In Chapter 38, the old man

"What?"

"Registrar Feng left and then returned, claiming it was the magistrate's order?"

I woke up early this morning.

When Ma Fu heard this news, his eyes widened.

He thought the matter was over. Although it might not completely cut off Zhong Xuan's path to becoming a village elder, he didn't expect him to make a comeback so quickly.

He immediately burst into a tirade: "That guy surnamed Feng is a real scoundrel!"

It's one thing to take on two clients at once, but now they're going back to their old flame.

This made Ma Fu furious.

Ma Lei narrowed his eyes slightly. "This probably isn't Feng San'er's idea. Could it be that Xiahe Village has somehow managed to get in touch with the county magistrate?"

Just now.

He had already received the money returned by Registrar Feng, and it was stated that this was the magistrate's intention.

Since the county magistrate has intervened, the matter is already a foregone conclusion.

The village chiefs and village elders in Baisha County appear to be elected by the villages themselves, but in reality, none of them were elected without the approval of the county magistrate.

Ma Lei didn't care about Registrar Feng's flip-flopping; what he cared about was who had gotten the county magistrate to get involved personally.

Xu Mao?

Zhong Xuan?

The county magistrate held absolute power in Baisha County. Except for a very few people, his words were no less powerful than the law.

If someone really had that kind of connections and influence, that would be troublesome.

"That's enough."

at this point.

Ma Lei stopped thinking about it.

"Father, he's just an old man from the village; he can't cause any trouble."

After Ma Lei finished speaking, he walked out the door.

If he has enough power, everyone in Xiahe Village will beg him to become the village chief.

In his view, the path to becoming the village chief has never been within the jurisdiction of Xiahe Village, but rather depends on the attitude of the bigwigs in Baisha County.

......

......

"Uncle Zhong, Erlu, who works as a bailiff in the yamen, said that the magistrate gave Clerk Feng a severe scolding and said that he should not interfere in local affairs."

"The position of Elder Li has been decided."

Upon learning the news, Xu Mao immediately went to Zhong Xuan.

Without the obstruction of the county government.

With the support of the Xu family, it was only natural for Zhong Xuan to become the village elder.

Even the Ma family stopped causing trouble.

"Brother Zhong, congratulations! Although the old position here is just a title, it still has many benefits."

"Take those affiliated fields, for example, nobody dares to covet them..."

Xu Tian said a lot.

It was only because of Zhong Xuan that he spoke so bluntly; he would never have spoken so bluntly to anyone else.

Zhong Xuan listened.

In short, the position of village elder doesn't offer any substantial rewards, but because it grants the authority to interpret village rules, it attracts others to curry favor and gain benefits.

With the status of a village elder, a scholar like him could protect even five hundred acres of fertile land.

The money earned from affiliation alone amounted to more than ten taels a month.

They were already comparable to many landlords.

While an ordinary scholar might not be poor, he could not possibly be this wealthy.

Zhong Xuan: "Brother Xu, once my house is cleaned up in a few days, I'll invite you to a feast."

"Then I'll take it seriously."

The matter concerning Elder Li has been settled.

Xu Tian was also in a very good mood.

For him, personal honor or disgrace was nothing; the status of the family was the most important thing. If he lost the position of village chief in his generation, he would be letting down his ancestors.

Now, the Xu family, an old man in the village, occupies two of the positions.

It won't be easy for the Ma family to catch up and surpass them.

After seeing off the Xu family uncle and nephew.

Zhong Xuan resumed his training.

......

......

One month later.

The first wave of affiliation fees was delivered to their door by various companies.

A total of eight taels.

In the past, no one would have dared to imagine such a thing.

This money is much easier to earn than toiling away in the fields.

Zhong Xuan had accumulated some wealth, but his life didn't change much; at most, he could eat meat two or three times a day.

They eat meat and occasionally consume medicinal cuisine.

His body became increasingly robust.

"It seems that wolf demon is not easy to deal with."

Zhong Xuan has now mastered three forms of the Eagle Strike Sword Technique. He originally wanted to ask Zheng Yue for the complete version of the Nine Strike of the Flying Eagle, but unexpectedly, Zheng Yue's visit lasted for a month.

Although this kind of thing is not uncommon.

The monsters are powerful and hide deep in the mountains.

It is extremely difficult to find.

"I heard that not only the Flying Eagle Martial Arts School produced people, but the Sand Gang and the Purple Gold Hall also produced people."

Zhong Xuan analyzed the information he had gathered over the past few days.

"Alright, no rush."

"It's not too late to train after you've replenished your Qi and blood."

After the preliminary examination came the provincial examination.

It only happens once every three years.

The next provincial examination will be held two years later, and it will be much more difficult than the provincial examination.

Let's just say that.

In such a large county as Baisha, it has been eight years since the last time a person passed the imperial examination.

The value of a Xiucai degree is incomparable to that of a Juren degree.

Even the lowest-ranking scholar could become the registrar of a county.

It directly matched the hard work and management of Chief Clerk Feng over the past ten years.

To secure a place in the imperial examinations, even a scholarly one needs to cultivate martial arts skills to achieve a high level of physical prowess.

Zhong Xuan is still quite far from reaching that step.

A month earlier or a month later is actually about the same.

Moreover, if he were to master the Three Harmonies and then learn the complete version of the Flying Eagle Nine Strikes, it would be even more natural for him.

......

......

Langzi Bay.

"Ah Lei, you've arrived."

Inside the barbican, a young man dressed in white smiled slightly as he watched Ma Lei walk in from the city gate.

Ma Lei bowed respectfully: "Young Master."

The man in front of them was Shi Yuanbai, the eldest son of Shi Fengsha, the leader of the Sand Gang.

"This young gang leader also studied at the prefectural school in his early years, but only returned to Baisha County three years ago on the orders of Gang Leader Shi to inherit the family business."

Ma Lei glanced at Shi Yuanbai again without making a sound.

What he had schemed and plotted to obtain, this man, who was about the same age as him, had been born with.

Well concealing his emotions, Ma Lei clasped his hands and said, "Young Master, did you need something from me?"

Shi Yuanbai nodded:

"Ah Lei, my Sha Gang has a batch of goods to be transported from Yongning Prefecture. Go and check on it for me in a few days. You're the only one in the Sha Gang I trust."

"Yes."

Ma Lei agreed.

He sneered inwardly.

Can I trust him?

If he truly trusted him, why is it that even after several months, Shi Yuanbai still refuses to teach him the breathing technique? It's because he doesn't trust him.

But Ma Lei remained as respectful as ever.

Only after leaving the room did the respect on his face disappear.

But in her heart she was thinking of someone else.

"Zhong Xuan..."

"If I could obtain the breathing technique from Old Man Zhong, why would I continue to be subservient to others?"

......

......

late at night.

Zhong Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed.

The house built with bricks and stones is much more comfortable than the old thatched hut, and it is warm in winter and cool in summer.

It's already May.

It was already sweltering outside, but a touch of coolness remained inside.

At midnight, Zhong Xuan practiced the Eagle Seven Breathing Technique, meticulously completing forty repetitions of it.

I was just about to go to sleep under the covers.

But then I saw lines of small print appear before my eyes.

Everything is renewed; the very foundation is transformed.

[Bone structure: Crane-shaped]

[Grade: Human Rank (5.2 taels)]