Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapters 340 and 350: Inviting guests, beheading, and taking in dogs.
Echeng County, the backyard of the county government office.

When the sun is high in the sky, it should be the time for daytime duty.

However, the courtyard was filled with the sounds of string and wind instruments, and through the gaps in the screen, one could vaguely see dancers gracefully moving about. The rich aroma of wine even made the gatekeeper outside swallow hard.

The four men at the table were all dressed in scarlet robes, exchanging toasts and polite compliments. If an unsuspecting person were present, they might think they had mistakenly entered the governor's headquarters.

Huang Silang, also known as Huang Bairen, the head of the Huang family, sat upright in the main seat, his demeanor subtly surpassing that of the other three.

Although he held a glass goblet in his hand, the purplish-red grape wine inside resembling crystal, his brows were furrowed. A quarter of an hour passed, and the wine in the goblet had not decreased at all, clearly indicating that he had no desire to drink heartily.

Liu Rensong, the magistrate of Dingkang County and also the head of the Liu family, noticed the man's worried expression and smiled as he advised him:

"Brother Huang, the scenery is beautiful and the wine is intoxicating. On such a fine occasion, why not drink?"

"With a formidable enemy at hand, even the finest delicacies taste like tasteless chewing wax."

"A formidable enemy? It's just a new superior. What's there to worry about? Just offer him some gold and silver as a tribute."

"Even if you're greedy, you can't just chew up all our bones, can you?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Bairen sighed deeply.

He never dreamed that while he was drinking fine wine and singing songs in this remote corner of the world, acting as his own local tyrant, Li Cunxiao would suddenly be parachuted in from above.

Even more unexpectedly, less than half a month after they arrived, things had already developed to this point.

Months ago, he had heard about this young military governor from the official gazette.

He was only in his early twenties, yet he was already a master of the Xuan Guan (a martial arts technique), one of the Thirteen Protectors, a minister of two ministries, and a favorite of the new emperor of the Great Qin.

But no matter how talented this person was, he was still active in the capital, which was a long way from the remote mountain valleys of Jiannan Road. At the time, he just treated it as a joke.

To put it bluntly, one of us is a dragon flying in the sky, and the other is a snake crawling on the ground. We pursue different things, so in theory, there shouldn't be any conflict of interest.

But to his utter surprise, right after the New Year, the central government of the Great Qin sent an official document, saying that Li Cunxiao would be appointed as the Jiannan Circuit Inspector, and concurrently as the Prefect of Wenzhou and Fuzhou, in order to understand the local conditions, transportation, taxation and tribute matters.

When he saw it, he was so frightened that he rolled off the bed and reported it to both the King of Shu and Qingcheng Mountain that very night.

However, the news was delayed. Before his message reached Shu, Li Cunxiao's army had already entered Wenzhou.

In recent days, bad news has been coming from several nearby counties.

Whenever Li Cunxiao arrived in a county, he would kill everyone from the magistrate, his secretary, the clerk, the county constable, to the gentry and wealthy families, and then distribute the land to the poor.

They killed officials and gentry, and demanded equal distribution of land and social status...

Is this kind of governor the same as those governors from Shu in the past who only cared about patronizing prostitutes and making money?
“The governor of those two prefectures, Li Cunxiao, has been coming with great force. Recently, he has been stirring up trouble in Wenzhou, causing widespread panic.”

"This is clearly an attempt to seize power. If Wenzhou is like this, how can Fuzhou be spared?"

"If we comply with their wishes, our four families' century-old foundations will be destroyed in an instant."

"But if we refuse, we will surely anger Li Cunxiao. What if a large army marches in?"

Huang Bairen was filled with unspeakable sorrow, feeling as if he had grabbed a hot potato, unsure whether to accept it or throw it away.

In his fifty-three years of life, only the time when his father had just passed away and his young stepmother crawled into his bed at night was as difficult as today.

Upon hearing Huang Bairen's words, Liu Rensong, the magistrate of Dingkang County, also darkened his expression.

He wasn't unaware of what was happening next door; he just didn't want to be the first to speak.

Now that Huang Boren had started, he continued his analysis:
"Brother Huang's concerns are not without reason."

“Lord Li commands six or seven thousand soldiers, a force exceeding the combined strength of our four counties. He has the imperial court as his backing and is himself a prodigy martial artist.”

"If we rashly start a fight with them, I'm afraid we won't come out on top."

"But if he's too arrogant, then in a few years, he'll probably squander all our wealth."

After listening to Liu Rensong's words, Huang Bairen gave him a deep look.

That's all bullshit.

After babbling on and on, all they did was reiterate the dilemma; it had no real effect.

Huang Bairen watched as the other two family heads pretended to be oblivious, flirting with the dancers, which was really hard to bear.

To be honest, Huang Po-jen has some ambition, but not much.

With the world in turmoil, they could at most get a little meat soup.

Wanting to eat meat is like risking your life.

The four major families have already achieved their current success with great difficulty, and it is more appropriate to play it safe than take risks.

All four of them knew perfectly well that this dragon crossing the river was far too powerful, and they alone were powerless to resist it.

Rather than risk death and the extermination of their clan, handing over these four counties to Li Cunxiao in order to ensure their survival is not an unreasonable option.

However, there is a difficulty in surrendering.
"How could Magistrate Liu boost the morale of others while diminishing his own?"

Suddenly someone spoke up during the banquet, his tone quite dissatisfied, even bordering on scolding.

Upon hearing this, Liu Rensong narrowed his eyes, and the heads of the other two families also looked at the speaker.

The man was dressed in a light blue Taoist robe, his chest exposed, and he was embracing a beautiful dancer.

He looked very young, only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and his aura was vaguely that of a cultivator at the Huangting Perfection level, even surpassing the four people present.

Tang Shan was an inner disciple of the Taoist sect Qingcheng Mountain, and also came from the powerful Tang family of Pengzhou, Sichuan.

This identity, while earning him respect from the four great families, wouldn't necessarily lead him to turn his back on them.

The key point is that Tang Shan's cousin, Tang Wei, is also in Qingcheng Mountain, and is even a true disciple of the sect leader.

Huang Bairen initially made contact with Tang Shan and Tang Wei by giving his eldest daughter to them to be used as a furnace cauldron, which led to his lucrative raw silk business and convenient waterway trade routes.

The most difficult part of this is that it's not enough for just the four of them to be pragmatic; they also need the approval of their superiors!

"Young Master Tang, you can't say that. I'm just stating the facts."

A flash of annoyance crossed Liu Rensong's eyes, but he chuckled and replied.

"If you have any insightful opinions, we are all ears."

"Yes, Young Master Tang, why don't you tell me about it?"

Chen Hemei, the head of the Chen family, and Yang Xiuzhu, the head of the Yang family, also chimed in.

"The four counties of Fuzhou belong to the people of Shu."

"Although Li Cunxiao is an imperial envoy, the governor is still an official appointed by the court."

"They'll build up some achievements, stay for a few years, and then leave."

“If we show weakness, he will become even more reckless. Let Li Cunxiao know that everything has a price, and only through struggle can peace be achieved.”

"On the other hand, with an outsider causing trouble here, instead of discussing strategies to defend against him, you all just complain bitterly."

Tang Shan said coldly, "Is the soil and water of Sichuan only capable of producing useless people?"

Your mom sells brothels.

The heads of the four major families cursed Tang Shan's entire family in their hearts.

What kind of time is this to still be using this reverse psychology tactic?

If they could fight, they would have done it already.

But isn't it because we can't win?

At this point, Chen Hemei, the magistrate of Shanle County and also the head of the Chen family, could no longer sit still.

The old man clapped his hands and cheered, but his words were sarcastic and unsettling:

"Young Master Tang is right!" "That Li Cunxiao is only at the seventh level of the Profound Realm. Judging from the battle reports, most of the battles in Wenzhou were easy victories, but what's so surprising about a higher realm fighting a lower realm?"

"Hasn't he been sending messages asking us to go to Wenzhou to pay our respects to him?"

"Among those present, plus the elders of the clan, there are at least a dozen Huang Ting members. If he comes, we will all swarm him and make sure that this brat Li Cunxiao will implicate our entire clan!"

"When the time comes, Young Master Tang will go ahead and return to Qingcheng Mountain to invite Master Yuhai."

"With a grandmaster in charge, would he dare to attack again?"

As soon as Patriarch Chen finished speaking, the other two patriarchs also began to chatter, their glib tongues flowing freely:

“That’s right! Li Cunxiao may be formidable, but we’re not pushovers either. Young Master Tang, if war breaks out, my wives, concubines, and daughters will be left without care. Please take them with you!”

"Absolutely! No matter how big Li Cunxiao's appetite is, can he really bite off all the way to Qingcheng Mountain? We must sacrifice the small to save the big. When the time comes, the four of us will swarm in and make sure that Li Cunxiao suffers a terrible fate!"

"You, you..."

Upon hearing these harsh words, Tang Shan could no longer remain calm. He shoved the dancer away, his inner energy rising and falling with his flushed face.

He was only in his early twenties, and he relied on his distinguished background and outstanding talent. He had a smooth life for half his life, so where did he get the composure to remain calm in the face of honor and disgrace?
When you break this down, you realize that the two sides have different interests.

Tang Shan was Tang Wei's representative in Fuzhou. For the latter, the support from this prefecture was an indispensable source of martial arts resources.

If Li Cunxiao were to take over this place, the offerings would be cut short, and he would no longer be able to spend money lavishly, purchase medicinal resources, and cultivate his power as before.

They will be at a disadvantage in the future competition for leadership.

Li Cunxiao was powerful, but you still have to fight him to know if he was a dragon or a snake.

For the four major families, the stakes in this test were their very lives and fortunes.

Regardless of victory or defeat, Tang Wei can simply pack up and slip back to Shu.

Sichuan has the patriarch of the Qingcheng Mountain sect and King Wang Jian of Shu; Li Cunxiao wouldn't be so unwise.

But what can they do?
The scene became awkward for a moment. Huang Boren saw that the other family heads had finally spoken their minds and knew it was time to step in and smooth things over.

"Alright, alright, calm down. Our opponent is Li Cunxiao. Internal strife will only damage our harmony."

"Young Master Tang, you have seen our concerns. It's not that we lack courage, but rather that we are willing but unable to do so."

"Look, could we ask Young Master Tang Wei to intervene? Ideally, we could invite an elder from Qingcheng Mountain to come and resolve this conflict peacefully?"

Before Huang Bairen could finish speaking, a man who looked like a butler suddenly burst through the door, his face filled with panic:
"Li Cunxiao has arrived with his troops!"

what? !

The five people present all paled and jumped to their feet.

Huang Bairen, despite being seated at the head of the table and furthest away, suddenly unleashed his inner energy, rushed to the door, and grabbed his steward/advisor:

"When did they arrive? Where are they? How many people did they bring?!"

"As soon as we arrived at the city gate, we led two teams of men."

The butler swallowed hard, and Huang Bairen breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this.

They only brought a hundred people, which doesn't seem like a large-scale operation, so there must be something to talk about.

"Let's go, quickly go and pay our respects to Magistrate Li."

He lifted his robe and was about to leave when the butler quickly stopped him, reminding him:

"Sir, please change into a green robe before you go."

Upon hearing this, the four family heads immediately understood. They called to their servants and took off their red official robes.

A seventh-rank county magistrate wears green, while a fourth-rank prefect wears scarlet.

In the past, when the emperor was far away, it was fine to overstep one's bounds and have fun. But now that the emperor has sent an imperial envoy, if he were to wear red, he would probably be beheaded by Li Cunxiao on charges of disrespect as soon as they met.

"Ridiculous and pathetic!"

Tang Wei was so angry at the sight of the four men being so ridiculous that he almost laughed.

However, the four family heads remained unmoved. Instead, they grabbed him from the left and right, and from the front and back, and dragged him out.

"What are you doing?!"

"Young Master Tang, we are truly terrified. We would be so grateful if you could come along and give us some courage!"

"Old Wei, what do you think the boss will do with the people from the four major families when they arrive later?"

"Inviting guests, beheading, and taking them in as dogs—isn't it always the same old three things?"

"You're spouting rhymes all the time, are you trying to become the top scholar?"

Ye Chengxiao and Wei He whispered to each other, but their eyes were fixed on the street through the open city gate.

As the sun gradually slanted across the city wall, half of Li Cunxiao's body, who was sitting upright in his chair, was hidden in shadow, making it impossible to see his expression.

At the end of the street, footsteps approached rapidly, accompanied by billowing dust.

Four officials in green robes, with a disheveled young man in the middle, bobbing and leaping like a grasshopper, followed by a large entourage.

The soldiers in the guard couldn't help but laugh out loud when they saw it.

The city guards who were supposed to be patrolling the city walls had now abandoned their weapons and huddled in a corner, staring in disbelief at the scene.

Are these the same important figures I usually meet?

"Lord Li! Lord Li! Your esteemed presence is an honor to welcome you! We are deeply sorry for not greeting you sooner!"

Upon seeing the young general in a purple robe sitting on the chair, Huang Bairen and the other three ignored Tang Shan and hurried forward, bowing and clasping their hands in a deep salute.

"The four of you are busy persuading farmers; it is Li who is causing the disturbance."

Footsteps sounded, and a young face emerged from the shadows, a half-smile playing on his lips.

He didn't say "no need for formalities," and the four of them didn't dare to get up.

When Tang Shan saw Li Cunxiao, he was immediately shocked to find that this person's aura seemed to be integrated with the surrounding world, making it impossible to judge his cultivation level, just like when he faced the elders of the sect in the past.

Master!

A prodigy martial artist who is even more powerful and younger than Senior Brother Tang Wei!
At this moment, he could no longer muster the arrogant thoughts he had before. He could only keep praying to the patriarch of Qingcheng Mountain, praying that Li Cunxiao would not notice him.

"Hmm? Who is this person? One of your subordinates?"

Upon seeing the Taoist robe, Li Cunxiao already knew the answer, but he pretended not to know.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Young Master Tang Shan is not one of our subordinates; he is..."

"Is he from Fuzhou?"

"No, Your Excellency, please allow me to explain."

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao's brows furrowed, his true essence surged, and a powerful aura swept out.

In an instant, the pressure, as overwhelming as the waves of a vast ocean, caused a large number of the county government officials' attendants to kneel down.

"He is neither an official nor a native of Fuzhou."

"However, he was dissolute and unkempt."

"What right does a wild man from the outskirts of the world have to stand before the governor's entourage?"

Tang Shan's bones groaned in agony, unable to bear the strain, his knees buckled, and his face was flushed red as if it were about to bleed.

He looked up in anger and disbelief, but couldn't even see the other person's shadow; his body had already been sent flying hundreds of meters away by a powerful force.
"roll!"

(End of this chapter)