Sheng Fu

By the river, the water is gurgling and above the thatched houses, smoke is rising.

What should have been a picturesque scenery was stained with sorrow and hatred.

Inside the house, the old man and the old woman were busy at the stove, and his wife was knitting cloth shoes for their three sons.

Suddenly, the haggard wife raised her head and looked outside the house. In the misty rain, a young man was supporting her husband and returning.

The moment she saw her husband, a hint of brightness flashed across the wife's face, but when she saw the resentment between her husband's brows, that brightness dimmed.

It failed again!

The wife put down her sewing, stood up and walked outside, and greeted, "Who is this young man?"

Although she knew her husband had lost, the wife still forced a smile on her face.

"This is Young Master Suifeng, the one who is here to help us." Cheng Ze felt a lot more relieved after seeing his wife's smiling face.

Once upon a time, Cheng Ze's family lived a good life.

They were not extremely wealthy, but they were well off enough to hire a teacher to teach their three sons.

Among the three meals a year, there is always one meal that includes meat.

But now, the family lives in a thatched hut.

It is said that it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality.

Fortunately, this wife has always been dedicated to the family.

I thought to myself that although my three sons had not received any education, they knew how to read and write. After a few years, when they were older, they would be able to find a good job making a living with the little knowledge they had.

When his wife heard that it was someone who helped them, her eyes lit up and she greeted him softly, "Please come in. Dad and mom are still busy at the stove. Today, we learned that you were going to the government office, so we specially cooked a few more dishes."

Cheng Ze made an invitation gesture to Sui Feng and said, "Please come in, sir."

After the three of them entered the house, Wang Boye was also amazed by the neatly arranged furniture in the house. The house was indeed shabby, but the furniture was fully furnished.

The family was in decline, but not to the point where they didn't even have a decent piece of furniture.

"Where are the three little guys?" Cheng Ze glanced around and didn't see his three sons, so he asked subconsciously.

"He went to collect firewood nearby and should be back soon," replied the wife.

The wife quickly poured tea and water. Her intuition told her that this young man might really be able to help their family.

Wang Boye said, "Bring out the land deeds and other documents you sorted out earlier so I can have a look."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ze hurried to the cabinet to get the land deed document.

"That corrupt official won't admit his fault, and there's nothing we can do about it." Cheng Ze said with a slight sigh.

Wang Boye comforted him softly, "If you don't admit it, we have ways to deny it."

"But here, we must not be careless in any step. We must stand firm on the truth and not leave any room for criticism."

Cheng Ze pursed his lips with deep hatred and said: "Okay, everything is up to you."

The two communicated a lot on the way back, and trust was established between them.

Cheng Ze was just panicked and anxious, so he lost his composure in his interpersonal relationships. In fact, he was extremely grateful for Wang Boye's arrival. People who are willing to help you in difficult times are noble people in your life.

As for whether he could succeed, Cheng Ze didn't have much hope in his heart. He would just try to get as much as he could.

……

Lin County, inside the county government office.

The night came from all directions.

Ma Feng rushed to the backyard again.

Zhou Fa was sitting on a chair, reading a book of sages. Seeing Ma Feng's panic, he sighed slightly and asked with a pout, "What happened again? Why are you always so startled?"

Although Zhou Fa knew that his future was hopeless, he still insisted on studying. His interest in studying was suddenly interrupted, and the county magistrate was a little annoyed.

Ma Feng walked quickly to Zhou Fa, looked around, and after making sure that no one was around, he said, "Mr. He Qing has come to Lin County and plans to invite us to have a simple meal tonight."

It may sound like a simple meal, but there is no shortage of delicacies and beautiful women.

When Zhou Fa heard that it was He Qing who came, he quickly put down the book in his hand and asked, "Really?"

Ma Feng nodded heavily and said: "This may also be an opportunity for us."

Up to now, Zhou Fa and Ma Feng have never met He Qing in person. It was He Qing's housekeeper who came to contact Zhou Fa, but Zhou Fa was very clear about He Qing's background.

"In that case, let's go." Zhou Fa said after adjusting his sleeves.

Ma Feng was a little excited, as there were not many opportunities to meet such important people in a lifetime.

……

In a secluded courtyard, the lights were on and the aroma of wine and meat filled the air at the banquet.

There were also six girls with their shoulders exposed standing respectfully by the side serving, but the girls looked a little frightened and judging from their ages, they were only fifteen or sixteen years old.

Sitting on the main seat was a young man of about thirty years old, dressed in brocade clothes and jade belt, with a handsome face and elegant temperament. One could tell at a glance that he was a nobleman who was accustomed to a life of luxury.

He is He Qing. Surrounding He Qing is a housekeeper who is about fifty years old.

He Qing's target was Zhou Fa, while the housekeeper's target was Ma Feng.

"It's very secluded here. No matter what happens, we won't be disturbed." He Qing picked up the wine glass and shook it slightly.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Fa quickly picked up his wine glass and stood up respectfully, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, young master."

The county magistrate stood up and Master He Qing remained seated, and the two of them symbolically clinked glasses.

The county magistrate drank it all in one gulp, while Master He Qing took a small sip.

To Zhou Fa and Ma Feng, this wine could be considered fine wine, but to He Qing, it was not much different from the local wine sold on the street, and it was far different from the wine he drank on a daily basis.

But there was no way, I came here in a hurry and didn’t have time to prepare any wine.

Moreover, with Zhou Fa and Ma Feng's current status, they are not worthy of drinking good wine.

But these two people did a good job, and Master He Qing was very satisfied.

"You've done a good job. I think you're a good person too. You have some academic background and are familiar with all matters in officialdom. Qiushan County has recently vacated the position of county governor and assistant minister. What do you think?" He Qing said slowly, looking at Zhou Fa's slightly frightened eyes.

Zhou Fa's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly held the wine glass with both hands, lowered his head and replied: "Thank you for your appreciation, sir. I am very grateful."

"I did it, sir, please do as you please."

Zhou Fa drank it all in one gulp, but He Qing did not raise his glass.

He Qing changed the subject and said, "There is one thing that I need your help with."

"Cheng Ze's family is really redundant. It would be best if they were dead."

"Can you implement this matter?"

"You also know that I am a man who wants to do great things, and I cannot let the lives of ordinary people get stained with my hands."

When Zhou Fa heard this, his eyelids twitched slightly. This matter really made things difficult for him. Ever since Xie Yiming became the leader of the South, all cases involving homicides had been checked repeatedly to avoid mistakes.

It is very difficult to clean up the guilt of killing someone for no reason.

Moreover, there are no masters under Zhou Fa's command who can kill people without breaking the law.

And recently, due to the new policy of the Divine Realm, the situation is quite sensitive. Zhou Fa said awkwardly: "I'm afraid it will be a little difficult, but I can guarantee that Cheng Ze will not be able to cause any more troubles."

He Qing looked disdainful and said, "But only the dead are the most reliable."

"You are a county magistrate, and it is so difficult for you to take someone's life?"

"Isn't it the county magistrate of Pojia and the county governor of Zhatian?"

Faced with He Qing's pressure, Zhou Fa was nervous.

Overall, Zhou Fa did not do many things against his will in officialdom. The Cheng Ze case was the most excessive one he had committed since he became an official. As far as murder and arson were concerned, Zhou Fa did not have much experience.

"Is there really no room for this matter?" Zhou Fa asked with a stiff face.

He Qing knocked on the table lightly, his eyes showing indifference, and said with a noncommittal smile: "Qiushan County is a relatively wealthy county. After you become the county governor and the assistant minister, you still have me as your backer."

"In terms of age, you really have no chance of becoming a county governor, but you still have a son. As long as you can secure the position of county governor and assistant minister, you can pave the way for your Zhou family's descendants."

"Perhaps, your son or grandson will be able to ascend to the position of county governor in the future."

"And the price you need to pay is just to wipe out Cheng Ze's entire family."

"Is this difficult?"

"For you, once you miss this opportunity, it will be gone."

At the signal from housekeeper He Qing, Ma Feng also quickly urged Zhou Fa, "Sir, Cheng Ze's family has no background. I can find a few skilled people in the underworld to help me with this matter."

"Don't worry, they are all my old friends in Lin County. To be safe, after my friends have dealt with Cheng Ze's family, I will host a banquet for them. I will poison the wine and the drinks. In this way, this matter can be carried out without anyone noticing."

"And my friends already have criminal records. We only need to do a little investigation to silence the gossips."

Upon hearing this, He Qing immediately showed his admiration for Ma Feng and laughed out loud, "As expected of an aide, you have a lot of bad ideas in your head, but you also do things flawlessly."

"I brought these girls from the south, especially to entertain you two."

"Don't worry, they are all descendants of my servants, and they are all virgins."

"After the banquet, you can enjoy the pleasure of having great fortune."

After these words were spoken, the six girls turned pale, but they did not dare to resist because their parents and family members were still under the control of Master He Qing.

"Okay, I agree!" Zhou Fa said gritting his teeth.

He Qing patted the table again and said, "This is the great judge of Lin County."

"Drink, drink. From now on, I will help you, the descendant of the Zhou family, wherever I can."

"Remember, this matter must not leave any traces."

Zhou Fa nodded solemnly and said, "I know what's going on. I will definitely not cause any trouble for you, young master."

Faced with conscience and future, Zhou Fa chose future.

Conscience may appear and disappear at times, but the future is really bleak. This is also the most essential thought deep in the hearts of most local officials.

Young Master He Qing raised his glass symbolically and said, "There are still six girls here, I won't disturb your elegance."

After saying that, He Qing got up and left.

Zhou Fa and Ma Feng escorted Master He Qing and his housekeeper out of the house.

Outside the courtyard, a carriage had been waiting for a long time.

In secret, more than a dozen guards followed silently.

After getting in the car, Master He Qing stretched lazily.

The housekeeper was a little puzzled at this moment and said: "This matter is simple, but why do we need to rely on Zhou Fa's hand? I'm afraid it's a bit too much to promise Zhou Fa the position of county governor and assistant minister."

"That man's talent is not enough to be the county governor and assistant minister, and he is not worth winning over like this."

He Qing smiled calmly and said, "I have put a curse in the bodies of those six girls. As long as the two of them touch the girls, I can guarantee that they will die within three months."

"This kind of stuff needs to be thrown away after use, otherwise it will cause big trouble sooner or later."

"The reason why I didn't take action against Cheng Ze personally is because our southern leader values ​​the lives of the people more than the lives of officials. In addition, Yu Wenjun's damn Hengchang Academy has attracted a lot of people's hearts. In recent days, rumors about the new policy of the Divine Realm have spread everywhere."

"Therefore, an extremely minor matter may cause a huge uproar."

The housekeeper suddenly realized what was going on and said with a look of regret, "It's just a pity for those girls."

He Qing closed his eyes slightly and replied softly: "What's so regrettable? The thing that is most in demand in this world is beautiful girls from poor families."

The housekeeper heard this and thought it made sense, so he said, "Your Excellency's opinion is great."

……

The next day, in the pavilion outside Hengchang Palace.

Yuwen Jun stood tall and graceful, and the Black Qilin was lying not far away. The Black Qilin was now in the late Guiyuan Realm and had considerable strength.

Jing Peiyao's white tiger has also reached the late stage of Guiyuan Realm.

In contrast, the beastmen with strong bloodline power have more success in practicing.

Suddenly returning to Hengchang Sect to take charge of the situation, Yuwen Jun felt that the surroundings were much quieter and felt uncomfortable for a while.

At this moment, footsteps were heard in the corridor not far away, and soon, Jing Hanqing came close to Yu Wenjun.

Yu Wenjun slowly poured a cup of Wannianchun tea for Jing Hanqing and asked softly, "Why are you in such a hurry? What happened?"

Jing Hanqing sat opposite Yu Wenjun, knocked lightly on the corner of the table, and said with a slightly serious expression: "Indeed, a sensitive matter has occurred. In my opinion, we may be able to add fuel to the flames."

"In Lin County, an incident occurred where a noble family colluded with the local government."

"He Qing is the son-in-law of the Xu family, but not the son-in-law of the direct line of the Xu family. He belongs to the side branch."

"There is a man named Cheng Ze in Lin County. He owns a hundred acres of fertile land and two medicine mountains. Some magical herbs have recently grown in the medicine mountains and were highly valued by He Qing. He Qing then teamed up with the local government to harm Cheng Ze."

"The source of this matter can be traced back to the Xu family."

The Xu family is not weaker than the Chen family in the south. There is an outstanding young man in the family named Xu Yuan, who is one of the Eight Gu. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be the next generation leader of the South.

However, Yu Wenjun did not react much, and just said calmly: "He Qing is just a son-in-law of a side branch. This matter has nothing to do with the Xu family. As the saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor."

"Besides, if it is really linked to the Xu family, it will also be suspected of throwing dirty water."

When Jing Hanqing heard this, he felt a little chill in his heart.

Yu Wenjun suddenly raised his head, looked at Jing Hanqing seriously and asked, "Can the medicinal herbs used for cultivation grow in the medicine mountains of ordinary people's homes? Isn't that a bit far-fetched?"

Jing Hanqing didn't pay attention to this matter, and responded subconsciously: "Maybe it was a coincidence?"

"I'll go look into this matter right now."

Yu Wenjun shook his head and said, "No, I'll go there myself."

"Have all the Panlong people withdrawn?"

Jing Hanqing nodded and said, "Lü Zhong and the others should have arrived at the outskirts of Henglong Mountain."

"Lv Zhong also told me this last night."

Yu Wenjun took a deep breath and said, "Remember, the Hengchang Sect must not intervene in this matter, even if more innocent people die." (End of this chapter)