Chapter 263: Support Three

The sky was thick with dark clouds, and the atmosphere was oppressive. Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from the distant horizon, growing closer and closer, until finally, they stopped before the group.

A cold and stern young man wearing a large black cloak led the team, riding a tall black horse. His hair was snow-white, and his eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, revealing a sense of majesty and dominance.

Behind him followed ten sturdy men in black robes, each with a different expression. They exuded powerful auras, making one dare not underestimate them.

These ten men were the top ten disciples of the Sword Hall, all of whom were powerful Martial Artists. The top five, in particular, were elites selected from forces such as the Green Bamboo Gang, the Black Snake Gang, and the Red Star Gang.

Their strength had all reached the Blood Refining Realm, especially the first-ranked, who was a powerhouse at the Blood Refining Mid-Stage. Such a team could be considered a force of no small significance in Lianshan Prefecture City.

Wei Zhuang's methods for recruiting people could be described as swift and decisive, without any hesitation.

Cheng Feng had already prepared the platter, and Wei Zhuang only needed to take it.

Facing those detained Martial Artists, he showed no mercy, placing his Sword against their necks and coldly questioning, "Do you submit or not?"

This tough attitude made many feel fearful, but there were also those who would rather die than submit.

Yet, when a bloody head fell to the ground, those who were still prepared to be stubborn would instantly sober up.

After all, when life and submission are placed on the same scale, most people will choose to submit, because the instinct for survival makes them unable to resist.

Wei Zhuang did not treat the subordinates he recruited poorly, giving them generous compensation.

Those who can make a living on the streets all have some tricks up their sleeves, and these people can be useful at certain times.

At the same time, he was worried about accidents, so he gathered these people together and arranged for some sect disciples to coordinate with them.

In this way, this team was not only powerful but also strictly disciplined, looking quite impressive.

The Sword Hall was thus born.

The black cloak fluttered in the wind as the group of people galloped past on horseback; their figures disappeared from people's sight as quickly as a whirlwind.

Along the way, wherever they went, they caused bursts of exclamation, and people gave way one after another, fearing to provoke this group of terrifying figures.

Wei Zhuang knew the layout of the Prefecture City like the back of his hand, and his goals were clear and definite.

In the Prefecture City, the only person he was confident in contacting and borrowing strength from was Sui Ran, whose brother Sui Long served as a Cavalry Commandant in the City Defense Division; this identity provided great convenience for Wei Zhuang's actions.

Money can make the devil turn the millstone. Because the Hong Sect's interests in contraband salt were tied to Sui Long, the contraband business that Cheng Feng had originally wanted to give up could now allow the Hong Sect to take a step further and directly connect with the interest chain of the Prefecture City.

This is equivalent to being a person from a small county, but having connections in the city; would those who benefit from you ignore you?

This was money delivered to the door for free!

The power structure of the Prefecture City is clearly divided into two main systems: the government yamen runners and the military of the City Defense Division.

The government yamen runners are mainly responsible for the city's political affairs, public security, and other matters, serving as the cornerstone of the Prefecture City's daily operations; while the City Defense Division holds heavy troops, is responsible for city defense security and external warfare, and is the core of the Prefecture City's military power.

To gain a foothold in the Prefecture City and expand the influence of the Hong Sect, one must skillfully navigate between these two major systems and find suitable opportunities and entry points.

Wei Zhuang planned to establish contact with the City Defense Division through the relationship between Sui Ran and his brother Sui Long, use the military power of the City Defense Division as a backing, and then gradually infiltrate the government yamen runners.

Of course, this process is full of unknowns and risks. Wei Zhuang must remain vigilant at all times, not only to prevent being detected and suppressed by hostile forces within the government or the City Defense Division but also to ensure that his actions do not violate the bottom line of the Imperial Court.

Only by moving steadily and step-by-step can he finally realize a comprehensive layout in the Prefecture City.

Wei Zhuang and his party first arrived at the inn closest to the Sui Mansion; the disciples of Black Ear had been waiting for a long time.

This was the path the Hong Sect took through regular channels in the Prefecture City, opening several inns as strongholds.

In addition, there was the Mei Family Tavern, which was an industry under the name of the Cheng Mansion.

Cheng Feng had asked his father-in-law, Mei Zhou, to personally lead people to buy the shop in the Prefecture City as a move of one open and one hidden.

Of course, as an industry of the Cheng Mansion, the Mei Family Tavern was naturally looked after by the Cheng Mansion, and Mei Zhou was also happy to help his son-in-law open a shop to earn some silver for the Cheng Mansion.

After all, Meiniang was Cheng Feng's Principal Wife; with the pleas of his son-in-law and daughter, what else could Mei Zhou say?

Mei Zhou could also see that Cheng Feng was no longer an ordinary person; he had built such a large family business in just two years. For the sake of his daughter living with dignity in the Cheng Mansion, plus Cheng Feng opening chain taverns to promote the concept of the Mei Family Tavern,

Mei Zhou, who had never achieved anything in his life, agreed to it immediately.

The staff following Mei Zhou were all trained in the training grounds, and they were all honest people selected by Black Ear with clean backgrounds and families in Qingxi County.

After accepting the long-term mission, the Hong Sect sent people in batches, and under the influence of the three distinct fine wines—Spring Dawn, Summer Injury, and Autumn Sorrow—the brand of the Mei Family Tavern was successfully established.

All the information that could be found was that the Mei Family Tavern came from Qingxi County, the person in charge was Mei Zhou, the family background was clean, they had been doing business for generations, had experienced ups and downs, and had only become prosperous in recent years.

For those doing business, the investigation stopped here; even those with ulterior motives would not associate it with other places.

Where else could one find such a perfect resume? There was naturally a reason why Cheng Feng asked his father-in-law to come out of retirement.

Initially, he wanted to help Meiniang, and after taking advantage of the situation, he thought about earning silver through wine; in the end, he discovered that the greatest benefit was the reputation endorsement of the tavern operated by the Mei family for three generations.

Isn't this a coincidence?

It is an upright wine business, and no one can find any fault with it.

The situation of the Mei Family Tavern is very hidden, so hidden that only Wang Hu and Wei Zhuang know about it at the top level, and the rest are the disciples who followed Mei Zhou to expand.

If these disciples were rotated, it might not be certain, but the unified story for their families is that they went to the Prefecture City to open a shop with Old Master Mei.

Feel free to investigate!!!

Wang Hu admired Cheng Feng's deep foresight the most; he even used the background of his father-in-law's three generations of ancestors. How high must this vision be!!

And Mei Zhou was not just opening a tavern in the Prefecture City; he also had to use wine to attract some high-ranking officials and nobles.

As the saying goes, natural disasters and man-made calamities cannot reach imperial power and wealth.

This "reach" means to involve.

Outside, there were defeated soldiers and remnants, people trading children to eat, while inside the city, until the very last moment, there were still banquets and toasts.

Even if the Great Zhou was defeated in battle once again at this time, the richest people were still those children of high officials and the wealthy.

The common people? What money could the common people have?

Being able to afford white flour steamed buns is considered good; they still want to drink wine???

When Cheng Feng was drinking vegetable soup, he didn't dare to think in this direction.