Chapter 79 - 78: Fobbing off a Beggar?
"Lord Chen, Lu Li has returned."
Lu Wenxing’s voice came from outside, followed by two soft knocks on the door.
Chen Yuan opened the door. Lu Wenxing and Lu Li were immediately struck by a powerful aura washing over them.
’It’s only been two days. How has Guardian Envoy Chen’s presence grown so much stronger?’
"What did the Hall Master say? What was his attitude at the time?"
After Lu Li recounted Feng Wushang’s words and attitude, Chen Yuan knew there shouldn’t be any problems this time.
"You did well," Chen Yuan praised.
The trip seemed simple, but if someone had tried to be clever and run their mouth in front of Feng Wushang, the outcome might have been very different.
Lu Li’s intelligence lay in the fact that he never tried to be clever.
"Take this Cultivation Technique. It’s better than the one you can exchange your merits for."
Chen Yuan handed a few sheets of paper to Lu Li.
Recorded on them was a portion of the Profound Celestial Dao Scripture.
This Cultivation Technique was exceedingly complex, but even a small, extracted portion of such a complicated technique could be practiced.
It was just like the section on dual cultivation that the Cyan Yang Master had extracted before.
The portion Chen Yuan had extracted was an orthodox Qi Refining Technique from a Daoist Sect. It was balanced, gentle, and profound. If it were to be graded by level, Chen Yuan estimated it would be at the Profound Level Upper Grade.
In the Zhenwu Hall, the best Cultivation Technique a Martial Artist at the Captain Level like Lu Wenxing could obtain with merits was, at most, a Profound Level Lower Grade one.
"Thank you, Lord Chen!"
Lu Li accepted the Cultivation Technique, his face alight with pleasant surprise.
Not only could he practice this technique, but his father could use it as well.
Just now, Chen Yuan had said the Cultivation Technique was for ’you,’ plural.
Lu Wenxing also bowed to Chen Yuan in sincere gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Chen."
Chen Yuan was so generous it was hard not to be impressed.
The principle of ’clear rewards and punishments’ alone was something countless superiors failed to uphold.
"Have there been any movements in Linyuan City recently?"
Lu Wenxing reported, "Lately, horse bandits and thieves have been roaming outside the city, but we’ve already driven them away."
"It’s likely because the Main Hall ordered a crackdown on bandits a few days ago, which has caused them to scatter and run rampant in the borderlands."
Chen Yuan nodded.
This was Liu Suifeng’s doing—a large-scale bandit suppression campaign to vent his anger on his daughter’s behalf.
The trouble stirred up by the Poison Wolf Thieves had ended up with other bandit groups taking the blame.
"Also, upon hearing of your appointment, the four major powers in the city have all sent invitations, wishing to pay you a visit and present you with gifts."
At this, Lu Wenxing added, "It must be that your annihilation of Qingyang Palace intimidated them. That’s why these factions are being so polite."
"Oh? Were these factions impolite to my Garrison Mansion before?"
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly.
The original plot had only mentioned matters concerning Qingyang Palace; these factions within Linyuan City had never come up.
"I wouldn’t say they were impolite, exactly. It’s just that these four families have deep roots and are closely allied. They have thrived in Linyuan City for over two hundred years, built up over generations. They are deeply entrenched, with a history longer than our Zhenwu Hall’s. They’re completely different from a one-generation power like Qingyang Palace."
Lu Wenxing gave a wry smile. "Our Zhenwu Hall also collects taxes while garrisoned in the various cities. These taxes are split into three parts: one for our own use, one submitted to the Main Hall, and one part for the Court, since the Zhenwu Hall has been recruited by them."
"So if these four factions don’t cooperate, my Garrison Mansion can’t even collect taxes."
"When that happens, the higher-ups don’t care about your reasons for failing to collect taxes; they’ll just see you as incompetent."
"That’s why previous Guardian Envoys have all been very polite to these four factions, not daring to provoke a conflict."
"After all, the four factions are iron-clad fixtures, while the Guardian Envoys come and go like flowing water. Every new Guardian Envoy has to build a good relationship with them, even taking the initiative to visit the heads of the four families."
"As far as I know, aside from the Guardian Envoy during our Zhenwu Hall’s peak, you, Lord Chen, are the only one who has made these four factions take the initiative to request a meeting."
After hearing this, Chen Yuan frowned slightly and uttered two words: "How pointless."
The Great Xia Court’s control over the Ten Edge Provinces was in name only. Therefore, tax collection was left to the local powers, with only a nominal amount being submitted.
It was like Lianshan City before: the Celestial Wolf Gang and the Black Water Gang controlled the city and had to give a portion of their tax revenue to the Court to maintain a basic level of decorum.
The lion’s share of the taxes went to the Murong Family and the Sun-piercing Alliance, as they were the true rulers of You Province.
Linyuan City should have been the same: a small portion going directly to the Court, and the lion’s share to the Zhenwu Hall.
But for some reason, the Zhenwu Hall had decided it also needed to collect taxes on the Court’s behalf.
Of course, this might have been one of the conditions for being recruited by the Court.
After a moment of contemplation, Chen Yuan said, "Tell them to come see me at the Garrison Mansion tomorrow. You, go and bring me the files on these four factions."
Lu Wenxing nodded and immediately left with Lu Li to find the files.
A short while later, Lu Li returned with the documents.
Chen Yuan flipped through them. The Garrison Mansion’s records on the four factions were quite detailed.
The four powers in the city were the Sun Family in the east, the Wei Family in the south, the Yang Family in the west, and the Cyan Scale Gang in the north.
All four had existed in Linyuan City for over two hundred years, dividing the city’s east, west, south, and north between them. Their strengths were comparable, with each faction having a Sea of Reincarnation Realm master at its head.
Only the Sun Family was slightly stronger. In addition to a Patriarch at the Sea of Reincarnation Realm, the Sun Family’s old ancestor was also at the Sea of Reincarnation Realm.
However, he was over a hundred years old, and his Qi Blood had begun to decline. He had long lost his combat strength; fighting even once would likely cause his Qi Blood to fail, resulting in death.
Unless a Martial Artist reached the Primordial Pill Realm, their lifespan could not break its natural limit. A hundred years was already considered a long life.
Some Martial Artists accumulated too many internal injuries from fighting in their youth. When their Qi Blood began to decline, their lifespan would deplete even faster, leaving them worse off than ordinary people.
Chen Yuan closed the files, a cold smile touching his lips.
’I went to such great, roundabout lengths to join the Zhenwu Hall, and it wasn’t so I could get on my knees and beg for scraps.’
’How this plays out will depend on the attitude of these four factions tomorrow.’
「The next day at noon.」
The heads of the four factions arrived at the Garrison Mansion.
Inside the Council Hall, Sun Tiancheng, Patriarch of the Sun Family; Wei Jisheng, Patriarch of the Wei Family; Yang Lin, Patriarch of the Yang Family; and Qiao Haiduan, Gang Leader of the Cyan Scale Gang, sat facing one another.
"This new Guardian Envoy certainly puts on airs, making us wait here."
Wei Jisheng, Patriarch of the Wei Family, grunted in displeasure.
Previous Guardian Envoys would book a banquet at a restaurant after arriving in Linyuan City and specially invite their families to build rapport.
But this one... they had taken the initiative to come to him, yet he was making them wait.
"Isn’t it normal for capable people to have a bit of an ego?"
The Sun Family Patriarch, Sun Tiancheng, was slender and had a refined demeanor. He took a sip of tea and said slowly, "None of the previous Guardian Envoys destroyed Qingyang Palace right after taking office."
Hearing this, Wei Jisheng grumbled no further.
Chen Yuan’s destruction of Qingyang Palace was the real reason they had taken the initiative to visit him this time.
The four factions of Linyuan City had never been on the same path as Qingyang Palace.
Qingyang Palace had only begun to develop in the last twenty-odd years, whereas their four factions all had histories exceeding two centuries.
It wasn’t that Qingyang Palace didn’t want to establish itself within Linyuan City’s walls, but that all the resources inside the city had been completely monopolized by the four of them, leaving no room for anyone else to interfere.
But the Cyan Yang Master was, after all, a Sea of Reincarnation Realm Martial Artist, and he had a few decent disciples under him.
Yet, they were annihilated by Chen Yuan in a single day. The shock to the four factions was immense.
That was why they had broken from their usual habits and taken the initiative to pay Chen Yuan a visit.
Just then, the doors to the Council Hall swung open, and Chen Yuan strode in. He sat in the main seat and gave a casual salute to the group. "Sorry to have kept you waiting."
The four men returned the salute. "Greetings, Lord Chen."
At the same time, they sized up Chen Yuan, all thinking the same thing: ’He really is young.’
In their own families, disciples of his age could hardly be considered to have left the nest. The most promising among them would merely be managing some family businesses, and even then, they would need an elder watching over them.
But this one... he had already become a Guardian Envoy, in charge of an entire city.
Sun Tiancheng smiled and said, "We have long heard that Linyuan City has a new, young Guardian Envoy, but I never expected Lord Chen to be so youthful. Truly an outstanding talent."
"The four of us have come today for two reasons. First, to meet you, Lord Chen, and become acquainted."
"Second, to present you with a gift to congratulate you on taking charge of Linyuan City."
As he finished speaking, Sun Tiancheng took out a brocade box from his robes. Inside was an ornate dagger.
The sheath and hilt were crafted from pure gold and inlaid with various jades and gemstones.
It wasn’t a valuable Weapon, just a pure work of art. Chu Hongshang had one like it before, though it wasn’t as magnificent as the one Sun Tiancheng presented.
At the same time, the other three also presented their gifts, placing them on the table before Chen Yuan.
Wei Jisheng offered a piece of Ancient Jade. It was just a regular antique, not a Spiritual Jade, and was said to be a burial artifact from a royal family of a Dynasty a thousand years ago.
Yang Lin presented a painting, a unique work by a court painter of a previous dynasty.
The Cyan Scale Gang’s Leader, Qiao Haiduan, was the most direct. Lacking their refined tastes, he simply offered gold.
It was a large Golden Buddha, weighing over thirty catties.
Chen Yuan looked at the gifts from the four factions, raised an eyebrow, and gave the four men a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
"Your gifts are quite valuable. It makes me feel a bit undeserving. So, what is it that you want?"
Hearing Chen Yuan say this, smiles appeared on the faces of Sun Tiancheng and the other three.
’This Lord Chen may be young, but he understands how things work.’
"It’s simple. We don’t need you to do anything, Lord Chen. We only need you to act according to the rules of Linyuan City."
"As for the specific rules, the Old Captains under your command should be well aware of them."
Sun Tiancheng said with a chuckle.
Chen Yuan also smiled. Then, with a sudden sweep of his arm, he sent the Golden Buddha, the Jade Pendants, and everything else flying off the table.
"You think you can teach me how to do my job with this paltry sum? Are you trying to get rid of a beggar?"