Promise!

Chapter 171, Pacification

The medicinal herbs presented by the wealthy families of the three counties to them during the year were looted by the Medicine King Gang. In response to this major incident, the head of the family, Shen Xianhong, urgently convened a small meeting of the senior management.

The Shen family's honored members gathered at the headquarters. Zhuang Jin was among the earlier arrivals. Now, after six months as an honored member, he had already integrated into the honored circle. They greeted each other and discussed the matter.

"The matter in the east of the city has just ended, and the Medicine King Gang is already causing trouble again. They won't let us have any peace!"

"The depletion in the south of the city has made it impossible for the Medicine King Gang to hold on, right? The martial arts exchanges below are ultimately a battle of resources between the two sides. The Medicine King Gang's resources are inferior, so naturally they can only resort to some crooked methods... By the way, does any brother know more specific details about this matter?"

"This matter came suddenly. I arrived as soon as I found out. I'm afraid only the head of the family knows the details..."

……

Amid the discussion, everyone sat down.

Zhuang Jin has now concealed one lineage's cultivation level, but he is no longer the last. After his battle with Qiu Yizhi, he moved up one position, and now with Sun Mingbi, he has moved up another one position. In the ranking of the twenty enshrined figures, he is now considered the third from the bottom.

Soon, all the worshippers arrived, and the family head, Shen Xianhong, also came over. He pressed his hands down to let everyone sit down and said directly, "Last night, the medicinal herbs that the wealthy families of Wanliu, Linji, and Qinghe counties presented during the year were looted by the Medicine King Gang... According to inside information, the team was led by three deputy hall masters of the Medicine King Gang, martial artists at the Tongmai realm... Everyone, please share your opinions!"

"To be honest, the Medicine King Gang's actions this time are nothing short of laughable!"

A retainer surnamed Tao spoke up: "The martial artists in the south of the city are locked in a war of attrition. The Medicine King Gang can't hold on, and the supply of Qingyuan Liquid is running out. They urgently need medicinal materials, which is why they have taken such action... But as for this action, in my opinion: it's timid and cowardly, full of petty-mindedness... Of the seven counties below, they only dare to plunder three of them. Obviously, they are afraid of provoking our Shen family and starting a full-scale war. They only dare to test and provoke us like this."

"Yes, I have talked with Zhuang Gongfeng. If the battle in the south of the city continues, the Medicine King Gang will eventually be unable to hold on... Now, the Medicine King Gang is backed into a corner and has no choice but to take action, but because they are afraid of my Shen family, they dare not act freely."

After the incident in the east of the city, Fu Shousong had been trying to salvage his image by working hard to improve his reputation. At this moment, he smiled and chimed in, making a humorous analogy: "It's like that concubine I keep outside. She's out of money and wants some, but she doesn't dare to ask for it openly for fear of angering me. So she throws a little tantrum to test my limits... In my experience, a couple of slaps will make her behave."

"Haha, Master Fu, you're really experienced, unlike me who just knows how to brute force."

"Master Qiu, if I may be so bold as to ask, what are you doing, acting so recklessly? How are you going to do it? Standing, sitting, or lying down...?"

"Hahaha, you people! If you ask me, it's only because that young lady Fu Gongfeng got tired of her and she's not his favorite anymore, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to do it."

……

A burst of laughter erupted.

Zhuang Jin listened, a smile appearing on his face. He understood the logic; the Medicine King Gang's actions this time could indeed be described as both fierce and cowardly. "Master Fu's words may be rough, but they make sense. Our Shen family must not show weakness in the face of the Medicine King Gang's provocations, otherwise they will become like a spoiled brat, taking advantage of our kindness and pushing their luck... We should cut off their claws on their first attempt... My suggestion is to send two Masters to investigate in the three counties... and send one Master to escort them in each of the other four counties... After this incident, each county should send one Master as the County Governor to be stationed there permanently to prevent such incidents from happening again..."

"Compared to the county towns below, the prefectural city is still the most important. There are many places in the prefectural city headquarters, medicine fields, north of the city, east of the city, and south of the city that require the presence of high-ranking officials... We also need to be wary of the Medicine King Gang's diversionary tactics, so sending one high-ranking official is enough. Together with one martial artist from each county's powerful family, it's a two-on-one situation against the Medicine King Gang, which is sufficient... We might as well pilot the county and town governor strategy in these three counties first..."

"The medicinal herbs in the counties below are equally important to my Shen family. With the garrison commanders of the three counties overseeing the operation, it's certainly worth trying as a pilot project... In addition, this incident has put too little pressure on the Medicine King Gang. I suggest increasing the intensity of the battle in the south of the city and sending more retainers to oversee the operation, keeping a close watch on the Medicine King Gang's Meridian Opening level martial artists here..."

……

"good."

Shen Xianhong nodded slightly upon hearing this. The various retainers had basically covered all his thoughts, with a few details he hadn't considered. He then summarized the response: "Each retainer shall dispatch one to Wanliu, Linji, and Qinghe counties to investigate the case and recover as many stolen medicinal herbs as possible… They shall subsequently serve as county magistrates in these three counties as a pilot program… In the remaining four counties, one retainer shall also be assigned to escort them… In addition to Retainer Zhong, five more retainers shall be sent south of the city to confront and monitor the Meridian Opening warriors of the Medicine King Gang…"

This resolution was passed by a large majority in the subsequent vote.

Seeing this, Zhuang Jin secretly sighed, 'If it weren't for matters like the one in the east of the city, which involved internal interests, the decisions made at high-level meetings would be extremely efficient.'

"Now that the resolution has been passed, let it be implemented immediately... First, let's talk about the three counties of Wanliu, Linji, and Qinghe. Are there any officials willing to go and investigate the case, and then serve as county garrison commanders to oversee the area for an extended period?"

Faced with Shen Xianhong's question, the room fell silent, a stark contrast to their earlier liveliness.

In most people's minds, compared to the bustling prefectural city, the county towns below were just godforsaken places.

Leaving aside food, drink, and entertainment, there are no channels for martial arts resources either!
Not to mention, as the county magistrate, what will happen to his family and his men if he stays in one place for too long? He is currently fighting against the Medicine King Gang. Isn't he afraid of being forgotten once he leaves and losing his support, and being transferred to the front line in the south of the city?
Shen Xianhong roughly guessed what everyone was thinking and said, "Go to the county seat as the county magistrate, with 10,000 battle merits per month; subsequently, increase the supply of Qingyuan Liquid to the wealthy families in the county to ensure martial arts resources; family members can also be brought along, and trusted subordinates will take care of them as appropriate to ensure their safety..."

Upon hearing this, the worshippers remained silent, their eyes fixed on their noses and their noses inward.

Ten thousand battle merits may seem like a lot to many of the retainers, but they're not that much either. Basic cultivation resources can be guaranteed, but what about high-end resources? Family members can be taken along, but surely not all trusted subordinates can be taken as well?
In short, the problem still exists. Compared to that, wouldn't it be better to stay in the prefectural city and enjoy life peacefully? Why go looking for trouble?

'If no one steps forward, in the end, the last three people among those offered sacrifices will likely be the ones to fill the void, and I happen to be one of them… However, now that I've truly reached the second meridian level, I can choose to reveal myself and avoid this situation, but is that really the right thing to do?'

……

(End of this chapter)