This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 30: Searching for Peach Blossom Spring

The ambush and arrest were naturally reported to the county magistrate Pang Boqi.

Lu Jing can be considered a trustworthy and capable subordinate, and Pang Boqi also knows what kind of person he is.

So when Pang Boqi heard that it might be a monster, he was scared to death. He immediately ordered people to look for experts everywhere and strictly forbade the people in the county to go out at night.

Finally, some so-called masters were invited to perform several rituals in Wuling County.

However, Pang Boqi did not agree with Lu Jing's request for rewards for others. In the end, the former could only treat the participants to a meal and a drink as an apology.

As those who participated in the ambush that night returned home and told their families about the thrilling experience, the rumor that the yamen had allegedly encountered a monster gradually spread, including the people who had been killed previously, who were also said to have been killed by monsters.

Coupled with several religious ceremonies held by the county office, the credibility of this rumor has been deepened.

The stories of evil spirits and ghosts made the temples in Wuling area very popular, and everyone from the gentry and dignitaries to the common people went to worship the gods.

At dusk, no one is outside the city even before curfew. The villages outside the city close their doors and windows as soon as night falls, and the lights will not be on for too long.

Parents and elders use this incident to scare children, which can instantly stop the children from crying.
But it’s strange. I don’t know if the ritual really worked, or if the ambush that night also injured and scared the evil spirit.

In short, in the following period of time, no similar cases occurred near Wuling, at least no new corpses were found, and no people went to the government to report the case.

More than half a month has passed.

Gradually, the story of the demons and evil spirits, like the rumors of the Peach Blossom Spring, became a hot topic of conversation among the people of Wuling County, and Lu Jing's reputation rose unnoticed.
Early that morning, the county magistrate Pang Boqi was drinking tea with his aide Hou Chunwen.

The rich tea with the Hu pancake can be regarded as a breakfast for the two of them.

During this time, Pang Boqi took out a letter and handed it to Hou Chunwen.

"Mr. Maofeng, please take a look. This is a letter Shangyong sent this morning. It mentions a place called Peach Blossom Spring, which is said to be in my Wuling area. The county governor asked me if this story is true."

Hou Chunwen hadn't taken the letter yet, but when he heard about Peach Blossom Spring, his heart suddenly moved. Then he wiped the biscuit crumbs from the corner of his mouth with his hand, took the letter and began to read.

It was clear at a glance that the story of Peach Blossom Spring had already spread throughout Shangyong County, and the prefect became very interested after hearing about it.

After all, Shangyong County City is only a few dozen miles away from Wuling County. The two places have frequent exchanges, so news spreads naturally quickly. Moreover, this matter has happened for some time, so it is normal for it to spread.

However, after Hou Chunwen put down the letter, he looked at Pang Boqi with surprise.

"Your Excellency, hasn't you heard of the Peach Blossom Spring?"

Pang Boqi frowned slightly, then shook his head.

“Never heard of it!”

Hou Chunwen grinned. This county magistrate seldom went out on weekdays and always looked like he didn't want strangers to come near him. No one in the mansion dared to talk to him much, and even Hou Chunwen would not joke with him casually.

The news of Peach Blossom Spring had spread to the county town, but this official in Wuling government office didn't even know about it.

Hou Chunwen smiled and said.

"If that's the case, I've heard of this Peach Blossom Spring!"

"Is this true? Tell me quickly!"

Pang Boqi also became interested. He knew that he rarely left the county government office and was therefore out of touch with the news.

After Hou Chunwen agreed, he also began to describe the situation vividly, even better than the waiter in the restaurant.

After he finished speaking, Hou Chunwen smiled again.

"That day, I was drinking alone at Zuifeng Tower, and several people at nearby tables mentioned this incident. I found it interesting, so I wrote it down. Speaking of which, this matter has a lot to do with you, the County Honorable One!"

"Oh? How do you say this?"

Pang Boqi was obviously curious, so Hou Chunwen didn't keep him in suspense and answered with a smile.

"Because this matter is related to your nephew, Mr. Zhao. The tourist who mistakenly entered the Peach Blossom Spring while boating was a friend of Mr. Zhao."

As he spoke, Hou Chunwen also gave a deliberate reminder.

"Do you remember a while ago when Mr. Zhao said his friend hadn't returned and he was worried about his safety, so he asked the county officials to help investigate?"

Although he was somewhat displeased with this uneducated nephew, Pang Boqi recalled that it seemed that such an incident had indeed happened. Although he ignored it at the time, he knew that his subordinates would definitely help.

"Sir, this rumor is quite detailed, and even the county governor has paid attention to it. Regardless of whether it is true or not, we must at least give him a clear answer. Moreover, if there really are survivors of the pre-Qin period, the place where they live is also under your jurisdiction!"

Pang Boqi nodded slightly. It was very important to show his attitude in front of the county magistrate. Then he shouted to the side.

"Somebody come!"

Immediately a servant came forward quickly.

"Master, what do you want?"

Pang Boqi looked at the other party and said.

"Go call Qiming over to me and tell him I want to see him!"

"Yes!"

The servant responded and immediately trotted away. Pang Boqi and Hou Chunwen continued to talk about Taoyuan and rarely mentioned the recent case.
-
About a quarter of an hour later, Zhao Chenyu followed the messenger to the backyard of the county government office and saw Pang Boqi and Hou Chunwen playing chess in the study.

Zhao Chenyu was a little nervous, and when he arrived at the study, he stepped forward and bowed.

"Greetings, uncle, and Mr. Hou!"

Pang Boqi looked up at Zhao Chenyu and shook his head slightly.

"What took you so long to come?"

"Well, it's still early. My nephew got drunk last night and got up late today. He washed up immediately after hearing the news and came here."

Pang Boqi became furious when he heard this and slammed the table with his hand.

"Hmph! You're uneducated and spend your days indulging in wine and women. I went to great lengths to get you a famous teacher, but you're just learning elegance without laying the foundation. How can you possibly make it in life?"

The only person Zhao Chenyu was afraid of in Wuling County was his uncle. He couldn't help but shrink his neck and hurriedly found a reason to explain.

"Uncle, it's because my good friend is leaving soon, and I don't know when we'll see each other again, so I had a few more drinks."

This reason was barely acceptable, but Pang Boqi still snorted again. However, Hou Chunwen on the side thought of something and asked immediately.

"Who is the friend that Mr. Zhao is talking about?"

"Uh, this is Tao Yuanming, Tao Yuanliang!"

After Zhao Chenyu's answer, Hou Chunwen immediately asked another question.

"But the person who discovered the Peach Blossom Spring while boating?"

Zhao Chenyu looked at Hou Chunwen in slight surprise, then realized that somehow the matter had spread. Perhaps it was because he had not been in hiding when discussing the matter in Zuifeng Tower that day, so it was not surprising that others knew about it.

But even if the news spread, Zhao Chenyu was reluctant to say it himself, after all, he had promised his friend.

Although Zhao Chenyu didn't answer, Pang Boqi and Hou Chunwen understood as soon as they saw his expression that showed he couldn't hide the truth.

"Why, you don't want to say it?" Pang Boqi asked, and Zhao Chenyu scratched his head awkwardly.

"It's not that my nephew doesn't want to, but Yuan Liang and I have an agreement not to mention this to outsiders."

"Hahahaha. Young Master Zhao, this matter has spread throughout Zuifeng Tower. Many people in Wuling City already know about it, and now even Shangyong County knows about it. The prefect has personally intervened. What's the point of this agreement?"

"what?"

"Otherwise, how do you think we would know?"

Zhao Chenyu widened his eyes. He really didn't expect that the prefect would come to ask about it. Pang Boqi said with a cold face.

"Why, even I am an outsider?"

"Nephew, don't dare!"

"Then hurry up and say it!"

Zhao Chenyu hesitated for a moment, thinking that since the news had already spread and under pressure from his uncle, he told what he knew.

This made Pang Boqi very surprised.

If it could be said to be just a rumor before, then after his nephew said this, Pang Boqi really took it seriously.

After all, what Zhao Chenyu said was clearer than what Hou Chunwen said, and it included many more details, such as the marks left by Tao Yuanming.

The key point is that Pang Boqi also doesn't believe that Zhao Chenyu dares to lie to him.

"By the way, where's your friend?"

Hearing his uncle ask this, Zhao Chenyu answered truthfully.

"Yuan Liang left Wuling ten days ago, saying he was going to Nanyang to visit his brother Liu Linzhi."

Pang Boqi stroked his beard and nodded.

"I've also heard of Liu Ziji's name, huh? Didn't you just say you drank last night to say goodbye to a friend?"

Zhao Chenyu suddenly shuddered. Oops, I said the wrong thing!
A moment later, in the yamen training ground, a yamen runner found Lu Jing, who was practicing martial arts, and asked him to go and see the county magistrate immediately.

When Lu Jing arrived at the backyard of the county government office, he took a look a few steps outside the study door and found that in addition to the county magistrate Pang Boqi and the aide Hou Chunwen sitting on the couch, Zhao Chenyu, a well-known young man in Wuling City, was also there.

Lu Jing did not dare to be negligent and stepped into the study to pay his respects.

"I see you, my lord!"

"Sir, what do you want from us?"

After beheading the monster last time, Lu Jing was always uneasy and worked harder when practicing Kung Fu, but to be honest, he was indeed quite idle during this period.

Pang Boqi waved his hand and handed the letter from the Shangyong County Governor to Lu Jing. He knew that Lu Jing was literate and could understand what was written.

While Lu Jing was reading, Hou Chunwen started to explain.

"My Lord, you have sent for the Captain because of the recent rumors about the Peach Blossom Spring. Since this has alarmed the Governor, we need to investigate. I'm sure you have heard of this rumor as well, right?"

"Investigation?"

Lu Jing asked in confusion, and Hou Chunwen smiled, stroked his beard and nodded.

"Not bad!"

At this time, Pang Boqi gave the order directly.

"Captain Lu, quickly bring a few teams of men, prepare some boats, and set out immediately to search along the Wuling waters. Be sure to find the Peach Blossom Spring. If this is true, you will be credited with a great achievement!"

To be honest, Lu Jing had also heard the rumors about Peach Blossom Spring.

But that's just an interesting story. It's ridiculous to think that the remnants of the pre-Qin dynasty have been living in seclusion until now. If they could really stay in the mountains for hundreds of years without leaving, they would probably have to be immortals.

But what is even more absurd than this rumor is that the county magistrate actually issued an order to find the Peach Blossom Spring, and it was the letter from the Shangyong prefect that came first.

When we arrested the murderer before, the adults didn't take it so seriously.
"Sir, isn't this a bit of an overreaction?"

Pang Boqi's expression changed slightly.

"Why, Captain Lu doesn't want to go?"

In fact, judging from the content of the letter alone, the Shangyong prefect was just curious, so he sent someone to deliver the letter to ask.

But when asked this question, the people below have to show an attitude.

For Pang Boqi, even if he really caught a bandit, he would only catch a small thief, but the attitude of the prefect could really affect his career.

Seeing the unfriendly look on the county magistrate's face, Lu Jing's heart skipped a beat and he quickly lowered his body and bowed.

"I dare not, I obey your orders."

Then Hou Chunwen hurried out and tried to smooth things over with a smile.

"Captain Lu is a man of great loyalty, how could he be unwilling? He's just naturally suspicious. By the way, Captain, remember to protect Mr. Zhao!"

Mr. Zhao?
Lu Jing looked at Zhao Chenyu in surprise. He had just ignored him. He was going too?

Zhao Chenyu had just been severely scolded by his uncle and had been standing aside timidly. Now that he was mentioned, he grinned and bowed to the tall and strong Lu Jing.

As for going to Peach Blossom Spring, it was Zhao Chenyu's own request. The reason was that he was the one who listened to Tao Yuanming's explanation of what happened and was more familiar with the details.

However, Zhao Chenyu's purpose was not just to satisfy his curiosity. He also had another consideration. He was afraid that other people would be too arrogant and unreasonable after finding Taoyuan, which would lead to unnecessary conflicts. He wanted to go there to at least provide a buffer, otherwise it would be difficult to face Tao Yuanming in the future.

When Pang Boqi heard Hou Chunwen's words, he snorted coldly.

"Humph, if something happens to him, I won't have to worry about it!"

The words were sarcastic, but it was obvious that he did not refute what Hou Chunwen had just said. Lu Jing naturally understood what was going on.

"Yes, I understand!"

"Well, let's go quickly. I heard the boat trip is not short. Otherwise, it will be dark when we get back late!"

"Yes! I'm resigning!"

Lu Jing didn't waste any words. Since the order had been issued, he would go there as quickly as possible. It would be better to come back quickly so that he could have an explanation. Anyway, there would be no result.

After saying that, Lu Jing left the study.

Zhao Chenyu hurriedly bowed to the two people in the room.

"Uncle, nephew is leaving!"

After saying that, Zhao Chenyu hurriedly chased after Lu Jing, whose pace was so fast that it could match his jogging.

"Captain Lu, wait for me"

(End of this chapter)