#211 - Chapter 211 Gathering

Inside the Qingxi County Government Office, the heads of the three great families, the four major gangs, and the six great martial arts schools were all gathered.

Presided over by County Magistrate Liu, this kind of gathering only occurred when major events required the combined efforts of the county's top powers.

The other leaders were familiar faces, but Cheng Feng of the Hongmen was a new face, and a very young one at that.

The leaders of the various forces couldn't help but glance at Cheng Feng a few more times. Although they didn't speak, the disdain in their eyes was undisguised.

After all, they were all in charge of their respective families and naturally wouldn't take a newcomer seriously.

However, Cheng Feng didn't care about these gazes. He smiled calmly, returning their looks.

Because he represented a new power, Cheng Feng was temporarily placed at the end.

However, when he saw his master and old acquaintance Lin Xiong sitting in front, he felt a little relieved.

After all, having familiar faces here prevented him from feeling too alone.

At this moment, County Magistrate Liu, sitting at the head of the table, spoke, "Everyone must already know the purpose of our gathering here today, correct?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly entered everyone's ears.

Hearing this, the leaders of the various forces present nodded, indicating that they understood.

Then, County Magistrate Liu continued, "Since the Red Lotus Sect rebels revolted in the east three years ago, the people have been displaced and their lives have become miserable. The imperial court is deeply saddened by this, and the prefectures and counties below have been sending people and resources to help the disaster victims, but these efforts are still just a drop in the bucket.

Now, the Black Wind Stronghold of Black Wind Mountain is taking in disaster victims and gradually forming a powerful force. I have long been aware of this situation and know that it will become a major hidden danger.

Originally, I planned to wait until after providing relief to the disaster victims before sending troops to wipe out the bandits, but the current situation is urgent and cannot be delayed any longer. Therefore, we need each family to provide some manpower and material resources to help the bandit suppression operation. Please discuss together how to coordinate this matter."

Cheng Feng's eyes narrowed slightly as he pondered to himself. Although he was the new leader of the Hongmen, he didn't want to be the first to step forward. The Hongmen should keep a low profile for now. He shouldn't be the first to take the lead, and judging from the situation, it wouldn't be his turn anyway.

Lin Xiong, as the head of the Lin family, had his grain routes constantly intercepted by the Black Wind Stronghold. At this time, he had to speak up. He stood up, his voice loud and clear: "Lord Liu is right. The threat of the Black Wind Stronghold is increasing day by day. If it is not dealt with in time, it may lead to disaster. My Lin family is willing to take the lead in providing manpower and resources to fully support this bandit suppression operation."

The others present watched with blank expressions. Who would do a deal where they wanted the horse to run but didn't feed it? Who would do this free labor?

Seeing this, Li Tianyun, the head of the Li family, smiled faintly. He slowly stood up, his eyes swept across the room, and his voice was not loud but exceptionally firm: "Fellow colleagues, I, Li, am not talented, but I also know the principle of 'if the skin is gone, what will the hair cling to?' If the Black Wind Stronghold is not destroyed, where will our peace be? My Li family is willing to fight alongside you to eliminate this scourge."

After speaking, he clapped his hands gently. A Li family disciple outside the hall held a list of various weapons and grain, showing them to everyone. Although these materials were not the most abundant, they represented the Li family's attitude.

County Magistrate Liu's eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation. He nodded slightly and said, "Family Head Li is right. The various families, gangs, and martial arts schools in Qingxi County should be united to resist foreign enemies. Since everyone has this intention today, then let's act accordingly, prepare as soon as possible, and strive to eradicate the Black Wind Stronghold as soon as possible, restoring peace to the people."

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became strange. Who didn't know that County Magistrate Liu was good at making money, and yet he was still talking such empty words?

But everyone was smart and knew that this was just lip service and no one would take it seriously. Everyone knew in their hearts that the purpose of this operation was to completely eradicate the Black Wind Stronghold to eliminate future troubles, but you wanted the county magistrate to pay? That was almost like taking his life.

And, the most important thing was to get the other forces to participate and share the risks together. So, in this subtle atmosphere, everyone began to look at each other and weigh the pros and cons.

Under County Magistrate Liu's prompting, the Black Snake Gang and the Red Star Gang were the first to express their willingness to fully support the operation, promising to send the top martial artists in their gangs to participate in the battle.

Hearing this, the leaders of the other forces also echoed, expressing their willingness to provide material assistance or send experts to help.

Amidst this chorus of positive responses, a few people showed difficulty, seemingly having reservations about this decision. Perhaps they were worried that their strength would be weakened, or perhaps they thought the matter was too risky. In short, they did not agree as readily as the others.

But facing such strong pressure, they finally chose to compromise, reluctantly agreeing to County Magistrate Liu's proposal. At this point, the overall situation of the meeting was initially settled.

Cheng Feng naturally represented the Hongmen. Don't even think about getting him to pay. So many Hongmen disciples were waiting to open their mouths and eat. It was a good opportunity to use the Black Wind Stronghold to train the troops and see how the Hongmen's combat effectiveness was.

He sat down amidst everyone's respectful or complicated gazes, secretly planning his next move.

The reason why County Magistrate Liu went to so much trouble to set up such a situation was none other than that he had long calculated that the Lin family would definitely express their position. With this leader, plus a follower, the remaining people would naturally not be able to stand their ground.

As the meeting ended, the leaders of the various forces left one after another. Cheng Feng and Wang Tieshan walked out of the county government office side by side. Along the way, the two didn't say a word until they reached the entrance of the county government office.

Cheng Feng stopped, turned to look at Wang Tieshan, and said, "Master, I didn't expect you to make a decision so quickly."

Wang Tieshan also looked at his closed-door disciple, thinking that Zhao Wei's vision was really good. It hadn't been long since she married into the family, and Cheng Feng was already able to sit in the seat of power within the county government.

A sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said, "Hmph, County Magistrate Liu has already set up the layout. At this critical juncture, whoever dares to say no will be waiting for the reckoning after the autumn!"

Cheng Feng frowned slightly and asked, "Have they all reached an agreement?"

Wang Tieshan said, "Of course. County Magistrate Liu and Li Tianyun have long been in cahoots. The two gangs in the east and west cities have also been flirting with County Magistrate Liu. Everyone has known this for a long time. I guess you're the only one who's been kept in the dark. But I see that you're also steady there. You're worthy of being the Hongmen Sect Master!"

A cold light flashed in Cheng Feng's eyes as he pondered to himself. He knew the collusion of interests between these people, but he was not afraid. As the Hongmen Sect Master, he had his own confidence and means.

"Hmph, do they think they can control everything like this?" Cheng Feng sneered.

Wang Tieshan looked at Cheng Feng and reminded, "Disciple, you must be careful and don't be schemed against by them."

Cheng Feng nodded and said, "Don't worry, Master, I know what I'm doing."

Cheng Feng understood in his heart that this game of power had only just begun. In terms of dirty tricks, Cheng Feng might not be able to compare to those old foxes,

But this was a world with extraordinary power. If it really didn't work, he would break through with force. Cheng Feng was confident that he had the confidence to do so.