Blind Ghostwriter: Starts with the full level of Nine Yang Magic Skill

Chapter 224 A Storm is Brewing (9.2k long chapter)

Under the cover of night, boats sped across Shuangqing Lake, all heading straight for the awning boat at the very front.

It was precisely because the experts from the Six Doors and the government office had failed to capture Wang Mingxiu that they immediately set out by boat to pursue him. Each of them was a martial arts master, and with their combined efforts, they were able to keep up.

Suddenly, in the covered boat ahead,

A figure flew out, and a sharp-eyed person recognized it as Mr. Dongjing. Immediately afterwards, with a loud "boom", the awning boat exploded, and another figure was thrown out, which was Wang Mingxiu.

Immediately, the experts from the Six Doors, relying on their years of tacit understanding, dispersed. A small group went to rescue Mr. Dongjing and Wang Mingxiu, while the other group rushed towards the head manager.

at this time,

The covered boat exploded.

The head manager stood on a wooden plank, facing the onslaught of numerous Six Doors experts. With a light tap of his foot, he leaped into the air. At the same time, a gust of wind suddenly rose in the air, and the head manager's figure seemed to turn into a wisp of green smoke, instantly dissipating and disappearing.

The group of Six Doors constables missed their target again and fell into the water one by one.

"Quick, bring the boat here! Mr. Dongjing is alright!"

In the lake, two constables from the Six Doors were supporting Mr. Dongjing on either side as they swam, shouting as they swam.

Immediately, someone quickly sailed over and pulled Mr. Dongjing aboard. At the same time, another boat pulled Wang Mingxiu aboard from the other side, but Wang Mingxiu was already dead.

Everyone returned to the shore, still puzzled.

As soon as they landed, Prefect Pei Yuanzhen and Liu Feng, the Inspector of the Six Doors, arrived. When they saw Mr. Dongjing, they both breathed a long sigh of relief.

Pei Yuanzhen hurriedly instructed his men to fetch dry clothes for Mr. Dongjing, and he and Liu Feng strode over to greet him.

"Thank goodness," Pei Yuanzhen said, helping Mr. Dongjing up. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

Mr. Dongjing remained calm and said, "Everyone dies eventually. I was lucky that Wang Mingxiu and the head manager had a falling out, so my life wasn't meant to end."

"Internal strife?" Pei Yuanzhen asked in surprise.

Mr. Dongjing nodded and said, "We'll discuss the specific details later!"

A short while later, a horse-drawn carriage arrived.

Mr. Dongjing changed into a clean set of clothes before getting into the carriage, then called Pei Yuanzhen to get in, but did not call Liu Feng.

Liu Feng showed no dissatisfaction; instead, he gestured for his men to retreat and move away. He knew that Mr. Dongjing was no ordinary person, and although Pei Yuanzhen was of the same rank as him, he was backed by the Imperial Preceptor and the Pei family, making him far superior to Liu Feng. There were many things that the two of them knew that Liu Feng was not qualified to know.

He retreated far away, and the person driving the carriage over there was Pei Yuanzhen's top advisor, Master Zhu.

In the carriage,
Mr. Dongjing recounted the conflict between Wang Mingxiu and the head manager.

After listening, Pei Yuanzhen exclaimed in surprise, "So, Wang Mingxiu knew nothing at all? The head manager was just using him?"

Mr. Dongjing nodded and said, "Wang Mingxiu seemed to have gone mad just now. I never expected that he would let me go in the end and instead turn around and fight the head manager to the death!"

Pei Yuanzhen thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps his faith has collapsed. The fact that Wang Mingxiu was able to become a commander of the Six Doors shows that his cognition is correct and not distorted. He has a concept of right and wrong that conforms to the law and morality."

However, because he didn't know the truth, he had always believed that Mr. Dongjing and his group had used over four hundred members of the Mu clan as scapegoats to save their own lives and curry favor with the powerful. He had lived in hatred all along. But now that he knew the truth was that the Mu clan deserved to die, his faith collapsed, and he didn't know what the meaning of his actions or his life was.

Therefore, his subconscious behavior might have been an attempt to make amends, leading him to subconsciously forgive you. His desire to fight the head manager, however, stemmed from a cognitive issue. Unlike the Mu family members of that era, he didn't cling to the idea of ​​loyalty to the descendants of Prince Kangde. He was a normal person, and after learning the truth, he genuinely hated the Seven Absolutes Tower even more. The Mu family had wiped out their clan back then, yet they hadn't told him the truth, and now they had caused his family's destruction!

Mr. Dongjing sighed and said, "He... was quite helpless. He lived in hatred for decades of his life, only to find that his hatred was inexplicable. The main problem was that he did have a correct concept of right and wrong, and the Six Doors' ideology was still very righteous. His cognition conflicted with his hatred, and his faith was gone."

Pei Yuanzhen said, "However, I don't quite understand. The head manager knew that you knew the truth about what happened back then, so why did he still bring you to Wang Mingxiu? Wang Mingxiu is a commander of the Six Doors, so he must be useful to him, right?"

Mr. Dongjing slowly said, "Then, is it possible that the head manager knew from the beginning that Wang Mingxiu had been exposed, and that he was just playing along?"

Pei Yuanzhen's expression changed instantly, and he said in a flustered manner, "Sir, you mean..."

Mr. Dongjing said in a deep voice, "You discovered that Wang Mingxiu was a descendant of the Mu family but remained calm, thinking of using a scheme to lure him out of the Seven Absolutes Tower and find the location of the descendants of Crown Prince Kangde. So, the head manager could also know that you had discovered Wang Mingxiu's identity and was setting a trap, and he was also playing along, pretending not to know that you had set a trap!"

"Then what is his purpose?" Pei Yuanzhen asked.

"What is your purpose?" Mr. Dongjing asked.

Pei Yuanzhen's face turned deathly pale instantly, his expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "Damn it, the coastal defense battalion!"

For a moment, Pei Yuanzhen's body went limp, and he collapsed into the carriage, muttering, "The head steward used a scheme against me... That means that the batch of weapons sent out through Wang Mingxiu was deliberately exposed to me as bait... The purpose was to lure the coastal defense battalion there... Then they... the coastal defense battalion, the coastal defense battalion..."

……

Early morning, Huaihai, Tiansha Islands.

Lin Jingzheng, the commander-in-chief of the Huaihai Coastal Defense Battalion, was leading dozens of warships toward an island. This was the final destination of the batch of weapons that they had secretly sent out some time ago, following Wang Mingxiu's approval, and it was also the place where the descendants of Prince Kangde were hiding.

The sea surface was suddenly blasted open with blood-red ripples at dawn. Lin Jing stood at the bow of the ship, watching the approaching island, ready to give the order to charge. But just then, the dull thud of chisels striking wooden planks, mixed with the sound of seawater rushing in, came from below deck.

"Water ghost!"

The lookout's roar ripped through the deathly silence. Before he finished speaking, the reeds on the reef exploded with a deafening roar, and the smell of sulfur mixed with gunpowder filled the air.

"Let the hook go!"

Lin Jing gave the order, and the sword at his waist flashed coldly as it was drawn.

At that moment, a large number of people suddenly appeared on the island, which had been completely still. Where did they come from?

Countless rockets wrapped in tung oil-soaked linen hurtled through the air, some embedding themselves precisely into the canvas, the flames spreading like a spiderweb on the sea breeze. Further out in the canyon, countless fire ships suddenly emerged, their prows adorned with sharp iron spikes, charging toward the coastal defense camp's warships, the raging flames reflecting on the sea surface as if molten gold were flowing.

The warship rocked violently, and Lin Jing barely managed to stand by holding onto the mast.

A sickening cracking sound came from underwater, and the three warships on the left simultaneously let out dying groans as seawater carrying splinters of wood gushed out from the cracks.

"Plug the leak in the third compartment on the port side! Prepare the guns on the starboard side!"

Lin Jing's desperate commands were drowned out by the sound of the fire ships colliding. The nearest fire ship grazed past, scalding asphalt splashing onto the deck and sending up white smoke.

However, artillery fire also came from the island, and behind them, large pirate ships appeared and were rapidly surrounding them.

With a continuous roar, Lin Jing watched as warships were rammed, his face deathly pale.

He knew this was no coincidence; these ambushes couldn't have been prepared in just a few days. They had been in the works for a long time, waiting for him to fall into their trap.

"Pei Yuanzhen has misled me! Pei Yuanzhen has ruined me!"

……

Night falls at the Linhai City government office.

When Master Zhu entered the study, he saw books and folded papers scattered all over the floor and sighed slightly.

In the study, Pei Yuanzhen sat in a chair, looking utterly dejected, muttering to himself, "Why? Why?"

Master Zhu put away the books and documents, walked up to Pei Yuanzhen, and said, "Master, the matter has already happened. The most urgent thing is to contact the Pei family immediately, and also see if we can ask the Grand Preceptor to intervene. If the Grand Preceptor is willing to plead for leniency, the matter will not be too serious."

Pei Yuanzhen waved his hand and said, "It's impossible. My grandmaster can't plead for me in this matter. Have you seen the battle report from the coastal defense battalion? Do you know how much damage they suffered?"

Master Zhu nodded and said, "I saw it. Thirty thousand went, and more than twenty thousand died. Most of them didn't even have time to bring back their bodies. Dozens of warships and a lot of weapons were destroyed or lost. General Lin almost didn't make it back."

Pei Yuanzhen said, "Lin Jing will bear some responsibility for such a big matter, but I am also to blame. I was in charge of the whole thing. How can my grandmaster plead for me? I'm in deep trouble this time. At best, I'll be dismissed and investigated; at worst, I'll be sent to the Dali Temple."

However, I'm not resigned to this. It's not that I can't accept defeat, but I just can't understand what the descendant of Prince Kangde was trying to achieve. Why deliberately set a trap and go through all this trouble just to cripple the coastal defense camp? Besides angering the imperial court, I can't think of any other purpose.
If it were a few years ago, I would have suspected that they were colluding with the Southern Jin Dynasty to take advantage of the situation to attack the four prefectures of Huaihai. Therefore, they first devised a plan to severely damage the coastal defense camp. But now the Southern Jin Dynasty is too busy to take care of itself and is begging our Great Qian Dynasty for help every day. It is impossible for them to do such things at this time.

What does that descendant of Crown Prince Kangde want to do? His actions will only anger the court, and might even provoke a large-scale attack. They might even demand that the Southern Jin side investigate their movements, at which point they will be besieged by the armies of both countries!

Master Zhu pondered for a moment and then said, "Master, there's something you might have overlooked."

Pei Yuanzhen said in a deep voice, "You mean, they want to go ashore? On their own, attacking the four prefectures of Huaihai? Isn't that tantamount to courting death?"

Master Zhu said, "Yes, that's the most likely possibility."

At this moment,
Footsteps sounded outside the door, and one of Pei Yuanzhen's trusted confidants appeared at the doorway.

Master Zhu gestured to his trusted aide to remain silent so as not to disturb Pei Yuanzhen, then he went out and asked in a low voice, "What is it?"

The confidant said, "It's an urgent letter from Yanluo County."

Master Zhu asked in confusion, "Didn't they already write about what happened over there? They said they accidentally captured the real Six Bandits of Huaihai. Why is there another urgent letter?"

Master Zhu opened the letter with a puzzled look and began to read it. Then, his expression changed drastically, and he rushed into the study, swallowed hard, and stammered, "Master...may...may...find the reason!"

Pei Yuanzhen looked up with a puzzled expression.

Master Zhu handed the letter to Pei Yuanzhen and said, "A letter has come from Yanluo County. The six bandits of Huaihai have confessed to something huge. They... intercepted a batch of military supplies and weapons and more than 10,000 taels of military pay six years ago."

Then… Commander Duan… really… really found those things. But, such a huge matter, yet the four prefectures of Huaihai remained completely silent. The garrison troops of the four prefectures didn't report it, nor did the coastal defense battalion. What does this mean? Moreover, according to the six bandits of Huaihai, they only robbed an ordinary merchant caravan!

Pei Yuanzhen's pupils contracted as he quickly scanned the letter and said, "This means that the people who were robbed dared not report it. But who can make up for such a large amount of military equipment and pay, such a huge deficit? It's impossible to make up for it, yet there has been no movement for six years, which means that batch of things was completely useless."

In other words, someone embezzled military funds, received a salary without working, or sold military equipment. The stolen military equipment and funds would never be used by the army, so their loss wouldn't affect the army's normal operations. That's why there was no news for six whole years, and the other party dared not report it, naturally for fear of being investigated!

Master Zhu said in a low voice, "Master, if this batch of goods belongs to the Coast Guard... wouldn't that explain why Seven Absolutes Tower went through such a long and roundabout way?"

Pei Yuanzhen clenched his fist and said, "The Minister of War was recently replaced and ordered to inspect the local garrisons. So, the local armies that are suspected of having treachery should prepare to welcome him."

If the coastal defense battalion is involved in embezzling pay or selling military equipment, the best way to deal with it is to find a pretext to openly and legitimately lose weapons and personnel, so that no one will notice their problems.

Master Zhu said in a deep voice, "Master, investigate. If the Coast Guard Battalion really has a problem, you'll get through this ordeal. If the Coast Guard Battalion has no problem..."

“If the coastal defense battalion is fine, that would be the best,” Pei Yuanzhen said. “If a country’s military is having problems, then that’s a much bigger problem. My personal future is nothing compared to the future of the nation!”

For a moment, Master Zhu was at a loss for words.

Privately, he hoped the coastal defense battalion would have problems, so Pei Yuanzhen could be exempted from punishment and might even be credited. But publicly, as Pei Yuanzhen said, the army is the bottom line of the country, and if the army starts having such big problems, then there's really big trouble ahead.

"Immediately issue the order for Duan Fei to send that batch of military equipment and pay, as well as the two captured Huaihai bandits, back to Linhai City as quickly as possible!" Pei Yuanzhen said.

Master Zhu frowned and said, "Master, I'm afraid this is not enough."

Pei Yuanzhen asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Master Zhu said, "Although Commander Duan tried his best to cover up the news immediately, there were many people at the scene when the Six Bandits of Huaihai were arrested, most of whom were local constables from the Six Doors in Yanluo County. The news was bound to leak out."

Furthermore, transporting such a large shipment from Yanluo County to here would take several days. If the coastal defense battalion truly had problems, how could they have so easily allowed those goods to be brought to Linhai City?

“This…” Pei Yuanzhen said, “With Master Gu here…”

Master Zhu shook his head and said, "Master, have you forgotten about the Seven Absolutes Pavilion? Whether Master Gu is a match for the head manager is another matter for now. How many experts does the Seven Absolutes Pavilion have? What about a siege?"

Moreover, there is a crucial issue. Yanluo County is located by the sea, and the Dongjia Coastal Defense Battalion is not far from it. Furthermore, if the army of the descendants of Prince Kangde were to be deployed from the Tiansha Islands, they could land and reach Yanluo County at the fastest speed.

Master Gu's martial arts are unparalleled, but he is human, not a god. Master, you have witnessed the military; it's completely different from the battles of the martial world. How much of Master Gu's skill would be effective in the army?

At this point, Master Zhu took a deep breath and said, "Master, we have to prepare for the worst!"

Pei Yuanzhen frowned and asked, "What do you suggest we do?"

Master Zhu said, "It all depends on whether you dare to gamble, sir. There are three thousand garrison troops outside the city. However, once the troops move, the risk will be great. If it succeeds, that's fine. But if it fails, coupled with the crime of arbitrarily mobilizing troops, you will inevitably face imprisonment, sir!"

Pei Yuanzhen gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Do it!"

Master Zhu took a deep breath and said, "However, there is still a problem. If the army moves and you don't have time to consult with the General Headquarters, others in the court may use it against you and accuse you of treason. Therefore, it would be best to have someone of sufficient influence testify!"

Pei Yuanzhen raised an eyebrow and said, "You mean... Master Dongjing?" Master Zhu nodded and said, "Master Dongjing is a great Confucian scholar of the current dynasty, and he is about to take up the position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. As long as he vouches for you, no one will be able to use this matter against you in the future. With Master Dongjing's profound sense of justice, he should agree, right?"

"Try it!"

……

Yanluo County, Six Doors and Hundred Household Office.

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong were still waiting for Pei Yuanzhen's letter, so they did not leave. Duan Fei, on the other hand, was in the handover process. Doing things within the system is not like being a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone who can come and go as they please). Many things must go through procedures, unless you have a very deep background like Zhuo Qingfeng, who can do the work first and complete the procedures later.

However, with the capture of the six bandits from Huaihai yesterday, Yanluo County emerged from the oppressive atmosphere of fear and unease. Only Duan Fei and other officials who knew the truth remained heavy-hearted, because they knew the real culprit had not been caught.

Therefore, they are still investigating.

Gu Chudong followed along, running around everywhere.

It wasn't until evening, when it was almost dark, that they returned.

"elder brother,"

Gu Chudong carried a food box in, and as she took out the food, she asked, "Do you think the Seven Absolutes Tower gang will continue killing people?"

Gu Mo shook his head slightly and said, "It's unlikely. Their purpose was to lure me away by impersonating the Six Bandits of Huaihai. Now that the real Six Bandits of Huaihai have been captured, there's little point in them continuing to kill. Also, I don't know if they've already taken action in Linhai City. The Seven Absolutes Tower's ultimate goal in luring me away was to assassinate Mr. Dongjing. If that's already been done, they won't continue killing."

Gu Chudong nodded and said, "Doesn't that mean it will be very difficult for us to find that group of people?"

Gu Mo nodded and said, "It is indeed difficult to find them. With the Seven Absolutes Tower's methods of concealment, it's hard to find them unless they show themselves. In addition, it's very likely that their mission has ended and they have already left Yanluo County, so searching here would be even more useless."

"I see!" Gu Chudong nodded.

"Hmm, what about Commander Duan?" Gu Mo asked, "Has he finished the handover process? When does he plan to leave?"

“Tomorrow or the day after,” Gu Chudong said. “The main issue is that this matter is extraordinary. He needs to wait for instructions from Linhai City. He can’t arrange his own schedule. The more than 10,000 taels of military pay and several hundred weapons have too much impact. It’s no longer something that a deputy commander can decide on his own.”

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, "That's true. As for how to handle this matter, I'm afraid only Pei Yuanzhen can make the decision temporarily in the entire Linhai Prefecture. In the end, we still have to return to the prefecture and report to the imperial court. It doesn't matter. We'll wait for Pei Yuanzhen's letter. This trip to Yanluo County wasn't a waste. We actually caught the real Six Bandits of Huaihai!"

Gu Chudong whispered, "By the way, brother, Commander Duan just went to a banquet. Several wealthy merchants in the city asked him through connections to invite him to dinner on behalf of the people of the city. Because of the middleman, Commander Duan couldn't refuse."

However, on his way there, he quietly told me to keep a close eye out and to go to the warehouse immediately if I heard any commotion. He didn't elaborate due to time constraints, but I had a feeling something was off about his going to that banquet.

Gu Mo pondered for a moment and said, "That's normal. Military pay and equipment are things that could cost you your life. Only big shots can touch them. Now that these things have fallen into Duan Fei's hands, naturally some people can't sit still and want to make a big deal out of it and let it go."

"Won't they do anything to Commander Duan?" Gu Chudong asked.

Gu Mo shook his head and said, "If they wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn't have invited us to dinner. Inviting us to dinner means we're going to talk. They want to keep things under wraps, not make a big fuss. If they killed a deputy commander of the Six Doors, then the matter really couldn't be kept secret anymore."

……

In a restaurant in Yanluo County.

Several well-known wealthy merchants from the city gathered together, but none of them were able to sit in the main seat, because the main seat was occupied by Duan Fei, the deputy commander of the Six Doors. And next to Duan Fei was Liu, the centurion of the Six Doors from Yanluo County.

However, Liu Baihu ate in silence the entire time, not uttering a single word. His stance today was clear: he only extended an invitation to Duan Fei because he owed these wealthy merchants a favor; he would not participate in their conversation or discussion.

After several rounds of drinks, Huang Baiwan, the richest merchant in Yanluo County, beckoned, and a servant brought over a sandalwood box and placed it on the table.

Huang Baiwan pushed the box toward Duan Fei and said, "Commander Duan, you have captured the six bandits of Huaihai. We are here on behalf of the people of Yanluo County to thank you. This is a local specialty tea from Yanluo County. It is just a small token of our appreciation. Please don't find it offensive!"

Duan Fei slightly opened the box and saw that it contained four stacks of silver notes surrounding a pearl the size of an egg in the center. Judging from the face value, the four stacks of silver notes totaled no less than ten thousand taels, but the pearl was even more valuable.

Although Duan Fei didn't understand jewelry, just from its size and the stacks of silver notes, he could guess that this pearl was very valuable, at least far more than ten thousand taels.

With his salary, he could never earn that much money in his entire life.

He closed the box and chuckled, "Mr. Huang, such valuable tea is too good to be true. Please just say what you need so I can feel more at ease!"

Upon hearing Duan Fei's words, Boss Huang knew there was no need to keep it a secret any longer. He slowly said, "Commander Duan, to be honest, I enjoy collecting old objects. I heard you recently unearthed a batch of old things in the mountains, and I'd like to buy them at a high price. Don't worry, not only will I offer a price, but I'll also prepare a new batch of items to replace them for you!"

Duan Fei sized up Boss Huang and asked directly, "What price are you offering?"

Boss Huang quickly said, "Commander Duan may not know yet, but Wang Mingxiu, the commander of the Six Doors in Linghai County, has been arrested for colluding with the Seven Absolutes Tower. Now, the position of commander is vacant. Commander Duan has been the deputy for so many years, it's time to promote him to the head!"

Duan Fei chuckled and said, "The people behind you have connections that reach the heavens!"

Mr. Huang chuckled and said, "You're joking. We're just ordinary businessmen."

"Businessmen are great!" Duan Fei said. "I'd better negotiate prices with them."

Duan Fei stood up, picked up the sandalwood box, and said, "I'll take this tea. I'm also interested in the business you're going to do, but let's discuss the price again. My batch of old items is quite valuable!"

With that, Duan Fei left.

Several wealthy merchants quickly rose to see him off, escorting him all the way to his carriage before returning to the restaurant.

“Brother Huang, it seems we can reach an agreement with Commander Duan,” a wealthy merchant said.

Huang Baiwan shook his head and said, "It's hard to say. I think it's more likely that this flight is just stalling for time. I need to report to the big boss. It's best to do both at the same time!"

……

Huaihai, outside the coastal defense battalion.

As night deepened and the waves surged, Lin Jingzheng, the commander-in-chief of the coastal defense battalion, was still anxious about the crushing defeat he suffered at the hands of his comrades in the Tiansha Islands a few days ago, and had barely been able to eat or drink for the past few days.

He walked to the outside of the military camp, waved to his guards, and then, under the cover of night, headed towards a distant reef.

The guards looked at Lin Jing's dejected figure with a sense of helplessness.

The defeat in the Tiansha Islands this time was too severe. Lin Jing originally had a bright future, but it has been completely ruined. The Ministry of War will come to investigate in a few days. The best outcome will be dismissal, but if he is not careful, he may even face imprisonment.

If they didn't know that Lin Jing was in a good mood, these guards wouldn't have felt comfortable letting him wander around the beach alone.

Night fell, and the starlight dimmed.

Lin Jing leaned against the shady spot of a three-zhang-high reef, a spot that completely blocked out the lights of the military camp behind him.

The night sea shimmered with tiny silver lights, the tide murmured, and a gentle breeze carrying the salty scent brushed against his shoulder. Suddenly, he heard the faint sound of oars on the water in the distance. Looking up, he saw a small boat drifting downstream in the vast darkness.

A tall figure stood at the bow of the ship, the moonlight obscured by clouds, making it impossible to see the person's face clearly.

The sea breeze suddenly picked up, and the waves surged abruptly, causing the figures on the small boat to disappear.

The next instant, a wisp of green smoke appeared beside Lin Jing, and a scholar in a green robe stood with his hands behind his back. His eyebrows and eyes were gentle and refined, and he looked to be no more than thirty years old, with his robe still fluttering in the wind.

If anyone from the Six Doors were here, they would surely recognize him as Night Wanderer, one of the three Jade Token Assassins of the Seven Absolutes Tower.

Lin Jing looked at the Night Wanderer with great interest and asked, "I've always had a question. As far as I know, the Seven Killings of Heavenly Abyss Return to Silence has limitations. Each 'Seven Killings' can only be cultivated by people of the corresponding bloodline."

Every time you appear, you use the Wind and Thunder Technique from the Seven Killings Ode, so you must be from the Wind and Thunder lineage. Hmm, when I met the head manager before, he also used wind manipulation techniques. What's your relationship with him?

Night Wanderer glanced at Lin Jing and said, "This is none of your business, is it?"

"I'm just curious," Lin Jing said.

The Night Wanderer did not answer.

Lin Jing then asked, "Furthermore, your head manager killed the last bloodline of the Yin-Yang lineage. Aren't you afraid that the Yin-Yang Manual will be lost? Moreover, legend has it that when the Seven Kills are combined, one is invincible. Now that the Yin-Yang lineage is gone, isn't that a pity?"

Night Wanderer said calmly, "Instead of worrying about these meaningless things, you should think about what you're going to do now. That batch of weapons and military pay is easy to trace. The Ministry of War can find out about you with a simple check."

Lin Jing said, "I have already sent someone to bribe Duan Fei. As long as Duan Fei hands over the things to me, without those evidence, no one will be able to find me anymore. The battle in Tiansha Islands a few days ago has settled all the mess."

Night Wanderer chuckled, "I've always known you're drawing salaries without working, but I never imagined you'd be so audacious. You claim to have 40,000 coastal defense troops, but 20,000 of them are actually just drawing salaries without working. You and the person behind you must be really well-fed, aren't you afraid of overeating?"

Lin Jing chuckled and said, "What's this? It's just 20,000. Believe it or not, there are people who have ten times more than me."

The Night Wanderer's pupils contracted slightly, and he said, "Sure enough, the most shameless and audacious people are always in the government."

Lin Jing remained noncommittal and said, "Alright, tell me, what did you call me here for?"

The Night Wanderer said, "Pei Yuanzhen has led three thousand garrison troops from Linhai County straight to Yanluo County."

Lin Jing's expression changed slightly.

The Night Wanderer said, "If his army reaches Yanluo County, you're completely finished. Not only you, but the people behind you will also be implicated. The head manager told me to tell you that it's impossible for you to resolve this matter quietly anymore."

Lin Jing stood up and asked, "What should I do?"

Night Wanderer said, "Go and intercept the garrison of Linhai County. Our Seven Absolutes Tower army will land, attack Yanluo County, and seize that batch of supplies."

Lin Jing frowned and said, "You've all gone mad. Do you know that by doing this, the imperial court will be furious and will definitely send a large army to encircle and annihilate you. They will also join forces with the Southern Jin. Even the Tiansha Islands won't be able to protect you."

The Night Wanderer chuckled and said, "I don't need it."

Lin Jing was slightly taken aback, then said, "I understand. Your Seven Absolutes Pavilion has never been cooperating with me. You've already been cooperating with the person behind me. I'm the white glove, and you're the black glove. Therefore, the forces on the Tiansha Islands are already dispensable to you. The Seven Absolutes Pavilion is the Seven Absolutes Pavilion, and the Tiansha Islands are the Tiansha Islands!"

Night Wanderer chuckled, "Only now do you understand?"

After saying that, the Night Wanderer took out a token from his pocket and handed it to Lin Jing, saying, "This is the token of the Prince of Ji, to order you to carry out his orders."

Lin Jing took the token and asked, "Which of Prince Ji's attendants is the head steward?"

The Night Wanderer chuckled and said, "Guess!"

Lin Jing rolled his eyes and said, "It's fine to intercept Pei Yuan, but right now there's a very obvious problem: what qualifications do you Seven Absolutes Tower's troops have to break through Yanluo County?"

Night Wanderer frowned and said, "It's just a county town. My Seven Absolutes Pavilion has trained three or four thousand elite soldiers over the years. Can't we take down a small county town? It's just a mere three or four hundred garrison troops!"

Lin Jing sneered, "Your so-called elite troops have never even been on the battlefield. They've only fought a few pirates. They've never received any complete and orderly training. Do they even know what a formation is? Do they know what steps are needed to attack a city? Your so-called elite troops are nothing more than a bunch of martial arts practitioners who know a little about teamwork."

Furthermore, your men have been stationed on islands for a long time. They're somewhat better at naval warfare, but they have absolutely no experience in land warfare. Normally, a three-fold increase in strength is needed to surround them, a five-fold increase to attack, and a ten-fold increase to break through, assuming you have complete siege equipment and players of similar skill levels. Given your situation, try a thirty-fold increase and see if you have a chance to break through Yanluo County with human casualties. You have ten thousand men.”

The Night Wanderer frowned and said, "Is there really such a big difference?"

“If you’ve never been on the battlefield, you can’t understand what it’s like. Even martial arts masters can’t play a significant role on the battlefield. Think about it, is it really that simple?” Lin Jing said.

The Night Wanderer said in a deep voice, "The head manager's statement is the same as yours."

Lin Jing chuckled and said, "It seems the head manager is a knowledgeable person! In that case, he should have made some preparations, right?"

Night Wanderer nodded and said, "Our goal isn't really to attack the city, but to destroy the evidence. So, we just need to tie down the main fighting force of the Yanluo County army and the Six Doors, and then some people can infiltrate the Six Doors to destroy the weapons and government silver or take them away. It's only a few thousand pounds of stuff, and with a few more experts, taking it away won't be difficult. Those weapons aren't any divine weapons either; we can prepare aqua regia in advance and easily destroy them on the spot!"

Lin Jing thought for a moment and said, "There is a crucial problem. Gu Mo is in the city. If you want to solve this problem with martial arts experts alone, it will be quite difficult. We don't have much time. Once the distress call from Yanluo County reaches the surrounding counties, we will have to retreat."

The Night Wanderer said in a deep voice, "The head manager will personally take action."

Lin Jing warned, "Be careful not to be caught off guard; Gu Mo is not someone to be trifled with."

Night Wanderer chuckled, "The head manager is invincible!"

"Stop bragging," Lin Jing said bluntly. "If you're so powerful, why don't you go fight Zhang Daoyi? Don't you know what kind of martial art the Heavenly Abyss Returns to Silence Seven Killings Ode is? The Seven Killings Combined is something else entirely."

The head steward's Fenglei lineage only cultivates the Fenglei Mantra, which, at best, puts them at the Grandmaster level. Now that the Yin-Yang lineage is gone, only the six lineages of Fenglei, Tian, ​​Di, Shan, Huo, and Shui remain. How can they claim to be the best in the world? Of course, with all six lineages joining forces, they should have no problem taking on any of the other nine of the ten Grandmasters of the Qian Kingdom, excluding Zhang Daoyi.

The Night Wanderer chuckled and said, "How can a frog at the bottom of a well know the vastness of the world?"

"Would you like to see a real army?"

(End of this chapter)