The Man Behind the Scenes is the County Magistrate?

Lu Li finished his thoughts and headed toward the Huang Family, intending to continue his shift since he hadn't asked for leave today.

Especially with the current situation between the Huang Family and the Wang Family being so precarious, he feared that running into any of the Huang Family's big shots would surely spell his doom.

The woman walked straight into the Huang Mansion, bypassing the winding corridors, rockeries, and ponds until she finally reached the main assembly hall.

At this moment, the hall was noisy and filled with heated debate.

The air was thick with shouting and the sound of fists slamming against tables.

The moment the woman stepped inside, the assembly hall fell deathly silent.

Every pair of eyes landed on her, each person harboring their own hidden thoughts.

Huang He stood up and walked to the woman's side, a loving smile on his face. "Haha, Yuerong, why didn't you send word that you were returning? I could have sent someone to fetch you. The outer city is far too filthy and chaotic—it's a place that eats people alive."

"You're a young lady; you really ought to be more careful."

Huang Rongyue smiled faintly. "Father, I'm already at the stage of tempering my blood. Do you really need to worry about my safety just for a trip home?"

She shifted the topic, asking with a hint of confusion, "But speaking of the outer city, I noticed someone at the Huang Mansion handing out porridge. What is that about?"

"Father, when I was a child and asked you to give out porridge, you always refused, calling it a waste of money. How did you have a change of heart and decide to do good deeds now?"

"Good deeds? Hmph, if it weren't for that assassin called Blood Ghost, would I be handing out porridge to those mud-legged peasants?"

"Don't even think about it!" Huang He's tone held a mix of disdain and suppressed anger, though he masked it well.

He recounted the sequence of events to Huang Rongyue: "This Blood Ghost is absolutely detestable."

"He killed Wang Ju, and the Wang Family is nothing but a bunch of spineless cowards."

"Fearing that our Huang Family would swallow them up, they actually went and threw themselves at the feet of the County Magistrate, promising to be his dogs for the rest of their lives!"

"Heh, if they do that, won't we lose our leverage?"

"It's just as well; at least giving those peasants a bite to eat might make them grateful."

"If we ever find ourselves backed into a corner, we can use public opinion as a shield to secure a way out."

Hearing this, the smile on Huang Rongyue's face stiffened. "So... that's how it is."

As expected, it was still the same Huang Family.

The same high-and-mighty, profit-driven Huang Family.

It was precisely because she couldn't stand the Huang Family's ways that she had never acted like a pampered young mistress.

That was why she chose to leave the Huang Family and wander the pugilistic world.

Through a stroke of luck, she had entered a sect and gained this powerful martial prowess.

"So, you spent a fortune to contact the Wind and Rain Pavilion and rushed me back just to have me intervene?" Huang Rongyue asked, her eyes dimming.

Huang He, failing to notice his daughter's strange mood, continued on his own. "The Wang Family has bullied us right to our doorstep; our shops have been seized outright."

"The County Magistrate is trying to put our Huang Family in its place, while simultaneously letting us and the Wang Family fight until we're both crippled."

"If our Huang Family bows our heads and plays small, then everyone is happy."

"If we and the Wang Family both end up crippled, it's even easier for the Magistrate to control two broken dogs."

"Either way, the Magistrate doesn't lose."

"This is officialdom, this is power—it's a massive headache for us."

"I wanted to bow my head, but if we do that, 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 for the Huang Family."

"If it's ruined in our hands, how could I face our ancestors when I go down below?"

He looked at Huang Rongyue, his tone carrying a hint of pleading. "Yuerong, you must lend your father a hand."

Huang Rongyue felt a hundred reasons to refuse.

But she had been born into the Huang Family, and no matter what, she could not escape her fate.

In the end, she could only nod her head in silent agreement.

"By the way, I heard that while wandering the pugilistic world, you made many friends. Did any of them come to help?" Huang He asked with a smile.

Huang Yuerong shook her head, her expression sincere. "They all had matters to attend to and couldn't come."

"They all had urgent matters?" Huang He's smile faded, his brows furrowing.

Huang Yuerong nodded.

"How did you even befriend these people?" Huang He asked.

"I treated them with sincerity, and they treated me with sincerity in return." Huang Yuerong blinked. "What's wrong, Father?"

Huang He's smile vanished completely. "Do you truly believe they were sincere?"

Huang Yuerong nodded once more.

Huang He was incredibly disappointed. Looking into Huang Yuerong's eyes, which were as clear as a deep pool, he let out a sigh.

"Yue'er, I thought that after traveling the jianghu, you would have grown a bit more worldly-wise. You... sigh, forget it, forget it. Do as you please."

"Remember to put yourself first and stop meddling in other people's business."

After offering these tactful words of advice to Huang Rongyue, he had her sit down so they could continue their discussion.

Lu Li walked into the guard courtyard.

"Huh? Why are you only just getting here?" Li Qing asked upon seeing Lu Li.

"I ran into a stunning woman and was saved by her righteous act," Lu Li said, brushing him off.

"Pfft, stop bragging." Li Qing rolled his eyes.

"You even claim you met a stunning beauty? You've got your storybooks backwards."

"It's always a man saving a woman. You flip it to a woman saving a man and think you're being innovative, acting like it's the gospel truth."

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

"If you really met someone like that, I'd eat three pounds of shit on the spot!"

"Don't you guys agree?" he said, turning to his two brothers.

Perhaps because he felt Lu Li always acted aloof and wore an indifferent expression no matter what happened, he found Lu Li's attitude pretentious and couldn't stand it, often seeking him out to bicker.

Lu Li couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind; he was as annoying as a chirping sparrow, so he simply closed his eyes to feign sleep, treating Li Qing like nothing more than a passing breeze.

Seeing that Lu Li ignored him completely, veins bulged on Li Qing's forehead. He snorted coldly and began to speak of the matter at hand: "The eldest miss has ordered us to assemble at the plaza."

Lu Li gave a slight nod.

Seeing that Lu Li still maintained his indifferent air, seemingly not caring in the slightest, Li Qing blurted out everything he knew: "The Huang Family and the Wang Family are about to go to war!"

"Oh," Lu Li replied flatly.

Li Qing's fists tightened, and he longed to beat Lu Li up right then and there, but he forced himself to hold back.

He knew that his strength was on par with Lu Li's, and he had no chance of winning.

"Pretentious," Li Qing muttered with a curl of his lip.

"It'll be all thunder and no rain again, just putting on a show before it blows over."

"Ugh, I don't know who we have to deal with, but isn't this just a waste of time?"

"Shut your mouth. Be careful someone hears you; the master will skin you alive if he finds out!"

The veteran guards began to chime in as well, as if they had done this many times before.

Consequently, they remained unconcerned and indifferent, continuing to boast and joke around, showing no sense of crisis.

However, Wang Ju from the Wang Family was dead, yet the Wang Family still dared to seize the Huang Family's territory. Lu Li didn't believe for a second that there wasn't someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.

He stood under the eaves, eyes closed in deep thought.

He suddenly recalled that the gangs were backed by the Wang Family and the Huang Family.

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

The heads of the Wang Family and the Huang Family were both in the Organ-Refining Realm. What kind of power could make them bow their heads and act like dogs?

That power must be immense, far exceeding the two great families, and there was only one family in Changfeng County that fit the bill.

The County Magistrate!

Lu Li's pupils constricted. Could it really be the County Magistrate?

He looked at the group of guards, all of whom were completely unconcerned, and his heart sank.

It looked like the Huang Family was in for a disaster.