The One Behind It All Was the County Magistrate?

Lu Li thought it over, then headed toward the Huang Family. He hadn't taken leave today, so he still had to continue his watch.

Especially with things looking so grim for the Huang Family and the Wang Family, if he ran into one of the Huang Family's bigwigs, he'd probably have a hard time escaping with his life.

The woman went straight to the Huang Family's estate. She wound her way past the long, twisting corridors, rockeries, and ponds, and finally reached the Huang Family's assembly hall.

At that moment, the hall was in an uproar, with everyone shouting at once.

Curses and angry slaps on the table rang out amid the commotion.

The instant the woman stepped inside, the assembly hall fell completely silent.

Everyone's eyes turned to her, each with their own thoughts.

Huang He rose and came to her side, smiling kindly. "Haha, Yue'er, why didn't you let us know you were coming back? I could've gone to meet you. The Outer City is filthy and chaotic—and people even eat each other there."

"You're a young woman, so you should be careful."

Huang Rongyue smiled faintly. "Father, I'm already on the verge of reaching the Blood-Changing Realm. Do you really need to worry about my safety just because I'm coming home?"

She changed the subject and asked in confusion, "By the way, speaking of the Outer City, I saw people from Huang Mansion handing out porridge. What's that about?"

"Father, when I was little, I asked you to hand out porridge, but you always refused, saying it was a waste of money. What changed your mind? Have you finally learned to do good deeds?"

"Good deeds? Hmph. If it weren't for that assassin called Blood Ghost, would I be handing out porridge to that rabble?"

"Not a chance!" Huang He said disdainfully, with a hint of anger, though he hid it well.

He explained the whole story to Huang Rongyue. "That Blood Ghost is simply detestable."

"He killed Wang Ju, and the Wang Family are a bunch of useless drunkards."

"Afraid we'd swallow them up, they all went and pledged themselves to the county magistrate, agreeing to be his dogs for the rest of their lives!"

"Heh, if they do that, won't we be left with nothing to do?"

"Besides, we've given those peasants a meal. They ought to be grateful."

"If we're driven into a corner, we can still rally public opinion and leave ourselves a way out."

At that, the smile froze on Huang Rongyue's face. "I... see."

Sure enough, the Huang Family was still the same.

That high-and-mighty Huang Family, chasing fame and profit.

She had left the Huang Family to travel the martial world because she couldn't stand how they behaved. She wasn't some pampered young lady who looked down on everyone.

By a twist of fate, she had joined a sect and gained the powerful martial skills she had now.

"So you spent a fortune contacting the Wind and Rain Pavilion and hurriedly summoned me back so I could fight for you?" Huang Rongyue asked, her eyes dimming.

Huang He failed to notice his daughter's change in mood and went on talking to himself. "The Wang Family has bullied us right to our doorstep. They've even seized our Huang Family shops."

"The county magistrate is trying to put pressure on the Huang Family and make us and the Wang Family fight until both sides are crippled."

"If the Huang Family bows its head and plays the meek one, everyone will be happy."

"If we and the Wang Family both end up crippled, that'll make it easier for the county magistrate to control us."

"Either way, the county magistrate has nothing to lose."

"That's the bureaucracy for you. That's power. We're in a real bind."

"We'd thought about bowing our heads, but if we do, the balance will shift, and the Wang Family's strength will surely surpass ours."

"And besides..." He bowed toward the sky. "This is the foundation our ancestors left to the Huang Family."

"If it's destroyed in our hands, how will I face our ancestors when I go to join them?"

He looked at Huang Rongyue, his voice tinged with a plea. "Yue'er, you have to lend your father a hand."

Huang Rongyue was a hundred times unwilling.

But she had been born into the Huang Family. No matter what, she couldn't run away from her duty.

In the end, she could only nod gently and agree.

"By the way, I heard that you've traveled the martial world and made many friends there. Are any of them coming to help us?" Huang He asked with a smile.

Huang Yuerong shook her head, her expression earnest. "They all have things to do. They can't come."

"They all suddenly had things to do?" Huang He's smile faded, and his brows knit together.

Huang Yuerong nodded.

"How did you become friends with them?" Huang He asked.

"I treated them sincerely, and they treated me sincerely in return." Huang Rongyue blinked. "What is it, Father?"

Huang He's smile faded. "Do you really think they're sincere?"

Huang Rongyue nodded again.

Huang He was deeply disappointed. Looking into Huang Yuerong's clear, pool-like eyes, he let out a sigh.

"Yue'er, I thought traveling the martial world would teach you to be more streetwise. You... Ah, forget it. Have it your way."

"Remember to put yourself first, and stop trying to play the hero."

After giving Huang Rongyue a few tactful words of advice, he had her sit down, and they continued their discussion.

Lu Li walked into the courtyard where he stood watch.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Li Qing asked when he saw Lu Li.

"I ran into a stunning woman. She saw me being a hero and rescued me," Lu Li said casually, fobbing him off.

"Yeah, right." Li Qing rolled his eyes.

"You met a gorgeous woman? You must've been reading those romance stories backward."

"It's always a man rescuing a woman, but you've got a man rescuing a woman too and think you've come up with something original. You tell it like it really happened."

"You don't actually think I believed you, do you?"

"If you really did run into one, I'll eat three pounds of shit on the spot!"

"Right, guys?" He turned to his two brothers.

Perhaps because he thought Lu Li always acted high and mighty, Li Qing found it irritating that Lu Li seemed nonchalant no matter what happened. Unable to stand his airs, he often picked arguments with him.

Lu Li couldn't be bothered to answer. Li Qing's incessant chatter was as annoying as a sparrow's, so he simply closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, treating him like a fart and letting him go.

When Li Qing saw that Lu Li wasn't paying him any mind, the veins on his forehead bulged. He snorted and got down to business. "The young lady sent word for us to gather in the square."

Lu Li nodded slightly.

Seeing that Lu Li still looked completely unconcerned, as though he didn't care in the slightest, Li Qing blurted out everything he knew. "The Huang Family and the Wang Family are about to fight!"

"Oh," Lu Li said flatly.

Li Qing's fists clenched. He wanted nothing more than to beat Lu Li up on the spot, but managed to hold himself back.

He knew his strength was about even with Lu Li's. He had no chance of winning.

"Put on airs," Li Qing muttered under his breath.

"This time, it'll be all thunder and no rain again. They'll just put on a show, then it'll be over."

"Ugh, I don't even know who we're supposed to deal with. What a waste of time."

"Shut up! Be careful someone overhears you. The master will skin you alive!"

The old guards had started gossiping too, as if they'd been through this sort of thing many times before.

So they acted as if it had nothing to do with them and didn't care, continuing to brag and shoot the breeze without the slightest sense of danger.

Still, Wang Ju had died, and the Wang Family had dared to seize the Huang Family's territory. Such a stupid move couldn't have happened without someone backing them. Whatever anyone said, Lu Li didn't believe it.

He stood beneath the eaves, eyes closed in thought.

Suddenly, he remembered that the gangs were backed by the Wang Family and the Huang Family.

But who stood behind the Wang Family and the Huang Family?

The heads of both families were at the Organ-Refining Realm. Which family had the power to make them bow their heads and become dogs?

That power must be formidable, far stronger than both families. In Changfeng County, only one family fit the bill.

The county magistrate!

Lu Li's pupils contracted. Could it really be the county magistrate?

He looked at the guards, who seemed not to care in the least, and his heart sank.

It looked like the Huang Family was in for trouble.