NOVEL NEXT Chapter 185: Turning Conflict into Harmony
Chapter 185: Turning Conflict into Harmony
Xu Lian left the residence on New Street with Lin Bufeng, heading to find the newly appointed Green Bamboo Town Quarry Patrol Inspector.
He didn’t know where the new Quarry Patrol Inspector lived, so he went directly to the Fang family. Since the Fang family had connections with the new Quarry Patrol Inspector, they should be able to help him make contact.
When they arrived at the entrance of the Fang family compound, the gatekeeper rudely stopped Xu Lian and refused to let him in.
Xu Lian decided not to push his way in. Instead, he asked the gatekeeper to inform the head of the Fang family and Fang Shaoze to come out and meet him.
The gatekeeper had initially intended to give Xu Lian a hard time, but when he saw Xu Lian casually touch the stone lion’s head, causing it to crack… the gatekeeper’s expression changed, and he hurried inside to deliver the message.
Soon, the head of the Fang family and Fang Shaoze came out.
As expected, Fang Shaoze’s expression was icy when he saw Xu Lian. “Xu Lian, how dare you come to my house!”
The head of the Fang family spoke indifferently, “What a rare guest. Have you finally come to apologize to our Fang family?”
“…” Xu Lian didn’t know what to say. As one of the three major households in Green Bamboo Town, the Fang family had a narrow perspective limited to the town. They had no idea what his position as the First Street Manager of Pingyang County meant, nor did they understand his true strength.
Xu Lian said, “The Pei family’s daughter and the Fang family’s son originally had a marriage agreement, but it has been dissolved. Zhaoxi and I are deeply in love, and it’s only natural for us to be together. I have nothing to apologize for.
Besides, this is the way the world works. You control one third of Green Bamboo Town’s land, exploiting tenant farmers who toil day and night without enough to eat. Any woman in their families who is even slightly attractive is taken into your household as a maid or servant. Have you ever apologized to these tenant farmers? Why can’t you handle a little hardship yourselves?”
The head of the Fang family sneered, “So in your eyes, we are no different from those lowly tenant farmers?”
Xu Lian replied, “I’m just making a comparison. In this world, the strong rule. If you don’t know what it means to fear, you’re not far from disaster.”
The head of the Fang family sneered, “Since you already consider yourself a strong man, why did you bother to come here? You could just confront us directly and see who comes out on top!”
Xu Lian said, “I’m not here because I’m afraid of you. I’m different from you. I don’t bully the weak. I prefer to reason first and only use force when reason fails.
The former quarry patrol inspector of Green Bamboo Town has been promoted to Town Guard Commander of Pingyang County. I am now the First Street Manager of Pingyang County. This news has already spread throughout Green Bamboo Town. You must have heard about it, right?”
Fang Shaoze snorted, “So what? A county official is no match for a local official! Before, you had connections with the former Quarry Patrol Inspector, so we couldn’t do anything to you. Now, we have connections with the new Quarry Patrol Inspector, and Green Bamboo Town is under our control!”
Xu Lian smiled.
There’s a difference between Quarry Patrol Inspectors…
The former White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector held a Purple-level status, making her the highest-ranking figure in all of Pingyang County.
However, the current Quarry Patrol Inspector probably didn’t have such a high status. It was unlikely that every Quarry Patrol Inspector in Green Bamboo Town was a hidden powerhouse.
Xu Lian said, “Bring the new Quarry Patrol Inspector here. I’d like to see who really controls Green Bamboo Town.”
The head of the Fang family scolded, “The Quarry Patrol Inspector is a person of great status. Do you think you can summon him at will?”
“…” Xu Lian felt like he was talking to a brick wall. They were on completely different wavelengths.
He flicked his finger, and a burst of energy shot out, causing a large tree to explode with a loud “boom”, collapsing to the ground.
The head of the Fang family and Fang Shaoze were both stunned.
What kind of power was that?
It was beyond their comprehension.
“That was just a casual flick of my finger, and it destroyed a tree,” Xu Lian said, raising his hand and clenching it into a fist. “If I were to punch with seventeen years of cultivation, do you think you could withstand it?”
Only seventeen years of cultivation, and it was this terrifying?
Moreover, it was impossible to have seventeen years of cultivation unless one had started training in the womb.
Both the father and son of the Fang family turned pale as they finally realized the gravity of the situation. If they angered Xu Lian and he decided to go on a rampage, who could stop him?
Xu Lian had no interest in wasting any more time here. “Can you call the new Quarry Patrol Inspector now?”
The head of the Fang family quickly said, “There is no need to call the Quarry Patrol Inspector. Let’s let the past be the past. We won’t pursue this matter any further. I wish you and Miss Pei a happy life together.
How spineless… Xu Lian thought. “I still want to meet the new Quarry Patrol inspector.”
In truth, he was curious. The Fang family’s narrow perspective was understandable, but surely the new Quarry Patrol Inspector knew better?
So, he wanted to meet the new Quarry Patrol Inspector and see what kind of person they were.
The head of the Fang family had no choice but to personally invite the new Quarry Patrol Inspector.
Only Fang Shaoze remained, glaring at Xu Lian while Lin Bufeng stood silently on the side.
Fang Shaoze’s face was pale, but he seemed determined not to show any weakness. “Don’t think that I’m afraid of you just because you’re strong. Once I master martial arts, I’ll be strong too!”
How childish… Xu Lian found it amusing. “If I were a ruthless enemy, why would I give you the time to master martial arts? I’d kill you right now. How would you handle that?”
Fang Shaoze was stunned, lost in thought for a moment.
Xu Lian reached out and patted the young man’s shoulder. “Listen to me. Zhaoxi’s personality doesn’t suit you. Don’t dwell on the past. It’s meaningless and will only bring you more pain.
You should focus on how to develop the Fang family in Green Bamboo Town. Only when you’re strong enough can you control your own destiny.”
Fang Shaoze reluctantly said, “Why is Zhaoxi suitable for you but not for me?”
Xu Lian replied, “Think about how Zhaoxi treated you before. With her spoiled and willful personality, she was always the dominant one, while you were always in a weaker position. As the saying goes in the city, you were like a ‘simp’, and you could never win her true affection. She would only see you as someone she could summon or dismiss at will.
I’m different. I don’t indulge her. She has to accommodate me first before I can treat her well. It’s an equal relationship. Do you understand?”
Fang Shaoze looked despondent, his eyes dimming. “I’m the eldest son of one of the three major households in Green Bamboo Town. I have money and grain. You’re just a commoner from a poor family. My starting point was much higher than yours. Why did I lose to you?
Because I cheated… Xu Lian thought to himself. He had achieved his current status largely due to his “cheats”, but he couldn’t say that out loud. No one would understand.
“It’s all about opportunity and effort,” Xu Lian said to encourage the young man.
In truth, he sometimes wondered what his life would have been like without his “cheats”.
Maybe he would have been killed by Liang Yan…
Or perhaps he would have found a way to kill Liang Yan, curried favor with Han Du, and done his best to become the mine’s overseer, living a simple life with a wife and children… Whether he could have achieved that was another matter, of course.
“Opportunity and effort,” Fang Shaoze muttered to himself as if struck by a sudden realization. His eyes gradually brightened. “Thank you. I understand what I have to do now.”
What did he understand…? Xu Lian had only offered casual encouragement.
Fang Shaoze looked at Xu Lian. “May I call you Brother Xu?”
Xu Lian was confused, but said, “If you want, sure.”
Fang Shaoze’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. “Brother Xu, since we met because of Zhaoxi, you’re my opportunity! Can you take me to the county town? I want to become a cultivator!”
What a business-minded understanding… Xu Lian was slightly shocked. This young man wasn’t stupid. In fact, he was quite clever. Realizing that he had no chance with Pei Zhaoxi, he had turned Xu Lian into a potential connection?
Turning a former rival into a link was truly a talent…
Lin Bufeng was also stunned. The young master from a wealthy family was indeed more resourceful than a poor boy like him. How could he think of such a thing?
Xu Lian did not agree or disagree, but pondered the matter.
Seemingly understanding Xu Lian’s concern, Fang Shaoze said, “Brother Xu, don’t worry. I’ll keep my distance from Zhaoxi from now on to avoid gossip.”
Smart… Xu Lian gave Fang Shaoze a few more appraising looks. “Since you said that, all right.”
With Pei Zhaoxi’s affection for him at 93/100, it was unlikely that she would betray him. He could check her affection level at any time, and if it dropped, he would notice it immediately. There was no risk of being taken advantage of.
Lin Bufeng looked at Xu Lian with admiration. This was why Pu Ling, Yang Ye, and he were so loyal to Xu Lian. Besides the generous treatment Xu Lian provided, his charisma was also a significant factor. Lin Bufeng always felt that Xu Lian was different from others. While most people were scheming and petty, Xu Lian remained considerate of those around him even after he gained power.
The head of the Fang family returned, bringing with him the new Quarry Patrol Inspector.
The new Quarry Patrol Inspector was an owl, clearly an Earth Flesh avatar.
The owl walked ahead, with the Fang family head following closely behind like a servant.
Xu Lian didn’t beat around the bush. After a slight bow, he got straight to the point. “Xu Lian, First Street Manager of Pingyang County, greets the new quarry patrol inspector of Green Bamboo Town. I’ve heard that you’re unhappy with Pu Ling, the mine inspector I promoted, and want to replace him. May I ask what he has done wrong?”
The owl looked at Xu Lian. “He hasn’t done anything wrong. As the quarry patrol inspector of Green Bamboo Town, it’s within my authority to decide who serves as the mine overseer. Do you have any objections?”
When he heard the voice of a young girl, Xu Lian was momentarily surprised. He hadn’t expected the owner of this Owl Earth Flesh Avatar to be a woman. Of course, it could still be a man, but the likelihood that it was a woman was higher, as most men wouldn’t bother disguising their voices…
Xu Lian thought. If the new quarry patrol inspector really wanted to remove Pu Ling, she would have done so already. The fact that she hadn’t suggested that there was some ulterior motive.
Was she trying to extort something from him?
Did she need his help?
The first seemed unlikely. After all, the position of a mine supervisor was a mundane one, dealing with money and grain. For a cultivator, it wasn’t a particularly important position. Using such a trivial role to extort something from him didn’t make much sense.
After ruling out the first possibility, the second seemed more likely. Perhaps she needed his help and was using Pu Ling as a way to get his attention.
Of course, there was also the possibility that the Fang family had asked the new Quarry Patrol Inspector to remove Pu Ling, but the Inspector was wary of offending Xu Lian and hadn’t acted directly, waiting to see his reaction… This possibility also seemed unlikely, as the new Quarry Patrol Inspector wouldn’t risk offending Xu Lian because of the Fang family’s request.
Understanding these possibilities, Xu Lian said, “Pu Ling was originally under my command. I hope you can be accommodating.”
Seeing his polite attitude, the owl said, “Very well. I’ll give you face and let him continue as the mine’s overseer.”
Xu Lian bowed slightly. “Thank you, Mine Inspector. If you need anything in the future, I’ll do my best to help you.”
The owl said, “Actually, there is something I need your help with right now.”
“…” Xu Lian was speechless for a moment. He had only been being polite, but it seemed that she really did need his help.