can give him some more time to consider."

"No need!"

Lin Shou interrupted her angrily, saying coldly, "Since he refuses to listen to reason, then don't blame me for being impolite!"

He had already drafted the document impeaching Wu Kuang, and also sent a secret letter to Lord Hao.

He wanted to use a two-pronged approach to see if Chen Sheng could still be officially appointed as the commander of the military battalion.

Do you really think he's just a figurehead as a county magistrate?
He has powerful backers!

"Then I'll go back to my room to rest."

Madam Yang didn't dare to look Lin Shou in the eye, fearing that he might have sensed something was wrong. After all, she wasn't in the best condition right now, and if she were discovered, she would regret it. She quickly bowed and took her leave.

"and many more."

Lin Shou suddenly called out to Madam Yang, his gaze sweeping over her.

Although he had no interest in women, he had to admit that Madam Yang's beauty and voluptuous figure were among the best in Changshan County, and she was very attractive to some people.

Moreover, she went to see Chen Sheng late at night, which made him wary.

"Does the master have any further instructions?"

Madam Yang's heart tightened, but she forced herself to remain calm and asked.

"Show me your virginity mark," Lin Shou said coldly.

Those who cultivate the "Chaofeng Peiyuan Gong" have a virginity mark that is significantly different from that of ordinary people, and he can see the clues at a glance.

Upon hearing this, Madam Yang secretly rejoiced that she had not done anything more outrageous before, and had only had a verbal argument with Chen Sheng. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and pretended to be heartbroken as she rolled up her sleeves, revealing the bluish-red mark on her arm.

After carefully inspecting the items, Lin Shou finally felt relieved and said, "Go ahead."

Watching the lady's retreating figure, a sinister glint flashed in Lin Shou's eyes.

This arrogant and ignorant brute must pay the price for his choices.

(End of this chapter)