As the argument between Huang Dongchun and Yang Yi intensified to the point of nearly coming to blows, Gao Yuanfeng, who had been observing with a cold detachment, finally spoke in a deep voice, rapping his knuckles lightly on the table.

"Enough!"

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried the authority of a family patriarch and instantly quelled the commotion in the room.

"You are both patriarchs of your respective families. To be bickering endlessly amongst yourselves here... if word of this gets out, won’t we become a laughingstock to outsiders? If our alliance crumbles because of this, it will only give Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng the perfect opportunity to pick us off one by one! Is this the action of wise men?"

Huang Dongchun, his anger still simmering, snorted coldly.

"Are you saying my Huang Family should just forget about losing a master like Li Huai Sheng?"

"Calm yourself, Huang."

Gao Yuanfeng’s gaze shifted to him, his tone softening as he said gravely, "I believe Yang is not an unreasonable man. He would never do something so foolish as to grieve his allies and delight his enemies."

At these words, Yang Yi’s expression eased slightly. He gave Gao Yuanfeng a slight bow with cupped hands to show his gratitude but still sat back down in his original seat with a cold face, clearly furious at Huang Dongchun’s baseless accusation.

After the outburst, the atmosphere in the hall, far from easing, became even more oppressive and sullen.

Gao Yuanfeng knew they couldn’t remain at this impasse. He was the first to break the silence, steering the conversation back on topic.

"There is indeed something strange about this matter. Perhaps that Chen Sheng is simply meticulous and noticed some clues, allowing him to set an ambush in advance. If we grow suspicious of each other over this, or even start infighting, I’m afraid we’ll be playing right into Chen and Wu’s hands, falling for their scheme to sow discord among us."

These words, while seeming to defend Yang Yi, were in fact meant for everyone present.

He naturally had his own doubts about Yang Yi. After all, the Yang Family’s wavering stance was plain to see, making them the most likely party to have leaked the information.

But he knew even more clearly that at this critical juncture, maintaining the alliance’s outward unity was far more important than hunting down the mole. Once internal chaos erupted, it would only allow the predatory Government Office to reap all the benefits.

Huang Dongchun closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling slightly. He was clearly not entirely convinced, but he no longer offered any rebuttal.

Seeing his chance, Yang Yi steered the conversation away from the topic.

"Gao, in your opinion, what should be our next move? Are we to simply continue this standoff with the Government Office?"

"Standoff?"

Gao Yuanfeng shook his head, a fierce glint in his eyes.

"Now that the Seven Stars Gang has been wiped out and our assassination attempt on Chen Sheng has failed, all pretenses between us are gone. The situation has come to this: either we join forces to drive that interloper Wu Kuang completely out of Changshan County, or... he will eradicate us, root and stem. There is no third path."

His brow was tightly furrowed, the unsettling premonition in his heart growing ever stronger.

The course of events had already spun out of their initial control. He had a gut feeling that if they couldn’t defeat Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang quickly, the Gao Family would very likely face annihilation.

"Therefore, we must take the initiative and attack. We can no longer afford to be on the defensive. We must devise a foolproof plan to ensure Chen and Wu are put to death! At the very least, we must drive them completely out of Changshan and eliminate this threat for good!"

Just then, Gao Yuanhe, who had been silent all this time, spoke up at the opportune moment, his voice low.

"Gentlemen, I have a plan that might just sever one of Wu Kuang’s arms, or perhaps even..."

"Oh? And what plan is that?"

The gazes of Yang Yi and Huang Dongchun immediately shot toward Gao Yuanhe, though they both knew full well—this was most likely his brother Gao Yuanfeng’s stratagem, merely being voiced through his mouth.

Gao Yuanhe slowly uttered three words that sent a chill through everyone present:

"The Qinglin Water Bandits!"

Yang Yi and Huang Dongchun exchanged a look, both seeing the profound gravity in the other’s eyes.

The Qinglin Water Bandits were entrenched in the complex waterways at the border of Changshan County and the neighboring county. They were notoriously vicious and had been a thorn in the side of the Government Office for many years.

Because their movements were erratic and their strongholds scattered, the Government Office had repeatedly dispatched troops to encircle and annihilate them, only to return empty-handed and having suffered heavy losses. The previous County Captain of Changshan had "accidentally" fallen in a campaign to suppress the water bandits, his blood staining the Qinglin River.

Of course, the three great families knew perfectly well that it was no accident.

It was precisely because they had secretly colluded with the water bandits and leaked military intelligence that the former County Captain had plunged headfirst into a carefully laid death trap.

But it was also because of this that they had learned through certain channels that the incident had incurred the wrath of a certain powerful figure in Beiling Prefecture City.

This was the main reason they had been so wary of Wu Kuang before, attempting to coerce and entice him into cooperation rather than resorting to lethal measures immediately.

Who could have known that Wu Kuang wouldn’t fall for any of it? Instead, he took a hard line, pushing the situation step by step to the current state of open hostility.

It could be said that unless it was a last resort, they would never have wanted to play such a risky card again. If the matter were exposed, or if they once again angered the Prefecture City, the consequences would be far more than their three families could bear.

A hesitant look immediately appeared on Yang Yi’s face.

"This move... isn’t it too dangerous? Involving the water bandits... if one thing goes wrong, we’ll be playing with fire and get burned!"

"Too dangerous?"

Gao Yuanfeng took over the conversation, his tone grim. "Yang, if your Yang Family is content to be fish on the chopping block for Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng, to be sliced to death one cut at a time, then of course this isn’t too dangerous.

But if we still want to preserve our families’ foundations, if we still want to maintain our foothold in Changshan County, then we must act with ruthless decisiveness! This is no longer a dispute over interests, but a life-or-death battle for survival. If we continue to hesitate and retreat, we will be signing our own death warrants."

His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over Yang Yi and Huang Dongchun, and a murderous aura filled the air.

Huang Dongchun’s brow furrowed deeply as he chimed in.

"If we’re really going down this path, I’m afraid we’ll have to pay another hefty price. Those water bandits have quite the appetite."

The three great families were practically local emperors within the county, but against those death-defying desperados who lived by the blade, they held little advantage. Their relationship was less an alliance and more a partnership of mutual exploitation.

"How can we expect to rest easy without paying a sufficient price?"

Gao Yuanfeng’s tone was resolute. "The price is actually quite simple. Our three families will pool together a collection of Cultivation Resources tempting enough for the water bandits and offer it to them. Our demand will be for them to go on a raiding spree along the Qinglin River, to cause a big enough disturbance that it forces the Government Office to dispatch troops to suppress them again. At that time..."

He lowered his voice and laid out his entire plan—how to set an inescapable trap during the bandit-suppression campaign, how to use the water bandits’ own hands...

After listening, the worried look on Yang Yi’s face did not fade.

"Wu Kuang is, after all, an official appointed by the imperial court, a County Captain. He represents the face of the Government Office. If we could avoid taking his life and instead force him to request a transfer himself, wouldn’t that be a more prudent course of action?"

Gao Yuanfeng could see that Yang Yi was still clinging to wishful thinking. Knowing he couldn’t press him too hard, he pondered for a moment before taking a step back.

"Very well. Then let’s first concentrate our forces on eliminating that brat Chen Sheng. For one, it will sever one of Wu Kuang’s arms. For another, it will serve as a final warning to him. If he knows what’s good for him and requests a transfer, we can all go our separate ways in peace. But if he remains obstinate... Hmph. Then don’t blame us for being merciless and sending him down to keep the former County Captain company!"

’He sneered inwardly. Once Chen Sheng was dead, the Yang Family would be irrevocably tied to their war chariot. Any thoughts Yang Yi had of playing both sides would be nothing but a foolish dream.’

"Right, what about that Chuyue Mountain... Is he reliable?"

Huang Dongchun suddenly remembered the current Grand Commander of the Military Preparation Camp and voiced the question.

Gao Yuanfeng’s eyes narrowed, a cold light flashing within them.

"Rest assured. He was also involved in the death of the previous County Captain. He has blood on his hands. It would be best if he knows what’s good for him. But if he dares to waver... I have my own ways of forcing him into submission!"

...

「Meanwhile, inside the Military Camp Office in North City.」

Chen Sheng sat cross-legged, his consciousness sinking into his mind.

The ancient [Celestial Book of Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil] once again unfurled silently, revealing a line of text:

[My name is Chen Sheng. By the time you read this, I am filled with endless regret... Wu Kuang’s hesitation regarding the selection of the Grand Commander for the Military Preparation Camp instilled a sense of urgency in me.

Eager to advance, I ultimately decided to charge directly into the Marrow Transformation Realm. I was confident in my stable foundation and had been practicing the Fishing Toad Force, a Secret Technique that aids in breaking through to the Marrow Transformation Realm. I believed this breakthrough would be a natural success... However, I ultimately overestimated myself and underestimated the difficulty of the Marrow Transformation Realm.

Because my mastery of the Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique was insufficient, not yet having reached Minor Achievement, my underlying foundation proved inadequate. In the end... I failed my breakthrough by a razor’s edge, suffering a backlash that damaged my core foundation.

Had I known this would happen, I would never have been so greedy and reckless. Instead, I would have done everything in my power to first obtain the Huang Family’s ancestral treasure, the ’Spirit Marrow Gu.’ With that item to protect my Meridians and nourish my marrow and bones, I’m certain the breakthrough would have been foolproof. But alas... there is no medicine for regret in this world.]