34: Chapter 34 Old Clan Chief: Young Master really knows how to eat!

"Liu Huazi, did you do that on purpose?"

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The County Magistrate showed a pained expression. "You've ruined a good mouthful of my tea!"

This tea was Spirit Mist Tea. He had stolen... oh no, taken a small bag from home.

No matter how sparingly he drank it, after over three months in office, only this one cup remained.

He couldn't bear to swallow every sip, needing to savor it in his mouth first.

Good heavens.

Now, it was all ruined!

"The whole clan is literate? You actually believe that?" he said irritably. "And you even brought it up to me."

That's quite a boast.

Even in his own family, they wouldn't dare say such a thing.

"County Magistrate, it's hard to say about the others, but that Li Feipeng is definitely literate," Advisor Liu said. "Huaisheng, whom I sent, was brought from home."

"He said that when Li Feipeng took back the letter the military head returned, he naturally turned it right-side up, glanced at it, and then put it back in his robes."

As he spoke, he gestured.

Seeing this, the County Magistrate raised an eyebrow. "It seems he is indeed literate."

Huaisheng had been a study attendant before and knew a few characters.

He said this because he saw that Li Feipeng's actions at the time were to judge whether the letter was upright or upside down by the characters on it.

Moreover, only literate people would subconsciously glance at text when they see it, even if they already knew what was written.

"This is getting interesting," the County Magistrate couldn't help but smile, then lifted his teacup and took another sip.

Seizing the opportunity, Advisor Liu spoke up, "The Li Clan likely all Cultivate Martial Arts Cultivation Methods."

"Pfft!"

Another mouthful of the County Magistrate's good tea failed to make it down his throat.

"...Liu Huazi!" The County Magistrate pointed at Advisor Liu. "I'm docking three months of your salary!"

"County Magistrate, my salary has already been docked until three years from now," Advisor Liu said, completely unfazed.

Young Master Fang's term as County Magistrate was only three years.

"Hmph, as long as you know," County Magistrate Fang snorted coldly. "Then I shall punish you by not letting you eat meat for three days!"

"The County Magistrate might not know, but those Li Clan Members who came likely have all practiced Martial Skills," Advisor Liu said, immediately turning serious upon hearing the threat.

"Hmm?" County Magistrate Fang frowned. "You mean this clan has a family-inherited Martial Arts Cultivation Method?"

"Highly likely." Advisor Liu nodded. "Huaisheng took my card and asked Military Head Liu, who guards the city gate."

Although that Military Head Liu was now just a gate official, he was a genuine Third-rank Martial Artist.

He had also served as a Squad Leader in the Great Yong's Zhenguo Army.

He suffered an injury when he was young, and his martial path could no longer progress. As he aged and his vitality depleted, he married and moved his family from the Prefecture City to settle in this small county.

With his eyesight, he shouldn't be mistaken.

"According to him, he saw the boy called Li Youfu's grandson and thought his eyes were sharp, so he wanted to test him."

Children can't keep secrets, especially those who look clever and aren't afraid of adults.

A few compliments or a little provocation, and most wouldn't be able to resist saying things they shouldn't.

These little tricks were known by every soldier in the Zhenguo Army.

"If that's the case, then this Li Clan is not simple!" County Magistrate Fang nodded and smiled. "I'm afraid Li Youfu is going to be picked clean this time."

This local bully wanted to swallow a passing toad.

Unexpectedly, the toad showed signs of transforming into a Dragon.

Most likely, he would end up as food in someone else's mouth.

"But it's what the old man deserves."

Anyway, with one less evil wealthy household in the county, it saved him the trouble of acting.

"Lest my 'dear' older brothers find out and come here to disgust me with their 'concern'."

The Li Residence was about to change owners.

Not only did County Magistrate Fang think so, but other prominent families in the city thought so too.

They were all secretly making plans to see if they could gain some benefits from this.

In their view, that old thing Li Fusun would likely breathe his last very soon.

Then everything in the Li Residence—land, shops, and so on—would all go to the grandson he just recognized.

During this period, there would surely be some twists and turns.

Although Li Youfu had cleaned up his household, the shop managers outside and a small merchant caravan wouldn't be so easy to take over.

Especially the pharmacy in the Prefecture City; the manager stationed there had also grown powerful.

And those clansmen who had merged into the Li family.

They would probably all cause a stir.

It wouldn't be too much for them to take advantage of the situation, right?

Thus, many eyes were fixed on the Li Residence.

Everyone was waiting for Li Feipeng and the others to make their move.

However, to everyone's surprise.

Li Feipeng and the others, who had escorted the Li family's young grandson back, actually left.

They entered the Li Residence at noon, stayed for just over an hour, had a meal, and left in the afternoon.

This left many people—who thought they would stay in the Li Residence and take over the family business once Li Youfu died—quite bewildered.

"Why leave at this time?"

A master of a household next door to the Li Residence asked his servant.

Now, there was no one in the Li Residence except Old Master Li.

Only with their strength in numbers could they ensure the 'Young Lord' took his place.

What did it mean that they left?

"Not everyone left."

"Oh, you don't understand!" the master scolded. "What can Zhang Qianlü and those few remaining people accomplish?"

Then he asked, "Did they all leave the city?"

"No, a few of them took a cart to buy meat. Another group left earlier in a carriage; I saw it was loaded with a lot of grain moved out from the Li Residence."

"This looks more like poor relatives coming to town to sponge off someone," the master frowned.

"Could this group of people really be so short-sighted?"

"It shouldn't be!"

They didn't eat such a big piece of fat meat like the Li Residence.

They just took these small benefits and left?

Such upright and disciplined gentlemen actually crossed paths with the heartless Li Youfu?

The master looked up at the sky.

Was the Heavens being too blind?

"Where is Li Feipeng?" he turned and asked again.

"He went to the yamen."

"What is he doing at the yamen?"

The servant shook his head; he didn't know.

Advisor Liu was also asking this question.

"We want to settle in Xinan County," Li Feipeng said. "The clan members want to live at the foot of Little Yao Mountain from now on. The Clan Chief sent me to ask how to pay taxes for the reclaimed land. What are the county's regulations for Refugees like us?"

"Where are you staying now?"

"Fifty li east of the county seat."

"Then stay there for now. After I've asked the County Magistrate's opinion and sent someone to check, I'll talk to you again."

"Yes."

After sending Li Feipeng away, Advisor Liu turned to find the County Magistrate again.

"County Magistrate, we guessed wrong again! This Li Clan doesn't seem to have any intention of taking over the Li Residence."

"So, their people really left?" County Magistrate Fang didn't believe it.

"They really left," Advisor Liu said. "I sent people to watch them leave the city. The ones with the grain went straight to the East Gate. The ones who bought meat in the city also left."

As for Li Feipeng alone, it didn't really matter whether he left or not.

"This..." County Magistrate Fang was also a bit confused.

...

Little Yao Mountain.

"They have plenty of time; there's no rush," Feng Yifan said to the Old Clan Leader while gnawing on roast chicken. "We still need the Li Residence to step forward and hire teachers and Instructors for us."

Rushing to swallow the Li Residence now and letting Li Youfu die would actually be more trouble than it's worth.

Since they could make him die at any time, what was the rush?

The Old Clan Leader looked at the mud on the ground and nodded, saying, "The Young Lord is right."

Meanwhile, he thought to himself, The Young Lord really knows how to eat.

To actually wrap a perfectly good fat chicken in mud and roast it.

But strangely enough, how did the chicken not get covered in mud?