Martial Arts: I Have a Wilderness World-Chapter 76: Gate Valve, Noble Family, Noble Race, Strongmen

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Gate Valve, Noble Family, Noble Race, Strongmen

Cheng Zongyang was quite shaken after listening to Li Lu’s detailed explanation of the Martial Arts realms.

Before, he had no access to this information and knew nothing about it.

Now that he understood, he finally realized just how long the path of Martial Arts was!

The strongest known expert in Jade Peak County was only at the Seventh Grade Bone Forging Realm. This showed that a Martial Artist’s Cultivation was perhaps not as easy as he had imagined.

’It’s only easy for me because I have a cheat!’

’Cheaters can’t be judged by common sense!’

"Uncle Li, you know so much. Where did you hear all this?" Cheng Zongyang asked, keeping pace beside Li Lu.

It was a rare opportunity to interact with someone so knowledgeable about Jade Peak County. Right now, Cheng Zongyang was like a sponge, constantly absorbing the "knowledge" he lacked.

"I heard it from the chief. Only a Ninth Grade Martial Artist can serve as a constable, and a Chief Constable is Eighth Grade. In our spare time, we all ask the chief about Martial Arts matters. So naturally, we know a few things."

"What about Noble Families and Noble Races? You just said the four great families in the county aren’t Noble Families, but Noble Races. What’s the difference?"

Li Lu paused, deep in thought.

"How should I put this... Let me think. It’s quite complicated to explain. Of course, I heard it from my chief, too. But his explanation was very complex, so I can’t tell you the whole story." He said this as he started walking again.

Hearing this, Cheng Zongyang smiled. "No worries. If it’s that complicated, it’s fine if you don’t explain."

"I’ve got it." Suddenly, Li Lu smiled. "A Noble Race, you can think of it as a family that’s rich and has Martial Artists, but not many scholars. They don’t have officials in the government and lack a deep foundation."

"A Noble Family is rich, has scholars, has Martial Artists, and has family members serving as officials in the Imperial Court for over a hundred years. They have a deep foundation."

After pondering for a moment, Cheng Zongyang laughed. "That’s a simple and clear way to put it. It really makes the distinction easy."

Li Lu chuckled, stopped walking, and lowered his voice beside Cheng Zongyang. "The way I see it, a Noble Race is just new money. A Noble Family is what you get after a family that struck it rich spends many years cultivating their status."

After saying his piece, he started walking again.

"Hahaha, crude, but true!" Cheng Zongyang laughed.

"Today’s Noble Races used to be either Martial Arts Halls or family-run Gangs. Gangs and Martial Arts Halls are pretty much classified as Strongmen, so it’s rare for a Noble Race to have developed from a small family. But..." Li Lu gave a mysterious smile. "Strongmen, Noble Races, Noble Families... in the eyes of ordinary people like us, they’re unshakeable powers we can only look up to. But in the eyes of a Gate Valve, they are all just vassals!"

This time, Cheng Zongyang was stunned. He frowned and said, "Noble Families are just vassals? Just how powerful are those Gate Valves?"

Li Lu smiled. "I don’t know the specifics. Everything I know comes from my superior, and this is all he knows, too. I’ve only heard that the power of a Gate Valve can influence the Imperial Court and an entire prefecture."

Cheng Zongyang was secretly alarmed.

At the same time, he was shocked that Jade Peak County was filled with such a motley crowd.

’You really don’t know until you’re a part of it.’

A person’s station in life determines their awareness of the shady dealings hidden within it.

It’s like a merchant who knows very little about certain matters before joining a particular organization or group.

Only by joining and understanding it from the inside can one discover the scope of these groups, the Social Network they can provide access to, and the sheer scale of the Energy they command.

The poor and ordinary people will never know about the various affairs of the rich and powerful families.

This is the circle.

And now, Cheng Zongyang was beginning to enter this circle.

But whether it was a Gate Valve, a Noble Family, a Noble Race, or a Gang, he had no intention of latching onto any of them. He absolutely wouldn’t!

He had the Wilderness World. Once he had time to focus on developing it, his family’s growth would be anything but lacking!

Before, leading his family felt like wandering through a thick fog. Plans often couldn’t keep up with changes. Things like digging a cellar and buying a house had been a lot of wasted effort, creating a sense of confusion, of just taking things one step at a time.

But now, the information from Li Lu was like a hand parting the fog, revealing a clear direction!

’I have the Wilderness World and the medicine formulas. As long as I have time, I can develop the family into a Noble Race, then a Noble Family, and eventually, even becoming a Gate Valve isn’t impossible!’

’In the current world, children have an advantage over adults! I can find children to join the family, raise them from a young age, indoctrinate them, and when they grow up, they’ll become a large number of members loyal to the family...!’ 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The more he thought about it, the brighter Cheng Zongyang’s eyes became!

He secretly clenched his fists!

’Don’t rush, take it slow! I have plenty of time!’

"HUUU..." He let out a soft breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions.

His family wasn’t yet settled in the mountains. He couldn’t afford to be anxious, nor should he be!

「A quarter of an hour later.」

The two arrived at an area in the eastern part of the city called Yunke Lane.

’Yunke Sixth Alley, Number 007.’ Cheng Zongyang silently committed the address to memory.

Li Lu went forward and knocked on the door.

Zheng Tianhai was his superior’s superior. Normally, they would have no reason to interact.

But today, to secure a favor from the Cheng Family—whether it was from Cheng Guangshan’s family or Cheng Zongyang—he was giving it his all.

The worst that could happen was getting a scolding from Chief Zheng.

When the door opened, a middle-aged man was revealed.

He had a square face, resolute features, a full beard, and a stern, unsmiling expression.

"Li Lu?" Seeing the visitor, Zheng Tianhai’s thick eyebrows knitted together. "What is it?"

Li Lu was taken aback. The next moment, he asked excitedly, "Chief Zheng, you know me?"

’I thought I knew the Chief Constable, but he wouldn’t know me. To think he actually knows who I am! Could it be that the Chief Constable has been paying attention to me?’

’Does being noticed by my superior’s superior mean my work performance has been excellent?’

However, Zheng Tianhai’s frown deepened, and he said with some displeasure:

"You are one of the government officials in the Inspection Bureau. If I can’t even remember all my own subordinates, then I have no business being a Chief Constable. You’re bypassing your superior to report to me. Is there an emergency?"

Li Lu snapped back to his senses and gave an embarrassed smile. He had forgotten that the man before him was extremely particular about rules. Fearing he had made a bad impression, he quickly cupped his hands and explained:

"Chief Zheng, this isn’t official business. My apologies for the intrusion, but I’ve brought someone to see you. He said he has something to discuss with you."

With that, Li Lu turned to look at Cheng Zongyang behind him.

Cheng Zongyang had been watching their conversation from the very beginning.

From this exchange, he could tell this man wasn’t easy to talk to.

At that moment, their eyes met.

Cheng Zongyang took a few steps forward, presenting himself with a neither servile nor overbearing cupped-fist salute.

"Chief Zheng, I am Cheng Zongyang. Please forgive me for this presumptuous visit today."

As he spoke, he took a Jade Pendant from his robes and offered it.

Li Lu watched from the side, a little confused.

Zheng Tianhai took it with equal confusion and began to examine it.

But upon seeing the Jade Pendant, his thick brows furrowed. "Where did you get this?"

Cheng Zongyang replied, "It was a gift from Steward Zheng. He told me that if I ever needed anything, I could come find Chief Zheng. That is why I have come to trouble you today."

Zheng Tianhai glanced at the two of them, then, holding the Jade Pendant, said, "Li Lu, you may go back first."

"Ah? Yes, Chief Zheng. This subordinate will take his leave." Li Lu quickly recovered, cupping his hands. He was extremely curious about what that Jade Pendant was, but it was clearly an item Chief Zheng was familiar with.

After Li Lu left, Chief Zheng looked at Cheng Zongyang. "Follow me inside."

Cheng Zongyang cupped his hands. "Yes."

As the door closed, Cheng Zongyang followed Chief Zheng into the main hall.

Only then did Cheng Zongyang get a good look at the house.

Old, large, simple, tidy, and clean.

It was clearly the home of a tidy bachelor.

It lacked the carelessness and messiness typical of a single man’s life.

’A single Chief Constable in his forties?’

’What a diamond bachelor!’

Staring at Zheng Tianhai’s back, Cheng Zongyang wondered about the relationship between Zheng Yan and Zheng Tianhai.

When Zheng Yan had given him the Jade Pendant, he had wondered when he would ever get to use it. He never expected to use it for his second uncle.

’They both have the surname Zheng...’ Cheng Zongyang began to ponder.