The martial arts sects attending the meeting did not expect that Su Xin would only mention two rules and let them leave.This was far less demanding than they had anticipated.
The first rule was for the Six Fan Sects to organize a life-and-death duel and act as impartial witnesses to resolve disputes between two sects.This rule not only granted authority and prestige to the Six Fan Sects but also prevented the two sects from mutually destroying each other.
The second rule was not too unreasonable.After all,the Six Fan Sects originally had supervisory powers,but under the intentional manipulation of the Golden Martial Alliance,their authority in the Jiangnan region was lost,and major martial arts forces began to ignore them.So,Su Xin's two rules were somewhat mutually beneficial,and the martial arts forces wouldn't suffer any losses.
In fact,when they came,they were prepared for Su Xin to make significant demands.Despite three previous invitations from Su Xin,they had not taken him seriously.Now that Su Xin had the upper hand,they expected him to make substantial demands.However,Su Xin surprised them by not proposing anything too unreasonable.
After everyone else had left,Wen Mingyu sighed and said to Su Xin,"Lord Su,what you did today exceeded my imagination.I thought it would be a tense situation,but things turned out to be so smooth."
Su Xin shook his head and said,"The enemies of the Six Fan Sects have never been these second-rate forces.They don't even have the qualifications to challenge us.Provoking them for some trivial gain would be unwise."
Su Xin's real enemies in the Jiangnan region were the three major first-rate forces.After the recent extermination of five sects,his reputation was already strong enough.Continuing to push would only lead to a backlash,forcing the entire martial arts forces in the Jiangnan region to resist the Six Fan Sects.
Su Xin had finally managed to completely divide them,and he wouldn't let them unite against the Six Fan Sects again.
"All right,now we can report to the higher-ups.The Jiangnan region is pacified from now on,"Su Xin said with a light smile.
In the following days,Su Xin didn't stay idle.He planned to select a group of elites with Li Huai to strengthen his core team.These were his trusted subordinates,and careful selection was necessary.
Even before Su Xin could report the information to the higher-ups,the headquarters of the Six Fan Sects had already obtained detailed intelligence through their spy network in the Jiangnan region.Although the Jiangnan region's intelligence department had been destroyed before,the Six Fan Sects had ruthlessly drawn the most elite spy organization from elsewhere,restructuring the intelligence network and making it several times stronger than before.
In the dark hall of the Six Fan Sects headquarters in Shengjing City,a person hidden in the darkness sat on a chair made of bronze,carved into the shape of a soaring eagle.Although the hall was dim,his sharp gaze couldn't be concealed.
There were four others hidden in the darkness,their auras restrained but still exuding a terrifying power.
The person at the top carefully examined the intelligence in his hands,and each of the other four also held a copy of the intelligence.
After a while,the person at the top,with a slightly deep voice,asked,"The intelligence from the Jiangnan region has been delivered.What do you all think of what Su Xin has done?"
As soon as he finished speaking,a wild laughter echoed from below.
"What else could he have done?Of course,he deserves heavy rewards!In less than two months,he played with all the martial sects in the Jiangnan region,not only reviving the prestige of the Six Fan Sects but also making our strength stronger than before.Even a Nascent Soul realm martial artist couldn't achieve such results as the chief constable!"
At this point,a clear and pleasant voice spoke,"Tie Zhan,you can't blindly praise Su Xin just because he's your recommendation.While Su Xin has indeed achieved something in the Jiangnan region,the impact he has on the Six Fan Sects is not small.Firstly,although he has strengthened his own power,the people he recruited are all former bandits.Many martial sects now accuse us of colluding with bandits,and even some ministers in the court have voiced criticism.Secondly,his ruthless slaughter of five second-rate martial arts forces in the Jiangnan region is excessive.Our current strength is not enough,and we should try to keep a low profile.His actions have stimulated the martial arts forces in other regions,making them more wary of us.The relationship between our sects has become more tense,making the tasks of the Six Fan Sects constables in other regions more difficult than before."
Sitting across from him,Tie Zhan's expression was hidden in the darkness,but the others could still feel the explosive anger emanating from him.
"Liu Fengwu,have you forgotten your origins?In the past,when you,from Wutong Mountain,competed with Taihang Mountain,you were pursued by the experts of Taihang Mountain's Thirty-Six Knife Hall,forced to join our Six Fan Sects.We all come from a bandit background.It's ridiculous that you now look down on others!"
As for those who criticize,they are nothing but cynics.Listening to them talk is as useless as farting!"Iron War spoke in a low,cold voice,"As for your claim that Su Xin's bloodbath of five forces affected the other six branches,that's utter nonsense!It's downright nauseating!We,the Six Gates,rose to prominence not through virtue and morality,but through iron and blood,with swords and blades!
Other branches of the Six Gates are weak and incompetent,being ridden upon by local martial sects.Now that someone capable has emerged to control the situation,you accuse him of being too ruthless.What kind of logic is that?"Iron War directly cursed,but Liu Fengwu did not get angry.He just looked at the person at the top and said,"Sir,the Six Gates has never been a dictatorship.Since there are different opinions,let's vote by raising hands."
After a moment of contemplation,the person at the top uttered a single word,"Agreed."Liu Fengwu smiled lightly,"Alright,I propose to postpone the discussion on rewarding Su Xin due to too much controversy.What do you all think?"
Among the remaining three people,aside from Iron War who did not move,the other two silently raised their hands.Iron War's face was hidden in the darkness.Although he didn't speak,the heavy atmosphere around him conveyed one emotion–anger.
Liu Fengwu's face showed a slight smile.He and the other two saluted the person at the top and left the dark hall.Iron War remained silent for a while and said,"I don't agree.This time,I pushed Su Xin to the position of the chief constable of Jiangnan Dao.He achieved results,but now I have to break my promise.How can I face my subordinates in the future?"
The person at the top gently sighed and said,"Endure!"Iron War nodded,walked out of the hall in silence,and the hall,devoid of any light,returned to silence.
At this moment,Su Xin was unaware that the higher-ups of the Six Gates were having a debate and discussion about rewarding him.He was currently traveling through the various major prefectures of Jiangnan Dao,selecting elite individuals suitable for his cause.
Su Xin's criteria for selecting personnel were not based solely on martial skills and potential but on character.However,he wasn't looking for blind loyalty;he sought ambitious individuals.Ambition provided the drive to move forward.Even if one lacked natural talent,the ample resources of the Six Gates could compensate.
Having ambition didn't mean being greedy.Greedy individuals were foolish and would meet their end sooner.Su Xin needed to eliminate such people.Therefore,the selection process was slow.It took over ten days for them to barely cover half of Jiangnan Dao.
In Qingyang Prefecture,Su Xin and his group had just chosen a few promising constables from among the many.Huang Bingcheng approached Su Xin and whispered,"Boss,the Fei family knows you're here and wants to invite you to a banquet."
Su Xin raised an eyebrow and asked,"Oh,what's their background?"During their travels,Su Xin and his group had interacted with various martial forces in Jiangnan Dao.Although most portrayed a facade of loyalty to the court,some forces were bold enough to approach Su Xin for cooperation.
However,Su Xin usually left such matters to Huang Bingcheng to handle.This time,the mention of the Fei family made him curious.
"Boss,the Fei family is the number one aristocratic family in Qingyang Prefecture.The two brothers,'Smiling Ghost'Fei Luo and'Night Weeping God'Fei Mo,are both Martial Gods.In terms of strength,the Fei family is considered top-tier among the second-rate forces in Jiangnan Dao."
Su Xin pondered for a moment and asked,"What did they say they want with me?"Huang Bingcheng shook his head,"They only said they want to invite you to a banquet."
Su Xin thought for a moment and said,"Alright,let's go then."The Fei family's strength in Qingyang Prefecture was considered above average.Since they specifically sought him out,there was likely more to it than just a simple invitation.
As Su Xin and his entourage headed towards the Fei family,someone in the crowd at a street corner,though far away,observed them with a sinister gaze.
