Chapter 156: Chapter 136: Conscription?

’An honored guest?’

Zou Feng couldn’t help but wonder what kind of honored guest was going to be introduced to him.

’It couldn’t be that Magistrate Huang is personally introducing the courtesan Liu Xian’Er to me in an attempt to win me over, could it?’

But there was no point in thinking about it. He had to give Magistrate Huang face; he had to go no matter what.

“General Leader!”

From outside the door, Shi Yangming swaggered in. “Magistrate Huang sent me an invitation. Are we going?”

Shi Yangming was a freewheeling person, not one for subtleties.

After being beaten into submission by Zou Feng and appointed as a Vice Gang Leader of the Hongxing Gang, he had completely accepted his fate.

He even helped suppress some of the unstable elements within the Danxin Alliance.

Therefore, the moment he received the invitation, Shi Yangming had come to ask for Zou Feng’s instructions, not wanting to overstep his bounds in any way.

Zou Feng had thought Magistrate Huang had only invited him. But now it seemed the Hongxing Gang wasn’t the only one being introduced to this honored guest at the banquet…

“Huh, so you got an invitation too, General Leader?” Shi Yangming cursed. “Damn it, I thought Huang Wenbin couldn’t stand our three gangs merging and was going to pull that ’divide and conquer’ crap again!”

Huang Wenbin was Magistrate Huang’s given name.

“But since we were both invited, then… tsk, he probably wants me to be his damn workhorse again!” Shi Yangming seemed to have a serious problem with Magistrate Huang.

Zou Feng had only just become the General Leader and had yet to deal with a powerful figure like Magistrate Huang.

When he went to the Government Office to handle his release from Lowly Status, he had been surprised to find that even the Master there was at the Eighth Grade Realm.

The Great Yan Dynasty had requirements for the Martial Dao grades of its officials. There were even exclusive High Grade Skills that only officials could cultivate.

It was said that the Cultivation Skills passed down through the Royal Family’s bloodline were in no way inferior to the treasured collections of the Major Sects.

“This Huang Wenbin… is he unscrupulous?” Zou Feng asked casually.

Shi Yangming said, “Don’t you know, General Leader? Many people call that bastard ’Huang the Weasel’ behind his back.”

Just looking at Shi Yangming’s resentful expression, it was clear he had suffered at Huang Wenbin’s hands quite a bit in the past.

“I did a lot of dirty work for that weasel in the past, and when all I asked for was to take Liu Xian’Er of the Furong Pavilion as a concubine, the bastard actually refused!”

The Furong Pavilion itself had a Government Office background. If one wanted anything to happen with the current courtesan, Liu Xian’Er, they really did need Huang Wenbin’s approval.

Hearing this, Zou Feng glanced at Shi Yangming. ’I’m surprised his tastes are actually normal.’

But with Liu Xian’Er’s beauty, and her status as an untouched Pure Official, any normal man would likely be moved.

It seemed Huang Wenbin was treating Liu Xian’Er as a very valuable bargaining chip, unwilling to act without seeing a prize.

Zou Feng didn’t continue the topic. Since they had both received invitations, they would simply go together when the time came.

He just hoped this Huang Wenbin wouldn’t bring about his own doom by rushing to be the top name on the List of Gods.

“Interested in catching a snake with me?”

“Catching a snake?” Shi Yangming looked completely bewildered.

Zou Feng quickly explained how he had discovered a strange snake in the Jiayue River.

He also proposed organizing an elite Fishing Team to put this snake on the dinner table.

In the past, at least the nearby waters of the Jiayue River had belonged to the Black Flood Dragon Gang.

Neither the Danxin Alliance nor the Mountain and River Association could touch it.

Thus, Shi Yangming had been coveting these high-end river delicacies for a long time.

But he didn’t agree right away, instead chuckling dryly, “General Leader, for you to discover this snake and not choose to keep it all for yourself… I’m afraid that beast’s strength is…”

Zou Feng interrupted, “That’s why we need to organize a Fishing Team and make full preparations before we try.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll personally make a move when the time comes. I have no intention of using you all as bait.”

“Alright, then I’ll be counting on you to treat me well, General Leader!”

***

「That evening」 Zou Feng took a carriage to the Furong Pavilion.

Usually at this time, he would have already gone with Xiaolv to fish in the Jiayue River.

The process of catching Spirit Fish allowed him to both cultivate his Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Force and actually catch Spirit Fish for food.

It was far more worthwhile than attending this stupid banquet.

However, it wasn’t out of the question that Magistrate Huang, while asking for a favor, might also promise a generous reward.

In that case, Zou Feng wouldn’t refuse.

After all, he now had to provide for not only himself but also his fifty-man Iron Blood Gu Poison Group.

A good portion of the Spirit Fish he had caught previously had been distributed to the Gu Poison Group.

Zou Feng’s plan was to produce a few more members who had Entered Grade, even if he had to force-feed them.

That way, the benefits would be maximized when he absorbed and performed Refinement in the future.

Soon, he arrived at the Furong Pavilion. Just as Zou Feng stepped out of the carriage, he saw a familiar face.

Zhuang Sixuan of the Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall.

Clearly, she was also one of the people Magistrate Huang had invited to the banquet.

It came as no surprise to Zou Feng that she had already reached the Seventh Grade Realm, so it wasn’t strange for her to be invited.

Ever since Zou Feng had met Zhuang Sixuan, he knew she was a famous expert at the Peak of Eighth Grade in Yuan Guang County, someone who could advance to Seventh Grade at any moment.

The Cultivation Skill of the Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall was a Righteous Skill in the traditional sense.

Its characteristic was that Cultivation to Entering Grade was very slow. But once one Entered Grade, the path was basically smooth sailing, at least up until the Gang Qi Realm.

This was why the Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall had the most Seventh Grade Experts among all the powers in Yuan Guang County.

The pace of their Cultivation was the exact opposite of the Evil Skills cultivated by gang members.

Most Evil Skills allowed one to Enter Grade quickly, but subsequent advancements were like walking on thin ice.

In many cases, even if they could continue to advance quickly, they wouldn’t dare to after experiencing the bracing kick of the side effects.

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