A Martial Saint in Chaotic Times: Starting with Grinding Proficiency

This strange feeling came on quickly and went away just as fast.

It seemed like just an illusion.

Zhou Yuan stood frozen on the roof, his muscles still tense.

He held his breath and carefully sensed his surroundings. Apart from the silent night wind and the occasional footsteps of patrolling soldiers in the distance, there was nothing else.

"Perhaps it's because he just broke through and is too excited and nervous."

Zhou Yuan forced down his doubts, focused his mind, and slowly lifted a tile to peek into the private room.

The room was brightly lit.

A young man wearing a black cloak sat in the main seat. He was handsome and had a noble air about him. He was slowly drinking tea from his teacup.

He was Wei Rong, the eldest son of the Wei family, one of the five major families in the inner city.

Goldman Sachs stood before Wei Rong with a respectful expression.

"Is everything taken care of?" Wei Rong put down his teacup, his voice calm yet exuding the air of a superior.

"Reporting back to Young Master," Goldman Sachs bowed in response, "Zhao Dacheng has agreed, and Zhou Yuan will be dispatched to Xuejiabao outside the city early tomorrow morning."

Having said that, he knelt on one knee, his voice tinged with gratitude: "If it weren't for your intervention, young master, that old fox Zhao Dacheng would never have agreed so easily. Gao Sheng, thank you so much, young master!"

"Get up," Wei Rongxu said, gesturing for him to stand. "A mere patrol inspector is nothing to worry about."

He looked Goldman Sachs over again and asked, "Do you need me to send you some more people?"

Goldman Sachs straightened his back, his face full of confidence. "No need to trouble you, young master! Dealing with a mere lad who has just entered the Skin Refining Realm is more than enough for me on my own!"

He clasped his hands in a fist salute once more, his words ringing with conviction: "From this day forward, my life at Goldman Sachs belongs to you, young master!"

Upon hearing these words, Wei Rong finally showed a satisfied smile.

He recalled his father Wei Tianhe's teachings: the way to govern subordinates is to use both kindness and severity.

Exceptionally talented martial artists are like wild horses; they must first be shown kindness and then given important responsibilities in order to win their unwavering loyalty.

It now seems that Goldman Sachs, this wild horse that had reached the Bone Forging Realm, has been completely tamed by him.

On the roof, Zhou Yuan took in everything through the gaps.

An uncontrollable rage exploded in his chest.

really!

His previous guesses all came true!

Zhao Dacheng, that smiling boss who always called himself a brother, was indeed colluding with Goldman Sachs!

Behind all of this, there is actually the shadow of the Wei family, one of the five major families in the inner city!

The fact that Zhao Dacheng, a mere patrol inspector, dared to so blatantly frame his subordinate must have been at Wei Rong's behest.

Even the Wei family intervened to put him to death.

The situation was a hundred times more severe than he had imagined.

Just as Zhou Yuan was pondering to himself, the door to the private room was pushed open again.

Several people, also dressed in black robes, walked in.

Upon seeing Wei Rong, the leader immediately removed his hood, revealing a young and arrogant face.

Behind him were several burly men, each with bulging temples, exuding a strong aura of bloodlust and murderous intent; they were clearly desperate criminals who had lived on the edge of death.

Zhou Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

One of them was none other than the middle-aged man in a long gown whom Li Tong had referred to as Lord Zhao's friend a few days ago at the entrance of the patrol office!

"Young Master Wei!" The young man in black robes clasped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Wei Rong, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

"Zhao Shanshui, you've arrived." Wei Rong nodded. "Have a seat."

Zhao Shanshui?

Zhou Yuan had never heard of this person's name before.

"Young Master Wei, my father asked me to convey his greetings to you and the Merchant Alliance."

Zhao Shanshui took out an exquisite brocade box from his bosom and placed it on the table. "Thanks to your information, young master, we were able to take precautions in advance and caused those useless patrolmen to suffer a great loss. This is a small token of my father's appreciation; I hope you will accept it."

Wei Rong opened the brocade box and glanced at it, then a strange light flashed across his face.

Inside was a blood-red Ganoderma lucidum, exuding a medicinal fragrance. Judging from its age, it was at least a hundred years old!

If ordinary martial artists were to take it, it would not only increase their qi and blood several times over, but it would also help them break through cultivation barriers. It is truly a priceless treasure.

Goldman Sachs, who was standing nearby, also had a burning glint in his eyes when he saw this.

Wei Rong then closed the brocade box and said calmly, "It was nothing. The patrol battalion has always wanted to cut off our source of income. Only when they are suffering can we be well off."

Mountain bandits!

These people were actually bandits from Black Wind Mountain!

Zhou Yuan's expression changed drastically.

The Wei family was actually colluding with bandits!

The last time the patrol battalion suffered a major defeat in its bandit suppression campaign, it turned out there was indeed a traitor within their ranks!

Since the middle-aged man in the long robe was a bandit, then what about his "friend," the patrol inspector Zhao Dacheng...?

"I heard the patrol battalion suffered heavy losses this time, and their commander, Liu Cheng, has been dismissed and is under investigation." Zhao Shanshui grinned, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "That's truly gratifying!"

"Don't be too happy yet." Wei Rong seemed very calm. "The patrol battalion has a new commander, and they will only become more ruthless. We are now in the same boat as you."

He looked at Zhao Shanshui and got straight to the point: "Speak, your father sent you here for more than just to deliver gifts, didn't he?"

Zhao Shanshui's smile faded, and he solemnly stated, "My father wishes to formally ally with the Merchant Alliance to jointly resist the Patrol Battalion. From now on, Black Wind Mountain is willing to follow the Merchant Alliance's lead!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Rong did not answer immediately, but instead picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

After a moment, he looked at Zhao Shanshui and said, "If we are to form an alliance, this Blood Spirit Mushroom is probably not enough to show our sincerity."

Zhao Shanshui's expression remained unchanged after hearing this. However, he secretly thought to himself that Wei Rong was indeed not simple.

Before he came down the mountain, he had heard from the elders in the village that Wei Rong was a wolf in sheep's clothing, and although his cultivation was not very high, he was quite cunning.

"Then how does the Merchant Alliance expect Black Wind Mountain to demonstrate its sincerity?"

Zhao Shanshui suppressed his thoughts and asked with a smile.

"Our merchant alliance will take 20% of the Black Wind Mountain Spirit Fruit's yield!"

Wei Rong also abandoned his usual composure, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this news, Zhao Shanshui's lips twitched slightly.

This Spirit Rhinoceros Fruit is a specialty of Black Wind Mountain. For martial artists, it can greatly increase their qi and blood, making it a precious medicine.

Black Wind Mountain was only able to barely contend with the patrol camp by monopolizing the profits from the Spirit Rhinoceros Fruit, and now this merchant alliance wants to take 20% of it!

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Shanshui seemed to have made up his mind and said in a deep voice:

"Very well. On behalf of the twelve leaders of Black Wind Mountain, I accept!"

"Young Master is so straightforward!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Rong smiled.

With the alliance settled, the atmosphere in the private room immediately became much more relaxed.

Wei Rong and Zhao Shanshui chatted casually for a few more minutes about interesting things in Luochuan County, while Goldman Sachs stood by with his hands at his sides, like a silent statue.

As night deepened, Zhao Shanshui rose to take his leave.

"Young Master Wei, my father is still waiting for my reply in the mountains, so I won't stay any longer."

"Take care." Wei Rong sat still, only nodding slightly.

Zhao Shanshui and his menacing subordinates quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Meanwhile, on the sixth floor of Wangjiang Tower.

In a simply furnished guest room, Dong Mo slowly opened his eyes.

Although his skill was far inferior to Shen Xuantong's, he still managed to catch a glimpse of the conversation on the fifth floor.

Merchant alliances, mountain bandits, patrol battalions...

Beneath the seemingly prosperous surface of Luochuan County lies a complex web of undercurrents and intricate power struggles.

Dong Mo turned his gaze to the window, where Commander Shen Xuantong was standing with his back to him, stroking an old scroll in his hand.

Dong Mo knew that the scroll contained a long-standing unsolved case, a mental demon that had plagued the leader for many years.

He stepped forward and tentatively asked in a low voice, "Commander, what about the bandits of Black Wind Mountain...?"

Shen Xuantong did not turn around, but slowly closed the scroll that was almost torn from being turned over. The words "Case of the Thousand Illusions Demon Lord" on the cover were particularly glaring in the moonlight.

"The situation is unclear right now, and the Prince of Yan's men have not yet been investigated. It is not advisable to alert them," Shen Xuantong said in a calm and steady voice. "We can simply leak the bandits' movements to the patrol battalion quietly."

He paused, gazing at the deep night sky.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was in turmoil, and the Jingye Division stood at the forefront of the storm. One of his main purposes in coming to Luochuan was to stop the Prince of Yan's infiltration.

This place is the gateway to Qingzhou. Once it falls into the hands of the Prince of Yan, Xuanhuang Pass will be in grave danger, and the entire Qingzhou will face the onslaught of the army.

"Yes, I understand." Dong Mo accepted the order, bowed, and left the room.

The room returned to silence.

Shen Xuantong's attention, however, did not linger on the transaction downstairs.

His senses spread like mercury, silently reaching the breathless shadow on the rooftop.

A knowing smile curved at the corners of his lips.

He was somewhat looking forward to seeing what this young errand boy would do next.

......