Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

In the evening, Xu Ming helped Fang Ling finish the farm work.

Old Mr. Fang invited Xu Ming to have dinner at his house.

Xu Ming couldn't refuse Fang Ling's invitation, so he had to go.

Madam Fang killed an old hen and made a pot of soup for Xu Ming, with mushrooms from the mountains, which tasted very delicious.

Madam Fang also picked a few fresh eggs from the chicken coop, first frying them into sunny-side-up eggs with lard, and then stir-frying the eggs with chili peppers, which was very appetizing.

Finally, with the addition of garland chrysanthemum and a plate of braised pork, the dinner was very sumptuous.

After dinner, Fang Ling played chess with Xu Ming, chatting while playing:

"Xu Ming, the affairs of powerful clans and aristocratic families are the most difficult to deal with. As you know, our Wu Kingdom was established by military force. At that time, the territory of the Wu Kingdom had more than a dozen forces.

The voting and standing in line of the aristocratic families are particularly important.

Whenever a force comes to rely on you, don't you have to give them benefits?

And this has created the prototype for the aristocratic families to become too powerful to control.

Fortunately, we learned the imperial examination system of the Qi Kingdom, so that disciples from poor families and even ordinary people have a certain chance. In addition, with a series of reforms by the previous emperors, the influence of the aristocratic families has been reduced to the greatest extent.

However, in many places, especially in this kind of remote small city, the influence of the aristocratic families is still extremely outrageous. On the one hand, the imperial court doesn't care much about those remote places.

On the other hand, these small cities are weak, and the nearby sects have been entrenched for hundreds or thousands of years. Therefore, once a disciple of a certain family becomes a disciple of the sect, the family will quickly expand its influence with the help of the sect.

And those sects also acquiesce or even encourage this behavior, because those sects can take the opportunity to extract benefits.

Now, the four powerful clans in Baihe County are supported by the four nearby sects respectively.

Doesn't the imperial court want to control it?

The problem is how to control it?

The connections of various places are intertwined, and there are sects to support them, just like this Baihe County.

The county magistrate is local, the clerks are local, and the constables are also local.

Don't these people accept benefits?

If there is a more black-hearted county magistrate, won't the county magistrate accept benefits?

At that time, the county magistrate and these benefits will become a mess, and the entire county will be even more smoggy.

In my opinion, the aristocratic families of the Wu Kingdom are more troublesome than the feudal princes.

The feudal princes are like tigers, while the aristocratic families in various places are like termites.

Tigers must be killed, and termites must be eliminated, otherwise, if this continues, the foundation of the Wu Kingdom may be hollowed out.

So it is very difficult for Xu Pangda to solve those cases. I'm afraid you won't even be able to find evidence."

Xu Ming took a sip of wine: "This junior also thinks so, so, this junior is thinking, simply don't go to find evidence."

"Hmm?" Fang Ling looked at Xu Ming.

Xu Ming didn't hide anything: "Since Yu Tanhua has concerns, we can't report this kind of thing, making it too public, but it will take forever to handle these cases well.

Before leaving Wudu, Your Majesty once gave me a jade pendant."

Xu Ming took out the jade pendant and placed it on the table. A sword was engraved on the jade pendant, with a dragon wrapped around the sword:

"Your Majesty once said that this jade pendant has two functions, one is to mobilize the army in the prefecture, and the other is to have the power to kill first and report later for officials below the fifth rank, and even ordinary people.

There is no need to mobilize the army in the prefecture, the imperial court is hard to say.

But killing first and reporting later should not be a problem."

Fang Ling looked at Xu Ming seriously: "Xu Ming, have you thought about it clearly!"

Fang Ling knew what Xu Ming wanted to do.

Since there is no evidence, then Xu Ming doesn't need evidence.

First kill these four powerful clans, then the power of these four powerful clans will naturally be in chaos, and others will be afraid, and the resistance will be smaller. Finally, Xu Pangda will take over, and basically the matter can be investigated.

But… …

Fang Ling persuaded: "Xu Ming, you are just an English Soul Realm martial artist, and an English Soul Realm martial artist is not enough to walk unhindered in Baihe County.

Secondly, even if you finally find evidence that the four powerful clans deserve to die, so what?

There will still be people in the imperial court who will criticize you.

You are indeed deeply favored by His Majesty, but the more you are favored by His Majesty, the more dangerous you are, and many people can't wait for you to die.

You don't want to be a consort, don't others want to be?

Furthermore, you may offend four sects!

The four powerful clans in Baihe County are the spokespersons of the four sects in Baihe County. When people do things, they will definitely clear their disciples.

Even if you clean up these four powerful clans, you probably won't be able to find evidence of these four people's capital crimes.

And according to our Wu Kingdom law.

You killed them.

In order to save face, they won't care whether you are the champion of the Wu Kingdom or not, and they all have the right to let cultivators of the same realm take revenge on you."

Listening to Old Mr. Fang's words, Xu Ming smiled: "This junior naturally knows. Since that's the case, then let them come. It just so happens that this junior is looking for someone to practice with."

"You… Alas. " Fang Ling shook his head, "Actually, I should have known long ago that you are not the kind of stable person, otherwise, you would not have entered the Blood Floating Pagoda in the first place, let alone resigned from the marriage. When you can't hold on anymore, hurry back to Wudu. If you honestly become a consort, it is estimated that no one will dare to move you."

Xu Ming dropped a piece: "We'll talk about it then."

After playing a few games of chess with Old Master Fang, Xu Ming said goodbye and left.

Walking on the streets of Baihe County, the lights of every household had been extinguished, leaving only the silent night and the bright moonlight.

As he walked, Xu Ming suddenly felt something was wrong, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Xu Ming continued to walk forward.

And just as Xu Ming walked past a street corner, Xu Ming stopped.

Looking down, it was a glowing array. The array was blood red, as if it was painted with blood.

Immediately afterwards, the array gradually spread, as if rainwater had washed away red ink, leaving a pool of blood red.

In the blood red, one red ghost hand after another grabbed at Xu Ming's feet.

"Heh."

Xu Ming sneered and stomped down hard.

The martial artist's blood energy shook away, and the floor tiles within two meters of Xu Ming shattered and collapsed.

When the smoke cleared, a man appeared in front of Xu Ming.

The man looked very feminine, without any masculinity, as if he had practiced the Evil-Slaying Sword Technique.

Looking at this man, Xu Ming smiled: "Let me guess, you want my life?"

"That's right." Li Hui waved his hand, and several ghost talismans were scattered in the air. One ghost after another drilled out of the ghost talismans and pounced on Xu Ming.

At the same time, on the eaves of a house, a black-skirted girl tapped her jade feet, propped her chin, and looked at the street with a smile:

"This consort is quite good-looking, but it's a pity that he's going to die tonight."