Chapter Twenty-Four: Visitors from the County Office

Su Ye watched as the grandly adorned Heifeng Temple crumbled into ashes before him. Afterward, he lingered no longer on Heifeng Mountain; descending swiftly to its base, he mounted his fast horse and sped toward the county town of Jinhua. This time, he had acquired twenty spirit stones from Heifeng Temple, as well as a cultivation cushion of considerable grade. Upon his return to Jinhua, he intended to use these treasures to elevate his cultivation to the First Realm.

A cultivator of the First Realm possessed more than twice the amount of magical power in the dantian compared to a Second Realm cultivator, and this power became yet more refined and formidable. Su Ye encountered no obstacles on the road from Heifeng Mountain to Jinhua, and returned safely to the county town.

His absence from Jinhua had not been lengthy. Though those with influence in the county coveted the property of the Su family, Su Ye had already made his presence felt throughout the household. The Su family members were well aware of his methods, and so the powerful figures in town restrained themselves, resisting the temptation to betray the Su clan.

For now, these individuals chose a conciliatory approach, refraining from harsher tactics. Yet, if time passed without profit from the Su family, they would surely resort to other means. Such matters Su Ye did not investigate closely; he merely instructed the family stewards to act freely, and if force was used against them, they need not be polite—simply strike back.

Su Ye enjoyed a measure of confidence in Jinhua. His cultivation was on the verge of reaching the First Realm, and he had the company of Little Li, a First Realm spirit beast. Unless confronted by cultivators or monsters of higher rank, he had little to fear.

Within the county, however, cultivators and monsters of higher grade were scarce; only the City God at the temple, and the band of ghosts occupying Lanyue Temple, stood out. These two forces kept each other in check, leaving them little energy to interfere elsewhere.

After making brief arrangements upon his return home, Su Ye had Little Li guard him while he secluded himself, harnessing the power of the twenty spirit stones to advance to the First Realm. In his previous life, he had reached the Ninth Grade; now, he needed only to amass sufficient magical power to reclaim his former status.

The energy contained in these twenty spirit stones was exceedingly rich. With the aid of the cultivation cushion, half a month's closed-door training brought Su Ye successfully to the First Realm.

"Only one more step and I will return to the realm of my previous life!" A smile appeared on Su Ye's face. As he quietly sensed the changes within himself, his smile deepened.

"Su Ye, you’ve finally come out. The steward of the Su family seems to have urgent business—he’s been trying to see you for days, but I sent him away each time," Little Li said as soon as Su Ye emerged from his room.

"We’ll go find him at once!" Su Ye bent down and lifted Little Li from the ground, striding out of the courtyard.

The steward was waiting outside for Zhao Bai; upon seeing Su Ye, he hurried forward with a troubled expression. "Oh, young master, you’re finally out!"

This steward was a thin, middle-aged man named Zhou Quan, the son of the former Lin family steward. When Su Ren seized power, the Zhou family, still grateful to the Lin family, incurred Su Ren’s displeasure and was cast out. After Su Ye took charge, he searched through his predecessor’s memories and summoned the Zhou family back.

However, Old Steward Zhou was too aged to manage the vast Su estate, so Su Ye appointed his son Zhou Quan as steward, with Zhou Senior assisting. The pair proved quite capable, and since Su Ye entrusted them with the household, no trouble had arisen—this was the first time he had sought a meeting in such urgency.

"Uncle Zhou, what has happened to make you so anxious to see me?" Su Ye smiled and led Zhou Quan into his courtyard.

"It’s the county magistrate. Someone accused you of murdering Su Ren and others. He’s already sent officers to the Su house twice, but our guards turned them away. Now, this is the third visit!" Zhou Quan's face was full of worry as he spoke in a low voice. "This time, besides the county officers, there’s a Daoist priest surnamed Xu."

Zhou Quan knew Su Ye was no longer an ordinary person, but the presence of a Daoist priest made him nervous, fearing Su Ye might not be his match.

"The Magistrate of Jinhua County!" A cold smile crossed Su Ye’s face. He knew little of the county magistrate, but even that limited knowledge told him the man was no good. The suffering of the people in Jinhua was, in large part, due to this magistrate.

"Uncle Zhou, don’t worry. I’ll go meet the officials myself." Su Ye stroked Little Li’s soft fur and strode outside.

Though Zhou Quan remained uneasy, he hurried ahead to lead Su Ye to meet the officials. He had arranged for them to wait in the Su family's reception courtyard. The county officers, accustomed to wielding power in Jinhua, showed little restraint even in the Su household.

"Daoist Xu, this time you must teach that brat from the Su family a lesson. Who does he think he is, acting so high and mighty!"

"This time we must drag him into the county jail and let him taste our methods!"

…

As Su Ye approached the reception courtyard, he overheard the officers discussing his fate.

"Young master!" Zhou Quan’s face was thick with worry; he knew these men came with ill intent.

"I’m rather interested to see your methods," Su Ye said, kicking open the courtyard door. Holding Little Li, he strode inside and seated himself boldly in the main chair.

Su Ye was only fifteen, his body underdeveloped from years of hardship before he took possession of it. Afterward, his physique grew rapidly, yet he remained a slender youth of fifteen or sixteen, with striking features. In the eyes of the officers, he lacked any real intimidation.

"Ha! So this is the second young master of the Su family—looks better than the boys in the pleasure houses!"

"If you end up in jail, I’m sure the wardens will be delighted!"

The officers weren’t the least bit afraid of Su Ye; instead, they ridiculed him for his appearance.

Su Ye’s smile remained, but his gaze turned icy. Fixing his eyes on one particularly boisterous officer, he extended his palm. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered into a spectral hand, which seized the officer by the throat.