Chapter 29: Pei Jing
Chapter 29: Pei Jing
In the main hall of the Gu family, Gu Qingfeng sat in the head seat, with Gu Yang and Meng Peng standing beside him.
"Father, the raid on the Chu family has yielded a total of 200,000 taels of silver, along with various herbs, antiques, and paintings. If we estimate their market value, they are worth roughly 150,000 to 200,000 taels of silver.
Additionally, we found six low-tier martial arts and one mid-tier martial art!"
"Furthermore, the Chu family owned several businesses, including three taverns, five apothecaries, two brothels, and two gambling dens!"
Holding a ledger, Gu Yang reported the Chu family's assets in detail. As one of the old-established powers in Bai Shi Dao, the Chu family had amassed considerable wealth.
Gu Qingfeng nodded slightly, "Assign people to take over all these businesses. The Chu family sought to seize our family's assets, so it's only fair that we take theirs now."
"Also—"
"Have the Iron Bone Gang's assets been accounted for?"
Gu Yang nodded in response.
"The Iron Bone Gang's assets have been tallied. They currently have around 530,000 taels of silver and 3,000 taels of gold.
The remaining antiques and paintings, if converted to silver, are worth approximately 300,000 taels."
"In terms of businesses, they own sixteen taverns and inns, eight brothels, six gambling dens, and twenty-three other miscellaneous establishments."
"Regarding martial arts, we found sixteen low-tier martial arts and two mid-tier martial arts within the Iron Bone Gang."
Compared to the Chu family, the Iron Bone Gang's assets were undoubtedly much more substantial. This was to be expected, given that the Iron Bone Gang was a dominant force in Bai Shi Dao.
However, even with the prior expectation, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but draw a sharp breath when he heard the true extent of the Iron Bone Gang's wealth. If all their assets were converted to silver, the Iron Bone Gang's value would exceed a million taels of silver.
But what truly caught Gu Qingfeng's attention was the gold.
Yes—gold.
In this world, gold was a truly scarce resource, unmatched by any ordinary commodity.
While the Taixuan Dynasty officially set the gold-to-silver ratio at one to one hundred, meaning one tael of gold was equivalent to a hundred taels of silver, the reality was different.
Gold was in short supply and highly regulated by the government, with very little circulating in the civilian market. This scarcity made gold extremely valuable.
Others might not understand why gold was so precious, but Gu Qingfeng, with his Spirit Communication Treasure, knew that gold had a natural ability to suppress evil spirits.
In a sense, gold was essential for sealing evil spirits.
Thus, the government strictly controlled the distribution of gold.
As for the existence of evil spirits, to be honest, Gu Qingfeng had never heard of them despite his years in Bai Shi Dao. The incident in Lining County seemed like a dream.
However, Gu Qingfeng knew the truth.
The events in Lining County were not a dream. This world had both evil spirits and sorcerers, but their existence was kept hidden from the general public.
"Bring all the gold to me. Assign people to take over the businesses of both factions. Anyone who dares to obstruct us will be killed."
Gu Qingfeng's expression was cold and indifferent.
"Also, inform all the factions in Bai Shi Dao that they have three days to send their leaders to the Gu family to meet me. Those who fail to attend will face the consequences!"
"I understand, Father!"
Gu Yang's expression was slightly excited.
He understood that their family, the Gu clan, would no longer be able to maintain a low profile.
The events outside had already reached Gu Yang’s ears. Gu Qingfeng had single-handedly defeated Chu Tianxiong and dispatched Luo Yu in just two moves. He was now revered as the strongest of the White Stone Path.
With such a powerful father, the Gu clan no longer needed to remain in the shadows.
In truth, Gu Yang had long desired to revitalize the Gu clan. It was only because of Gu Qingfeng’s preference for a low-profile life that he had suppressed his inner ambitions. Now, with Gu Qingfeng’s actions, the Gu clan was destined to become the dominant force on the White Stone Path.
As Gu Yang was about to leave, Meng Peng whispered, “Lord, according to Luo Yu’s dying words, the Iron Bone Gang seems to have connections with the Divine Martial King. This is no small matter. If what he said is true, we may have already offended the Divine Martial King.”
“Tell me what you know about this Divine Martial King,” Gu Qingfeng’s expression remained unchanged.
Meng Peng replied, “The Divine Martial King’s name is Pei Jing. The Pei family is one of the top noble families in Nanyang Prefecture, and the Prefect of Nanyang is a hereditary position held by the Pei family. It is said that Pei Jing was born with incredible strength and later became a true disciple of the Heavenly Sun Sword Sect.
Fifteen years ago, the emperor fell gravely ill, and the court was in chaos. At the same time, a great disaster struck Nanyang Prefecture. Pei Jing seized the opportunity and, within a few short years, brought the entire prefecture under his control.
Under his leadership, the army then conquered Chijiang Prefecture within a decade, amassing a force of over a million soldiers. He proclaimed himself the Divine Martial King.”
“Now, Pei Jing’s Divine Martial Army is attacking Danyang Prefecture. Given Danyang’s strength, it might not be able to resist the Divine Martial Army. Once Danyang falls, Taishan Prefecture will likely become Pei Jing’s next target.”
Meng Peng’s words caused a flicker of concern in Gu Qingfeng’s eyes.
Over a decade ago, the emperor of the Tai Xuan Dynasty had fallen ill, and natural disasters had ravaged the land, leading to widespread rebellion. Gu Qingfeng had heard of these events, but he had not delved into the specifics of the various rebel forces.
Now, hearing Meng Peng’s account, he realized the significance of the Divine Martial King. In just over a decade, Pei Jing had gained control of three prefectures and commanded an army of a million soldiers. His power was indeed formidable.
Gu Qingfeng said calmly, “We don’t need to worry about the Divine Martial King for now. We are in Taishan Prefecture, not Nanyang. Besides, even if the Divine Martial King does conquer Taishan, it’s uncertain whether he can reach the White Stone Path.
Moreover, a small gang like the Iron Bone Gang is unlikely to be of much concern to Pei Jing. Instead of worrying about these issues, we should focus on consolidating the forces of the White Stone Path and strengthening the Gu clan’s foundation.”
The incident with the Iron Bone Gang had made Gu Qingfeng realize a crucial truth. To survive in this chaotic world, one must possess overwhelming power. If he had an army of a million soldiers, he wouldn’t fear a mere Divine Martial King like Pei Jing.
Therefore, his current goal was to consolidate the martial forces of the White Stone Path and enhance the Gu clan’s strength. With sufficient power, even if the Divine Martial King did conquer Taishan Prefecture, the Gu clan would have the resources to negotiate with him. If the Gu clan remained weak, they wouldn’t even have the right to stand before the Divine Martial King.
Furthermore, there were the malevolent spirits and sorcerers to consider. Despite their apparent disappearance in recent years, Gu Qingfeng knew the situation was far from simple. Whether it was to confront the Divine Martial King or to survive in this chaotic world, strength was an essential asset.
(End of Chapter)
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