County Yamen Factions!

Though Lu Feng had heard that the County Yamen was divided into factions, he didn't know the specifics.

After all, he was just an ordinary junior constable. He had no way of getting involved in the County Yamen's factional struggles.

Lu Yan smiled wryly. "Heh, wherever there are people, there'll be conflict. Naturally, people also band together to keep warm."

Lu Feng looked enlightened, then continued asking, "Lord Lu, I noticed the County Magistrate seemed to favor the County Assistant today. Are they in the same faction?"

Lu Yan shook his head slightly. "No! The County Magistrate was appointed by the Imperial Court and isn't on the same side as Zhou Yongsi. As for what you called favoring him, that was just a stopgap measure."

Hearing this, Lu Feng began to understand. Li An not only controlled the vast Caobang Gang, but also had County Assistant Zhou Yongsi backing him.

If the County Magistrate really executed Li An according to the law, it would be a clear move against the County Assistant. If the County Assistant then decided to throw caution to the wind and had the Caobang Gang cause trouble, the people of Qinglu County would still be the ones to suffer.

And if things got out of hand, it would also damage the County Magistrate's reputation.

Having figured it out, Lu Feng realized that it was his low status and lack of strength that had made the County Magistrate want to keep the peace.

"Lord Lu, what factions are there within the County Yamen?" Lu Feng asked again.

Lu Yan slowly raised three fingers. "There are three factions in the County Yamen. County Assistant Zhou Yongsi and Captain Wang belong to one faction; County Lieutenant Li Muyuan and Captain Fang make up the second. The third consists of the County Magistrate, Strategist Wang Jun, and Captain Qin!"

Only after hearing the explanation did Lu Feng fully understand.

"Lord Lu, did you tell me all this because you want me to join one of them?"

At that, Lu Yan shook his head. "I told you because I think you have potential. Whether you choose to join one of the factions or remain neutral is up to you."

Hearing this, Lu Feng understood what Lu Yan meant.

Lu Yan's help was a kind of investment. If Lu Feng rose in status and strength in the future, Lu Yan would have another friend.

"Yes, I understand." Lu Feng cupped his hands in salute once more.

After they finished talking, Lu Feng went to the Yamen Room to sign in. As soon as he entered, he spotted two familiar figures.

They were none other than Fan Tao and Chen Han.

The two hurried over to greet him. Fan Tao spoke first. "Lu Feng, you've got some nerve! You came back in one piece and even took down Li An!"

Chen Han stared at him in disbelief. "Lu Feng, tell us—how did you manage to catch Li An?"

Seeing how excited they were, Lu Feng only smiled faintly. "Heh, why are you making such a fuss? I just caught a criminal."

Before Fan Tao and Chen Han could say anything else, a mocking voice suddenly came from outside the Yamen Room. "Hmph! Some people are already at death's door, yet they're still boasting. I can't tell whether they're fearless or just ignorant!"

The three turned toward the door. The speaker was Captain Wang.

After speaking, he flicked his sleeve and left, but the way he looked at Lu Feng was as if he were looking at a dead man.

Seeing this, Fan Tao and Chen Han exchanged meaningful glances with him.

Lu Feng himself didn't care. So what if Captain Wang was displeased with him? Give him a few more days, and his Martial Realm would be no weaker than Captain Wang's.

And if he won the competition for the position of captain, he could ignore him even more.

After the three of them signed in, they left the yamen. Lu Feng returned home and continued practicing Cloud-Dispelling Palm.

His Cloud-Dispelling Palm proficiency had now reached a thousand points. Filling the meter would still take quite a bit of time.

After practicing in the courtyard for a while, Lu Feng focused his mind and brought up the Proficiency Panel again to check it.

[Name: Lu Feng]

[Age: 19/50]

[Realm: Seventh-Rank Martial Artist]

[Cultivation Method: None]

[Martial Skill: Cloud-Dispelling Palm (High-Grade, Lower-Tier, Completion 258/1000)]

Looking at the changes on the panel, Lu Feng fell into thought, pondering to himself.

My Martial Realm is Seventh-Rank. By rights, Li An shouldn't have lost so badly. So how come he couldn't even take one strike of my Cloud-Dispelling Palm?

Both of them were Seventh-Rank Martial Artists, but Li An hadn't performed very well today.

Lu Feng suspected that the gap in their combat strength was mostly because he had cultivated Cloud-Dispelling Palm to the Completion level.

When Martial Artists fought, the first things to consider were their Martial Realms, followed by the Cultivation Methods and Martial Skills they had learned.

When both sides had the same Martial Realm, the deciding factors were their Martial Skills and Cultivation Methods.

And his Completion-level Cloud-Dispelling Palm was clearly far more powerful than Li An's signature fist technique.

By Lu Feng's estimate, Li An had only cultivated his fist technique to Lesser Completion at most.

Against his Cloud-Dispelling Palm, Li An hadn't stood a chance.

After working this out, Lu Feng rubbed his chin. "Hmm. If that's the case, I shouldn't have much trouble competing for the County Yamen's new captain position."

As far as he knew, none of the constables currently serving had cultivated a Martial Skill to the Completion level.

That meant the competition for captain would be much easier for him.

With that, Lu Feng straightened his clothes and set out for the County Yamen.

When he arrived, he saw Captain Wang talking to two men dressed in Caobang Gang attire.

As Lu Feng entered the County Yamen, Captain Wang noticed him and slowly walked over with the Caobang men.

"Lu Feng, you finally showed up! These two are stewards of the Caobang Gang. They've brought the one thousand taels of silver in compensation. Make sure you settle things with them properly," Captain Wang said in a mocking tone.

At that, the two Caobang Stewards fixed Lu Feng with icy stares, though they spoke politely. "So this is Constable Lu. We've heard a great deal about you!"

Lu Feng remained calm and looked at the two men. "I'm hardly famous. Since you're here to pay the compensation, hand it over."

As he spoke, he held out his right hand for the money.

Seeing his attitude, the two men's faces darkened, but this was the County Yamen. They naturally didn't dare openly break with him.

One of them slowly took ten one-hundred-tael banknotes from his robes and slapped them into Lu Feng's hand. "Constable Lu, here's your compensation. Be sure to count it carefully!"

Lu Feng took the banknotes and counted them right in front of them.

His actions made the two Caobang Stewards look even more displeased.

Once he had finished counting, Lu Feng smiled and said, "Good, the amount is correct! Now that this matter is settled, I won't keep you two any longer."

With that, he turned and left. The two Caobang Stewards seethed with anger and resentment.

Their Great Chieftain had not only been beaten badly by Lu Feng and thrown in jail, but they'd also had to pay him one thousand taels of silver. They'd truly suffered a double loss.

Meanwhile, Lu Feng was all smiles. With this one thousand taels, he wouldn't have to worry about money for a while.