Yuan Fu didn't dare to neglect, stretched out his head to take a look below, and quickly explained to the four people.
"Those three are the local bullies of Zhaoyang County, respectively the Gang Leader of the Green Wolf Gang, Tan Gang, Sect Leader Tie Budong of the Flying Eagle Sect, and Elder Sister Gao, Gao Cheng, of Happy Forest. Recently, they seem to have colluded with Magistrate Ren Feng to deal with the Hou Clan..."
The blue-garbed Holy Maiden and her three maidservants had no urgent business, so they simply watched the situation below while listening to Yuan Fu's introduction.
......
In the first floor of Shengxin Residence, the round table in the very center had five seats arranged, three of which were already taken.
The three seated people were of similar age, looking to be in their forties, middle-aged in appearance.
To the far right was a lean man dressed in black, his eyes somewhat sharp, none other than Elder Sister Gao, Gao Cheng, of Happy Forest.
In the center was the Gang Leader of the Green Wolf Gang, Tan Gang, clad in a yellow robe, with a sullen face, holding two round iron balls in his hand, playing with them from time to time. His knuckles were thick and sturdy, clearly the result of years of handling those iron balls.
On the far left, a rather burly man was none other than the Sect Leader of the Flying Eagle Sect, Tie Budong. His limbs were robust, his facial features large, and his wide face framed by thick eyebrows and large eyes; his skin was also tanned. Had he not been wearing the purple brocade robe, he would have looked like an ordinary farmer.
Behind these three men stood seven or eight people respectively, evidently first-class followers with an imposing air about them.
After the three had sat down, all of their expressions were solemn, silent and taciturn, clearly in a bad mood, until they all stood up at once upon seeing an elderly man in purple clothes entering the door.
"Tie Budong pays respects to the Respected County Lord!"
"Tan Gang pays respects to the Respected County Lord!"
"Gao Cheng pays respects to the County Lord."
Except for Gao Cheng, who seemed somewhat stiff in social interactions, his face slightly rigid while stepping forward to pay respects, both Tie Budong and Tan Gang had smiles plastered over their faces and warmly welcomed Ren Feng with a humble posture, obviously well-versed in the art of flattery.
The elderly man in purple, though still upright, carried a clear scent of decay, indicative of someone well on in years.
Indeed, this was so; Ren Feng had served as the County Lord of Zhaoyang for over twenty years. Even though he possessed the cultivation of the Gang Qi Realm, he was still only in the First Stage: Consolidating Gangqi Phase. At 132 years old, for him to have such vitality was already quite impressive.
"Gentlemen, no need for more words. My adopted son has neglected to properly manage his family, allowing Hou Yucheng to act recklessly on Nanling Mountain. I have set up this gathering today precisely to teach him a lesson. Let's speak more once he arrives... once he arrives."
Ren Feng's words brought a smile to the three men's faces, and Tie Budong even stepped forward with flattering praises, "Having a County Lord like Magistrate Ren, so profoundly just and wise, is a blessing for us, the people of Zhaoyang!"
Tan Gang followed closely, laughing, "With the County Lord stepping in, how could we allow the Hou Family to act so arrogantly in Zhaoyang."
Only Elder Sister Gao remained silent, simply clasping his hands in thanks.
The three escorted Ren Feng to his seat at the round table, then exchanged a few words in idle chatter before silently waiting for Hou Yuxiao's appearance.
However, they waited until late noon, and Hou Yuxiao had still not shown up. The expressions on the four men's faces became increasingly troubled.
Especially Ren Feng, whose nonchalant expression from before had turned progressively grim.
Today, he was the host who had invited Hou Yuxiao, and they agreed on noon as the time of the meeting. Now that noon had passed and Hou Yuxiao was still absent, this was clearly a slap in the face to him as his adoptive father!
As Tie Budong and the other two saw the change in Ren Feng's complexion, they realized the problem as well and began to take some pleasure in the misfortune.
"Master Hou has arrived!"
Just as Ren Feng's face was turning ashen and he was about to stand up and show his anger, the voice of the servant at the door rang out, and the crowd instantly turned their heads to look outside, their pupils all narrowing slightly.
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A group of about thirty people uniformed in black, all powerful martial artists with cultivation not lower than the five levels of body refinement, was headed by Hou Fei as they slowly approached from outside the door.
In Zhaoyang County, reaching the Ten Layers of Body Openings was already considered the ceiling. Among the four major powers, martial artists above five levels could be referred to as high-end combat forces. It's not to mention the three families of Tie Budong; even within the county government, there were no more than twenty.
The Hou Clan alone brought forth thirty, and that's not even counting Hou Fei, who possessed cultivation at the Open Body Eightfold. In any of the three families, such a person could hold their own as a prominent expert.
"The Hou Family's strength has grown too fast in these last two years, we must stop them,"
This thought simultaneously surfaced in the minds of Tie Budong, Tan Gang, Gao Cheng, and even the County Lord Ren Feng.
Seeing Hou Yuxiao, clad in blue, with an indifferent expression walking slowly toward the round table, Tie Budong's expression flickered. He feigned a smile and stepped forward to greet, "Hou Lao Da arrives in the afternoon, a bit late, isn't it? Please, have a seat... Have a seat!"
This obviously intentional mention of Hou Yuxiao's tardiness in front of Magistrate Ren did indeed darken the already grim complexion of Ren Feng.
"Have I ever been known for being early?"
Unexpectedly, everyone was taken aback by Hou Yuxiao's cold response, which not only failed to give face to Tie Budong but also disregarded Magistrate Ren's dignity, directly taking a seat at the table without so much as a greeting...
Silence fell over the room at his words.
Magistrate Ren was Hou Yuxiao's adoptive father, after all. Although everyone knew it was only the result of a deal between Hou Tong and Ren Feng in early years, stepping back ten thousand steps, Ren Feng was still the only Gang Qi Realm expert in Zhaoyang County!
Hou Yuxiao was acting too arrogantly...
What was he trying to do?
Ren Feng's brows twitched violently, his heart obviously enraged to the extreme, and the three of Tie Budong, witnessing this scene, were overjoyed, eagerly anticipating Ren Feng making a move against Hou Yuxiao.
Yet, to their surprise, after trembling with anger, Ren Feng somehow managed to suppress his rage.
Moreover, he even managed to force a smile on his face before rising from the round table to speak.
"Now that Yuxiao is here, I shall not beat around the bush. I have invited you all today to resolve the matter between Hou Lao Er of the Hou Family and Tie Tucheng at Nanling Mountain.
It's true that Tie Tucheng was at fault for glaring at Hou Yucheng first, but Hou Yucheng's killing of thirty members from the Flying Eagle Sect was also somewhat improper..."
While the three were still surprised that Ren Feng could contain his anger, upon hearing him try to muddy the waters in a statement that deviated from his earlier stance, their expressions changed immediately. Just as they were about to interrupt Ren Feng, someone else beat them to it.
"It was indeed somewhat improper for my Second Elder to kill someone!"
Ren Feng was stunned, thinking Hou Yuxiao was conceding. A trace of joy surged in his heart, and the other three felt the same. However, Hou Yuxiao's next words left them all with frozen expressions.
"But... as you all know, he is known as Hou Lao Er. When he acts, he represents the Hou Clan, he carries the banner of Hou Lao Da!
Those who dare to glare at him are disrespecting the Hou Clan, disrespecting me, Hou Lao Da. In the domain of Zhaoyang County, who has the audacity to disrespect me, Hou Lao Da? Dare you? Dare you..."
Hou Yuxiao's domineering voice echoed through Shengxin Residence, silencing the surroundings. Especially after those final words, he turned to confront both Tie Budong and Tan Gang directly. His commanding presence mixed with a fierce tone, truly managed to intimidate them.
Feeling the peak aura of Open Body Ten Layers emanating from Hou Yuxiao, they felt a tremble in their heart. Before they could respond, they saw Hou Yuxiao turn his head toward County Lord Ren Feng.
"Have you gone senile? Daring to set up a stage like this, who do you think you are? Don't think that just because you taught me a thing or two in my early years, you can talk nonsense in front of me. I won't give face to anyone whose words aren't pleasing to my ears!
You've grown old, over a hundred years old. Better to just sit tight in your position as County Lord, scoop up some money, which is better than anything. Be pleased with a few compliments, but before you come out to take a stand for someone else, you should weigh your capabilities. Don't end up broke, investing all of your coffin money into this stage..."
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