Struggle for Power

"Haha, you're too kind, City Commandant. It's only right that we serve as ministers in the same court." Upon hearing Kang Dabao's words, the Fire Dragon Daoist's expression improved even more. The resentment he had received from Deng Baichuan and Xu Yingshi seemed to dissipate considerably, and he found the burly man in front of him incredibly pleasing to the eye.

Xu Yingshi was about to speak when he was interrupted by the arrival of the Sect Leader Kang Da. Then, seeing how humble the latter was in front of Fire Dragon Daoist, a mere Green Leaf Foundation Establishment, he looked down on him even more, gave a cold snort, and said nothing more.

Although Deng Baichuan was better-tempered, he showed no intention of trying to smooth things over. Meanwhile, Sect Leader Kang Da seemed oblivious to the unusual atmosphere and continued chatting warmly with Fire Dragon Daoist before turning his attention to Deng and Xu.

"You two have been working hard lately," Kang Dabao said with a warm smile and politeness.

"The city magistrate is exaggerating. It's just my duty to be loyal to the country." Xu Yingshi remained silent, but Deng Baichuan paused for a moment before reciting a formal reply.

"You brat, now you're thinking of loyalty to the country? Where were you when I was conscripted to fight the Five Aspects Sect disciples?" While inwardly grumbling, Sect Leader Kang Da maintained his smile and then asked, "Has the state court issued any decrees recently?"

"That's a question for Senior Fire Dragon." Deng Baichuan shook his head and looked at Fire Dragon Daoist. Kang Dabao and Xu Yingshi also turned their gazes to him, finally letting Fire Dragon Daoist experience the star-studded treatment that a Foundation Establishment senior should receive.

The old man with the unkempt hair mentally prepared his speech before speaking, "Sima Fei was very satisfied with the plan presented by Chief Strategist Deng, and was even more pleased to hear that Acting Commandant Xu had recently Bandit Cultivator out the bandits and robbers in the vicinity. Finally, he praised Market Commandant Kang for his decisive command."

"Get to the point!" The Fire Dragon Daoist's flattery did not satisfy Xu Yingshi. Before he could finish speaking, the latter interrupted him with glaring eyes.

This fueled the Fire Dragon Daoist's resentment even more. "What an arrogant little cultivator! If it weren't for the blood and flesh of the Dai County Xu Household clinging to you, see how this old Daoist would deal with you this time!"

However, his thought was fleeting. Since the Fire Dragon Daoist had been able to kneel down and accept the state court's offer of amnesty, he was certainly not someone who didn't cherish his life.

Therefore, even if a disciple from Nascent Soul clan like Xu Yingshi were to speak offensively, he wouldn't dare to lay a finger on him.

So the Fire Dragon Daoist could only force a smile on his face, thinking to himself that serving these young masters was really difficult, and that it was much more enjoyable to kill and rob when he was Black Ghost Bandits.

"Sima Fei sent me to inform the three of you that since the market has been fully prepared, we should first select an auspicious day for the opening and submit it to the Sima Office. If the two Simas are available on that day, they will surely attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony." The Fire Dragon Daoist briefly explained his words. The three of them had different thoughts and responded with a "yes," without saying anything more.

"The auspicious opening date wasn't reported to the governor's office, but directly to the Sima Office." Sect Leader Kang Da was surprised to hear this, thinking that Sima Fei didn't even want to go through the formalities with Huo Bing anymore.

Matters concerning the livelihood and commerce of Double Brightness Trade Market should not be handled by Sima Fei, a mere military officer. Yet now he is directly bypassing the governor's office and taking over its management.

I wonder if Huo Bing has been humiliated by his colleagues one by one, still has any good flesh left on his face? This old man was already in decline, and in previous years even Tie Liuyun, who was also from the local faction, had repeatedly bullied him. With Sima Fei's actions, the Foundation Establishment of Cloud Horn Prefecture will probably take him even less seriously.

"That's good. This way, he won't have time to investigate the matter of me sleeping with his distant niece." Sect Leader Kang Da thought to himself. Because he was almost killed in the Spirit Stone mine in Tanggu County by Huo Bing last time, Kang Dabao really had no good feelings towards Huo Bing, this old Foundation Establishment.

There were also a series of events involving helping the Kuai Household and the Huo Household compete, which suggests that Sect Leader Kang Da was not a good person in Huo Bing's eyes either. If the latter really died earlier, it would be a good thing for Kang Dabao, at least in a small way.

"It's a small matter, we juniors will handle it well, no need for Senior Fire Dragon to worry about it. We've already sent people to prepare the cave abode dwelling, and we've brought in a mid- Second-Tier Middle-Grade Spirit Vein, which is perfect for your cultivation, Senior." Deng Baichuan made a gesture of invitation, and Fire Dragon Daoist knew that he was telling him to leave.

"I've lived for almost two hundred years, and I've been chased away by three brats. They really think they can use me, their Daoist master, as a thug." The Fire Dragon Daoist was even more dissatisfied, but he still didn't dare to make a scene. He could only slink away with the servants.

"You are at least Foundation Establishment, fellow Daoists. Be careful not to humiliate yourselves too much." As soon as Fire Dragon Daoist stepped out the door, Sect Leader Kang Da inside the room wiped the smile off his face and looked at his two colleagues with a serious expression.

"Let the City Commandant know that our Great Wei Immortal Dynasty is very large. Not all Qi Refinement cultivators in the world are as afraid of Foundation Establishment as your fellow cultivators in Cloud Horn Prefecture. The Ninth Prince is only twelve years old, yet he fought three Foundation Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment alone with his Qi Refinement body and won a great victory." Xu Yingshi's words were full of sarcasm.

Back when they attacked and destroyed the Five Aspects Sect, Kang Dabao was merely a pawn obeying orders under him. Unexpectedly, after the battle, Kang Dabao received commendation from the state court, while Xu Yingshi was reprimanded by the Sima.

That wasn't all; the Ying Prefecture Fei Household actually wanted to marry off their daughter. Not content with marrying off their illegitimate daughter first, they switched her off with their legitimate daughter at the wedding banquet.

To be fair, even someone like Xu Yingshi, with his background, would envy such an opportunity.

After all, the Fei Household was renowned throughout the land, and since the establishment of this dynasty, countless princesses and noblewomen had emerged from their lineage. Although Xu Yingshi came from a prominent family, he was only born into a concubine's branch.

Even if you go back dozens or hundreds of generations, you can still find Nascent Soul ancestor, but if you want to marry the legitimate daughter of the Fei Household, you still need to be of a certain caliber.

If it weren't for the scarcity of fame and fortune, why would he have left the prosperous capital region to come to this lowly place Cloud Horn Prefecture, to seek his fortune?

Xu Yingshi had spent countless efforts to slightly salvage his image in front of the two Sima, and finally managed to secure a lucrative posting in Double Brightness Trade Market, only to find that Kang Dabao, that eyesore, had become his superior again.

It's unclear whether the Acting Sima Gun in charge of appointing guards to external posts did it on purpose, but for Xu Yingshi, it was truly disgusting. It would be strange if he could have a good attitude towards Kang Dabao.

Sect Leader Kang Da couldn't discern the many emotions in Xu Yingshi's heart, but anyone with eyes could see that the other party disliked him, so he didn't argue with Xu Yingshi about the flaws in his words.

How many Qi Refinement cultivators in the world can compare to the Ninth Prince, a prince of noble birth? Let alone a Qi Foundation Establishment Qi Refinement, even Golden Core Nascent Soul fighting a Nascent Kang Dabao.

Most people in this world are just mediocre. Fighting across levels is not an easy thing. Most of the time, it is the norm for someone at the First Layer of Qi Refining to Qi Refining Second Layer.

Xu Yingshi and Deng Baichuan are arrogant and look down on Foundation Establishment True Cultivator Fire Dragon Daoist because of their background. Sooner or later, they will suffer a great loss.

Although the Green Leaf Foundation Establishment is considered practically Dao Path by high-level cultivators, in a remote and undeveloped place like Cloud Horn Prefecture, how many people can successfully Foundation Establishment on their own and be considered easy to deal with?

Sect Leader Kang Da is not their teacher, so there's no need for him to offer any advice. After all, if something really happens, it can't be blamed on him.

Kang Dabao was always cautious, and even though he wished he could glare the Fire Dragon Daoist to death with his Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes, he still put on a respectful demeanor.

After all, if the current Sect Leader Kang Da wanted to deal with a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, the best way would be to ask the Daoist Black Shoes for help. However, the Daoist Black Shoes had truly gone into seclusion since failing to capture Chen Ye last year.

This presents a difficult situation. If the Daoist Black Shoes cannot move, even if Sect Leader Kang Da Chongming Sect, practices their combined attack formation for a year or two, and then confronts the Fire Dragon Daoist head-on, they will most likely still suffer a crushing defeat.

Revenge is not something that can be accomplished in a short time. The opponent is a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator whom the Chongming Sect has failed to produce for generations. We need to plan this carefully.

Kang Dabao ignored Xu Yingshi's words and turned his gaze to Deng Baichuan. This handsome young man carrying a long sword came from a small clan and had come to Double Brightness Trade Market under the instruction of his master. Unlike Xu Yingshi, he would not let his emotions affect his business.

Facing the gaze of Sect Leader Kang Da, Deng Baichuan merely coughed once, then waved his hand, and the tightly closed side door opened by itself without any wind.

Feng En, the truly hardworking and dedicated chief accountant of Double Brightness Trade Market, appeared before the three men carrying a stack of Jade Slip. He bowed and greeted them, saying, "Greetings, Market Commandant, Acting Commandant, and Chief Accountant."

"No need for formalities. The Sima Office sent a letter saying they want us to choose an auspicious day for the market's opening. Tell me, is there anything else that needs to be done, so we can have another suggestion?"

Aside from trying to recruit some profitable businesses to operate here during his time in Double Brightness Trade Market, Deng Baichuan hasn't accomplished anything of substance.

However, Deng Baichuan could not be considered a completely hands-off manager. Before Feng En arrived, he had already reported many matters to him separately.

The reason Deng Baichuan summoned Feng En again was that although the power to build the market had been secretly usurped by the two men sent by the Acting Sima Gun, Kang Dabao and Xu Yingshi were still the top two leaders of Double Brightness Trade Market on the surface. If they didn't know many things, it would be too much.

In addition, Acting Sima Gun is a capable person. After all, Kang and Xu are not rogue Rogue Cultivator without any foundation. Acting Sima Gun will not be stingy with the benefits that should be shared.

"Thanks to the blessings of the two Sima (military commanders) and the diligence of the two Market Commanders, the construction of Double Brightness Trade Market is almost complete. There are thirty large shops and one hundred small shops, all of which have been leased. The shortest lease is for ten years, and the longest is for half a century. As a result, we have already recovered more than ninety percent of the public funds used to build the market."

Sect Leader Kang Da was good at keeping accounts, and he narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

Although the state government spent a lot of Spirit Stone to build Double Brightness Trade Market, the Sect Leader Kang Da had inspected all the shops in the market before the rent was offered, and had also discussed it with Feng En, so he was quite impressed.

At the time, Kang Dabao felt that the rent for these shops was not low and that they would be difficult to rent out. He even argued with Feng En about it. But then the state government sent word that the rent would be even higher and there would be no problem finding tenants.

Although Sect Leader Kang Da was easily swayed and gave the wrong advice.

If what Feng En said is true, Double Brightness Trade Market has collected rent for so many years, then the cost of construction should have been recovered long ago. How could it only be 90%?

Before Feng En could finish speaking, Kang Dabao was about to ask a question when Deng Baichuan handed over two golden Storage Bag, one for each of Kang and Xu.

With just a quick scan using his Divine Sense, Sect Leader Kang Da saw thirty mid-grade Spirit Stone neatly lying in his Storage Bag. He didn't know how many were in Xu Yingshi's bag, but judging from the satisfied look on his face, Kang Dabao knew it wasn't a small number.

"The two Sima were very pleased to hear of this, saying that everyone had worked hard and this was a special reward. You two can rest assured and accept it; it's nothing." Deng Baichuan had a smile on his face, but he was actually paying close attention to the changes in the two men's expressions. If there was anyone who was being ungrateful, he would report to the Sima Office as a precaution.

"I see." Sect Leader Kang Da laughed and accepted the gift without hesitation. Back when he was a parasite in the Spirit Stone mine, he thought that the Huo Household was destined to fall because of descendants like Huo Chun who enriched themselves at the expense of the public. He never thought that these big shots from the Capital Circuit were all the same.

Upon further reflection, it's not surprising. If the officials of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty were all selfless and dedicated, how could their Kuang Household's empire have fallen into such a precarious state?

It cost three thousand Spirit Stone just to silence Kang Dabao, a minor character. With so many officials in the Sima Office taking a cut, who knows how much money must have been wasted.

Not to mention that the two Sima (military commanders) naturally took the lion's share. It's not surprising that after collecting rent for so many years, Double Brightness Trade Market still had a 10% shortfall in construction costs.

Taking these Spirit Stone might not be too much for you. Since you two Sima dared to take them, you must have your own ways of balancing the accounts.

Even if things go wrong, the blame will most likely not fall on Sect Leader Kang Da.

After all, he was a "loyal and righteous man" personally praised by the Earl of Earl of Nan'a Kuang Liuting. If he were to be exposed and labeled a "corrupt official," wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the Earl?

In Cloud Horn Prefecture, how different is there between slapping the Earl's face and raising the flag in rebellion?

Since even the well-off Sect Leader Kang Da had accepted it, Xu Yingshi, who had come to Cloud Horn Prefecture alone to make a fortune, naturally didn't find the Spirit Stone too hot to handle. He happily accepted them, looking at Feng En with eyes full of anticipation.

Ideally, they would read out a sentence and then seal a Storage Bag.

After carefully examining the expressions of the two men, Deng Baichuan felt much relieved. He put away the pen, knife, and Jade Slip hidden in his sleeve and gestured for Feng En to continue.

What Feng En recounted next bored Xu Yingshi somewhat: how many shops in the market sold spirit grains and spirit rice, and at what prices; how many alchemy shops and artifact shops were there, and how they were located; how many brothels were there...

Upon hearing this, Xu Yingshi became interested, since he would most likely be a VIP in the future, so it was normal for him to be concerned about the price.

Unfortunately, Feng En only briefly touched upon the part that Acting Commandant Xu was most concerned about. After finishing his explanation, he brought up another matter. "The market Thief-Catching Office has not yet been established, and the two market officers will need to pay more attention to this."

Kang Dabao and Xu Yingshi both sharpened their eyes upon hearing this, realizing that this must be the arrangement made by the two Sima above, who had Deng Baichuan and Feng En in charge of the distribution of supplies, while the two of them were to gather men to form a bandit-catching team and jointly manage the armed forces of the market.

However, this matter may not be easy to do. The Fire Dragon Daoist's praise of Xu Yingshi for saying that he had recently swept away all the bandits Bandit Cultivator in the vicinity was nothing but empty talk.

Even if Xu Yingshi's trips were merely perfunctory, and even if he had truly brought all the criminals in the vicinity to justice, those three types of cultivators— Bandit Cultivator, bandit cultivators, and Evil Cultivator— would be like grass on a plain, able to spring back to life after the spring breeze.

There are no entry barriers for these three categories, and people can switch freely between them. It would not be surprising if an ordinary Rogue Cultivator suddenly joined one of them.

Xu Yingshi was, he was still just a Qi Refinement cultivator. How could he possibly have the ability to wipe them out in such a short time?

The world is becoming increasingly chaotic. In recent years, many Foundation Establishment disciples who have lost the protection of their sects after their temples and mountains have been destroyed by the state government have started to kill and rob. As a result, the lives of ordinary families and Rogue Cultivator in Cloud Horn Prefecture have become even more difficult.

With such a large operation in Double Brightness Trade Market, it's natural that a reliable military force needs to be readily available to handle the situation.

According to the higher-ups, the purpose of this planned Thief-Catching Office is likely that Kang Dabao and Xu Yingshi will jointly manage it.

Even beggars going out together to beg for food have to agree on who gets the first bite. So, after this group was formed, whether it belonged to the Kang or Xu family became a point of contention.

Xu Yingshi's eyes immediately flashed with ferocity, while the Xu Yingshi Sect Leader Kang Da was somewhat intimidated by his glare. If he had known about this, he would have brought Jiang Qing along as well. With the three of them working together, even if they couldn't defeat this reckless and ruthless person, they should at least be able to protect themselves.

Now, things seem a bit troublesome.

"What, does the fake lieutenant want to have a duel with me?" The atmosphere was tense, but Kang Dabao pretended to be calm and chuckled.

Xu Yingshi snorted, offering no reply, his gaze unwavering.

Deng Baichuan stepped forward with a smile and said softly, "Please don't be in a hurry, gentlemen. My master said long ago that we should first set up the Thief-Catching Office, and then he will take a look."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yingshi's gaze softened. The senior official, Acting Sima Gun, who had fought his way up from a lowly soldier to his current position, held a much higher place in his heart than someone like Fire Dragon Daoist, who was only at the Foundation Establishment. Xu Yingshi would naturally listen to him.

Since the Acting Sima Gun wanted the two of them to first establish the Thief-Catching Office, it meant that they would have to enlist in the army and then undergo an examination.

Having suffered enough from the lax discipline of soldiers on the battlefield Xu Yingshi frowned. If he were to bring in another group of Rogue Cultivator and hastily form an army, it would likely not meet Sima's approval.

But he's unfamiliar with the area; where can he find anyone?

Xu Yingshi could think of this, Sect Leader Kang Da would naturally have thought of it as well.

However, after experiencing a series of events such as the conquest of the Caishi Wang Household, the destruction of the Five Aspects Sect, and the attack on the market by the Three Incense Cult beasts, the original power situation in Pingrong County has been basically reshuffled. Many forces that were once close to the Chongming Sect have suffered considerable losses and are probably unable to spare any manpower.

"Besides our own disciples, where else can we find some reliable people?" Sect Leader Kang Da also fell into deep thought.

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