Four Families and Four Sects

Jinghua Pavilion, ninth floor, the open-air observation deck outside the Kuotian Chamber.

This spot is the highest point in the Outer City, where the night wind howls, whipping one's sleeves into a frenzy.

Qin Yuwei, dressed in fine brocade, stands by the railing, looking down at the sleeping East Street below.

His eyes are as deep as an ancient well, reflecting the sparse lights from beneath.

At night, East Street resembles a dark, layered painting, laying bare the stark differences in social class.

East First Street and East Second Street, being close to the Inner City, are still brilliantly lit at this hour.

The faint sound of silk and bamboo instruments drifts from the pavilions and terraces, while the shimmering lights of carriages and horses outline a silhouette of wealth and prosperity.

Shifting his gaze slightly to East Third Street, the lights become much sparser.

Like scattered stars, only the main street retains some brightness, with only a few lights flickering here and there elsewhere.

Further away, East Fourth Street is almost entirely swallowed by an ink-like darkness.

The houses there are low and chaotic, the alleys winding like a labyrinth, with hardly any decent lights to be seen.

This intersection between the county town and the outside world feels like a weary giant beast lurking in the depths of the night, breathing silently amidst poverty and chaos, grinding its teeth and sucking blood.

Only the small area where the Patrol Bureau is conducting its monster-suppression operation tonight, due to the gathering of people and torches, stubbornly reveals a faint yet defiant patch of light in the boundless darkness, making it particularly eye-catching.

Qin Yuwei's gaze lingers on that patch of light for a long time, as if he could pierce through the layers of houses to see the slaughter and the outcome within the alley.

Light footsteps approach from behind, accompanied by a faint, elegant fragrance.

"Yuwei, standing here in the cold wind all by yourself—is something weighing on your mind?"

Hearing the voice, Qin Yuwei's face resumes a gentle expression as he turns to look at the newcomer.

The visitor is a woman in her early twenties, dressed in a well-tailored cyan-green martial outfit, covered by a gauze robe of the same color, appearing both sharp and feminine.

Her face is beautiful and refined, yet her brows carry a heroic spirit and free-spiritedness rarely seen in ordinary noblewomen; she is none other than the young sect leader of the Green Garment Sect, Xu Ruoxi.

"Ruoxi, you've come."

Qin Yuwei nods with a smile, stepping aside to offer her a spot to view the scenery.

Xu Ruoxi walks to his side with a composed gait, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him as she also gazes at the darkness and the light spot in East Fourth Street.

"You're watching the Patrol Bureau's monster-suppression operation, aren't you?

It's quite a commotion."

She says in a casual tone:

"That 'Jade-Faced Tiger' Yang Ning has emerged as a dark horse, stirring up the winds and clouds of East Street in such a short time.

Behind this...

Could it be that your Qin Family is fanning the flames?"

Qin Yuwei shakes his head gently, his smile tinged with a touch of candor and helplessness:

"My Qin Family just happened to be in the right place at the right time; because he saved Yu Rong's life, I merely gave him the status of a guest advisor as a token of gratitude.

If anyone has placed a heavy bet on him...

I fear Patrol Commander Gong's involvement is far greater than that of my Qin Family."

"Oh?

That arrogant 'Bright Jade Hand' Patrol Commander Gong?"

Xu Ruoxi raises an eyebrow, looking slightly surprised:

"I heard that you two are on quite good terms?"

"We have some old ties."

Qin Yuwei admits frankly:

"We met at an auction in the Inner City years ago. The man's spirit, vision, and martial talent are all extraordinary; he is worth befriending.

Since I was sent to the Kui Mountain Outer City, and he happens to be stationed here, we reconnected.

I held a banquet at your Jinghua Pavilion a few days ago and intended to invite you to reminisce as well, but unfortunately, you had other matters to attend to."

His tone carries a hint of regret.

Hearing this, Xu Ruoxi rolls her eyes at him, feigning annoyance:

"Who I want to see, some people know perfectly well; why bother with polite excuses?

Besides, at that banquet, aside from the direct descendants of your Qin Family's Jade Branch and Gong Tian himself, the rest were nothing but your 'lackeys' and 'yes-men.'

What kind of status do they have to be worthy of sitting at the same table as me, Xu Ruoxi?"

She is straightforward and sharp-tongued, speaking without any reservation.

Qin Yuwei is left feeling somewhat awkward by her blunt retort; he rubs his nose and gives a wry smile:

"Ruoxi, your temperament...

It is fine in every way, except that it is a bit too blunt.

Those who came are all prominent disciples from various families; there was no need to humiliate them so."

"Pfft..."

Seeing her lover in such an awkward state, Xu Ruoxi could not help but laugh out loud. Like ice and snow beginning to melt, her slight dissatisfaction dissipated, and she stopped making things difficult for him.

"Alright, let's not talk about that.

You specifically asked me to meet you here today; it couldn't really be just to admire the night view of East Street, could it?

Speak, what is it for?"

Qin Yuwei's expression turned serious again. He cast his gaze once more toward the dark East Fourth Street and said slowly:

"Ruoxi, you are stationed in the Outer City, managing the many businesses of the Green Garment Sect. You understand the various walks of life and the factions here better than I do.

Regarding the now-destroyed Blood Ape Gang...

Do you know any more details?

Especially about the backer behind them."

"The Blood Ape Gang?

A bunch of dead people, why bring them up?"

Xu Ruoxi spoke casually at first, but seeing Qin Yuwei's solemn expression, she reined in her flippancy and pondered for a moment.

"As far as I know, this Blood Ape Gang only rose to prominence from Hualin Town outside the city in the last few years.

When their leader, Wang Han, first arrived, he possessed considerable strength, was daring and willing to fight, and at the same time understood the ways of the world. He spent quite a bit of money to grease the wheels, which allowed him to slowly gain a foothold on East Street.

As for a backer..."

She paused and said with certainty:

"On the surface, it shouldn't be any of the four sects.

At least my Green Garment Sect doesn't have one, and from what I understand, the other families have never publicly supported them either.

Perhaps, like that Patrol Commander Gong, they belong to the 'unknown origin' category."

"Four families, four sects..."

Qin Yuwei repeated in a low voice.

These eight factions represented the true core of power and the top-tier forces in Kuishan County.

The four families—Qin, Shen, Ning, and Yuan—were century-old clans with deep roots and tangled connections.

Whether they held official power, possessed vast wealth, or had influence in the military, they all had experts at the Organ Refining and Marrow Cleansing realms sitting in their ranks. Their foundations were deep, and their influence permeated every aspect of the county.

The four sects were the Green Garment Sect, Daoyi Sect, Black Hou Hall, and Rain Sword Sect.

Unlike the families that relied on bloodline inheritance, they were bonded by martial arts traditions and shared interests.

They also possessed experts at the Organ Refining and Marrow Cleansing realms, standing on equal footing with the four great families and jointly maintaining the surface-level balance of Kuishan County.

Of course, there were differences in strength among the eight.

For instance, the Daoyi Sect was home to the county's recognized number one expert, while the Rain Sword Sect's influence had waned significantly because their last Marrow Cleansing realm expert was aged and on the verge of death.

Any new force wanting to establish itself in Kuishan County would, to some extent, have the shadow of one or even several of these eight factions behind them.

But the Blood Ape Gang and Gong Tian seemed to be exceptions.

Qin Yuwei pondered for a moment and said:

"Some time ago, Wang Teng of the Blood Ape Gang suddenly made a move against Yu Rong. This matter is quite suspicious.

I suspect that this might be related to some events that have occurred in the Inner City in recent years..."

He mentioned the rumors of high-ranking officials in the Inner City dying inexplicably.

Hearing this, Xu Ruoxi frowned, her expression turning serious as well:

"Yuwei, your concerns are not without reason.

The city may look calm on the surface, but there are indeed undercurrents surging beneath.

Yu Rong being attacked was by no means an accident.

It's just that the water in the Inner City is too deep, and information is locked down very tightly. It is difficult for us in the Outer City to see the full picture."

She lowered her voice:

"That hot-tempered 'Blood Swordsman' from the Rain Sword Sect, the second master of the Yuan family known for his strategic mind, and the several experts you and I sent to assist the County Magistrate's office...

Didn't they all fall in those inexplicable incidents?

Their causes of death were suspicious, and there has been no clear explanation to this day."

Qin Yuwei nodded in silence.

He then looked toward the Inner City, where the lights were more brilliant yet more mysterious, his tone carrying a hint of gravity and anticipation:

"Let us see if the new County Magistrate, who is about to be sent by the prefecture, can bring about any changes."