Everything had gone so smoothly that Wang Linchi was astounded; within three days, with concrete evidence, every Great Family in Baishan County involved had their Nine Clans paraded to the public execution ground and utterly wiped out. This efficiency was indeed remarkable. Wang Linchi also received rewards for his role, mainly gold and silk, which were useless to him.
After witnessing the annihilation of the Nine Clans, he naturally proceeded to Li State Prefecture to continue preparing for the Tribute Official examination.
During this ti, the Imperial Guards tried to recruit Wang Linchi to secretly join their ranks, but he refused.
It was pointless. Why trade a respectable identity for the clandestine life of a sewer rat, constantly at risk of being sacrificed? He wasn’t a fool. If he were a native of this world, perhaps he’d possess the mindset of loyalty to the emperor and dedication to the state, but Wang Linchi had no such sentints. Look at how he’d incorporated Confucian classics; yet, the Spiritual Talent that erged had no connection whatsoever to the Confucian concept of imperial authority. It could only be said that the ’Confucian’ aspect of his talent’s na was a complete waste.
Escorted by three mbers of the Qiantian Iron Horse, Wang Linchi arrived at Li State Prefecture without any further incidents. If any more trouble had occurred en route, it might have necessitated the Qiantian Iron Horse "cleansing" the entire Li State. Such a scenario would imply that Emperor Jing had lost control of Li State; otherwise, how could so many incidents have happened? Thus, Wang Linchi’s safe arrival brought a sigh of relief not only to the Prefecture but also to the Imperial Court. Emperor Jing was too domineering; if his sensitivities were provoked, the Court might well have faced another bloodbath.
After Wang Linchi settled in, even the Governor paid him a visit to inquire after his well-being. This wasn’t particularly surprising; as a Jieyuan, Wang Linchi rited such a visit.
The Great Families within the Prefecture also remained subdued. Although they had received intelligence suggesting Wang Linchi possessed a great treasure, none dared to act recklessly. A great treasure was tempting, but not more important than their own lives and the continuation of their clans.
Moreover, they largely scoffed at this rumor. Wang Linchi had been implicated in the Zhenhai City turmoil and held under house arrest for nearly a month, subjected to constant scrutiny by the Imperial Guards. If he truly possessed such a treasure, it would have long since fallen into the hands of the Imperial Guards. And since the Imperial Thousand Household Honor Guard himself had confird Wang Linchi had no such item, it only ant the man was truly a prodigy of monstrous talent.
What? Did soone not believe the word of the Imperial Thousand Household Honor Guard? Anyone who didn’t value their life was free to test whether the Court’s blade was sharper or their own neck tougher in this powder keg of a situation, ready to explode at any mont.
After this incident, all the Great Families in the counties, cities, and towns under Li State’s jurisdiction fell silent, shrinking back and lying low, terrified of being implicated. The executions of Baishan County’s Great Families didn’t end the matter. With the Qiantian Iron Horse leading the charge and the Imperial Guards conducting investigations, all Great Families, large or small, were subjected to searches. The Great Families dared not resist. Any opposition was taken as an admission of guilt, and officials from the Dali Court would issue a verdict on the spot, resulting in imdiate execution. Whether by procedure or by force, the entire process was incredibly swift.
At this ti, the Pitfall Army was moving south to suppress bandits in a major nationwide operation. The Great Families could not afford to cause any trouble.
Wang Linchi himself felt little impact. Although he had stirred this storm and the Great Families hated his guts, they dared not try to assassinate him. If he were to die, the Court would undoubtedly launch a thorough investigation, and the Great Families would be the primary suspects. Regardless of whether the Great Families were actually responsible, the Court would pin the bla on them. Therefore, despite their hatred, they dared not make a move.
Of course, the Court wouldn’t act against him either. With various matters currently intertwined, they didn’t wish to escalate the situation further. Once the Great Families conceded, offering money, grain, and manpower, Emperor Jing chose to de-escalate the matter, treating major issues as minor and minor ones as nothing.
Therefore, the only ones likely to target Wang Linchi were the Hu Lu or the Liu Kou, who sought to escalate tensions and cause internal strife within Dajing. There was just one problem: killing Wang Linchi was no easy task. After all, he had effortlessly slain over a dozen well-trained, armored Spirit Masters equipped with crossbows. This demonstrated the formidable power of his Spirit Law, making him an unlikely target for the Hu Lu or Liu Kou to successfully assassinate. The most probable outco of such an attempt would be their own demise at his hands, rendering their efforts futile.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
A knock ca from the door.
"Is Wang Jieyuan at ho?" After the knocks, a middle-aged man’s voice called out.
His title, Wang Jieyuan, had gained him considerable notoriety due to recent events.
"Coming! What is it?" Wang Linchi opened the door to find a Spirit Master, not a servant of so dignitary.
The Great Families of Dajing were not yet powerful enough to employ Spirit Masters as re servants.
"I’ve heard that Wang Jieyuan is the foremost talent in Baishan County. Though my own abilities are modest, I’ve co specifically to seek your guidance," the middle-aged Spirit Master said, cupping his fist respectfully.
"That is rely a rumor. How could I possibly claim to be the best?" Wang Linchi understood instantly; the man was here to challenge him.
In scholarship, there’s no definitive first; in martial prowess, no one aims for second. Spirit Masters embodied both, and it seed so people were eyeing his newfound fa, hoping to use him as a stepping stone. It was likely there were also those intentionally overhyping him, setting him up for a fall. Otherwise, how could he, who had been keeping a low profile and rarely ventured out in the Prefecture, suddenly be touted as the ’best’?
"To be acclaid as the top Jieyuan of an entire county is surely significant, is it not?" the middle-aged Spirit Master persisted, his polite tone belying his unwillingness to back down.
"This... is far too flattering. There are Jieyuan every year. By that logic, wouldn’t the ’best’ change annually?" Wang Linchi refused to concede the point.
"But I have heard," the man said earnestly, "that Wang Jieyuan’s Spirit Law is so powerful and versatile that he single-handedly slew hundreds of heavily armored cavalry. Surely, other top scholars cannot compare to such a feat?"
Wang Linchi almost choked. Hundreds of heavily armored cavalry? What an absurd exaggeration! If they had possessed such a force, along with support troops, they could have conquered Baishan County outright. Why would they resort to an assassination attempt on him?
"Those are baseless rumors. Slaying hundreds of heavily armored cavalry is beyond human capability," Wang Linchi retorted. "Besides, if my Spirit Law is as formidable as you claim, aren’t you afraid that I might get annoyed and strike to kill during our ’spar’?"
"A Jieyuan of your stature would surely not be so narrow-minded," the challenger replied with conviction.
Wang Linchi’s expression darkened. "So, you think I’m an easy target, soone you can use as a stepping stone to make a na for yourself, is that it?"
"This... Why would the Jieyuan say such a thing? It is rely a friendly exchange of pointers," the man said, his expression faltering slightly. He clearly hadn’t expected Wang Linchi to be so blunt.
"Oh? In that case, which county’s Jieyuan are you?" Wang Linchi pressed.
"I... am not a Jieyuan," the man was forced to admit.
"So, you believe Baishan County lacks genuine talent, and that’s why you want to defeat , Baishan County’s Jieyuan, to elevate your own county’s prestige?" Wang Linchi continued, his voice rising. "If I defeat you, I’ll only gain a reputation for bullying the less accomplished. If you lose to , you lose little. But if you manage to win, your fa skyrockets. Either way, you stand to gain. Why should I sacrifice Baishan County’s honor to fulfill your personal ambition? What qualifications do you have to tread upon Baishan County for your own glory?"
Wang Linchi spoke loudly, ensuring many onlookers could hear.
If he had only invoked his personal reputation, it wouldn’t have had much effect. But by linking it to Baishan County, he had escalated a personal challenge into a regional dispute, making things far more interesting.
"I... I had no such intention!" The man’s face flushed crimson; he hadn’t anticipated Wang Linchi would fra him so maliciously.
"Hah! Then why challenge and not soone else? Isn’t it obvious you just want to trample on Baishan County’s reputation? Why bother with such high-sounding excuses?" Wang Linchi was exceptionally skilled at guilt-tripping, slanderously labeling others, and leveling trumped-up charges. Given the prevailing atmosphere in the Great View Dynasty, it would have been truly problematic if Wang Linchi had managed to erge from the muck completely unstained.
"No, it’s not... I didn’t..." The man stamred, his blood pressure soaring. He had truly tried to gain a small advantage, only to suffer a major loss.
"Not your idea to co? Does that an soone else put you up to this?" Wang Linchi’s voice rose sharply. "Soone too cowardly to show their own face, hiding in the shadows and forcing you to act? Are your wife and children being held hostage by them? Otherwise, why would you engage in such a self-destructive act that ruins your own prospects?"
It didn’t matter whether anyone was actually pulling the strings; Wang Linchi could easily fabricate the accusation.
"I... I have urgent matters to attend to. I shall pay my respects to Wang Jieyuan another ti!" The man could no longer withstand Wang Linchi’s barrage of accusations and, covering his face, fled in disgrace.
"Don’t go! What will happen to your captured wife and children if you leave?!" Wang Linchi shouted after him, adding more fuel to the fire.
Seeing the man disappear into the distance, Wang Linchi closed the door and returned inside. He would leave the rest to the rumor mill; the eager onlookers would surely embellish the story. His killing of a dozen or so scions of Great Families had already been exaggerated into the annihilation of hundreds of heavily armored cavalry, a testant to how information could morph during its spread.
Furthermore, Wang Linchi planned to create so ’mory constructs’ to further fan the flas, guaranteeing the entire Li State Prefecture would be thrown into utter disarray.
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