Qinghe County was closer to the Prefectural City than Ping'an County. Chen Yuan and Yue Shan did not hurry on their journey, taking almost two days to reach their destination.

After that,

Chen Yuan ordered most of his men to change into plain clothes and blend into the county town.

To this,

The people of Qinghe County were not too surprised. Since the past few days, many Jianghu figures had poured into the county town, and the Qinghe County Government had only conducted a token investigation at the city gates.

According to their prior agreement, after arriving in Qinghe County, one of the Yunjiang Four Devils would wait for Chen Yuan at the first restaurant north of the city every day for three days.

Today, it was Qian Xishan's turn.

Chen Yuan scanned the area and quickly spotted him. He calmly sat down beside him.

"My lord..."

Qian Xishan looked around and whispered.

Chen Yuan picked up a cup of tea and moistened his throat.

"Where are they?"

"My eldest brother and the others have managed to infiltrate the Ren family as guests and are currently resting at the Ren residence."

"What intelligence have they gathered?"

Although the Sky Patrol Division also had an intelligence department, it was not directly connected to him, so there would inevitably be delays.

"After investigation, it seems that Ren Changyi has indeed suffered serious injuries. He hasn't shown his face in the past few days. As for the Ren family, Ren Changyi is currently the only Ning Gang Realm martial artist.

His son suffered damage to his foundation in his early years, leaving him with no hope of advancement. However, he does have a grandson who is said to be quite talented."

"How many people have come to the Ren family?"

"Quite a few this time, it is estimated that there are already six Ning Gang Realm martial artists who have arrived today, including members of other county families and those who have reportedly received favors from Ren Changyi in the past..."

In Qian Xishan's account, Chen Yuan learned the general situation of the Ren family. There were two Ning Gang Realm martial artists who were very respectful to Ren Changyi, due to the favors he had bestowed upon them.

They had reportedly prepared a substantial gift.

Other forces, such as those from the surrounding counties, both large and small family forces, had also sent people, including his old acquaintances, Chu Yunfeng and others from the Green Wood Sect.

However, they had not noticed the disguised Yunshan Four Devils.

Chen Yuan nodded. The information they had gathered was quite useful. Having a few subordinates to handle these matters saved him a lot of effort, eliminating the need for him to rush to Qinghe County in advance.

The Ren family's power was indeed alarming. With Ren Changyi at the helm, the Ren family had flourished in the past few decades. Moreover, Ren Changyi often liked to guide talented young people, making his reputation very prominent.

It was said that the first thing that the County Commandant and Magistrate of Qinghe County did upon taking office was to prepare gifts and visit the Ren family. With Ren Changyi's approval, the officials of Qinghe County would have a much easier time.

The opposite was also true.

The Ren family of Qinghe had already begun to resemble a small kingdom.

It was a pity that Ren Changyi's sons were not successful. To this day, the family still depended solely on him. Otherwise, with a few more decades or centuries of development, the Ren family would definitely be able to secure a place in Nanling Prefecture.

This was Chen Yuan's assessment of him.

People who have lived a long time are never simple.

"My lord, should we summon my eldest brother and the others as well?"

Qian Xishan asked in a low voice.

"No need. We will meet on the day of Ren Changyi's birthday banquet tomorrow. Have them keep a close watch on the Ren family's descendants and ensure that none of them have a chance to escape!"

Chen Yuan was not one to leave behind loose ends.

"Understood. I will convey this to my eldest brother tonight."

Qian Xishan nodded solemnly.

......

......

This day,

Starting from the morning, nearly half of Qinghe County was very lively. At each of the four city gates, opera troupes were performing on stage, with loud drums and firecrackers.

Countless people treated it as a grand festival.

It was Ren Changyi's seventieth birthday, and the Ren family was hosting a three-day continuous banquet. The prices of goods in many of their businesses were lower than usual, demonstrating the Ren family's wealth and generosity.

Everyone knew that the Ren family was a bloodsucking leech in Qinghe County, but from the county government to the common people, no one dared to speak out against them.

There had been those who did, but they were all dead.

Including the County Commandant who had previously died at Ren Changyi's hands.

He had once made bold pronouncements before taking office, promising to restore justice to the people of Qinghe, but then... he was killed by bandits on the way.

Many people suspected that the Ren family was behind it, but there was no evidence.

It was only many years later that the Sky Patrol Division's intelligence personnel obtained conclusive evidence.

In front of the Ren family's gate, red cloth was tied all around, and red paper cutouts of the character '寿' (longevity) were pasted beautifully.

A seventieth birthday was considered quite long-lived in this era. Chen Yuan had learned that the average lifespan in this world was only forty years.

Martial arts cultivation aimed for longevity, but that required a very high level of martial arts cultivation to extend one's lifespan.

For example, in the Foundation Establishment Realm, one's body was strong, and most could live beyond eighty years.

Ning Gang Realm martial artists absorbed Qi into their bodies, free from illness and disaster, but at most, they could only live to be a hundred years old.

However, most Ning Gang Realm martial artists did not live that long.

They either died in vendettas or struggles. Once they reached the age of fifty, their Qi and blood would begin to decline, and very few could live that long.

Therefore, relatively speaking, Ren Changyi's age was quite high.

No wonder he was holding such a grand seventieth birthday celebration.

The Ren family's courtyard was very large and had been cleaned in advance. It could accommodate more than a dozen tables. Even then... only prominent figures from Ping'an County and the surrounding counties could get a seat.

Even higher-level guests would be invited to the main hall.

Under the blazing sun, every member of the Ren family and their guests wore smiles. As the instrumental music began, guests began to enter, presenting their gift lists.

The gatekeeper, with a loud voice, closely watched the gift lists and announced:

"The Cui family of Qinghe presents a string of high-quality white jade beads, wishing Master Ren a life as long as the Southern Mountains and fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea."

"The Ma family of Qinghe presents a pound of Donghai sea cucumber, wishing Master Ren..."

"The Liu family of Wujiang presents..."

......

The gatekeeper picked up a teacup to moisten his throat and continued to read loudly. Although his face was a little tired, he did not dare to rest, lest he delay Master Ren's auspicious time.

"Elder Xu Baisong of the Green Wood Sect presents twenty Refined Bone Pills, wishing..."

"Master Xuan Nu of Jinshan Temple presents a string of Buddhist beads..."

"Zhang... presents a jade peach, wishing..."

The gatekeeper was a little nervous. He was now announcing the names of relatively important guests, and a slight mistake would inevitably lead to a scolding.

Ren Changyi wore a large red birthday robe embroidered with a pine tree. His hair and beard were gray, and his face was ruddy. He walked with vigorous strides, showing no signs of being injured.

Upon hearing the name of Jinshan Temple, he immediately walked out to greet him. When he saw Xuan Nu in his Zen robe with the precept scars on his head, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

He quickly cupped his hands and said:

"This old man is truly honored and fortunate to have a master from Jinshan Temple grace my humble abode on my birthday."

Jinshan Temple was the undisputed leading Jianghu force in Nanling Prefecture. It had few disciples, but each of them was an elite. It was said that they were connected to many Buddhist sects in the world.

Even the government was unwilling to provoke them easily.

Monk Xuan Nu was tall and did not appear to be very old, at most thirty years old. He put his palms together to Ren Changyi:

"Old Benefactor Ren is too polite."

"Elder Xu, it's been many years," After exchanging greetings, Ren Changyi turned his attention to Xu Baisong of the Green Wood Sect.

Xu Baisong nodded with a smile.

Chu Yunfeng and the others immediately cupped their hands to Ren Changyi. As juniors, they dared not neglect him.

In addition to Jinshan Temple and the Green Wood Sect, Wu Sanhu, the County Commandant of Qinghe County, Zhao..., the Magistrate, and many other prominent forces in Nanling Prefecture presented their congratulatory gifts.

Ren Changyi smiled so widely that his eyes narrowed, and he quickly invited them inside.

Inside the main hall, more than a dozen seats were fully occupied. Disciples like Chu Yunxiao could only stand behind Xu Changming, looking around. Those who could sit were either heads of families,

Or prominent figures in Nanling Prefecture.

Ren Changyi stood in the middle, cupping his hands to both sides:

"I am honored that you have come to my seventieth birthday celebration today. In a moment..."

Ren Changyi gave a long and tedious speech of polite greetings.

Monk Xuan Nu frowned slightly as he listened. After he finished speaking, he immediately said:

"Old Benefactor Ren, besides congratulating you on your birthday, we have another matter to discuss today."

Ren Changyi laughed. Of course, he understood that most of these people came for the Geng metal in his possession. He immediately said:

"I understand what the master means."

"In that case, Brother Ren, why not take out the Geng metal now for us to see? It would fulfill our expectations..." Xu Baisong said.

"That's right."

"Yes, Old Senior Ren, please don't..."

Ren Changyi smiled:

"Of course, the Geng metal can be taken out, but I previously said that I wanted to use the Geng metal to exchange for spiritual medicine that could restore my meridians. I wonder if any of you have it in your possession?"

Seeing Ren Changyi's attitude of not letting go without seeing the rabbit, everyone secretly criticized him in their hearts.

"This monk has a bottle of Meridian Opening Spirit Water. I wonder if Old Benefactor Xu is willing to exchange it?" Monk Xuan Nu said calmly.

Ren Changyi shook his head:

"Although Meridian Opening Spirit Water is good, it cannot restore me."

"I have Black Jade Paste. What does Brother Ren think?"

"Are you referring to the renowned Black Jade Regeneration Paste of Qing Province?" A glint of light shot out from Ren Changyi's eyes.

"Brother Ren is joking. How could I have such a precious item as Black Jade Regeneration Paste?" Xu Baisong smiled.

Being able to reconnect meridians and restore them to their original state, and even greatly increase their strength, was not something he could obtain, nor could he protect it.

"Then what is this..."

The joy on Ren Changyi's face gradually faded.

"This is a medicine specially refined by our Green Wood Sect for repairing meridians. Although it is inferior to Black Jade Regeneration Paste for martial artists, it is still quite extraordinary."

Ren Changyi frowned:

"Can it repair the meridians in my body?"

"This... is not yet known, but this item is indeed very useful."

Inside the main hall, Ren Changyi hesitated.

Outside the Ren residence, the gatekeeper's shouts had not stopped.

"Wang Ping from Ping'an County presents two taels of old坛酸菜 (lao tan suan cai, pickled cabbage in old jar), wishing..." The gatekeeper was slightly stunned when he saw the item on the gift list. After hesitating for a moment, he shouted loudly:

"Wishing Master Ren contentment and happiness..."