Elderly Martial Saint: Sixty Times the Cultivation Speed ​​at the Start

Boom, boom, boom.

Three knocks sounded on the door, neither hurried nor slow.

Hearing the knock, Yi Yang put down his teacup, glanced at the door, and said, "Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Xu Min's tall figure walked in. He closed the door behind him, walked quickly to Yi Yang, and bowed.

"grown ups."

"sit."

Yi Yang pointed to the chair opposite him.

Xu Min sat down as instructed, but only half of his buttocks were on the seat, his back ramrod straight.

Zhenfuwei has been staying at the Qingzhou Astronomical Bureau for the past two days under its arrangement. Following Yi Yang's instructions, he changed into civilian clothes and learned about the general situation inside and outside the Qingzhou Astronomical Bureau, as well as some of the ins and outs of Qingzhou City.

"What did you find out?" Yi Yang poured him a cup of tea.

"I've found out everything."

Xu Min took the teacup with both hands, set it aside, and took out a piece of paper that had been folded several times from his pocket, unfolding it and spreading it on the table.

This is what he pieced together from bits and pieces he gathered over two days of wandering around the city, from teahouses and taverns to weapons shops and even from the lowest-ranking guards of the Sky Patrol Bureau.

After putting the things away, Xu Min leaned forward slightly and explained in a low voice:

"My lord, the water in Qingzhou City is much deeper than we thought."

His face showed a hint of undisguised shock; he hadn't expected Qingzhou City to be so complicated.

When people in the city talk about the power within Qingzhou City, they often say one thing: one general, one commander, and four powerful families.

"'One General' refers to the original owners of Qingzhou City, a hereditary family that has been passed down for over a thousand years—the 'Qingyu Divine General' family."

"Qingyu Divine General is both an official title and the name of this family. According to the legends that have been passed down, this family has a history of over a thousand years. It existed when Qingzhou City was first established. Later, it made great contributions on the battlefield and was bestowed the title of 'Qingyu Divine General' by the founding emperor of the Dayu Dynasty."

"The people of Qingzhou privately refer to them as the original owners of Qingzhou."

"Later, when the Celestial Patrol Bureau established offices in various states, the Qingyu Divine General clan relinquished some control of the cities. Nowadays, they rarely interfere in ordinary affairs, but the Qingzhou Army is still under their control."

Yi Yang tapped his fingers lightly on the table, listening intently to Xu Min's message and pondering in his heart.

"A thousand-year-old family? This is truly astonishing. What kind of foundation must a family possess to have a history spanning a thousand years, not to mention that the Qingzhou Army is also under their control."

"The Xifeng Cavalry that escorted Yi Yang and the others to Qingzhou City were members of the Qingzhou Army. Although they were elite soldiers, the fact that the captain of each squad was a True Qi Realm warrior was enough to demonstrate their strength."

Xu Min, oblivious to Yi Yang's unusual behavior, continued, "'One Division' naturally refers to our Qingzhou Astronomical Patrol Division."

"You saw the grandeur of the Nine Heavens Palace before. The Judgment Hall of the third level alone is presided over by a Transcendent Realm expert. I can't find out the details of the other halls, and no one dares to say anything about them."

"As for the 'Four Great Families,' they refer to the four ancient martial arts families of Zhao, Shen, Gu, and Lu, who have the deepest roots in the city. These four families are deeply intertwined, and not only have they been intermarried with the two major sects outside the city for generations, but many of the high-ranking members of the Sky Patrol Bureau are also related to them. Their businesses are spread throughout the thirty-eight prefectures of Qingzhou, including banks, mines, medicinal herbs, and weapons. They have a presence in almost every profitable industry."

"I overheard something in a teahouse: No matter who's in charge in Qingzhou City, these four families are the ones who ultimately handle the money."

Yi Yang leaned back in his chair, his thumb tracing the rim of his teacup, thinking to himself, "The Great Yu Dynasty has lasted for a thousand years, and the power of aristocratic families has permeated the entire dynasty, becoming an intractable problem. No wonder the Great Yu Dynasty has been plagued by so much trouble in recent years, and the Nine Evil Sects have been constantly stirring up trouble; it's all related to this!"

"What about the forces outside the city?"

"The two major sects outside the city are the 'Heavenly Heart Sect' and the 'Ten Thousand Swords Valley'."

Tianxin Sect.

A figure flashed through Yi Yang's mind—Wan Liuyue.

The woman I encountered in the Beast Ridge Mountains, who was posing as a disciple of the Xuanjian Pavilion, was actually from the Tianxin Sect. At the time, she gave me three "Heart-Pounding Pills" as an apology, and those pills were indeed helpful for cultivating the "Heart Monkey Guardian Technique."

When Xu Min mentioned these two names, his voice unconsciously lowered by two decibels as he spoke:

"The Heavenly Heart Sect practices both internal and external cultivation. It is said that its disciples cultivate both their physical bodies and their spiritual consciousness, and their methods are unpredictable and mysterious."

"The Valley of Ten Thousand Swords is a group of pure sword cultivators, each of whom is a master of killing. Within the same level, their combat power is almost invincible."

"Below these two major sects, there are three second-tier sects."

Xu Min continued, "Although these three families are not as well-established as the Heavenly Heart Sect and the Myriad Swords Valley, they all have Grandmaster-level experts in their ranks, and their strength is only slightly weaker than the four major families in the city."

"To sum it up," Xu Min took a deep breath, his face full of solemnity, "the four major powers truly stand at the very top in and around Qingzhou City."

"The Jade Divine General Family, the Qingzhou Sky Patrol Division, the Heavenly Heart Sect, and the Valley of Ten Thousand Swords."

"These four are, on the surface, behemoths with grandmasters in charge."

"As for the four great families with a history of thousands of years, they are like weather vanes, playing both sides and hedging their bets among the major powers, offending no one and winning over everyone."

After Xu Min finished his report, he was also a little thirsty. He picked up his teacup and gulped down the already cold tea, as if trying to suppress the shock in his heart.

Yi Yang didn't say anything.

In his mind, he had already woven the information provided by Xu Min into a complex web of relationships.

The four ancient families, through marriage alliances and the transfer of disciples, have entwined themselves around the towering trees of the Sky Patrol Bureau and various sects like vines, drawing nourishment and providing support.

Many high-ranking figures have the backing of powerful families.

The establishment of this trading company was largely due to the efforts of these powerful families.

But what he cared about most was the "Azure Jade Divine General" family.

The original owner of Qingzhou City.

So who is the current owner?

Is it the Sky Patrol Division?

How could a military family with a thousand-year-old tradition hand over control of a prefecture to others?

There must be an untold story behind this.

The water in Qingzhou was indeed so murky that the bottom could not be seen.

"Alright, I understand." Yi Yang waved his hand. "You've worked hard these past few days. Go back and cultivate diligently to stabilize your cultivation level. Don't go out unless necessary."

"Yes, sir."

Xu Min got up to take his leave.

For the next ten days, Yi Yang and his group settled down in this secluded courtyard and received no further notifications.

It's as if it's been forgotten.

Yi Yang was in no hurry. He stayed in his room every day, immersing himself in the dream world of his sea of ​​consciousness, frantically deducing the two sword techniques, "Vermilion Bird Burning Flame" and "White Tiger Roaring at the Moon." At the same time, he did not forget to improve his cultivation, which was the most important thing.

But some of the thirty guards below couldn't contain themselves any longer.

They were all elite soldiers who were used to lording it over others in Suining Prefecture. But when they arrived in Qingzhou City, they were ordered not to go out at will, and they had nowhere to vent their anger.

Finally, a few bolder individuals took advantage of the darkness to slip out of the Sky Patrol Office and head to the city's brothels for some fun.

The next morning, Xu Min blocked him at the gate of the courtyard.

"You've grown up so much!"

Xu Min's face was ashen. He held a thick wooden stick in his hand, pointed at the disheveled guards, and cursed them.

"Where is this place? Qingzhou City! You think we're still in Suining Prefecture?"

"Do you know how complicated things are in this city? Going to those brothels without permission, what if you get into trouble and it gets back to the adults!"

"How many times have I told you to watch your own crotches?! Did you all just ignore me?"

The guards kept their heads down, not daring to utter a sound.

"Twenty lashes per person! Now! Immediately!"

At Xu Min's command, guards immediately brought over a torture bench.

"Anyone who dares to offend me again, don't blame me for crippling him myself!"

Yi Yang heard the commotion in the courtyard clearly from inside his room, but he did not come out.

Xu Min needs to establish his authority, and this team also needs to be disciplined.

It happened on the afternoon of the tenth day.

An unexpected acquaintance of Yi Yang's came to his door.

Lin He, president of the Suiyuan Chamber of Commerce in Suining Prefecture.

He still had that same smiling businessman look, dressed in a low-key yet luxurious brocade robe, carrying an exquisite food box in his hand.

"Lord Yi, this is just a small gift, nothing more."

As soon as Lin He entered the room, he placed the food box on the table with a big smile on his face.

"How did Chairman Lin find his way here?" Yi Yang asked, somewhat surprised.

"Oh, Lord Yi is joking."

Lin He rubbed his hands together, adopting a very humble posture.

"In the past two years, I've mainly been doing business in Qingzhou, acquiring some properties and making some friends. Now that you've come to Qingzhou, sir, as a fellow townsman, if I don't pay you a visit, wouldn't my fellow villagers back home gossip about me?"

He opened the food box, which contained several of Qingzhou City's most famous and exquisite pastries.

"My lord, I know you dislike worldly formalities. But I, Lin, am just a common man."

Lin He took out a gold-embossed name card from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

"Tonight, I've organized a gathering at Wangyue Tower in the east of the city."

"The people we invited are all top 100 talents from this year's 'Heroes List'."

He looked at Yi Yang, his smile carrying just the right amount of sincerity.

"We all come from different prefectures, and once we arrive at the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains, we'll inevitably need to look out for each other. It can't hurt to get to know each other beforehand."

"Lord Yi, would you do me the honor?"

Yi Yang placed the invitation on the table.

He really needed to understand the background of these fellow travelers. Once they arrived at the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains, he needed to know in advance whether these people were colleagues or adversaries.

Moreover, the network of contacts that Lin He had cultivated in Qingzhou over the past two years was much easier to utilize than building one from scratch.

"OK."

Yi Yang nodded.

Lin He's smile immediately became more genuine as he said:

"Then I will wait for you at Wangyue Tower."