The carriage jolted slightly on the bluestone road. Inside, Chen Sheng closed his eyes and focused, his mind repeatedly mulling over the warning that had appeared on the Celestial Book this morning.

"My name is Chen Sheng. By the time you read this, I am filled with endless regret... Because of the incident with the Seven Stars Gang and Li Huai Sheng, the three great families have completely understood Wu Kuang’s determination. They have finally decided to stop holding back and make us pay the price. However, with Wu Kuang holding the post of County Captain, they dare not act openly, so they’ve resorted to the scheme of ’killing with a borrowed knife’ against me.

They colluded in secret with the Qinglin Water Bandits, deliberately stirring up trouble within Changshan County to manipulate public opinion. They forced the Government Office to dispatch troops to exterminate the bandits. Under the pressure of overwhelming public sentiment, Lin Shou and County Captain Wu were forced to decide to suppress the bandits to appease the people. I was also among the troops sent on this campaign, but I never expected that Chuyue Mountain, who had always kept a low profile and stayed out of such affairs, would also be involved. He even set a trap with the intent to ambush and kill me.

In the end, though I relied on my newly attained Marrow Transformation cultivation to escape with only minor injuries, all of my loyal brothers under my command perished. The losses were devastating. The three great families seized the opportunity to apply pressure and gain a major advantage. If I had known this would happen, I never would have fallen for the trap. I could have even used it to counterattack and profit from the situation. But alas, in this world..."

The vicious, murderous intent revealed between the lines was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

The three great families were truly relentless. After one failed attempt, their subsequent killing moves followed one after another like a cancer clinging to the bone. The slightest carelessness would lead to a point of no return.

Before coming to the county government office, he had already gotten a detailed account from Yan Ming about the turmoil in the city over the past two days.

With the situation having developed to this point, it was expected that Wu Kuang would summon him urgently.

Even Wu Kuang himself probably hadn’t fully anticipated that the local magnates, some of the officials, and that fierce band of water bandits had secretly woven a fatal net, willing to take enormous risks to launch this thunderous counterattack.

Fortunately, he now had foresight into their plans.

A cold arc formed on Chen Sheng’s lips.

’Since I already know their layout, I can make my move with ease and turn the tables. The three great families and Chuyue Mountain want to take my life. Well, why wouldn’t I want to take this golden opportunity to utterly topple them?’

He had coveted the position of Grand Commander of the Changshan County Military Preparation Camp for a long time.

Previously, held back by his insufficient cultivation, he could only settle for being the commander of North City. Now that he had achieved Realm-Breaking Marrow Transformation, things were naturally different.

’It’s time this position was filled by someone more "virtuous."’

With a slight stir of his mind, his consciousness swept over the brand-new panel in his sea of consciousness:

[Basic Saber Skill Perfection (580/2000)]

[Golden Bell Body Refining Technique Perfection (5/2000)]

[Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique Great Success (66/1000)]

[Demon-Suppressing Triple Extremes Saber Great Success (156/1000)]

Looking at the significant changes in his Cultivation Technique section, Chen Sheng was quite satisfied.

Clearly, breaking through to the Marrow Transformation Realm had brought about an all-around improvement. The biggest change was to the Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique.

This Secret Technique had always been difficult to cultivate. Without the aid of Spirit Medicines like the Purifying Essence Pill, progress was extremely slow. But this time, by fully refining the essence of the Spirit Marrow Gu, its cultivation progress had grown by leaps and bounds in a short period.

As for the leaps in his Basic Saber Skill and Demon-Suppressing Triple Extremes Saber, Chen Sheng speculated it was due to his realm breakthrough.

Once a Martial Artist stepped into Marrow Transformation, their control over their own power and their understanding of Martial Techniques would ascend to a whole new level. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the Transformation Realm.

His current strength, compared to before his breakthrough, was like the difference between clouds and mud.

The only thing he found slightly regrettable was that this warning from [Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil] didn’t mention any treasures or opportunities for rapidly increasing his cultivation.

Cultivating in the Marrow Transformation Realm was indeed far more difficult than imagined. Looking at the progress requirement of two thousand points, it was clear why so many Martial Artists in the world were trapped in this realm for their entire lives, unable to advance even an inch.

...

"You’re finally here! Quick, sit down!"

Inside a side hall of the county government office, the moment Wu Kuang saw Chen Sheng, he immediately dismissed his attendants and eagerly had him take a seat.

Then, with a solemn expression, he recounted in detail the events of the past two days—the boiling public sentiment and the petitions from the merchants—his words filled with anxiety.

Although Chen Sheng already knew the gist of it from Yan Ming, he still put on a matching solemn expression.

After Wu Kuang finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice:

"Sir, this matter is truly strange. Without the push and tacit approval of the three great families, those merchants would never have the guts, nor the ability, to manipulate public opinion in such a coordinated fashion. This is an overt conspiracy. You must be on your guard, sir!"

"How could I not know?"

Wu Kuang sighed, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. "But right now, public sentiment in Changshan County is in an uproar. If the Government Office continues to do nothing, not only will our prestige be swept to the ground, but I’m afraid... the Prefecture City will also have something to say."

He knew perfectly well that this was an overt conspiracy meticulously planned by the three great families. Their goal was to lure him and the forces under his command into the quagmire of the Qinglin Water Bandits.

More importantly, when he first took office, the primary task assigned by the Prefecture City was to eliminate the Qinglin Water Bandits. In comparison, suppressing the local magnates was of secondary importance.

"This... Your subordinate is hard-pressed to come up with a perfect solution at the moment." Chen Sheng looked hesitant, as if he wanted to say more but stopped himself.

Wu Kuang waved his hand, his tone carrying a note of reliance:

"You and I share fortune and face adversity together. From now on, you don’t need to be so reserved in my presence. If you have any thoughts, just speak your mind. I called you here precisely to hear your opinion."

Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng pondered for a moment before lowering his voice and saying:

"Since you have asked, sir, your subordinate will speak plainly. I believe that suppressing the bandits is imperative and cannot be shirked. But the key is that we must distinguish between primary and secondary objectives, and discern what is urgent from what is not.

The most pressing matter is to first stabilize our internal situation and eliminate the threat of the local magnates. Only then can we unite from top to bottom and focus all our efforts on suppressing the bandits. Otherwise, with internal constraints and strong external enemies, we are bound to fail when success is just within reach."

He paused, then continued, "These noble families and local magnates have been entrenched here for a hundred years; their roots run deep. The county office, the military barracks, the ’three bureaus and six departments’—their spies and followers are everywhere. If we don’t conduct a purge first, whatever we try to do, we will be constrained at every turn and find it difficult to make any progress." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"I understand what you mean."

Wu Kuang’s brow furrowed. "But the matter of suppressing the bandits concerns public opinion and the will of our superiors. It cannot be delayed. County Magistrate Lin has also urged me multiple times. If we still don’t make a move, I’m afraid... Besides, a purge is exceedingly difficult. It’s not something that can be done easily."

Once a purge began, it would essentially mean going all out. He wasn’t confident he could succeed right now.

"You misunderstand, sir."

Chen Sheng shook his head slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "My meaning is not that we shouldn’t suppress the bandits. Not only must we suppress them, we must do so with great fanfare!

However, we can’t do it entirely their way. We can agree to suppress the bandits, but when we do it, and how many troops we deploy—that must be our decision.

At the same time, we can take this opportunity to blackmail them and investigate certain things. If it’s not feasible, we can just make a show of force. Of course, if a real opportunity presents itself, this feigned campaign might just become a real one."

"A feigned campaign?"

Wu Kuang was taken aback, a look of surprise on his face. "Making a show of force, using the opportunity to accumulate wealth..."

He looked at Chen Sheng with some surprise. He hadn’t expected this subordinate, who was always known for being steady and pragmatic, to have also learned the bureaucratic games of feigning compliance.

"You see clearly, sir."

Chen Sheng explained with a smile, laying out his analysis clearly. "First, we can use this as a pretext to raise military funds and fill the Government Treasury. This is the ’accumulating wealth’ part. Second, we can use it to buy time. Your subordinate has recently had an insight in my cultivation and might be able to use this interval to advance my cultivation further. You, sir, can also use this time to make arrangements and prepare for the future.

And third... we can use this golden opportunity to see clearly who in the Military Preparation Camp, and even within the county government office, is loyal to the three great families and willing to be their inside men. When the time comes, the loyal and the treacherous will be clear at a glance."