I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 130: Power overpowers people!
The Baiyu Hall was still brightly lit after dark.

Countless men armed with knives and dressed in tight clothes are patrolling.

Obviously, the annihilation of the cavalry battalion made all the disciples of Baiyutang alert.

As the head of the hall, Xie An personally ordered: the disciples should reduce unnecessary outings in the near future and focus on patrolling Shuideng Town and the Xueling black market.

Fortunately, Xie An had governed well over the past year and had eradicated the idleness and laziness among his disciples. Even in the face of this crisis, no one panicked.

A pleasure boat at the pier of Water Lantern Town.

Xie An, Lin Yun, Wang Xiang, and Zhang Lin sat in a window seat on the second floor. Tea, fruits, and snacks were placed on the table. However, the four of them had no appetite, and their eyes were fixed on the row of willow trees on the shore.

Behind the row of willow trees is a large hidden house with faint lights visible.

Apart from Xie An, the other three people who knew what had happened couldn't help but feel very uneasy at this moment.

"Brother, Chen Qing's death and the annihilation of the entire cavalry battalion. Everyone is very sad, but now... what should we do?" Zhang Lin took the initiative to pour a cup of tea for Xie An and broke the silence first.

Xie An said, "What do you think? It doesn't matter. We are all family. Just speak frankly."

Zhang Lin said, "If ordinary bandits dared to use such harsh tactics against our Baiyutang disciples, we would have gone after them without hesitation... swords drawn. However... the ones who attacked us this time were the Refining Corpse Hall, the remnants of the former Changsheng Sect. We have the will but not the strength."

Lin Yun also said, "I've been on duty at Blood Ridge for over a decade, and I've never seen the Corpse Refining Hall show such ferocity. I'm afraid... the destruction of the Cavalry Battalion is just the beginning. The bloodbath to come will be even more terrifying. We need to consider the future."

Wang Xiang's answer was simple. "Anyway, everything I have is given by the boss. I fight wherever the boss tells me to fight. I don't have to think about it as much as you do."

Although what Wang Xiang said was useless nonsense, Xie An felt much more comfortable listening to it.

Xie An took everyone on a boat trip here tonight, on the one hand to monitor Cuiwei Residence, and on the other hand to discuss countermeasures with everyone.

He naturally didn't expect Wang Xiang to provide any ideas, so he asked Lin Yun, "Brother Lin, you seem to have something unfinished."

Lin Yun hesitated for a moment and said, "Although Sect Master Chen Qinglang has been dragged into this, to be honest, Chen Qinglang isn't one of us after all. If we really come to a dilemma, he might abandon our Baiyu Sect. We are the only ones who are willing to share this hardship. We can't pin all our hopes on Chen Qinglang. We need to leave ourselves a way out."

Xie An, cupping his teacup in his hands, tilted his head to look out at the waves of the Huai River and the rain curtain that covered the sky, muttering, "Brother Lin is right. I remember the original intention of establishing Baiyutang was an agreement between the county government and the Tiger and Wolf Sect, right?"

Lin Yun said, "That's right. The county government originally gave the Tiger and Wolf Sect room to develop and excluded them from the list of gangs. They also allowed the White Feather Hall to manage the docks, gambling houses, and black market businesses here. However, the White Feather Hall also assumed the task of defending the Corpse Refining Hall. This was an agreement reached in black and white by the top brass. And because of this, the fate of the White Feather Hall was sealed. If things continue to deteriorate, I'm worried that the top brass will not care about our lives and force us to fight against the demons.

"Master, apparently, we have no way out. We need to find a way out ourselves."

Xie An was very upset.

At Xie An's age, he wouldn't be so hot-blooded as to lead people to fight a desperate battle with the Corpse Refining Hall.

That's not fighting for your life, that's asking for death.

Not to mention that Xie An has never seen the true power of the Corpse Refining Hall, but from analyzing the current signs, he can know how terrifying the Corpse Refining Hall is.

It’s not easy to be the hall master.

He had come to the Blood Ridge Black Market before just to find a place to develop steadily. After all, Xie An was old at the time and had no way to make a name for himself, so joining the Blood Ridge Black Market was undoubtedly the right choice.

But later on, due to various coincidences, and not Xie An's intention... he gradually took the position of the hall master.

Unexpectedly, after less than two years, the Corpse Refining Hall, which had been stable for a hundred years, suddenly showed its claws.

This matter made Xie An very uncomfortable.

There is no way to develop peacefully.

Moreover, Chen Qing's death... the cavalry battalion was destroyed. Xie An still wanted to do something, and there was a bit of hatred in his heart.

Seeing Xie An remained silent, Lin Yun said, "Master, if you have made up your mind, I, Lin Yun, can give up the Blood Ridge Black Market, which I have been defending for many years. I will follow your arrangements."

Xie An looked at Lin Yun gratefully, "Don't worry. Chen Qinglang went to the county government office to see Magistrate Wen. Tomorrow, Chen Qinglang should take action against Cuiweiju. Let's wait and see what happens. If... the Corpse Refining Hall really takes further action, and the higher-ups don't care about our lives... and insist on us confronting the bandits head-on, I will make a decision myself. Three brothers, don't go out alone recently, and don't provoke anything. You need to be extra careful."

The three of them nodded in support of Xie An.

Finally, Xie An said, "You stay here and keep an eye on Cuiweiju's every move. If there's any unusual movement, report to me immediately. I'm going to check on Chen Qing's wife and daughter. Chen Qing is dead, so nothing must happen to his wife and daughter."

After leaving a word, Xie An hurriedly said goodbye.

Although Xie An felt that the crisis was imminent and that his ability was insufficient to cope with the next crisis, he still had to do what he could.

After visiting Awei and Xiaoqing, Xie An returned to the central courtyard, closed the door, and sat cross-legged in thought.

Yuhe, as usual, went out on behalf of Xie An to visit the various branches and appease the people. This was all routine, and Xie An didn't think much about it. Instead, he began to consider his current situation.

In the end, Xie An found that there was nothing to think about.

It all depends on whether Chen Qinglang can kill Mr. Li from Cuiwei Residence tomorrow and frighten the Corpse Refining Hall a little, so that they can delay their next move and give him more time to develop.

The rest... it's useless to think about it.

Since that was the case, Xie An simply cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, began to sit cross-legged and practice Mingyu Gong.

"The fusion degree of Changsheng's life force has reached 90,000ths. Let me see the effect of practicing Mingyu Gong."

Xie An had already achieved great success in the fetal breathing technique and could easily enter a state of minor meditation. Following the Mingyu technique, he began to move the heat.

buzzing.

The heat dissipates, travels throughout the body, and returns to the crimson palace.

Normally, it would take at least quarter of an hour to complete such a cycle.

But now, it can be done in a quarter of an hour.

Much faster.

The increased operating speed has brought about very obvious benefits.

The speed of his body also increased, like the difference between accelerating to 100 kilometers per hour in ten seconds and five seconds. Once the Mingyu Gong was activated, Xie An could clearly feel the agility of his hands and feet, and even his running and attack speeds greatly increased.

These feelings were not obvious before.

This surprised Xie An. "How come as my cultivation deepens, Mingyu Gong is like adding an engine to my body... and through cultivation, the power of the engine is continuously increasing!"

I had a similar feeling before, but it was not as obvious.

I guess it's because the integration of the longevity character has increased, so the feeling is obvious.

Xie An thought that if he pushed the Mingyu Gong to its limit and then used the Chongshan Knife to fight, the power would increase exponentially.

But the problem was... Xie An now needed to sit cross-legged in a state of meditation to activate the Mingyu Gong. Once his mind was distracted or his body left the cross-legged state... the Mingyu Gong would be interrupted.

Not to mention using Mingyu Gong in combat.

Ideals are beautiful, but reality is cruel.

However, Xie An felt that the effect of Mingyu Gong was becoming more and more obvious, and its aftereffects seemed to be getting stronger and stronger...

……

The next day, at 9:00 am.

Xie An, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, was suddenly awakened by a loud noise, which made it impossible for him to enter the Mingyu meditation anymore. So he simply got up and washed.

Just then, Yuhe came back.

"Master. You're up."

"Yuhe, you're back. What's all the noise outside?"

"Chen Qinglang has returned, and County Magistrate Wen is here too."

Hearing that Wen Zaiqing had arrived, Xie An hurriedly washed up and then dressed with the help of Yuhe. During this time, Yuhe told him the details of the situation outside.

It turned out that Wen Zaiqing, upon learning that the Hulangmen Cavalry Battalion had been annihilated, had personally brought a group of yamen runners and experts to assist. He said he was planning to attack Cuiweiju. He also said that Wen Zaiqing wanted to come in and question them.

Xie An was very excited when he heard the news.

This undoubtedly gave Xie An more confidence in the future fate of Baiyutang.

After getting dressed, Xie An hurried to open the door.

Outside, sixty or seventy men, armed with broadswords and other weapons, stood in neat rows. Half wore the uniforms of the Tiger and Wolf Sect, each possessing powerful energy and exceptional strength. The other half wore the uniforms of the police, each carrying a broadsword, looking quite imposing.

Standing at the front were Chen Qinglang... and Wen Zaiqing, who was wearing an official robe.

Xie An felt somewhat flattered by such a grand ceremony, and he hurriedly bowed and said, "Master Wen, Sect Master Chen, please come in quickly. Yuhe, make some tea."

Entering the hall, Wen Zaiqing took the first seat on the upper right, Chen Qinglang naturally took the second seat on the upper left. As for Xie An... he could only sit on the side.

Wen Zaiqing was a student of the Nanyang prefect. As a Jinshi (civil and military) during the Jingtai reign, he was naturally extraordinary.

Wen Zaiqing was a warrior, yet he possessed the refined air of a scholar. After taking a sip of tea, he said, "Master Chen told me everything. The Baiyu Hall was stationed here on behalf of the government, assisting in defending against the demonic beings of Dayin Mountain. Now that they've been ravaged by this tragedy, as the chief official of Qingwu County, I naturally cannot ignore it. However, this matter is of such importance that I must personally verify it. Thank you, Master, for telling me the details of what happened."

Speak objectively and without airs.

Perhaps because he had met Xie An at Tangjiabao before, Wen Zaiqing felt a little more intimate with him.

Xie An told the whole story in detail, and at the end he did not forget to specifically mention Chen Qing's bravery.

Wen Zaiqing sighed deeply after hearing this and angrily slammed the table. "How dare a mere evil cultist cause chaos under my rule? His crimes are truly heinous and he doesn't even take the imperial court seriously. How can I tolerate him?"

Xie An felt relieved, "Thank you, Master Wen, for your consideration for the brothers of Baiyu Hall."

Wen Zaiqing said, "Thank you, Hall Master, for your peace of mind. Your Baiyu Hall is assisting me in defending against the demon. Baiyu Hall's affairs are my affairs.

For years, the Corpse Refining Hall has lurked in the Great Yin Mountains, yet now they dare to show their claws. I must strike them with a thundering blow, a blow so profound that they will retreat.

After saying this, Wen Zaiqing slammed the table and stood up, "Master Chen, this time you and I will act together, working together to wipe out Cuiweiju, this den of demons."

Chen Qinglang seemed to be waiting for these words, "I am willing to obey Lord Wen's orders."

"There's no time to lose. To prevent the demon from escaping, we should set out immediately." Wen Zaiqing walked out the door, his breath high. "Thank you, Hall Master. Please lead the way."

"Sir, please. Sect Master, please."

Xie An personally led the way to the Water Lantern Wharf and found Lin Yun, Zhang Lin and Wang Xiang. He asked them about what happened in Cuiwei Residence last night. The three said there was nothing happening.

Wen Zaiqing then gave the order, "Surround Cuiwei Residence and don't let anyone escape."

More than seventy elite masters responded to the call and surrounded the entire Cuiwei Residence. Because of the loud noise, countless villagers gathered around to watch.

"Hey, isn't that County Magistrate Wen? Why did he bring people to our Shuideng Town today?"

"I heard that the Baiyutang cavalry camp in Gupo Village was wiped out yesterday. Hundreds of skilled cavalrymen were killed. It was said that it was done by bandits from Dayin Mountain. Lord Wen came here to suppress the bandits."

"The bandits in Dayin Mountain must be eliminated. Lord Wen is a righteous and upright person."

"With Lord Wen protecting our land like this, we can live a peaceful life."

"..."

Wen Zaiqing did not isolate the masses, which was obviously intentional.

I just want to make some achievements while in office so that the villagers can see them, spread them, and gain a good reputation.

Xie An also thought it was nothing. It was a good thing that officials cared about their reputation.

Moreover, with Chen Qinglang and Wen Zaiqing taking action at the same time, Xie An, the hall master, also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the fate of Baiyu Hall... might not be that bad.

"Master Chen, Master Xie, and everyone else, follow me in and eliminate the bandits!"

Wen Zaiqing took the three-foot-long Qingfeng sword handed to him by his men and took the lead in kicking open the gate. "Kill these bandits!"

Wow.

A group of people rushed in.

Xie An followed him in and saw four old men sorting white deer blood in the yard, completely oblivious to the crowd's arrival. Under the eaves, a young man with a black mole between his eyebrows sat reading a book, a maid squatting beside him, making him tea.

Wen Zaiqing pointed his sword at the young man. "You are the son of an official from out of town. Initially, I gave you some leeway out of consideration for your status. But I never expected you to collude with the Dayin Mountain bandits and massacre the Baiyutang Cavalry Battalion. Your crimes are heinous. Come, capture them. If you dare to resist, you will be killed without mercy."

Clang!

The officers drew their swords and prepared to charge forward.

"Who dares to touch our young master?!"

The maid suddenly took a step forward, with a surging aura and a surge of heat from her body. With one palm, she slapped away more than ten knife-wielding officers.

"You slaughtered my son and yet you still dare to resist. So what if you're an internal force martial artist? Do you really think I, Chen, am easy to bully?" Chen Qinglang took a step forward, releasing a stream of heat from his body.

It seemed that both sides were about to fight.

The young man with the black mole suddenly put down the scroll in his hand and glanced at Wen Zaiqing with a haughty look. "Wen Zaiqing, a student of the prefect, passed the civil and military imperial examinations at the Nanzhou Imperial Academy in the ninety-sixth year of the Jingtai reign, and obtained the title of Jinshi (double Jinshi). Who gave you your official hat? You've forgotten who gave it to you."

Wen Zaiqing snorted coldly, "I am an official of the imperial court, I receive a salary from the imperial court, and I am loyal to His Majesty the Emperor Jingtai. Even if you are the son of a prominent official in Nanzhou, you cannot violate the imperial laws. According to the imperial laws, I, your Majesty, can execute you."

"The imperial court's laws? What a clear stream."

The young man with the mole snorted coldly, then took out a brocade box from the table next to him and tossed it to Wen Zaiqing, "Let's see what's inside, then we'll talk."

"No matter what's inside, no matter who you're implicated, I will go all out without hesitation..." Wen Zaiqing opened the brocade box while making an impassioned speech.

The next moment, Wen Zaiqing could no longer speak. Instead, his eyes widened, he trembled, and his face turned pale.

"Master Wen!"

Chen Qinglang realized something was wrong and hurriedly called out to Wen Zaiqing.

But Wen Zaiqing covered the brocade box with his trembling hands, and then all his energy and spirit seemed to be drained away. He slowly knelt on the ground, holding the brocade box in his palms.

"Yes, I'm sorry, your subordinate...I'm offended!"

"Master Wen!" Chen Qinglang shouted, but Wen Zaiqing seemed to be deaf to his words and collapsed limply.

Everyone in the audience was stunned.

You know, for many years, they all believed that Wen Zaiqing was a good official who was upright and clean, who eliminated malpractices, treated the people well, and hated evil. Unexpectedly, at this moment...

Xie An's heart also began to beat violently, feeling... the severity of the incident in Dayin Mountain this time was beyond his imagination!
Chen Qinglang is an old hand in this world, and he now realizes the severity of the situation.

Wen Zaiqing's teacher was the prefect of Nanyang, a fourth-rank official.

In other words, officials below the fourth rank would not make Wen Zaiqing act like this... Then the background of the young man in front of him must be above the fourth rank.

Slowly, Chen Qinglang also knelt down, trembling.

He was just the leader of a martial arts sect, and he still had to rely on Wen Zaiqing in Qingwu County, not to mention a being above the fourth rank... A single finger from such a big shot could destroy the Tiger and Wolf Sect and wipe out Chen Qinglang's entire family.

You can't afford to offend him at all.

Eh.

The young man with the black mole slowly stood up from his seat, walked over to Wen Zaiqing, took the brocade box, and said coldly, "You're just a seventh-rank county magistrate. In front of me, you're no better than an ant. I'll spare you because you're an official appointed by the imperial court. But you, Chen Qinglang, won't be so lucky."

As he spoke, the young man with the black mole handed the brocade box to the maid next to him, walked up to Chen Qinglang, and slapped Chen Qinglang hard in the face.

Snapped!
The crisp sound resounded throughout the venue.

Chen Qing the werewolf was beaten to the side, the skin on his face was broken and blood was flowing out.

"Herringer, bring me the knife."

Qingyu handed over a knife. The young man took it and said to Chen Qinglang, "You broke into my house and cut off your own arm. This matter is over. You are a lowly person, and you will dirty my hands. Do it yourself."

Ding.

The broadsword was thrown in front of Chen Qinglang.

Chen Qinglang was crawling on the ground, his body trembling.

He was the leader of the Tiger and Wolf Sect, who had dominated Qingwu County for thirty years and was a close friend of Wen Zaiqing. How could he have ever suffered such humiliation?

He turned his head and looked at Wen Zaiqing.

Wen Zaiqing cried out sadly, "Brother Chen, if you don't want your entire family to be wiped out, if you don't want the Tiger and Wolf Sect to be wiped out, then... do as I say!!"

Ah!
Chen Qinglang suddenly cried out in grief, picked up the broadsword in his right hand, and chopped off his left hand fiercely.

The young man with the black mole snorted coldly, "You are a bunch of ignorant ants. Today I will teach you that you must bow your tail and be slaves in front of me. Get lost!"

Xie An clearly saw blood splattering, a bloody severed arm sliding to the ground, the fingers still wriggling. Looking at the young man with the mole, he saw a cold and arrogant smile on his face.

(End of this chapter)