Chapter 138: Chapter 106: Let the Ill Winds Blow (Part 2)
Why would he pass up an opportunity to make a fortune?
Back when he first came to Changshan County from the Prefecture City, aside from being out of favor with Vice General Hao, he had also entertained the thought of skimming some profits from the locals.
Unfortunately, the three major families of Changshan had their roots deeply entangled, jointly controlling the region. His position as County Magistrate was merely a title, and he could only squeeze insignificant amounts from the poor commoners.
But in these chaotic times, how much was there to squeeze from the poor?
The total sum he had acquired over several years as County Magistrate didn’t even compare to the cut he received after joining forces with Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang to eradicate the Huang Family.
Therefore, Lin Shou wholeheartedly approved of this ’good deed’—one that could both consolidate power and line his own pockets.
After some pleasantries and the finalization of their shares, Wu Kuang acted with swift decisiveness, rising to arrange the necessary matters. Lin Shou, too, smiled as he prepared to depart and begin his own preparations.
"County Magistrate Lin, a moment, please."
Chen Sheng’s placid voice came from behind, causing Lin Shou to freeze. He subconsciously turned to look at the figure who remained seated.
"Co... Commander Chen, is there anything else?"
Chen Sheng lifted his gaze, his calm eyes landing on the man’s face. His tone was indifferent, betraying no emotion.
"I hear... County Magistrate Lin visited the Yang Mansion a few days ago?"
Lin Shou’s heart plummeted. Cold sweat instantly beaded on his temples as he rushed to explain:
"Commander Chen, I went that day because, truthfully..."
"What’s past is past."
Chen Sheng cut him off directly. His voice was low, yet it carried an indisputable authority. "I don’t want any unnecessary complications in the future. County Magistrate Lin, do you understand?"
"Commander Chen, I..." Lin Shou tried to defend himself.
But Chen Sheng gave him no such chance. His gaze shifted to the dwarfish corpse on the floor. He pointed, his tone still flat, yet each word struck Lin Shou’s heart like a hammer blow:
"County Magistrate Lin, do you know whose corpse this is?"
Without waiting for Lin Shou to answer, Chen Sheng continued, each word crystal clear, "This man was named Yu Qiantong. He came from Ning’an Prefecture City, and his Cultivation had reached the Innate Realm."
’In... Innate?!’
Lin Shou was horrified. He stared in disbelief at the ugly corpse on the floor, the shock in his heart immeasurable.
’Chen Sheng just reached the Innate Realm, and he can already kill another Innate Powerhouse?!’
’This... This level of power is simply unheard of.’
"I let you keep your position as County Magistrate."
Chen Sheng’s icy voice rang out again. Simultaneously, a vast Innate pressure, like an invisible mountain, began to spread, enveloping the entire rear hall.
"It was only because I didn’t want the situation in Changshan to become too turbulent and attract unwanted attention and censure from my superiors. But now..."
Chen Sheng then rose slowly to his feet, walking step by step toward the deathly pale Lin Shou.
"Changshan is stable now."
THUD!
Under the suffocating pressure, Lin Shou’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor.
Thinking Chen Sheng intended to cast him aside now that he’d served his purpose—to eliminate this unstable element for good—he was scared witless, begging incoherently:
"Commander Chen, no... Lord Chen! I... I am still useful! In the future... in the future, I will do my utmost! I will follow your every command, support all your orders, and never have a single shred of disloyalty!"
Chen Sheng walked over and stopped before him, looking down condescendingly at the county’s highest authority. His gaze was as cold and indifferent as ice.
"The most important thing for a man is to know his place. It is best not to entertain ideas one shouldn’t have."
"If you want wealth, I can give you a share. But as for everything else... stop indulging in foolish fantasies. Just be an obedient County Magistrate here in Changshan. Even after I leave, you must remember who the true master of this place is."
Then, Chen Sheng leaned down slightly, his icy gaze seemingly tangible as it pierced Lin Shou to the core.
"Have I made myself clear?"
Lin Shou trembled as if suddenly enlightened, instantly jolted from his unrealistic fantasies.
He had originally hoped that after Chen Sheng’s promotion, Wu Kuang would struggle to manage things alone. He thought he might seize the opportunity to reclaim some authority, to at least be on equal footing with Wu Kuang, and to maintain a dignified standing with Madam Yang.
But now, all his illusions were shattered by Chen Sheng’s ruthless admonishment.
"Loud... loud and clear. I understand. I will follow your instructions to the letter and never dare harbor such presumptuous thoughts again," Lin Shou promised, his voice trembling as he touched his forehead to the floor.
"As long as you understand."
Chen Sheng straightened up, a faint, barely-there smile reappearing on his face, which was all the more chilling. "I don’t like to repeat myself."
With that, Chen Sheng paid no more mind to Lin Shou, who was slumped on the floor and drenched in sweat, and walked out of the government office’s rear hall with his hands clasped behind his back.
Wu Kuang had not gone far. He stood on the steps of the Government Office, hands clasped behind his back as if admiring the street view. Hearing footsteps, he turned and shot Chen Sheng an inquisitive look.
Chen Sheng met his gaze and nodded slightly.
A knowing smile immediately spread across Wu Kuang’s face. He glanced back meaningfully into the depths of the Government Office, then cheerfully boarded the waiting carriage nearby.
Chen Sheng strode toward another, more luxurious carriage, its driver respectfully holding the curtain open for him.
.....
「The next day.」
When Yan Ming, Li Huai Sheng, Xu Shenzhi, and their men returned laden with spoils—cart after cart of bloody water bandit heads, which they hung in dense rows outside the gates of Changshan County Town before piling them into a shocking trophy mound—a massive uproar swept through the county.
’The Changshan Water Bandits—who had terrorized the Qinglin River for years, who the Government Office had been powerless against, who made merchants tremble at their very name—had been completely wiped out?!’
’How is that possible?!’
’They were a formidable force of dozens of Water Stockades, large and small, with deeply entrenched power! Ferocious bandits who had been a scourge for decades, yet in just one or two days, the Government Office had swept through and utterly crushed them?!’
The moment this news broke, the shockwaves it created were several times more powerful than those from the earlier fall of the Gao and Huang families.
Every faction in Changshan County, regardless of size, was utterly terrified by this thunderous display of force.
For a time, Chen Sheng’s name became almost taboo; no one dared to speak it aloud. Only the title "Changshan Evil God," a name imbued with boundless fear and awe, circulated wildly in the shadows.
However, this was only the beginning.
Soon, another, even more earth-shattering piece of news landed like a boulder tossed into a still lake, once again sending massive waves throughout the region.
According to the rumors, the fundamental reason the Government Office had been able to eradicate the long-standing bandit scourge in one fell swoop was that the Grand Commander of the Military Preparation Camp, Chen Sheng, had successfully broken through to the Innate Realm.
Furthermore, during the bandit suppression campaign, he had personally slain another powerhouse who was also at the Innate Realm.
Innate!
That single word seemed to possess an immense power, instantly rendering all who heard it speechless.
It had been nearly a decade since an Innate Powerhouse had emerged from Changshan County.
Even the few that did appear had long since departed for the greater opportunities of the Prefecture City.
And what did being Innate mean?
Everyone knew it meant transcending the mundane. It meant that from this day forward within Changshan County, even a Martial Master at the Marrow Transformation Realm—the peak of Foundation Establishment—would be as helpless as a clay doll before Chen Sheng, unworthy of even meeting his gaze.
If the previous, vague rumors from the Government Office that Chen Sheng had assisted in slaying an Innate expert had left many people skeptical and clinging to a sliver of hope...
...then now, with the vivid accounts from countless soldiers and Yang Clan Members who participated in the bandit extermination, backed by the evidence of that bloody trophy mound, all doubts and wishful thinking were instantly pulverized.
In their place grew a bone-deep terror and a desperate desire to seek protection and compromise.
Just as panic set in and the leaders of various factions were running around like ants on a hot pan, agonizing over their lack of an avenue to express their "sincerity" to the Evil God, the Yang Family, which had hitherto remained ambiguous, suddenly changed its tune.
Yang Yi ’casually’ let it be known that he could ’convey’ the local gentry’s sentiments to Commander Chen on their behalf.
Instantly, all the influential families and remnant gang factions in Changshan County, as if clutching at a life-saving straw, flocked to the Yang Mansion, bearing the lavish gifts they had already prepared.
Gold, silver, and jewels; antiques and jades; land deeds and rare treasures... The various factions spared no expense, seeking only to express their ’sincerity’ in exchange for peace of mind.
The ’unhealthy custom’ in Changshan County was quickly fanned into a frenzy by this invisible storm.
In just a few short days, Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang made a fortune.
What was more curious was that the various factions in Changshan County felt no heartache at giving up so much wealth. On the contrary, upon confirming that their ’gifts’ had been accepted, they let out a collective sigh of relief, their taut nerves finally relaxing.
’It’s good that he accepted. It’s very good.’ For them, the most frightening scenario wasn’t Chen Sheng taking their gifts, but him refusing them.
Because if he didn’t accept, he might just come and take things himself.
Compared to that possibility, they were more than willing to offer it up proactively.
For a time, this unhealthy custom actually resulted in a situation that pleased everyone—a win-win, of sorts.
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