Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 744 First Meeting with Lu Jianghua

"No need to trouble you, Lord Chen. I can go in myself!"

Yang Zhengshan had actually been to the county government office before. Every year when he paid his land tax, he would make a trip to the county government office. However, he had never met Lu Jianghua, but had only met a few clerks and runners from the county government office.

"Haha, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't accompany Senior Yang inside! Please, Senior Yang!" Chen Che said politely.

Yang Zhengshan cupped his hands in greeting and led Li Chang into the county government office. Then, a bailiff led him into the main hall.

In the hall, Lu Jianghua sat at the head of the table, and Lan Peng sat at the foot of the table. The heads of several families came forward one after another to pay their respects and offer their congratulations, and the two men greeted them with smiles.

As soon as Yang Zhengshan entered the main hall, Lan Peng immediately stood up and laughed heartily, "Haha, Brother Yang, come here, let me introduce you!"

"This is the Fourth Young Master, the patriarch of our Nanxia County!"

"Fourth Young Master, this is the head of the Yang family of Lingxi. During the previous siege of the Wan family, it was thanks to his help that I was able to save my life at the foot of Jinchi Mountain!"

"Fourth Young Master, don't underestimate Brother Yang just because he has just broken through. His strength is quite remarkable, even I am inferior to him."

Clearly, Lan Peng was praising Yang Zhengshan.

"I am Yang Zhengshan, and I greet you, Fourth Young Master!" Yang Zhengshan smiled and bowed.

Lu Jianghua looked at Yang Zhengshan and his eyes lit up. "So this is Senior Yang. Please have a seat!"

As he spoke, he stood up to greet him, his enthusiasm seemingly genuine and not feigned.

In fact, Lu Jianghua's enthusiasm for Yang Zhengshan was for two reasons: first, because of Lan Peng, and second, because of Yang Zhengshan's appearance.

Yang Zhengshan was tall and strong, with broad shoulders and a broad body. He stood tall and imposing like a majestic mountain. Every move he made exuded a heroic spirit. His long beard flowed freely under his chin, like ink bamboo in the wind, which added a touch of elegance to his appearance. He lost some of his aloofness and became more approachable and gentle.

He wore an indigo blue long gown, which looked very ordinary, but was exquisite in every detail and exuded a grand air. Every gesture he made revealed his extraordinary demeanor.

With that kind of appearance alone, no one can ignore him.

The idea of ​​"pretending to be weak to fool others" is completely unsuitable for Yang Zhengshan.

With his appearance, he might not attract attention wherever he goes, but he certainly wouldn't be looked down upon.

Yang Zhengshan was no longer the farmer who came from the mountains. He had led thousands of troops, lived in the imperial court, and even surpassed the imperial power. Even though Yang Zhengshan tried his best to restrain his aura, he was still extraordinary.

Yang Zhengshan naturally didn't stand on ceremony. After exchanging a few polite words with Lu Jianghua, he sat down next to Lan Peng.

The constables outside were very sensible; they didn't bring anyone else in at this point.

"We owe the Wan family's situation to Senior Yang. I am very grateful for your help!" Lu Jianghua said politely.

Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard and smiled, "Young master, you're too kind. I only helped with a small matter; it's nothing to mention!"

"Moreover, I have been fortunate to receive Brother Lan's care over the years. Compared to Brother Lan's kindness, this little favor is nothing at all!"

As soon as he said this, Lan Peng burst into laughter, "Brother Yang, you don't need to be so polite with the Fourth Young Master. He stole both of my fledgling eagles!"

"Haha, it's me who benefited from General Lan's advantage!" Lu Jianghua laughed.

After Tianyun and Jinyu mated, they laid three eggs the following year, which hatched into three eaglets. Although these three eaglets were not as good as Jinyu because Tianyun was not a mythical beast, they were still mythical beasts.

Lan Peng chose the strongest eaglet and gave it to Yang Zhengshan, who then gave it to Yang Wanqi. Under Yang Wanqi's care, that eaglet has now grown up.

This fledgling eagle is the fifth strange beast in the Spirit Origin Land. The first is naturally Hongyun, the second is Yu Qingyi's fledgling eagle, and the third and fourth are the warhorses bred from Hongyun's offspring.

Now this fledgling eagle has paired with Yu Qingyi's fledgling eagle. With two exotic beasts paired together, their offspring will almost certainly be exotic beasts.

In other words, the Land of Spiritual Origin has now nurtured two kinds of exotic beasts.

As for Lan Peng's other two fledglings, Yang Zhengshan had no idea they had fallen into Lu Jianghua's hands.

Yang Zhengshan laughed and said, "This can be considered a kind of fate!"

"Haha, not bad, what a rare coincidence!" Lu Jianghua looked at Yang Zhengshan, his mind racing, and laughed, "Since the Wan family has been wiped out, let's entrust the Golden Pool and Spirit Field left behind by the Wan family to Senior Yang!"

He wanted to befriend Yang Zhengshan, even though he was the fourth young master of the Lu family, he still had three brothers above him.

He certainly won't be the future head of the Lu family, but he still needs to fight for more power for himself.

Over the years, he has maintained a good relationship with Lan Peng. It is precisely because of Lan Peng's help that he has been able to sit firmly in the position of magistrate of Nanxia County.

Yang Zhengshan and Lan Peng have a close relationship, and Yang Zhengshan is also a Tiangang stage martial artist, and he looks quite extraordinary.

Therefore, Lu Jianghua's initial goodwill turned into a desire to befriend Yang Zhengshan.

"Isn't this inappropriate?" Yang Zhengshan looked at Lan Peng.

Lan Peng laughed generously, "What's wrong with that? We can't let Brother Yang work for nothing! Consider the Wan family's assets as payment for Brother Yang's help this time!"

Yang Zhengshan pondered whether or not he should accept the payment.

Lu Jianghua and Lan Peng naturally wouldn't care about the Wan family's small business, but what about the Zhang family of Luyuan?
Will they have any objections?

Well, what can they do if they have opinions?

The relationship between the Zhang family and Lu Jianghua is not worth mentioning in public.

"Then I shall accept your offer without hesitation!"

This is someone's kind offer; it would be rude of him to refuse.

Now it is indeed time for the Yang family of Lingxi to acquire some new properties.

……

"Grand Uncle, does Jinchi Mountain truly belong to our family from now on?"

At the Yang family residence in Lingxi, Yang Xiangheng looked at Yang Zhengshan with a mixture of surprise and delight. His eager gaze made it seem as if the person standing before him was not the burly man Yang Zhengshan, but a beautiful and graceful woman.

Yang Zhengshan felt a little uneasy under his gaze. "Alright, you're already in your fifties, why are you still so easily startled? You need to quickly arrange for people to go over and take over the Wan family's businesses, as well as the three villages that the Wan family owns. They will also belong to the Yang family in the future, so you need to make proper arrangements for them!"

"Okay, okay! I'll go arrange it right away!" Yang Xiangheng smiled so broadly that his gap teeth were showing.

Now, no one in the Yang family is more eager to acquire more property than him, and no one wants to revitalize the Lingxi Yang family more than him.

Over the years, he has lived in helplessness and powerlessness, and only he knows the bitterness he has endured.

Now that the Yang family finally has some more businesses, one can imagine how excited he is.

That's Jinchi!

Jinchitan is a place where thousands of kilograms of metallic spiritual water can be found every year.

The thought that Jinchitan would belong to the Yang family filled him with such excitement he wanted to jump for joy. "Let's go right now!"

Yang Zhengshan waved his hand, signaling him to get lost.

"Grand-nephew thanks you, Grand-uncle!" Yang Xiangheng did not leave immediately, but solemnly knelt down to express his gratitude.

Yang Zhengshan did not stop him. Only after he got up and left did a faint smile appear on his lips.

Lu Fusheng's breakthrough had a huge impact on Shanggu County. The most direct impact was that the entire Shanggu County was exempt from taxes for three years, which could be considered as making up for the congratulatory gifts sent by various families.

However, the biggest impact on Shanggu County was that it made the situation in Shanggu County more stable.

The struggle between the Sun and Lu families has never ceased in recent years. Although there is a lot of drama involved, it has still kept Shanggu County in turmoil. However, because the Yang family of Lingxi is located in a remote corner, it has not been affected at all.

With Lu Fusheng having already broken through, the drama between the Sun and Lu families should come to an end.

Anyway, it is said that the Sun family sent someone to the county town to present the Lu family with a generous congratulatory gift, and then all the previous scenes of fighting and vying for power disappeared.

In addition to these, the Yang family of Lingxi was also affected by some other factors.

That day, Yang Zhengshan talked with Lan Peng and Lu Fusheng at the county government office for more than half an hour. Although it was not a big deal, it had a lot of implications in the eyes of other families.

Furthermore, the Yang family of Lingxi took over the Wan family's business, and the surrounding martial arts families are not fools; how could they not know what this means?
The day after the Yang family took over Jinchi Mountain, Zhang Chenghuai, the head of the Zhang family of Luyuan, came to pay a visit.

"Junior Zhang Chenghuai greets Senior Yang!" Zhang Chenghuai's complexion was not good, and his face was full of undisguised fatigue, but he still smiled when he saw Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan gestured for Zhang to sit down, saying, "Patriarch Zhang, there's no need for such formalities. Please have a seat!"

"Thank you, senior!"

After he sat down, Yang Zhengshan casually asked, "Is the old man's funeral all over?"

The Yang family and the Zhang family still have some connections. Both families had been suppressed by the Xiang family in the past and had even intended to unite against the Xiang family. However, the two families did not reach an agreement in the end. This was mainly because the Yang family had already fallen into ruin by then, and the Zhang family did not think much of the Yang family. They just wanted the Yang family to contribute money and effort to withstand the pressure from the Xiang family.

There is a friendship, but whether it's good or bad is hard to say.

As the saying goes, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down. When the Yang family declined, all the surrounding families wanted to come and take advantage of them. At that time, the Zhang family probably had the same idea.

However, that was all in the past. After the Zhang family patriarch was killed, Yang Zhengshan also sent Yang Xiangheng to the Zhang family to offer condolences, mainly because of Lu Jianghua's influence.

"Thank you for your concern, senior. My grandfather's funeral has been completed!"

Zhang Chenghuai forced a small smile and said.

This time, the Zhang family suffered a great loss, with more than half of their clansmen killed or injured. Even their ancestor was killed by the Soul-Severing Blade. If it weren't for the connection between the Zhang family and Lu Jianghua, the Zhang family would surely have ended up being destroyed and exterminated.

"This junior has come to express gratitude to Senior Yang. It is thanks to Senior Yang's intervention that my Wan family has been avenged!"

"This is a small token of my gratitude, please accept it, senior!"

Zhang Chenghuai took out the gift list and placed it in front of Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan waved his hand, "I have to thank General Lan for this. I just went along for a while, it's nothing!"

"This junior has already paid his respects to General Lan. I know that if it weren't for Senior Yang's intervention, the villain would have committed even greater atrocities! The fact that the Wan family was able to survive this time is entirely due to Senior Yang's exceptional strength!"

At this point, Zhang Chenghuai's gratitude became even more sincere.

What he said wasn't an exaggeration. If Yang Zhengshan hadn't gone with them this time, Lan Peng and the Chiyan Army would never have been able to escape unscathed. Even if Lan Peng had managed to escape, the Chiyan Army would have suffered heavy casualties.

If Lan Peng suffers any mishap because of the Wan family's affairs, then the Zhang family will also suffer the consequences.

Ultimately, this matter originated from the Zhang family.

Yang Zhengshan didn't know what Zhang Chenghuai was thinking, but seeing that Zhang Chenghuai's gratitude was genuine, he accepted Zhang Chenghuai's gift.

After seeing Zhang Chenghuai off, Yang Xiangheng came looking for him again.

"granduncle!"

"Hmm! What's up?" Yang Zhengshan looked at him in surprise.

"Well, we're a bit short-handed!" Yang Xiangheng said with some shame.

"..."

Yang Zhengshan was speechless for a moment.

The Yang family in Lingxi now has just over a hundred members, half of whom are elderly, weak, women, and children, so there aren't many people who can actually be employed.

In this beautiful and spiritual sea, those whose cultivation level doesn't reach the Innate Realm are hardly considered capable of handling anything.

Currently, apart from the people brought by Yang Zhengshan, the Yang family of Lingxi only has Yang Xiangheng, a Xiantian martial artist.

"If we don't have enough manpower, then we'll train more. Here, take these things and exchange them for spirit pills. Get Yang Xiangdong and the others to break through as soon as possible!"

"Also, we'll select some young people from the villages around Wanjia and train them for a few years. They can help with errands and such!"

"By the way, be nicer to those villagers. Our Yang family is weak right now, so it's the perfect time to win people's hearts. Don't do anything that alienates them!"

It's definitely too late to train people now, but it doesn't matter. With him, a Tiangang stage martial artist, in the Yang family, no matter how stupid the surrounding martial arts families are, they won't bother him.

As for the rest, let's just make do.

"Yes!" Yang Xiangheng thought for a moment and felt that this was the only way. Then he said, "Grand Uncle, the Crimson Flame Army did not take away the Wan family's cultivation techniques. I took it upon myself to bring those techniques back. Would you like to take a look?"

"Oh? They didn't take them?" Yang Zhengshan asked in surprise.

The cultivation techniques of the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty are not allowed to be copied, so they were originally worth some spirit stones.

Of course, if an individual were to sell it, it certainly wouldn't be as expensive as what Wanfa Pavilion sells, but a single Earth Fiend stage Qi-inducing technique could still fetch around ten spirit stones.

Logically speaking, all the wealth of the Wan family should have gone into the pockets of the Crimson Flame Army, but unexpectedly they left behind the cultivation technique.

"Captain Chen said this was a gift from General Lan to my uncle," Yang Xiangheng said.

Yang Zhengshan suddenly realized that Lan Peng had deliberately left it there.

"Then let's move it here first, and I'll send it to the Library of Merit in a couple of days!"

Nowadays, the Yang family's cultivation pavilion is no longer as empty as it used to be. Over the years, Yang Zhengshan has bought a lot of cultivation techniques, most of which have been left in the Spirit Source Land, while a small portion has been placed in the Yang family's cultivation pavilion for everyone in the family to practice.

Of course, copies are made in the Spirit Origin Land, but not in the Spirit Beauty Sea. However, in the Spirit Origin Land, Yang Zhengshan can copy whatever he wants, and the three major sects have no jurisdiction over the Spirit Origin Land.

(End of this chapter)