I Grind to Martial Saint

Bai Muxin had originally thought that sending two True Qi masters would allow him to rest easy.

One of them was even an Archery expert; surely they would be able to shoot Han Yuan to death.

But he never expected this would be the news they brought back.

"Yes... our men are still searching for Tributor Ye and Cui Bao..."

The returning scout reported with a cupped fist.

"Keep searching."

"I want them found, dead or alive!"

"And... I want you to track down Han Yuan’s whereabouts."

Bai Muxin said coldly.

He had thought it was a surefire kill, yet Han Yuan had still managed to escape.

"Understood!"

The scout cupped his fist and departed.

At that moment, Bai Qi walked in from outside the main hall.

"Patriarch... Han Yuan isn’t dead?"

Bai Qi could guess as much from Bai Muxin’s expression.

"No... If I’d known, I would have taken care of it myself!"

"A bunch of useless fools!"

Bai Muxin spat coldly.

"As for the Observatory... whether it’s the Demon Extermination Tribe, the Feiying Tribe, or the other various halls, they are basically under the control of our Bai Family and the Cui Family."

"However, those old fossils from the Celestial Phenomena Tribe are hiding in the Martial Arts Pavilion and the Spirit Pill Pavilion and refuse to come out..."

"Those places are protected by an Array, so we can’t break in for the time being."

Bai Qi said in a low voice.

The Celestial Phenomena Tribe had always kept a low profile within the Observatory, consisting of only a few very old Abnormal People.

These old men normally guarded the Martial Arts Pavilion, the Spirit Pill Pavilion, and the Divine Weapon Pavilion, and they rarely made public appearances.

After Du Qiuxu’s disappearance, these old men became extremely vigilant and immediately activated the Guardian Array.

"Those old fossils from the Celestial Phenomena Tribe are nothing to fear."

"Once the people from the Wangling Sect storm the city, we will naturally have a way to deal with them."

Bai Muxin sneered.

"Patriarch... are we really going to see this through with the Wangling Sect to the bitter end?"

Bai Qi asked with a frown.

He felt that betting everything on the Wangling Sect seemed a bit too risky.

"I don’t want to either, but we have no choice."

"We’ve already come this far. There’s no turning back now."

Bai Muxin said, shaking his head.

"It would still be better to have an escape plan."

Bai Qi said with a deeper meaning.

"Hmm... in a couple of days, I will secretly send Bai Hao and a few others away."

"You should also make preparations on your end... so that even if something happens, our bloodline will survive."

Bai Muxin said gravely.

"Yes, I will go make the arrangements shortly."

Bai Qi nodded.

"Right... regarding Han Yuan, go issue a notice listing him as a wanted criminal on the Black List."

Bai Muxin added as a reminder.

"Regarding that matter, I’ll have to discuss it with Cui Jiushan."

"After all, he is nominally the Vice Director of the Observatory, a rank higher than me."

Bai Qi said grimly.

"The grudge between Han Yuan and the Cui Family was already significant."

"And now, with Cui Bao missing, Cui Jiushan will certainly agree."

"In any case, this Observatory... is already our domain."

Bai Muxin said flatly.

"Then I’ll get right on it."

Bai Qi wasted no more words.

......

For the common people of Cangshui County Town, these past few days had been one disaster after another.

Not long after the news of Nie Jing’s death on Sheep Head Mountain, the Observatory dropped another bombshell.

The "Overseas Dragon," Han Yuan, had defected from the Observatory with a dozen Demon Exterminators and was immediately placed second on the Cangshui County Black List, second only to the Black Cloud Bandit Leader—the Black Cloud Spear King, Zhang Bei!

With so many successive incidents at the Observatory, even the common folk could sense that something was amiss.

But while the wealthy had escape routes, ordinary people would not leave unless they were left with no other choice.

For them, leaving Cangshui County Town was tantamount to losing everything.

The common people could only live cautiously, minimizing their time outdoors.

For a time, the streets of Cangshui County Town grew noticeably emptier and more desolate.

「Inside the Government Office.」

When Wen Zhiyuan learned that Han Yuan had defected from the Observatory, a flustered look appeared on his face.

"This is bad!"

"Even Han Yuan is in trouble now!"

Zhao Junshan’s brow was also tightly furrowed.

"From the looks of it, the Observatory has been taken over by the Bai and Cui Families."

"The Huang, Lu, and Li Families haven’t made a move."

Zhao Junshan said gravely.

Having served as the Chief Constable in the Government Office for so many years, he naturally had no shortage of information channels.

"In that case... it was likely the Bai and Cui Families who moved against Du Qiuxu."

"Han Yuan must have discovered something, forcing him to flee the Observatory with his men."

Wen Zhiyuan analyzed the situation.

"It might not be just those two families... there could be something deeper at play."

"The situation in Cangshui County right now... is truly baffling."

Zhao Junshan said, shaking his head.

"The secret letter sent to the Province Mansion will still take a few more days to arrive."

"And even when it does... there’s no guarantee reinforcements will be sent."

"Let’s just hope we can get through this crisis safely."

At this point, Wen Zhiyuan was out of options. He could only hide within the Government Office and wait for the situation to develop.

.......

「The Huang Family Estate.」

Huang Huai and Huang Xian’Er were discussing the day’s events.

"It seems the Bai and Cui Families really do hate Han Yuan to the bone."

"The moment Du Qiuxu disappeared, they couldn’t wait to make their move against him."

Huang Huai’s eyes flickered as he sipped his tea.

"Yes... the Bai and Cui Families have suddenly joined forces and now control most of the Observatory. I fear their ambitions are great."

Huang Xian’Er nodded.

"Which is why you can’t stay in Cangshui County Town any longer."

"After nightfall, you will take your younger brothers and leave at once."

Huang Huai said in a grave tone.

"Father... I want to stay."

Huang Xian’Er said suddenly.

"Absolutely not. Though you are a woman, you are far more capable than any of your brothers."

"I have no preference for sons over daughters; the Huang Family is destined to be in your hands one day."

"Anyone in the Huang Family can choose not to leave, but you cannot!"

Huang Huai said sternly.

Seeing Huang Huai’s resolute expression, Huang Xian’Er knew he would not change his mind.

She replied helplessly, "I understand."

Huang Huai heaved a deep sigh. "Xian’Er... these are chaotic times. Don’t be fooled into thinking the Huang Family is some great power in Cangshui County Town."

"Faced with the torrent of this new era... we are little more than a slightly larger ant, liable to be crushed at any moment."

"You must be prepared. If something happens to me, the Huang Family will be counting on you."

Hearing this, a heavy weight seemed to settle upon Huang Xian’Er.

"Come on."

"The meal should be ready by now."

"Have this meal with me. After this, who knows if we will ever have the chance to eat together again as father and daughter."

Huang Huai smiled and stood up.

"Father..." Huang Xian’Er began, but trailed off.

But Huang Huai simply patted her shoulder. "Say no more... Let’s eat first."

.....

With all the successive changes in Cangshui County Town, few people could clearly see what was truly happening.

Many factions had already begun preparing contingency plans, arranging for their heirs to leave the city.

The number of figures from the Martial World roaming the streets was noticeably higher than before.

In an instant, Cangshui County Town was plunged into an atmosphere of inexplicable panic.

Wen Zhiyuan remained holed up in the Government Office, rarely making an appearance.

Meanwhile, the Observatory was controlled by the Bai and Cui Families.

This made it seem as if the Government Office was taking no action, which only plunged the common people into an even deeper state of panic.

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