Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Unrivaled Prominence

News of the Gao Family’s annihilation was like a giant boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirring up a massive storm in Changshan County.

On street corners and in back alleys, in teahouses and taverns, everyone was discussing this earth-shattering event.

The Gao Family was a Noble Family with a hundred-year history, their influence vast and deeply entrenched in Changshan County. However, their consistently tyrannical and brutish ways had earned them deep-seated resentment among the populace. Now that they had met with such a catastrophe, there were more people secretly rejoicing than expressing sympathy.

"Did you hear? Over three hundred members of the Gao Family... not a single one was left alive!"

"Serves them right! Last year, the Gao Family tore down my cousin’s shop just to expand their estate, and they didn’t pay a single coin in compensation."

"You could say the Government Office did the people a great service this time, ridding us of a menace."

Amidst the buzz on the streets, one name was mentioned again and again: Chen Sheng. This Commander of North City, who had only taken office under Wu Kuang a few months ago, had now become the most talked-about figure in Changshan County.

Although most people had not witnessed the grisly massacre of the Gao Family firsthand, the scene of Chen Sheng leading his troops in a standoff against the Huang and Yang Families right on the street had been seen by many.

His unyielding attitude and domineering style quickly became the talk of the town.

Of course, the dominant feeling was awe.

One had only to look at Chen Sheng’s actions over the past few months: first, he destroyed the Seven Stars Gang, then he cornered the Baisha Gang, and now he had uprooted the century-old Gao Clan. This series of thunderous moves had established him in the public eye as a ruthless, decisive figure who would tolerate no opposition.

Having climbed to prominence over the corpses of the Gao Family, Chen Sheng’s prestige was, for the moment, second to none.

The most immediate change was that the various powers within Changshan County were scared into silence. The gangs and influential families who usually threw their weight around were now treading carefully, terrified of accidentally provoking this Slaughter God and bringing annihilation upon their own houses.

As for the Huang and Yang Families, once ranked alongside the Gao Family as one of the three great Noble Families, their prestige had also suffered a major blow. It was obvious to any observer that with the Gao Family gone, they would be next.

For this very reason, the moment Huang Dongchun returned to his estate, he sent an invitation for Yang Yi to come and discuss their strategy. Yang Yi, knowing full well how critical the situation was, didn’t dare to delay and immediately hurried to the Huang Family residence.

Although the Huang and Yang Families had been on poor terms due to conflicting interests, they were now in a situation where if one fell, the other was sure to follow. If they didn’t band together, what happened to the Gao Family today could very well be their fate tomorrow.

"That bastard Chen Sheng... he’s actually broken through to the Marrow Transformation Realm!" The moment Huang Dongchun spoke, he could barely contain his simmering fury.

Only the core members of the Huang Family knew how Chen Sheng had truly made his breakthrough—he had stolen their family’s most precious treasure, the Spirit Marrow Gu. Every time he thought about it, Huang Dongchun felt a gut-wrenching pang of anguish.

To think that a treasure they had nurtured for so many years had ended up benefiting an outsider.

"If we had known it would come to this, we should have taken the risk and eliminated him back then!" Huang Ke was filled with regret.

He recalled their so-called negotiations with Chen Sheng. Looking back, it was obvious they had fallen for his delaying tactics. Although the Huang Family had its own schemes at the time, Chen Sheng’s rise to power now left them with nothing but bitter regret.

If only they had been willing to pay the price back then, they believed they would have had an excellent chance of eliminating Chen Sheng.

"Enough. There’s no use dwelling on it now."

Elder Huang interrupted their complaints in a low, heavy voice. "Rather than seething with resentment, we should be thinking about how to handle this crisis."

The old man, who had weathered many storms, swept his grave gaze over everyone present. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

There was no cure for regret in this world. After all, who could have predicted that Chen Sheng’s cultivation would advance at such an astonishing rate? And who would have thought that the very trap they had so carefully laid for him would end up cementing his fearsome reputation?

"Elder Huang, in your opinion, what should be our next move?" Yang Yi asked in a low voice, his tone uncharacteristically deferential.

Elder Huang mulled it over for a moment before speaking slowly. "As it stands, we have only two paths. The first is to bow our heads to Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang. We follow their lead from now on, and perhaps we can secure a chance for our families to survive."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over their grave faces before he continued, "The second is to do everything in our power, to spare no expense, to eliminate Chen Sheng. Otherwise, with the county’s entire military force at his command, he could uproot the Huang and Yang Families whenever he pleases."

"Bowing our heads isn’t out of the question."

Yang Yi replied cautiously, "My fear is that Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang won’t give us that chance. The brutality they showed in wiping out the Gao Family suggests it was more than just killing the chicken to scare the monkey. They likely intend to wipe us all out in one fell swoop and have Changshan County for themselves."

After the annihilation of the Gao Family, Yang Yi’s resolve had already begun to waver. He understood that one could not fight the tide. Even before, when Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang were weaker than them, they had still managed to humiliate the great families, and their several plots against them had all failed.

Now, the two of them controlled the county’s military forces and clearly held the upper hand.

Resisting them would be suicidal.

After all, the family’s survival was paramount. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, swallowing their pride and submitting was the only logical course of action.

The main question now was, even if they were willing to submit, would the other side accept their surrender?

"Yang, at a time like this, are you still clinging to some fantasy?"

Seeing Yang Yi show signs of wavering, Huang Dongchun immediately warned, "One concession will only lead to another. Besides, we haven’t been pushed to the point where submission is our only option!"

He scanned the faces of those present, his tone firm. "Unless your Yang Family is willing to become vassals to Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang, we absolutely cannot back down. This is a life-or-death struggle!"

"Does the Huang Family already have a plan, then?" Yang Yi couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity piqued.

Huang Dongchun exchanged a look with the elder, then lowered his voice. "From what we’ve gathered, although the Gao Family was wiped out, the Patriarch, Gao Yuanfeng, managed to escape. Just imagine... how will Gao react when he learns his entire family has been destroyed?"

He paused, then added with deep meaning, "And there’s one more person from the Gao Family, currently training with an Upper Sect in the Prefecture City."

"You mean... Gao Yuanzhao?"

Yang Yi mused, ’But from what I know, Gao Yuanzhao hasn’t had close ties with his family for years. Would he really come back to avenge them?’

The three great families were deeply intertwined, with few secrets between them.

It wasn’t just the Gao Family; both the Huang and Yang Families had connections in the Prefecture City. A legitimate daughter of the Huang Family had married into a Prefecture City family over twenty years ago. The Yang Family’s situation was similar, but the family they had allied with through marriage had since declined. That was why the Yang Family had sought to build a connection with County Magistrate Lin Shou through another marriage alliance.

In comparison, the backgrounds of the Huang and Yang Families were not as powerful as the Gao Family’s. This was why the Gao Family had been able to rise above them in recent years. Before that, the Gao Clan had lacked the standing to even be mentioned in the same breath as the Huang and Yang Families.

"Regardless, Gao Yuanzhao is a son of the Gao Family. He can’t possibly remain indifferent to his family’s annihilation."

Huang Ke chimed in, "Besides, Lin Shou won’t just sit back and watch Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang grow too powerful. If our three sides join forces, we won’t necessarily be weaker than them."

At this, Yang Yi finally understood the Huang Family’s plan. They wanted to use the Yang Family’s marital ties to Lin Shou to forge a three-way alliance against Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang.

’But why,’ Yang Yi wondered, ’does the Huang Family hate Chen Sheng with such a passion? Enough to want to make an enemy of him and Wu Kuang at any cost.’

Outwardly, however, Yang Yi put on a solemn expression. "What Huang says is reasonable. In that case, I will send someone to the County Magistrate’s Mansion to discuss an alliance."

In his heart, however, Yang Yi had other plans.

He remembered clearly that there was still a potential marriage alliance between Chen Sheng and the Yang Family that hadn’t been finalized. ’If I can make that happen,’ he thought, ’the Yang Family might just secure an unassailable position in this great reshuffling of power.’

’Risking the entire family,’ he concluded, ’would be a fool’s gambit.’

"One more thing,"

Elder Huang suddenly added, "Mobilize the forces of the Huang and Yang Families. We must find Gao Yuanfeng as quickly as possible, before he rushes headlong into the county seat and walks right into a trap. If he dies at the hands of the Government Office, we will have lost a very useful weapon."

At this moment, Gao Yuanfeng, having lost the backing of his family, had become nothing more than an expendable pawn in their eyes.

"Elder Huang is absolutely right."

Yang Yi nodded slightly, but a complex, wary glint flickered in his eyes.