It was like the sleep paralysis that sometimes occurs during a deep slumber.

You feel perfectly conscious, yet you find yourself completely unable to move.

He couldn’t help but wonder, ’Does Illusion plus Soul Suppressing equal the effect of sleep paralysis?’

Of course, this was all just his speculation.

He didn’t dwell on it. While Li Lu was still incapacitated, Cheng Zongyang moved quickly, severing the tendons in all their hands and feet.

After dealing with them, Cheng Zongyang retrieved the Soul Gathering Stele.

But then, he noticed the count on the Soul Gathering Stele had increased by thirty-seven.

——

Count: 2389/20000

——

He figured the increase must be from the casualties on his side.

The Foreign Race Martial Artists were mostly Eighth Grade, while the people from the village had all Just Entered the Grade. Once a fight broke out, how could they possibly be a match?

But for thirteen people to have survived was already quite fortunate.

As the Soul Gathering Stele was retrieved, everyone within a 1700-meter radius gradually returned to normal.

"My Lord!!"

Just then, from a distance, Cheng Zongyang heard Zhao the Seventh shouting.

Soon, Zhao the Seventh came running over with a group of men.

"My Lord, it really is you!" Zhao the Seventh was ecstatic.

From the ridges of a distant field, he had been keeping a close watch on the village.

When Li Lu had lit the bonfire, he had been hesitant to set fire to the crops. But then he remembered this was the fruit of Cheng Zongyang’s labor, and he would rather leave it for the enemy than burn it down.

He felt that if he didn’t burn it, they might be able to reclaim it when Cheng Zongyang returned. But if he burned it, it would be gone for good.

Then, he saw the bonfire, which had only been burning for a moment, get extinguished, and the village was plunged into darkness once again.

He waited for a long time after that. Seeing no movement from the village, he crept closer, only to discover from a distance that those people were standing motionless, just wailing and howling where they stood. It was incredibly bizarre.

He only dared to move in closer after spotting a familiar figure.

After hearing Zhao the Seventh’s account, Cheng Zongyang breathed a sigh of relief.

’If he’d listened to Li Lu, months of my hard work would have gone down the drain! At that point, forget saving Li Lu—even killing him wouldn’t have been enough to quell my anger!’

"Well done. It’s a good thing you didn’t listen. Don’t worry, you’ll be rewarded for this."

Cheng Zongyang clapped Zhao the Seventh on the shoulder, more certain than ever that putting him by Li Lu’s side had been the right decision.

’This man is a true talent.’

"Thank you, My Lord. If not for you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Of course I would consider things from your perspective."

"Good!"

Cheng Zongyang gave a slight nod and said no more, issuing his orders. "I’ve severed the tendons in their hands and feet. Take your men and provide first aid to anyone still alive. Then bind their hands and feet, and lock them up separately. I will interrogate each of them when I return. Don’t give them any opportunity to get their stories straight."

"Also, Li Lu is in the meeting hall. He’s injured and hasn’t woken up yet. Tell him to stay put once he’s awake."

"Yes, My Lord!" Zhao the Seventh replied with a cupped-fist salute.

Cheng Zongyang’s gaze turned icy as he looked toward the County Town. The next moment, he executed the Wind-Stepping Step and shot off in that direction.

Zhao the Seventh stared in the direction Cheng Zongyang had gone, his expression frozen. Recalling his lord’s last words, his heart lurched.

’He’s going to the County Town?’

"Has My Lord’s power already reached such a level?" Zhao the Seventh murmured.

A moment later, at the village entrance, Li Xian, who had just rushed back, found Zhao the Seventh still in a daze and asked urgently,

"Where is Lord Cheng going?! And what’s the situation??"

He had returned via a side path and hadn’t encountered the members of the Foreign Race on the main road.

But he had run into Cheng Zongyang at the village entrance. Cheng Zongyang paid him no mind, disappearing from sight within a few breaths.

Snapped out of his thoughts, Zhao the Seventh recovered his wits and said, "We’ll talk later. Quick, take your men and get all of them..."

Zhao the Seventh quickly began giving out instructions.

When Li Xian learned his uncle was gravely injured, he immediately ran toward the meeting hall.

Cheng Zongyang crossed the field ridges, bypassed the old village entrance, and arrived at the side of the main road.

Cheng Zongyang glanced around. Though there was barely any moonlight, he could still see a large amount of dust hanging in the air. Clearly, a large group had passed by not long ago.

With a single leap, Cheng Zongyang entered the forest to the north.

He vaulted from tree to tree, rapidly making his way toward the County Town to the north.

Jade Peak County, West City Gate.

Outside the West City Gate, a multitude of torches lit the area as bright as day. A large contingent of people, with carts and horses, was filing into the city in an orderly fashion.

But off to one side, more than twenty people were gathered around a freshly lit bonfire.

They paid no attention to their clansmen and subordinates entering the city, their eyes fixed instead on a map of the County Town that Qiu Jingwu had found in the Government Office.

In the crowd were the leaders of the Xu, Qiu, He, Liu, Ding, and Lu Families.

To be precise, they were the leaders of their respective branches in Jade Peak County. Their main families were based outside the territory.

They had been dispatched by their families to lead the expansion here. Their status, abilities, and methods were all proven.

"Everyone, enough talk. In terms of Tier, we’re all Lower Three Grade Families. We all know where we stand in terms of strength."

The first to speak was a middle-aged man in his forties.

His name was Xu Tieshan. He was from the second branch of a Lower Three Grade Family that was under the jurisdiction of the Royal Li Family, one of the Thirteen Royal Families. He had now split off from the main family, bringing his branch and a portion of their resources to Jade Peak County to establish a new foundation.

He had a burly build and a resolute face, with eyes as sharp as a falcon’s. He exuded an intimidating aura without even trying.

Leaning on a black heavy sword with both hands, Xu Tieshan’s eyes swept over the other five as he continued,

"West City, East City, North City, South City. Our six families will each take a section. Let’s divide them now. My Xu Family will take East City. The rest of you can make your choices."

After Xu Tieshan spoke, the other five exchanged glances. Then, the middle-aged man with a dark complexion sitting opposite him broke into a smile.

"Then my Ding Family will take South City."

Next, a middle-aged man of about the same age to Xu Tieshan’s left, named Qiu Fengxing, spoke.

He was rather thin, with a cold, stern face and deep-set eyes that made him seem unfathomable, someone to be respected from a distance. In a detached tone, he spoke, his words clipped:

"Qiu Family. East City."

Xu Tieshan frowned but said nothing, simply waiting for the other families to choose their territories.

"Then my He Family will take North City," said a refined, scholarly-looking young man of about thirty to Qiu Fengxing’s left.

"My Lu Family will take West City," a tall, broad-shouldered man with a short beard said in a booming voice.

"Since everyone else has chosen, my Liu Family will take South City as well. Ding Wu, it looks like we’ll be neighbors."

The last to speak was a young man of average build. He was handsome, with a composed demeanor that hinted at an extraordinary character. Liu Chengdong looked at the dark-skinned Patriarch of the Ding Family, his eyes bright and a smile playing on his lips.

Ding Wu glanced at Lu Yan, the Lu Family Patriarch who had chosen West City, and smiled. "Are you afraid of the Lu Patriarch? Or are you afraid the He Patriarch will try to reason with you?"

Liu Chengdong shrugged, his expression nonchalant. "Perhaps. One is too fierce, the other is a smiling tiger. I’d rather not be neighbors with either."

Everyone: "..."

With the choices made, it seemed only the Lu and He Families had gotten a good deal.

One got North City, the other got West City.

The Xu and Qiu Families took East City, while the Liu and Ding Families took South City.

Xu Tieshan looked at Qiu Fengxing. "Why didn’t you choose West or North City?"

He didn’t like sharing a territory.

Qiu Fengxing’s expression was unchanged as he replied coolly, "You’re free to leave."

Hearing this, Xu Tieshan instinctively tightened his grip on the hilt of his heavy sword.

’He knew full well that Qiu Fengxing had chosen East City just to compete with his Xu Family!’

"In that case, if no one has any objections, then..."

"Hold on."

Suddenly, a figure shot out from the forest beside the road, carrying a large stone stele. He landed heavily, and with a loud THUD, drove the stele deep into the ground.

Amidst the flying dirt, the figure, blade in hand, slowly walked out and stopped a short distance from the group.

The firelight illuminated his features, revealing Cheng Zongyang’s somewhat boyish face.

Instantly, the men around them grew wary. They drew their weapons and formed a circle, blocking the newcomer’s path.