After the family split up, I achieved martial arts sainthood.

Qingyuan County, inner city.

In a luxurious courtyard, a majestic man dressed in a brocade robe sat in the seat of honor in the front hall.

Holding a covered bowl of tea, he casually stirred the tea leaves.

On his left and right sides sat several imposing middle-aged and elderly men.

They sat there, each with a dignified air, their expressions solemn.

At the very end of the seating arrangement, Lei Tong, the leader of the Qingyi Hall, was prominently seated.

"Chief, Yang Wei of Zhenwei Martial Arts School is arrogant and has repeatedly obstructed our gang's affairs. Furthermore, his disciples have even killed several of our key members. We beg you, Chief, to avenge this!"

Lei Tong clasped his hands in a fist salute, his rugged face solemn, and pleaded with the imposing man seated above him.

Clearly, the imposing man was Tang Yuan, the leader of the Qinglin Gang.

He is also one of the few Qi-Creating Realm experts in Qingyuan County.

Hearing Lei Tong's plea, Tang Yuan casually sipped his tea, then chuckled softly, "Brother Lei, don't be in such a hurry!"

"Boss, they're practically defecating and pissing on our heads, how can I, Lei, not be anxious?"

It would have been better if they hadn't mentioned it, but bringing it up only made them more agitated: "Yang Wei, relying on his Qi Creation Realm cultivation, completely disregards the gang leader and the Qinglin Gang."

"If we just sit idly by, it will only embolden them, and in the end, the Green Forest Gang will lose all its prestige and influence."

Thinking of Yang Wei's contempt for him, Lei Tong was furious.

The anger in my heart was hard to swallow.

"Look at you, you're still in a hurry! Can't you let me finish what I have to say?"

Tang Yuan put down his teacup, looked at Lei Tong and smiled, "I had heard before that the four major clans wanted to reform the martial arts in Qingyuan County. They plan to gather all the moral principles and discipline the martial arts practitioners in Qingyuan County."

"At that time, all martial arts practitioners in Qingyuan County will follow the lead of the four major clans. Since Yang Wei has opened a martial arts school in Qingyuan County, he will inevitably be placed under supervision."

Tang Yuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, looked at Lei Tong, and then smiled, "Since Yang Wei came to Qingyuan County, he has been running a martial arts school and has not cared about worldly affairs."

"This means he's a reclusive person. If the four major clans suddenly want to put him under surveillance, do you think he'll resist?"

Ok?

Lei Tong's suspicious eyes suddenly brightened as he subconsciously thought of Yang Wei's reaction earlier that day.

Given Yang Wei's arrogance, he would never easily submit.

"If he dares to resist, he will inevitably be struck down by the thunderous force of the four major clans."

Lei Tong couldn't help but grin from ear to ear: "Then, we'll kick them while they're down and beat them mercilessly..."

Tang Yuan nodded with satisfaction, then smiled and said, "If he is sensible and does not resist, and accepts the supervision of the four major clans, then we will directly ask the four major clans to mediate."

"The four major clans have just completed their unification. In this initial stage, they will certainly not mind making an example of others to deter others and thus better establish the prestige of the four major clans."

"The Green Forest Gang and the four major clans complement each other, and their relationship has always been stable and reliable. At that time, it will be clear who will be the prostitute between us and Yang Wei."

Upon hearing this, Lei Tong's bright eyes shone even more.

No matter what choice Yang Wei makes, he is destined to suffer a crushing defeat.

No wonder the gang leader remained as steady as Mount Tai.

"The guild leader is wise! We will follow the guild leader's arrangements!"

After realizing the truth, Lei Tong had no choice but to clasp his hands in flattery, and in his heart, he admired Tang Yuan even more.

Tang Yuan took a sip of tea, then waved his hand and said, "Recently, the affairs in the city have been handled by the four major clans. Our most urgent task is to find new information as soon as possible."

"Our shipments have been expanding rapidly recently, and we're running low on the materials we prepared earlier, so we urgently need to replenish them. Let's put everything else aside for now and focus on the shipments."

"Once our goods fill Qingyuan County, the people of Qingyuan County will all look to us for guidance. Forget about Zhenwei Martial Arts School, even the four major clans... hmph..."

At the end, Tang Yuan gave a disdainful, wicked laugh.

Upon hearing this, Lei Tong and the others were all in awe and bowed in agreement.

……

Zhoujiatun, Qingyuan County.

Night falls, and the stars twinkle.

The surrounding countryside was quiet and somewhat deserted.

Zhou Tai stood on a hillside, leaning against a large tree, gazing towards the brightly lit village.

In the corner of that village, there was a small courtyard enclosed by a fence.

Three small houses were built against the wooden walls in the courtyard, and rows of firewood, as tall as the houses, were piled up under the eaves.

Behind the sloping house, a pergola was built with bamboo walls and thatch.

In the open space in front of the pergola, there were piles of hay piled up like mountains.

Under the pergola was a pigsty and a cowshed.

By the faint starlight, one could vaguely see a man with a slightly hunched back carrying a bundle of hay into the cowshed.

Under the cowshed, the large water buffalo lowered its head, curled its tongue, and ate the grass with relish.

On the other side, smoke curled from the kitchen, and the flickering light illuminated the figure of a short, thin woman busily working by the stove.

Occasionally, flames would rise from the stove, adding a touch of warmth and life to the scene.

Zhou Tai stared intently for an unknown amount of time until he saw the two figures sit down in the courtyard, eating and getting dressed together.

Zhou Tai wiped his eyes, knelt down on the hillside, and kowtowed several times towards the direction of the village.

Finally, he got up and ran towards Qingyuan County without looking back.

They made their way into the city and returned to the martial arts school.

"Master!"

Zhou Tai, familiar with the place, walked back to the backyard and greeted people.

"You're back?"

Yang Wei emerged from the side courtyard and, seeing Zhou Tai looking travel-worn, couldn't help but ask in surprise, "You rarely go back, why don't you stay overnight?"

"Isn't it because I'm worried about Master being lonely?"

Zhou Tai scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.

"Ha! When did our Ah Tai learn to flatter?"

Yang Wei immediately sneered, making no attempt to hide his teasing.

When Yang Wei saw through his flattery, Zhou Tai's cheeks flushed red, and he lowered his head in embarrassment.

"Just say what's on your mind! Why try to evade my concerns?"

Seeing Zhou Tai's appearance, Yang Wei sneered in annoyance.

"Um!"

Zhou Tai responded, then reached into his robes, pulled out the money pouch that Lei Tong had previously compensated him, and stuffed it into Yang Wei's hand.

"Didn't I say I'd keep it for myself?"

Yang Wei frowned, looking at the money bag in his hand with suspicion.

"Master, this money is too much. I'm afraid it's not safe for me to keep it, so I'd like to leave it with you for the time being."

Zhou Tai scratched his head and said with an embarrassed smile, "After the martial arts exam is over, I'll have to trouble you, Master, to help me buy a property in the inner city."

"At that time, I would also like to trouble you, Master, to bring my parents to the inner city to enjoy a life of luxury."

What kind of talk is that?

Yang Wei raised his furrowed brows and looked at Zhou Tai, who had a simple smile on his face, and couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.

Does this silly kid think he's going to die?

Are you telling me what to do after you die?

Realizing Zhou Tai's intentions, Yang Wei almost laughed in anger.

"You idiot, you're really trying to drive me crazy!"

Yang Wei angrily threw the money bag back at Zhou Tai's chest: "It's just a friendly sparring match, what's the big deal? Look how scared you are."

"If you don't have confidence, just admit defeat tomorrow. At worst, we can just stop running the martial arts school. It's not like I have to run a school to make a living."