Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

Chapter 78 The Chess Move Falls on Heyang (Part 2)

Huang Ting, his face grim, rose and gave Cheng Yang a slight nod as a farewell, without uttering a single extra word. The Huang family disciples, their faces ashen and filled with resentment, though unwilling, maintained their haughty pride as scions of aristocratic families, silently following behind, hurrying back to their residence. The remaining members of the Dingtao Martial Arts School had already scattered like birds, disappearing into the crowd without looking back.

Only after the Huang family members had completely disappeared from sight did the long-silent training ground finally erupt in chatter. A wave of discussion rose, but everyone kept their voices low; no one dared to raise their voices. After all, the garrison commander Cheng Yang remained seated on the command platform, his dark armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, and he hadn't uttered a single word from beginning to end.

"This Qin Heng... he actually defeated Huang Yuan! If the Huang family hadn't intervened, Huang Yuan would probably have been beaten to death on the spot!"

"Both of them had just entered the Transformation Realm, yet the top-ranked student in the Martial Arts Examination was beaten to this state by someone in the second-ranked class..."

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"Songxuan Martial Arts School is truly famous now. I wonder how the Huang family will deal with Qin Heng afterward."

"Indeed, after this battle, Qin Heng has truly become famous throughout Heyang County!"

The gazes of the experts present at the Transformation Realm completely changed when they looked at Qin Heng. From initial disdain, to solemnity during their exchange, and now to apprehension. A young man from humble beginnings, without the support of a prestigious family or precious medicines, had actually managed to overpower the eldest son of the Huang family, whom they had nurtured with all their resources. Such talent was enough to make anyone take notice.

From the direction of the Songxuan Martial Arts Hall's seating area, a burst of excited cheers erupted. Fang Yu, enduring the pain in his shoulder, grinned, revealing a set of neat white teeth. Zhang Mingyuan's tense face finally relaxed, and the corners of his mouth slightly turned up. Li Yiping also took a big gulp of wine, nodding repeatedly and exclaiming that the fight was exhilarating and satisfying.

Mo Guangren remained calm, but a hint of satisfaction lingered in his gaze as he looked at Qin Heng. He nodded slightly to Qin Heng as he stepped off the stage and handed him a pure white healing pill: "Take this and rest for a moment."

"Thank you, Master." Qin Heng took the pill, tilted his head back, swallowed it, and sat down to concentrate and regulate his breathing. The restless blood and qi in his body were slowly calmed down with the help of the medicine. The experience and insights from his life-and-death battle with Huang Yuan also flowed through his mind again and again, and the circulation of his internal energy became more and more smooth and free.

Sun Dazhu, Wang Tieshan, and Li Wenxiu, three old friends, immediately gathered around.

"Good job, Qin! Well done!" Sun Dazhu patted Qin Heng on the shoulder, his voice low but unable to hide his excitement. "That Huang Yuan kid always looks down on everyone, but today he finally got a good beating!"

"Indeed, today's battle has severely dampened the arrogance of aristocratic families like the Huang family and greatly boosted the prestige of us martial artists." Wang Tieshan echoed in a deep voice, "From now on, no one in the Heyang region will dare to underestimate your Songxuan Martial Arts School."

Li Wenxiu gently waved her folding fan and said with a smile, "Nephew Qin's future is limitless, but the tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. In the future, we must still be more wary of the Huang family's retaliation."

Qin Heng thanked them one by one. Su Wenqing and several other veteran experts at the Transformation Realm nodded to Mo Guangren from a distance, their gazes lingering on Qin Heng for a moment before they looked away. The heads of other aristocratic families, martial arts schools, and escort agencies also merely bowed from afar, their politeness limited to a token gesture; no one dared to approach them deliberately to curry favor. After all, no one wanted to rashly show goodwill at this moment, needlessly arousing suspicion from the Huang family and the garrison's alliance.

Cheng Yang sat upright at the head of the table, his fingers lightly tapping the surface. He had watched the entire duel without expression, showing neither anger at Huang Yuan's defeat nor admiration for Qin Heng's impressive performance. Only when the murmurs subsided did he raise his hand and press down.

Instantly, the entire training ground fell silent.

"Today's sparring among juniors should stop when the point is reached." Cheng Yang's voice was loud and clear, carrying an undeniable authority. "The remaining matches are unnecessary."

The disciples who were originally preparing to go on stage felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly returned to their original seats.

Cheng Yang put down his celadon wine cup, coughed lightly, and let the light slowly sweep across the entire room. Everyone straightened their backs, held their breath, and knew that the garrison commander was about to get down to business.

"Today's celebration banquet is meant to commemorate the complete eradication of the Duanlong Valley bandits, eliminating a major threat to Heyang." Cheng Yang's tone was calm, yet carried a heavy weight of pressure. "However, although Duanlong Valley has been destroyed, the Canglan River waterway remains unsettled. Private boats roam freely, resulting in significant tax revenue losses, and merchant ships are still frequently hijacked. Even worse, some are secretly colluding with lawbreakers to smuggle contraband! They disrupt the order of Heyang for their own selfish desires, harming the interests of the entire county's people."

He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, his voice firm and resolute: "After discussions between the Garrison Command and the Huang family, the leading family of Heyang, it has been decided to establish the Heyang General Chamber of Commerce," to oversee all matters related to water transport, land transport, commerce, and security throughout the county. From this day forward, all trade routes, ports, and large warehouses will be managed uniformly by the Chamber of Commerce; no other entity may operate them privately!"

These words caused an uproar in the room!

Everyone's expression changed, exchanging shocked glances. Everyone understood that this was not the establishment of a chamber of commerce, but rather the Cheng and Huang families joining forces to monopolize all of Heyang's commercial lifeline! Moreover, from beginning to end, Cheng Yang had not mentioned the Zhang, Xu, and Cui families at all. These three families had not been invited to today's celebration banquet, clearly indicating that he wanted to completely exclude them and isolate them from the future power core of Heyang.

Cheng Yang, seemingly oblivious to the crowd's reactions, continued, "The Heyang General Chamber of Commerce will be fully supervised and managed by the Garrison Command. Huang Ting will serve as its first president, and Cheng Lie as its vice president, jointly overseeing all daily affairs of the Chamber. Anyone voluntarily joining the Chamber will obtain legal operating qualifications after verification of capital, sharing the Chamber's unified trade routes and channels, and receiving priority in handling all freight orders to and from the prefectural city. The Garrison Command will provide support and dispatch troops to suppress bandits along the waterways and crack down on smuggling activities!"

"As for those who refuse to join the Chamber of Commerce," Cheng Yang's tone suddenly turned cold, "they will be forbidden from engaging in any commercial activities in Heyang, all ships will be prohibited from docking at any port in Heyang, and goods will be prohibited from circulating within Heyang territory. Any disobedience will be treated as treason!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a thin man at the table suddenly stood up. He was the chief镖头 (bodyguard/escort) of Shunfeng镖局 (Shunfeng Escort Agency), a master of internal strength, who made a living by delivering goods for the Cui family. His face was pale, but he still forced himself to ask, "Lord Cheng,..." Before he could finish speaking, the captain of Cheng Yang's personal guard stepped forward and coldly interrupted, "The Chamber of Commerce only accepts forces loyal to the Garrison Command and dedicated to the people of Heyang. Anyone who dares to speak further will be punished for disrupting official business."

'

More than ten armored guards immediately stepped forward, their hands on the hilts of their swords. The镖头 (镖头, the镖师, a person in charge of escorting goods) was terrified and fell to his knees with a thud, repeatedly kowtowing: "My lord, spare my life! I know I was wrong! I will never dare to speak out of turn again!"

Cheng Yang waved his hand, signaling his personal guards to leave. His cold gaze swept across the entire room, and no one dared to utter another word.

After a brief silence, the old master of Changqing Martial Arts School was the first to stand up, cupping his fists in a fist salute to Cheng Yang: "Lord Cheng is absolutely right! Integrating trade routes and cracking down on smuggling are great things that benefit the county and its people! Changqing Martial Arts School is willing to join the Chamber of Commerce and obey your orders!"

With the first to take the lead, seventeen or eighteen small and medium-sized martial arts schools and escort agencies affiliated with the Cheng and Huang families immediately stood up and echoed, "Our Feiyun Escort Agency is willing to join the Chamber of Commerce!"

"I, the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School, second that proposal!"

"It's entirely up to Lord Cheng!"

Immediately, voices of agreement rose and fell.

Manager Zhou, the head of Jufu Escort Agency, had an uncertain expression. He looked at Cheng Yang's cold eyes, then at the equally hesitant owner of Liuyun Martial Arts School beside him. After pondering for a long time, he slowly stood up and said, "This matter concerns the livelihoods of dozens of people in my agency. Please allow me to go back and discuss it with the managers for three days before giving you an answer, sir."

Seeing this, the other middle-level forces also expressed that they needed to go back and discuss the matter.

Finally, all eyes fell on Mo Guangren. Now, with two experts at the Transformation Realm in charge, Songxuan Martial Arts School has become a force to be reckoned with in Heyang County, and their attitude is highly regarded.

Mo Guangren slowly rose, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cheng Yang, and said calmly, "Lord Cheng, Songxuan Martial Arts Academy has always focused on teaching and passing on skills, and has never been involved in commerce. However, if the Chamber of Commerce needs manpower to maintain local security and eliminate remaining bandits, the entire Songxuan Martial Arts Academy will not hesitate to do so."

Cheng Yang gave him a deep look but didn't press the matter. He knew that Mo Guangren, being from the prefectural city, had always held a different stance from the local forces. Now was not the time to force Song Xuanwu Martial Arts School to take sides. Moreover, the other party had also incurred the wrath of the Huang family, and whether they would be friends or foes in the future was still uncertain.

His gaze shifted to Qin Heng, and a sense of admiration for his talent arose in his heart. If this young man were willing to wholeheartedly submit to him and join his ranks, he would be willing to step in and mediate to help him resolve his entanglement with the Huang family. However, such favors and assistance would ultimately come at a price.

"Alright." Cheng Yang nodded and announced loudly, "Three days from now, at 9:00 AM, the founding meeting of the Heyang General Chamber of Commerce will be held in the main hall of the garrison headquarters. Those who fail to arrive by the deadline will be deemed to have automatically forfeited their eligibility to join."

After saying this, he stood up, turned around, and left with his personal guards.

The victory celebration banquet came to an end. The attendees, each with a different expression and a multitude of thoughts, gradually dispersed. Some were beaming with joy, some were frowning, and some hurried away, clearly eager to return and deliver messages to the Zhang, Xu, and Cui families to discuss countermeasures.

Qin Heng followed Mo Guangren and the others along the path in the training ground, their shadows stretched long by the setting sun.

"The Cheng and Huang families' move is ruthless," Sun Dazhu muttered angrily from the side. "They used the pretext of bandit suppression to establish a chamber of commerce, directly kicking out the Zhang, Xu, and Cui families and monopolizing all trade routes. Their greed is outrageous!"

Wang Tieshan said in a deep voice, "The Zhang, Xu, and Cui families have been operating for a century and have deep roots. With the Ming family being wiped out first, they certainly won't sit idly by. Now that the Cheng and Huang families have joined forces to monopolize the waterways, the Chen family of Jishui, which controls another tributary waterway, will certainly not let it go. Next, Heyang is likely to be in turmoil again. If this battle breaks out, I don't know how many people will die."

Li Wenxiu gently shook his folding fan, his expression grave, and added, "We must be even more wary of the Cheng and Huang families. Under the guise of clearing out the remaining bandits and rectifying the trade routes, they might take the opportunity to forcibly annex those small and medium-sized martial arts schools, escort agencies, and other forces that refuse to submit. They've tried this trick before, but fortunately, the combined strength of several of us at the Transformation Realm is enough to stabilize the current situation."

Mo Guangren stopped and looked at Qin Heng with a solemn expression: "Wenxiu is right. Today, Xiao Heng injured Huang Yuan in public, which has created an enmity between us and the Huang family, and there is little room for reconciliation. We can no longer maintain absolute neutrality. We can only stabilize the situation at the garrison headquarters for now, avoid completely breaking off relations, keep a low profile, and observe the changing situation."

"But the impact of today's events goes far beyond this." He frowned slightly, his tone becoming increasingly solemn: "The Huang family has always been arrogant and domineering, valuing the reputation of a noble family above all else. Now that their eldest son has been severely injured in public by you, their face has been completely humiliated. Given their vengeful nature, they will certainly not swallow this insult and will undoubtedly seek revenge in secret."

"Xiao Heng, go home immediately and bring your sister to stay at the martial arts school. There are many people and powerful people in the school, and I can take care of her at any time. With me here, I can ensure the safety of you and your sister."

Qin Heng lowered his head and pondered for a moment. He knew that his master had thought things through. Although he was not afraid of trouble, his sister did not know martial arts and it was really dangerous for her to be alone at home. So he immediately nodded in agreement.

After a moment's thought, he looked up at Mo Guangren, his eyes full of earnestness: "Disciple understands. Furthermore, disciple has another request. Taking advantage of this period of relative peace, I wish to spar with Master daily to solidify my foundation in internal energy transformation, hone my combat skills, and strive for further advancement!"

Looking at Qin Heng's youthful face, Mo Guangren was filled with emotion. Today, he had decisively defeated Huang Yuan on the arena, enjoying unparalleled success. Any other young man would have become arrogant and complacent, inevitably displaying impetuousness and recklessness. But Qin Heng, despite his achievements, remained calm and composed, without a trace of pride or self-satisfaction, focusing solely on self-improvement. With such a mindset, given the right opportunity, his future would undoubtedly be limitless.

He patted Qin Heng on the shoulder, and with a heart full of relief, slowly nodded in agreement.

Next to the Wangjiang Restaurant in the inner city, there is a hidden stone chamber several feet underground.

The damp air carried a faint scent of ink, and the candlelight crackled, casting a shadow of a person onto the rough stone wall. The shadow swayed and twisted with the firelight, like a ghost lurking in the shadows.

Chen Jingyi pushed open the door and entered, bowing respectfully: "Third Brother."

"The celebration banquet is over?" Chen Xuanli didn't even look up, but suddenly glanced at the waterway map on the wall. "Get to the point."

"Just as we suspected, they are indeed openly and aggressively consolidating smaller forces, intending to isolate the Cui, Xu, and Zhang families and firmly bind the rest of Heyang County to their chariots." Chen Jingyi spoke rapidly, getting straight to the point. "Nearly half of the forces have agreed to join the Heyang General Chamber of Commerce, while the rest are still wavering and observing. There's another interesting, albeit unexpected, development. You probably wouldn't believe it, but a mere seventeen-year-old at the Huajin realm appeared at the victory banquet! That was Qin Heng from the Songxuan Martial Arts School. Huang Yuan fought him on the banquet's arena and was immediately defeated, his arm broken, leaving him severely injured and unconscious. This saved us the trouble of sending someone specifically to deal with him."

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"Also, Cheng Yang announced on the spot that the founding meeting of the Heyang General Chamber of Commerce would be held in three days, leaving us with little time," he added in a low voice.

Chen Xuanli slowly raised his eyes, his gaze unfathomable, and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Indeed interesting. A golden phoenix has flown out of a pheasant's nest. In such a crude place as the outer city of Heyang, such an outstanding figure has actually emerged."

"However, being too sharp-edged may not be a good thing." His tone was calm, yet it carried a hint of knowing-it-all. "Huang Ting appears kind on the surface, but he is actually extremely narrow-minded. He will hold a grudge for life for hurting his eldest son. Mo Guangren can protect him for a while, but not forever."

"However, this is precisely our opportunity." He slowly rose, walked closer to the waterway map of the three counties, and stopped a few steps away. "The more chaotic Heyang County becomes, the more advantageous it is for us. We cannot let go of any force that can be won over, and this young man is indeed someone we can win over. How's the network of connections I had you lay out?"

Chen Jingyi stepped forward, also looking at the waterway map of the three counties, and replied, "Don't worry, Sanlang. Our branch has been stationed in Heyang for almost half a year, and we've long since spared no expense in befriending all the potential martial artists in the area. We've been keeping an eye on Qin Heng for several months. He's not fond of wine or women, nor is he greedy for money or gambling. He spends his days practicing boxing and is a pure martial arts fanatic. I once hosted a banquet for him, so we left each other some face."

"A little face isn't enough." Chen Xuanli shook his head. "You need to go there in person and explain the pros and cons to him clearly. As for the benefits, what you promised last time can be fulfilled. Tell him that as long as he's willing to cooperate with us, the Chen family will take responsibility for the Huang family's affairs."

"Okay, Sanlang, I'll write it down." Chen Jingyi nodded silently.

Chen Xuanli suddenly changed the subject, lowering his voice slightly: "By the way, how's the matter I asked you to handle going?"

Chen Jingyi's expression hardened, and he solemnly replied, "We've already succeeded with the Huang family. The key accounts have been extracted, and the forged accounts have been returned. No one should notice for a while. As for Cheng Yang's concubine, we're still a bit short-lived. That woman is meticulous and Cheng Yang keeps a close eye on her, so we haven't succeeded yet."

"Speed ​​up the process." Chen Xuanli's tone was devoid of any emotion. "The Cheng and Huang families are currently focusing all their attention on the preparations for the Chamber of Commerce, and they are both thinking about finalizing the monopoly on the trade routes. This is the best time for us to make our move. We must complete the finalization within five days, and there can be no mistakes."

"Understood."

The stone chamber fell silent for a moment, with only the crackling of the candlelight.

After a long while, Chen Xuanli turned his head, his tone unusually gentle: "Sixteenth Uncle, you've been in Heyang for half a year now. Are you getting used to living here?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingyi's capable expression faded, revealing an indescribable weariness. He gave a bitter laugh and shook his head: "Habit? What's there to be used to or not used to? Outsiders only think that we scions of noble families are born into wealth and privilege, able to command the wind and rain, and get whatever we want. But little do they know, from the day we are born, our lives are no longer our own."

"I'm forty-two years old this year. I've been in Heyang for half a year, in Qishui for eight years, and in the prefectural city for thirteen years. Wherever I'm needed, that's where I have to go. My wife and children are in Jishui, and I only see them once or twice a year. The last letter I received from home said that my youngest son doesn't even recognize me as his father anymore."

He turned to look at Chen Xuanli, his eyes filled with a sense of vicissitude: "Third Brother, you are the direct descendants, so naturally you don't know that we, the collateral descendants, may seem glamorous on the outside, but in reality, we are nothing more than pawns in the hands of the clan. When we are useful, we are praised to the skies; when we are no longer useful, we are discarded like worn-out shoes. Your Sixteenth Uncle is just hoping that this battle in Heyang will end soon, so that he can go back home to see his wife and children, and live a few peaceful days with his family!"

Chen Xuanli remained silent and did not speak.

He walked to the waterway map, gazing at the city of Heyang circled in black ink. The candlelight flickered in his eyes, reflecting a complex expression.

Collateral branches are pawns, and aren't all legitimate sons pawns too?

Every member of the Chen family bears the mark of the Chen family from the moment they are born, and carries the family's honor, disgrace, rise and fall.

No one can truly do as they please, and no one can escape the game set up by the clan.