Chapter 187 - 185: An Inauspicious Start

Watching Xu Feizhou run his mouth, Lu Li sneered on the spot. "Lord Xu, you've been at the Main Hall for a long time. With no experience governing a prefecture, you probably have no idea what the local Zhenwu Halls are really like.

Take taxes, for example. A more powerful Guardian Envoy or Inspector might be able to collect thirty to forty percent.

After paying the required twenty percent to the Main Hall, they're lucky to keep ten or twenty percent for themselves.

The weaker ones can't even scrape together the twenty percent for the Main Hall. Some even have to negotiate tax rates with the local Jianghu Forces, like beggars.

For Lord Chen to have raised the tax collection in Kaiping Prefecture to seventy percent was an unprecedented feat.

And now you show up, making empty promises to raise it to eighty percent? On what grounds? Just because you're the Hall Master's adopted son?"

Xu Feizhou had stolen Lord Chen's prize and pushed him into that godforsaken place, Yangshan Prefecture. Everyone present was either one of Chen Yuan's trusted men or a Captain who had benefited from him. Who among them didn't hate Xu Feizhou?

Now that Lu Li was openly defying Xu Feizhou, everyone present had a mocking look on their face.

Xu Feizhou's expression darkened.

He had originally thought the people of Kaiping Prefecture would only resist him in secret. He never expected they'd dare to mock him so openly.

He could ignore the others, but this Lu Li was too audacious. 'If I don't teach him a lesson, what will become of my authority as an Inspector?'

"Insolence! How dare you!"

The moment the words left Xu Feizhou's mouth, his body blurred into motion. True Essence circulated around him, gathering into a torrent of True Qi that he blasted toward Lu Li in a palm strike.

He held nothing back with this strike, fully intending to cripple his target.

'When Chen Jiutian first took office, he killed the brother-in-law of the previous Kaiping Prefecture Inspector, Qi Yuanming. And what happened? In the end, nothing at all.'

'If nothing happened to Chen Jiutian, then with Feng Wushang's protection, I'll be even safer.'

Yet, Lu Li remained motionless, neither dodging nor evading, as if he were scared witless.

Just as the palm was about to land, Cui Guan, who had been standing aside, suddenly stepped in front of Lu Li and met the attack with a punch.

Fist met palm, and an explosion of True Qi rang out.

Cui Guan didn't budge an inch, but Xu Feizhou was forced to take a step back.

"Condensing Truth Realm!?"

Cui Guan had previously been at the Peak of Sea Realm. After receiving a Top Grade Elixir from Chen Yuan, a single night of secluded cultivation was all he needed to break through as a matter of course.

Moreover, he was a powerful combatant, a Martial Artist forged in the crucible of countless deadly battles.

Having just stepped into the Condensing Truth Realm, his combat prowess was already a notch above Xu Feizhou's.

Xu Feizhou stared at Cui Guan in shock.

'What's going on? There's another Condensing Truth Realm Martial Artist in Kaiping Prefecture?'

'If you've already reached the Condensing Truth Realm, why are you still obediently holed up in the Kaiping Prefecture Zhenwu Hall? Why not seek an appointment as an Inspector of your own prefecture city?'

Lu Li sneered, "What's this, Lord Xu? Resorting to violence when you lose an argument? If you're so capable, why don't you take it out on our enemies? What kind of hero bullies his own people?"

'This Xu Feizhou is trying to copy Lord Chen's every move.'

'But the problem is, Lord Chen could do those things. Does Xu Feizhou have the same strength to be copying him?'

'Such a clumsy imitation. He's just making a fool of himself!'

"Are you trying to rebel!?"

Stopped by Cui Guan in front of so many White Tiger Guards, and unable to do anything about the jeering Lu Li, Xu Feizhou's face was flushed red with anger and embarrassment.

Yang Zhicai quickly tried to smooth things over. "Lord Xu, please calm down. Don't stoop to their level."

With that, Yang Zhicai hurriedly pulled Xu Feizhou into the rear courtyard.

"When did that Cui Guan break through to the Condensing Truth Realm? Why didn't you tell me?"

Xu Feizhou looked at Yang Zhicai, dissatisfied.

'If Yang Zhicai had told him earlier, he definitely wouldn't have chosen to attack on the spot.'

"Lord Xu, you wrong me! That Cui Guan is a very unapproachable man. I've barely exchanged a few words with him before. How would he ever tell me about his breakthrough?

But don't worry, Lord Xu. You're the Inspector. You don't need their approval to raise taxes. Just issue the order directly.

Once the tax revenue comes in, the lower-ranking White Tiger Guards will naturally side with you. Then, no matter how arrogant they get, they'll have no one left to command."

Xu Feizhou let out a long breath and nodded. "Alright, then. Take some men and announce this to all the major powers in Kaiping Prefecture."

Yang Zhicai said hesitantly, "This subordinate has no men under his command. I'm afraid Lord Xu will have to send his own people to do it."

"But you're a Captain with real authority. You don't have a single man under you?"

Yang Zhicai sighed. "I've been ostracized by Cui Guan and Lu Li. What men would I have to command?"

Xu Feizhou's expression turned ugly.

'So after all that showing off I did for Yang Zhicai yesterday, all I managed to recruit was a general without an army?'

'He couldn't help but feel he'd gotten a raw deal.'

But there was nothing to be done about it now. He had to placate Yang Zhicai, then have the White Tiger Guards he brought from the Main Hall deliver the notices to the various powers.

Xu Feizhou had over twenty men, and he sent them all out.

...

「At the gates of Celestial Star Ranch.」

Guan Zhenshan stared at the two White Tiger Guards who had come to inform him of the change in tax rules, his gaze making their skin crawl.

These two White Tiger Guards had always been in the White Tiger Hall, serving under Feng Wushang. They had never held positions in a Prefecture City and had little experience dealing with the major Jianghu sects.

However, they had heard that the Jianghu Forces of Kaiping Prefecture had been thoroughly put in their place by Chen Jiutian. They were apparently a bunch of pushovers, incapable of stirring up any trouble.

So, even though his stare made them a little nervous, they still had some confidence.

"Master Guan, have you understood the Inspector's orders? Don't waste our time. We have to report back."

Guan Zhenshan said coldly, "Which Inspector's orders are these?"

"Lord Xu Feizhou, of course. The previous Inspector, Lord Chen, no longer has any authority in Kaiping Prefecture."

Guan Zhenshan sneered. "Lord Chen himself gave my Celestial Star Ranch special permission to pay only fifty percent in taxes. Who the hell does this Xu Feizhou think he is, daring to change what Lord Chen established? As if he's worthy!

Break the arms and legs of these two dogs, cripple their Dantians, and dump them at the gates of Kaiping Prefecture! And tell Xu Feizhou to teach his mutts how to speak!

Order me? Does he think he has the right to order me around?

In this Kaiping Prefecture, no one has the right to change the rules set by Lord Chen!"

The two White Tiger Guards' faces paled.

"You wouldn't dare! We're from the Zhenwu Hall! We're Inspector Xu's Personal Guards!"

Guan Zhenshan sneered disdainfully and waved his hand. Immediately, experts from the Celestial Star Ranch stepped forward, broke their limbs, and crippled their Martial Arts. In an instant, only their wails of agony remained.

The Zhenwu Hall was so large that it produced prodigious, exceptionally talented geniuses with extraordinary methods like Lord Chen, but also clueless fools like this.

Cui Guan and the others couldn't be too ruthless because of their status as White Tiger Guards, but Guan Zhenshan had no such fears.

「In less than a day, all the men Xu Feizhou had sent out returned.」

Of course, some returned in one piece, while others were carried back as cripples.

Among the Jianghu Forces of Kaiping Prefecture, the better ones simply met them with scorn and ridicule; they didn't resort to violence, but their attitudes were quite hostile.

The worse ones directly injured the men Xu Feizhou sent. The ones who went to the Celestial Star Ranch suffered the most, ending up completely crippled.

Looking at the wounded men scattered across the floor, Xu Feizhou trembled with rage.

"Outrageous! Simply outrageous!"

'Where did these Jianghu Forces get the audacity to directly attack the Zhenwu Hall's White Tiger Guards?'

'He had served in the Po Jun Guard before. The Po Jun Guard were the elite of the elite within the Zhenwu Hall, and they never knew the meaning of the word 'compromise'.'

'After that, he joined the Celestial Martial Guard. As the Grand Commandant's personal guard, they were untouchable in the regions surrounding Taining Prefecture.'

'How could it be that here in Kaiping Prefecture, these Jianghu Forces were so audacious?'

Watching from the side, Yang Zhicai sneered inwardly.

'This Xu Feizhou was a classic case of ambition outweighing ability.'

'He had some ideas, sure, but he dared to issue such commands without ever having experienced the realities of the Zhenwu Hall's lower ranks. Did he really think he was Lord Chen?'

'He had witnessed firsthand how Lord Chen took control of Kaiping Prefecture.'

'He had directly annihilated the Xu Family of the Flying Horse Pavilion and brought the Guan Family of the Celestial Star Ranch under his control, gaining the support of Kaiping Prefecture's strongest Jianghu Forces. He even turned them into his loyal hounds before making a move on the other factions.'

'At that point, which of those Jianghu Forces would have dared to utter a single word of defiance?'

'You're a newcomer, yet you think a single command of yours can make all the Jianghu Forces of Kaiping Prefecture submit? On what grounds? Just because you've got the nerve?'

"Summon all the White Tiger Guards of the Kaiping Prefecture Zhenwu Hall! We will attack the Celestial Star Ranch!"

Xu Feizhou roared, his expression grim.

'His men had been crippled. If he didn't even react, the men he'd brought from the White Tiger Hall would likely lose all heart.'

Cui Guan and the others just sneered.

Lu Li said lightly, "Lord Xu, the Celestial Star Ranch is the strongest Jianghu force in all of Kaiping Prefecture. Attacking them could easily destabilize the entire region.

You can issue any order you like, but we have to consider the well-being of all the White Tiger Guards in the Kaiping Prefecture Zhenwu Hall.

You are powerful. If you have the ability, go kill Guan Zhenshan yourself.

Oh, right, didn't you take the Hall Master as your adoptive father? Why don't you go beg him to help?"

Xu Feizhou's face was as dark as a thundercloud.

'This bunch from the Kaiping Prefecture Zhenwu Hall were no longer just feigning compliance while secretly defying him—they weren't even pretending anymore. They were openly challenging him.'

'But the problem was, without their consent, he couldn't command a single White Tiger Guard!'

With a cold snort, Xu Feizhou flicked his sleeves and stormed off, completely ignoring the crippled White Tiger Guards.

'Before, when these White Tiger Guards were still useful, he would have tried to win them over with kind words and empty promises.'

'But now, with some wounded and others crippled, they were completely useless. Why should he care about them?'

'Besides, they had probably bad-mouthed him plenty behind his back at the White Tiger Hall.'

Seeing this, Cui Guan and Lu Li exchanged a look, and a cold smile appeared on both their faces.

'This Xu Feizhou was cold-hearted and utterly pragmatic.'

'Even if he wasn't Lord Chen's opponent, he still wouldn't be able to win anyone's loyalty.'

'Stuck with a superior like him, who would ever be willing to serve him faithfully?'