Today’s Rongcheng was quite lively, with citizens occasionally seeing peculiar individuals in strange attire on the streets.
Some wore ill-fitting Taoist robes, others carried banners for fortune-telling and selling medicine, and some simply played the erhu for money on the street. Even stranger were those giving away cleavers for free.
Their appearances also brought more vibrancy to the streets and alleys of Rongcheng. Performers, acrobats, and puppeteers could be seen every few blocks, making it all very festive.
The most bustling, however, was the Minjiao stronghold.
"Leader of the Xinghuo Gang, Li Chongxi, has arrived~~~"
At the entrance of the stronghold, the welcoming motorcade slowly came to a halt. Li Chongxi stepped out of the car and, seeing how the Minjiao was situated in such a propitious location, with a brand-new stronghold, couldn't help but feel a surge of envy.
The Xinghuo Gang's current stronghold was in Chang'an, borrowing the territory of Master Qin Liu in the Xiaodong Gate. It consisted of old residential buildings, which simply couldn't compare to Xihu in Rongcheng.
As for Cui Yu and the others, they were even worse off, still living in a crematorium. They earned money by cremating corpses during the day and could only rest and exchange insights at night.
As soon as everyone got out of the cars, Yan Shouyi, leading his companions, came out to greet them.
"Senior Li!"
Yan Shouyi called out loudly from a distance. Li Chongxi also broke into a smile, "Shouyi, long time no see!"
"Welcome to Minjiao!" Yan Shouyi shook hands with Li Chongxi and then noticed the group standing behind Li Chongxi.
Cui Yu, the embalmer from the crematorium, Xu Qian, the night watchman, Huang Ying, the storyteller…
Most of those who came were from the new generation. His relationship with them was also closer and more familiar, indicating that Li Chongxi had come with the greatest goodwill to support Yan Shouyi.
Yan Shouyi greeted them one by one.
"Wow, Brother Yan, the feng shui here is too good!" Cui Yu did not hide his astonishment and envy. If it weren't for the foundation his grandmother left him in Qiantang, he might have wished to stay in Rongcheng and join Minjiao.
Xu Qian and Huang Ying also marveled. Xu Qian said wistfully,
"Looks like I need to find a rich woman too…"
Huang Ying shot Xu Qian a look, "Are you hinting at Yan Shouyi with your words?"
"I didn't mean it like that…"
"Hahaha!" Yan Shouyi laughed and patted Xu Qian's shoulder, "I found my sugar mama through my own abilities, what's there to hide? Xu Qian, want me to teach you a few tricks?"
Xu Qian's eyes lit up, "Really?"
Yan Shouyi raised his index finger, "The secret is just one: be handsome."
"Then I should be safe," Xu Qian said shamelessly.
Huang Ying rolled her eyes beside them. Yan Shouyi noticed that this girl, Huang Ying, seemed to have a soft spot for Xu Qian.
If these two could get together, they would be a "match made in heaven."
"Everyone, let's not stand outside. Come in and have a seat!"
Yan Shouyi beckoned everyone into the Minjiao stronghold, introducing them to the various locations and facilities along the way. Li Chongxi could still manage his expressions, while the younger generation wore expressions of constant amazement, their envy clearly written on their faces.
The Minjiao stronghold was funded by the Lin family and designed and built by the Yan family, a true collaboration of titans. A stronghold of this scale and luxury was likely unmatched anywhere else in the world.
After escorting Li Chongxi to the assembly hall, Li Chongxi seemed to have something to say. So Yan Shouyi asked Wang Ji to continue showing the others around while he spoke with Li Chongxi privately.
After dismissing the attendants, Li Chongxi first let out a sigh.
Yan Shouyi knew what Li Chongxi was sighing about. After returning from Changbaishan, he had informed Li Chongxi about Li Genmiao being possessed by the National Teacher. As Li Genmiao's father, Li Chongxi's feelings were naturally heavy.
Regardless of whether Li Genmiao was good or bad, he was still Li Chongxi's flesh and blood.
However, upon learning that Li Genmiao had died in the Tianchi Lake of Changbaishan, Li Chongxi felt a sense of release and, at the same time, gained a target for revenge – the National Teacher.
Therefore, Li Chongxi was incredibly supportive of Yan Shouyi this time. From the perspective of a successor of a folk sect and from the perspective of a father, Li Chongxi's goals and Yan Shouyi's goals were completely aligned.
"Now you have the support of the Xinghuo Gang, and Wushen Mountain is in your pocket. All that remains are Hongyá Cave and the Changlin Army."
Li Chongxi asked slowly, "How much do you know about Zhou Yan and Hou Jingchen?"
Yan Shouyi shook his head, "My information is limited. Does Senior Li have any insights?"
"I have spent some time with both of them and understand them somewhat. That's why I came a bit earlier today, to tell you about their situations and to help you prepare psychologically."
Yan Shouyi immediately straightened his posture, "Please, Senior, go ahead."
"Let's talk about Hou Jingchen first. Hou Jingchen is a night watchman whose ancestors produced three commanding generals. This person is upright and incorruptible, full of integrity, but he's a bit stubborn and sometimes unreasonable. To have a fair conversation with him, the best method is to convince him with reason."
"Convince him with reason? Didn't Senior say Hou Jingchen is unreasonable?" Yan Shouyi asked doubtfully.
"The reason I'm talking about is physical reason," Li Chongxi chuckled, "Beat him first, and then this fellow will seriously listen to you."
Yan Shouyi coughed twice.
If that were the case, he had nothing to worry about. With his current strength, he was not afraid of not being able to deal with Hou Jingchen.
"Hou Jingchen is not greedy for power and still has his original intentions. I don't think it will be difficult to gain his support. The troublesome one is Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan is a suona player, a true grassroots individual from the lower strata. Later, he climbed step by step by organizing various folk sects, stepping on others' heads. He played the greatest role in the downfall of the Wudu Chihuá Association, which is why he soared to prominence and founded Hongyá Cave."
"From my understanding of Zhou Yan, this person is a smiling tiger. When you meet, he will definitely claim to support and submit, but he will always find excuses to procrastinate. Talking to him is like playing Tai Chi; it will have no effect unless you hit the vital points."
Yan Shouyi understood, but he had already prepared himself psychologically. After all, unifying the folk sects affected countless people's interests, and encountering resistance was normal.
He humbly sought advice, "Senior Li, do you have any suggestions regarding Zhou Yan?"
Li Chongxi pondered for a moment and said,
"Zhou Yan is sophisticated. His strengths are also his weaknesses. If you win over Hou Jingchen, it will be equivalent to grasping the overwhelming trend of the folk sects. Zhou Yan definitely won't oppose you mindlessly. At that time, as long as you offer him appealing conditions, he will certainly agree without hesitation."
In other words, Zhou Yan was a fickle opportunist. If Yan Shouyi failed to gain Hou Jingchen's support, Zhou Yan would probably not yield. Conversely, he would be much easier to deal with.
Ultimately, it all came down to winning over Hou Jingchen.
"Have you figured out how to deal with Hou Jingchen?" Li Chongxi asked.
Yan Shouyi thought for a moment and tentatively replied, "A friend comes from afar, even if he is far away, we must defeat him?"