37: The goal is achieved by cleaning up the county lord

"Hahaha, Madam Xiao, you truly love to joke."

"Come, present the congratulatory gift I prepared for the Xiao Family..."

Magistrate Hou's eyes flashed as he avoided the topic, having a servant bring over a scroll. When it was unrolled, it revealed a large character personally written by the County Magistrate himself—'A Family That Accumulates Good Deeds.'

This action immediately quieted the Xiao Clan Members present.

That's right, he had come this time to take advantage of the situation.

Xiao Qingyuan almost laughed in anger at the sight.

He had, after all, paid for the County Magistrate's yamen to be renovated.

He had built a luxurious six-courtyard compound, leaving behind many "local specialties" within it.

In terms of work, he had even sent the second-tier Geniuses from the martial arts halls under his jurisdiction into the county yamen in batches.

To serve as yamen runners.

After such a long time, these individuals all possessed some martial arts skills.

They were strong and robust, capable of being called second-rate experts in the Jianghu.

Under such circumstances, Xiao Qingyuan thought that even if Magistrate Hou didn't appreciate his kindness, he should at least keep to himself and maintain a minimum level of reverence for the Immortal clan.

Yet, not only did Magistrate Hou deliberately arrive late and put on airs, but his entire being also exuded arrogance.

As if the entire Xiao Family was just like the Mortal aristocratic families he had previously manipulated at will.

Xiao Qingyuan frowned in thought, wondering who had given him such courage.

To dare cause trouble at his child's full moon celebration?

A Family That Accumulates Good Deeds?

Playing these local officialdom codewords!

He was being taken for a fool.

Xiao Qingyuan looked at the poorly written characters in front of him; this thing was too stiff even to wipe one's backside with.

Did he truly think his Xiao Family, did he truly think Xiao Qingyuan, was easy to bully?

Just as Magistrate Hou was about to speak again, to discuss the county's "construction projects," Xiao Qingyuan directly interrupted him.

"Magistrate Hou, I wonder if my Xiao Family has ever offended you?"

Magistrate Hou's expression became exaggerated upon hearing this, and he turned to Yang Yan in astonishment.

"Oh dear, is this your son? And where did he get such an idea?"

The guests present suddenly fell silent.

No one had expected the two to suddenly become so tense.

One side was an old Immortal clan that had been entrenched in Qingxuan County for decades.

The other was the Qingxuan County Magistrate appointed by the imperial court.

They were actually clashing openly like this.

Xiao Qingyuan simply watched the County Magistrate's expression.

After a long while, he suddenly smiled: "Magistrate Hou, please don't be offended. It was this junior who spoke out of turn..."

The banquet ended unhappily.

The matter of the marriage was naturally not brought up again.

By evening, intelligence concerning Magistrate Hou's family and Qin Hongniang had been sent to him by his mother. To be honest, his mother was also angry about Magistrate Hou's disruption today.

Xiao Qingyuan opened it and immediately understood.

—Magistrate Hou was about to be transferred to Jinjiang County in Jiujiang Prefecture.

[This was him trying to make one last big score before leaving. What audacity!]

As for Qin Hongniang, whom Magistrate Hou spoke of with such boastfulness, she was merely an enforcer he had cultivated, calling her his adopted daughter.

She was also the source of his confidence in not fearing a confrontation with the Immortal clan.

Did he truly think a Great Grandmaster could protect him, a Mortal, in front of an Immortal clan?

Ridiculous!

What was even more interesting was that Magistrate Hou was completely unaware that his true background had already been silently uncovered by his father, Xiao Yance.

Qin Hongniang's own background was connected to Magistrate Hou's family.

"The Taixing Escort Agency, Qin Hongniang is suspected to be the orphaned survivor of the massacre years ago, and the perpetrator is even somewhat connected to Magistrate Hou, yet both parties are unaware."

"Interesting, Magistrate Hou's given name is actually Hou Daniu? Heh..."

He was clearly a lucky individual who rose through the civil service examinations from a common background, so why did he become even more terrifyingly corrupt than the unruly aristocratic families after becoming an official?

Truly, ignorance is bliss.

Xiao Qingyuan tossed the items back to Ada.

"Send someone to investigate Jiujiang Prefecture! I want to know the entire story behind this matter."

"It would be best to find evidence."

After Ada left, Xiao Qingyuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

He looked at the distant clouds.

Why, when he was so kind, couldn't others be kind to him?

This was too improper!

Sure enough, before the third day arrived, Magistrate Hou once again sent someone to seek cooperation with him.

Under the guise of the Magistrate's escort agency, they claimed they could sell Qingxuan Department Store's goods to Jiujiang Prefecture.

Xiao Qingyuan said nothing.

He was speechless; if it was about business, couldn't he sell it himself?

He said nothing.

But the County Magistrate acted as if he had a hold over him, insisting on doing business with him.

So, a few days later, in the early morning, the head of the so-called escort agency under Magistrate Hou's command appeared silently by his bedside.

Along with all of his criminal evidence, one of which was evidence related to the Taixing Escort Agency massacre.

Qin Hongniang, on the other hand, was completely packaged and taken away, disappearing without a trace.

Hou Daniu's furious roar of collapse woke him up in the morning.

Powerless rage.

He had merely taken an interest in the county's business and wanted a piece of the action.

In his view, it was a win-win situation.

The show of force was also to discuss the shares.

He hadn't expected them to immediately flip the table.

He was very angry and immediately wanted to write a letter.

However, he unexpectedly found that all the constables in the county yamen had completely ignored him since then.

As if he didn't exist.

No one would deliver his letter!

When he realized it, he discovered that at some point, his loyal subordinates had already rebelled.

In other words, these people were originally Xiao Yance's.

Thinking of this, cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead.

Looking at the once luxurious and grand mansion, he only felt it was as cold as a prison.

Everyone else was unaffected; his wife chatted and laughed with him, completely unaware.

But he was so frightened that he fell ill.

—If he died, everyone here could be the murderer!

With this thought, he became restless and anxious.

He frantically tried to find Qin Hongniang, but discovered that she was no longer in the manor at some unknown time.

He tried every possible method, but what he got was a second bandit's head by his bedside.

It was, astonishingly, another one of the heads of his "businesses."

The next day, the head of the merchant association.

The third day, a distant cousin... until the seventh day.

Hou Daniu, completely stripped of his grey industries, finally resigned himself to fate.

On a dark and windy night, enduring his illness, he voluntarily came to apologize, carrying thorns on his back.

He left dejected.

He merely looked back deeply at the Immortal clan behind him, his gaze equally chilling.

It was the first time in this world that someone dared to place a human head by the County Magistrate's bedside.

—How ruthless the Xiao Family's Seventeenth Master is!

... The next morning.

"Is all this true?"

Xiao Qingyuan, having achieved his desire, leisurely fed carp by the pond.

He held a bag of spiritual rice bran in his hand.

Considering whether to raise some spiritual fish in the lake.

Qin Hongniang trembled as she read the intelligence in her hand.

"I thought, I thought the revenge was already taken, but who knew the true enemy was always by my side, treated as a benefactor."

Qin Hongniang suddenly let out a tragic laugh.

"Then what about you? Why did you go to such lengths to get me?"

"I don't think a Mortal could possibly catch the eye of Seventeenth Master."

Xiao Qingyuan paused his hand, then threw all the fish food into the water.

Causing a large group of carp to scramble.

Watching the fish leap out of the water, Xiao Qingyuan pointed to the carp in the water and answered irrelevantly:

"People live to eat."

"I heard someone say that before people are full, they only have one problem: hunger."

"After they're full, their problems multiply."

Saying that, he turned around.

"That's nonsense."

"I believe that with problems, people gain goals; with desires, people become vibrant."

"Since we're all eating, I want to eat something good."

"Clearly, you are that 'good thing'!".

His tone was faint.

"I've already avenged your father's death, but you don't seem to plan on repaying me?".

Qin Hongniang shook her head.

"My entire life has been lived in deception; I've never lived for myself."

"Can you help me kill Magistrate Hou?".

"Yes, but not now." Xiao Qingyuan shook his head and said, "He can't die yet, but his future won't be good either."

"I can guarantee that after he is transferred, that will be the time of his death, no matter where he goes."

Qin Hongniang was silent for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

"So, what exactly did the Immortal expend so much effort to get Hongniang for?"

"Could it be that you're truly interested in me?".

At this, she suddenly smiled, her cool expression disappearing, her smile breathtakingly beautiful.

Xiao Qingyuan chose to answer with action.

He walked step by step towards Qin Hongniang until the distance between them became too close.

He directly pulled her into his embrace.

Disregarding the woman's surprise in his arms, he lowered his head and kissed her directly.

After a long kiss... "Clearly, why not?"