Generous system rewards

At the county magistrate's mansion, the heads of the Wang and Yang families were toasting with the magistrate, enjoying their conversation and the fruits of their conspiracy.

After several rounds of drinks and food, the magistrate waved his hand, dismissing the servants. The three exchanged satisfied smiles, each lifting their cups for another toast.

The head of the Wang family grinned, "By now, our forces should have launched the attack on the Ye family."

Hearing this, the head of the Yang family tilted his head, listening briefly to the faint sounds of battle, before chuckling confidently.

The county magistrate, lifting his cup, smiled faintly. "In that case, I must congratulate you both. From today onward, Fengling County will only have two major families."

The Wang and Yang family heads exchanged greedy glances, their eyes filled with desire for the wealth and assets of the Ye family.

"Congratulations to us all, indeed! Magistrate, rest assured that the tribute we promised you every year will not be neglected. We also congratulate you on ridding yourself of this thorn in your side!"

The magistrate's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Ye Daocang had been a persistent obstacle, constantly opposing his policies, especially when it came to increasing taxes on the common folk. This had earned Ye Daocang the people's favor, while the magistrate found himself increasingly isolated.

For years, the magistrate had harbored resentment toward Ye Daocang, though he dared not act openly due to Ye's fearsome strength, being the most powerful figure in Fengling County. But with Lin Cheng's assurance and the promise of wealth from the two families, he had finally agreed to conspire against the Ye family.

After all, the Ye family was influential, with the people's support, and even though Ye Daocang was gone, it would take a united effort from all three factions to bring them down.

The magistrate's expression darkened as a sudden thought crossed his mind. "What if Ye Daocang didn't die? What if Lin Cheng deceived us?"

The heads of the Wang and Yang families exchanged another look before laughing dismissively.

The head of the Wang family clasped his hands. "Magistrate, there's no need to worry. We didn't take Lin Cheng's word at face value. Before launching the attack, both of us had our fathers visit the Ye family."

"My father reported sensing a powerful aura rising from the Ye family's back mountain, seemingly on the verge of breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm. But for some reason, that aura suddenly dissipated and vanished."

"This can only mean one thing: Ye Daocang failed. Lin Cheng must have succeeded in his scheme."

Hearing this explanation, the magistrate finally relaxed.

"In that case, the division of the Ye family's wealth is all but assured!"

The magistrate grinned in satisfaction, raising his cup once more. Just as the three prepared to drink, the doors burst open, and a guard rushed in.

"Magistrate, something terrible has happened!"

The magistrate's face darkened, and he barked, "How dare you barge in like this? Can't you see I'm entertaining guests?"

The guard, ignoring protocol in his panic, continued breathlessly, "Magistrate, urgent news! Ye Daocang has returned! The Ye family sealed off their estate, and shortly after, we received word that all three of our forces were wiped out by the demonic cultivator. In the end, Ye Daocang, gravely injured, managed to kill the demonic cultivator!"

"What!"

The three men stood up in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"What about Lin Cheng? Didn't he assure us that Ye Daocang couldn't possibly survive?" the magistrate asked urgently.

"It is said that Lin Cheng was the demonic cultivator!" the guard quickly revealed everything he knew.

"It's over... it's all over... Ye Daocang has returned, and he's broken through to the Grandmaster Realm. We're doomed!"

The magistrate's face turned deathly pale, and he muttered in despair.

Ye Daocang had already been terrifying as a peak Innate Realm master, the undisputed strongest in Fengling County. Now that he had ascended to the Grandmaster Realm, his power was unimaginable.

Moreover, the three men had known Ye Daocang for over twenty years and were well aware of his unforgiving nature.

A heavy silence fell over the room.

The magistrate looked to the two family heads. "Gentlemen, we're all in this together now. Do you have any ideas?"

The Wang and Yang family heads shared a somber look before the head of the Wang family finally spoke up. "No need to panic. Even if Ye Daocang has broken through, it doesn't mean he has the guts to act against us!"

The head of the Yang family stood up as well. "Exactly! My son, Yang Feng, is now training at the Purple Forest Sect as an inner disciple under one of their elders. With the sect's protection, Ye Daocang may be strong, but he wouldn't dare cross us!"

"Precisely," the Wang family head added. "And Magistrate, you have the backing of the Great Qian Dynasty, not to mention your familial ties with Commander Lei Nuo of the regional garrison. If Ye Daocang knows what's good for him, he won't act rashly."

"Both of our families also have two ancestors at the peak of the Innate Realm, and with you, Magistrate, that makes five peak Innate experts. Together with our other Innate masters, even if we can't win outright, we can hold him off for a while."

Hearing their reasoning, the magistrate calmed down, taking a deep breath.

"Very well. Since you two are so confident, I'll contribute as well. I have two Godslayer Crossbows stored in my treasury. If Ye Daocang dares to attack, we'll give him a nasty surprise!"

Gasp!

Hearing this, the two family heads couldn't help but gasp.

The Godslayer Crossbows were military-grade weapons, forbidden from private ownership by the Great Qian Dynasty. They were powerful enough to destroy city gates in an instant, and even a Grandmaster would struggle to survive a direct hit.

With that, their confidence grew.

The three men made a pact to send reinforcements to one another at the first sign of movement from the Ye family.

Despite their newfound confidence, they remained wary of Ye Daocang's temperament, knowing that he wouldn't let this grudge go easily.

Meanwhile, back in the system space, Ye Daocang was in the midst of claiming his rewards.

Ding~! Congratulations, host, for completing the task and foiling Lin Cheng's conspiracy with the three families. Rewards: cultivation increased to the third level of the Grandmaster Realm, one Spirit-Attracting Jade Pendant, ten Qi Condensing Pills, five acres of lower-grade spiritual farmland, five Yellow-level martial techniques!

Ding~! First-time completion bonus triggered: cultivation increased to the fifth level of the Grandmaster Realm, one Patriarch's Jade Pendant, 1,000 Qi Condensing Pills, 100 acres of lower-grade spiritual farmland, 50 Profound-level martial techniques, Devouring Heaven Technique cultivated to 3%, Azure Lotus Sword Art cultivated to 10%!

Patriarch's Jade Pendant (Pseudo-First Grade): Symbol of the family head. Increases spiritual energy in the family estate by 10%, enhances the probability of spiritual farmland's growth by 1%, increases the library's refresh rate by 1%, and gives a slight chance of improving the talent of family descendants.

Qi Condensing Pills: Perfect-grade elixirs that aid martial artists below the Grandmaster Realm in their cultivation. No impurities, no side effects.

Lower-grade spiritual farmland: Suitable for growing spiritual rice and herbs, with a one-in-ten-thousand chance of evolving the crops.

Ye Daocang smiled as he reviewed the rewards.

Before he could act, an immense wave of spiritual energy poured into him, instantly propelling his cultivation forward. His foundation at the first level of the Grandmaster Realm solidified, breaking through to the second, and then quickly to the fifth.

Feeling the surge of power coursing through him, Ye Daocang's smile deepened, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.

"It's time to make my move."

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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