Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Qingshan’s Factions
"Accept it..."
Fang Xing gently tapped his fingers on the desk, his expression unreadable.
"After all, he has connections to the Ning Family. You can’t afford to go against a power like them," Xu Zhengxiong said, looking at Fang Xing with a grave expression.
"The Ning Family..."
Hearing Xu Zhengxiong’s words, he was reminded.
They were one of the three great families of Qingshan County, with several Neutralizing Force Martial Artists in their ranks. Their power was undeniable.
They were indeed a source of immense pressure for him.
At the very least, his current strength was nowhere near enough to contend with the Neutralizing Force realm.
The Cult Leader he had previously killed—a Neutralizing Force Martial Artist—was only defeated because he’d launched a surprise attack after the man had already suffered a fatal blow.
There was a good deal of luck involved.
Fang Xing was well aware of this.
After a moment of silence, Fang Xing looked up. "Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Xu. I’ll take it into consideration. You may go for now. And bring me the files on North City."
Xu Zhengxiong rose, nodded, and left the General Guard Room.
Watching Xu Zhengxiong’s retreating figure, Fang Xing slowly closed his eyes.
In North City, a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache hurried to the door of a study in a private residence and knocked.
"Come in."
A voice came from inside the study. The mustached man pushed the door open, stepped inside, and walked up to a large desk where he looked at a middle-aged man in a long gown.
"Master, news has arrived from the County Yamen. This news is likely to shake up all of Qingshan County."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, the man in the long gown looked at him. "What happened?"
The mustached man leaned in and whispered, "Master, the County Yamen has announced an appointment. Someone has been made Chief Constable, with command over all other constables."
"Oh?" The eyes of the man in the long gown lit up. He looked at his subordinate. "And who is this appointee?"
"His name is Fang Xing, Master," the mustached man replied.
"Fang Xing?"
"The one from the County Yamen who broke through to the Dark Force realm?" A hint of surprise appeared on the face of the man in the long gown.
The mustached man nodded. "The very same, Master. It seems he caught the eye of someone from the Observatory and was promoted as a result."
"The Observatory!" At this, the expression of the man in the long gown grew solemn.
"When was he appointed?" he asked after a moment of silence, looking at the mustached man.
"Just appointed this morning. The news has already spread."
"Master, he reached the Dark Force realm at only eighteen and is now the Chief Constable. He can’t be underestimated. Should we try to make contact?" the mustached man asked.
The man in the long gown was silent for a moment. "With such strength, and now in the position of Chief Constable, there’s no harm in making contact. Go prepare some gifts and find an appropriate time to pay him a formal visit."
"Yes, Master." The mustached man nodded and promptly turned to leave.
’An eighteen-year-old Dark Force Martial Artist... Tsk, tsk. It seems he’s no simple character.’
The man in the long gown gazed out the window, his eyes glinting.
Meanwhile, a similar scene was playing out among all the major powers in Qingshan County.
The news of Fang Xing’s appointment as Chief Constable swept through the powers of Qingshan County, both great and small, like a hurricane.
In an instant, the focus of every major power fell upon a single man.
That afternoon, back in the General Guard Room, Xu Zhengxiong and three other constables delivered files on their respective districts to him.
Besides the three great families and two major gangs, there were over a hundred other factions, large and small.
Over a hundred factions. That was more than he had anticipated.
Fang Xing studied the files intently. The information Xu Zhengxiong and the others had provided was quite detailed.
The connections between these factions were numerous, forming a complex and tangled web.
’There’s no shortage of scoundrels and villains out there,’ Fang Xing thought. ’But so many factions... this is a great opportunity to earn Enhancement Points.’
After finishing the files, Fang Xing had a clear picture of the situation.
Among the hundred-plus factions, aside from the three great families, two major gangs, and a few martial arts schools, there were dozens of underworld organizations.
These hidden underworld factions were his exact targets.
Each of these organizations had at least a few Martial Artists in their ranks.
Some had several, others had many more.
Still, he couldn’t act rashly.
After all, some of these underworld groups had ties to the Five Great Forces.
He couldn’t make a move until he had thoroughly investigated the situation.
Besides, some of the underworld factions also had Dark Force experts.
With his current strength, he couldn’t afford to be reckless without absolute certainty of success.
’No rush. It’s not too late to make a move once I’m stronger.’
Putting the files away, Fang Xing suppressed the restless urge in his heart.
To deal with these underworld factions, he would have to act in secret.
After all, only Martial Artists who died by his hand would grant Enhancement Points.
Acting without complete confidence would have severe consequences.
If he drew trouble upon himself, the potential gains wouldn’t be worth the risk.
’Either I don’t do it at all, or I do it with absolute ruthlessness.’
He felt no guilt about eradicating these underworld factions.
It could even be considered a public service.
Calming his mind, Fang Xing summoned the crimson panel to take a look.
Name: Fang Xing
Cultivation: Dark Force
Enhancement Level: One-Star (39%)
Enhancement Points: 204
"Two hundred and four points..."
Looking at his Enhancement Points, Fang Xing pondered for a moment. ’If I use all of these points for enhancement, the gains should be substantial.’
’The Spirit Ginseng is gone. If I want to do a round of enhancements, I’ll probably have to spend a fair bit of money.’
The thought flashed through Fang Xing’s mind, but he quickly put it aside.
If he bought Wild Ginseng for enhancement, a fifty-year-old root would last him for some time.
He only needed to use medicinal supplements every few days to ensure perfect absorption. The remaining Enhancement Points could be used on dietary supplements.
Exotic Beast Flesh couldn’t compare to Spirit Ginseng, but its effects weren’t too shabby either.
With a plan in mind, Fang Xing immediately stood up and left the General Guard Room.
After leaving the County Yamen, he headed straight for an apothecary in the south of the city.
...
After purchasing a fifty-year-old stalk of Wild Ginseng at the apothecary, Fang Xing started for home.
When he reached North City Street, he saw refugees huddled against the walls. Their numbers seemed to have increased.
Although he hadn’t paid much attention to the matter, Fang Xing was aware of the general situation.
The number of refugees in Qingshan County was on the rise, with a portion of them having fled from other regions.
Most of these refugees had come from Cang Province.
Cang Province was a border province of the Great Jing, adjacent to Jiang Province.
He seemed to recall hearing last month that war had broken out in Cang Province.
Several other nations bordered the Great Jing.
The country bordering Cang Province was called the Great Wei.
He wasn’t entirely clear on the details of the situation in Cang Province, but he knew the basics.
In such a chaotic era, with the added factor of war, turmoil was inevitable.
The situation in Qingshan County was still relatively stable. Though Evil Cults popped up now and then, it hadn’t devolved into true chaos.
After a quick glance at the refugees in the corner, Fang Xing quickened his pace and left.
The affairs of the world were not his to worry about.
Improving his own strength was what mattered most.
’One must save oneself before saving others!’
’Without enough power, it’s best not to dwell on such chaotic matters.’
"Hm?"
Just as he reached his front door, Fang Xing came to an abrupt halt. His brow furrowed as he saw several figures standing there.
The one in the lead was a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache. Behind him stood four burly men in fitted attire, who looked like guards from a wealthy estate.
Each of them held an exquisitely wrapped gift box.
When the man with the handlebar mustache saw Fang Xing appear, he stepped forward with a broad smile.
