……

A cultivator at the Spirit Platform realm, was actually infuriated to the point of coughing up blood.

Although it wasn’t unheard of, it was extremely rare.

Lei Yangqiu stared fixedly at Wang Shouzhe’s retreating figure, wanting to lose his temper at all costs, but he was too afraid to do so. Because that youngster had firmly grasped his Achilles’ heel.

Forget it, forget it, for now, he would have to tolerate Wang Shouzhe.

He was furious, but he couldn’t vent his anger on the Wang’s Clan, so he could only glare fiercely at the Liu and Zhao Clans.

And the Liu and Zhao Clans, likewise, had a great deal of resentment towards Lei Yangqiu. After all, two of their clansmen were essentially killed by him. What’s more, after forcing their clansmen to their deaths for his own protection, Lei Yangqiu ended up being humiliated to this extent, and even had to shamelessly beg the Wang’s Clan for mercy.

The scene was silent.

The members of the Wang’s Clan also looked at Wang Shouzhe with complex expressions. They couldn’t have predicted that today’s series of events would develop to this point.

The Liu Clan, the Zhao Clan, and Lei Yangqiu, the town defender of the Heavenly Human Clan, which one of them was easy to provoke? Yet they were all suppressed one by one by Wang Shouzhe’s counterattack.

Even the Ancestor couldn’t underestimate Wang Shouzhe anymore, he couldn’t help but ask, “Shouzhe, how should we deal with the situation next?”

As soon as these words came out, the Liu and Zhao Clans and Lei Yangqiu all looked at Wang Shouzhe, who knew if he had any more tricks up his sleeve?

One pitfall after another had already broken their legs.

“What can we do?” Wang Shouzhe said with a smile, “Of course, everyone should go home. Or does the Ancestor plan to invite them for dinner?” He was in a good mood and started to joke.

In fact, according to Wang Shouzhe’s character, he really wished he could keep the Liu and Zhao Clans, as well as Lei Yangqiu, here for good.

But in reality, this was absolutely impossible.

The Ancestor was very capable, but after all, he wasn’t the real ancestor of the Wang’s Clan. Wang Shouzhe was already very grateful that he could help the Wang’s Clan to this extent. If he asked him to fight with them, he wouldn’t be able to ask.

Moreover, Daqian had its own laws.

Wang Shouzhe’s head wasn’t so hard that he could brazenly defy the laws of Daqian. What happened behind closed doors was one thing, but what happened in public was another.

The reason he was able to suppress Lei Yangqiu today was because he had borrowed the power of Daqian’s laws.

Upon hearing this, the family generals of the Liu and Zhao Clans, for some reason, all breathed a sigh of relief. Retreat? Although they had lost soldiers and generals, and their faces were swept away, they still had to go home, didn’t they?

But before they could turn around and leave.

Wang Shouzhe frowned and called out, “Wait.”

The people of the Liu and Zhao Clans couldn’t help but shudder. Could it be that another pitfall was about to fall? Every time Wang Shouzhe said “wait” or “hold on”, nothing good would happen.

“First, although Zhao Jinda and Liu Shengze are dead, compensation for the survivors is inevitable.” Wang Shouzhe said seriously.

Lei Yangqiu’s eyes lit up immediately, feeling that he had a chance to show off. He stepped forward and said, “Clan Leader Wang is absolutely right. I, as the town defender, will supervise this matter. The total compensation will be five hundred… no, one thousand Top Gold.”

Lei Yangqiu was under great pressure. Given his current situation, if Wang Shouzhe was really determined to deal with him, he would probably not die but lose half of his skin, and his family would not let him off easily.

Perhaps afterwards, the Lei Clan would retaliate against Wang Shouzhe, but in the end, it would have nothing to do with him, Lei Yangqiu. By then, he would have been left out in the cold.

Upon hearing the compensation of one thousand Top Gold, the faces of the clan leaders of the Liu and Zhao Clans turned black. This was equivalent to their clans working for nothing for a year. But they didn’t think about it themselves, how many families had they wiped out?

Wang Shouzhe didn’t comment on this, and continued, “The Liu and Zhao Clans caused a ruckus this time, smashing many bluestone bricks on our square…”

“Clan Leader Wang is absolutely right.” Lei Yangqiu started to flatter him again, “I see that at least hundreds of bluestone bricks have been smashed. Let’s calculate it at five hundred, each one is worth one Top Gold, that’s five hundred Top Gold. I’ll take responsibility for this debt, pay up, pay up now.”

Five hundred Top Gold!

The Liu and Zhao Clans were almost going crazy. Lei Yangqiu, you want to please the Wang’s Clan and keep your position as town defender, but you don’t have to use them like this, do you? One Top Gold for a bluestone brick, why don’t you just rob?

Even Wang Shouzhe felt that Lei Yangqiu was a bit too extortionate.

“What kind of look is that?” Lei Yangqiu said seriously, “These bluestone bricks are the wealth left by the old ancestor of the Wang’s Clan, Zhou Xuan, more than a hundred years ago. They are historical relics. They have witnessed the transformation of our Ping’an Town from a barbaric land to its current prosperity. Such items with historical depth, one Top Gold for a bluestone brick, I think they got off cheap.”

“Uh…”

Wang Shouzhe was stunned by his words. This huge square, there must be at least hundreds of thousands of bluestone bricks, right? One Top Gold for one, this bluestone square would be the most valuable asset of the Wang’s Clan.

Alright, for the sake of money, Wang Shouzhe decided to let Lei Yangqiu off the hook for now.

After all, watching him gradually break away from the Liu and Zhao Clans was quite interesting. As for the follow-up, it would depend on his performance.

Although Lei Yangqiu had already lost his face, he was still the town defender of Ping’an Town. Under his “coercion”, the Liu and Zhao Clans had no choice but to come up with five hundred Top Gold first and compensate Wang Shouzhe.

“Clan Leader Wang, about my matter…” Lei Yangqiu handed over the compensation money and said cautiously.

Wang Shouzhe thought for a moment, then solemnly bowed his hand and said, “The arrangement and compensation for the families of the deceased can be considered as a consolation to their spirits in heaven. I’ll have to trouble Town Defender Lei with this. If this matter is handled well, it may not be without merit.”He flipped through the files of those cases. Although they were referred to as family annihilation tragedies, only adult males were killed, leaving behind a group of women and children. It wasn’t because the murderer was kind-hearted, but rather, they deliberately left behind a group of pitiful widows and orphans, serving as a warning to others.

Lei Yangqiu was taken aback, and he began to truly admire Wang Shouzhe. From his demeanor, it seemed that he genuinely cared about those women and children.

Regardless of whether his concern was genuine or feigned, even if it was feigned, his constant performance made it seem real in the eyes of others.

As long as Wang Shouzhe didn’t fall midway, the Wang’s Clan was likely to rise under his leadership.

Immediately, Lei Yangqiu solemnly said, “Since Clan Leader Wang has entrusted me with this task, I will do my utmost to comfort those surviving women and children.”

He paused for a moment, then whispered, “Clan Leader Wang, you need to be careful of Zhao Bojun and Liu Zhide. Those two old foxes are very cunning. They wouldn’t dare to act openly, but who knows what they might do behind the scenes.”

Subconsciously, Lei Yangqiu was trying to curry favor.

“Huh?” Wang Shouzhe squinted his eyes and smiled, “Town Guard, after the way I treated you today, you don’t hold a grudge against me? Or are you pretending to let your guard down, ready to retaliate at any time?”

At this point, Wang Shouzhe had noticed a pattern.

Among these high-ranking families, some of the cultivators seemed to lack magnanimity.

Take the Liu’s Clan and Zhao’s Clan for example, although those two ancestors were opposed to the Wang’s Clan, and Wang Shouzhe wished he could kill them immediately, he had to admit that those two ancestors still had the demeanor of important pillars of their families.

The steward of the Bai Island Guard, Zhong Xingwang, and this Lei Yangqiu, seemed to lack the tenacity and pride of the ancestors.

Upon further thought, this was quite normal.

The cultivators of the small families were the foundation of the family, bearing the survival of the entire clan, and could not afford to be careless. Any decision could potentially lead to the family’s destruction.

Over time, these cultivators naturally developed a strong and self-reliant demeanor.

However, the cultivators in the heavenly families did not need to bear the burden of the family’s survival. They were more concerned with their own achievements, or their status and interests within the family.

And in their growth environment, they always had to look up to the ancestors in the family. They had to restrain their personalities, and naturally, they could not develop the demeanor of dominating one side.

Let’s put aside the idle talk for now.

Hearing Wang Shouzhe’s question, Lei Yangqiu immediately became serious and said, “To be honest, it would be nonsense to say that I don’t hold a grudge about the previous incident. But there is no hatred between the Wang’s Clan and my Lei’s Clan. If I were to become enemies with Clan Leader Wang because of this, my family may not support me.”

No hatred?

Wang Shouzhe squinted his eyes slightly. Could it be that his previous inference was wrong? Or was Lei Yangqiu unaware?

Without saying a word, he continued to listen to Lei Yangqiu.

“Secondly, I, Lei Yangqiu, am indeed not a good person, but the matter of instigating rogue cultivators to kill civilians really has nothing to do with me,” Lei Yangqiu said. “As a town guard from a heavenly family, I have a bright future ahead of me. How could I possibly be involved in such heinous acts? Neither the Liu’s Clan nor the Zhao’s Clan would involve me, right?”

Wang Shouzhe remained expressionless, pondering Lei Yangqiu’s words.

“Our Lei’s Clan has been around for nearly a thousand years, and naturally, we have our own clan rules,” Lei Yangqiu saw that Wang Shouzhe seemed to be loosening up and quickly added, “Of course, during my tenure as the town guard, I also intended to win over the Liu’s Clan and Zhao’s Clan, but this was only to increase the influence of my family in Ping’an Town. This is a strategic goal of the family.”

“And I admit, I did accept some benefits from the Liu’s Clan and Zhao’s Clan privately. But I can swear in the name of my family that I did not participate in such evil deeds,” Lei Yangqiu hurriedly explained.

Wang Shouzhe pondered for a moment and somewhat believed him, but still sneered, “But your indulgence and turning a blind eye have made the Liu’s Clan and Zhao’s Clan increasingly rampant.”

“That’s true,” Lei Yangqiu admitted frankly, “But I deny knowing about it. To be honest, I was quite surprised when I saw the evidence today. But firstly, Clan Leader Wang, you put me on the spot, clearly intending to use me to kill with a borrowed knife. Secondly, winning over the Liu’s Clan and Zhao’s Clan is a strategic direction of my Lei’s Clan. So, I immediately had the idea of covering up and confronting Clan Leader Wang.”

“Of course, in my heart, I don’t think it’s a big deal for some civilians to die…” Lei Yangqiu carefully said, suddenly noticing Wang Shouzhe’s displeasure, and immediately added, “After being reprimanded by Clan Leader Wang, I have realized the error in my thinking.”

“Although Clan Leader Wang’s reprimand today made me extremely embarrassed and angry, and I wished I could kill you, after calming down, I thought that you might not be unreasonable,” Lei Yangqiu said seriously, “If I could really do as Clan Leader Wang said, I might be able to achieve something. At that time, the ancestor at home might look at me differently.”

“Of course, there is one more important point,” Lei Yangqiu said seriously, “Our Lei’s Clan aims to have influence in Ping’an Town, but we don’t necessarily have to hang ourselves on the ropes of the Liu’s Clan and Zhao’s Clan. We can also win over the Wang’s Clan. After today, I am convinced that Zhao Bojun and Liu Zhide are probably not a match for Clan Leader Wang.”

In order to persuade Wang Shouzhe to let him go, Lei Yangqiu was really going all out.

“Form an alliance with the Lei’s Clan?” Wang Shouzhe frowned and pondered.Lei Yangqiu was about to say that this was not an alliance, but a submission. However, he swallowed his words before they left his mouth. He had already figured out that Wang Shouzhe was not the type to be content with being under someone else’s control.

“Let’s put this matter aside for now,” Wang Shouzhe said after a moment of contemplation. “Lord Lei, the town’s guardian, don’t think you’re safe yet. I will have someone investigate you. If it turns out that you are just foolish and not greatly evil, we can let today’s matter slide.”

“But if you have committed unforgivable crimes, although I have no right to judge you, I suggest you pack up and leave immediately.”

Wang Shouzhe’s gaze was fixed on Lei Yangqiu.

Lei Yangqiu was so startled by his stare that he felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly said, “I have committed minor offenses, including corruption and bribery, but I dare not commit major crimes. I will make amends for these in the future.”

“Enough, your words don’t count. Go and take care of the aftermath for the orphan first,” Wang Shouzhe waved his hand, showing a bit of impatience. “Or is Lord Lei waiting for the Wang’s Clan to serve dinner?”

“Of course not, Clan Leader Wang, I will take my leave now.” Lei Yangqiu’s face tightened, and he retreated obediently.

It wasn’t until he had walked a good distance away that Lei Yangqiu finally let out a sigh of relief, as if he had passed a major hurdle.

At this moment, his back was soaked with sweat. Wang Shouzhe, no, Clan Leader Wang, was too terrifying. With his casual demeanor and mere words, he easily manipulated him, controlling his life and death. Lei Yangqiu felt utterly powerless to resist.

He found himself pondering over some strange and unsettling matters.

At this moment, he truly felt a sense of awe towards Wang Shouzhe, and his heart was filled with gratitude for being spared.

At the same time, he harbored a deep hatred for the Liu and Zhao Clans who had put him in such a predicament.

…

Wang Shouzhe watched Lei Yangqiu’s retreating figure and fell into deep thought.

What was Lei Yangqiu’s state called again? He had seen it on some app before.

Ah, Stockholm Syndrome? It was quite similar.

It was the state of being completely controlled by someone else, unable to resist, and after receiving a bit of kindness, feeling grateful to the controller, even developing a sense of worship and blind obedience.

Hehe, this is getting interesting.

…