Chapter 116: Chapter 40: Pushing People Too Far

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Clatter!

In front of him, his direct disciples, Ouyang Tiezhu, Niu Daping, Dong Zizhuang, and Wushili took a synchronized step forward, glowering with anger.

The already tense atmosphere became charged like a drawn bow.

Wang Yanjun felt confident and without fear, her thumb pushing the hilt of her sword up slightly, "Master Li, a wise man submits to circumstances."

Li Linfeng's expression turned icy as a fiery rage began to rise from the depths of his heart.

Just as this rage was about to erupt, Li Linfeng, seasoned by frequent dealings with the county government, managed to muster some rationality and suppress the rising fury. Read further stories on m-vlem|p-yr

Li Linfeng was aware that Wang Yanjun was not merely a squad leader of the Guardian Martial Department. Behind her stood the Great Zhou Court, with County Magistrate Chu Yiwu, a martial master in the Qi Hai Realm, backing them up.

They were not someone he could afford to provoke.

Not to mention, Wang Yanjun's cultivation was in the Qi Cultivation Realm, on par with his own.

No matter how aggrieved he felt, he could only endure it.

The glaring eyes of Li Linfeng gradually softened, and his tone became more measured, "I can provide at most two direct disciples, five from the Inner Court, and fifteen from the Outer Court to your cause."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Linfeng's gaze sharpened, and an imposing air of solemnity exuded from him.

Seeing that she had pushed Li Linfeng far enough, Wang Yanjun suddenly sheathed her sword, her face breaking into a congenial smile. She gave a fist and palm salute, "Master Li is indeed righteous. I thank you on behalf of the people in the county. Now that we have an agreement, let's meet outside the West City Gate tomorrow morning at the Mao Hour; together with the heroes of Linfeng Hall, we will ascend the mountain to hunt the tiger."

Li Linfeng, his face expressionless, issued a dismissal, "Do you have any other business, squad leader? If not, then I shall see you out."

Unperturbed, Wang Yanjun adjusted the sword at her waist, leading the other officials and officers from the Guardian Martial Department out with a stride, "I appreciate your effort, Master Li."

"This is too much,"

As soon as Wang Yanjun and the others left, the impetuous Dong Zizhuang couldn't keep the frustration at bay and started to curse vehemently.

But he also knew that under someone else's roof, one must bow their head.

Facing the formidable Zhou Dynasty Court, there was nothing they could do.

An arm could never twist a thigh.

After a while, when everyone's emotions had steadied, Li Linfeng said to the group, "Ouyang and Xiao Wu were injured not long ago, so this time you two, Daping and Zizhuang, will take people there."

"The road may be dangerous; both of you should bring handy weapons. Once this is over, you no longer have to give the usual tribute; no more needed."

Niu Daping and Dong Zizhuang glanced at each other and replied in unison, "Yes, Master."

The next day.

When Shen Qing returned to Linfeng Hall, he found the entire courtyard eerily silent, with only a sparrow at the door.

There were only a few people listlessly practicing their moves inside the hall.

After inquiring briefly, Shen Qing learned about the events of the previous day from Ouyang Tiezhu.

"They didn't take us seriously at all," Ouyang Tiezhu complained angrily as he pointed at the wooden dummy, "Damn it!"

Shen Qing said nothing, silently hanging his head.

He knew that complaining was useless.

This world speaks through deeds and power.

Wang Yanjun was skilled, and with the powerful county government behind her, she naturally stood tall. Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

In contrast, Li Linfeng had no such backing, his cultivation realm was no match, leaving him with little confidence.

Seeing Shen Qing's mute frustration, Ouyang Tiezhu found it dull and ceased to say more, sighing deeply before leaving the inner courtyard.

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In the following days, even though Linfeng Hall faced substantial difficulties, Li Linfeng still fulfilled his promise to Shen Qing.

Every day, Shen Qing could almost always enjoy a nutritious medicinal meal and soak in a pricey medicinal bath, his cultivation progress visibly speeding up.

Before one knew it, over a month had passed.

In this period, Shen Qing's various martial arts cultivation proceeded in stride, with rapid progress.

He had cultivated the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill to the third transformation, which could be considered incredibly fast.

Every time his Qi-Blood reversed, the moves he punched out burned even hotter, even showing hints of red light, as if leaving traces of combustion.

If controlled well, he could even compress the side effects to within two breaths.

Moreover, his cultivation of the Blood Dominance Technique, Dragon Roar Iron Cloth Shirt, and Wind Defying Finger did not lag behind, rendering his tendons and muscles as formidable as a mountain.

There was a knock on the door.

Shen Qing stopped his cultivation and called out, "Come in."

Standing at the door, Tian Xiaohu, carrying a cloth bag, came in and said, "This is the monthly fee collected for this month."

Taking it over, Shen Qing frowned and said, "This little?"

He could feel that there were at most ten taels silver inside, more than half less than before, not to mention that the area they collected protection fees from had even expanded.

Tian Xiaohu said helplessly, "For some reason lately, many people are either trying to move to the Inner City or leaving Taiping County. The population in the shantytown has diminished compared to a few months ago, so naturally, we couldn't collect much money."

The situation in Taiping County seemed to be getting worse.

Shen Qing asked, "Those who came with us from Hongshan Village, did many of them move to the Inner City?"

"Almost half of them moved there," Tian Xiaohu replied truthfully.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Qing said, "These next few days, take a good look around the city for a suitable residence. Let's also move there. After all, the Inner City walls are high and thick, which is always safer. Remember we're looking to rent, not buy. With the current instability in Taiping County, house prices are unreliable, and buying would not be worthwhile."

"Okay, I'll go inquire about it right away," Tian Xiaohu agreed without a second thought.

"Go on, and after you're done, focus on your cultivation."

Tian Xiaohu nodded and withdrew.

Shen Qing calculated the time in his head, and it had been almost a month and a half. The fifty shi bow he had Ruan Pottery Master forge should almost be ready.

He took the already prepared silver taels and golden leaves from home and placed them in front of his chest before leaving the shantytown.

Walking on the grand streets of the Inner City, Shen Qing noticed that the number of pedestrians was at least thirty percent less than usual, and the once lively atmosphere had dwindled considerably.

The surrounding air was filled with foul odors like urine, sweat, and other unpleasant smells.

Glancing downward, Shen Qing spotted a fresh puddle of sewage on the road ahead, a yellowish stain running across the whole street.

He had to leap over to avoid stepping into the mess.

Some people failed to notice the puddle in time, stepping into it and leaving a long trail of footprints on the ground, which made the already foul stench even more pervasive.

As Shen Qing held his breath and did his best to avoid these footprints, he was oblivious that others had set their sights on him.

A man dressed plainly brushed past him, and Shen Qing suddenly realized that his chest felt lighter.

The silver that he had brought from home was now gone without a trace.

Shen Qing immediately snapped out of his thoughts, reacting swiftly.

Before the other could pull away, he grabbed the man's wrist, his hand gripping like an iron clamp.

"Good sir, have you taken something of mine?"