54: Chapter 54 Calm

Just as everyone was arguing about this, a man in black walked in.

"Everyone, no need to guess. The Wang Family has released news that they will hold a funeral for Wang Yang in three days."

"My friend, is this news reliable?" someone asked.

"My second aunt's husband is an Elder of the Wang Family. What do you think?" The man in black glanced at him and said casually.

"Many thanks for letting me know, friend."

...

With the news of Wang Yang's death spreading, the major powers understood why the Wang Family was doing this.

However, who killed Wang Yang was kept hidden. After all, only a very small number of people knew the truth of the matter.

At the same time, many forces attached to the Wang Family took this opportunity to lean towards the Pei Family.

Those Families with marriage ties to the Pei Family took advantage of this opportunity to heap praise upon them.

After this incident, the Pei Family was vaguely hailed as the number one Family in Wuyang County.

Pei Family grounds. The Family Head's small courtyard.

After the Wang Family made the announcement, Pei Tianrong also received word from the city. His mood was extremely excited.

For the Pei Family to reach this point, he, as the Family Head, would surely leave a significant mark in the Family history.

But after the excitement, he sobered up.

Admittedly, the Wang Family becoming an affiliate of the Pei Family greatly boosted the Pei Family's reputation.

But the Pei Family's strength would not skyrocket just because of this.

In truth, the Pei Family and the Wang Family were actually similar in strength.

If not for the Old Ancestor supporting them, the Pei Family could never bear the title of the number one Family.

Besides that, the Old Ancestor was getting on in years.

Very few Five-Viscera Martial Artists live to be ninety.

And the Old Ancestor was already eighty-two. Pei Tianrong had no idea how much longer his strength could be maintained.

Therefore, if the Pei Family wanted to become the true number one Family, the road ahead was long and arduous.

"Family Head, the outside world is now widely spreading that our Pei Family is the number one Family in Wuyang County," the butler said.

"What number one Family? This is just an empty title touted by the major Families. Since ancient times, it has been cold at the top. The higher one stands, the harder one falls. The more it is like this, the more cautious we must be," Pei Tianrong warned.

"The Family Head's lesson is correct. This old servant has learned his lesson," the butler nodded repeatedly.

"I have heard that recently, many young disciples in the Family have shown signs of becoming profligate. Is this true?" Pei Tianrong asked.

Hearing this, the butler's heart shrank, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

He understood that there was an implication in these words.

But in front of Pei Tianrong, he dared not hide anything.

The butler said in a deep voice, "It is true. The youngsters have become quite arrogant lately. Just a few days ago, the Third Elder's grandson, Si Xuan, tried to forcibly seize a young woman in the street. Fortunately, it was discovered in time, so no major disaster occurred."

"Outrageous! How dare he! Simply lawless!" Pei Tianrong was furious and slammed his hand hard on the stone table.

"It seems I have been too lenient with them during this time. Tell Xing Wei to go immediately and bring Si Xuan to me. I want to interrogate him personally."

The butler wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and immediately walked out of the Family Head's small courtyard.

He knew very well that a storm was about to sweep through the Pei Family.

After the butler left, Pei Tianrong couldn't help but frown.

"It hasn't even been a few days, and the young ones in the Family have become like this. Just as the Old Ancestor said, after subduing the Wang Family this time, many clansmen would gradually develop an arrogant, condescending attitude. If this continues, it is inevitable that some 'bad apples' will appear in the Family, damaging the Family's reputation."

"This time it was discovered in time, but next time we might not be so lucky."

Thinking of this, Pei Tianrong also felt it was time to purge the worms within the Pei Family.

...

Nanling Town.

Inside a secluded manor, Ling Ziwen was leisurely drinking tea, not looking at all like someone who was wanted.

"Chen Yuanba, eight villages have been wiped out. How will you choose now?"

Just as Ling Ziwen was secretly thinking, a man in white walked in, cupped his hands and said, "My lord, you are truly brilliant. According to your arrangements, Chen Yuanba has indeed fallen for the trap. Early this morning, a large number of Evil-Suppressing Guards from the Evil Suppression Bureau were transferred to Kaiheng Town. If there are no accidents, they should have arrived by now."

"Do not let your guard down. He is not as simple as you imagine. Go back and confirm once more whether the Evil-Suppressing Guards have arrived in Kaiheng Town. Confirm it clearly before coming back to report."

"Also, create a little commotion around Kaiheng Town for me." Ling Ziwen frowned; he was not happy because of this.

Not long after the man in white left, another scout entered the manor.

"Everything is normal on the Pei Family's side. Ancestor Pei is currently clearing out Tier 3 Demons."

"I understand. You may withdraw."

"Then this subordinate will take his leave."

After the scout left, Ling Ziwen fell into deep thought.

Everything was even smoother than he had imagined.

Both the Pei Family and the Evil Suppression Bureau were following his layout, but he had a faint feeling of unease in his heart.

"No, what do I have to worry about? As long as Chen Yuanba goes to Kaiheng Town, even if other accidents happen, it will at most mean the plan failed. Others cannot endanger my safety. As long as I don't die, I can completely make a comeback."

Thinking of this, Ling Ziwen felt a bit at ease.

"Wait a little longer. I must confirm that Chen Yuanba has arrived in Kaiheng Town."

...

A day passed in a flash.

Apart from some small commotion around Kaiheng Town, there was no movement in Nanling Town.

It was as if Ling Ziwen had suddenly disappeared.

Chen Yuanba, who was in Kaiheng Town, was a bit anxious, wondering if the plan had failed.

"Could Ling Ziwen have discovered something? Impossible. Only Ancestor Pei and I know about this plan. It is impossible for him to have leaked it."

But Ling Ziwen had been quiet for too long, which made him restless.

After pondering for a moment, he decided to send someone to write a letter to Pei Qingyun.

"Someone, prepare pen and paper for me."

Soon, Chen Yuanba finished writing the letter.

On the other side, Pei Qingyun received the letter and browsed through the content. He didn't think there was any problem, but he still replied.

"Director Chen, I think no movement is actually a good thing; it shows that Ling Ziwen is acting very cautiously. As the saying goes, 'If the enemy does not move, I do not move.' If Ling Ziwen never makes a move, it might not be a bad thing for Wuyang County. Time is on our side; the longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it is for Ling Ziwen."

"The reason he is so crazy is precisely to buy time."

After reading Pei Qingyun's letter, Chen Yuanba thought about it carefully, and indeed, it made sense.

The further it went, the closer it got to the end of the year.

The trade route blockade could be lifted at any time.

The only downside was that if he had to rely on the power of the Prefecture City to solve Ling Ziwen, it would be a major stain on his career.

But by comparison, Ling Ziwen was the one losing his life, so he should be more anxious.