Becoming a saint begins with the infinite accumulation of destiny.

"The bandit stronghold outside the city, known as 'Devil's Den,' burned down the military rations being transported to the front lines by the three main families..."

The man rubbed his aching arm and gasped.

"The eldest son of the Wang family, one of the three royal families, died in battle. He was stabbed to death by Li Hanchuan, the leader of Guijianchou, which resulted in the interception of a large amount of military rations, and the rest were all burned."

"Then the three main families mustered their troops and warriors, and marched out of the city in a grand procession to suppress the bandits. Guess what happened?"

Having seemingly realized that Chen Shisheng wasn't a bad person, the man started acting cheeky again.

"Defeat?"

Chen Shisheng's heart sank slightly. The people from the Tian Sha Gang had just said that the three families not only failed to suppress the bandits, but also suffered a great defeat.

"The defeat is secondary. The main problem is that several grain-producing areas in the west of the city, such as Huxi Town and Sulfur Village, have all been occupied by the people of Guijianchou."

The man smiled and continued.

"this...!"

Chen Shisheng felt a chill run down his spine, sensing something was wrong.

He naturally understood that war is all about logistics and supplies.

But the most crucial point is another one.

Pingyang Town is also a major grain-producing town, and it's possible that even the people of Guijianchou have their eyes on it.

He then recalled the group of water bandits he had encountered on the road; they all seemed determined to succeed.

Suddenly, Chen Shisheng felt an increasing sense of urgency.

He released the man, and the group immediately exchanged glances, lowered their heads, and quickly left.

The surrounding streets were bustling with noise, the cries of vendors filled the air, and most pedestrians hurried along, buying what they needed and leaving without lingering.

Just then, a dark cloud drifted in from somewhere in the sky, blocking out the sunlight and making the sky suddenly dark and gloomy.

Chen Shisheng looked up and around, feeling a sense of impending storm, like dark clouds gathering over the city.

His heart felt heavy, and a lump suddenly formed in his throat.

"Let's settle the matter of the credit first, then bring my sister-in-law back to the city. We can't stay outside the city any longer!"

He let out a long sigh and quickened his pace to leave.

A light drizzle had begun to fall from the sky, and pedestrians on the street huddled under the eaves, their faces blank with indifference.

The rain grew heavier, with large raindrops constantly dripping from the sky and hitting people.

It's as if all the demons and monsters of this world, wars, gangs, one thing after another, are constantly happening all around us.

The street suddenly became empty and dim, with only a few lanterns whistling in the wind, making it seem extremely desolate and empty.

......

Wen family, office.

As one of the three great families, the Wen family's main body is located in the inner city, but they also have a special affairs hall in the outer city to handle various miscellaneous and trivial matters.

The administrative building is a large courtyard with three inner and three outer layers, resembling a small maze.

Two stone lions sat crouching on either side of the entrance, baring their teeth and brandishing their claws, but the rain made a crackling sound as it was beaten down.

"arrive."

Chen Shisheng glanced at the gate.

After showing his identification, the gatekeeper didn't give him any trouble; he simply checked him briefly and let him in.

He passed through several outer courtyards, entered the inner courtyard, and walked along the long corridor towards the innermost steward's office.

He had inquired about the steward's office before he arrived.

They are in charge of the affairs hall, and all affairs of the affairs hall are handled by them. Only when they are unsure about something or it is a major matter do they go back to the inner city to consult the Wen family.

It can be said that the office was a barrier connecting the inner and outer city of the Wen family.

Chen Shisheng quickly went inside and arrived at the main hall, where two couplets with red backgrounds and black characters were pasted on the door.

First line: Stand upright like bamboo, hollow inside and straight outside, never serving two masters.

The second line reads: "Be like a mirror in dealing with the world, clear on the outside and bright on the inside, observing all living beings with equanimity."

The horizontal inscription reads "Loyalty and Righteousness".

Inside the main hall, a servant dressed in black sat below, propping his head up with his hand and dozing off out of boredom.

The surrounding area was spacious, with some chairs on both sides, and a traditional Chinese ink painting of landscape hanging in the middle, with several welcoming pine trees below, lush and green.

"Excuse me, is the head of the administrative office here?"

Chen Shisheng glanced around, then gently patted the servant to wake him up.

"Huh? Who are you?"

The servant suddenly woke up with a start, his face showing displeasure, but when he looked up and saw that the newcomer was tall and strong, his face instantly turned into a smile.

Being able to work inside this office, the black-clad servant had extremely high standards and could immediately sense the robust energy and vitality emanating from Chen Shisheng.

He immediately stood up and adopted a respectful posture.

"Sir, are you a martial artist?"

"right."

Chen Shisheng nodded.

"Sir, this is the Foreign Affairs Hall. Martial artists are not under our jurisdiction. If you have business here, you should go to the Internal Affairs Hall. There are stewards there who are specifically for arranging meetings with martial artists."

The servant in black explained.

"Where is the Imperial Household Department located?"

Chen Shisheng hadn't expected there to be so many twists and turns involved, and immediately asked.

"The Inner Affairs Hall is located in that large courtyard in Wenyang Ward, which is where the young master previously recruited his retainers."

"Okay. Thanks."

Chen Shisheng was speechless.

So it's the same compound as before.

He thanked him, then turned and quickly left.

Not long after.

Chen Shisheng returned to the Wen family compound where he had previously lived.

The gate to the compound was old, and the two martial arts masters who used to stand guard were gone; it was rather deserted.

Chen Shisheng was very familiar with this place and walked in with ease, arriving at the inner courtyard where Zhang Kuang had lived.

Soon, after inquiring, they learned the location of the Imperial Household Department.

Without hesitation, he walked through the front courtyard of the inner courtyard, then through a long corridor, and arrived at a hall that was somewhat similar to the Foreign Affairs Hall, and strode into it.

"Sir, is there anything I can do for you at the Imperial Household Department?"

Upon seeing this, a servant quickly trotted over and asked in a low voice.

"Is the steward of the Internal Affairs Hall here? I am Chen Shisheng, a military officer from Pingyang Town. Please announce my arrival; I have important news to report."

Chen Shisheng said in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir, please wait a moment. I will go and fetch Steward Liu right away."

The servant ran back and quickly brought out another person.

The man had white hair and beard, a hunched back, and a shrewd glint in his cloudy eyes.

"Chen Shisheng?"

His gaze lingered on Chen Shisheng's face as he scrutinized him, his tone tinged with surprise.

"Yes. Steward Liu, Liu Shouyuan, the garrison commander of Pingyang Town, colluded with..."

Chen Shisheng told the old man in front of him everything.

Of course, he attributed Zhu You's death to a water ghost, since the matter of the red shadow was already common knowledge.

Zhu You was killed by Hong Ying, and without any evidence, no one knew that he was the one who did it.

"Zhu You is dead?!"

When Liu Dagou heard the news, his expression changed.

Despite being a slave for many years, he returned to normal in an instant, showing no signs of abnormality.

"Alright, I understand. Go back to Pingyang Town and wait for news. Do not let the bandits return and endanger the town's safety."

Liu Dagou paused, his eyes narrowing.

"Rest assured, I will report the truth to you, sir, and request a reward for you."

"Thank you very much, manager."

Chen Shisheng's hand trembled, and he pulled out a few taels of silver from his sleeve, quietly handing them to Liu Dagou.

"Of course."

Liu Dagou glanced at Chen Shisheng with slight surprise, then rolled up his withered old hand and smiled knowingly.

Soon, Chen Shisheng left.

The servant immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his face hesitant.

"Manager, should we... report this to the authorities?"

"Report? Report what?"

Liu Dagou's gaze was gloomy.

"Isn't Zhu You dead? What if he finds out...?"

The servant asked somewhat nervously.

"Zhu You is dead, but there are others. There's no shortage of people to claim credit for this. As for the discovery? What could he possibly discover? Just a brainless martial artist. They'll just issue a commendation order and call it a day."

Liu Dagou was extremely shrewd.

Otherwise, as a servant, he could never have risen to the position of steward.

Even if he were discovered, since he was the young master's man, Chen Shisheng couldn't touch him and could only swallow this bitter pill.

"You did a good job today, this is a reward for you."

He put on a smug face and tossed a few taels of silver to the servant.

"Thank you, manager! Thank you, manager!"

The servant immediately knelt down; these few taels of silver were at least several months' wages for him.