190: Chapter 191 The Four Great Families, the Special Case of the Wang Family

When he arrived at the entrance of the town, he could see the outlines of several carriages from afar.

Three carriages were parked neatly at the town gate. The horses pulling them were all uniform, large date-red horses with glossy coats and sturdy builds; one look was enough to tell they were no ordinary stock.

The carriages were also brand new. The carriages were painted in a dark red lacquer, and the flags of the Qingfeng Chamber of Commerce hung on both sides, with a large "Zhou" character embroidered on them.

Two of the carriages had several large crates on them, sealed with strips of paper; they likely contained silver.

A conservative estimate would be no less than 100,000 taels.

According to Zhou Yuanshan, the Qingfeng Chamber of Commerce was required to return to headquarters every three months to report, the purpose being to transport that quarter's profits back to the main office.

It had to be said that whether it was the Black Stone Gang or Chijin Hall, neither could compare to the Qingfeng Chamber of Commerce when it came to making money.

At this moment, Zhou Yuanshan was standing beside the first carriage, wearing a royal blue brocade robe with a silver silk belt tied around his waist, his hair combed meticulously.

His attire today was like a completely different person compared to how he usually looked while clicking an abacus in the shop; he looked every bit the wealthy gentleman.

"Brother Lin!" Zhou Yuanshan greeted him with a Face full of smiles.

Lin Ye also quickened his pace, cupping his hands in a salute: "Deacon Zhou, you've been waiting a long time."

"Ah, I only just arrived." Zhou Yuanshan waved his hand, then his gaze lingered on Lin Ye for a moment, his Face showing confusion: "Brother Lin, is that all the luggage you're bringing?"

"There isn't much worth bringing; I'll just buy more when I get to the county seat," Lin Ye said, feigning indifference.

"Brother Lin is truly carefree." Zhou Yuanshan did not doubt him.

"Come, follow me into the carriage, let's talk on the way." He led Lin Ye to the first carriage.

This carriage was a size larger than the two behind it, with copper bells hanging from the four corners of the carriage, and the curtains were made of dark blue silk embroidered with silver cloud patterns.

The driver was an old man, but judging by his aura, he should also possess cultivation.

Zhou Yuanshan personally lifted the curtain and made a gesture of invitation.

"Many thanks." Lin Ye thanked him and bent down to enter the carriage.

The interior of the carriage was even more spacious than it looked from the outside; the floor was covered with a thick wool carpet that felt soft underfoot.

On both sides were dark red wooden wall panels carved with exquisite flower and bird patterns, the lacquered surface smooth as a mirror.

A low table was placed by the window, with a teapot and teacups on it, and a small incense burner set to the side.

At this moment, it was emitting wisps of smoke, releasing a faint scent of sandalwood.

The seats were wide, soft couches covered with brocade cushions.

Seeing this, Lin Ye couldn't help but sigh inwardly. As expected of someone in business, they certainly knew how to enjoy life. The cost of this single carriage alone was likely enough to feed an ordinary family for several years.

"Come, Brother Lin, don't be polite, sit and have some tea." Zhou Yuanshan sat down opposite him, picked up the teapot, and poured two cups of tea—it was the same Cloud Mist Tea as last time.

Lin Ye picked up the teacup and took a sip, and just as he was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from outside the carriage.

"Lin Ye!" Lifting the curtain, Lin Ye turned back to look.

He saw several figures standing on the city wall at some unknown time; it was his Second Uncle, his Master, Captain Zhao, and Wang Gang.

"Brother Lin, have a safe journey!" "Kid Lin, come back and visit often!" "Kid Lin, remember to take care of yourself!"

The voices of the group drifted to Lin Ye's ears on the wind. Lin Ye leaned out halfway and waved vigorously toward the city wall.

"You all take care too, I will come back to see you when I have time!"

"Brother Lin, you are very well-liked in Black Stone Town." Zhou Yuanshan smiled and sighed at this scene.

Soon, the caravan set off. The wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a rumbling sound.

Lin Ye lifted a corner of the curtain and glanced back at Black Stone Town behind him.

The figures on the city wall became increasingly blurred, eventually disappearing into the morning mist.

Putting down the curtain, Lin Ye sat back against the soft couch and looked at Deacon Zhou opposite him.

"Deacon Zhou, I am not yet familiar with the situation in the county seat; I wonder if you could tell me about it?"

The reason he chose to travel with Zhou Yuanshan was to gather some information in advance, so as not to be completely clueless upon arriving in a new place.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuanshan put down his teacup and straightened his posture. "I wonder which aspect Brother Lin would like to hear about?"

"Just a simple overview will do." Zhou Yuanshan thought for a moment, then slowly began:

"Qingfeng County is not particularly large, but it's not small either; the permanent population in the city is about 800,000."

He paused at this point. "However, I don't think this is what Brother Lin is interested in."

Lin Ye smiled and did not deny it. He wasn't going there to be a County Magistrate, so why would he care about the population?

"Then I will continue. Qingfeng County is divided into an Inner City and an Outer City."

"The Outer City is basically inhabited by commoners and Jianghu Gangs, while the Inner City is home to the great families and various government departments."

"The Outer City is further divided into four districts: East, South, West, and North."

As he spoke, Zhou Yuanshan dipped his finger in some tea on the table and drew a rough map.

"Each district has a large Gang stationed there, managing the business and order within their territory."

"The East District is the territory of the Green Snake Gang. The Gang leader is at the Peak of the Seventh Grade, with four or five other experts at the Seventh Grade under his command, and thousands of Gang members."

"Behind the Green Snake Gang stands the Chen family of the Inner City. The Chen family primarily deals in medicinal herbs; they have substantial family assets and also have some connections with the yamen."

"The South District is the territory of the Flying Eagle Gang. The Gang leader is also a Seventh Grade Peak Martial Artist."

"As for the power behind the Flying Eagle Gang, it is the Sun family of the Inner City. The Sun family deals in banking; out of every ten banks in the entire Qingfeng County, six belong to the Sun family."

Lin Ye listened very attentively, committing this information to memory. Once he went to the county seat, he would inevitably have to deal with these forces; understanding their network of relationships in advance would also help him prescribe the right remedy.

"The West District is the territory of the Iron Spear Society. The leader, Wei Qing, has a cultivation of Half-step Sixth-Grade and is known as the Qingfeng Spear King. They are considered the strongest among the four major Gangs."

"Standing behind the Iron Spear Society is the Wu family. The Wu family primarily deals in the grain business, and more than half of the grain shops in the county hang the Wu family's signboard."

"The North District is the territory of the Changfeng Gang. The leader, Li Changfeng, has the weakest cultivation, only at the Seventh Grade Late Stage."

"However, relying on his impressive Qinggong, no one easily provokes him. Behind the Changfeng Gang stands the Zheng family. The Zheng family deals in salt mining, and their operations are quite extensive."

"I heard that the old patriarch of the Zheng family was an official in the prefecture in his early years, and only returned to his hometown to enjoy his twilight years after retiring."

After hearing Zhou Yuanshan's description, Lin Ye had a rough understanding of the complexity of Qingfeng County. There were four major Gangs in the Outer City and four great families in the Inner City, all standing in opposition and keeping each other in check.

However, Lin Ye noticed a blind spot: where was the Wang family? It seemed Zhou Yuanshan hadn't mentioned the Wang family from beginning to end.

"What about the Wang family? Do they not have any territory?" Lin Ye asked.

Hearing Lin Ye mention the Wang family, Zhou Yuanshan smiled. "The Wang family's position in Qingfeng County is quite special. They do not directly participate in the struggles of the great families, nor do they support any Gangs to occupy territory."

"But the other major families will all give the Wang family some Face, to a greater or lesser extent."

"Oh? Why is that?" Lin Ye became interested.