Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 130: Chapter 126 Secret Martial Guards Hundred Households Wei Cen

Not an assassin, nor a thief, but a deliveryman!

Interesting!

Yang Zhenshan squinted his eyes, watching his every move like a statue.

And the other party didn’t notice his presence at all.

Watching him place the items, Yang Zhenshan moved his feet silently.

Just as Yang Zhenshan moved, the man paused, then abruptly turned his head.

A spear tip, gleaming with cold light, stopped in front of him.

”You seem very confident!” Yang Zhenshan stated flatly.

The man was dressed in black with his face covered, only revealing a pair of eyes that remained perfectly calm, showing no ripple even as the threat of the spear appeared suddenly before him.

Yang Zhenshan scrutinized him: dressed in black for night travel, face masked with cloth. Heh, he had seen this attire countless times on TV, but it was the first time being so close in reality.

The man was of average height, neither fat nor skinny, with an ordinary face and callouses covering his hand grips.

His cultivation was that of a Postnatal Martial Artist, but the specific level could not be determined by appearance alone.

”Speak, who are you!” Yang Zhenshan demanded.

The man in black hesitated for a moment, then spoke, ”Secret Martial Guard of the North Station, Hundred Households Wei Cen, pays respects to Master Yang!”

Wei Cen didn’t feel as calm as he appeared on the surface. As a Hundred Households of the Secret Martial Guards, with a cultivation at the Postnatal Sixth Layer, he was also an experienced spy, exceedingly skilled at infiltration, assassination, and investigation.

With his strength, he might not strut around Chongshan Town, but there certainly weren’t many who could catch him.

He originally thought this mission was very straightforward: just a simple delivery. The simplest assignment he had received in the past ten years.

Yet, he had not anticipated being caught red-handed.

An encounter was one thing, but now, confronted with Yang Zhenshan’s spearpoint, he felt a strong sense of danger.

As if the slightest irregularity would lead to the spear piercing through his throat.

Wasn’t this Master Yang only at the third layer of Postnatal cultivation?

Why then was he feeling such a potent threat?

Before coming, he had naturally looked into Yang Zhenshan’s background, with data provided by Zhou Lan and Liang Chu.

Both Zhou Lan and Liang Chu’s understanding of Yang Zhenshan remained half a year outdated.

After the battle at Linguan Castle, Yang Zhenshan had informed Liang Chu and Zhou Lan that his cultivation was at the third layer of Postnatal.

But what about now?

Half a year has passed, and Yang Zhenshan’s cultivation has reached the Postnatal Fifth Layer.

While his cultivation was one level below Wei Cen, it was unclear who was stronger.

”Secret Martial Guards!”

Yang Zhenshan showed no surprise. Today, whoever it was, he would not have been surprised.

”Is it Mr. Lv who sent you?”

”Exactly!”

”For what purpose?”

Wei Cen picked up the small booklet he had earlier placed on the coffee table and handed it to Yang Zhenshan.

Yang Zhenshan gave him a profound look, retracted his spear, and reached out to take the booklet.

”Since you are from the Secret Martial Guards, there’s no need for such cloak and dagger, is there?”

Upon saying this, he turned around to light a candle.

With a demeanor that appeared very relaxed and trusting of Wei Cen, his alertness was heightened, ready to thrust his spear without hesitation at any sign of danger from Wei Cen.

Wei Cen watched Yang Zhenshan’s back as the candle was lit, the dim light slowly brightening, casting Yang Zhenshan’s silhouette larger, enveloping him.

This guy is dangerous!

Wei Cen lifted the cloth from his face, revealing an utterly unremarkable countenance.

Yang Zhenshan glanced over, put down his spear, seated himself at the desk, and began reading through the booklet.

The contents of the booklet detailed the information of officials in An Yuan State City, from the garrison office to the Prefectural Government, to the Military Equipment Department, as well as the noble families and wealthy households of An Yuan State. Details of all publicly known figures were included.

These details were far more comprehensive than those gathered by Yang Mingcheng and his colleagues.

Flipping through to the last page, Yang Zhenshan’s pupils constricted sharply.

This final page actually listed the crimes of Xu Wanfu.

Xu Wanfu had not embezzled military provisions, not taken kickbacks, and had not shortchanged the soldiers’ rations.

Outwardly, he was a fine Military Officer, but secretly, he had committed numerous atrocities.

In the sixteenth year of Chengping, at the end of April, he forcibly seized Chen Xiangyun, a maiden from the Chen family of Chen Town, as his concubine. At the beginning of May, Chen Xiangyun, unable to bear the humiliation, hanged herself to death. Afterwards, when the Chen family came to seek justice, they were viciously beaten and met bandits on the road back to Chen Town, resulting in the father and sons dying tragically.

In the eighteenth year of Chengping, at the start of March, Xu Wanfu killed his wife, Ms. Wang. To cover up his crime, Xu Wanfu exterminated her entire family.

At the end of the nineteenth year of Chengping, Xu Wanfu seized three shops from the Yan family in South City and broke the legs of the father and son of the Yan family.

...

One by one, the crimes were listed, ranging from extortion and violent usurpation to murder and extermination. He was utterly ruthless.

Yang Zhenshan frowned deeply.

This was simply a scoundrel!

To call him a scoundrel seemed an insult to scoundrels; he wasn’t a person, but a brutal beast.

But then came the question!

Why were only Xu Wanfu’s crimes listed here?

”Do you want me to take down Xu Wanfu?” Yang Zhenshan looked up at Wei Cen.

Wei Cen shook his head slightly, ”I don’t know, my mission was just to deliver this to you!”

”To me? It was supposed to be delivered without my notice, right?” Yang Zhenshan looked at the Secret Martial Guard with a half-smile.

In terms of rank, Wei Cen was far below him, but he was a Secret Martial Guard.

Yang Zhenshan really did not want to deal with the Secret Martial Guards, but at this point, even if he didn’t want to, he had no choice.

The Secret Martial Guards had come to him; he could not just send them away.

”That’s right, my mission has failed!” stated Wei Cen bluntly.

Yang Zhenshan looked away, focusing on the booklet in hand.

”To take down Xu Wanfu?”

With these crimes, he could take down Xu Wanfu anytime he wanted.

And the Secret Martial Guards sending him this information meant they wanted him to take down Xu Wanfu.

As for whether he would act according to the Secret Martial Guards’ plans, there was no doubt—he definitely would.

Because to take control of the garrison, he must first take down Xu Wanfu.

The Secret Martial Guards knew this, which is why they sent him this information.

So what was the goal of the Secret Martial Guards?

Certainly not just to take down Xu Wanfu—a mere Xu Wanfu wasn’t worth the Secret Martial Guards making such a fuss.

”I would like you to deliver a message to Mr. Lv!”

Wei Cen remained silent.

Yang Zhenshan didn’t care and said on his own, ”The official doesn’t mind serving the Secret Martial Guards, but since the Secret Martial Guards can use the official’s help, they should at least let the official know what to do.”

Helping Lv Hua with his affairs was naturally not what Yang Zhenshan wanted.

But he had no grounds to refuse.

Even Zhou Lan had conceded, so what could he do?

”You may go!”

Having said that, Yang Zhenshan waved his hand to signal that Wei Cen could leave.

Wei Cen was still silent. He gave Yang Zhenshan a fist-and-palm salute, then quietly left.

Immediately after, the candlelight in the room was extinguished, and Yang Zhenshan sat in the darkness, stroking the booklet in his hands.

...

The next morning.

Right after Yang Zhenshan finished his cultivation, the little girl Yang Qingwan came to find him.

This girl hadn’t forgotten that Yang Zhenshan said he would take her out to play today.

”Grandpa~~”

Her soft, mushy voice rang out, and Yang Zhenshan looked helplessly at the little girl.

The little girl was becoming more clingy, hugging his leg tightly as if afraid he would run away.

Yang Zhenshan, with no other choice, picked her up.

”You can go out and play, but let grandpa wash up first!”

Yang Qingwan’s eyes sparkled brightly, ”Grandpa, Grandpa, hurry and wash up!”

This girl was bursting with excitement, and upon hearing Yang Zhenshan say he would take her out to play, she clapped her hands joyfully.

What else could Yang Zhenshan do but turn back inside to wash up and change into clean clothes?

”Let’s go, bring Chengye and Mingzhe over, too!”

Yang Zhenshan instructed Wu Hai.

One sheep or three, he had to herd them all.

Since he was taking the little girl out to play, naturally he couldn’t leave out his grandson and young disciple.

”Yes, I’ll go arrange that right now!”

Wu Hai promptly responded.

About a quarter of an hour later, Yang Chengye came running over with Wang Mingzhe.

”Grandpa, we’re going out to play?”

The boy was playful too, but Wang Mingzhe was more straightforward.

No, straightforward wasn’t the right word to describe Wang Mingzhe; it was lazy.

Wang Mingzhe was truly lazy, the type who would lie down rather than sit, sit rather than stand.

His sister was exceptionally diligent, yet he was unbelievably lazy.

”Disciple Mingzhe pays respect to Master!” Although Wang Mingzhe was lazy, he was very obedient to Yang Zhenshan.

Then, Yang Zhenshan took the children out.

They rode a carriage to the busiest Fuan Street in An Yuan State City.

Fuan Street could be considered the commercial street of An Yuan State City, with all kinds of goods available on both sides, and even the cold weather couldn’t stop the lively atmosphere.

In the carriage, two of the kids excitedly looked at the bustling scene on the street, unable to contain themselves.

Why two, and not three?

Because Wang Mingzhe, the youngster, fell asleep leaning on Yang Zhenshan.

Looking at Wang Mingzhe who was fast asleep, Yang Zhenshan suddenly felt it was a mistake to bring him along.

The carriage stopped in front of a restaurant, and Wu Hai stepped out first to place a stool next to the carriage while four accompanying soldiers vigilantly surveyed the surroundings.

Yang Zhenshan, of course, couldn’t possibly be traveling solo, especially since he was taking three children, so he brought along four soldiers.

These soldiers were dressed in cotton-padded short coats, looking much like servants or house servants.

Yang Chengye and Yang Qingwan had already eagerly jumped down from the carriage, while Yang Zhenshan wrapped Wang Mingzhe in a cloak and then carried him down from the carriage.

It was freezing cold outside, and the boy had fallen asleep, so to avoid him catching a cold, Yang Zhenshan could only hold him close.

”Damn, I’m being a nanny as a master!”

Yang Zhenshan looked up at the restaurant’s sign.

Fuyun Building!

The name did sound pleasant.

It was said that this restaurant was the best in An Yuan State City, with many of the ingredients brought in from Qi State City.

Winter in Chongshan Town was cold and long; once winter set in, there would hardly be any fresh greens to eat.

Ordinary restaurants found it hard to get fresh vegetables, only those with the capability to purchase from Qi State City could get them.

Winter in Qi State City was also cold, but it was a transportation hub for both water and land in the Liaodong Region—merchants traveling south and north would stop in Qi State City, and those from the south brought fruits and vegetables unavailable in Liaodong.

Even though long-distance transportation would spoil many of these fruits and vegetables, as long as they arrived, their price would be several or even more than ten times that of the south.

Therefore, many merchants from the south transported fruits and vegetables to Qi State City during winter.

And if An Yuan State City wanted these fruits and vegetables, they could only purchase them from Qi State City.

Entering Fuyun Building, they were met with a boisterous atmosphere.

Wu Hai went ahead to secure a street-facing private room for them.