Dragon Snake Martial Seal

"Certainly, certainly. I'll definitely go tomorrow." Feng Xiu cupped his hands.

Only then did Master Black leave.

The moment Master Black left, Feng Xiu's expression instantly returned to normal, though a trace of gravity flashed through his eyes.

He stood there in silence for a long while.

"Young Master, what exactly did Master Black come here for?"

Xiang Geng was utterly lost. After Feng Xiu's brows eased slightly, he could not help asking.

"For what?"

To cut Liu Wenjun loose, throw out two crucial pieces of intelligence, and display bargaining chips for future cooperation.

"Of course he came to see an old friend like me. What else did you think it could be?"

Feng Xiu smiled faintly.

Xiang Geng clearly did not believe him. Fri... ends...?

The young master would become friends with someone like that?

"Yes. Tell me, what sort of person am I in Master Black's eyes?"

Xiang Geng was speechless. He could not imagine how Master Black viewed a wealthy young master.

A fat sheep who only knew how to casually hand out money?

Just as he was puzzling over it, Feng Xiu slowly spoke.

"I am a martial man, and also the head of a Lineage. I have fists, power, and wealth."

A breeze swept in, rustling the bamboo leaves.

"Even among the many Lineages of Qingyan City, I am his greatest connection."

By the time they returned to Qingyan City, it was already afternoon.

The carriage entered the inner city. After returning to the residence, Feng Xiu went straight to Uncle Zheng's room.

Though it was called a room, it was actually Uncle Zheng's private office. Every major and minor decision, every income and expense of the Feng Clan, needed Uncle Zheng's approval.

There were now only two people in the residence who could make decisions. Many times, Feng Xiu also needed to seek Uncle Zheng's advice.

At that moment, Uncle Zheng was reviewing the account books. Seeing Feng Xiu enter, he hurriedly rose.

"Young Master, you're back. How was it? Nothing major happened in Dendrobium Village, did it?"

Feng Xiu shook his head, sat down, and casually took the plain tea Uncle Zheng offered him. He took a light sip.

"Uncle Zheng, there's something I need you to handle."

"Please tell me, Young Master."

Feng Xiu set down his teacup. "Take stock of the managers at every shop and farmstead, as well as the street overseers. Pay particular attention to whether any are getting old.

Once they reach the proper age, those who should retire should retire. Also, promote the young talents who ought to be promoted."

Understanding flickered through Uncle Zheng's eyes. He seemed to have roughly grasped that Feng Xiu intended to cultivate his own circle.

Feng Xiu seemed to see what Uncle Zheng was thinking and said heavily, "Uncle Zheng, don't overthink it. I merely intend to contract the Lineage's businesses."

"Also, regarding the Feng Clan's businesses in other major cities and counties, abandon the shops that should be abandoned and sell the storefronts that should be sold."

Qingyan City was the Feng Clan's root. Its commercial operations had gradually matured, and its influence ran deep-rooted.

Yet in other major cities, there were still quite a few Feng Brand restaurants and Feng Brand corner shops.

Their revenue was decent, but once transportation losses between those places and Qingyan were included, along with the manpower and material costs, they could only be said to avoid losses.

Uncle Zheng froze. Such sweeping reforms from Feng Xiu had already touched upon a family steward's intention to "maintain the status quo."

"Young Master, you are...?" Uncle Zheng frowned and asked directly.

Feng Xiu sighed. He did not know whether he should say it. After remaining silent for quite some time, he finally spoke.

"Master Black told me a piece of intelligence earlier."

"In a few days, a very important person will arrive." Feng Xiu spoke slowly, as if he had weighed every word for a long time.

"Who?"

Uncle Zheng jolted. He had rarely seen Feng Xiu wear such a troubled expression, and he asked in alarm.

"The commander of the Garrison Battalion's Cavalry Division under the Eastern Army Governor's Office."

The Eastern Army, the commander of the Cavalry Division?!

In an instant, Uncle Zheng's heart shuddered. He murmured, "The Garrison Battalion of the Commander-in-Chief's Office... why would they come here?"

He immediately exchanged a look with the calm-faced Feng Xiu. Feng Xiu nodded.

"Yes."

"What else could Cloud Province have?" Feng Xiu sighed softly.

Having crossed over for so long, Feng Xiu could not possibly still know nothing about a nation's military structure.

Great Liang had stood for over four hundred years. Its military was divided into seven armies: east, west, south, north, naval forces, imperial guards, and the troops of the various provinces and counties.

The Eastern Army Governor's Office was the highest military authority over the three provinces of Cloud, Jin, You, and Cloud Ridge. Under it were three guards and nine battalions.

The Garrison Battalion was an independent elite force within the Eastern Army. It did not fall under the three guards, but answered directly to the Governor's Office. It was divided into four divisions.

The Cavalry Division, Infantry Division, Logistics Division, and Scout Division were specifically responsible for guarding the strategic passes, grain routes, and cities of the three Cloud Ridge provinces.

If it were merely a military officer commanding five hundred men, Feng Xiu believed there would still be room to maneuver.

But this was the Cavalry Division, bearing the name of the Eastern Army Governor's Office!

"So that's how it is, so that's how it is. No wonder the River Law Bureau dared to do this~"

Uncle Zheng murmured at the corner of his mouth. Everything now made sense.

"Young Master, what should we do? What should we do~?"

Uncle Zheng panicked for once, speaking anxiously. Then he looked toward Feng Xiu as if clutching at a lifeline.

"There's no way around it. I had considered dispersing the Lineage's strength. Even if we lost the farmsteads, at worst we could start over from scratch."

Feng Xiu shook his head. "But that earlier affair became too big."

Uncle Zheng said nothing. Naturally, he understood Feng Xiu's meaning.

"We pushed too hard during the Sweet Dew Grand Festival. Later, Father joined forces with other grain merchants. At the very least, we've already been marked down by the Governor's Office."

Had he known that the Eastern Army Governor's Office stood behind the River Law Bureau—

From the very beginning, Feng Xiu would not have planned to put up any resistance. He gave a bitter laugh.

"I originally thought the River Law Bureau and the Equalization Bureau had colluded with one another, whether to gnaw a piece of flesh from each great Lineage's hand or to acquire grain cheaply."

Feng Xiu sighed again and shook his head, leaving his sentence unfinished.

The Equalization Bureau managed corvée labor, taxes, grain transport, and other duties. It fell under the Civil Administration Bureau of the city lord's government office.

Everyone knew that Jin Province was in chaos. Even though the major grain merchants understood the strategic value of Golden Ear Wheat—

They had never considered that the military might be the mastermind behind it all.

The functions of these two departments were entirely different. Even if one had considered it, reclaiming farmsteads and buying grain at low prices still ultimately required Qingyan City's approval.

And that was precisely where the great Lineages held their advantage.

But now, the Eastern Army had personally stepped in, and what had come was the elite Cavalry Division of the Garrison Battalion.

"Young Master, it is certainly good to prepare for a rainy day, but it has not reached such a terrible point yet. The Feng Clan is not the only Lineage in all of Qingyan City."

Uncle Zheng's aged face turned solemn as he forced himself to offer reassurance.

Feng Xiu said nothing. He merely lightly touched his right wrist with his left hand, reaching inward along his sleeve.

At last, from the inner lining of his sleeve, he drew out a stiff paper sheet about the size of his palm.

Its color had faintly yellowed. At its center was written a single character: "Seal."

It bore Qingyan City's great seal and had been issued by the River Law Bureau in the twelfth year of Tianfeng under Great Liang.

The River Law Seal.

It was the crucial certificate of water rights that had allowed the Feng Clan to prosper—and could allow it to rise again after a fall.

But now, it was basically no different from a scrap of wastepaper.

"Yes, there is indeed more than one Lineage. But that only makes it better~"

"If they want to suppress the rebellion, grant rewards, and stabilize that band of soldier-bandits, they need grain and money. But where will the money come from? Where will the land come from?"

At those words, Uncle Zheng opened his mouth, the wrinkles on his face trembling.

The atmosphere in the room instantly congealed. Both men fell into silent stillness.

"Perhaps Father was right. As troubled times gradually rise, entering the martial trade early would also let us transform early."

Feng Xiu sighed and placed the River Law Seal on the table again.

He rubbed his forehead and temples. This matter had already exceeded what he could handle.

He forcefully suppressed the vexation in his heart and stopped thinking about it, instead asking:

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. What has Shou Zhuo been doing lately?"

As he had said before, the Lineages of Qingyan City were not so easily controlled. It had not yet reached that point; thinking too much would only add to his troubles.

Uncle Zheng came back to himself, his expression changing slightly as an indescribable oddness appeared on his face.

"The Second Young Master... is in the training room."

Feng Xiu raised a brow. "He would be in the training room?"

"Looks like Xiao Han taught him well." Feng Xiu nodded again.

Uncle Zheng seemed to want to say something, but swallowed it back. He only said, "Young Master, you'll know once you go take a look."

Feng Xiu did not ask further and turned toward the training room.

The door to the training room was slightly ajar.

The instant he pushed it open, just as his foot crossed the threshold, a sharp whistle of something cutting through the air suddenly rang out!

A fist shot straight toward Feng Xiu's left ribs!

Feng Xiu instinctively raised his hand, his five fingers hooked like claws, and seized the person's wrist.

However, at the instant he was about to touch the other person's arm, Feng Xiu sensed something strange.

It was as if the skin were covered by an invisible membrane, soft yet resilient. When his force closed around it, nearly thirty percent of the strength was diverted away.

Feng Xiu immediately frowned and slightly tightened his fingers.

The instant his fingertips tore through the membrane, the invisible force upon it transformed into a small gray snake that bit toward him along his fingers!

Smack!

He crushed the gray snake shadow alive in his grip!

Then Feng Xiu twisted with the motion, yanking the attacker's arm hard toward him as his right knee viciously drove upward!

Bang!

The knee strike landed solidly against the attacker's chest.

"Hiss~" The man sucked in a cold breath and staggered back five or six steps before freezing in place.

Only then did Feng Xiu clearly see the man's face.

Shou Zhuo?

Feng Xiu was a little dumbfounded. His pupils contracted slightly as he carefully looked Shou Zhuo up and down.

His complexion was ruddy, his physique robust. The old flightiness and impetuosity had faded from his eyes. Simply standing there, he radiated an indescribable sharp competence.

This was fucking Feng Shouzhuo?

At that moment, Feng Shouzhuo rubbed his chest and grimaced in complaint. "Big Brother, you hit way too hard. It hurts like hell."

Feng Xiu ignored him and turned to look at the doorway.

Uncle Zheng wore a faint smile.

"The Second Young Master has already broken through to Blood Burning."

Blood Burning?

Even after hearing those words from Uncle Zheng, Feng Xiu still felt dazed.

I haven't even reached it, and you already advanced?

He knew Su Wantang had left him with a foundation, but this was fucking absurdly fast.

Thinking of the past month, Feng Xiu had not dared slacken in the slightest. Iron sand had scorched his hands, medicinal baths had seared his body, and he never missed a day.

As for Feng Shouzhuo, he had merely gotten laid once, slept, and opened his eyes to find himself at Blood Burning.

Feng Xiu truly did not know whether he should feel envy or jealousy.

Blood Burning was the first threshold of the martial path, the dividing line between wandering martial men. It was the realm that had trapped Uncle Zheng for his entire life.

It had only been a few days, and Feng Shouzhuo had already broken through?

Feng Xiu took a deep breath before slowly accepting the fact. His gaze swept over Feng Shouzhuo again.

Feng Shouzhuo grew a little uncomfortable beneath his stare and gave a dry laugh. "Big Brother, I..."

"Not bad, Feng Shouzhuo." Feng Xiu smiled. "You've even learned to ambush me."

The smile on Feng Shouzhuo's face stiffened.

"B-Big Brother, my hand was just itching for a moment. I wanted to try it out." He stammered out an explanation. "A misunderstanding. It was all a misunderstanding."

Seeing him like this, Feng Xiu's mouth twitched slightly.

Still the same coward.

He waved a hand and did not pursue the matter further.

At that moment, Uncle Zheng stepped forward, pulled a black, ancient-looking booklet from his robes, and handed it to Feng Xiu.

"Young Master, there is something this old servant must tell you." He paused. "This cultivation method was originally prepared for you.

But after the Second Young Master broke through to Blood Burning, this old servant thought to let him learn it first."

Feng Xiu took the booklet and lowered his head to look. Four large characters were boldly written on its cover.

Dragon Snake Martial Seal!