Chapter Fifty-Four: Strategic Planning

When there were benefits to be gained, everyone naturally became excited, and they would surely be more focused when carrying out their tasks from then on.

Xu Feng’s mastery of human nature was truly unparalleled. Having just arrived, if he had used forceful methods to make everyone submit to him, it would have inevitably bred resentment.

But now was different; after receiving benefits, everyone would stand united on the same front.

Moreover, this was only the first time—there might be other rewards to come.

The crowd enthusiastically divided the silver, and seeing that nothing had gone awry, Hong Lian came up to Xu Feng teasingly.

“Lord Xu, you wield such official power with great skill. In just a few words, you’ve got so many of my men under control—I almost suspect you’re a spy from the Demon Sect; only those from the Demon Sect speak with such sharp tongues.”

Hong Lian had brought her people from the capital to this place, where relations were more like those between superior and subordinate. Unexpectedly, less than half a month after Xu Feng’s arrival, both sides had already become close.

She was well aware that once they received benefits from Xu Feng, though not necessarily wholeheartedly loyal, their efficiency in carrying out tasks would certainly increase. He had indeed seen people correctly.

“That’s nothing—just a bit of silver. However much we send out now, we can recover from Sword Wind Mountain later. No need to be stingy. You can’t expect the horse to run and at the same time have it graze on the mountain by itself, can you?”

Xu Feng crossed his arms, smiling with a hint of mockery.

For him, money was utterly useless; what he valued more was the enhancement of strength.

Getting things done well was the most important.

They had now firmly established their footing in Gusu City, and there was still much to come. Sword Wind Mountain and the county magistrate definitely wouldn’t give up easily, and the Six Doors were lurking ominously in the shadows.

Under such circumstances, there must be no mistakes within their own ranks. Xu Feng did not want to see any hypocritical compliance.

Upon hearing this, Hong Lian blushed with annoyance and began to playfully chase after Xu Feng. After some fun, they stopped.

Hong Lian then spoke seriously, “I’m not complaining, but what you just said is best kept within our own territory. You must never let it get out; otherwise, the court officials will surely brand you a treacherous villain.”

In Xu Feng’s eyes, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was the emperor’s claw and fang. Though everyone knew this to be true, it was not something to be openly stated.

The court’s censors were skilled with their words, able to kill with a tongue. If things went badly, even the emperor would not be able to protect him.

“Don’t worry, I know my limits. I won’t mention it in front of outsiders,” Xu Feng assured.

The crowd quickly divided the silver, some even wanting more.

“Sir, should I take the brothers to check other gambling dens? Those honest-seeming closed shops might not be clean. We should check their ledgers first.”

With just a few words, Xu Feng had altered the behavior of the men under Hong Lian’s command, a testament to his cunning.

This was the true style of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—no hesitation, kill when necessary, arrest when needed. But for now, they must not act rashly. Another round of plunder would break Xu Feng’s plan, so they had to lay low for a while.

“Tell the brothers not to be too eager. Don’t be greedy. There will be plenty of opportunities if they follow me. We must give them some breathing space.”

Seeing that Xu Feng had no intention to continue, the men reluctantly ceased, discussing where to enjoy themselves next.

Xu Feng placed no restrictions on their private actions. Having received silver, they naturally wanted to spend it, and as long as they didn’t cause trouble outside, there was no problem.

After parting from the men, Xu Feng and Hong Lian entered the guardhouse to discuss their next moves.

“What are you really thinking? Can you tell me your complete plan now?”

“From the ledgers we found in the city, we can make a rough judgment: most of the gambling dens are backed by Sword Wind Mountain. The Six Doors and the county magistrate are also involved. The combined strength of the three is a significant pressure on us.”

Although Xu Feng’s orders had forced them to close their gambling dens, it did not mean they feared the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They simply did not want to suffer losses without cause.

If they made no further moves, the other side would surely return, rendering their recent efforts wasted.

“Be patient. You know how those three groups are united tightly against the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Our job is to unravel that rope and then defeat each faction one by one.”

Xu Feng remained calm throughout; the situation was still under his control. For now, neither the county magistrate nor the Six Doors could threaten them.

As for Sword Wind Mountain, without its two allies, it was but a small ant before the court. At most, a slightly larger ant—crushing it was just a matter of a finger snap.

Xu Feng had no intention of acting personally; he planned to let the factions fight among themselves.

“You’re not planning to ally with one side, are you?”

Hong Lian was shocked. She had roughly understood Xu Feng’s style by now—he never cared about the process, only the result.

Yet, Xu Feng had his own bottom line.

As long as that line wasn’t crossed, he could do anything.

“It’s not an alliance, just letting the wolves devour the tigers.”

“You must be careful. These people are no pushovers; they have entrenched themselves in Gusu City for many years. Their strength cannot be underestimated. If we let down our guard, we will fall into their traps.”

Hong Lian did not intend to criticize Xu Feng’s plan, just offered a warning, to which Xu Feng nodded in acknowledgment.

“Have you already sent someone to make contact with them?”

“Of course not. There’s no need for us to appear. If I’m right, someone will soon come knocking at our door.”

Xu Feng raised his teacup and took a small sip.

The closure of many gambling dens had a great impact on certain people. Sooner or later, they would lose patience and come looking for trouble. Once accustomed to luxury, they could never endure hardship.

“What if no one shows up for a long time?”

“How about a bet? If no one comes before sunset tomorrow, I will unconditionally agree to your three requests; if someone does, you must agree to mine.”

Hong Lian would not fall for his trap. Though she didn’t know why Xu Feng was so confident, she knew he never acted without reason.

“Don’t kid yourself. You want to set a trap for me? I’m curious to see if you’re really as capable as you say. I can wait a day.”

At the county office, several days had passed. The county magistrate had long lost his initial composure and was now quite agitated.

Those attending him knew how bad his temper had been lately, yelling and beating servants at the slightest provocation, making everyone afraid to approach.

“Sir, we must think of a way. We’ve lost a lot of income these days with the closures. If this continues, we won’t even be able to pay this year’s tribute. The higher-ups will surely blame us.”

“I think we should try to make contact with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”

After reviewing the ledgers of recent days, Wang Qingshan reported to the county magistrate.