Generous system rewards

At this moment, in the county magistrate's mansion, the heads of the Wang and Yang families were drinking and chatting cheerfully with the magistrate.

After three rounds of drinks and five rounds of dishes, the magistrate waved his hand, dismissing everyone around them.

The three men raised their cups with slight smiles, gesturing toward each other before slowly drinking.

Seeing this, the head of the Wang family smiled calmly and said, "By now, our combined forces should have already launched an attack on the Ye family."

The head of the Yang family listened carefully and seemed to hear the sounds of battle in the distance, smiling with confidence.

The magistrate, on the other hand, raised his cup with a faint smile, "In that case, congratulations to both family heads. From now on, there will only be two great families in Fengling County!"

The heads of the Wang and Yang families exchanged glances, both seeing the greed in each other's eyes. It was clear that they still coveted the assets of the Ye family.

"Congratulations to you too, Magistrate. Rest assured, what we promised to deliver to you annually will not be delayed. We also congratulate you on removing this major threat!"

Hearing their words, a satisfied glint flashed in the magistrate's eyes.

Ye Daocang had repeatedly defied his policies, even when they were aimed at the general populace, opposing measures such as increased taxes. This had won Ye Daocang the support of many commoners in Fengling County, making the magistrate look ineffective. His dissatisfaction with Ye Daocang had long been thinly veiled.

But Ye Daocang was too powerful, known as the strongest in Fengling County, so the magistrate had never dared to openly confront him.

Now, with Lin Cheng's promises and the opportunity at hand, he had readily agreed to join forces with the two families to deal with the Ye family.

The Ye family was powerful, and with the support of the common folk, they were beginning to rise as the most influential of the three major families in the county. Even without Ye Daocang, taking down the Ye family required all three forces working together.

At this thought, the magistrate frowned, "But what if Ye Daocang isn't dead? What if Lin Cheng has deceived us?"

The heads of the two families exchanged glances and chuckled arrogantly.

The head of the Wang family cupped his hands, "Magistrate, there is no need for concern. Do you think we would trust Lin Cheng's words so easily? Before we launched the attack, both of us had our fathers visit the Ye family in person."

"My father mentioned that a powerful aura once surged from the back of the Ye family's mountain, seemingly on the verge of breaking through to the level of a Grandmaster. But for some unknown reason, that aura suddenly dissipated."

"This can only mean one thing: Ye Daocang failed. Lin Cheng outsmarted him and succeeded!"

Upon hearing this, the magistrate finally relaxed.

"In that case, dividing up the Ye family this time should be foolproof!"

Satisfied once again, the magistrate smiled, and the three raised their glasses once more, just as they were about to drink.

Suddenly, the main door was pushed open, and a county official rushed in.

"Magistrate, something terrible has happened!"

The magistrate's face darkened, and he scolded, "What kind of behavior is this? Can't you see I'm entertaining distinguished guests?"

The official, flustered, had no choice but to speak quickly.

"Magistrate, urgent news just arrived. Ye Daocang has returned! The Ye family has locked down their entire estate. Shortly after, word came that our three forces were wiped out by a demonic cultivator. In the critical moment, Ye Daocang appeared and, despite being seriously injured, killed the demonic cultivator!"

"What!"

The three men stood up in shock at the same time, horror flashing in their eyes.

"What about Lin Cheng? Didn't he say Ye Daocang had no chance of surviving?" the magistrate asked anxiously.

"According to the reports, Lin Cheng was the demonic cultivator!" the official blurted out everything he knew.

"It's over, it's over. Ye Daocang is back, and he's broken through to the Grandmaster level. We're finished!" The magistrate's face turned pale, muttering to himself.

Ye Daocang had already been terrifying as a peak Ninth Level Innate cultivator, the strongest in Fengling County. Now, having broken through to the Grandmaster level, his power was unimaginable.

Moreover, the three of them had known Ye Daocang for over two decades, and they were all too familiar with his temperament.

Tension filled the room.

"Family heads, we're all in this together now. Do you have any solutions?" the magistrate asked, his voice heavy.

The heads of the Wang and Yang families were just as uneasy.

Finally, the head of the Wang family stood up. "No need to panic. Even if he's broken through to the Grandmaster level, that doesn't mean he'll dare make a move against us!"

The head of the Yang family stood up as well. "Exactly! My son, Yang Feng, has joined the Zilin Sect and become an inner disciple, apprenticed to a powerful elder. With the protection of the Zilin Sect, even a Grandmaster like Ye Daocang wouldn't dare touch us!"

"Indeed. Magistrate, you are backed by the Great Qian Dynasty, and your brother-in-law is Commander Lei Nuo of the County City Army. If Ye Daocang knows what's good for him, he won't act rashly!"

"We each have two ancestors who are peak Ninth Level Innate cultivators. Adding in you, Magistrate, that's five peak Innate cultivators. Even if we can't defeat him, we can hold him off for a while!"

Hearing their words, the magistrate fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath.

"If both of you are so confident, then I must show my sincerity as well. I have two God-Slaying Crossbows in my arsenal. If Ye Daocang dares attack, he'll leave with no complaints!"

Hiss—!

The two family heads gasped at this.

God-Slaying Crossbows were military weapons, explicitly banned by the Great Qian Dynasty. Such powerful tools were forbidden from circulating among the public!

The God-Slaying Crossbow could instantly destroy city gates. Even a Grandmaster wouldn't survive if struck by one!

With this newfound confidence, the three men felt more assured.

They agreed that if the Ye family made any moves, the other two would provide reinforcements immediately.

Despite their rising confidence, they knew Ye Daocang's character all too well. Not a single one of them dared to relax.

Meanwhile, in the system's space, Ye Daocang was receiving his rewards!

Ding~! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission to thwart Lin Cheng and the three families' conspiracy. You have received the following rewards: Cultivation raised to the third level of Grandmaster, one Spirit-Luring Jade Pendant, ten Qi Refining Pills, five acres of low-grade spirit fields, and five Yellow-grade martial techniques!

Ding~! First-time mission completion triggers a bonus! Cultivation raised to the fifth level of Grandmaster, one Family Head Jade Pendant, one thousand Qi Refining Pills, one hundred acres of low-grade spirit fields, fifty Black-grade martial techniques, and the Devouring Heaven Technique cultivated to 1%, with the Green Lotus Sword Technique cultivated to 3%!

Feeling the surge of energy, Ye Daocang smiled faintly as a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

It was time to strike!

Fellow Daoists, if you're enjoying my story, I would truly appreciate your support! Please consider leaving a comment and gifting me some Power Stones. Your encouragement means a lot to me. 🙏✨

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