But no one had expected them to bypass the city and enter the village instead.

And that had led to the current standoff, with Li Lu and his men confronting them.

About thirty riders had arrived, all mounted on tall, swift horses. They pulled on their reins, halting steadily at the village entrance and staring at Li Lu and his men.

No, to be more precise, they were staring past Li Lu and his men at the vast, sprawling farmland behind them. Even in the dim night, the afterglow of the waning moon faintly revealed patch after patch of cultivated land!

The leader, a middle-aged man of about forty named Qiu Jingwu, was dressed in a snug, blue-gray martial artist’s uniform. He didn’t act rashly. Instead, he dismounted, preparing to talk.

When the others saw their leader dismount, they all followed suit.

Qiu Jingwu handed his reins to one of his men. With his hand resting on the hilt of the Long Saber at his waist, he slowly approached until he was about two meters from Li Lu. He smiled and asked,

"I am Qiu Jingwu of the Qiu Family, a Lower Three Grade Family under the Royal Li Family of the Thirteen Royal Families. May I ask which family you hail from? How did you manage to occupy our territory so swiftly?"

In his eyes, this land could only have been occupied by Outsiders, not a local faction.

The local powers would have either been purged when the city was taken or would have fled long ago.

They had a clear understanding of the situation in this region. A drought had led to a shortage of grain, meat, and other resources. That was precisely why they had come from beyond the borders with a massive supply of their own.

To establish a foothold and develop here, they would need a vast amount of food to stabilize the common folk.

But to see that Jade Peak County still possessed such a vast and vibrant expanse of farmland... it truly surprised him and filled him with envy!

Yet, no one in his family had mentioned any farmland when they set out. ’And are the crops in these fields... a little different?’

Regardless, now that they had found these endless fields of crops, most of their problems could be solved. This also meant a huge amount of profit.

He was just curious as to which power had beaten them to it.

’The six families assigned to this city are all still on the road. So it must be another family that got here first!’

’But a situation like this is tantamount to breaking the rules.’

According to the rules established before the war, any territory conquered by an allied force belonged to that force to manage. No one was to cross into another’s territory. Anyone who wanted to station themselves there had to wait until after the conquering force had divided the spoils. This was the only way to motivate the various powers to attack cities and seize land.

Even so, until he understood the situation, he didn’t adopt a particularly aggressive stance.

Li Lu felt a knot of nervousness in his chest, but his expression remained unchanged. He spoke in a tone that was neither subservient nor arrogant:

"I am Li Lu, Gang Leader of the Celestial Break Gang in Jade Peak County. This land is being cultivated by people hired by the Cheng Family and the Celestial Break Gang. What do you mean, ’occupied’? And may I ask, what Grade is your family?"

He was repeating some of the things Cheng Zongyang had told him, staking their claim.

Qiu Jingwu’s brow furrowed at his words.

Under the Thirteen Royal Families, there weren’t just powerful families; there were also gangs and Sects.

’Could a gang have gotten here before us? And which Cheng Family is this? An Eighth Grade family? Or Seventh Grade?’

Qiu Jingwu said nothing, instead sizing up Li Lu and the men behind him.

’Nothing special. An Eighth Grade aura, and the rest are all Ninth Grade.’

Although there were quite a few of them, they were nothing but cannon fodder before his elite vanguard. Still, the question Li Lu had asked made him think his guess might be correct.

But before he could speak, Li Lu continued, 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"This land belongs to the Celestial Break Gang and the Cheng Family! It is private domain. Your families are welcome to take over Jade Peak County, but do not set foot in Tiantuan Village, lest there be a... misunderstanding. As for the County Town itself, everything in West City north of West Main Street belongs to the Cheng Family and the Celestial Break Gang. You are free to do as you wish with the rest."

"Such nerve!"

A young man behind Qiu Jingwu stepped forward and snapped,

"Jade Peak County was conquered by the allied forces of our six families: the He, Qiu, Xu, Liu, Ding, and Lu Families! According to the rules, no other power may enter before we have taken control. You are breaking the rules! Aren’t you afraid the Royal Li Family will hold you accountable?"

Li Lu’s heart skipped a beat. ’The Royal Family sent people too?’

’But it makes sense. Only by having a member of the Royal Family present can they use the Royal Family’s authority to keep their subordinate powers in line and publicly declare ownership of the County Town. They aren’t just leaving it completely unattended.’

He had also heard about these so-called "rules" from Cheng Zongyang. He and Zongyang had anticipated this scenario and prepared for it. He replied,

"First, we are a local gang and a local family that have newly sworn fealty to the Li Family. If an envoy from the Royal Li Family is present, we will naturally report this to them. We are not an outside power trying to seize territory. There is no question of us breaking the rules.

"Second, we were the ones who stabilized Jade Peak County. Otherwise, it would have become an empty, dead city long ago. You would have inherited nothing but a ruined County Town."

"I see," Qiu Jingwu said, a sudden smile playing on his lips.

’He’d thought they were a power from beyond the borders, not a local one.’

’If that’s the case, then this will be easy!’

A cold smirk touched the corners of Qiu Jingwu’s mouth. With a sudden wave of his hand, he commanded, "Surround them! Kill anyone who resists!"

Li Lu’s expression changed. "You dare!" he roared. "Think carefully about the consequences!"

As he spoke, Li Lu shot his hand into the air!

Instantly, several torches flared to life behind him. His men moved the flames toward a prepared bonfire in the center of the village assembly hall. Then, Li Lu’s cold voice rang out,

"Attack us, and my men will burn the entire County Town to the ground! Let’s see you try to take over then! If we die, we’re taking this city with us!"