’Heh heh, that felt pretty good. I can use them for practice from now on.’ A fighting spirit welled up in Zhou Zhendong.

’Fighting opponents who can keep me on the ropes is the only way to truly improve my skills.’

"That’s enough." Cheng Zongyang was exasperated. "We’re short-handed as it is. The Celestial Break Gang lost more than thirty Martial Artists who had just reached Entry Grade. A complete waste."

Cheng Zongyang’s eyes glinted with excitement as he watched the various family members and their cartloads of resources stream into the city.

’This means Jade Peak County is finally getting back on track.’

"Also," Cheng Zongyang said to Zhou Zhendong, "how are the arrangements coming along?"

Zhou Zhendong pulled on his tattered clothes, ignoring the bloodstains, and said:

"There are one hundred thirty-six orphans under the age of fifteen who meet the requirements and are willing to come with me. They’ve been settled in various basements in the East District of Tiantuan Village with plenty of food and water. They’re ready to be moved at any time. I was worried about them, which is why I left the city this time."

Cheng Zongyang nodded slightly. "Tonight is a good opportunity. You take them into the mountains. Everything else will proceed according to plan."

"What about West City?" Zhou Zhendong continued, drawing his blade and wiping the blood off on the tattered clothes he was about to change out of.

Cheng Zongyang smiled. "They won’t make any rash moves until they’ve figured me out. West City will be stable. You don’t need to worry about that."

"Got it! I’ll go make the arrangements right now."

With that, Zhou Zhendong immediately turned to head back to Tiantuan Village. But Cheng Zongyang added another instruction:

"If Li Lu wakes up, tell him everything is proceeding according to plan." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Zhou Zhendong nodded, picked up the bow and arrows he had dropped, and disappeared into the woods on his way back.

Seeing this, Cheng Zongyang turned toward the County Town, sheathed his Tang Blade, and followed the crowd into the city.

As for the Li Family, he planned to pay them a visit tomorrow morning.

’Since I have to build my power on their turf, I’ll have to play by their rules.’

’Playing by the rules is fine; I like rules. As long as we can mind our own business!’

’Before I’m in a position to sit at one of the tables and slam my fist down, following the rules is actually to my advantage.’

Of course, he wasn’t afraid of conflicts between the Lower Three Grade Families either.

After entering the city, he first went back to his residence to give some instructions. Later, he would have to return to interrogate the prisoners for intelligence.

Housekeeper Zhang couldn’t sleep either, worried about the Foreign Race entering the city.

The last time the Foreign Race entered the city, they had slaughtered nearly all the County Town’s officials. The city, including the remaining Strongmen families, had been almost completely plundered of its resources.

If Cheng Zongyang hadn’t taken them in, they would have become miserable, low-class refugees.

Therefore, with the Foreign Race entering the city again, he was truly afraid of a repeat incident.

"Lord!"

When Housekeeper Zhang saw Cheng Zongyang return, the great weight on his heart was mostly lifted.

"Lord, are you hungry? Should I have someone make you something to eat?" Housekeeper Zhang asked hurriedly after closing the door and following him in.

Cheng Zongyang rubbed his stomach and said, "That would be good. Just a simple bowl of noodles will do. By the way, we’re moving tomorrow morning. To West City. I’ll have people come over to help."

Housekeeper Zhang quickly asked, "Lord, is it because of the Foreign Race?"

Cheng Zongyang nodded, gave him a brief explanation of the situation, and said, "We won’t have to worry once we’re in West City."

After hearing Cheng Zongyang’s words, Housekeeper Zhang had a complicated expression.

’To think that Da Liang would just abandon the Land of Four Mansions like that.’

But he didn’t dwell on it. Simply managing the household well for his Lord and living well in the present put him far above the countless pitiful people outside.

A moment later, Housekeeper Zhang personally brought a bowl of steaming hot noodle soup to the study. Seeing Cheng Zongyang writing something, he didn’t disturb him, simply setting the bowl down before leaving and closing the door behind him.

He was mostly familiar with the rules of the Thirteen Royal Families.

But every place has its own ways, and special territories like Xiangyang and the Land of Four Mansions might have new rules imposed by the Thirteen Royal Families. He didn’t know what they might be and could only play it by ear.

A short while later, after organizing a list of questions for the interrogation, he put the paper away.

Seeing the bowl of noodle soup still steaming on the round table, Cheng Zongyang got up, went over, and began to eat.

As a warm current flowed from his throat down to his stomach, Cheng Zongyang let out a comfortable sigh.

But the next moment, his right hand, which was holding the chopsticks, suddenly froze. He felt a faint, sharp pain emerge from a spot on his forearm, but the sensation vanished instantly, replaced by a feeling of warmth.

Cheng Zongyang wasn’t particularly surprised by the appearance of this warm current.

It was a new acupoint breakthrough.

’This spot... should be the Wenliu Acupoint.’ Cheng Zongyang pinpointed the location of the warmth, identifying it from the map of meridian points in his memory.

As the number of his opened meridian acupoints increased, the time it took for each breakthrough grew shorter, and his Inner Strength gradually increased as well.

He had simply concealed his strength, not mobilizing it when he fought Lu Yan. As a result, they all believed he was merely a Seventh Grade Martial Artist.

He had now opened nineteen acupoints in less than a month. As his Inner Strength grew more abundant and powerful, the time needed to break through acupoints would naturally continue to shorten.

’Once all the acupoints of my Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian are unblocked, the power of my right arm will also increase. I estimate a Great Strength Vajra Palm at seventy percent power will be enough to suppress a full-force punch from Lu Yan!’

Reigning in his thoughts, he went back to eating his noodles.

After having a maidservant clear the dishes, he started to walk out, saying to the housekeeper as he went:

"The new address is Number 21, Yunli Ninth Lane in West City. People will come to help with the move tomorrow morning. Move everything over. You can have this house when we’re gone."

At this, Zhang Chuchu froze, somewhat stunned.

Reaching the doorway, Cheng Zongyang stopped and looked back at Zhang Chuchu with a smile.

"I’m very satisfied with your work. Your current house isn’t very large, but you have quite a few people living there. Leave that old house to your two sons. From now on, you and your wife will live here. Stay as long as you like. Alright, I’m off."

With that, he left without a backward glance.

Leaving behind a deeply grateful Zhang Chuchu.

In all his years of service with his previous family, he had never received such good treatment.

"Lord, rest assured! I will serve you well."

Zhang Chuchu murmured to himself as he watched the figure gradually disappear into the darkness.

Half an hour later, Cheng Zongyang arrived at Tiantuan Village.

In the West District of Tiantuan Village, inside the Gang Leader’s private room.

Li Lu had already woken up and was now recuperating. He lay in bed, utterly bewildered.

He clearly remembered suffering a grievous Internal Injury.

’But after waking up, apart from all the external wounds, how is it that there’s nothing wrong with me internally?’

But Zhao the Seventh had said it was Cheng Zongyang who saved him, which made Li Lu wonder if Cheng Zongyang had given him some kind of medicine.

"Gang Leader, Lord Cheng is here."

At that moment, an underling at the door hurried to report.

"Let him in," Li Lu said at once, immediately composing himself.

But his external injuries hadn’t healed yet, so he could only remain lying down.

"Looks like you’re recovering well." Cheng Zongyang entered, saw Li Lu in the brightly lit room, and walked to his side with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Brother, was it really you who saved me? Before I passed out, I knew exactly what kind of injuries I had," Li Lu asked earnestly.

Cheng Zongyang didn’t deny it, nodding as he said:

"To pull you back, I had to use my one and only Small Returning Pill on you. I went through a lot of trouble and traded a lot of silver taels to get that pill as a life-saving last resort, and you’re the one who ended up using it."

Li Lu had no reason to doubt him.

A medicine capable of pulling him back from the gates of death was undoubtedly a priceless treasure that was nearly impossible to find. His voice choked with emotion as he said:

"Brother, my Cultivation, my skills, everything I have now—it was all given by you. This makes twice that you’ve saved my life! I, Li Lu, will repay you with my life! Just you wait. Whether it’s Tiantuan Village or our territory in West City, I will manage it well, develop it well, and have it ready for you to use at any time..."

Cheng Zongyang couldn’t stand this kind of display. Goosebumps broke out on his skin, and he quickly cut him off:

"That’s enough of that. Just focus on living well, and everything will be fine. I’m going to go interrogate those men now. You get some rest and recover."

He left as soon as he finished speaking, giving Li Lu no chance to continue his emotional speech. He left behind a stunned Li Lu, mouth agape, the rest of his words caught in his throat.

In the basements of various houses in the West District, fifty-four Martial Artists were being held captive, their tendons cut.

Of the other six, three had been killed by Cheng Zongyang, and three had been accidentally killed by the gang’s arrows.

Cheng Zongyang didn’t waste any time. He began interrogating them one by one, following the list of questions he had prepared.

Those who wouldn’t talk were first subjected to a "friendly chat" before being questioned again.

As Cheng Zongyang extracted one piece of intelligence after another, he gained a basic understanding of the situation within the six families.

It wasn’t everything, but he had gathered sixty to seventy percent of what he needed.

This was enough!

Enough for Cheng Zongyang to start making his specific plans.