Inside the rear hall of the county yamen.

Chen Sheng arrived upon being summoned. The moment he stepped into the rear hall, he keenly sensed that Wu Kuang’s mood seemed exceptionally high today.

This usually composed and reserved County Captain was now beaming with unconcealable joy. Seeing Chen Sheng enter, he immediately greeted him warmly, "Perfect timing. Come, sit down."

Chen Sheng did as he was told, taking a seat in the Taishi Chair across from him. His gaze was immediately drawn to a tray on the table, covered with a red cloth. The tray looked heavy, and judging by its outline, the objects within were of considerable weight.

"Sir, what is this?" Chen Sheng asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Wu Kuang gave a mysterious smile and pushed the tray toward Chen Sheng.

"See for yourself what treasure is inside."

As he spoke, he casually flipped off the red cloth, revealing the items on the tray—over ten crystal-clear, jade-like stones. They glowed with a warm luster under the candlelight and faintly emitted a refreshing aura.

Chen Sheng’s gaze suddenly sharpened, locking onto the peculiar stones, his expression one of utter astonishment.

"Could this be..."

"That’s right! Elemental Crystals!"

Wu Kuang laughed heartily, his voice filled with delight. "Honestly, I never imagined the Gao Family was hiding such a treasure. The foundation of a powerful Noble Family with a century of history is truly remarkable."

Chen Sheng knew exactly what Elemental Crystals were and how precious they were; Wu Kuang didn’t need to explain.

These crystals, which contained pure Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, were typically only produced in Spiritual Ores. There were no so-called Spiritual Ores within Changshan County; he hadn’t even heard of any existing within the entire Ning’an Prefecture.

Therefore, in a place like Changshan County, Elemental Crystals were priceless treasures that couldn’t be bought even if one had the money.

Generally speaking, the value of Elemental Crystals far exceeded what gold or silver could measure. A single crystal often cost one thousand taels of silver, and even then, they were rarely available for purchase.

More importantly, this kind of treasure wasn’t typically used for the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Martial Masters. Only Martial Dao experts who had broken through to the Innate Realm could directly absorb the pure Primordial Qi contained within to cultivate.

For this very reason, the fact that the Gao Family possessed Elemental Crystals had truly astonished Wu Kuang.

After all, there were no Innate Realm masters within the Gao Family.

"Where did the Gao Family get these Elemental Crystals?" Chen Sheng couldn’t help but ask.

Wu Kuang shook his head. "It’s not clear at the moment, but they were likely a treasured collection accumulated by the Gao Family over generations."

He paused, his tone tinged with emotion. "None of these Noble Families are simple. To think that a mere county-level powerhouse could hide a treasure like Elemental Crystals."

"In any case, this is an unexpected windfall. My congratulations, Sir," Chen Sheng said with a smile, clasping his hands in a formal gesture.

"Ah... what’s there to congratulate?"

Wu Kuang waved his hand, his expression serious. "We agreed from the beginning to share the fortunes. How could I take it all for myself? Besides, when it comes down to it, you contributed more to the extermination of the Gao Family."

With that, he separated eight of the Elemental Crystals from the tray and pushed them in front of Chen Sheng.

"These are yours."

"Sir, this is too valuable..." Chen Sheng hesitated.

"Don’t refuse."

Wu Kuang said sternly, his tone leaving no room for argument, "There’s no need for such formalities between us brothers. If not for your strategic planning, forget these Elemental Crystals, even wiping out the Gao Family would have been as difficult as ascending to the heavens."

Seeing Wu Kuang’s firm attitude, Chen Sheng dropped the pretense and solemnly accepted the Elemental Crystals.

"Since you insist, then I thank you for your generous gift, Sir."

After putting away the Elemental Crystals, the conversation naturally shifted to the matter of how to divide the rest of the Gao Family’s assets.

According to the laws of Daqian, the confiscated assets of the Gao Family needed to be sealed, with a portion handed over to the Prefecture City. However, as the ones handling the affair, they could naturally skim a considerable benefit for themselves.

In fact, this was one of the key reasons Chen Sheng had been able to persuade Wu Kuang to move against the local powers in the first place.

Rather than cooperating with them and accepting the table scraps the three major families offered, it was far better to sweep away these fattened Noble Families and seize their centuries of accumulated wealth.

Now, the first step had been taken, and the harvest had far exceeded expectations.

"To tell you the truth, I’m already getting impatient to make a move on the Huang and Yang Families."

Wu Kuang revealed his true thoughts during the conversation, his voice filled with unconcealable excitement. "Destroying just one Gao Family has yielded such a bounty. If we could wipe out the Huang and Yang Families in one fell swoop, I imagine our fortunes would soar."

His tone shifted, and his expression grew solemn again. "But I also know that we’ve already lost the best opportunity. If we act rashly now, the Huang and Yang Families will surely resist with all their might, and might even incite the common people to riot.

And it’s very likely they’ve already made preparations for that."

Wu Kuang’s worries were not unfounded.

Once a popular uprising was triggered and the situation escalated, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore, although he coveted the wealth of the Huang and Yang Families, he had to act with caution.

Hearing this, Chen Sheng pondered for a moment before saying, "Your concerns are valid, Sir. However, in my opinion, we don’t necessarily have to move against both families at the same time."

"Oh?"

Wu Kuang’s interest was instantly piqued. "What’s your brilliant idea?"

"Divide and conquer."

Chen Sheng slowly uttered the three words, then elaborated, "Win over the Yang Family, target the Huang Family."

Hearing this, Wu Kuang’s expression turned much more serious. "That’s easier said than done. The Huang and Yang Families are well aware of a tactic like ’divide and conquer.’ It can’t be achieved with just a few simple words."

"If I dare to suggest it, it’s because I have some confidence."

Chen Sheng smiled calmly. "First, Yang Yi himself is a rather prudent man. He won’t easily risk his entire family. Now that the Gao Family has been eliminated, it would be difficult for the Huang and Yang Families to stand against us, even if they joined forces.

On the surface, they might still present a united front, but in reality, discord is bound to grow between them."

He paused, then continued, "Second, I won’t hide this from you, County Captain. Just last night, the Yang Family sent Madam Yang to my camp. They intend to renew the previous marriage alliance, hoping to secure an invincible position."

"Is the Yang Family trying to win you over to stand with Lin Shou?" Wu Kuang’s expression changed instantly upon hearing this.

Chen Sheng’s frankness was both a relief and a worry to him.

He was relieved that Chen Sheng held nothing back from him, but worried that if Chen Sheng truly switched sides, it would be a fatal blow to him right now.

The Chen Sheng of today was no longer the simple confidant who needed his protection.

After gaining control of the Military Preparation Camp’s forces and breaking through to the Marrow Transformation Realm, Chen Sheng already possessed the qualifications to stand as his equal.

It could be said that whichever side Chen Sheng chose, he could suppress the other. At this critical juncture, Chen Sheng’s stance would directly determine the future balance of power in Changshan County.

One look at Wu Kuang’s expression and Chen Sheng knew he was overthinking things. He immediately explained:

"Sir, you’re worrying too much. That was indeed Madam Yang’s initial intention, but how could I be so ungrateful? After my patient persuasion, Madam Yang has decided to win over the Yang Family to stand with us against the Huang Family and Lin Shou."

Wu Kuang couldn’t help but frown at this, a look of doubt on his face.

He had heard him clearly. Chen Sheng said he had persuaded Madam Yang to abandon her husband, Lin Shou, and side with them. The words themselves were clear, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was strange about it.

"Is what you’re saying true?"

Wu Kuang asked subconsciously, "How did you persuade Madam Yang?"

Chen Sheng smiled without speaking, merely giving Wu Kuang a meaningful look—one that carried a hint that only men would understand. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Wu Kuang watched the change in Chen Sheng’s eyes, his expression shifting from initial confusion to utter shock.

"You brat... Don’t tell me..."

"You might not know this, Sir, but Lin Shou actually has a preference for men and treats Madam Yang quite cruelly."

Chen Sheng said lightly, "So I was able to use this to persuade her."

As for the matter of Madam Yang possessing a Three Yin Body, Chen Sheng intentionally kept it to himself.

’The fewer people who knew this secret, the better.’

"You sly dog... I really underestimated you." Wu Kuang looked at Chen Sheng with a complicated expression, his tone laced with disbelief.

He had always found Chen Sheng to be a peculiar person—not greedy for money, not lustful, and not particularly keen on power. He had previously wondered, ’What does Chen Sheng even like?’

Now he finally understood. It wasn’t that Chen Sheng had no desires; his tastes were just... different from the average person’s.

"Sir..." Seeing that Wu Kuang was deeply misunderstanding, Chen Sheng immediately wanted to argue.

"Ah, no need to explain."

Wu Kuang waved his hand, appearing unconcerned.

’To him, the result was what mattered most; the process was unimportant.’

He only cared about one thing. "Can this Madam Yang be trusted?"

"I can guarantee she is trustworthy."

Chen Sheng said solemnly, "Additionally, Madam Yang also told me everything about Lin Shou’s backer, and his plans to have us impeached..."

Chen Sheng held nothing back, immediately telling Wu Kuang all the details about Hao Tong, the Vice General of the Ning’an Military Preparation Army.

"Damn it. That Lin Shou looks so prim and proper, but it turns out he’s all show and no substance."

Wu Kuang’s tone was filled with clear contempt.

Then, his tone changed again as he said calmly, "But you don’t need to worry about this matter. Lin Shou can’t ruin things for us. He may have a backer, but don’t we have one too?"

"Could it be..." Chen Sheng seemed to realize something.

He had long understood that Wu Kuang was a man skilled at currying favor and had always suspected he had a backer of his own, but it had never been confirmed until now.

But seeing the look on the other man’s face, he instantly understood. ’Wu Kuang’s background must also be extraordinary.’

Wu Kuang smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice. "Do you still remember Captain Nie?"

"Of course, I remember," Chen Sheng nodded.

The ’Shehan’ blade in his hands was a gift from Nie Yuanliu, so naturally, he had a deep impression of the man.

Furthermore, he had later noticed a detail: of the three Treasure Soldiers Nie Yuanliu had presented during the duel back then, besides the long blade gifted to him, the pair of silver hammers had ended up in Wu Kuang’s hands.

"Captain Nie comes from a major family in Yunzhou. His coming to the Border Army to suppress the rebellion was just to burnish his credentials."

Wu Kuang’s voice dropped even lower. "He’s now serving in the State City. And the Governor of the Yunzhou Jingwu Bureau also has the surname Nie."