Self-Seeking Plots and Petty Schemes

The night was pitch-black.

Torches blazed fiercely as several strong retainers, carrying the dead-dog-like Lin Shitou and the two severed halves of Wang Yan's corpse, hurried toward the old Wang family estate.

In Baixi Village, some light sleepers were jolted awake by the commotion outside. Peeking through the cracks in their doors, they were scared half to death by the grisly sight, hurriedly dragging their elders and children to hide in rice vats and cellars.

For a time, Baixi Village was plunged into noise and chaos.

Zhou Ping, however, paid no heed to the stirring noises from the surrounding houses. He continuously circulated his Qi-gathering technique to restore his Spiritual Qi. Though Spiritual Qi recovered agonizingly slowly while walking, every extra sliver added another layer of self-preservation.

Moreover, this matter could not be delayed. Hesitation bred unforeseen changes. He was not going to hold the entire Wang family accountable, but rather to interrogate the Wang Clan Head, using this to fracture the various branches of the family.

With the Wang and Zhou families separated by the entirety of Baixi Village, this procession naturally incited a commotion across more than half the settlement.

Old Man Chen crawled out from his slumber. Peering through the door crack with clouded eyes, his gaze widened in stark terror, only to suddenly burst forth with an unprecedented, piercing gleam. He slowly turned his head to look back at the bed, where a middle-aged woman and a toddler of two or three years lay.

"Why cannot my Chen family also sit in the high hall and oversee the commoners!"

Ever since Chen Nianqiu was wed to Zhou Ping, Old Man Chen had naturally begun to enjoy the resulting prosperity. He had even taken a still-attractive middle-aged widow as his second wife, and a few years prior, she had borne him a plump baby boy named Chen Fusheng.

Though his heart still harbored a bitter blood feud, that was, after all, the feud of his deceased mother's clan. He himself bore the surname Chen!

Offering Chen Nianqiu and the former land deeds of the Li family to Zhou Ping was both a bid to see that blood feud avenged and a gamble for his own family's future.

Now the Zhou family was rising to power. Judging by tonight's overwhelming momentum, he feared the Wang family would soon become a thing of the past. The Zhou family had sparse numbers and would surely need manpower in the days to come. As the maternal family of the Zhou family's Second Master, he was far easier to control than the main branch's Lin family. How poorly could he possibly fare?

He sat before the bed and gently shook the woman awake.

"Old man, what is happening so late in the night?" The woman was not yet fully awake, her eyes blurry.

"Tomorrow, come with me. We will take Fusheng to the Zhou family to see his sister and nephews," Old Man Chen said softly.

The drowsy woman could only mumble her agreement, entirely ignorant of what this day would signify for her Chen family.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the village.

The Wang family was in absolute disarray. The dozen or so houses surrounding the main Wang family compound all belonged to the clan, and now figures continually emerged-men and women, old and young. Some did not even have time to don their clothes properly before rushing toward the main estate.

"What happened?" a burly man asked urgently.

"The Clan Head says that Zhou Erlang killed our clansman and is rushing toward us right now."

This instantly incited immense rage among the Wang family men. "This Zhou Erlang has a gall as big as the heavens! We didn't even provoke him, yet he dares to bully our family. Even if he is an Immortal Master, we must make him die here today!"

"Mother's curse! Zhou Erlang is nothing but a fart! Does he really think my Wang family has no men left?"

The entire compound was packed with thirty or forty people, clamoring without end.

Yet, the six figures seated at the head of the hall bore entirely different expressions. Among them were an elderly man with one foot in the grave and a man with a short beard-they were the stewards of the Wang family's four branches and six lineages.

While the ordinary clansmen were ignorant of the truth, they understood the reality all too well. Their own assassination attempt had failed, and the enemy had seized the advantage. Tonight, they would have to pay a steep price no matter what.

The Wang Clan Head swept his gaze over the five men around him. Among them was his own blood brother, who was now covertly vying for the position of the main branch's Clan Head. There were also nephews with thin blood ties, and even grandnephews, all of whom stirred the Wang family into a chaotic mess.

When his father first established the family, there had actually been a very young brother, only a few years older than himself. This meant that of the four branches of the Wang family, three had branched out from their three brothers, while the remaining branch belonged to the descendants of that youngest uncle.

Because of the distance in bloodlines, his youngest uncle's branch had always been marginalized and never got along with their three branches. But as fate would have it, the minor official their Wang family had produced came precisely from that youngest uncle's branch, forcing them to curry favor.

This resulted in the seemingly prosperous Wang family being riddled with countless petty schemes and trivial disputes in the shadows, which he could only barely manage to hold together.

Upon learning that Wang Yan was dead and the conspiracy exposed, he had hastily summoned the clansmen. He intended to preemptively use one-sided claims to unite the clan, then use the weight of the entire family to pressure Zhou Ping, forcing him to back down.

After all, their family had a clerk serving in the government office. Even if he couldn't shield the entire clan, if Zhou Ping acted recklessly, he would naturally report to the Imperial Court. By the laws of the realm, such crimes warranted execution!

If he was even a step late, he truly feared what mishaps the other branches might conjure, ultimately causing the Wang family's ruin.

Wang Du stood behind him, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. He was merely a farm boy raised in the dirt fields. Even though his grandfather had groomed him for a few years, he had never witnessed such a terrifying scene.

Beside the Wang Clan Head sat a portly, wealthy-looking middle-aged man, who seemed entirely detached from the situation as he lightly sipped his tea. By relation, he was the Clan Head's younger cousin, the steward of the youngest uncle's branch, named Wang Hui.

On the other side, the Clan Head's own younger brother and three nephews exchanged glances, silently calculating their own moves.

For a moment, the vast majority of the people in the compound shared a unified, bitter hatred for the enemy. But the stewards and heads of the various branches bore differing expressions, silently calculating the interests of their own lineages. The irony was palpable.

The compound remained in a state of unrest right up until Zhou Ping arrived, leading a group of retainers.

Two estate guards coldly tossed Wang Yan's corpse onto the ground. The blood had not even drained dry, instantly splattering everywhere. The bystanders hurriedly backed away, terrified of defiling their clothes.

"Zhou Erlang, you have a gall as big as the heavens! This is our Wang family's ancestral hall, and you dare toss a corpse here!" someone in the crowd roared in anger.

Zhou Ping let out a cold laugh. "Precisely because this is your ancestral hall, it makes it easier for him to recognize his ancestors and return to his roots."

The moment these words fell, numerous Wang clansmen lunged forward to attack, only to be blocked by the line of retainers.

These retainers glared with fierce, menacing expressions, looking exceedingly vicious. After their ranks had produced a treacherous cur like Zhao Quan who had betrayed the main house, they had been frightened to their cores by the ruthless cruelty of Zhou Ping and his father. Now, they naturally wanted to borrow Zhou Ping's fierce reputation to put on a good showing, praying they wouldn't be punished after the fact.

After all, for murderous thugs to breach the main estate was a colossal dereliction of duty for these estate guards.

Within the crowd, some wore looks of confusion, frequently casting glances at the two severed halves of the body. Then, recognizing the blood-matted face, their expressions suddenly changed. Some of those in the know maintained their composure, using their peripheral vision to peek at their Clan Head. There were also women and children shedding tears, sobbing softly.

"I would like to see just how long your Wang family intends to harbor a murderer!" Zhou Ping shouted, his voice instantly shocking everyone into silence. He then kicked Lin Shitou forward. "Tell them. Let them know exactly what happened here."

Lin Shitou stumbled and collapsed onto the ground, his clothes completely soaked in blood and water. He was incomparably weak, yet a sliver of desperate hope erupted in his eyes.

On the way here, Zhou Ping had personally told him that as long as he pinned the crime to the death on the Wang Clan Head, he would be spared a path of survival.

"It was Lord Wang who sought the few of us out, saying he would give each of us thirty taels of silver to... to go to the Zhou estate and kill people." As Lin Shitou said this, he cast a terrified glance at Zhou Ping, before suddenly staggering to his feet. He pointed at Wang Yan's corpse and screamed, "It was him! It was Wang Yan who led us there!"

He then threw the thirty taels Zhou Ping had shoved into his hands onto the dirt, begging in absolute terror, "The silver is all here, I don't dare do it again! Lord Wang, please save me!"

This provoked a massive uproar among the crowd, all of them turning to look at their Clan Head. They never imagined their Clan Head would actually buy murderers, and at such an exorbitant price-he had likely embezzled the hard-earned lifeblood of the clan!

Wang Du was so furious his heart burned. He had only given each of them five taels, planning to use the Zhou family's wealth to pay off the rest after the deed was done.

"You fart! When did we ever tell you to kill anyone? Cease your mad ravings! Furthermore, Zhou Erlang, for you to casually drag two random men here to slander my Wang family, you put my entire Wang clan too far beneath your eyes!"

The expressions of several Wang clansmen immediately darkened, and they subtly moved forward, intending to encircle the intruders.

The masses were always blindly compliant, echoing whatever was said.

They naturally possessed an innate trust in their own kin and rejected outsiders.

"Oh?" Zhou Ping smiled faintly. "So you are saying I found the wrong person? That this man is not of your Wang family?"

The crowd fell utterly silent. Some remained fiercely silent, while others recognized the dead man but were unwilling-and unable-to speak.

"Wang Yan, son of Wang Yueping from the Wang family's third branch. Four years ago, he fled to distant lands, slaughtered a family of four from the Li clan in Guilin Township, and was ultimately declared a wanted man by the government, disappearing without a trace."

As Zhou Ping spoke slowly, more and more Wang clansmen's expressions shifted. When they looked at the corpse again, how could they fail to recognize it as their own clan brother, Wang Yan?

One must understand, murdering and plundering in the shadows was fine so long as the government didn't issue a warrant. But once a warrant was issued, the crime became monstrous. If the authorities tracked it down, it could even implicate the entirety of the Wang family.

Zhou Ping swept his gaze around. All the Wang family members involuntarily bowed their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

"As the Village Head of Baixi Village, if someone within the village is secretly harboring a fugitive, it is my duty to report it to the authorities," Zhou Ping said as he paced slowly. "And the household of Wang Du has harbored a fugitive, inviting punishment by collective association. Furthermore, they bought assassins to commit murder. Their crimes warrant execution!"

"Seize them at once! We send them to the magistrate tomorrow!"

With a great shout, the burly estate guards marched menacingly toward the Wang Clan Head.

The Wang clansmen immediately flew into an uncontrollable rage. Many even snatched up wooden clubs from the side as weapons, standing at the forefront and roaring, "Let me see who dares to touch my Clan Head!"

Within his sleeve, Zhou Ping involuntarily tightened his grip on his shield, shouting coldly, "So, you are saying it is not just Wang Du's household harboring a fugitive, but your entire Wang family doing so?!"

Instantly, the aggressive momentum of the Wang family crowd plummeted by more than half, though they did not retreat a single step, blocking the retainers on the outside.

In the distance, the Wang Clan Head let out a mournful sigh. He was too deeply sick. Yet, a comforted smile surfaced on his face-at the very least, he had seen his clansmen unite as one.

But the remaining five stewards were completely silent. Though they all wished for Zhou Ping to drag the Clan Head away, they naturally could not utter such words in front of the entire clan.

Then, Zhou Ping chuckled lightly. He pulled fifty taels of silver from his sleeve and tossed it onto the ground, declaring loudly, "This is the wealth your Clan Head embezzled from the clan's assets to buy assassins. As Village Head, I must naturally safeguard the property of every household, so I have specially come to return it to your family."

As the shining white silver hit the earth, the momentum of the surrounding Wang clansmen plunged sharply once again.

If their Clan Head truly embezzled clan assets on a whim, then even as the Clan Head, he could not convince the masses to submit. Clan assets belonged to the entire family collectively. To give nearly a hundred taels of silver away to outsiders for nothing-and without them even knowing-naturally birthed dissatisfaction, and even bitter resentment.

When their own personal interests were at stake, all men became overwhelmingly selfish.

The expressions of the five branch stewards shifted slightly. Someone slowly stood up. They naturally knew this silver was not their family's wealth, but rather a blatant gift from Zhou Ping.

And this played exactly into their hands. They had long coveted the seat of the Clan Head. After all, who wouldn't want to be Clan Head? Who wouldn't want to seize more clan assets for their own lineage?

Now, they could not only drag their Clan Head down from his seat, but also obtain several dozen taels of silver for absolutely nothing. Why would they not gladly do it?

Who told Wang Yan and the others to fail to kill Zhou Ping, even allowing him to seize the moral high ground? If they stubbornly resisted to the end, it might even drag down disaster upon them. It was better to borrow the slope and ride the donkey down.

Regardless, their family had men in the government office. Going to jail would at most mean suffering some flesh wounds. But embezzling clan assets was a severe clan crime. Even if the Clan Head's family returned safely, they would no longer possess the qualifications to sit as Clan Head.

"Many thanks to Lord Village Head for retrieving my Wang family's assets," Wang Hui said slowly. "However, the matter of my Clan Head harboring a fugitive still requires investigation. I pray the Village Head will be impartial."

These words appeared to be absolving their Clan Head, but they utterly solidified the crime of embezzling clan assets.

The crowd of Wang clansmen felt their hearts turn to cold ash. Some glared coldly at their Clan Head, their eyes revealing anger and deep-seated resentment.

"My mother fell ill, and I went to the clan to borrow money for medicine, yet they only gave me a few dozen copper coins. So it turns out they gave it all to outsiders, and even bought assassins!" a burly man muttered with a curse.

A young man spoke up in furious indignation: "My family doesn't even have enough grain to eat! The clan promised grain every year, yet it grows less and less each time. The babes in my house are starving! Do you know how much grain this amount of money could buy?!"

Wang Du shouted urgently, trying to explain to his clansmen: "Don't listen to his nonsense! I didn't give them money!"

"You say you didn't give them money, so are you telling me this genuine, heavy silver is fake?!" a woman cursed.

"That belongs to the Zhou family..."

Wang Du wanted to explain further, but was abruptly yanked by the arm by his own grandfather.

The old man slowly shook his head. The moment Wang Hui had stood up, this matter had already become irreversible. He revealed a bitter smile. He feared the other branches held the exact same thoughts.

Then, the old man beside him rose to his feet and said slowly, "My elder brother would absolutely never harbor a murderer. I implore Lord Village Head to thoroughly investigate this matter."

The moment the Wang Clan Head caught sight of his own blood brother, Wang Feng, standing up, his eyes drooped, and his heart thoroughly turned to dead ash.

"Uncle Wang Feng, lay your heart at rest. I believe the government authorities will certainly restore Eldest Uncle's innocence," Zhou Ping bowed slightly, a faint smile curling the corner of his lips.

Wang Feng clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. "Erlang speaks with utmost truth."

As long as his elder brother stepped down from the seat, the position of Clan Head would naturally fall to him.

So what if he was born a few years earlier? On what basis did his brother get to be Clan Head? He would prove to the old departed patriarch that he, too, could govern the family exceptionally well!

On the other side, the three brothers of the Wang family's third branch gazed at their second uncle and distant uncle, sneering coldly without end.

As long as Eldest Uncle came down, their branch had the most members. The position of Clan Head ought to be taken by their third branch.

"Many thanks to all my uncles for your understanding. Then I shall take Eldest Uncle away. I pray you uncles and aunts do not blame this lowly nephew," Zhou Ping cupped his fists in salute.

Those estate guards immediately rushed forward, moving to seize the grandfather and grandson of the Wang family.

Someone still wanted to block them, but Wang Hui spoke out, saying, "This is merely a suspicion for now. If the investigation clears him, Big Brother will naturally be released. What are you all worried about?"

"Rest easy. With me here, absolutely nothing will happen to Big Brother."

Only this put the crowd of clansmen at ease. After all, Wang Hui's second son served as a clerk in the county town. They were all one family; could he really deceive them?

Several burly guards instantly rushed forward, grabbing Wang Du with both hands. Wang Du struggled desperately, but he couldn't break free no matter how hard he tried. The Wang Clan Head sat in his rocking chair, and was lifted bodily, chair and all.

He had already caught a cold, and Zhou Ping didn't want to toss him about until he died-at least, he couldn't die by his hands.

"Let us go. We return home."

Soon after, Zhou Ping led the group of retainers away, leaving the Wang family in utter shambles.

The moment he stepped out, a sheen of cold sweat broke out across his back. The situation just now had been extraordinarily perilous; he had very nearly resorted to using his Magical Artifact.

Fortunately, before coming here, he had already devised a countermeasure. The various branches of the Wang family were already rife with contradictions, so he used genuine, heavy silver to divide and conquer them.

Further, he wasn't intending to kill anyone. He was merely taking Wang Du and his grandson away. The Wang family wouldn't mount too massive a reaction.

On the surface, this exchange seemed to have failed to weaken the Wang family's strength, and had even cost him several dozen taels of silver for nothing.

But looking at the long term, it was entirely worth it.

The Wang family's power was great, but their internal conflicts were numerous. As long as Wang Du and his grandson were taken away, the other factions would inevitably fight endlessly over authority and power.

This had nothing to do with whether their vision was short-sighted or not. Rather, it was the necessary path any clan or faction had to walk if they wished to grow strong.

Only by concentrating authority into a single block could a clan unleash its greatest strength. Otherwise, it was nothing more than a tray of loose sand.

Judging by the current situation of the several Wang factions, for them to unite once more would require at least several years, or they might even end up like the Qian family-splitting apart!

Had the Qian family disappeared? Not at all. They had simply regressed into ordinary villagers and minor households. They were no longer a local dominant clan.

Naturally, Zhou Ping would absolutely not allow the Wang family to reunite. A scattered, fractured Wang family was the best kind of Wang family.

He gazed down at the shield in his palm, his heart feeling gratified. Using several dozen taels of silver to save a single life-saving trump card-no matter how he calculated it, it was a worthy bargain.

After all, his own family had few people but vast lands. If silver was lost, it could just be saved up again. But the number of times a Magical Artifact could be activated was limited. Unless driven to the absolute brink, it absolutely must not be squandered carelessly.

The torches illuminated the surrounding darkness, and Zhou Ping felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

The Liu family had been eradicated. The Qian family had regressed to ordinary commoners. Now, having shocked the Sun family into submission and fractured the Wang family, who else in all of Baixi Village could possibly obstruct the rise of his Zhou family!

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