18: Chapter 18 Improvement of Strength

Taking a deep breath, Pei Qingyun cast all his deductions to the back of his mind.

If the situation was as Pei Tianrong described, and the people from the Prefecture City could arrive in time, it would naturally be a happy ending for everyone.

But if they could not, he, Pei Qingyun, would not place his only hope on that.

It is better to rely on oneself than on others.

Perhaps the major factions within Wuyang County could not do it, but that did not mean he, Pei Qingyun, could not.

Regardless, he still had time.

At the very least, he still had a few months.

A few months was far from enough for the development of any Family or faction.

But for the Pei Clan, that might not be the case.

To the side, Pei Tianrong did not interrupt Pei Qingyun's thoughts, simply sitting quietly and waiting for the Old Ancestor's reply.

Having cleared his thoughts, Pei Qingyun's eyes regained their clarity. He said, "Let this matter end here. In two days, I will head to the Evil Suppression Bureau. The Elders on the list must also prepare; this operation will undoubtedly be extremely dangerous. Before I return, prioritize safety above all else."

With Pei Qingyun's departure, everything came to a temporary pause.

Unlike the Pei Clan, which was standing by in full battle array, the other major factions were still immersed in the shock of the Dahe Gang's destruction.

Only a few factions sensed a hint of abnormality, while most were more concerned with their own interests.

Time returns to yesterday. Wuyang County, inside the County Magistrate's office.

An old man dressed in dark grey silk and satin was wielding a brush, calligraphy dancing across the desk, looking as though he was nearing the end.

Suddenly, a series of hurried knocks came from outside the door.

"Come in." The old man set down his brush, a trace of displeasure appearing on his face, but he quickly returned to his usual composure.

Creak! The door was pushed open, and what came into view was a man of similar age to the old man, sporting a long goatee.

The moment the man saw the old man, he immediately shouted respectfully, "Master, this servant has an urgent matter to report."

"What is it?" The old man leaned back in his chair, his tone devoid of any emotion.

"Just half an hour ago, this servant received news that the upper echelons of the Dahe Gang were wiped out by the Pei Clan," the man reported truthfully.

"The Dahe Gang wiped out? With such a major incident, why are you only reporting it now?" the old man said coldly.

"This servant only received the news a short while ago. To confirm that the Pei Clan was indeed behind this, I delayed a bit. Please, Master, punish me," the man explained cautiously, his face full of fear and trepidation.

In fact, this was not the reason for the man's delay. He knew very well that the Master hated being disturbed while practicing calligraphy, so he had timed his arrival carefully. But he could not say that out loud; he certainly could not blame the Master.

The old man was unaware of the man's petty thoughts, but he also understood that there was no way he would delay over such a matter. "I will note down your punishment for now. The Pei Clan is truly bold; to privately destroy the Dahe Gang without my office's consent—they clearly do not hold me, the County Magistrate, in any regard."

"Steward, how do you think this matter should be handled?" As he spoke, the old man looked at the fearful man beside him.

Hearing this, the man, who had just relaxed, could not help but be startled. If he answered this question poorly, he would be truly finished.

"This servant is shallow in learning and dares not speak presumptuously." The man kept his head lowered, forced to choose the most reasonable answer.

"I told you to speak, so speak. What I need to hear is the truth." The old man looked deeply at the man, emphasizing the last two words heavily.

"It seems I must say something, then?" the man thought to himself. Being with a ruler is like being with a tiger.

As the steward of Wuyang County, on the surface, he was second to only one person, enjoying infinite glory. But who understood the risks he had to face? Sometimes, he even had to act as a strategist.

"This servant believes that the Pei Clan's actions were definitely not aimed at you, Master, but were more of a retaliation against the Wang Family. However, such conduct by the Pei Clan has severely damaged your prestige. Therefore, the Pei Clan must be punished." The man thought for a moment before speaking slowly and clearly.

"Then tell me, what kind of punishment would be appropriate?" the old man continued to press.

"This... this servant..." The man stammered, unable to answer the question.

"Fine, I won't make things difficult for you. Send word to the Pei Clan to pay a fine of ten thousand taels, and this matter will be considered closed." The old man understood that it was time to stop. One must balance grace and authority, and when exercising authority, one should not go too far.

Not long after the steward left, the old man's expression turned cold once more. Since he took over as County Magistrate, he had been constrained by the three major families at every turn. He naturally loathed the three major families to the extreme.

But on the surface, he could not completely antagonize the three major families, or it would affect his official career. Furthermore, the rampant demon disaster required the cooperation of the three major families.

Although the Evil Suppression Bureau did not interfere in the internal affairs of the government office, they would not allow him to do that either. At this moment, he could only mete out a slight punishment to the Pei Clan. Otherwise, it would not be as simple as just a ten thousand tael fine.

Meanwhile, the Evil Suppression Bureau had also learned of the matter. However, the Evil Suppression Bureau's reaction was overly indifferent. Factions like the Dahe Gang were of little use in suppressing the demon disaster; if they were wiped out, so be it.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Since leaving the Family head's courtyard, Pei Qingyun had gone to the Scripture Pavilion.

Two days were not enough to cause a qualitative change in his Realm. But that did not mean Pei Qingyun could not improve his strength. Over these two days, Pei Qingyun specifically practiced an additional Cultivation Technique to solidify his foundation and increase his strength.

[Name: Pei Qingyun] [Lifespan: 10 years and two months] [Cultivation: Mid stage of Five Viscera Realm] [Cultivation Technique: Pei Family Evergreen Art (Perfection) (Yellow Grade Top Tier), Thousand Blade Slash (Major Achievement) (Yellow Grade High Tier)] [Family Luck: 520 (650) (Note: Family Luck can recover, naturally recovering 6.5 points per day. If Family Luck falls below 80% of the total, unpredictable disasters will occur.)]

Pei Qingyun's own Aptitude was not bad; in just one day, he had completed the entry level of Thousand Blade Slash. With the blessing of Family Luck, he stepped past the Minor Achievement and Major Achievement stages in one go. However, the accumulation of these few days was completely exhausted as a result. Regarding this, Pei Qingyun was still very satisfied.

The Pei Family Evergreen Art, regardless of its grade, provided a superior boost to Qi and blood. However, the methods available for offense were too singular. This resulted in Pei Qingyun always having excess endurance but insufficient explosive power when facing Martial Artists of the same Realm.

Later, as he grew older, his Qi and blood declined, causing even his endurance to become a disadvantage. Now that Thousand Blade Slash had reached Major Achievement, with his Qi and blood bolstered by the Evergreen Art, he was no longer weak among those of the same Realm. If he were to clash with Martial Artists of the same Realm again, he would have the confidence to win, rather than falling to the bottom of his peers.

"It's about time." A sharp glint appeared in Pei Qingyun's eyes as he slowly walked out of the Pei Clan's grounds.