42: Chapter 42: A Deadly Feud Begins, Town Mayor Zhao Hong

Supported by a group of frightened and terrified guards, Town Mayors Son fled the long street in a sorry state.

Behind him, he left behind a scene of utter chaos and the gazes of all the Luoyun Town residents, which were filled with extreme awe.

Gu Yan did not spare him another glance.

He simply returned calmly to his carriage and, to the coachman who had long since been scared pale, calmly ordered: "Go to the market."

It was as if the conflict that had been enough to shake the entire Luoyun Town just moments ago was merely an insignificant interlude.

...

The Town Mayors Office was located in the very center of Luoyun Town. It occupied a vast area, with pavilions, towers, and carved beams and painted rafters; it was countless times more imposing than the Wang Family residence.

Inside the study, a middle-aged man wearing a black robe, with a gaunt face and a three-stranded long beard, stood by the window, attentively tending to a pot of precious orchids.

His movements were unhurried and filled with a certain sense of rhythm.

This person was the nominal and actual supreme ruler of Luoyun Town, the Town Mayor, Town Mayor Zhao Hong!

A true expert whose cultivation had long since reached Level 8 Qi Refining!

"Dad! Dad!"

The door to the study was violently kicked open from the outside.

Town Mayors Son rushed in, stumbling and crawling, clutching one side of his face which was already swollen high and even turning purple, his voice filled with endless humiliation and a crying tone.

"You must seek justice for me!"

Upon hearing this, Town Mayor Zhao Hong slowly turned around.

When he saw the miserable state of his son, a terrifying glint flashed deep within his originally calm eyes, but it was immediately well-concealed.

No trace of anger appeared on his face; he only asked calmly: "What happened?"

"It is Gu Yan! It is that old immortal from the Gu Family!"

Town Mayors Son tearfully recounted what had happened on the long street, adding his own embellishments. Naturally, in his version, he became the Incarnation of justice upholding the order of Luoyun Town, while Gu Yan became an arrogant, lawless madman.

"...Not only did he refuse to hand over the Opportunity, but he also... he even hit me in front of the entire town... Dad! He did not just hit my face; he hit your face, the face of our Town Mayors Office!" Town Mayors Son roared excitedly.

Town Mayor Zhao Hong listened quietly without interrupting.

After his son finished his tearful complaint, he slowly walked forward, extended his finger, and lightly tapped Town Mayors Son's swollen cheek.

A gentle stream of True Qi was transferred over.

The swelling on Town Mayors Son's face receded at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"A Qi Refining Stage 6 can so easily defeat you, a Qi Refining Stage 7?" Town Mayor Zhao Hong's voice sounded devoid of joy or anger.

"I... I was careless for a moment!" Town Mayors Son stiffened his neck, still stubborn, "That old thing's True Qi is very strange! It is much purer and more condensed than mine! Otherwise, I would never have..."

"Cultivation Technique."

Town Mayor Zhao Hong interrupted him and slowly spoke these two words.

His eyes flickered.

He saw further and deeper than his son, who had been blinded by his own impulses.

To be able to crush a Qi Refining Stage 7 with Qi Refining Stage 6.

This could absolutely not be explained by "momentary carelessness."

The only possibility was that the grade of the Cultivation Technique the opponent was practicing was far higher than the unranked "Fierce Tiger Art" that Town Mayors Son had picked up from the market!

Coupled with the previously widespread rumors of "rejuvenation" and "natural anomalies"...

Town Mayor Zhao Hong's heart beat violently, beyond his control.

His ambition, which had long since gone dormant because his cultivation had been stagnant at Level 8 Qi Refining for many years, was reignited at this moment!

Gu Yan!

On this old man's body, there must be some sort of... earth-shattering secret!

The value of this secret was immeasurable!

It might even... possibly allow him to touch the legendary... Foundation Establishment realm!

Thinking of this, Town Mayor Zhao Hong's breathing became somewhat heavy.

"Dad! What are you still standing there for? Quickly send men! Send all the guards in the office to catch that old thing and bring him back to me! I want to personally slice him into a thousand pieces!" Seeing his father silent for a long time, Town Mayors Son urged impatiently.

"Stupid!"

Town Mayor Zhao Hong let out a low shout; the voice was not loud, but it made Town Mayors Son's body tremble violently.

Town Mayor Zhao Hong slowly walked to the chessboard in the center of the study and sat down, playing a game against himself.

He picked up a black piece and, unhurriedly, placed it on the board, emitting a light "clack" sound.

"A Genius capable of challenging across Ranks either has an expert guiding them from behind, or they possess extraordinary treasures and have many trump cards."

His voice returned to its usual calmness and depth.

"Rashly using force is the worst possible strategy. If we force him into a corner and he decides to go down with us, would that not be a loss that outweighs the gain?"

"Then what should we do? Are we just going to let it go?!" Town Mayors Son said, unwilling to accept it.

"Let it go?" The corners of Town Mayor Zhao Hong's mouth curled into a sinister arc. "Is my son's face so easy to hit?"

He picked up another black piece and slowly dropped it, capturing a large area of white pieces.

"To deal with a tree that looks lush and leafy, the stupidest method is to take an axe and hack at its trunk."

He raised his head and looked at his son with a deep gaze, saying word by word:

"The smartest method is to cut off its roots."

"Once the roots are cut, we will not even need to do anything; he himself... will slowly wither and die."

"Roots?" Town Mayors Son was somewhat confused.

"What are the roots of the Gu Family?" Town Mayor Zhao Hong asked in return.

Town Mayors Son thought for a moment and tentatively replied: "Is it... is it his Family?"

"Yes, but not entirely." Town Mayor Zhao Hong shook his head. "The two sons he recently obtained are his future roots. But his current roots are the... industries he relies on for survival!"

"Rice shops, farmland... these are the foundations that support everything he has now! Without money, without grain, what will he use to support a whole Family? What will he use to buy the resources needed to Cultivate?"

In Town Mayor Zhao Hong's eyes, a cunning light, like that of an old fox, flickered.

"From tomorrow onwards, pass down my order."

"All grain merchants in the town are forbidden from supplying a single grain of rice to the Gu Family rice shop!"

"All farmers whose land is adjacent to the Gu Family's farmland must divert their irrigation canals!"

"I also want you to personally take men to the market and 'give a reminder' to all the pharmacy owners. I want to see who dares to sell even a single herb to his Gu Family!"

"Dad! Brilliant!" Upon hearing this, Town Mayors Son suddenly realized, and the humiliation and anger on his face were instantly replaced by excitement and satisfaction!

Cut off the grain! Cut off the water! Cut off the medicine!

Drawing the firewood from under the cauldron!

This move could not be described as anything but vicious!

"Hmph, an upstart who only just rose to prominence by relying on a woman dares to run wild in my Luoyun Town?" Town Mayor Zhao Hong looked at the white pieces on the chessboard that had been completely wiped out by him, his tone eerie.

"I want to see what he will use to Cultivate without Spirit Pill and medicine."

"Without money and grain, how long can he keep up his 'Immortal Master' act?"

"When he is at the end of his rope and has nowhere left to turn, we will strike..."

He did not continue.

But the chilling murderous intent in his words caused the temperature of the entire study to drop by several degrees.

...

Gu Family residence.

Gu Yan had just returned from the market fully loaded when the long-lost, somewhat solemn notification sound of the System rang in his mind.

[Warning: The host has successfully activated the hidden BOSS of this novice village — [Town Mayor Zhao Hong].]

[Character: Town Mayor Zhao Hong.]

[Rank: Level 8 Qi Refining.]

[Danger Level Assessment: High.]

[Cunning Level Assessment: Extremely High.]

[According to the System database analysis, such characters with extremely deep schemes usually adopt 'conspiracies and tricks' rather than 'head-on confrontation' before they have absolute certainty.]

[Risk Alert: It is recommended that the host closely monitor the trends of the Family industries in the near future and find a way to raise his cultivation to Qi Refining Stage 7 as soon as possible!]