Of course, even though his strength had improved substantially, it remained under his control.
Jiang Dao and Wu Qingfeng instantly unleashed their Qi-Blood Power. Approaching them silently and invisibly was no ordinary feat.
"Who is it?"
"Who is it? Werenât you looking for me? Could it be that you still donât know who I am?" Wang Sheng wasnât wearing a mask, as Qingshan Village had already been exposed, and wearing a mask no longer held much significance.
There was a smile on his face, making him appear innocuous.
Jiang Dao and Wu Qingfeng exchanged glances, knowing that this was the man they were seeking. The Qi-Blood Power dispersed.
"Are you the Guardian God of the Three Counties?" Both Wu Qingfeng and Jiang Dao seemed very polite.
"Guardian God may not be appropriate; itâs just a title bestowed by the people. I merely act according to my principles. I hadnât expected to be given such a title; it is, frankly, somewhat embarrassing." Since they were polite, Wang Sheng was polite in turn, asking nothing, saying nothing.
Jiang Dao and Wu Qingfeng were both cunning figures and immediately recognized this fact: if they did not initiate conversation, they would glean no information.
This time they came as allies, and eventually, Wu Qingfeng stepped forward and said, "Wouldnât you invite us in to sit for a while?"
"Of course, please follow me!" Wang Sheng was still polite.
Before long, the three of them sat down in Wang Shengâs courtyard.
"You must have some pressing matters to discuss, right?"
"Why bother pretending to be ignorant!" Jiang Dao, always the hothead when outside.
"Oh, how can you say that? I havenât done anything within the domain of the Three Counties, surely I havenât âoffendedâ you, have I?"
"Hmph!" Jiang Dao scoffed and continued, "Arenât the things you did in the Three Counties enough?"
"Are you referring to the killing of the twelve big thieves? I merely eliminated a scum. Are you here to accuse me of wrongdoing?!" As Wang Sheng spoke, his tone changed, seeming like he might take action at any moment.
Jiang Dao wanted to say something but was stopped by Wu Qingfeng, who then said, "Of course not. We were in retreat recently and couldnât take action. Weâre here specifically to thank you for intervening in Dishui County, after all, thatâs our territory!"
"WeâŠ"
"The Three CountiesâŠ" Wu Qingfeng emphasized those words a bit more heavily.
Clearly, the emphasis was on his last statement, a declaration of their sovereignty.
"Of course, I know itâs your territory, and I havenât taken it, have I?" Wang Sheng replied without hesitation.
Eventually, all three fell silent, as things had become pretty clear.
Jiang Dao and Wu Qingfeng had returned mainly because Wang Shengâs reputation in the Three Counties was too high and drew their attention. The territory of the Three Counties wasnât large, and its influence wasnât particularly significant, but they were wary that Wang Sheng might expand his influence.
After the silence, Wu Qingfeng produced an object and said, "We donât want to say more, and our purpose here is simple: we hope you wonât expand your influence further. Hereâs our compensation."
Saying this, Wu Qingfeng set down a bottle that appeared to be an elixir. Wang Sheng sensed it with Divine Thought: a bottle of Medicine King Elixir.
Wang Sheng didnât speak, just watched them, seemingly pondering something.
Meanwhile, Wu Qingfeng and Jiang Dao stood up, preparing to leave.
Before leaving, Wu Qingfeng stressed once more, saying, "We hope youâll remember what we said!"
After speaking, they left directly.
Wang Sheng watched their gradually disappearing figures, touching the Yun Xiao that had landed beside him, and murmured to himself, "Do you think the twelve big thieves were their doing?"
"Chirp chirp chirp~"
Yun Xiao, clearly ignorant of such matters, merely chirped comfortably a few times!
But the more Wang Sheng thought about it, the more possible it seemed.
The people from the Overlord Level forces said they wouldnât intervene, claiming their own ruler was in retreat, and had no time.
However, after he had slain the twelve big thieves with his flying sword, those people had appeared and even found him. Clearly, things were not so simple.
After all, the reason Wu Qingfeng and Jiang Dao came looking for him was clearâthey felt he had gained too much reputation in the Three Counties and feared he might exploit it.
Yet, fearful as they were, why hadnât they taken action sooner to earn a good reputation?
Of course, these were just suspicions and couldnât be confirmed with absolute certainty.
However, Wang Sheng felt that, based on the information available and the characteristic behaviors of Wu Qingfeng and Jiang Dao, this possibility was quite significant.
Soon, he set this matter aside as it wasnât important. Speculating about the deaths of the twelve thieves was pointless; he had restrained himself from acting, merely playing along with the two, not without a purpose.
"I hope you donât disappoint me. You had better bait that thing out soon!"
The four Overlord-level forcesâ leaders were exactly the bait he was eagerly anticipating; they couldnât just be lost so easily.
...
At the same time, Wu Qingfeng and Jiang Dao had left Qingshan Village and were communicating.
"Just let him go like that, doing nothing? That kid is playing dumb with us!"
"If you want to make a move, I wonât stop you, but he is stronger than I anticipated. If it really comes down to a fight, we might not be able to defeat him. If he manages to escape, it would significantly impact us."
Jiang Dao actually understood this, he was merely stoking the fires, hoping to provoke Wu Qingfeng into making a move. Although he knew it was futile and Wu Qingfeng wouldnât fall for it, he still enjoyed it.
"Letâs not make a move then, but I hope that kid wises up. Our strength is growing by the day; if he really does something he shouldnât, then he canât blame us!"
"Of course!"
Despite knowing Wang Sheng was strong, they felt no fear. Since the complete collapse of the Great Zhou Dynasty, their strength had been growing daily; they feared no one.
They too hoped that he would wise up, or else they might still have to trouble themselves later.
...
Both parties had their own thoughts.
But after this, Qingshan Village wouldnât be seen as just an ordinary village in the eyes of those top-tier forces. It was a place with a Great Grandmaster holding fort, and even without many martial artists, the presence of top-tier warriors made it stand out.
Top-tier strength was ultimately the decisive factor for a power.
Why else could the seven forces rule this land for thousands of years if not for each generation having a Great Grandmaster?
So as long as Wang Sheng was there, this place was among the top-tier forces.
However, compared to other forces, Qingshan Village lacked depth and would need a long time to accumulate it.
Wu Qingfeng and Jiang Dao entered the village unmasked and naturally were seen by the villagers.
Before long, Yue, the village chief, and Li Yongfeng all arrived.
"Sir, were those two Great Grandmasters just now?" Yue had the broadest knowledge.
The village chief and Li Yongfeng were startled upon hearing this. Had two Great Grandmasters really entered the village?
"Yes, the two Great Grandmasters from Heavenly Saber City and Spirit Sword Valley. Donât worry, itâs nothing serious. Itâs just that Qingshan Village has been exposed to their eyes, but itâs not a big impact."
Wang Sheng had never deliberately concealed Qingshan Village. It had simply never been thoroughly investigated, so it hadnât been exposed.
King Yong Nian had almost discovered it before, but he hadnât pursued the investigation further and had encountered a series of events that led to nothing.
Now that it was exposed, it was exposed; it was not just known to the top-tier forces, and even if many people knew it, it was no big deal.
With strength, no one dared to do anything.
"Just carry on as usual; thereâs no need to worry too much."
"Alright, weâll follow your lead, Yun Sheng."
The village chief naturally trusted Wang Sheng, and the presence of the two Great Grandmasters entering the village eased their nervousness considerably.
Li Yongfeng needed no further convincing.
Soon everyone dispersed, and the villagers still needed reassurance.
They had thought no one else would come; however, just a day later, another person arrived.