Chương 233: Flourishing Development

Many people, like Song Que, were equally unable to fall asleep that night. It wasn't until noon the next day, when the intelligence gatherers returned with news, that Song Que and his men learned the whole story. Unsurprisingly, upon hearing the news of his son's murder, Tian Buer went completely berserk. He traveled day and night to reach Lingjiang Commandery to verify the incident and avenge his son. The Lingjiang Gang, situated right on his doorstep, naturally became his primary target.

However, everyone had underestimated the audacity and overprotective nature of Du Ruhui. Facing the 8th Grade expert Tian Buer's demand to hand over the murderer, Old Du decisively refused. The fault did not lie with them; naturally, they had committed no wrong to speak of. Daring to cause trouble at the Lingjiang Gang meant death was well-deserved. Hearing this, Song Que couldn't help but sigh in admiration at this guy's charisma.

No wonder he was able to expand the Lingjiang Gang so significantly over the past few years, and even had the foresight to prepare Jade Sun Rice to plot for future generations. He could indeed be considered a man of grand strategy and vision. Enemies like this are best killed off early —Grandee Song cursed inwardly. Unfortunately, as someone said, in life, things don't always go the way we want them to; Old Du wasn't going to just die as he wished.

Back then, with a single disagreement, the two sides naturally clashed. Relying on his 7th Grade True Qi Realm cultivation, Du Ruhui actually managed to exchange a hundred blows with the old dog Tian without losing. Afterward, with the combined efforts of the Lingjiang Gang's top brass, they pinned this guy down and gave him a group beating. In the end, Tian Buer was heavily injured and fled.

Although he ran into his enemy, Chu Tianqiu, during the battle, someone was protecting him, so he couldn't do anything to the other party. Du Ruhui also suffered a blow born of his suppressed anger; several of his ribs were broken. With conservative treatment, he would need at least three months of bed rest to recuperate. Just when everyone thought the matter had ended there, they still underestimated Old Tian's vindictiveness.

Despite carrying injuries, this man forced himself to rush back to Qinghe during the night. After slaughtering the entire Branch Hall until blood flowed like a river, he finally fled. Naturally, this incident sent shockwaves throughout the martial world. The Lingjiang Gang was furious; the Nine Rivers Alliance was equally furious. Just this morning, Alliance Leader Zhao personally issued a kill order and dispatched several First-Rate experts to hunt down this old thief.

Right now, Tian Buer must be like a stray dog mourning its master, desperately trying to find a way back to Guannei, not even having the time to retrieve his son's corpse. The aftermath of this matter wouldn't truly conclude until a Grandmaster titan from the three circuits of the Central Region stepped forward to mediate. No one knew exactly what price Tian Buer had to pay, but that was a story for later. All they knew was that the feud between the two sides was now set in stone......

Hearing the news that Old Du would be bedridden for three months, the grim expression Grandee Song had worn since last night finally eased up a bit. Nie Feng guessed the reason behind this, and thus quietly breathed a sigh of relief on behalf of his Young Master. During the ensuing period, seizing this hard-earned peace, the entire system of the Moon-Lacking Pavilion developed at a breakneck pace.

The great philanthropist Song, after spending his own money to buy peace for the commoners of Qinghe, hadn't even rested for a few days before eliminating another menace for the villagers of the entire county. Under Grandee Song's wise and martial leadership, the Moon-Lacking Pavilion easily pacified the bandit scourge surrounding the county. Every bandit den, from Mount Coptis and the surrounding towns to the incredibly stubborn Black Iron Stronghold of Eagle Gorge, was completely annihilated.

The most wicked villains were all handed over to the County Yamen to be beheaded and displayed to the public. Those with lighter offenses were locked up and sent to labor reform camps to atone for their sins. There was also no shortage of those who had been forced into the mountains to become bandits, like the brothers of the Black Iron Stronghold.

Ultimately moved by Grandee Song's benevolence, they all realized their mistakes, repented, and begged to join the Moon-Lacking Pavilion, wishing to strive for the ideal of a harmonious society. After discussing it with the local parent-officials, Grandee Song finally forced himself to agree and took this group in. This left the commoners of the county town in deep admiration of his magnanimity. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

He truly was Philanthropist Song, wholeheartedly dedicating himself to the people. Not stopping there, the newly operational Moon-Lacking Pavilion initiated a continuous series of actions. They established a forging workshop on the outskirts of the city and immediately recruited a group of blacksmiths. They paid out of their own pockets to repair roads and clear the trade routes through Mount Coptis and Eagle Gorge.

Ordinary people could travel back and forth completely free of charge; only passing carriages were charged a toll of ten taels of silver per vehicle. This toll collection had been personally authorized by County Magistrate Xu Qing. He had now legally opened a BOT road and established toll stations. It was still collecting money either way, but with that piece of paper, he shed the title of a mountain bandit and could do it openly and above board. The commoners raised both hands in support of this.

After all, it didn't cost them any money, and they received protection when passing through dangerous routes; why would they have any complaints?..... With only a little over a month until the end of the year, the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year had already begun to thicken in Plum Manor. The entire place had undergone a complete renovation over the past few days. The primary structures were basically completed; only a perimeter wall surrounding the manor was still under construction.

It was expected to be finished in another week or two. With more and more secrets in Plum Manor that they didn't want others to know, strengthening defensive measures was a matter of course. After absorbing the Black Iron Stronghold, the number of martial artists in the Moon-Lacking Pavilion boldly surged to nearly two hundred. Song Que dispatched another group of fifty men here for Qin Wu to drill, while also taking charge of patrolling and guarding the mountain manor.

With the vicious neighbor currently hiding at home licking his wounds, the ever-present threat hanging over his head was temporarily put on hold. Grandee Song could finally let out a sigh of relief these past few days. Lying in the courtyard basking in the rare, warm sunlight, Grandee Song felt his entire body melting into a puddle. He sank lazily into his chair, half-closing his eyes in sheer enjoyment.

"Young Master, open your mouth!" The intimately thoughtful Yang Zi brought a piece of pear to his lips. Only after her Young Master had completely eaten the slice did this girl squint her eyes and turn to the side, feeding an identical piece to Princess Mengmeng. Then, smiling contentedly, she stroked the soft fur on its back. Yang Zi had been thrilled to bits these past few days. After days of persistent effort, Mengmeng had finally been moved by her true feelings and had now opened its heart to accept her care.

In this place, besides the Young Master, she was the only one capable of doing this. Because of this, the girl had been taking care of it with utmost dedication these days, serving that fox down to the smallest detail. Unfortunately, A'Zi was truly overthinking it. This black-bellied fox didn't even care to spare her a second glance. Mengmeng had seen Grandee Song being served so meticulously by the Yang sisters—meals brought right to his mouth, clothes dressed upon his raised arms.

Naturally, this little minx was incredibly envious. If the Master has it, this Princess must have it too. For this very reason, the idea of recruiting a maidservant had sprouted in its mind. As expected, this decision was spot on. Compared to the clumsy Wukong, this newly recruited little servant truly served it so comfortably it was unbelievable. Every day, delicious food and pastries were fed right to its mouth; she frequently bathed it and meticulously trimmed its fur.

In just a few short days, the minx Fire Fox had suddenly become several times more beautiful and radiant. The moment it stepped outside, Little Black was there as a chauffeur, and no matter what it did, there was a skillful servant to attend to it. This was the life! Its precious time was meant for researching the methods of ascending to immortality, after all. This maidservant suits this Palace's taste very well! — Princess Mengmeng said to herself.

Naturally, Grandee Song knew exactly what this black-bellied fox was thinking, but he didn't want to crush little A'Zi's enthusiasm. So he didn't say a single word, acting as if nothing was happening as he closed his eyes and continued listening to Yang Mi's report.

"Young Master, this month, the winery's income was 130, 000 taels. After deducting all expenses, the remaining profit is 90, 000. The Shunfeng Escort Agency brought in 4, 000 taels, the forging workshop 5, 000 taels, the Eagle Gorge toll station 7, 000 taels, and other peripheral industries grossed 31, 000 taels. That makes the total income exactly 137, 000 taels of silver." The little money-grubber A'Mi recounted excitedly, her voice high and clear.

Immediately afterward, the girl's face scrunched up like a bitter melon. Huffing and puffing, she continued:"Deducting the gang members' salaries of 20, 300 taels, subtracting other expenses of 6, 000 taels, and the construction costs for the Silver Wave Lake campus, the forging workshop, road building, and the Plum Manor renovations, which comes to exactly 110, 000... In the end, we still have to make up 300 taels from your pocket, Young Master." Speaking up to this point, her little heart was bleeding profusely.

Rubbing the little girl's melon-like head, Song Que let out a hearty laugh:"Haha, money must be spent in order to earn it back. Don't be heartbroken, you silly girl. Once the construction projects are completed, we'll be able to rake in money just by sitting around doing nothing." Seeing that Yang Mi was still somewhat unwilling to accept this, Grandee Song intimately tapped her little nose.

"If you're worried about lacking money, just tell Fan Yiwang to slightly increase the volume of goods sold in Qinghe and Lingjiang cities. Wouldn't we have money again then?" Hearing this, the girl's complexion improved significantly. The Raging Fire Liquor was not struggling to sell right now. Aside from the 5, 000 bottles supplied to Yun Xi, they were still steadily limiting the sales to customers in the city. The price, naturally, couldn't be 20 taels; it was listed at 50 taels, matching the Yun family's price.

Even so, it sold out as quickly as it was stocked, leaving Grandee Song and the others feeling a constant ache in their hearts. If it weren't for their lack of connections and trade routes, they naturally wouldn't have let the Yun family reap such massive profits. But fortunately, the contract only lasted for two years. With the winery's current reputation, they wouldn't have to worry about finding buyers when the time came.

Just as the group was beginning to daydream about the future, a hurried voice suddenly rang out:"Big Brother, Big Brother! Come help me, quick!" Outside the courtyard, Li Xin came running in a panic.