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

Chapter 74 What Men Understand (Seeking First Subscription)

Inside the back hall of the county government office.

Chen Sheng arrived as summoned, and as soon as he stepped into the inner hall, he keenly sensed that Wu Kuang's mood seemed unusually high today.

The usually calm and reserved county magistrate was beaming with undisguised joy. Upon seeing him enter, he immediately greeted him warmly, "You've come at the perfect time. Come and sit down."

Chen Sheng sat down on the armchair opposite him as instructed, and his gaze was immediately drawn to a tray covered with a red cloth on the table. The tray looked heavy, and judging from its outline, the items inside were quite heavy.

"My lord, what is this?" Chen Sheng asked with a hint of doubt.

Wu Kuang smiled mysteriously and pushed the tray towards Chen Sheng:
"Look, what treasure is inside."

As he spoke, he casually lifted the red cloth, revealing the contents of the tray—more than ten crystal-clear jade-like stones, which gleamed with a warm luster under the candlelight and faintly exuded a refreshing aura.

Chen Sheng's gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared intently at the peculiar stones, a look of surprise on his face.
"Could this be...?"

"That's right, it's Yuan Jing!"

Wu Kuang laughed loudly, his laughter filled with joy: "To be honest, I never expected that the Gao family would have such a treasure hidden within their ranks. This powerful clan, which has been passed down for a hundred years, truly has an extraordinary foundation."

Wu Kuang didn't need to explain what Yuanjing was; Chen Sheng naturally knew its value.

These crystals, which contain the pure essence of heaven and earth, are usually only produced in spirit mines. However, there are no spirit mines in Changshan County, and he has never even heard of any spirit mines in Ning'an Prefecture.

Therefore, in a place like Changshan County, Yuanjing can be described as a rare treasure with a price that is impossible to find.

Generally speaking, the value of Yuanjing is far beyond what gold and silver can measure. A single Yuanjing often requires a thousand taels of silver to acquire, and it is often available but unavailable.

More importantly, such treasures are not usually intended for Foundation Establishment martial artists to use in their cultivation. Only martial arts experts who have broken through to the Innate Realm can directly absorb the pure vital energy contained within them for cultivation.

That is why Wu Kuang was truly surprised that the Gao family possessed Yuanjing.

After all, there are no experts at the Innate Realm within the Gao family.

"Where did the Gao family get these Yuan Crystals?" Chen Sheng couldn't help but ask.

Wu Kuang shook his head: "It's not clear at the moment, but it should be a collection accumulated by the Gao family over generations."

He paused, his tone tinged with emotion: "These powerful families are indeed not simple. Even a mere county strongman can possess a treasure like Yuan Crystal."

"In any case, this is an unexpected gain, and I congratulate you, sir," Chen Sheng said with a smile and a cupped-hand salute.

"Oh, what are you saying, congratulations?"

Wu Kuang waved his hand, his expression serious: "We agreed to share wealth and honor, so how can I take it all for myself? Besides, in the end, you were the one who contributed the most to the annihilation of the Gao family."

As he spoke, he divided the Yuan Crystal in the tray into eight pieces and pushed them in front of Chen Sheng:

"These are yours."

"My lord, this is too precious." Chen Sheng hesitated slightly.

"Do not refuse."

Wu Kuang said solemnly, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Between brothers like us, we don't talk about such empty words. If it weren't for your strategic planning, let alone these Yuan Crystals, even wiping out the Gao family would be as difficult as climbing to heaven."

Seeing Wu Kuang's resolute attitude, Chen Sheng stopped being coy and solemnly accepted the Yuan Jing:
"In that case, I thank you for your generous gift, sir."

After putting away the Yuan Crystal, the two naturally turned to the matter of how to distribute the Gao family's other assets.

According to the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty, the property confiscated from the Gao family needed to be sealed and a portion of it was handed over to the prefectural city. However, as those who handled the matter, they were naturally able to get a considerable share of the profits.

In fact, this was one of the key reasons why Chen Sheng was able to persuade Wu Kuang to take action against the local powerful clans.

Rather than cooperating with them and accepting the scraps from the three powerful families, it would be better to sweep away these fattened aristocratic families and enjoy their centuries-old wealth.

Now, this first step has been taken, and the results have far exceeded expectations.

"To be honest, I'm now quite eager to take action against the Huang and Yang families."

During the conversation, Wu Kuang also spoke his mind, his tone filled with barely concealed excitement: "Just by destroying the Gao family, we can have such gains. If we can wipe out the Huang family and the Yang family in one fell swoop, I'm sure our wealth will increase even more."

He changed the subject, his expression turning serious: "However, I am also aware that we have already missed the best opportunity. If we act rashly again, the Huang and Yang families will definitely resist with all their might, and may even directly incite the people to rebel."

And they may already be making preparations in this regard.

Wu Kuang's concerns were not unfounded.

If a popular uprising were to erupt and the situation were to escalate, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore, although he coveted the wealth of the Huang and Yang families, he had to act with caution.

Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng pondered for a moment and then said, "Your concerns are indeed reasonable, but in my opinion, we may not need to take action against both of them at the same time."

"Oh?"

Wu Kuang immediately became interested. "What are your thoughts?"

"Divide and break it."

Chen Sheng slowly uttered four words, then further explained: "To win over the Yang family, in order to target the Huang family."

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuang's expression immediately became much more serious: "This matter is simple to say but difficult to do. The Huang family and the Yang family are naturally aware of the method of dividing and breaking, and it cannot be done with just a few words."

"Since I dare to say this, I must be confident." Chen Sheng smiled calmly: "First, Yang Yi is a very prudent person and will not risk his entire family easily. Now that the Gao family has been destroyed, even if the Huang and Yang families join forces, they will find it difficult to contend with us."

On the surface, they may still appear to advance and retreat together, but in reality, they will inevitably harbor resentment.

He paused, then continued, "Secondly, I will not hide it from the county magistrate, but just last night the Yang family sent Madam Yang to the camp to find me, intending to continue the previous marriage alliance and try to gain an invincible position."

"Is the Yang family planning to win you over and stand with Lin Shou?" Wu Kuang's expression changed upon hearing this.

Chen Sheng's candor made him both gratified and worried.

He was relieved that Chen Sheng had given him everything, but worried that if Chen Sheng really sided with the other side, it would be a fatal blow to him.

Chen Sheng is no longer the confidant who needed his protection back then.

Having gained control of the military camp and broken through to the Marrow Transformation Realm, Chen Sheng now possessed the qualifications to be on equal footing with him.

It can be said that Chen Sheng can suppress the other side by siding with either side. At this critical juncture, Chen Sheng's stance will directly determine the future power structure of Changshan County.

Upon seeing Wu Kuang's expression, Chen Sheng knew he was overthinking things, and immediately explained:

"My lord, you are overthinking it. That was indeed Madam Yang's initial intention. However, how could I be an ungrateful person? After my patient persuasion, Madam Yang has decided to turn to the Yang family and stand with us to fight against the Huang family and Lin Shou."

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuang frowned, a look of hesitation on his face.

He heard it clearly: Chen Sheng said he had persuaded Madam Yang to abandon her husband, Lin Shou, and side with them. The words themselves were clear, but something about them still felt off to him.

"Are you telling the truth?"

Wu Kuang instinctively pressed on, "How did you persuade Madam Yang?"

Chen Sheng smiled without saying a word, but gave Wu Kuang a meaningful look, a look that carried a hint that only men could understand.

Wu Kuang watched as Chen Sheng's expression changed, from initial bewilderment to growing horror:
"You little brat, could it be..."

"Your Excellency may not know, but Lin Shou is actually homosexual and treats Madam Yang extremely harshly."

Chen Sheng said casually, "That's why I was able to use this point to persuade him."

As for the fact that Madam Yang was pregnant with the Three Yin Body, Chen Sheng deliberately did not reveal it.

The fewer people who know this secret, the better.

"I really underestimated you, kid." Wu Kuang looked at Chen Sheng with a complicated expression, his tone tinged with disbelief.

He had always felt that Chen Sheng was a very special person—he was not greedy for money, not lustful, and did not seem to be particularly interested in power. He had been curious before about what Chen Sheng actually liked.

Now he finally understood that Chen Sheng wasn't without desires; it was just that his tastes were different from ordinary people.

"My lord." Chen Sheng saw that Wu Kuang had misunderstood something, and immediately wanted to refute it.

"Oh, no need to explain."

Wu Kuang waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned.

For him, the result is the most important thing; the process is not important.

He only cared about one thing: "Is this Madam Yang trustworthy?"

"I can vouch for this woman; she is trustworthy."

Chen Sheng solemnly said, "Furthermore, Madam Yang also informed me of Lin Shou's powerful backer and his plans to impeach you and me."

Chen Sheng did not hide anything and immediately told Wu Kuang everything about Hao Tong, the deputy commander of the Ning'an Military Army.

"Damn it, this Lin Shou looks respectable, but I didn't expect him to be all show and no substance."

Upon hearing this, Wu Kuang's tone was clearly one of disdain.

Then, he changed the subject and said calmly, "But you don't need to worry about this. Lin Shou can't ruin our plans. He has powerful backers, but don't we?"

"Could it be..." Chen Sheng seemed to realize something.

He had long understood that Wu Kuang was actually a cunning and manipulative person, and had always felt that Wu Kuang must have a powerful backer, but so far this had never been confirmed.

But looking at the other person's expression, he immediately understood—Wu Kuang must also have an extraordinary background.

Wu Kuang smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice, saying, "Do you still remember Commandant Nie?"

"Of course I remember," Chen Sheng nodded in reply.

The 'Frost-Slaying' blade in his hand was a gift from Nie Yuanliu, so he naturally had a deep impression of this person.

In addition, he later noticed a detail: during the duel, of the three treasures that Nie Yuanliu took out, apart from the long sword that was given to him, the pair of silver hammers later ended up in Wu Kuang's hands.

"Commander Nie comes from a prominent family in Yunzhou. He only came to the border army to quell the rebellion to gain experience."

Wu Kuang lowered his voice even further: "He is now serving in the prefectural city, and the garrison commander of the Jingwu Division in Yunzhou is also surnamed Nie."

(End of this chapter)