Chapter 31: Chapter 31: A Lion Uses Its Full Strength Even to Hunt a Rabbit

Chen Sheng’s decision to reveal his background to Wu Kuang at this moment was a carefully considered one.

First, just as Wu Kuang had said, they desperately needed a breakthrough to sow discord among the three great families and their potential alliance.

And the reason of "avenging a father’s murder" was naturally colored by a strong personal vendetta, enough to isolate the Gao Family to a certain extent and make them the primary target.

This plan might not be enough to break up their alliance, but it could perhaps convince the other two families to stand aside and watch the tigers fight from a safe distance.

Second, Chen Sheng knew full well that his origins were not untraceable. As his fame grew in Changshan County, he would inevitably attract the scrutiny of various factions.

Rather than being investigated and passively falling under suspicion in the future, it was better to confess to Wu Kuang proactively. This would both demonstrate his sincerity and transform a potential liability into a cornerstone of mutual trust.

After hearing this, Wu Kuang’s many doubts were instantly cleared up.

He finally understood why Chen Sheng was so indifferent to wealth, yet so fixated on annihilating the Seven Stars Gang.

Putting himself in Chen Sheng’s shoes, he figured he would probably also stop at nothing if he had suffered such a bloody feud.

Therefore, he felt no anger at having been kept in the dark. On the contrary, his estimation of Chen Sheng rose—the young man’s ability to endure until now, planning meticulously before making a move, truly showed his exceptional character.

Outwardly, however, he kept his expression stern and feigned displeasure. "You should have informed me of such an important matter sooner! Had I known the reason, I would certainly have helped you claim your vengeance long ago."

"It was this subordinate’s lack of foresight and excessive hesitation. Please forgive me, Your Excellency."

Chen Sheng was quick to play along, immediately bowing to ask for forgiveness.

"Enough."

Wu Kuang waved a hand, his expression softening. He tapped his fingers on the desk, lost in thought. "Since that’s the reason, things will be much easier to handle. Vengeance for a murdered father is a debt that cannot be shared under the same sky. No one can fault you for it. Using this as a pretext, we can certainly make some moves..."

He knew full well that the Gao Clan alone was not to be feared. But if the three great families were a monolithic bloc, joining forces to oppose the Government Office, the situation would become exceedingly thorny.

The most crucial thing now was to find a way to break their alliance, divide and conquer them, and defeat them one by one. Only then could they truly weaken the power of these local tyrants.

The two of them conspired in the study for a long time, and it was not until the dead of night that Chen Sheng finally took his leave.

Meanwhile, news of the Seven Stars Gang’s annihilation had already caused a tremendous uproar in Changshan County Town.

The Seven Stars Gang, which had been entrenched in North City for years with the Gao Clan as their backer, had been uprooted in a single day by the North City Military Camp!

The news seemed to grow wings, spreading rapidly to every corner of the county town and shaking all the various factions.

Chen Sheng’s name, along with this clean and decisive extermination campaign, once again resounded throughout the county. For a time, his prominence was unmatched.

In the Gao Family estate, however, the atmosphere was the complete opposite of the outside clamor—it was so oppressive it was suffocating.

The meeting hall was brightly lit, but the light could not dispel the gloom that pervaded it.

First, a scion of the Direct Lineage, Gao Qiheng, was killed. Now, their important arm, the Seven Stars Gang, had been wiped out. The Government Office’s intentions toward the Gao Family were now laid bare.

Although the Gao Family had been the first to provoke them, the Government Office’s retaliation was so ruthless and unforgiving that it sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the Gao Family.

Patriarch Gao Yuanfeng’s face was as dark as still water.

Wu Kuang’s undisguised warning in the county government office earlier today still rang in his ears, making him keenly feel the imminent crisis.

As the head of the clan, he was responsible for the lives and fortunes of several hundred clansmen. He absolutely could not allow the Gao Family’s foundation to be destroyed.

It was for this very reason that he had suppressed his rage, urgently recalled his third brother, Gao Yuanhe, who had nearly clashed with Chen Sheng, and chosen to temporarily avoid a direct confrontation.

The Gao Family could not bear the pressure from the Government Office alone. The Huang and Yang Families had to be dragged into the water with them; no one could think of staying out of it!

He had already sent men to invite the patriarchs of the other two families to discuss matters.

While they waited, Gao Yuanhe’s brows were tightly furrowed, his mind replaying the scene of his confrontation with Chen Sheng during the day. The more he thought about it, the more he felt an inexplicable familiarity in the contours of Chen Sheng’s eyes and brows. A vague, hard-to-place suspicion lingered in his heart.

"Third Brother, what’s troubling you so?"

Gao Yuanfeng noticed his brother’s strange behavior and asked.

Gao Yuanhe let out a long breath and voiced the strange feeling in his heart:

"Big Brother, I keep feeling like I’ve seen that Chen Sheng somewhere before. His eyes and brows, especially—the more I think about them, the more familiar they seem..."

"Oh? Who does he resemble?" Gao Yuanfeng’s curiosity was piqued.

Gao Yuanhe closed his eyes, searching desperately through his memories. Time ticked by. After about a hundred breaths, he suddenly snapped his eyes open, a sharp glint in them as he blurted out:

"Chen Xingzhou! It’s Chen Xingzhou! Big Brother, the look in that brat’s eyes—he’s practically a spitting image of Chen Xingzhou!"

Chen Xingzhou... Chen Sheng...

When these two names were connected, the Gao Yuanfeng brothers exchanged a look, their expressions turning grim. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Big Brother, do you think this Chen Sheng could be that son Chen Xingzhou was raising in secret back then?" Gao Yuanhe’s voice was low, laced with a hint of disbelief.

The Gao Family had known back then that Chen Xingzhou had a son being raised secretly, but he was hidden so well that even few within the Seven Stars Gang knew about it.

After eliminating Chen Xingzhou, they had instructed Ma Changhai to cut the weeds and dig up the roots—to find and deal with this son at all costs.

Unfortunately, the boy vanished as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth. The long search yielded nothing. Later, with Yang Kaisu’s suicide, the trail went completely cold, and the matter was eventually dropped.

Half a year had passed, and they had almost forgotten about this hidden threat.

"They both have the surname Chen, their ages match, and their appearances are so similar... It seems almost certain."

Gao Yuanfeng’s eyes were sinister as his fingers tapped unconsciously on the back of his chair. "No wonder this brat is so hostile towards Qiheng and the Seven Stars Gang. So he wants to avenge his father! Hmph, Chen Xingzhou’s son really has some skills. In just half a year, he managed to transform himself into a government official and dares to storm back into Changshan County to stir up trouble."

His tone grew colder, his killing intent palpable. "But if he thinks this is some storybook tale of fortunes reversed, that he can stage a grand comeback, then he is sorely underestimating my Gao Family."

"Big Brother, I’ll go kill him now and eliminate this threat for good!"

Gao Yuanhe shot to his feet, radiating killing intent.

"Wait."

Gao Yuanfeng raised a hand to stop him. "Of course we must kill him, but the Gao Family doesn’t necessarily have to do it ourselves. The Huang and Yang Families have been watching from the sidelines for long enough. It’s time they contributed."

Gao Yuanfeng was crystal clear in his mind: assassinating a Military Camp commander appointed by the court was a grave matter.

If the Gao Family were to handle this alone and provoke the frenzied retaliation of the Government Office, the Huang and Yang Families would likely stand back and reap the benefits. He absolutely could not put the Gao Family in such a precarious position.

Though Gao Yuanhe was unwilling, he understood his brother’s concerns and could only sit back down in frustration, his killing intent toward Chen Sheng burning even more intensely.

Before long, Patriarch Huang Dongchun of the Huang Family and Patriarch Yang Yi of the Yang Family arrived together.

After exchanging pleasantries, Gao Yuanfeng recounted in detail the day’s events: the destruction of the Seven Stars Gang and Wu Kuang’s open provocation. In his telling, he deliberately portrayed Wu Kuang’s actions as an attack aimed at suppressing all the local magnates.

As for the personal grudge between Chen Sheng and the Gao Family, he glossed over it with a casual mention.

He had to make the Huang and Yang Families realize that Wu Kuang’s blade was pointed at all of them. Only then could he bind them securely to the same war chariot.

As expected, after hearing Gao Yuanfeng’s account, the faces of both Huang Dongchun and Yang Yi darkened.

"It seems this County Captain Wu is dead set on not cooperating."

"If we don’t strike back, I fear he will only push his luck further. By then, I’m afraid we will know no peace."

Seeing that the time was right, Gao Yuanfeng chimed in:

"You both are absolutely right. Killing Wu Kuang is too risky; it would easily provoke the wrath of the Prefecture City. But if we don’t teach him a lesson he’ll never forget, he’ll really start thinking he can do whatever he wants in this Changshan County."

"Brother Gao, what brilliant idea do you have?" Huang Dongchun’s gaze shifted to Gao Yuanfeng.

Gao Yuanfeng pondered for a moment, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Since Wu Kuang has already made his move and drawn blood, we must respond with force to intimidate the rabble. That subordinate of his, Chen Sheng, doesn’t hold a high rank but is deeply trusted by him. He can be considered Wu Kuang’s fang and claw.

If we can eliminate this beast, not only will we cut off one of Wu Kuang’s arms, but we will also demonstrate our resolve in the strongest possible terms and show him that we are not to be trifled with!"

"But Chen Sheng is a ninth-rank official, after all. Killing him, won’t that..." Yang Yi looked hesitant, showing some concern.

"If you don’t kill the chicken, how will you warn the monkey?"

Gao Yuanhe couldn’t help but retort, "If we don’t use thunderous methods, I’m afraid Wu Kuang’s next step will be to walk all over us and do as he pleases!"

Yang Yi frowned but didn’t reply.

Huang Dongchun, however, quite agreed with Gao Yuanfeng’s view. If they were to strike back, it had to be ruthless enough to have a deterrent effect.

He stroked his beard and said, "Brother Gao’s words are reasonable. In the past, even County Magistrates and County Captains who didn’t understand the rules could be made to find it impossible to move a single step. What’s a mere commander to us?"

Seeing Huang Dongchun declare his stance, Gao Yuanfeng felt more confident and then made a seemingly casual suggestion:

"Brother Huang, I heard that your family recruited a poison expert known as the ’Bone-Melting Hand’ some years ago. Their strength is formidable, almost comparable to a Marrow Transformation Realm Martial Master. If they were to act against Chen Sheng, I imagine it would be a sure thing, guaranteeing success."

Hearing this, Huang Dongchun’s pupils shrank. He looked at Gao Yuanfeng with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Brother Gao, you truly know the affairs of my Huang Family like the back of your hand."

His tone was flat, but a trace of vigilance and displeasure had risen in the depths of his eyes. The existence of the "Bone-Melting Hand" was a secret even within the Huang Family, yet the Gao Family could name them precisely. This instantly put him on high alert.

Gao Yuanfeng smiled faintly, his words carrying a hidden meaning. "The feeling is mutual. Changshan is only so big. Our three great families have been joined at the hip for many years. How many secrets can we really keep from one another?"

Huang Dongchun was silent for a moment before letting out a cold snort.

"That Chen Sheng is only at the Bone Forging Realm of Cultivation. To have the ’Bone-Melting Hand’ act personally, isn’t that a bit of a waste of talent?"

"Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit."

Gao Yuanfeng said seriously, "As far as I know, that Chen Sheng wields a blade that is suspected to be a Treasure Saber, and it is unusually sharp. An ordinary Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist is not necessarily his match.

To ensure a fatal strike and leave no future trouble, it is best to be cautious. If we underestimate him and he escapes, or even injures the people we send, the loss would truly outweigh the gain."

Huang Dongchun thought it over. Considering the effort the Gao Family had put into this matter and their shared interests, he finally nodded.

"Very well, I will do as Brother Gao says. My Huang Family accepts this task."

Now that the plan was set, the men no longer hesitated. They immediately lowered their voices and began to secretly plot the specific time and place for their operation.....