Do Laborers Dare Harbor Hatred?

After a brief audience with his new disciples, Kang Dabao had no choice but to set off for the Pingrong County.

Even in the notoriously corrupt officialdom of the Immortal Dynasty in Cloud Horn Prefecture, Huo Bing, a Foundation Establishment, was notorious for being arrogant towards his subordinates and obsequious to his superiors, earning him a worrisome reputation among his many subordinates.

Although Sect Leader Kang Da had never dealt with him before, he had heard that he was a formidable superior, so he dared not delay any longer.

This thwarted Kang Dabao's original plan to focus on cultivation and wait until he reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer before venturing out.

Lately, he's been doing so many things against his will, which has almost made the resentment in Sect Leader Kang Da's heart overflow.

Throughout the journey, he acted like a useless woman, lamenting to himself that he was a lazy bum destined for toil, deprived of any enjoyment. He was summoned and dismissed at will, like an old donkey, yet utterly powerless.

Now, all I can do is wait and see if Uncle Black Shoes can make a big improvement in strength after he comes out of seclusion, so that he can easily kill Huo Bing, Tie Liuyun and the like, and vent my anger.

Just as Kang Dabao finished his daydream and entered the Pingrong County, he saw that Luo Heng, who was sitting in the main seat of the main hall, had completely lost his spirit and no longer showed any of the demeanor that he should have had as a first-class son-in-law of the Huo Household in Tanggu.

It seems that the fact that all the cultivators from the Luo family of Blackwood Fort who went into battle with Master Kang this time have died has indeed had a significant impact on him.

That's understandable. Anyone would be upset if half of their family members suddenly died, let alone Magistrate Luo Heng, whose troubles didn't end there.

The death of Sun Bingdou, an ally he had painstakingly won over, deeply saddened him.

After Luo Heng received a beating from Kang Dabao, Tie Xishan completely took control of all affairs in Pingrong County.

As a result, Luo Heng, who used to be a son-in-law in the Huo Household who dared not speak loudly, finally managed to secure an opportunity to be transferred to Pingrong County by doing everything he could to please the tigress.

Who would have thought that after arriving here and becoming a county magistrate, he would be bullied by Tie Xishan like a submissive wife? It was truly...

Luo Heng endured this kind of life for a long time. The reason he could still bear this humiliation and continue to persevere was because he hoped that Sun Bingdou would come back and support him.

The Huo Household has expanded too much, but their resources are too limited, so they can't devote much energy to a son-in-law.

Besides, Tie Xishan isn't some rootless Rogue Cultivator; his backer, Tie Liuyun, is currently riding high, frequently showing his face in front of the Earl of Nan'an.

If we're really talking about status, Tie Liuyun is now almost on par with the close associates like Acting Sima Gun who was brought from the capital by the Earl, and at most only one level lower than confidants like Sima Fei.

Huo Bing is far superior to such a person. Luo Heng has no reliable background. It's already a favor that Tie Xishan doesn't use his background to bully him.

Therefore, since neither of the Foundation Establishment forces behind the two are making a move, Luo Heng is still benefiting.

But having lost all his prestige after being beaten, if he wanted to remain in his position as Pingrong County and make a name for himself, he would naturally have to put more effort into winning over powerful allies.

Sun Bingdou was an elder from the Grass Witch Cult, and Luo Heng increased his stakes on him, not only paying a heavy price himself, but also dragging a key figure from the Huo Household into the mess, investing in Sun Bingdou.

Unexpectedly, Sun Bingdou died so quickly, leaving the Huo Household's head steward with nothing to lose.

In this way, not only did his powerful ally die in battle, but he also offended the Huo Household patriarch, whom he had finally managed to befriend. With these two major allies gone, Luo Heng would have virtually no chance of stirring up any trouble in Pingrong County in the future.

"It truly is a matter of timing and fate," Luo Heng said, his gaze towards Kang Dabao now chillingly calm.

"Why is it that this unremarkable, low-level sect leader can become the Fei Household's legitimate son-in-law, while I, who am far superior in appearance, family background, and cultivation, can only be a despised live-in son-in-law in the home of a small local tycoon in a border state?!"

He leaned back in his armchair, his calm demeanor masking endless regret. "If only things hadn't gotten complicated, and I had personally led the troops with Sima Fei to attack the Five Aspects Sect, like many other county magistrates, wouldn't I have been the one to gain your family's favor?"

Kang Dabao could read a hint of jealousy in Luo Heng's seemingly calm eyes. Seeing his expression of not daring to be angry or speak out, he suddenly found it somewhat amusing.

Imagine if Luo Heng hadn't chosen to strike at him to establish his authority; Kang Dabao, who was only thinking about surviving one more day, would never have made things difficult for him, and he wouldn't have ended up in such a state.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da had no sympathy for him; everyone chooses their own path.

The feud between the two runs deep enough that Kang Dabao will have to "repay" Magistrate Luo properly when he gets the chance in the future.

Unbeknownst to many, another person had come forward hoping that Huo Bing, this old Foundation Establishment, would die soon.

Moreover, unlike Luo Heng's frustration at missing the opportunity to make a contribution, Kang Dabao might not have accepted the task of leading troops to conquer the Five Aspects Sect Gate if he hadn't been tricked by this guy.

That was a chaotic battle involving over a thousand people, with hundreds killed or wounded. Kang Dabao was lucky to survive, but if he had really died, it would have been perfectly normal.

Sect Leader Kang Da was just lucky. If he were to lead his team up again, even with more thorough preparation, he might not be able to return unscathed.

If he's like this, then Luo Heng, whose abilities are even less than Kang Dabao's, is even less capable. The most likely outcome of him going into battle would only be to add another grave to the Luo family of Blackwood Fort.

That suits Sect Leader Kang Da's wishes quite well. If Luo Heng had truly chosen to personally lead the expedition, then none of the subsequent twists and turns would have happened to him.

Kang Dabao now holds the title of "the legitimate son-in-law of the Fei Household," which seems prestigious, but in reality, it's more like he's gotten the smell of mutton without actually eating it.

So much time has passed since the wedding, and he's even a little confused about whether Fei Shuhe's eyelids are single or double, yet he's still become the target of many cultivators' criticism.

This title usually brings bad things. For example, this time, Kang Dabao was summoned by a personal letter from Huo Bing of Cloud Horn Prefecture.

The saying goes, "People fear becoming famous, just as pigs fear growing fat."

The governor thought that since everyone was comfortable using Kang Dabao, a mere county lieutenant, why not use his direct superior as well?

As it happened, Sun Bingdou was devoured by the Gold-Devouring Rat this time, and most of the teachers selected and brought by Pingrong County last time were also eaten and killed, which greatly slowed down the progress of Spirit Stone mining.

It should be noted that this Spirit Stone mine was discovered in Tanggu County, and its importance is self-evident, so Governor Huo could not help but pay close attention to it.

As for whether Kang Dabao's family has had any trouble recently, or whether he has any free time, that's none of the governor's business. He's not the Huo Household's son-in-law.

Governor Huo was quite resentful of Kang Dabao's Yue Household. In front of Fei Nanying, he naturally had to carefully consider the timing of even breathing loudly, but could he really control Kang Dabao?

"Since you two are both clear about the matter, then I, Tie, will not go into further detail." Although Tie Xishan was sitting to Luo Heng's left, he adopted the demeanor of a head of the household. He paused here, and when he faced Kang Dabao alone, his tone became much more respectful.

"Two thousand more Skin Refining have been mustered by me. My brother's family has encountered a sudden misfortune, and he is now on duty. I should have taken his place, but this time the governor personally appointed him, so I cannot presume to do so."

The talisman shop that the Tie Household opened in Chongming Market was also destroyed by the beasts, but the person in charge of the family in the market was quick-witted and escaped quickly. In addition, the talismans of the family did not take up much space, so the loss was not significant.

Tie Xishan didn't complain at all, and even said frankly that once the Chongming Market was built, his family should be given a shop.

"Thank you for your trouble, my dear brother." Kang Dabao replied casually, not noticing that his address in Tie Xishan had been upgraded from "brother" to "brother".

On the contrary, thinking about Huo Bing's actions, Sun Bingdou had just died in Tanggu County, and Huo Bing was in a hurry to name himself, the eldest son-in-law of the Fei Household, to fill the vacancy, seemingly without any regard for Fei Nanying's feelings.

It is evident that the various forces under the Earl of Nan'an, even before they had fully established themselves in Cloud Horn Prefecture, were not a monolithic entity; each had its own ulterior motives.

However, upon closer reflection, it's not unusual; conflicts between locals and migrants are nothing new anywhere.

Although the local faction, represented by Huo Bing, could not compare to the cultivators from other regions who came from the capital, their numbers far exceeded those of the locals.

Both should be forces that Kuang Liuting relied on, so he never showed favoritism towards one over the other. However, the local faction was suppressed by the outside faction to the point that it could hardly make a sound.

The disparity in strength between the two sides is far from being so great, and the reason why the local faction has fallen to this state is perhaps because Huo Bing, an old Foundation Establishment, is the biggest weakness.

"No wonder those who want him dead the most are local factions like Tie Liuyun; they're unworthy of their positions." Kang Dabao naturally knew he shouldn't concern himself with the affairs of these important figures. He, a minor sect leader, county magistrate, and cultivator, was nothing more than a pawn that others could manipulate at will.

Tie Xishan led Kang Dabao out of the main hall. Neither of them thought of saying goodbye to Luo Heng before leaving. They ignored the sound of a cup being smashed behind them and went together to the training ground on the outskirts of the county.

Unlike the last time when cultivators were conscripted, the minor officials in the training grounds took the extra care to prepare some tea to serve them.

At this moment, the teachers were all shirtless, wearing only white trousers and gathered together.

The Sect Leader Kang Da glanced around and, seeing no female warriors, thought to himself that at least the lower-ranking officials still had some sense of propriety.

With winter approaching and a cold wind blowing, if these people didn't all have martial arts skills, they would probably freeze to death on the spot.

No matter what your reputation is, whether you're a "Heavenly Crippled Leg" or a "Heaven-Breaking Spear," Marrow-Refining Martial Ancestor or Skin Refining Mid-Level Warrior, no matter how impressive your name or how good your skills are, once you come here, you'll have no dignity left.

Once you're down in the mine, there's even less of that. Back then, this white trousers were worn out and tattered, and there was no guarantee that they'd be issued another one to change into.

The training ground, where two thousand people had gathered, should have been incredibly noisy due to the lack of discipline and organization, but it was now eerily quiet.

The martial artists below the stage endured the cold, watching Kang and Tie, dressed in their finest attire, stand on the platform. Their usual arrogance seemed to have been blown away by the cold wind, leaving them all looking like quails.

Seeing that the once unruly local tyrants and bullies had all become like this, speechless and devoid of courage, even Sect Leader Kang Da, who had grown accustomed to it all, felt a pang of sadness.

Away from friends and family, they were dragged out indiscriminately and unreasonably, herded together like livestock, and then stripped naked and made to stand together.

Don't you hate? Do you dare to hate?

A cold wind swept by, carrying a sense of desolation. A pang of sorrow rose in the heart of Sect Leader Kang Da, and he felt as if the golden-inscribed robe he was wearing had been blown away.

The Little Qi peeked out from the sleeve, but the cold wind made it shrink back, showing some displeasure, and it chirped softly for a while.

Looking at the round heads and naive looks of Xiaoqi and "Turtle Son", Kang Dabao seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly felt happy and said in his heart, "This can't be done. I don't seem to be wearing a calf jacket under my robe."

At this moment, the sorrow in his eyes had vanished, and his Daoist heart was as clear as jade and as pure as a spring.

After a while, the cold wind came again, but Jieyi didn't budge at all; instead, it blew away much of the dejected air about the fat man.

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