Chapter 59: Expansion

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Hiding in the shadows, City Lord Ye Chenye was watching the battle closely.

Ye Chenye was very familiar with the Lin Family Patriarch, as they had sparred privately multiple times before. He knew exactly how strong the old man was.

Now, the Lin Family Patriarch was going all out. His Black Armor Qi Technique had been pushed to the extreme, yet he still couldn’t break through Silver Moon Swordsmanship.

“Is this kid really that strange?”

Ye Chenye couldn’t gauge Chen Fei’s true strength. He could tell that the young man hadn’t gone all out yet, as he was still fighting Lin Family’s Patriarch with ease.

“Silver Moon Swordsmanship is a technique he only recently mastered. What other hidden techniques does he have?”

Ye Chenye was growing uneasy. The more he couldn’t understand Chen Fei, the more he feared him.

The Dominance of Chen Fei
On the arena, Chen Fei steadily suppressed the Lin Family Patriarch. However, he remained cautious, ready to use his Artisan Mage techniques at any time, combined with his Black Venom and Soul-Eroding Gu Poison.

The Lin Family Patriarch continuously retreated, forced into a corner of the arena. He had already pushed Black Armor Qi Technique to its limit, but he still couldn’t break free from Silver Moon Swordsmanship’s suppression.

Seeing this, Zhang Linsheng was deeply shocked. He marveled at how incredible Chen Fei’s elder brother was. If nothing unexpected happened, this man would eventually reach the True Spirit Master Realm and become one of the top experts in the Great Qing Kingdom.

Lin Yaohai, watching his great-grandfather being pushed into a corner, felt an unbearable chill in his heart.

“How could this be happening?”

“Even with the Patriarch himself stepping in, we still can’t defeat a mere young man?”

“Who the hell is this Chen Yang? Even if he’s a student of Silver Moon Academy, he shouldn’t be this strong!”

The audience was in absolute shock. Their perception of Chen Yang had been shattered once again. They couldn’t help but sigh at how there were always stronger people in the world. No wonder Silver Moon Academy’s special recruits were deemed worthy of securing the position of City Patrol Officer in advance.

“The Qin Family was truly blind!”

“If they hadn’t betrayed Chen Fei, they could have had such a powerful relative backing them. They would have secured their place among the Three Great Families of Yellow Mist City!”

Some people thought about the Qin Family’s past. The Qin Family had once been small, but it was Chen Fei who created the Merchant Transport Corps for them, laying the foundation for their rise to prominence.

Shifting Loyalties
As the battle neared its end, the Lin Family Patriarch struggled more and more to fend off Chen Yang’s attacks. Several times, he failed to block the silver sword light, causing his spiritual energy barrier to flicker violently.

At this moment, almost everyone was convinced—the Lin Family Patriarch was going to lose. The Black Copper Ore Authority was destined to fall into the hands of Chen Yang, the new rising power of Yellow Mist City.

The Eight Great Families began thinking of countermeasures. They couldn’t afford to offend this new powerhouse who controlled such an important resource.

However, the closer victory seemed, the more cautious Chen Fei became.

As Zhang Linsheng had pointed out, this battle determined the Lin Family’s future. The Patriarch himself had stepped in. If he lost, the Lin Family’s influence in Yellow Mist City would plummet.

Thus, the Lin Family Patriarch might resort to breaking the rules—using pills, poison, or hidden weapons.

Ye Chenye also frowned as he watched the arena. He hoped that the Lin Family Patriarch would break the rules and fight Chen Yang to the death.

However, Ye Chenye was soon disappointed.

An Unexpected Decision
At the crucial moment, the Lin Family Patriarch ultimately didn’t dare to gamble his entire clan’s survival in a life-or-death struggle.

“Young Brother Chen Yang, you are truly talented, with a boundless future ahead of you.”

“I must admit, I am old now. I accept my defeat.”

“From now on, the Black Copper Ore Authority belongs to you, Young Brother Chen Yang.”

In the end, the Lin Family Patriarch chose to surrender.

Though this decision meant a huge loss of influence in Yellow Mist City, at least it ensured the survival of the Lin Family.

A young man with strength rivaling a Half-Step True Spirit Master had unimaginable potential. The Patriarch didn’t want to create a deadly enemy for the Lin Family in his old age.

Chen Fei was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected the Lin Family Patriarch to have such courage—to resist the temptation of a great benefit and not break the rules to fight to the death.

But when he looked at Lin Yaohai, he suddenly understood.

Compared to the authority over Black Copper Ore, the lives of the Lin Family’s members were far more important.

“Thank you, Senior Lin!” Chen Fei stopped his attack. Ending the struggle for Black Copper Ore this way was undoubtedly the best outcome.

Ye Bufan, however, was furious.

“Spineless old fool!”

With a wave of his sleeve, he stormed off, refusing to preside over the formal transfer of the Black Copper Ore Authority.

Instead, the governor, Hong Zhuguan, had to step forward, reluctantly congratulating Chen Fei and his Merchant Transport Corps on obtaining the mining rights and overseeing the transition.

After stepping down from the arena, the Lin Family Patriarch left in a hurry, taking his family with him. His reputation, built over many years, had been completely destroyed in one day, while Chen Yang’s prestige in Yellow Mist City had been elevated to new heights.

A New Era Begins
At this moment, Chen Laoda and the others were the most excited. Their Merchant Transport Corps had successfully acquired the Black Copper Ore Authority, marking a fundamental leap forward for their organization.

The Eight Great Families’ leaders had no choice but to swallow their pride and personally approach Chen Fei to apologize and make peace.

Their businesses relied on Black Copper Ore. Previously, they had aligned with the Lin Family, but now, they had to follow the Merchant Transport Corps.

Chen Fei had no fondness for opportunistic families. However, he acknowledged the two families who had supported him with their votes, promising that he would not mistreat them.

Leaving the rest of the handover to Chen Laoda and the others, Chen Fei returned to the courtyard where Ling Zhong was waiting.

“Young Master, how did things go with the Black Copper Ore Authority?” Ling Zhong asked eagerly.

“We got it!” Chen Fei responded, clearly pleased.

Now that he controlled the Black Copper Ore Authority, he indirectly commanded the Eight Great Families associated with the Black Copper trade in Yellow Mist City.

Combined with his Merchant Transport Corps’ influence over thirty cities, he could now control at least two or three major families in each region.

With just one mining authority, Chen Fei’s influence had skyrocketed, far surpassing the former Qin Family.

And this was only the beginning.

With the Black Copper Ore Authority, he could now use his network of families to start working on Dustless Cloud Crystals, expanding his Merchant Transport Corps’ assets even further.

Once he amassed enough wealth, he would take the final step—establishing a foothold in Tianyuan City.