Commander Chen’s speech about the "Piracy Suppression Silver" was hardly enough to convince these shrewd merchants.

Their usual taxes were already heavy, and the loss of their goods to the bandits was a devastating blow. Now, not only had the Government Office failed to immediately dispatch troops to suppress the bandits and recover their losses, but it was demanding they pay extra. This was tantamount to treating them like gullible fools, easy to exploit.

For a moment, the hall erupted in discussion, an undercurrent of discontent surging through the crowd.

They didn’t dare to openly defy the officials, so they could only voice their objections, some subtly and some more directly. Many turned their hopeful gazes to the elders of the Gao, Huang, and Yang Families, praying that these influential figures, who truly held sway over the affairs of Changshan County, would step in, offer a solution, and reverse the situation.

However, the elders of the three families had clearly not anticipated this move from the Government Office. Caught off guard, they dared not take a stance and could only remain silent, waiting to see how things would unfold.

"KNOCK KNOCK—"

Wu Kuang lightly tapped his knuckles on the table. The crisp sound silenced the hall once more.

His authoritative gaze swept across the merchants as he spoke in a low, heavy voice:

"Everything Commander Chen just said is true, and it reflects my own intentions. Suppressing the bandits is essential for protecting our borders and ensuring the peace of our people. However, you can’t make bricks without straw. If we cannot come to an agreement on this, the operation will be postponed for a few days.

And rest assured, even without this silver, the Government Office... will eventually find a way to deal with the bandits."

Wu Kuang’s words sounded perfectly proper, but everyone present understood the unspoken threat: if they didn’t pay up, the bandit suppression campaign would be postponed indefinitely.

As for how long "a few days" would actually be, that depended entirely on the whims of the Government Office.

Now that Wu Kuang had personally set the tone, no matter how dissatisfied they were, the merchants dared not press the issue. They could only bow resentfully and take their leave.

After the merchants and onlookers had departed, County Magistrate Lin Shou brushed off his official robes, rose, and said with a solemn expression:

"Wu Kuang, suppressing the bandits concerns the peace of Changshan County and the honor of the court. It is a complex undertaking, and I must entrust you to take full command."

"You overstate things, Lin Shou," Wu Kuang replied, clasping his hands in a formal gesture. "This is my duty, and I will naturally do my utmost. I will still require your full support, and that of our colleagues, for this to succeed." His words were flawless, leaving no room for misinterpretation. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Lin Shou smiled and said no more. He turned his gaze to Chen Sheng, who stood waiting at the side, and his tone softened slightly.

"Commander Chen, regarding your marriage to the Yang Family’s Legitimate Daughter, the Yang Family has already given their consent. I am also pleased to see this match come to fruition. Is it not time to finalize the arrangements?"

He knew there was considerable resistance to the match within the Yang Family. However, as the County Magistrate and an in-law to the Yangs, he intended to use this marriage to create divisions, win over allies, and stabilize the situation. He would not tolerate any further hesitation from them.

Hearing this, Chen Sheng first bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you, Lord Lin, and the Yang Family for your great kindness."

Then, he glanced at Wu Kuang, a troubled expression on his face. Clasping his hands, he explained, "It’s just... with the water bandits running rampant and military affairs so urgent, this is truly not an opportune time to discuss marriage arrangements. I humbly request that we revisit this matter after the campaign is successful and peace has been restored to the region."

"I find that reasonable."

Wu Kuang spoke up at the perfect moment, showing his support. "We should indeed prioritize suppressing the bandits right now."

An almost imperceptible frown creased Lin Shou’s brow. His gaze shifted between Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng for a moment before he slowly nodded, his tone unreadable.

"Very well. In that case, we shall do as Commander Chen suggests. It will not be too late to discuss this matter after you return victorious from the campaign."

With that, Lin Shou lingered no longer and left the main hall with a few of his trusted officials.

Only Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng remained in the hall.

Wu Kuang let out a long breath and rubbed his temples, his tone turning cold. "Hmph. These Noble Families are really overreaching."

’The County Administrator and the Chief Clerk both openly and secretly support an immediate campaign, and County Magistrate Lin’s attitude is ambiguous... The resistance is immense.’

"Your Excellency sees clearly."

Chen Sheng lowered his voice. "And what’s more, I believe that Chuyue Mountain... may not be reliable either."

"Oh?" Wu Kuang looked at Chen Sheng, slightly surprised. "Wasn’t his attitude just now quite deferential? He looked as if he would obey any order."

"It is precisely because the shift in his attitude was so abrupt that he is all the more suspicious."

Chen Sheng analyzed, "He was always sitting on the fence before, feigning compliance with your orders while secretly defying them, and leaning more towards County Magistrate Lin. For him to take such a clear stand with you this time... could it really be because he’s seen the light, hates the water bandits to his very bones, and is eager to wipe them out? I believe there must be something strange going on."

Wu Kuang’s expression grew pensive. After Chen Sheng pointed it out, he too felt that Chuyue Mountain’s behavior today had been rather abnormal, and he grew wary. "You have a point. It seems we must be on guard against him and not trust him completely."

Chen Sheng offered a few more words of agreement before steering the conversation toward what he truly cared about: Cultivation Resources.

At his current realm, the effects of ordinary Qi and Blood Pills and Tiger Bone Pills were greatly diminished. Only better Elixirs could keep his cultivation speed from slowing down.

Wu Kuang looked surprised upon hearing this.

He knew Chen Sheng’s cultivation was at the Bone Forging Realm, yet he was asking for Elixirs that could only be effectively utilized by someone at the Marrow Transformation Realm. This puzzled him.

Chen Sheng had his excuse ready. He claimed it was to win over the newly surrendered Li Huai Sheng. After all, a poison expert at the Marrow Transformation Realm would be of immense value if his loyalty could be secured with resources.

He did not, however, reveal that he himself had already broken through.

’For one, my cultivation speed is simply terrifying. For another, I don’t want the slightest whisper of this getting out. I’ll wait until after Chuyue Mountain is dead to reveal anything. By then, I’ll be the sole candidate for Grand Commander.’

’And only after I have command of the troops and have made ample preparations will it be time to truly settle all my old scores.’

Wu Kuang mulled it over for a moment before finally revealing some of the truth.

Resources like Tiger Bone Pills and Qi and Blood Pills were still available. However, for the precious Elixirs truly suited for the Marrow Transformation Realm, even with his special channels, the higher-ups exercised extremely strict control. Quotas were limited to prevent subordinates from embezzling public resources for personal gain.

However, as a show of support, he spared a portion of his own Primordial Marrow Pills for Chen Sheng, encouraging him to cultivate diligently and strive for an early breakthrough.

As soon as Chen Sheng’s cultivation reached the required level, Wu Kuang would have sufficient reason to request a larger allocation from his superiors.

Chen Sheng naturally thanked him profusely. He also understood that hiding his true level would indeed hinder him from acquiring more Cultivation Resources and affect his progress. ’But,’ he thought, ’it won’t be a problem for just a few days.’

...

Meanwhile, the elders of the Gao, Huang, and Yang Families returned to their respective estates and immediately reported everything that had transpired at the Government Office to their Patriarchs, especially the matter of the "Piracy Suppression Silver."

Upon hearing the news, Gao Yuanfeng, Yang Yi, and Huang Dongchun quickly gathered to confer.

Huang Dongchun was the first to lose his temper, slamming his hand on the table.

"This is clearly a fabricated excuse to line their own pockets! Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng are utterly shameless!"

They themselves were well-versed in this sort of trickery, having done similar things in the past and even managing to embezzle the majority of the funds.

They had assumed that Wu Kuang, with his military background, would be more direct. They never expected him to be so adept at such schemes, let alone that he would dare to target them.

"It seems that unless we provide this so-called ’Piracy Suppression Silver,’ the Government Office is determined not to act,"

Yang Yi said, his expression dark. "The problem is, the merchants will be reluctant to part with that kind of money."

If the merchants refused to pay, the government troops would have the perfect excuse to delay.

But if money was to be paid, they would have to take the lead and contribute a portion themselves. The crucial part was that this portion would not be funneled back to them; it would go directly into the pockets of Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang. How could they stomach that?

"Whether they’re willing or not, things have already come to this. The plan to eliminate Chen Sheng under the guise of suppressing bandits must not fail!"

Gao Yuanfeng stated resolutely. "Our three families will cover a portion of the cost, and we’ll have the merchants cover the rest. We must act quickly and not delay, lest Wu Kuang and Chen Sheng sense that something is amiss."

At this point, the arrow was already nocked; they had no choice but to let it fly.

"Paying the silver isn’t out of the question."

Huang Dongchun snorted, casting a pointed glance at Yang Yi. "I just hope there are no more slip-ups this time, lest the whole plan falls apart."

He was clearly still brooding over the theft of the Spirit Marrow Gu. Although the matter had been smoothed over on the surface thanks to Gao Yuanfeng’s mediation, how could the Huang Family simply forget the enormous loss they had suffered?

"Huang Dongchun, how many times do I have to say it? The last incident had absolutely nothing to do with my Yang Family! It’s more likely that your own Huang Family had an internal leak, which is why the plan failed!"

Yang Yi’s face darkened as he immediately shot back with a sneer.

"Alright, that’s enough from both of you."

Gao Yuanfeng quickly interjected. "Set aside your past grievances for now. The urgent priority is to join forces against Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang. Don’t throw away the whole game over petty squabbles and sow chaos among our own ranks!"

Huang Dongchun and Yang Yi exchanged a look, and each snorted coldly.