Dominating Martial King
Chapter 282 - 282 203 Scattering the Enemies by Blustering Please Subscribe_2

282: Chapter 203: Scattering the Enemies by Blustering (Please Subscribe)_2 282: Chapter 203: Scattering the Enemies by Blustering (Please Subscribe)_2 Yunhe Manor was built on the mid-levels of the southern slope of Xishan and, although it did not have a fortified stronghold, the terrain was incredibly treacherous, making it an easily defended and difficult-to-assault location.

There were also three hundred house soldiers and five hundred manor guards within the estate.

However, the owner of Yunhe Manor, Cloud Crane Saber Yien Yang, along with his six Seventh Rank subordinates, had all perished at Wen Family Castle.

There were no experts left to hold the fort.

Chu Xisheng, leading Sikong Xin, Li Shenshan, Wei Yang, and others in a charge up the hill, effortlessly took Yunhe Manor.

In this battle, they did not suffer a single casualty.

The house guards inside Yunhe Manor were all in a state of panic, the soldiers devoid of fighting spirit, and the generals lacking the heart to battle.

Once the fighting started, they all fled towards the back mountain, nobody wanted to lay down their lives for Yunhe Manor.

If they could defend this place then so be it, but the key issue was they couldn’t hold it even if they sacrificed their own lives.

Chu Xisheng’s gains here were somewhat smaller.

They only found 130,000 taels of Demon Silver, seven thousand taels of Divine Gold, and approximately ninety thousand taels worth of various goods and weapons in the manor’s vault, plus 150,000 stones of grain and three hundred fifty hectares of prime farmland that were difficult to appraise on the spot and impossible to transfer ownership of immediately.

They stayed in the manor for a full 15 minutes, hastily looting Yunhe Manor before turning their attention to the Northern Town Dan Family.

The Dan Family was the third ranking landowner in West Mountain Town with ownership of four hundred eighty hectares, second only to the Sheen Family and Wen Family in size.

However, they were adept at business, monopolizing the local alcohol trade and owning a small iron mine; their family wealth was actually greater than Wen Tiance’s.

It was said that the family head, Dan Chiling, had Sixth-Grade cultivation, a master on par with Cloud Crane Saber.

This time when the local tyrants of Xishan joined hands to resist taxes, the Dan Family did not directly stand in the forefront.

Yet from Mei Niang, Chu Xisheng had learned that the Dan Family was using its influence to vigorously help the Wen Family and Sheen Family collaborate.

The coordinated defiance of these large clans and local tyrants of Xishan owed much to the efforts of the Dan Family.

Therefore, twenty days earlier, Chu Xisheng had entrusted the official documents of Zuo Qingyun to include the Northern Town Dan Family among those named within.

Chu Xisheng had firmly decided to wipe out the Dan Family as well.

However, as Chu Xisheng’s thousand-strong force was only halfway there, Dan Family Head Dan Chiling, along with a group of attendants, rode out to face Chu Xisheng’s troops.

At about forty years of age, Dan Chiling had a dignified and imposing presence.

Yet there he was, bare-chested, carrying a large bundle of thorns on his back.

After dismounting, he directly knelt before Chu Xisheng.

“Previously, I was traveling afar and failed to oversee the affairs of my household.

It is only upon my return today that I learned that my family’s unruly children and wicked servants were beguiled by Wen Tiance, conspiracy with the Wen Family, and were preparing to refuse tax payments, defying the laws of the court.

After becoming aware of this, I have come bearing thorns to beg for forgiveness.

I implore Master Chu for your great kindness, please forgive my family’s disrespect,” he said.

Chu Xisheng’s expression was gloomy, his eyes sharp and cold.

What nonsense about traveling afar and only just returning—this man was fooling ghosts!

If he forgave the Dan Family, he wouldn’t be able to recoup his costs!

The 340,000 taels he had borrowed earlier were to be repaid at a rate of over fourteen percent interest.

That is, for the 340,000 taels he had borrowed, he needed to repay nearly 500,000.

And at this moment, the gold and silver he had looted from the Wen Family and Yunhe Manor only amounted to about 500,000 taels—just enough to settle the debt.

Apart from that, he would have to take on all the tax liabilities.

Furthermore, his brothers in the Tangkou had put their lives on the line; as their Hall Master, how could he let them walk away with nothing?

Stealing a glance at Chu Xisheng’s face, Dan Chiling felt a slight sink in his heart.

“Master Chu, the Dan Family is willing to pay the spring taxes and personal duty taxes in full this year.

In addition, I am prepared to offer an extra compensation of ten thousand taels of Demon Silver and fifty thousand stones of rice as an apology.

I am also willing to pledge that from now on, my family will follow Master Chu’s orders without question,” he proposed.

Chu Xisheng’s face looked a bit better upon hearing this.

However, his eyes remained chillingly cold.

“About twelve days ago, I sent an accountant to collect taxes in Northern Town.

He was captured by masked men, publicly whipped, and even splattered with urine and feces.

Do you know who was responsible for this?” he asked.

“It was my family’s rebellious son who foolishly committed this act,” Dan Chiling suddenly stood up, strode over to his attendants, and forcibly dragged down a young man whose hands and feet were bound, and who had a towel stuffed in his mouth, from a horse.

He dragged the youth in front of Chu Xisheng and, without a word, chopped off his limbs.

Then, with one thrust of his knife, he pierced the youth’s Dantian, completely destroying his Eighth Rank cultivation.

“There are also five evil servants, including the steward of my family’s Outer Hall,” said Dan Chiling.

Turning his head, five people bound like rice dumplings were dragged down from the horse team behind him by a group of house guards.

The house guards were ruthlessly efficient, swiftly beheading these individuals.

With a solemn expression, Dan Chiling continued, “I am prepared to personally apologize to your accountant and, moreover, offer an additional thousand taels of Demon Silver as recompense.”

Chu Xisheng was inwardly astonished, thinking to himself that the Dan Family Head was indeed ruthless.

Without uttering a single word to his own flesh and blood, he had readily chopped off his limbs and destroyed his cultivation.

At this time, Lu Pingyuan whispered into Chu Xisheng’s ear, “That’s his legitimate son, Dan Wei, whose mother is the sister of Wen Tiance.

It is said that the couple has long been at odds, and there was a scandal in the Wen Family years ago; Dan Wei might not be his biological son.

Besides, he has five more talented illegitimate sons, all young and yet each with Seventh Rank cultivation.”

The implication was that Dan Chiling had been cuckolded and was not lacking for sons.