Chapter 90: Chapter 84: Deterring Changshan

He was well aware that no matter how outstanding his sister’s looks and figure were, the fact that she had been married before could not be changed.

Given the potential and power Chen Sheng was now displaying, it was utterly impossible for him to formally marry such a woman.

At best, they could only carry on an affair in secret.

’But that’s not enough. Far from it!’

A sharp glint flashed in Yang Yi’s eyes.

He wanted a truly stable marriage alliance. According to his investigation, Chen Sheng was at most twenty-five years old. A Marrow Transformation Realm master this young had a great chance of reaching the Innate Realm in the future.

This was a marriage candidate with limitless potential!

’If only... back then... Alas!’

He even felt some regret. If he hadn’t sided with the Gao and Huang Families from the start, Chen Sheng might have long since become the prized son-in-law of his Yang Family.

At this moment, he even began to calculate whether he could create another opportunity to bring about a marriage between Chen Sheng and Yang Xueyao.

As for any ethical concerns about an aunt and niece serving the same husband, such things were not worth mentioning in the face of the family’s survival and interests. Within the deep courtyards of the great Noble Families, he had seen far worse.

.....

Meanwhile.

Unlike the Yang Family’s private celebration and scheming, the Huang Family Mansion was now shrouded in gloom, as if facing a great enemy.

Patriarch Huang Dongchun, Elder Huang Ke, and the Huang Family’s Great-Uncle—the family’s pillar of stability—were once again gathered together.

This time, however, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was almost hard to breathe. A sense of impending crisis, of a storm about to break and a great building on the verge of collapse, hung over everyone’s heart.

Although they hadn’t held out much hope for Gao Yuanfeng’s revenge in the first place, a sliver of wishful thinking had always remained deep down.

But now, that last sliver of hope had been utterly shattered with the fall of Gao Yuanfeng’s head.

The Gao Family was finished.

Who was next?

The answer was self-evident—the Huang Family!

"Great-Uncle... what should we do now?"

Huang Dongchun’s voice was hoarse. He didn’t even have the strength to curse Gao Yuanfeng’s incompetence under his breath.

As the Patriarch, he had to face reality and find a way out for the family. However, the immense pressure had thrown his mind into chaos. For the first time in his life, he felt a powerful pang of regret for having been hung up on the feud over the Spirit Marrow Gu, failing to bow his head in time like the Yang Family.

The Huang Family’s Great-Uncle slowly tapped his withered fingers on the Zitan wood armrest, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"This time... we are in great trouble."

He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his murky old eyes. "According to rumors from the grapevine, I’m afraid it wasn’t just Gao Yuanfeng who died in the Military Preparation Camp last night... It’s possible that an existence at the Innate Level was also surrounded and killed!"

"That’s impossible..."

Huang Dongchun retorted subconsciously, but the words died on his lips. Seeing his Great-Uncle’s grave expression and recalling all the "impossibilities" Chen Sheng had made reality in the past, he forced himself to swallow his words.

He didn’t want to, and didn’t dare to, make any more hasty judgments.

He was afraid of being proven wrong again.

Beside them, Huang Ke took up the conversation, his voice hesitant. "Great-Uncle, is the information accurate? Could it be... that Gao Yuanzhao of the Gao Family, the one in the Prefecture City, has returned?"

The Huang Family’s Great-Uncle slowly shook his head.

"The news has not yet been confirmed. It’s widely circulated but difficult to verify. Perhaps... it’s a smokescreen deliberately released by Chen Sheng to intimidate us. But regardless, one thing is certain..."

His gaze swept over Huang Dongchun and Huang Ke, his tone heavy. "The Huang Family is now as precarious as a stack of eggs!"

He changed the subject, turning to Huang Ke. "Several days have passed. What exactly did the Xu Family in the Prefecture City say?"

The Huang Family was related to the Prefecture City’s Xu Family by marriage, and they were now their greatest hope.

Huang Ke looked troubled, choosing his words carefully.

"The Xu Family’s reply... was just to tell us not to worry too much. I suppose... things should be fine."

His words were vague; clearly, he had not received any substantive promises.

The Huang Family’s Great-Uncle fell silent for a moment, as if having made up his mind, and said in a low voice:

"In that case, we’ll wait a little longer. But remember, when the people from the Xu Family arrive, we are not to use their power to counter-attack. Instead, we are to... bow our heads and submit to Chen Sheng."

"People from the Xu Family will be here, and we still have to bow our heads?"

Huang Dongchun was taken aback, clearly unwilling to accept this.

"Foolish!"

The Huang Family’s Great-Uncle rebuked him harshly. "No matter how powerful the Xu Family is, their foundation is in the Prefecture City. Distant water can’t quench a nearby fire! Do you think the Xu Family’s name alone can suppress Chen Sheng? With that boy’s audacity and vengeful nature, even if he holds back temporarily, what happens if he makes a move after the Xu Family leaves? At that time, what will our Huang Family have to defend ourselves with?!"

He stared intently at Huang Dongchun. "Dong Chun, you are the Patriarch. You must always remember that the foundation of a family’s continuation lies not in winning a momentary squabble, not in aggressive bravado, but in two words: ’continued existence’."

"Endure a moment’s humiliation in exchange for a chance for the family to catch its breath. Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang cannot stay in Changshan County forever. As long as we hold out until they are transferred away, the future of this Changshan County will still be ours to decide. If we act on a moment’s impulse and follow in the footsteps of the Gao Family, it will be too late for regrets!"

Huang Dongchun’s face turned pale then ashen from his Great-Uncle’s harsh words. After a long moment of contemplation, he let out a turbid breath as if all his strength had been drained.

"Great-Uncle’s meaning... Dong Chun understands."

"One more thing."

The Huang Family’s Great-Uncle’s sharp gaze turned to Huang Ke. "Before the people from the Xu Family arrive, everyone in the family, from top to bottom, must not provoke Chen Sheng or the Government Office again. Whatever the friction, avoid it if you can, endure it if you must."

"But... what if the Government Office is the aggressor and comes looking for trouble?" Huang Ke asked with a frown.

The Huang Family’s Great-Uncle closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, only a cold, resolute light remained.

"As long as they aren’t about to immediately annihilate my entire Huang Family... then endure it. The preservation of the family is the highest principle!"

Huang Ke and Huang Dongchun exchanged a look, each seeing the deep frustration and helplessness in the other’s eyes. But the circumstances were beyond their control. They could only bow together and reply in bitter voices:

"Yes, Great-Uncle. We understand."

.....

「Lin Mansion, Study」

County Magistrate Lin Shou sat alone behind his desk, his face ashen. His fingers, trembling slightly, pressed down on two open letters before him, his eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief and furious anger.

The first was an official document from the Ning’an Prefecture Government Office.

The entire document was a severe reprimand. It accused him of being mediocre and inactive since becoming the County Magistrate of Changshan County, allowing local magnates and water bandits to grow strong. This had led to the death of the previous County Captain during a bandit suppression campaign, a death for which he bore undeniable responsibility.

On the other hand, County Captain Wu Kuang and Military Preparation Camp Commander Chen Sheng were praised as keen and proactive, having achieved one great merit after another. Their actions were all carried out with the tacit approval of the Prefecture Government Office. Finally, the document explicitly ordered him to fully cooperate with Wu and Chen. If he dared to baselessly impeach them again and obstruct local pacification, he would be immediately recalled to the Prefecture City and transferred to a sinecure.

The second letter was a private message from his backer, Vice General Hao.

Compared to the severity of the official document, this private letter was nothing short of a blistering tirade. It cursed him for not understanding the times, for failing to read the political winds in the Prefecture City, and for his stupidity in choosing this moment to impeach Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng.

The letter also told him in no uncertain terms that if Hao hadn’t pulled strings on account of their past relationship, Lin Shou’s impeachment memorial alone would have very likely cost him his post.

Finally, Vice General Hao’s tone was practically an ultimatum, warning him not to act clever and stir up trouble again, or he would have to bear all the consequences himself.

These two letters were like two loud slaps to Lin Shou’s face, viciously shattering all his reliance and fantasies.

He had originally thought that with his status as County Magistrate and Vice General Hao’s backing, suppressing Wu Kuang and preventing Chen Sheng from smoothly taking the position of Grand Commander would be a sure thing.

But he never would have imagined that what awaited him in the end was a reprimand from his superiors and abandonment by his backer. Instead, he was strictly ordered to cooperate with those two.

For a moment, Lin Shou was overcome with shock and rage.

Shocked by the Prefecture City’s attitude, and enraged at his own future prospects.

It was foreseeable that, if nothing unexpected happened, he would inevitably be constrained by Chen and Wu in the future. He, the County Magistrate, might even become a mere figurehead.

How could he accept this?

Back when the three great families were powerful, although he had been somewhat constrained, Gao Yuanfeng and the others had still held a degree of reverence and fear for him. But thinking of Chen Sheng’s previous arrogance, it was easy to foresee that the man would only become more domineering in the future, perhaps even disregarding him completely.

Thinking of this, Lin Shou’s heart filled with ever greater unwillingness to submit.

After thinking for a long time, he decided to tell Vice General Hao about Madam Yang. Originally, Madam Yang was a surprise he had prepared for Hao, hoping to regain his trust.

But now it seemed he couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. If he held back now, he would truly have no chance left at all.

He believed that Vice General Hao, a skilled practitioner of the Yin Yang Technique, would definitely be interested in Madam Yang’s Three Yin Body. Perhaps, in his delight, he would continue to back him.

At this point, he no longer hoped to suppress Chen and Wu. But at the very least, he had to be on equal footing with them and make them respect him.