"Pay respects to Lord Governor!"

    Ouyang Kuangfeng led the Ouyang Family party in a salute, the only exception being the young man who remained stationary without any reaction whatsoever.

    "Hmph, Ouyang Kuangfeng, your Ouyang Family concealed a large Xuan Iron Vein and secretly mined it. Do you realize that this is a capital offence that could exterminate your entire clan?" Chen Tiansheng asked Ouyang Kuangfeng with a cold stare.

    "Lord Governor, my Ouyang Family truly knew nothing of this large vein, and this is all the doing of the Heavenly Slash Gang from Qingliang Mountain, which has no relation whatsoever to my Ouyang Family," Ouyang Kuangfeng replied gravely.

    Upon hearing this, Xu Nian cursed inwardly; Ouyang Kuangfeng was indeed crafty and cunning, resorting to denial without evidence.

    "Oh, is that so? Then how come I''ve heard that this Heavenly Slash Gang was supported by your Ouyang Family?" Chen Tiansheng looked at Ouyang Kuangfeng coldly, his gaze sharp and his voice filled with authority.

    He had anticipated Ouyang Kuangfeng''s denial, so he wasn''t surprised in the slightest.

    "That''s nonsense; the Heavenly Slash Gang has nothing to do with our Ouyang Family," Ouyang Kuangfeng flatly denied.

    "Really? Then how do you explain this? The handwriting on these letters is that of Ouyang Tian from your family." Xu Nian stepped forward, holding several letters in his hand.

    These letters, of course, were found by Xu Nian from Yuan Xiong''s storage ring.

    Normally, Yuan Xiong communicated with Ouyang Tian via letter, and after reading, he would immediately burn them, leaving no trace.

    However, upon Lin Ruolan''s reminder, worrying that the Ouyang Family might turn on him, Yuan Xiong kept a backup.

    He had retained some of the most recent important letters, which could prove the collusion between the Ouyang Family and the Heavenly Slash Gang and the secret mining of the large Xuan Iron Vein.

    As Ouyang Kuangfeng looked at the letters in Xu Nian''s hands, he felt an overwhelming urge to tear Xu Nian to pieces.

    However, with Chen Tiansheng standing protectively in front of Xu Nian, he dared not make any rash moves and could only glare fiercely at Xu Nian.

    Chen Tiansheng took the letters from Xu Nian''s hands and, after a brief glance, turned his gaze toward Ouyang Kuangfeng.

    Ouyang Kuangfeng''s expression was gloomy, and he avoided eye contact.

    "Just a few letters attempting to prove that the Ouyang Family committed treason seems rather hasty, doesn''t it? You claim the letters are written by Ouyang Tian, but how can you prove it? Ouyang Tian is dead; there''s no witness to dispute that. Besides, handwriting can be forged. What if the Heavenly Slash Gang Leader Yuan Xiong deliberately framed us? Would that not wrong the Ouyang Family?"

    At that moment, the prideful young man who had been standing in the crowd stepped forward and spoke.

    Were they one of the so-called Four Great Families?

    Xu Nian now thought back to his agreement with Leng Yanran.

    Two years?

    In two years, what level could he reach, and could he really contend with such a powerful family?

    "In fact, even if I had taken the risk of offending the Ye Family and forcibly kept the Ouyang Family here, it would have been futile. That young man''s identity is extremely complex; a powerful person in the shadows was protecting him, and the moment I made a move, that person would have certainly intervened, and I am not confident that I could have handled them," Chen Tiansheng said with a smile, but his smile carried a trace of bitterness.

    Hearing this, Xu Nian was full of emotion.

    In the past, a Prefectural Governor, in his eyes, was all-powerful, a person who held the power of life and death. Now, it seemed there were many things even Chen Tiansheng could not face, such as those Four Great Families.

    "Alright, let''s head back. You successfully eradicated the Heavenly Slash Gang and perfectly completed the mission. I will report the news of the large ore vein to the Imperial Family, and then leave the rest for them to handle," Chen Tiansheng said with a smile. Then he patted his rotund belly and walked down the mountain with Xu Nian.

    Xu Nian looked at Chen Tiansheng''s smiling face and suddenly understood something.

    It was not that the Governor Mansion hadn''t discovered the Ouyang Family''s concealment of the large ore vein; rather, Chen Tiansheng had turned a blind eye to it, deliberately choosing not to know.

    Otherwise, with the intelligence network of the Governor Mansion, finding out the inner workings of the Heavenly Slash Gang would have been a piece of cake.

    And by taking on this mission, he had become the agent of chaos, with Battle Mansion going with the flow and exposing the Ouyang Family''s secrets.

    On one hand, it was a test from Battle Mansion, and on the other, it was Chen Tiansheng''s test for him.

    Moreover, it seemed that Chen Tiansheng was quite satisfied with his actions.

    "Xu Nian, you are the top of the Academy competition and have earned three days to study with me. Once you return and complete the task, heal your wounds, and then come to my mansion. I have something to teach you and also a favor to ask," Chen Tiansheng suddenly stopped, speaking seriously to Xu Nian.

    "A favor to ask of me?" Xu Nian asked in surprise.

    The Prefectural Governor actually needed his help?

    But Chen Tiansheng''s next words made Xu Nian understand, though it also deepened his confusion.

    "It''s about Wudi, he needs your help!" Chen Tiansheng said again, his eyes showing a hint of earnest pleading.