Xuanwu War Sovereign

The next day, Qin Feng led the members of the Qin Family toward the City Lord's Mansion.

As they reached the entrance to the West Market, a group of people blocked their path.

CLANG! CLASH!

The glint of flashing blades filled the air, accompanied by piercing screams.

A large crowd, armed with swords and sabers, was locked in a vicious melee at the entrance to the West Market.

Splashes of blood sprayed across the West Market's crude, muddy, and potholed main road.

Pools of crimson blood formed in the ruts.

Hundreds of people charged back and forth, smashing through the flimsy earthen walls of the surrounding homes and bursting inside. Curses and agonized cries constantly echoed from within.

It was clearly a turf war between two major gangs in the West Market.

Seeing this, Qin Qingyun glanced at the frowning Qin Feng and whispered, "Venerable Lord, this is a brawl between the Sickle Gang and the Honghe Sect. They're both part of the Three Gangs and Four Sects that dominate the West Market. The ones in red robes, using sickles as weapons, are disciples of the Sickle Gang. The others in gray clothes, carrying long sabers, are from the Honghe Sect."

"In Yunhu City, the East is wealthy while the West is poor. The gangs and sects entrenched in the West Market are all down-on-their-luck types. The Gang Leader of the Sickle Gang and the Helmsman of the Honghe Sect are only Martial Artists of the First Secret Realm of Vein Condensation. Their men are little more than thugs; most have only a few days of martial arts training, and there are very few Innate Martial Artists at or above the Martial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven."

Qin Feng nodded and said, "Who wants to take care of this rabble?"

Two disciples leaped out from the Qin Family's ranks.

They were two disciples at the Second Realm of Vein Condensation, both with a valiant bearing and blades strapped to their backs.

"Venerable Lord, Qin Nan and Qin Shuang wish to resolve this matter for you!"

Qin Feng's gaze swept over them. Among the eleven remaining experts of the Qin Family's younger generation, these two were not particularly outstanding.

'In two months, they've only advanced two realms.'

However, Qin Feng could see that their foundations were extremely solid. Reaching the Eleventh Heaven Realm of Martial Arts before their breakthrough would have made them top talents in the Qin Family of the past.

But among these eleven, their progress could only be considered average.

Qin Nan and Qin Shuang looked at Qin Feng with eager anticipation.

Constantly overshadowed by the others, the two were desperate to prove themselves before their Venerable Lord.

The other nine young men and women, all carrying weapons, exchanged glances and chuckled softly.

'Those two, Qin Nan and Qin Shuang, are getting antsy. But you can't really blame them. Out of all of us, their progress has been the slowest.'

'That's right. We've been through hell and back these past two months, constantly struggling on the brink of death, but our strength has soared. Two months ago, only our Eldest Sister, Qin Yumei, and Second Brother, Qin Tianhan, had reached the Condensing Vein Realm. But now, we've all seized this opportunity to hone our Martial Arts Realms to Perfection!'

'Life-or-death battles are the ultimate crucible for the Martial Dao. Add to that the endless supply of Spirit Pills from the Venerable Lord, and this journey of thousands of miles has been a transformative stroke of great fortune for us!'

'I wonder if those guys from the Qin Family back in Mountain and River City will be stunned when they learn of our progress!'

While they were communicating via Spiritual Consciousness, a process that took only moments, two whooshes sounded as Qin Nan and Qin Shuang landed before Qin Feng, four captured men in their grasp.

THUD!

Four disheveled figures were thrown to the ground before Qin Feng.

"Who the hell are you people? How dare you interfere in the business of the Sickle Gang and the Honghe Sect!" one of the Martial Artists snarled, his expression fierce despite his inner fear. "If you break the rules, the Three Gangs and Four Sects won't let you get away with it!"

A glance at the four Martial Artists was enough to tell they weren't ordinary grunts. Their clothes were expensive, and they wore Ring Jades at their waists.

Qin Feng scanned them.

Of the four Martial Artists, three were at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven, and one was at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven Realm.

"Venerable Lord, these four are leaders from the Sickle Gang and the Honghe Sect. Their status is quite high, so they're likely the masterminds behind this turf war."

Qin Nan's eyes glinted. "I figured they might be useful to you, Venerable Lord, so I took the liberty of capturing them for your interrogation."

Qin Feng nodded, his eyes falling on Qin Nan.

Qin Nan was of average build and had delicate features, but his eyes were exceptionally sharp, and he clearly had a quick mind.

After a moment of thought, Qin Feng said, "Qin Nan, let me ask you. If I put you in charge of the West Market, are you confident you can end the current chaos and restore peace for its people?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Nan's expression brightened considerably.

'Does this mean the Venerable Lord intends to put me in charge of the West Market?'

'Even though the East is wealthy and the West is poor, the West Market is much larger and more complex than the East Market. If it's managed well, there are immense profits to be made.'

'The annual revenue could easily rival that of several major cities.'

The other young members of the Qin Family understood this as well. Their breathing grew heavy for a moment, and they looked at Qin Nan with unconcealable envy.

'That guy's luck is incredible! He actually managed to win the Venerable Lord's favor.'

'Some even felt a pang of regret. 'If I'd known, I would have stepped forward immediately. Maybe this important task of managing the West Market would have fallen to me.''

"Venerable Qin, rest assured! I, Qin Nan, will not disappoint you. I will end the chaos in the West Market swiftly and build it into a booming, prosperous marketplace for you!"

"Good. From this moment on, you are the Steward of the West Market. Qin Shuang will stay and assist you. You may then recruit a number of Martial Artists in the name of the City Lord's Mansion to maintain order and clean up the mess left by the Three Gangs and Four Sects."

After speaking, Qin Feng glanced at the four dazed Martial Artists at his feet. "As for the backers behind the Three Gangs and Four Sects, I'll handle them myself."

Qin Qingyun chimed in at the perfect moment. "Venerable Lord, you must be careful. The backers of the Three Gangs and Four Sects are the Five Great Families. The Patriarchs of the Five Great Families are said to be powerful figures at the peak of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm. These families have long and storied histories, and they still have some Ancestor-level figures. It's highly likely they even have a Martial Arts Giant among them!"

"So what if there's a Martial Arts Giant? Elder Qingyun, rest assured. I am not afraid of a direct challenge from any Martial Arts Giant. In the end, Yunhu City belongs to my Qin Family, not the Five Great Families. If they're willing to bow their heads, fine. My Qin Family will take the meat, but that doesn't mean others can't have the soup. But if they don't know what's good for them... Heh heh!"

A cold smile touched Qin Feng's lips, his eyes flashing with an icy glint.

'Yunhu City is the foundation I am establishing for the Qin Family. Anyone who dares stand in my way will die.'

The members of the Qin Family looked thrilled.

This was their chance to earn the merits of a founding follower!

Qin Nan and Qin Shuang were the prime example.

「Two hours later, inside the City Lord's Mansion.」

"Junior Brother Qin Feng, you're finally here! At last, I can report the completion of my duty to the sect!" A dignified, middle-aged man looked at Qin Feng with a smile.

"You're too kind, Senior Brother Lu," Qin Feng said with a nod.

Looking at the black-robed youth before him, Lu Heshan breathed a sigh of relief. He had been a diligent and conscientious City Lord of Yunhu City.

However, Yunhu City was situated on the shores of Cloud Lake. He was besieged by the Five Great Families from within and powerful, tyrannical tribes from without, making his life utterly miserable.

This was especially true of the Sea Demon Clan. That clan was connected to a certain powerful entity. Even though that entity was on the front lines of the Demon Battlefield, one misstep could incur his wrath.

So, when he heard that a genius from the sect had chosen this place as his fief, he saw an opportunity to lay down his heavy burden and return to the sect for secluded cultivation.

Lu Heshan was in a hurry to leave. On the very day of the handover, he departed from Yunhu City with his trusted followers.

And so, Qin Feng officially became the master of Yunhu City—a Duke in his own right.

At the same time, as Qin Feng entered the City Lord's Mansion to take command, the leaders of the Five Great Families received the news of his arrival. Instantly, dark undercurrents began to stir within Yunhu City.

No one in power wants a Supreme Emperor ruling over them...

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