Sitting in the third seat, Song Jingmin had a strong build, his muscles bulging high, and his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
He was a Third-Rank Martial Artist in the Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall, second only to Cao Yuanhui.
Hearing these words, Song Jingmin sneered out loud, "Just a bunch of rural village boors. That Pinecone Village, I crossed paths with them when I was young and kicked several of them to death."
"The Songliu Water God might exist, but to say he is favored by immortals and gods is simply nonsense. How much ability can a flock of feathered beasts have?"
"It's nothing more than the refugees being a sheet of loose sand, collapsing at the first blow like clay chickens and pottery dogs."
Song Jingmin was Cao Yuanhui's closed-door disciple, but his talent was very high. In just twenty short years, he had reached the sa realm as his master.
A Third-Rank Martial Artist could live to at least eighty or ninety, which was much longer than the lifespan of ordinary commoners.
He was forty-eight years old this year, and whether in experience or vitality and blood, he was at his absolute peak.
He still had a chance to advance to the Second-Rank, and when that ti ca, living past a hundred years would be a piece of cake.
This made Song Jingmin's prestige in the Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall higher and higher, and his actions increasingly arrogant and domineering.
When he spoke, the others didn't dare to refute.
Cao Yuanhui's brows twitched slightly. He was displeased with Song Jingmin's words in his heart, but didn't show it.
He only said, "Not obeying the County Magistrate this ti, I fear it will be awkward when we et afterwards. My intention is to take out so silver and distribute it to the various towns. What do you all think?"
This kind of thing was naturally to gag other people's mouths, and also to placate the county office.
Lest people say that the Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall only cared about making silver and didn't care at all about the life and death of the commoners.
Older people valued reputation more than anything else.
The other disciples, including Cao Yuanhui's youngest son Cao ngzhun, all nodded in agreent one after another.
Each person taking out a few dozen taels was not a problem for them.
However, Song Jingmin glanced at Cao Yuanhui, the look of contempt in his eyes flashing past.
Master was old after all, his vitality and blood were insufficient, and his courage had also grown small.
The martial arts hall was not the county office's private army to begin with, so where did obeying or not obeying the County Magistrate co from?
Even having to shell out silver for this trivial matter, wouldn't it make people laugh to death if word got out?
But he didn't refute it to his face, and like the others, agreed to take out the silver.
Seeing this, Cao Yuanhui finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that his youngest disciple would jump out and retort at this ti, which would be hard to wrap up then.
He smiled and gestured towards Song Jingmin, showing his inner comfort.
Song Jingmin was cheerful on the surface, but in reality, as soon as he stepped out of the martial arts hall's main gate, he snorted out loud.
His second son Song Yuanshan, who had co with him, asked, "Dad, is our family really going to give dozens of taels to those lowly commoners? Grandmaster is a bit too kind-hearted. With no ties of kinship or friendship, why bother with those people?"
Song Jingmin said as he walked, "He is afraid the County Magistrate will find fault afterwards, but forgot his surna is Cao, ruining the martial arts hall's prestige for no reason. The older he gets, the smaller his courage, making people look down on him."
Song Yuanshan chuckled and said, "Then just wait until you advance to the Second-Rank, and our family will establish our own sect."
The Song family was developing very well now. People from over a hundred miles away ca in admiration, and they had taken in over a hundred disciples.
But these disciples were taught by the Song family, yet sixty percent of the silver had to be given to the martial arts hall.
And when they finished their apprenticeship, they also hung the na of the Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall.
Song Jingmin had long had this thought, but seeing his master Cao Yuanhui so timid today, he couldn't help but sneer, "Why the need to establish our own sect? The Zhenwei Martial Arts Hall is not the Cao Family Martial Arts Hall. Whose surna it takes doesn't matter."
Song Yuanshan was startled, then reacted, "You an, you want to seize the martial arts hall?"
"The next two generations of the Cao family are all useless trash. If the martial arts hall falls into their hands, it will be squandered away sooner or later."
Song Jingmin said, "Only in my hands can it be carried forward and glorified!"
Song Yuanshan imdiately beca excited upon hearing this, "When does Dad plan to do it?"
"No rush, wait for that old thing's vitality and blood to decline for another two years!"
Song Jingmin's eyes were cold. He didn't care about deceiving his master and destroying his ancestors.
In martial arts cultivation, the accomplished one is the master.
When you're old, you should consciously roll to the back.
He, Song Jingmin, had studied diligently and trained hard for many years, how could he be willing to always toil for the benefit of others!
If anyone spouted nonsense and chewed their tongues behind his back, he would just beat them to death.
In a small county town, who would dare to oppose the Song family!
A few days later.
Zheng Xiuwen personally made a trip to Pinecone Village and delivered the rewards to Chu Xun.
Besides fifteen acres of fertile land, a shop in Pingshui Town with a depth of three zhang, rice seeds, farm tools, cloth, and so on.
There were two other rewards that were the most precious!
One of them was Chu Xun being promoted from Secondary Guest to Grand Guest!
In a county, only the most highly respected and those who brought blessings to their neighbors were qualified to beco a Grand Guest.
The previous one had passed away two years ago, and unexpectedly it fell on Chu Xun's head.
The other was a plaque personally inscribed by Tang Shijun.
[Virtue Shelters the Hotown - rit Shines in the Village]
[Bestowed upon the Village Worthy of Pinecone Village, Chu Xun - Inscribed and Presented by Prefect Tang Shijun]
When the things were delivered, Zheng Xiuwen also specially said, "It's also thanks to your blessing. This ti for deploying troops without authorization, the demotion and investigation were placed by Lord Tang after rewarding you for your rits, otherwise I wouldn't be the County Magistrate today."
Tang Shijun doing this was naturally to deliver this favor of giving rewards into Zheng Xiuwen's hands.
It could even more so be seen how much he valued Chu Xun.
Otherwise, for a dignified County Magistrate, whether he wanted the favor of a Village Worthy or not was completely unimportant.
No matter how much of a Grand Guest he was, he was still just a commoner.
"Your Excellency sympathized with the commoners, which is why there was a slight flaw. Presumably, Lord Tang will have a proper arrangent," Chu Xun said.
Zheng Xiuwen smiled, waved his hand, and stopped talking about this matter.
So things could only be done by hooking fingers under the table, and not a single word could be ntioned on the surface.
Two successive County Magistrates had visited his door, and there was even the Prefect's calligraphy to guard the house.
Legend had it that the crows raised by Master Chu's family had heads bigger than human heads, claws sharper than machetes, and with one bite, they could peck a person's head to pieces.
Hearsay and rumors spread everywhere.
After hearing this, Chu Xun only smiled dumbly and didn't explain much.
Zhang Sanchun and Lin Qiaoxi specially brought Huan'er and Xi'er to the house to offer congratulations.
The whole family was chatting happily in the house, only Huan'er was absent.
Chu Xun went out and happened to see Huan'er staring at the bright and beautiful plaque on the lintel, looking at it again and again.
He walked over and asked, "What are you looking at?"
"Looking at the future," Huan'er said.
Chu Xun was startled. He originally thought Huan'er would say he was looking at the Lord Prefect's calligraphy.
"What future?" Chu Xun asked curiously.
The youth looked at his uncle, his voice full of youthful vigor.
"In the future, my calligraphy will also bring such glory to our family."
He inherited his mother Lin Qiaoxi's good looks. At such a young age, many families had already hired matchmakers to propose marriage for their daughters.
The sunlight spilled down, shining on his handso face, as if floating a thin layer of bright and resplendent light.
Huan'er smiled.
Chu Xun also smiled.
Huan'er admired his uncle very much.
Because he was capable, and also raised many very large crows.
Chu Xun also liked his nephew very much.
Because he looked exactly like the self he had fantasized about when he was young.
Not long after, news ca from the county.
The Registrar of Zhangnan County, Li Zhaoming, temporarily acted as the County Magistrate.
Zheng Xiuwen's transfer order also arrived. Because his handling of the refugee matter was slightly biased, he was demoted to the Jail Warden of Zhangnan County.
Exclusively in charge of prisoners and arrests, his salary was reduced from the Rank 7's monthly rice of eight shi to the unranked monthly rice of three shi.
As the news spread, everyone in the county, from top to bottom, sighed and lanted without exception.
Lord Zheng was thinking of the commoners of this county, yet was punished because of it. It was truly unfair.
[End of Chapter]
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