Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 290: Chapter 281: The Shadow of a Person’s Name, the Reflection of a Tree

”Haha, we’re family; no need for thanks!”

Yang Zhenshan patted his shoulder and said with a smile, ”You should start preparing to go back. In a few days, you’ll be returning to Anning County!”

The month of December was fast approaching, and it was about time for Yang Mingcheng to pay a visit back home.

This year, there had been fewer affairs to handle, and Yang Zhenshan planned to have Yang Mingcheng, Yang Mingzhi, and Jiang He go back together.

As for himself, he’d rather not return.

He didn’t feel a strong sense of belonging to Yang Family Village, and although it was always on his mind, it wasn’t really his true hometown.

Besides, if he went back, it would probably cause quite a stir, inevitably leading to endless social engagements.

The last thing he enjoyed was such interactions, so it would be better not to go back.

”Alright, I’ll have my family start preparing in the next couple of days!” said Luo Wenhua.

He wasn’t going to return alone but would bring his wife and children along. Since they were going to stay for a while, they definitely needed to make comprehensive preparations.

In the following days, Yang Zhenshan was still busy with matters within the government office. However, there wasn’t much to do at the Guardian Department now, so he enjoyed some rare leisure time.

On ordinary days, he would just stay at home, play with his wife and kids, leading a rather comfortable life.

Of course, he did not neglect important matters. The Tenglong Guard was planning a big campaign next year, and there was still much to prepare before the year’s end.

But these were things he could delegate with instructions, without having to handle them personally.

While Yang Zhenshan enjoyed his downtime, deep in the Changqing Mountain, atop a towering peak, a few people were discussing him.

In the Da Rong Dynasty, the court had different approaches to dealing with Jianghu forces. The court was usually gentle towards those sects willing to cooperate and allow their disciples to join the army.

However, for those Jianghu forces that were only interested in amassing wealth and cultivating, the government simply ignored them unless they crossed the line. Some officials would even collude with such forces to jointly amass wealth.

The Jianghu force most despised by the court was the kind that engaged in nefarious activities and based their headquarters outside of the Dynasty’s borders.

Star Moon Sect was one of such forces.

Of course, no matter the type of Jianghu force, if it became powerful enough to pose a threat to the court, it would face suppression.

Star Moon Sect was a vast sect, known for its wicked deeds.

Even though its headquarters were located outside of the Dynasty, the court’s suppression was limited.

This limitation was because Star Moon Sect was so powerful, with numerous disciples. Suppressing them too harshly might lead to more significant unrest.

Therefore, the court often turned a blind eye to the actions of Star Moon Sect in many places and at many times.

Take Huang Yifu, for instance. Couldn’t the Jing’an Guard from Jing’an Prefecture destroy Huang Yifu’s stronghold?

No!

With the strength of the Jing’an Guard, they could have taken it down at a certain cost.

But Huang Yifu had not overstepped the line too much, which is why the government office and the Jing’an Guard had not been determined to eliminate him.

Star Moon Sect was different from those sects that focused on mentorship lineage; it absorbed martial artists and forces beyond their own sect.

Under normal circumstances, as long as someone was willing to join Star Moon Sect and had decent strength, the sect was willing to bestow upon them the status of a swordsman.

Huang Yifu was not originally a disciple of Star Moon Sect. More than twenty years ago, he committed a serious crime, was wanted by the government, and had to become a bandit in the mountains.

Later, he spent years transforming from an ordinary bandit to the leader.

Huang Yifu was a smart man; he knew there was no future in being a bandit, and sooner or later, he would be eradicated by the government.

Without backup, he had to be extra careful in his actions.

Thus, he pledged allegiance to the Yuheng Star Hall and became a swordsman of the hall.

These years, he followed the rules of Yuheng Star Hall and no longer engaged in robbery. Instead, he began collecting tolls.

However, the majority of the tolls he collected went to Yuheng Star Hall.

For Yuheng Star Hall, these external swordsmen were tools for amassing wealth. Losing one meant losing a source of revenue.

At this time, the Hall Master of Yuheng Star Hall, Luo Jingsong, the legal advisor Li Chengguo, the accountant Qian Zhonghe, and the patrol officer Ji Zhengfei just received the news of Huang Yifu’s annihilation.

Inside the Seven Stars Hall, Hall Master, legal advisor, accountant, and patroller - these four positions were known as ”the four housekeepers.” As the names suggest, the Hall Master was the leader, the legal advisor was his deputy managing the affairs, the accountant handled the finances.

And the patroller was in charge of inspecting, inspecting the various swordsmen outside, overseeing whether they were all submitting their taxes and not embezzling.

A few days ago, Ji Zhengfei happened to inspect Huang Yifu’s stronghold and found it deserted; all the valuables were gone.

At first, he suspected that Huang Yifu might have fled with the Silver. After an investigation, he learned that Huang Yifu’s stronghold had been eradicated.

”Yang Zhenshan, personally titled by the Emperor as Secondary Second Rank General, holds the actual position of Commander of Tenglong Guard. Previously he was the garrison in Chongshan Town, An Yuan City. This March, during the campaign in Chongshan Town against the East Sea Hu Clan, he led a thousand cavalrymen and conquered seven Hu Clan settlements in eight days. Subsequently, he slew Banner Master Duobato and the self-proclaimed king, Meng Temu!”

”In his campaigns against the Hu Clan, there were no less than eighty thousand casualties, let alone the countless numbers who perished under his spear!”

”Duobato had the cultivation of the Postnatal Eighth Layer and was in his prime, while Meng Temu had the cultivation of the Postnatal Ninth Layer, and despite being over sixty, his strength was formidable.”

”Yang Zhenshan’s ability to slay these two men on the battlefield suggests that his own cultivation might very well have reached the Postnatal Ninth Layer!”

Ji Zhengfei relayed the information he had gathered these past few days to Luo Jingsong and the others, and he couldn’t help but exclaim at last, ”This man is a war god on the battlefield!”

Luo Jingsong, Li Chengguo, and Qian Zhonghe knew each other well, and all could not help but show a complicated and troubled expression.

Like Yang Zhenshan, they were reluctant to provoke such an existence.

With strength, status, and military authority in hand, such entities are most feared by the worldly society forces.

Not only did Yang Zhenshan possess strength, status, and military authority, but he was also a war god on the battlefield.

Who would be willing to provoke such an existence lightly?

”Huang Yifu really brought us a big trouble!” Li Chengguo, stroking his salt-and-pepper goat beard, frowned and said.

They did not care about the life and death of Huang Yifu, just an outer knife guest; if he died, then he died. They could recruit a new knife guest at any time or appoint a new one.

What they cared about was the financial interest in Qingfu Mountain.

Collecting tolls was a profitable business with no risk and no suppression from the government.

Such a stable and high-income financial route was very important to them.

Now that Huang Yifu was dead, and killed by Yang Zhenshan at that.

Should they send a group of people to take over the financial route of Qingfu Mountain?

If they sent people and attracted Yang Zhenshan’s dissatisfaction, which led to them being wiped out, wouldn’t that be sending people to their deaths in vain?

As for dealing with Yang Zhenshan, they didn’t even dare to think about it.

Use military force?

Their Yuheng Star Hall did not have Martial Artists at the Postnatal Ninth Layer!

Suppress Yang Zhenshan from an official standpoint?

If they had the ability to do that, they wouldn’t have hidden in Changqing Mountain.

Luo Jingsong also frowned deeply, ”The main hall requires us to hand over one hundred thousand taels of Silver next year! According to our income in the past few years, if we do not have the income from Qingfu Mountain next year, we’re afraid it will be very difficult to come up with such a large amount of Silver!”

Why did the Star Moon Sect set up Seven Stars Hall within the territory of Da Rong?

It aims to earn Silver within the territory of Da Rong!

Knife guests were the tool for Seven Stars Hall to accumulate wealth, and Seven Stars Hall was also the tool for the Star Moon Sect to accumulate wealth.

”Why did it suddenly increase so much?” Qian Zhonghe was shocked and questioned.

Luo Jingsong had not mentioned this before.

In previous years, they only needed to pay seventy thousand taels to the main hall, but next year it suddenly increased by thirty thousand.

Thirty thousand taels of Silver is not a small amount. Even though their Yuheng Star Hall had several decent financial routes, their annual income was only around one hundred thousand taels.

Removing daily expenses and the amount to be handed in, the Yuheng Star Hall was left with almost nothing.

Luo Jingsong hesitated slightly before saying, ”I’m not clear about the specifics, but it should have something to do with the Lv Sheng Dynasty!”

The Lv Sheng Dynasty was located southeast of Da Rong and was an island Dynasty.

The Star Moon Island, home to the Star Moon Sect, was not far from the Lv Sheng Dynasty, and in recent years, the Star Moon Sect had invested a lot in the Lv Sheng Dynasty.

This involved the secrets of the Star Moon Sect, and even Luo Jingsong did not fully understand, let alone Qian Zhonghe and the others.

Mentioning the Lv Sheng Dynasty, everyone fell into silence.

After a long while, Li Chengguo spoke again, ”The pressing matter now is whether we can occupy Qingfu Mountain once more!”

”I think it’s necessary to communicate with General Yang. Perhaps we can pay a price to obtain his agreement!”

Luo Jingsong nodded slightly, agreeing with Li Chengguo’s idea, but he asked again, ”Then who should we send to meet with General Yang?”

All eyes turned to Luo Jingsong, and his face turned dark as he muttered to himself, ”These ungrateful bastards!”

That was a war god. What if General Yang was displeased with them? Wouldn’t it be a one-way trip?

Luo Jingsong was also somewhat afraid of Yang Zhenshan!

As the saying goes, one’s reputation precedes them; anyone who had heard of Yang Zhenshan’s military accomplishments would probably feel fear.

But right now, it seemed that only Luo Jingsong was the most suitable one to go.

Because only Luo Jingsong could represent their Yuheng Star Hall!

”Forget it, forget it, I will go myself. If I don’t come back, don’t forget to retrieve my body,” Luo Jingsong said helplessly.

”Ugh, retrieving the body might be difficult. Hallmaster, don’t worry, we will erect a cenotaph for you!” Li Chengguo said rather inappropriately.

Agitated, Luo Jingsong could only storm off.

There was no helping it. Although Li Chengguo was under him, Li Chengguo’s seniority was higher and his strength was not weaker than his, so Luo Jingsong could only give him some courtesy.

Of course, Li Chengguo wasn’t just talking nonsense. Although what he said sounded inappropriate, Li Chengguo and the others were still very worried about Luo Jingsong.

But worry alone was useless, Luo Jingsong had to make the trip.

If they were unable to hand in enough Silver next year, the punishment from the main hall would be even more severe.