Chapter 271: The Four Great Families

Lin Hai City.

Bustling and lively.

As the nearest prefecture city to the sea, Lin Hai City attracted many martial artists to head to the sea area to search for treasures.

After entering the city, even though Lin Chen was in the carriage, he felt the sound of breaking air above his head. This was martial artists flying directly into the city from above.

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. When he read the introduction books of other countries, they mentioned one point: almost all ranked martial artists in the other eight nations, except for the Da Liang, had a privilege, which was that they could fly into the city.

The only difference was that for important cities like a country's capital, there would be requirements for the martial artist's rank.

However, in the Da Liang, except in emergencies, no martial artist could fly directly into the city; they could only walk through the city gate.

The carriage drove on the street, and pedestrians on both sides took the initiative to give way.

Half an hour later, the carriage drove in from a side door of a mansion.

"Young Master Gu, we have arrived."

"I have troubled you, Senior."

Lin Chen got off the carriage and expressed his gratitude to the old man.

"Young Master Gu, rest in the courtyard for a while. I will go notify the Miss."

The old man nodded with a smile and turned to walk out of the courtyard.

A quarter of an hour later, there were footsteps at the courtyard entrance. However, seeing the several figures appearing at the entrance, Lin Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

"My Lord!"

At the entrance, the moment Yu Qing saw Lin Chen, tears instantly rolled down.

"Miss Dan, what is the meaning of this?"

Lin Chen looked at Dan Dan Muqing with a sunken face. Dan Dan Muqing sighed: "Young Master Gu, the Zhuang family found out that you helped the Yu family and rushed to the medical hall to capture Yu Shan. I was a step late and only managed to bring back Yu Qing and her younger brother."

"My helping the Yu family was just a matter of convenience."

"For you, Young Master Gu, it was just a matter of convenience, but the Zhuang family doesn't think so."

Dan Dan Muqing had already learned from Yu Qing how Lin Chen and the Yu siblings became involved, and in her heart, she had an extra strand of good feeling toward Lin Chen.

Very few ranked martial artists in Zhao Guo would care about the life or death of a bottom-level fisherman. If they happened to encounter them, they would at most take action to save them. If they had sympathy, they would at most give some silver, but they would never send them to a medical hall.

But at the same time, Dan Dan Muqing also had doubts in her heart. She originally judged that Gu Fei's family had encountered a change, leading to a shortage of money. But if there was a shortage of money, how could he give ten gold to Yu Qing's family, whom he didn't know at all?

Giving ten gold on a whim was completely not the behavior of someone short of money.

But if he wasn't short of money, why would he sell the Canglan Bead?

Unless Gu Fei had many Canglan Beads and didn't care about having one more or one less.

But Dan Dan Muqing immediately dismissed this thought. Even the clan's treasury only had thirty Canglan Beads.

It wasn't that the clan didn't have money, but because Canglan Beads were not enough for martial artists to consume. Although they sold for one hundred gold in the shop, most of the time there was no stock.

Lin Chen didn't know that because he gave Yu Qing ten gold, Dan Dan Muqing was full of confusion. At this moment, he had anger in his heart, especially seeing the tear stains on Yu Qing's face.

He saved Yu Shan, but because of him, Yu Shan was plunged into danger again.

"Sorry!"

Lin Chen looked at Yu Qing. Hearing this, Yu Qing hurriedly wiped away the tears on her face: "Young Master Gu, I don't blame you. If it weren't for you taking action to save me, my brother would have lost his life to the fish demon long ago."

Yu Qing didn't blame Lin Chen. She knew very well that if it weren't for this Gu Lord, her big brother would have lost his life to the fish demon, not to mention that this Gu Lord had also given her family so much silver.

She hated... she hated the Zhuang family.

"I see you are somewhat haggard. Go and rest first."

Looking at Yu Qing wiping away her tears and shaking her head, Lin Chen remained silent for a long time before speaking.

"Miss Yu, your family has encountered a change. I'm afraid your younger brother cannot leave you."

Dan Dan Muqing spoke up from the side. She knew that Gu Fei had something to discuss with her privately.

Yu Qing nodded and left the courtyard entrance led by a maid. Lin Chen watched Yu Qing's departing back and looked at Dan Dan Muqing: "How is Yu Shan now?"

"Dead!"

Lin Chen's pupils contracted. The Zhuang family captured Yu Shan, which was nothing more than feeling that he had a relationship with the Yu family and wanting to use Yu Shan to lure him out. Before luring him out, how could they kill Yu Shan?

"The Zhuang family didn't think you would appear because of Yu Shan. Capturing Yu Shan was just to vent their anger, and Yu Shan was already injured. Not long after being taken away by the Zhuang family, he died."

Dan Dan Muqing sighed lightly. Lin Chen was enlightened...

The Zhuang family's analysis was correct. Regardless of whether he had a relationship with the Yu family, it was impossible for him to throw himself into the net because of Yu Shan.

"Miss Dan, regarding the four-family competition you mentioned earlier, I wonder if you can tell me in detail."

For Lin Chen, he originally didn't intend to intervene in the grievances and disputes of the various great families in Zhao Guo, only wanting to return to the Da Liang quickly. However, the matter of Yu Shan made him change his mind.

"If Young Master Gu wants to know, I will naturally tell you everything I know."

Hearing Lin Chen mention the four-family competition, Dan Dan Muqing had a strand of joy in her eyes. It seemed that the Zhuang family's actions had completely angered Gu Fei.

"In Lin Hai City, my Dan family, the Zhuang family, and two other families are collectively known as the four great families. This is not only because the strength of our four families is the strongest, but also because the ancestors of our four families were once disciples of the same sect."

Between Dan Dan Muqing's red lips opening and closing, Lin Chen finally understood what the four-family competition was about.

Zhao Guo is different from the Da Liang. The imperial court of Zhao Guo does not directly govern each prefecture.

The imperial court only established a tax office in each prefecture, and each prefecture only needs to hand over the tax silver and resources to the imperial court on time.

As for which force governs the prefecture city, the imperial court does not care.

The ancestors of the four great families of Lin Hai City were all fellow disciples of the same sect several hundred years ago. It was only later that the sect encountered a change and disbanded, and these four fellow disciples settled down in Lin Hai City and created their own families.

Because they were fellow disciples, the four great families initially united to deal with other forces, and it only took less than a few decades for the four great families to become the four strongest forces in Lin Hai City.

Originally, other forces existed in Lin Hai City, and the four great families could still work together. But as other forces were either destroyed or surrendered, Lin Hai City fell into the hands of the four great families, and conflicts of interest appeared among the four great families.

However, the four great families did not choose to go to all-out war to decide the dominant position of Lin Hai City. For one thing, they were afraid that while they were fighting internally, other forces from other prefectures would take advantage of the situation. For another, it was because the strength of the four great families was equal, and no one had the strength to annex the other.

In the end, after consultation, the four families adopted another method to distribute interests.

Competition!

The four great families hold a competition every ten years, letting the descendants under twenty years old in the clan participate in the competition, and finally, according to the ranking, divide the resources of Lin Hai City.

At the beginning, the competition of the four great families only allowed descendants of each clan to compete. But because of this rule, often before the competition started, the descendants of each clan, especially the genius descendants, would always be assassinated.

Although each clan knew that it was inevitably the work of the other three clans, because they couldn't determine which clan it was, they could only endure it.

Moreover, everyone did this, and no one was clean.

In the first few competitions, the genius descendants of the four great families fell very quickly. If this continued, the four great families themselves would decline.

For this reason, the four great families finally changed the competition rules. Each great family is allowed to find young geniuses from other clans to participate in the competition.

Each family has a total of ten competition spots, but a maximum of five spots are allowed for geniuses from other clans.

"How do you compete?"

"Go to the land of the ancestors, which is the site of the sect where our four families' ancestors were. There are many demon beasts in that site. Whoever kills the most demon beasts and obtains the most and most precious demon cores will have the highest points, and finally, the ranking will be conducted according to the points."

Killing demon beasts?

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes. He had originally thought that the competition was something like a ring match.

"Young Master Gu, I am not boasting. Every time our four great families hold a competition, many martial artists want to get this spot. The demon beasts in the site are much weaker compared to the outside world, and there are no middle-grade demon beasts. As long as you don't go deep into the hinterland, most of the demon beasts you encounter are solitary Ninth-Rank demon beasts."

"The demon cores obtained by martial artists from other clans entering the site will not be taken back by our four great families."

Dan Dan Muqing looked at Lin Chen, and Lin Chen nodded. If what Dan Dan Muqing said was true, then this site would indeed attract many martial artists.

Most of the demon beasts in the Nine Nations are gregarious and inhabit mountain ranges, and many have middle-grade or even high-grade demon race experts sitting in them. Wanting to kill demon beasts to obtain demon cores is like pulling chestnuts from the fire, and if one is not careful, one might lose one's life.

And the ancestral land of the four great families has solitary demon beasts, and there are no middle-grade demon beasts. Even if one encounters a relatively strong demon beast, one can escape if one cannot kill it.

It is simply a natural and excellent place for adventure.

"Miss Dan, according to the situation you described, it shouldn't be difficult for your Dan family to find five genius disciples from other clans."

"If they are ordinary disciples from other clans, it is naturally not difficult."

Dan Dan Muqing shook her head: "But the ancestral land site has a seal, only allowing martial artists under twenty years old to enter. Those over twenty cannot enter. This is also why I inquired about Young Master Gu's age earlier."

"If Young Master Gu is willing to represent my Dan family in this competition, just state any conditions you have."

Dan Dan Muqing had a look of anticipation in her eyes. If she originally only felt that Gu Fei had this qualification, after the two Zhuang brothers were killed, she was already very certain that Gu Fei absolutely had the qualification to occupy a spot.

"When does the competition start?" Lin Chen didn't rush to agree, but continued to ask: "Since the Zhuang family is hunting me, once I participate in the competition, what if my identity is exposed?"

"The competition will start in five days. Young Master Gu need not worry about the Zhuang family's matter. With my Dan family protecting you, the Zhuang family cannot do anything to Young Master Gu."

"I need a guarantee."

"I can swear in the name of the Dan family's ancestors."

Dan Dan Muqing raised her hand and, without any hesitation, swore a solemn oath in front of Lin Chen.

After Dan Dan Muqing finished swearing, Lin Chen nodded: "I can participate in this competition."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 274 =====