The Grand Competition approaches, and in half a month, Shu Commandery will experience a once-in-thirty-years great reshuffling. The Zhang family of Shu Commandery has been preparing for this event.
After Che Ming arrived in the commandery city of Shu, the Zhang family patriarch, Zhang Feng, had already resigned his position as Prefect, handing over the great authority of Shu Commandery to Lord Che, who had traveled from the provincial capital!
The election of the Prefect of Shu Commandery is an event that the entire Shu Commandery is busy with.
In the past, the contest for Prefect was essentially among the three great families. However, recently, with the change in leadership in Tu County and the conversation between Che Ming and Liao Hua, Yang Hao's reputation has spread throughout Shu Commandery, and his influence is unmatched.
With the arrival of Lord Che, Yang Hao was officially invited by the Prefect's official document to participate in the Prefect election! This news caused an even greater stir!
Liao Hua and Yang Hao have become essential topics of discussion among the common people of Shu Commandery.
"Bang!"
"These good-for-nothings from the Li family! They can't even deal with the dying Yang family." Wang Shan was furious.
"Patriarch, Yang Hao only has Liao Hua by his side. Although he defeated Li Hui of the Li family, he is merely a rustic fellow who cannot be brought to the grand stage! It is a display of ability if Lord Che bestows favor upon him and he can maintain his position!"
Wang Nie sneered disdainfully.
"The Great Elder is correct! As soon as that brat Yang Hao arrives, this commandery city will be his burial ground!"
Wang Shan's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes filled with murderous intent!
Speaking of Yang Hao, ever since receiving Lord Che's invitation, he had been busy making arrangements.
This Prefect contest is definitely a legitimate opportunity. To compete for the position of Prefect and return to their ancestral land is the greatest wish of the Yang family members for three hundred years.
When Yang Hao traveled to the commandery city of Shu, he only brought Liao Hua, Zhu Sheng, and Zhou Yuji, along with thirty Ningwu Iron Cavalry. The rest were all handed over to Yao Wen for deployment and to guard Han Jia Tu County.
Zhu Sheng, Liao Hua, and Zhou Yuji are intelligent. With three great Xiantian experts guarding him, even if Shu Commandery were a dragon's den and a tiger's lair, they could still fight their way out!
The thirty-four individuals galloped out of the city and headed straight for the commandery city!
Dozens of people arrived at the commandery city of Shu. They saw walls tens of feet high rising from the ground, majestic and grand, with endless streams of traffic.
The city guards were all at the fourth level of Bone Forging. A few years ago, when Yang Hao came to the commandery city, he looked on with envy!
Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west bank!
Looking at this scene, Yang Hao thought that he must fight with all his might in this battle, and if he could secure the position of Prefect in one fell swoop, he would have a foundation to stand upon in this unstable kingdom.
Yang Hao and his entourage were very low-key, wearing ordinary civilian clothes and entering the city gate in batches, settling into the most inconspicuous inn in Shu Commandery.
"Did you hear?"
"That Yang Hao has a great general under him, a fierce individual. I saw him, broad-shouldered and imposing, nine feet tall, with a beard like steel, skilled with a great saber."
"When he swings the great saber, there are gusts of wind and thunder, and he can summon wind and rain!"
"Are you bragging? Your lips are moving, and you can say whatever you want!"
"Exactly, exactly."
"What, you don't believe me?"
At that moment, a burly man slapped his foot on the table and shouted, "I saw it with my own eyes! On that day in Tu County, blood-red clouds pressed down half the sky. I saw that man roar, and the second master of the Li family was scared away!"
"Nonsense! The second master of the Li family was clearly struck by a saber and fled in defeat because he couldn't defeat Liao Hua!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
For a moment, the tavern was filled with shouting and arguing...
"Hahaha, Liao Hua, did you hear that? Hahaha!"
Yang Hao couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.
"My lord, please stop making fun of me."
"Hahaha, we will stay here and wait peacefully!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
During the waiting period, everyone was diligently cultivating. Yang Hao would also read books when he had free time, to understand the current situation of the Martial Kingdom.
Time flew by, and the Prefect Grand Competition was held as scheduled.
Today, the area in front of the Prefect's mansion was exceptionally lively. Families of all sizes had taken their positions early. These families were here today only to cheer for their masters. To establish themselves in Shu Commandery, they could only attach themselves to the three great families.
The three great families were the rulers of Shu Commandery; they could command wind and rain, and for hundreds of years, no one had been able to shake their status!
As the three great families arrived, the entire Shu Commandery fell completely silent. The Li, Zhang, and Wang families took their seats one after another.
"Li Si, I heard you suffered quite a loss at Yang Hao's hands!"
Wang Shan, the patriarch of the Wang family, said with a mocking smile at Li Si.
"Thank you for your concern, Brother Wang. It was merely taking water from the sea, and it was of no consequence."
Wang Shan smiled faintly, then changed the subject, "I heard that your family's Great Elder failed to break through to the fourth level of Xiantian and has been dispirited. Do you need a physician?"
"You!"
Li Si's eyes were bloodshot, and his face was contorted with rage. "Hmph! I don't need Brother Wang to worry about the Li family's affairs. You should think about how to contend with the Zhang family!"
"Recently, I heard that Zhang Feng shows signs of a breakthrough, and with Lord Che's support, your Wang family might not have an easy time."
"Even if my Li family is defeated, at most we will be like the Yang family back then, defeated and fleeing the commandery city. But your Wang family's situation will likely not be good."
"You!"
Upon hearing Li Si's taunt, Wang Shan was furious and stormed off.
With the arrival of Lord Che, the relationships in Shu Commandery became peculiar. Many factions that had been allied with the Wang family began to distance themselves from them.
They all expressed their loyalty to the imperial court to Che Ming.
However, the Wang family still had many followers. Wang Shan's son, who had shown exceptional talent since childhood, was taken as a disciple by the Ninth Elder of the Sword Sect and had already reached Xiantian at a young age!
With the Sword Sect backing the Wang family, some predicted that the Prefect contest would surely fall to the Wang family. The sect master of the Sword Sect had entered the realm of Grandmaster a year ago, exerting influence over half of the Martial Kingdom.
In the path of cultivation, after Xiantian comes the integration of martial arts into the origin, which is the Grandmaster. The Martial Kingdom originally had four Grandmasters. The imperial court possessed three: King Wu, the Grand Eunuch Zhang Yan, and the pillar of the Martial Kingdom, the two-dynasty veteran Ji Hu.
Although their strength was not at its peak, they still held absolute control over important regions!
Ten years ago, King Wu led an expedition to the Kingdom of Langya and was seriously injured, not expected to live long. For the past ten years, the Crown Prince had been handling state affairs.
Now that the Sword Sect's sect master had entered the realm of Grandmaster, echoing the Martial Kingdom's foremost sect, the Heavenly Gang Sect, they posed a great threat to the imperial court. The day King Wu perished would surely be the day the world fell into chaos!
The Sword Sect had been supporting local forces for the past year, gradually gaining control of cities in Yi Province. The Prefect of Yi Province dared not confront the Sword Sect head-on and could only rely on local forces to counter them.
Che Ming, entrusted by the Prefect, traveled to Shu Commandery to preside over the Prefect contest and conducted a thorough investigation.
The day after meeting Liao Hua, Che Ming revisited the Lin Hu tribe for reconnaissance and increasingly felt that the person who had intervened was unfathomably powerful.
Che Ming discovered that the Great Shaman of the Lin Hu tribe had already reached the second level of Xiantian, a renowned figure who had endured for decades and possessed a deep foundation. Even with his own seventh-level Xiantian strength, he could not claim to kill her in one move. In the Lin Hu tribe, Che Ming also found traces of spear thrusts emitting a fierce aura!
As he approached those spear marks, the spear intent became even sharper, terrifyingly so!
He immediately reported this matter truthfully to the Prefect. After obtaining the Prefect's consent, he invited Yang Hao to participate in the Prefect contest.