The rear courtyard of the County Magistrate’s Office.

Cheng Zongyang and Li Lu were once again speaking privately.

But before Cheng Zongyang could speak, Li Lu’s expression turned serious as he said:

"We’ll discuss what I brought back later. I went to Qianye Commandery City this time."

Hearing this, Cheng Zongyang paused and frowned. "Did something happen?"

He hadn’t seen Li Lu smile more than a few times since his return—a stark contrast to before.

Li Lu shook his head slightly and sighed. "There were many casualties on the road. If not for the blade you lent me, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have made it back. By the time I left, the forces of the Thirteen Royal Families had almost completely taken over Qianye Commandery City. I fear it’ll soon be the same here."

Cheng Zongyang fell silent for a moment, then took out a slip of paper and handed it to Li Lu.

Li Lu took it, looking confused. But after reading its contents, his expression grew grave. "Is this from the front lines?"

Cheng Zongyang nodded slightly. "My men sent this back three days ago. Da Liang is massing troops on the border, and so are the Thirteen Royal Families. Combined with Foreign Race forces taking over towns, counties, and commandery mansions, it means Da Liang has abandoned the Land of Four Mansions! Of that, we can be certain."

Li Lu thought for a moment. "I heard a few things from an Outsider on this trip. I’m worried the family taking over the County Town will be too powerful. It would have a huge impact on our plans. That’s what I’ve been worried about this whole way back."

Cheng Zongyang understood Li Lu’s concern. If the new power was too strong, they would struggle to protect the resources they had fought so hard to accumulate.

These resources were the very foundation they had laid, taking advantage of the power vacuum to secure a foothold in the County Town.

But then, Li Lu changed the subject. "How are those men?"

Cheng Zongyang smiled. "You should ask your nephew. He’s been handling everything. I’m just in charge of delivering the medicinal powder to him."

Li Lu understood the meaning behind Cheng Zongyang’s words and gave a wry smile.

"Brother Cheng, it doesn’t have to be like this. You’re the one who helped me get where I am today; there’s no need to be so formal. Let me speak from the heart: if you ever truly need it, you can command not just my men, but me as well. Anytime. I won’t hesitate for a second."

Cheng Zongyang smiled. "Brother, you’re overthinking things. You must understand that I have the Cheng Family behind me. We have a good relationship, but we still need to maintain some boundaries. In the future, you will establish yourself in the County Town, as will the Cheng Family. When that time comes, we can complement and assist each other to carve out a place for ourselves amidst the Foreign Races. So, in helping you, I’m also helping the Cheng Family."

Li Lu poured Cheng Zongyang a cup of wine. "Brother, I’ll remember this debt. Bottoms up."

Cheng Zongyang raised his cup as well.

Afterward, Cheng Zongyang updated him on the situation with the County Town, the farmland, and the new village.

As the meal and conversation wore on...

After they had both discussed various matters, Li Lu finally took out a list, placed it in front of Cheng Zongyang, and said with a smile,

"Here, this is the haul from my trip. Take a look."

Cheng Zongyang took the list and began to read.

Li Lu chimed in, "Most of the grain was traded in various towns and counties for the Medicinal Materials needed for Inner Replenishing Pills. That’s the only way to maximize our returns.

"Brother, I think we should trade grain for Medicinal Materials, and then use all those materials to make Inner Replenishing Pills. In the future, besides supplying our own men, we can sell the rest. One pill can sustain you for two or three days without food. It’s far more efficient than eating regular meals."

"I also collected quite a few old books and some silver this time. After we repay the thirty thousand taels of silver to your master, you can decide what to do with the rest."

Cheng Zongyang listened as he read.

Indeed, there wasn’t much grain on the list, only three or four thousand jin left. After accounting for what his men consumed on the journey, the rest had been traded with the locals for Medicinal Materials.

Li Lu’s approach was indeed a good one. The Medicinal Materials would certainly maximize their returns.

As for the books, they were mostly Cultivation Techniques and other rare manuals.

But the amount of silver taels left Cheng Zongyang astonished.

Over seventy thousand taels. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Brother, did you find the underground vault of a Money Shop?"

Li Lu said regretfully, "No, I found it in the family manors of three different towns. Their clans had all been annihilated. If I hadn’t been afraid to venture into the intact County Towns, I’m sure I would have looted even more."

On his journey, he had mostly targeted towns and one dilapidated County Town.

He’d found the grain by chance in the cellar of a household in that County Town—over twenty thousand jin of it. It was a pity the whole family had been killed, but since no one else had found their stash, it had been a windfall for him.

"Brother, if we put together a team of Martial Artists to search the manors of annihilated families in some of these County Towns, the haul would be absolutely massive!"

Cheng Zongyang smiled. "Having a wealth of resources is meaningless if you can’t protect them. In another ten to fifteen days, our team of Martial Artists should have fifty who are at the Entry Grade.

"When the time comes, you can decide how to assign them. By the way, you’ll have to personally teach them their Martial Arts. A Cultivation Technique without proper fighting methods only creates brutes with raw Power and no skill."

Li Lu looked overjoyed.

Fifty more Entry Grade Martial Artists meant his Gang would become much more powerful. Even when the Outsiders arrived, they wouldn’t be able to underestimate him so easily!

But then, Cheng Zongyang asked, "What are your thoughts on this money and these books?"

Li Lu reined in his excitement. "We should probably trade the books and Cultivation Techniques for Body Tempering Powder. As for the silver, after setting aside the thirty thousand taels for the fee, should we use the rest to keep making medicinal powder, or... do you have other suggestions?"

Cheng Zongyang closed the list and fell into thought.

’Even if the family can’t use many of these Cultivation Techniques, they’re still excellent for bolstering our Martial Arts archives.’

’There are also quite a few medicinal recipes, pharmacopoeias, and cultivation notes in here. All of it is good stuff.’