Swordholder

Yang Zhen continued, "I'm quite looking forward to seeing how that old bastard Chen Qingcang will deal with the power emanating from the Earthly Element Family."

Zhao Ming's eyes narrowed, and he instantly understood the consequences of this matter.

It is a fact that the Chen family possesses high-grade elixirs. Regardless of whether they can produce or refine them, they will be suppressed by those ravenous Earthly Realm families, who will devour them until nothing is left.

Moreover, during the Tianqing Family's assessment, Chen Yuan killed some members of the Earthly Element Family, which created a huge grudge.

As long as those powerful members of the powerful families go to Tianqing County, they will definitely find a pretext to attack the Chen family.

As for the Princess Consort of Zhendong?

On the surface, some people will give her face, but in the face of huge interests and family hatred, this face becomes dispensable.

After all, the power and prestige of the Princess Consort of Zhendong originated from the Prince of Zhendong.

Others may fear the Prince of Zhendong, but they may not be overly wary of his wife.

Especially since those families were targeting the Chen family, not the Princess Consort of Zhendong.

Therefore, they became even more unscrupulous.

After all, in this world, human families are inherently of a lower status.

Soon, the entire city of Wangdong was in an uproar.

The four officials, namely Yang Zhen, Song Tianwen, Zhao Ming, and Lai Jun, all issued a joint statement: whoever investigates the deaths of Tianqing County and its governor, and quells the so-called evil black tide or evil disturbances, will be rewarded with the official positions in Tianqing County according to their merits.

This applies to all positions, including prefect, assistant prefect, and even the two chief officials!

Yes, you can earn your reward based on your work!

In an instant, many families of the Earthly Realm set out for Tianqing County.

In a short time, the political situation in Tianqing County changed dramatically!

···

······

Tianqing County, the territory of the Chen family.

After Chen Yuan returned to pay his respects to Chen Guohai, he also learned that Niu Sengru, who killed Chen Guohai and the others, had been killed by Chen Qingcang.

He was utterly shocked.

However, he had always known that Chen Qingcang was no ordinary person.

I also know that this old man has been hiding his true abilities all along.

I just didn't know he was this strong!

They were able to wipe out all the high-ranking members of several beast-eating families, including Niu Sengru.

"Old man, are you the Purple Mansion Immortal?"

Chen Yuan asked in a low voice, his eyes full of anticipation.

"no."

Chen Qingcang nodded seriously and spoke.

"..."

Chen Yuan gasped, "How could someone who isn't a Purple Mansion True Person possibly wipe out more than a dozen Yellow Court Great Perfection cultivators?"

"I might be stronger."

Chen Qingcang spoke with a smile.

Chen Yuan was speechless.

He also reached the Great Perfection of the Yellow Court.

But he still couldn't see the old man in front of him clearly.

However, since the other party did not want to explain, he had no choice but not to ask any further questions.

After all, the old man was heartbroken at the loss of his last son.

So for the rest of the time, he accompanied Chen Qingcang every day, wandering around the Chen family's territory. Watching the ordinary people living and working in peace and contentment on the Chen family's territory, he actually felt a sense of disorientation.

Is this still a post-apocalyptic wasteland?

There's actually a paradise on earth?

"I don't know how long I can keep going like this."

At the edge of a field, Chen Qingcang saw Chen Yuan looking at the ordinary people working in the fields and sighed.

"As long as the Chen family stands strong, their lives will continue to be good."

Chen Yuan looked at Chen Qingcang and said with emotion, "Grandpa, you must become stronger. The lives of countless ordinary people on your clan's land are all tied to you."

"Hehe, I'm getting old. From now on, it's up to you. The future belongs to you young people."

Chen Qingcang said with a smile, then pulled Chen Yuan into a roadside tea stall.

This area is within the territory of the Chen family and is not under the jurisdiction of Tianqing County.

Therefore, most of the people doing small businesses in this area are ordinary people under the protection of the Chen family.

The shop owner was a middle-aged man with a deeply lined face, sparse white hair, and dark skin.

Upon seeing Chen Qingcang and Chen Yuan arrive, he was overjoyed and immediately served a pot of tea, as well as some of his best bread and blackened glutinous rice cakes.

This is considered the best food among their group of people from the lower class.

The old man and the young man didn't seem to mind at all; they ate heartily, enjoying the coarse tea with great relish.

The shop owner was moved to tears, his face filled with gratitude.

Just then, many women dressed in linen came in carrying bamboo baskets.

They went straight to Chen Yuan and Chen Qingcang, and placed some wild fruits and vegetables from the bamboo basket on the table, filling it to the brim in the blink of an eye.

After they finished, they turned to leave.

Chen Qingcang smiled slightly, sipping his strong tea without making a sound.

Chen Yuan was taken aback, then hurriedly asked, "Ladies, what are you doing?"

Seeing that they ignored him, Chen Yuan had no choice but to quickly follow them, take out some star copper, and try to give it to them.

He thought the other party wanted to sell him these wild grasses and fruits.

Seeing Chen Yuansai Xingtong's actions, they all retreated in terror and knelt down in unison.

Chen Yuan froze, looking towards the entrance of the teahouse, where a large group of people were already kneeling in a dark mass.

"What...what's going on here?"

Chen Yuan was stunned, his face full of confusion.

Looking at the people kneeling in front of the tea stall, the shopkeeper said with difficulty, "Young master, they don't want to sell you those wild fruits and vegetables, but rather give them to you."

"For me?"

Chen Yuan was even more puzzled. Why would they give him these things out of the blue?

The shopkeeper's eyes welled with tears as he said in a hoarse voice, "You saved them at Palm Lake that day, and they are grateful to you."

"There are also refugee camps outside Tianqing County, where many women and slaves are their daughters and wives."

Those were all captured, and they were all bought back by Miss Chen and placed here..."

As he spoke, his throat tightened, and his face was full of gratitude. "In this world where human life is as worthless as grass, it is their good fortune to have met the young master and the young lady."

"They wanted to repay the young master and young lady, but unfortunately, they had no way to do so, only their worthless lives."

"Seeing that the young master is here today, they wanted to bring him some wild fruits and vegetables."

"Well, this is probably the best they could offer; it's just a small token of their appreciation."

Chen Yuan was stunned, staring blankly at the dark mass of people kneeling before him.

He then put away the star copper in his hand.

Many people breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, and then looked at Chen Yuan expectantly.

Chen Yuan turned around, entered the tea stall, and picked up a wild pear the size of a fist from the table.

The pears are round and plump, and very clean.

He took a big bite, his mouth filled with juice, a little sour, but still bearable.

As Chen Yuan ate, he walked out the door, waved his hand, and said, "It's delicious. I'll take it all. You can all go back now."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, their wrinkled faces relaxed, and they all got up and left satisfied.

Some even turned around with smiles on their faces and spoke in hushed tones.

"That's great, my little benefactor is enjoying that stuff very much."

Chen Yuan smiled and watched the group leave, his heart filled with complex emotions.

He turned around and walked into the tea stall, sitting opposite Chen Qingcang. "Old man, we humans are still too kind-hearted. Even when we can't afford to eat, we still know how to repay kindness."

Chen Yuan knew that those people were simply trying to do something to repay their benefactor within their own power.

Although these wild fruits and vegetables meant nothing to the Chen family.

But for those people, it was everything, their food for days.

"Because we are human beings, people who don't forget kindness and our roots, right?"

Chen Qingcang laughed and said with emotion, "Instead of pigs, dogs, or livestock."

"The old man is right."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly.

Suddenly, Chen Qingcang changed the subject, "Yang Zhen, the Prefect of Wangdong Prefecture, Song Tianwen, the Prefectural Assistant, Zhao Ming, the Chief Justice of the Court of Justice, and Lai Jun, the Chief Justice of the Wuxiang Court, have all made a promise that whoever can thoroughly investigate the deaths of the Prefect and others, as well as the matter of the evil spirit disturbances, or quell the evil spirit disturbances, will be jointly granted an appointment letter, bestowing upon them the position of Prefect of Tianqing Prefecture!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan's gaze sharpened, and the teacup he was holding froze in mid-air.

"Where in the prefectural city can these positions of prefectural governor be appointed?"

A moment later, Chen Yuan spoke in surprise.

"Can."

Chen Qingcang nodded, "As long as the Prefect, the Prefectural Assistant, and the Chief of the Court of Justice approve, that's fine. Of course, the Grand Master of the Wuxiang Court needs the approval of the Chief of the Wuxiang Court."

Chen Yuan nodded. "It seems that only positions like the Prefect and the Prefectural Assistant require the approval of the cabinet in the capital."

Chen Qingcang nodded, then looked at Chen Yuan with a smile on his lips.

"A-Yuan, what are your thoughts?"

As soon as he asked the question, Chen Qingcang took another sip of tea, a smile playing on his lips.

He looked forward to Chen Yuan's ideas and plans.

Chen Yuan's thoughts raced, and he suddenly said:

"If we can thoroughly investigate this disturbance caused by evil spirits... will the positions of Prefect, Assistant Prefect, Chief of the Enforcement Bureau, and Chief of the Wuxiang Bureau fall on the Chen family?"

"Um······?"

Chen Qingcang stopped drinking his tea and his eyes widened suddenly!

Even with his usually calm and collected nature, he couldn't help but gasp in shock.

"Wow, you've got some big ambitions, kid."

Chen Qingcang was taken aback and spoke up.

Chen Yuan sighed and looked out the window at the clan lands under the Chen family's rule.

What he saw was stability and peace.

At least, under the Chen family's rule, these ordinary people can still live.

Otherwise, being out there means leaving everything to fate.

No matter who becomes the governor of Tianqing County, the difficulties faced by the Chen family will not be resolved.

On the contrary, difficulties and oppression come one after another.

"There is no safe place in this world, but here in the Chen family's territory, I have seen safety and hope for the future in the eyes of ordinary people."

Chen Yuan said calmly.

Chen Qingcang fell silent, and followed Chen Yuan's gaze to look at the vast land outside.

After a long silence, he murmured, "Yang Zhen, Zhao Ming, Lai Jun, and even Prefectural Magistrate Song Tianwen, four top figures in the prefecture, all issued blank appointment letters. Whoever receives one can fill in whose name."

At this point, Chen Qingcang stared intently at Chen Yuan and said, "As long as you get the appointment letter and have your name written on it, you can control the seal of the prefect."

"When you control the seal of the prefect, you will be able to gather the fortune of all living beings in the entire prefecture, as well as control the incense offerings."

"Oh, right, there's also a county shrine, inside which is enshrined a statue of the county's guardian deity, possessing immense power; one can even borrow the statue's power!"

At this point, Chen Qingcang's breathing became heavy.

Chen Yuan's gaze sharpened, and he leaned forward, whispering, "Grandpa, are you saying that as long as we obtain the Prefect's Seal and the Prefectural Shrine, and control the guardian statues inside, no one can touch our power?"

"That's right!"

Chen Qingcang nodded emphatically, "If that Niu Sengru hadn't left Tianqing County, with the county governor's seal and the county city's statue, even a Purple Mansion True Person might not have been able to kill him."

"So he was an idiot, thinking he could control everything. He didn't bring those two things to Cloudfall Mountain, which is why your grandpa killed him with a single palm strike."

As Chen Qingcang finished speaking, he made a chopping motion with his palm.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan's eyes gleamed brightly. "So, as long as we control the prefect's seal and the statue in the prefectural city, even the prefectural lord in the capital city can't interfere with our administration?"

"Can we be completely autonomous?"

Chen Qingcang laughed and said, "Of course, if Niu Sengru hadn't died, Yang Zhen wouldn't have been able to remove Niu Sengru from his position as prefect."

"That's settled then!"

Chen Yuan clapped his hands excitedly!

If the entire Tianqing County were to be controlled by the Chen family, then the Chen family would become an even greater aristocratic family!

It can also protect more ordinary people!

Even the entire prefecture and its many counties and towns will be changed as a result.

Chen Yuan couldn't help but feel hopeful.

Chen Qingcang looked at his ambitious grandson and smiled with satisfaction and pride.