Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 829: Chapter 168: The Bandit Outranks the Official

”I have met him, but we are not familiar!” Li Dagui laughed, ”But fifteen years ago, he was a disciple of the Martial Arts Pavilion.”

Yang Mingzhao’s eyes lit up, ”A disciple of the Martial Arts Pavilion!!”

Yang Ze also displayed a faint smile.

However, the others showed puzzled expressions, not understanding what use it was for the Martial Arts Department’s Commander to have been a disciple of the Martial Arts Pavilion.

”What is his background?” Yang Mingzhao asked.

”The Li family from Baoning Prefecture!” Li Dagui answered.

The background was key, as any disciple from the Martial Arts Pavilion over a decade ago would have had a master-disciple bond with Yang Zhenshan, but this bond might not be enough to convince Li Baoshan to side with Yang Mingzhao.

For example, those disciples hailing from noble families would hardly be swayed to join Yang Mingzhao, as they still had family back in the Capital City.

But if Li Baoshan came from an ordinary Martial Arts family, it would be different.

He wouldn’t need to worry about too many things, and might even bring the entire Li family to pledge allegiance to Yang Mingzhao.

Actually, Li Dagui only saw Li Baoshan once, but Li Baoshan had another unique trait. He was the first disciple from a local Martial Arts family at the Martial Arts Pavilion.

In the early days, most disciples at the Martial Arts Pavilion came from nobility in the Capital City, and it wasn’t until the second year that disciples from worldly Sects joined. By the third year, local Martial Arts family members gradually started entering the Pavilion.

Li Baoshan happened to join the Martial Arts Pavilion in the second year of recruitment, by which time Yang Zhenshan frequently visited the Pavilion, and Li Dagui occasionally accompanied him.

During his time at the Martial Arts Pavilion, Li Baoshan received guidance from Yang Zhenshan many times, and with his good aptitude, Yang Zhenshan held him in high regard.

However, Li Baoshan’s background limited his development. The Li family in Baoning Prefecture was just a small family. Despite the Martial Arts Pavilion’s endorsement, Li Baoshan only secured a role as a small flag officer at the Martial Arts Department after graduation.

In the initial years, Li Baoshan progressed well, advancing from small flag to General Flag, then to Hundred Households, rising through the ranks several times in four to five years.

But later, things fell apart. After Zhang Luan resigned as Temple Minister of the Martial Arts Temple, the nature of the Martial Arts Temple began to change. Nowadays, worldly Sect disciples dominate the Martial Arts Department, using it as a means to seek personal gain.

For martial artists like Li Baoshan, with limited background, it was tough to advance further within the Martial Arts Department.

Li Baoshan stayed in the Hundred Households position for five years before eventually seeking ways to transfer back to the Martial Arts Department in Baoning Prefecture, hoping the department’s power could bring some benefits to his family.

The Commander of the Martial Arts Department at the prefecture level may sound impressive, but it’s roughly equivalent to the Hundred Households, with only a few dozen martial guards under its command.

Hearing Li Dagui’s suggestion, Yang Mingzhao smiled, ”Then let’s ask Brother Li to lend us a hand!”

”I can sneak into the city!” Li Dagui said.

Yang Mingzhao chuckled lightly and wrote a letter.

”Did you bring our family badge?”

Li Dagui shook his head, ”How could I bring it out! If anyone knew, it could cause a lot of trouble!”

Every family had its own identity mark, and the Yang family was no different. Previously, the guards and servants of the Yang family all carried identity tokens.

But now, rebelling within Da Rong territory, who would dare to carry the Yang family’s identity token?

Yang Mingzhao thought for a bit and then took out his personal seal to stamp on the letter.

”Go tonight. If Li Baoshan is willing to remember the old friendship, have him help open the city gates. If he refuses~~”

The rest of the words Yang Mingzhao did not say.

If Li Baoshan refuses to acknowledge the Yang family, what should be done?

Li Dagui said, ”I understand. If he refuses, I will seize the opportunity to take his life!”

Yang Mingzhao nodded slightly and handed him the letter.

If Li Baoshan does not acknowledge the Yang family, it means he has no ties to them, and the master-disciple relationship with Yang Zhenshan has ended, making them enemies.

To ensure his own identity remains undisclosed, Yang Mingzhao would have to kill him, and he must act decisively, killing him on the spot.

...

Within Baoning Prefecture City.

Magistrate Li Wenchun, Deputy Magistrate Xu Fusheng, Lizhou Guard Commander Sun Derong, and Martial Arts Department Commander Li Baoshan sat in the main hall discussing the city’s defenses.

The Martial Arts Department in Baoning Prefecture may only have over forty martial guards, but it represents the worldly powers within the prefecture.

Not to mention, there are three Martial Arts families within the city.

These three Martial Arts families may not be significant in the whole of Da Rong, but they represent the pinnacle of Martial Arts within Baoning Prefecture.

While a county might only host ten to twenty martial artists, a prefecture won’t have just a hundred or two martial artists.

As the saying goes, the distribution of martial artists has a clustering effect.

The more prosperous the place, the higher the number of martial artists.

The number of martial artists in a prefecture city could comprise more than half of the prefecture’s total martial artists.

Sect locations can be established in remote mountains, but a family’s residence absolutely cannot be set in remote mountains. This is because sect disciples are all martial artists, while many family descendants are ordinary people.

Li Baoshan at thirty-eight, had a slim build, an upright face, not exactly handsome but not ugly, just an average appearance.

Graduating from the Martial Arts Pavilion indicated his cultivation and aptitude were commendable.

Graduating from the Martial Arts Pavilion required reaching the Postnatal Fourth Layer of cultivation, and Li Baoshan now had reached the Postnatal Seventh Layer.