That evening, around a quarter to six.

Three carriages were parked on each side of the Li Courtyard’s entrance, for a total of six. Men stood guard beside each one, seemingly waiting for someone.

Just then, another carriage slowly pulled up near the entrance, keeping its distance from the other six.

"Sir, we’ve arrived."

Ma Yue and Xu Dong disembarked, and the latter drew back the curtain.

Cheng Zongyang stepped out first, followed by Ma Yue, who helped the still-recovering Li Lu down from the carriage.

Gazing at the carriages ahead, Li Lu looked at Cheng Zongyang. "Are we late?"

"No." Cheng Zongyang shook his head slightly, then turned to Ma Yue and Xu Dong. "The two of you wait here. If anyone dares to provoke you, don’t hold back."

"Yes, Sir."

Ma Yue and Xu Dong replied in unison, cupping their fists.

Xu Dong had successfully reached Entry Grade that morning and had also become one of Cheng Zongyang’s Attendants.

Their temperaments and abilities were quite good, and they were reliable, so Cheng Zongyang intended to cultivate them further.

The Cheng Family still needed more manpower. In addition to the people being trained in Cheng Family Village, they also had to recruit and develop outsiders. This would allow them to quickly add new, capable hands to carry out tasks in the County Town.

Of course, they had signed contracts.

They each carried a Geomagnetic Stone. If they encountered danger, they could unleash it.

The guards at the gate had changed shifts. After announcing their identities, Cheng Zongyang and Li Lu walked inside.

They entered the main hall, which was brightly lit.

Inside the main hall, four chairs were placed on either side. The six Patriarchs were all present, occupying six of the chairs. However, Li Mingxin was not yet there.

The six men all glanced toward the entrance. Seeing Cheng Zongyang arrive with a stranger, they paid them no mind.

They had yet to secure their territories or get a handle on the situation in the County Town, so they had no desire to get entangled with Cheng Zongyang for now.

Cheng Zongyang, for his part, couldn’t be bothered with them either.

A moment later, Li Mingxin entered from the rear courtyard, followed by a middle-aged man.

Instantly, everyone stood up and greeted him with cupped fists.

Li Lu saw that Li Mingxin was, just as Cheng Zongyang had said, already in the Sixth Grade Realm despite his youth. ’The disciples of the great families truly are different,’ he was about to muse, but then the thought of Cheng Zongyang’s own age and Cultivation immediately dispelled that notion. ’Could anyone really be more astonishing than Cheng Zongyang?’

"Everyone, please be seated."

Li Mingxin gestured with a smile.

"Thank you, Steward Li," the crowd replied, cupping their fists.

Only after he was seated did the assembled leaders of the Seven Clans and the one gang take their seats.

Li Mingxin’s gaze swept over everyone present before he gave a slight nod to the middle-aged man beside him.

The man nodded in acknowledgment and waved his hand.

Immediately, a servant emerged from the back, carrying a wooden tray.

On the servant’s tray were several brocade pouches. He walked over to Xu Tieshan, who was seated first on the left.

Xu Tieshan didn’t move, looking at Li Mingxin with some confusion.

Li Mingxin explained, "There’s no need to worry. Just take one and open it. You’ll understand."

Upon hearing this, Xu Tieshan stopped hesitating and took one. The others followed suit, each taking a pouch and opening it.

Cheng Zongyang was also a bit curious. ’A gift at their very first meeting? Isn’t that a bit too courteous?’

But when he opened his, he found only a piece of paper inside.

Everyone was taken aback and exchanged glances, unsure of what was happening.

Across from him, Li Lu also met Cheng Zongyang’s gaze. Neither spoke; they just silently unfolded the papers.

When he finished reading, he was utterly speechless.

It was a responsibility agreement.

Simply put, it stipulated that they were to manage the civil disputes within their own territories and not bother the Li Courtyard with such matters.

Furthermore, it detailed the annual tribute each faction was required to pay, along with other responsibilities and obligations.

Cheng Zongyang understood now. It was a responsibility agreement that essentially granted them autonomy.

It made one thing perfectly clear: the Lower Three Grade Families had immense autonomy. The Li Family would largely stay out of their affairs, letting them handle everything within the city themselves.

This meant he would have the final say over the entire West City. Conflicts between commoners, disputes between merchants—all of it would now be their responsibility.

Even all the income from their territory—shop and housing rentals, sales, and so on—was theirs to manage.

The Li Family would only be responsible for the overall situation and for collecting the annual tribute!

The West City district was, in effect, a fiefdom for his Cheng Family and the Celestial Break Gang.

For Cheng Zongyang, this was actually a good thing.

However, when he saw the amount of the required annual tribute, he couldn’t help but frown slightly.

’It’s a bit steep.’

Just then, he heard Li Mingxin begin to speak.

"Gentlemen, I know you are all busy, so I won’t waste your time. I’ve written all the details down. You need only follow the terms of the agreement.

During my three-year term as Steward, I expect you to fulfill your duties properly and not cause me any unnecessary trouble. Otherwise..."

At this, Li Mingxin’s expression turned cold, his tone becoming menacing. "Otherwise, I have the authority to dispose of you."

After saying his piece, his tone returned to normal. "Alright, now tell me what questions you have. I will soon be entering seclusion to focus on my Cultivation, so do not disturb me unless it is absolutely necessary."

The crowd was silent for a moment.

This agreement was beyond the expectations of the six families, and even Cheng Zongyang was somewhat surprised.

For some, this agreement was not a good thing at all.

This, of course, referred to the six families other than Cheng Zongyang and Li Lu.

This was because the entire West City was to be governed solely by the Cheng Family and the Celestial Break Gang. And to any discerning eye, it was obvious that the Celestial Break Gang answered to the Cheng Family.