Becoming a god by following the natural order and seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

Chapter 34 Cultivation Level Increases drastically (Please continue reading)

After the marriage proposal was finalized, Madam Yang's face lit up with an even warmer smile, and she enthusiastically invited Chen Sheng to dine at her residence.

However, Chen Sheng keenly noticed a subtle difference in her eyes—it wasn't entirely the concern of an elder; it contained scrutiny, vigilance, and even a hint of… a secret expectation.

This made him slightly uneasy, and he politely declined the invitation.

The attitude of Lin Shou and his wife was strange and hard to explain. Before he knew the truth, he preferred to keep his distance and reduce unnecessary contact.

Although Madam Yang suited his taste perfectly, with her slender waist, long legs, and exceptionally voluptuous figure.

But he also knew that there were some people he shouldn't touch.

We cannot let the smaller head control the larger head.

Now that the marriage partner has been chosen and the goal has been achieved, it's better to return to the martial arts camp and focus on cultivation than to remain insincere.

Despite Chen Sheng's refusal, Madam Yang maintained a polite smile, but a hint of disappointment welled up inside her.

She didn't have any improper thoughts; it was just that in this secluded mansion, she felt an unspeakable loneliness and bitterness, and for a long time, she had no one to confide in.

Seeing Chen Sheng, such a young and valiant man, she couldn't help but feel a little comforted, but she didn't expect him to be so cautious. Or perhaps she was just getting old and losing her beauty.

Of course, this thought only flashed through Madam Yang's mind for a moment. She quickly composed herself and dared not delay her business.

After Chen Sheng left, he immediately sent his trusted servants to deliver the message to the county government, informing Lin Shou that Chen Sheng had chosen Yang Xueyao. As for how to persuade his elder brother Yang Yi, that was a problem that Lin Shou would have to worry about.

……

For the next few days, Changshan County appeared to be calm on the surface.

The uproar caused by the destruction of the Seven Star Gang gradually faded from the spotlight as the Gao family failed to mount any further strong response.

To many uninformed people, this seemed to be a signal that the Gao family had backed down and bowed to the government.

However, those who know the Gao family's style and background understand that this is just a brief calm before the storm.

The Gao family is by no means one to swallow their anger; their silence at this moment seems more like a prelude to an even fiercer counterattack.

Chen Sheng was fully aware of this, but he was not distracted by it.

He transformed all external disturbances into motivation for ascetic practice.

Nourished by the continuous flow of pure energy from the local spiritual milk, and aided by the superior "Tiger Bone Pill" that Wu Kuang obtained through special channels, his cultivation was rapidly advancing at a visible speed.

[Basic knife skills perfected (196/2000)]

[Mastery of the Golden Bell Body Forging Method (691/1000)]

[The Secret Technique of Fishing for Toads (Minor Success) (28/500)]

[Minor Mastery of the Three Ultimate Demon-Slaying Sword Techniques (235/500)]

As his consciousness swept over the progress clearly appearing in his mind, Chen Sheng's gaze remained calm.

He firmly believes that in this world where power belongs to oneself, the strongest fist is the only true principle.

If one day he possesses the power to crush everything, why would he need to feign compliance and play power games with these local tyrants? He could simply use brute force to overcome any trickery and sweep through them!
Therefore, he devoted most of his energy to cultivation.

With abundant resources and the miraculous effects of the spiritual milk, he lived almost like an ascetic, frantically squeezing out his potential every day in the government office, scheduling his time so tightly that it was impossible to breathe.

The integration of the Seven Star Gang was proceeding smoothly under Yang Hu's leadership.

Although Yang Hu's own cultivation has not yet broken through to the Bone Forging Realm, with Chen Sheng as his banner and the secret support of the North City Martial Camp, the Seven Star Gang elders who have submitted to him do not dare to act recklessly and can only temporarily obey orders.

Although the Seven Stars Gang is far from recovering its former glory, it has at least begun to integrate and form a usable force.

Of course, having thoroughly offended the three major families, the Seven Star Gang suffered considerable losses due to the joint efforts of the three families to exclude and suppress many of its original businesses.

In response, Chen Sheng gave Yang Hu only two simple instructions: "Patience." Before having absolute certainty, he must remain patient and avoid direct conflict, focusing on delaying the inevitable and accumulating strength.

Fortunately, the three major families were also quite wary of Wu Kuang. Before they were absolutely certain of success, they dared not easily launch a major attack on the remnants of the Seven Star Gang, lest they alert the enemy and affect their "decisive" plan against Chen Sheng.

On the other hand, the "marriage" between Chen Sheng and Yang Xueyao, the eldest daughter of the Yang family, is not progressing smoothly.

Yang Yi was no fool to have established himself in Changshan County and become a powerful figure there.

Although he was unwilling to completely break ties with his brother-in-law Lin Shou, who was the county magistrate, he was even clearer about his fundamental position.

If the Yang family were to actually form a marriage alliance with Chen Sheng, it would be tantamount to openly betraying their alliance with the Gao and Huang families, and that already fragile alliance would inevitably crumble instantly.

What's more, Chen Sheng chose Gao Qiheng's fiancée!

This is a blatant slap in the face to the Gao family, and it puts the Yang family in a very difficult position.

Yang Yi expressed his firm resistance to this.

However, Magistrate Lin Shou was unusually enthusiastic about this matter.

Although he had connections with the three major families, he was absolutely unwilling to be a puppet who was sidelined and used.

By introducing Wu Kuang, this "fierce dragon crossing the river," to stir up the situation and break the monolithic alliance of local powerful families, he could profit from the situation and regain the initiative.

In this respect, his goal coincided with Wu Kuang's.

Faced with Yang Yi's rejection, Lin Shou was furious and even went so far as to use means to deliberately spread the news that "Chen Sheng will be engaged to Yang Xueyao".

Within a day or two, the news spread like wildfire throughout Changshan County, causing a great stir and becoming the talk of the town.

When Yang Yi found out, he was so angry that he almost vomited blood, but he was helpless against his brother-in-law, who was the county magistrate.

He originally wanted to come forward immediately to clarify the situation and set the record straight, but Lin Shou unexpectedly made a harsh statement: if the Yang family dared to publicly clarify, he would immediately divorce Madam Yang and completely sever ties with the Yang family.

This move precisely struck at the Yang family's weak point.

Without Lin Shou's official protection, the Yang family will find it difficult to make any progress in many matters.

Left with no other choice, Yang Yi could only swallow his pride and adopt an ostrich strategy—neither admitting nor denying the rampant rumors, allowing them to fester.

However, his ambiguous attitude thoroughly enraged the Gao family.

Gao Qiheng's body is barely cold, and the oath of the three families' alliance still rings in our ears. Yet the Yang family stabs us in the back, wanting to arrange a marriage with the enemy who killed our nephew? This is an utter disgrace!
The Gao family was outraged and regarded the Yang family as treacherous and disloyal, ashamed to associate with them.

The head of the Yang family, Gao Yuanfeng, personally led Huang Dongchun, the head of the Huang family, to the Yang family to demand an explanation.

Yang Yi exhausted his words, explaining repeatedly that this was Lin Shou's scheme and that the Yang family had no such intention. Only after making various assurances did he manage to temporarily suppress the anger of the two men.

However, this incident has shattered the already fragile trust between the three families, rendering the so-called "alliance" a mere shell, and the rift is deepening day by day.

This situation was naturally welcomed by Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang.

The more the three families become increasingly divided and alienated, the more opportunities they have to sow discord and defeat them one by one.

As long as he doesn't incite a large-scale popular uprising, Wu Kuang, who holds the power to "act as he sees fit," has enough room and means to deal with these local bullies.

Chen Sheng devoted himself entirely to cultivation, constantly strengthening his foundation and refining spiritual milk to improve his cultivation level.

He clearly remembered the warning in the "Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune" celestial book—that the master of poisonous arts, codenamed "Bone-Melting Hand," was about to attack.

A crisis is looming, but danger also contains opportunity. If handled properly, this could be another excellent opportunity to stir up trouble, causing the three families to become suspicious of each other and even fall apart.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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(End of this chapter)