Huang Qingzhou was very efficient, and by the afternoon of the next day, he had already brought the craftsmen to Black Water Pool.

Shen Yuan was cultivating in the Black Water Pavilion, and the task of selecting a site for the Martial Arts Hall was left for Shen Wenxing to accompany him.

The father-in-law and son-in-law duo, after some selection and measurement, finally confirmed a location.

As night fell, just as Shen Wenxing was about to finalize the matter, Huang Qingzhou approached and said, "Shi Tou, you'll still have to discuss this with your father."

Shen Wenxing was puzzled.

The land around Black Water Pool is so vast; since his father had already tasked the two of them with responsibility, there was no need to seek further approval, right?

Huang Qingzhou smiled faintly and said, "Your father has foresight; it never hurts to listen to his opinion."

Shen Wenxing nodded silently and went to the Black Water Pavilion to inform Shen Yuan of the matter.

"Hmm, your father-in-law has experience in this; since he thinks it's feasible, build it there."

"Later, go to your mother for some funds. Teaching the villagers martial arts is our family's matter; we cannot have your father-in-law pay for it."

Shen Wenxing thought so too.

His father-in-law had hinted more than once that he had no sons, his eldest daughter had been missing for many years, leaving only Huang Lingxiu as a daughter.

The family assets, apart from leaving some to the Huang Family, would all belong to the couple in the future.

However, the Shen Family today was not what it used to be. The shops in town were overseen by Shen Wenping, bringing the family a substantial income every month.

As a result, the common people of Jinliu Village also enjoyed a more prosperous life.

In this era, labor was the least valuable.

With sufficient funds, the construction of the Martial Arts Hall progressed rapidly.

Additionally, the common people of Jinliu Village understood that the Shen Family building a Martial Arts Hall benefited them, so they eagerly volunteered to help out.

In less than a month, the basic structure of the Martial Arts Hall was already completed.

That day, while Shen Wenxing was inspecting the final touches of the Martial Arts Hall, a cart pulled by oxen slowly arrived at the foot of the mountain.

After the cart came to a stop, two elderly men dressed in linen shirts with graying hair helped each other down and carefully approached the Martial Arts Hall.

"Who are you looking for, sirs?"

At the gate of the Martial Arts Hall, Zhao Jinhua, a burly man, noticed that the two elderly men seemed unfamiliar and curiously inquired.

The two elderly men hastily clasped their hands in greeting, "Sorry to disturb."

"Young man, I am Shi Cang, the Village Chief of Black Stone Village."

"And this is Tan Hui, the Village Chief of Huishui Beach."

Black Stone Village and Huishui Beach?

Zhao Jinhua thought for a moment, feeling somewhat familiar, and continued to ask, "Are they the two villages next to our Jinliu Village?"

The elder who called himself Shi Cang and Tan Hui both nodded quickly, "That's right!"

"We have come to seek an audience with Master Shen of the Shen Family. We wonder if you could announce our presence?"

Zhao Jinhua looked at the two and hesitated for a moment before saying, "You probably won't get to see Master Shen, but... the Young Master of the Shen Family is here."

"Wait here, I'll go ask."

He clapped his hands, went into the Martial Arts Hall, and found Shen Wenxing, who was supervising craftsmen laying the blue stone tiles.

"Young Master."

Shen Wenxing turned and glared at him, "Why are you like them?"

Zhao Jinhua grinned sheepishly and approached to whisper:

"With outsiders around, you are the Young Master; privately, we're the best of brothers."

Shen Wenxing didn't say much more.

"Two old men at the door claim to be the Village Chiefs of Black Stone Village and Huishui Beach, wanting to see Uncle Yuan."

"Do you want to check what they need?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing glanced at the two anxious elders outside the Martial Arts Hall, unsure of their purpose in seeking his father.

He pulled Zhao Jinhua with him and said, "Let's go see."

The two of them went outside the courtyard.

Zhao Jinhua introduced the two, "This is the eldest son of the Shen Family and also the Young Master of our Jinliu Village."

Upon hearing this, the two elderly men hurriedly clasped their hands and bowed to Shen Wenxing.

Shen Wenxing nodded, "What brings the two honored elders to Jinliu Village?"

Shi Cang and Tan Hui exchanged a glance and clasped their hands, "We two have come on behalf of the common people in our villages, hoping to merge with Jinliu Village."

Merge with Jinliu Village?

Shen Wenxing looked at Zhao Jinhua with some surprise.

Zhao Jinhua leaned in and whispered, "For the past two years, when I led patrols around, I often saw people from outside villages trying to move to Jinliu Village with their families."

"After being stopped, some stayed temporarily around Jinliu Village."

"In recent years, the short-term workers hired for brewing, farming, and such in the village include many of these refugees."

Hearing this, Shen Wenxing frowned slightly.

He hadn't really heard of this matter.

Most of his time in the past was spent in the Ascension Pavilion in the county, with these affairs typically managed by Village Chief Yang Changlin.

Seeing Shen Wenxing's long silence, Shi Cang and Tan Hui looked anxious.

"Young Master, in past years, many girls from Jinliu Village married into our two villages, and many girls from our two villages married into Jinliu Village. Although from different villages, we are already connected by blood."

Shi Cang, with a flattering expression, clasped his hands and explained.

Hearing this, Shen Wenxing couldn't help but chuckle.

This old man seemed quite smooth-tongued but somewhat cunning.

He was well aware of the real reason Black Stone Village and Huishui Beach wanted to merge with Jinliu Village.

It's simply because, over the years, Jinliu Village had implemented the plans of his sister Shen Wenping, leading everyone to a good life.

Neighbors to Jinliu Village, Black Stone Village and Huishui Beach had witnessed its rise firsthand, inevitably feeling envious and longing.

After all, this era was chaotic, the Imperial Family was nominally existent, and the entire Yunzhong was controlled by the He Family.

During Shen Wenyan's marriage, the courteous attitude of the visitors from the He Family also made some insightful people understand.

In Yunzhong County, though the Shen Family occupied only a small village, its status equaled that of the He Family.

They believed that as long as Jinliu Village agreed, the He Family wouldn't say much about it.

"I'll take note of this matter, and if a decision is made, someone will notify you in a few days."

Shen Wenxing looked at the two and did not provide a clear answer.

The two old men exchanged a glance and respectfully cupped their hands towards him, "Thank you, Young Master! Thank you, Young Master!"

After expressing their gratitude, Shi Cang promptly added, "Rest assured, Young Master, when the time comes, we will definitely adhere to the Shen Family's rules and absolutely won't act recklessly!"

Shen Wenxing nodded, "We'll talk about that when the time comes."

After nodding repeatedly, the two returned to the ox cart.

Watching the ox cart gradually disappear into the distance, Shen Wenxing, deep in thought, turned to Zhao Jinhua, "Brother Jinhu, what do you think?"

Zhao Jinhua was taken aback by the question, then shook his head like a rattle.

"I don't have much of an opinion; this is a big matter and needs to be decided by Uncle Yuan."

Shen Wenxing smiled, "Of course, the final decision will be made by Ah Die, but we need to have our own thoughts. Our two families are in-laws, and we'll rely on your help for many matters big and small in the future."

Zhao Jinhua felt a touch of warmth at these words.

"Go ahead and express your thoughts."

Shen Wenxing urged again, and Zhao Jinhua, after some thought, said, "This matter, it has both pros and cons."

"Black Stone Village and Huishui Beach are different from our Jinliu Village; both villages have large clans."

"In Black Stone Village, those with the surname Shi make up at least half, all from the same family."

"In Huishui Beach, the Tan surname is even more common, with at least seventy percent of the village sharing the surname Tan."

Shen Wenxing understood what he meant.

"Brother Jinhu, are you worried that once these two villages merge with our Jinliu Village, they might form factional groupings?"

Zhao Jinhua nodded in agreement, "It's hard to say."

"With you brothers and Uncle Yuan in Jinliu Village, it's unlikely they will cause much trouble."

"Those are the cons, but there are quite a few pros as well."

"If we merge the two villages into ours, the population will increase significantly."

"In these times, more people mean more labor."

"Also, Uncle Yuan wants us to build this Martial Arts Hall to train more martial artists, doesn't he?"

After hearing his analysis, Shen Wenxing was a bit surprised.

"Not bad, Brother Jinhu. I never realized you had such insights before."

Zhao Jinhua chuckled awkwardly, though with a hint of bitterness in his heart.

Since his sister Zhao Xuan married Shen Wenyan, their father and the two sons began assisting the Shen Family in managing Jinliu Village.

Their mother, Wang Ying, often taught the two brothers to be diligent and thoughtful, at the very least not to disgrace their sister.

Zhao Jinhua, out of necessity, frequently went to the private school in town to seek advice from the teachers.

Nearing the age of thirty, even as his son reached schooling age, he was compelled to start studying again.

"I'm just familiar with these two villages, but you should still consult Uncle Yuan."

Shen Wenxing nodded, then returned to the Black Water Pavilion to report this to Shen Yuan.

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Yuan said:

"You'll have to make this decision yourself."

"You need to carefully consider the gains and losses, and whether this matter might trigger other repercussions."

Shen Wenxing found this a bit challenging.

He had assumed his father would give a direct answer, but unexpectedly, the final decision fell upon him.

Walking alone from the Black Water Pavilion to the Martial Arts Hall, Shen Wenxing was deep in thought.

Zhao Jinhua had already helped him analyze part of the pros and cons, and he himself had considered some aspects as well.

As Zhao Jinhua mentioned, Black Stone Village and Huishui Beach together had nearly a thousand common people, which could bring both benefits and drawbacks, but those were obvious.

What impact would merging the two villages into Jinliu Village have?

Shen Wenxing pondered for a moment and suddenly realized an issue.

The He Family!

In Yunzhong County, Jinliu Village operates independently, and the He Family would not interfere with its affairs.

However, Black Stone Village and Huishui Beach are under the He Family's management. If the Shen Family abruptly absorbs these two villages, the He Family would certainly be displeased.

Currently, the Immortals of the Immortal Sect focus their main efforts on He County, leaving worldly matters to be fully managed by proxy families and powers.

Even if friction and conflict arise between parties, as long as the core isn't affected, the Immortal Sect generally wouldn't intervene.

After much contemplation, Shen Wenxing finally made a decision in his heart.

He decided to take in the two villages, but before doing so, he would first send a letter to the He Family, at least to inform them of this matter.

Upon returning to the Martial Arts Hall, he asked someone to fetch pen and paper, wrote a letter on the spot, and had Zhao Jinhua personally deliver it to the He Family in Yunzhong County.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the mountains on the side of He County, near the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range.

As the evening approached, somewhere in the vast and undulating Hidden Dragon Mountain Range, a tremendous explosion suddenly resounded through the heavens and the earth!

In an instant, the sky that was once clear and bright was suddenly covered with dark clouds!

These dark clouds rapidly gathered from all directions, and in no time, a fierce wind began to blow. Terrifying thunder flickered amid the clouds, enveloping the entire He County as if an apocalypse had descended!

In the dense forests of the mountain, numerous disciples of the Immortal Sect stationed there gazed up at the sky in shock.

"Senior Brother Heshan, what has happened?"

On the side of Luoxia Mountain, Wei Qiuling walked slowly up to Li Heshan, feeling the oppressive force from the dark clouds in the sky, her expression full of worry.

Li Heshan stared at the sky with a solemn expression and muttered, "Everything has changed…"

Wei Qiuling didn't understand arrays, nor could she grasp the forces between heaven and earth, so she didn't know what Li Heshan meant.

She just felt that vaguely, everything around them had indeed changed.

It was as if something terrifying had awakened beneath the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range, or even in the entire Yangnao Land.

Boom!

As everyone's attention was focused on the turbulent dark clouds, a terrifying bolt of thunder suddenly struck from above in the distance!

Startled, everyone turned their eyes towards the direction where the thunder struck.

Li Heshan glanced over, and his expression changed drastically!

"Not good!"

He hurriedly rushed over!

Along with him, several disciples of Hundred Beasts Mountain rushed forth as well!

For the place the thunder struck was exactly where Elder Ji Yan of Qiyun Valley and several elders from Hundred Beasts Mountain were jointly unraveling a great force!

Given the power of that thunder, it seemed the elders might have a hard time withstanding it!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.