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

Chapter 155 The big gift left by the eldest princess!

The horse is a tall, dark brown horse with bulging muscles showing under the sunlight. It is full of explosive power and gives people a great sense of oppression. It is obvious at first glance that it is not an ordinary horse breed.

The man and woman sitting on horseback, though not very old, were brimming with energy like a raging fire, overwhelming all directions and scaring the birds and beasts in the distance into fleeing in panic.

Han Li and He Chunli, who were weaker, couldn't help but tremble.

Yu He stepped forward under pressure and stood side by side with Xie An, muttering in a low voice: "These two people are emitting Qi and blood, they are at least seventh-level martial artists!"

Seventh level martial artist!

This scared Han Li and He Chunli quite a bit.

To them, a martial artist was a truly remarkable figure. Furthermore, a seventh-level martial artist...

Only Xie An... not only did he not feel any pressure, but there was a hint of joy in his eyes.

Xie An's five senses had long locked onto the young couple, and he had a rough sense of their qi and blood and strength... It turned out that this was the qi and blood of a seventh-level martial artist.

It’s just... average.

Unless the two of them have special secret techniques or weapons, etc., they are definitely not my opponents.

In contrast, Xie An had a clearer understanding of the combat effectiveness of the Eighteen Sections of Mingyu Gong.

He gathered his thoughts, took a step forward, and said with a bow, "I am Xie An, not a demon from the Corpse Refining Hall."

The gunman was shocked when he heard the name, "Are you Xie An?"

Xie An asked curiously, "Does the lord recognize me?"

The gunman excitedly dismounted and was about to approach Xie An when the sword-wielding woman got there first. "My name is Zhao Qing'er, and I'm a sergeant of the Qingwu Demon Suppression Division. This is Wei Haoran, also a sergeant, but half a rank lower than me. We've been searching for you and Yuhe here for the past four years, following the orders of the eldest princess. Is this Miss Yuhe next to you?"

Yuhe stepped forward and said, "I am Xie Yuhe."

Zhao Qing'er was overjoyed. "Thank goodness, I've finally found you two. Now... I can finally explain to the Princess. Please follow me down the mountain to the Demon Suppression Division."

It turned out to be the case.

Since they were not enemies, Xie An did not hesitate and followed the two men down the mountain.

Xie An also wanted to know about the situation during the siege of the Corpse Refining Hall. He also wanted to know whether the high priest was dead or alive, and what happened to Li Changchun. Also... when he killed the seventh son of the King of Huainan, did the King of Huainan take any further measures?

All of the above are extremely important to Xie An.

This is related to Xie An’s next plan.

As for Zhao Qing'er and Wei Haoran... after a conversation, Xie An felt that they were both from aristocratic families, but they were not the kind of flowers that grew up in a greenhouse. Instead, they were very experienced in the martial arts world. Their words and actions were stained with the heroic spirit of the martial arts world, without being pretentious. They also did not give people the impression of being overbearing.

Maybe it was because of the influence of the eldest princess?
However, Xie An also discovered that... on the way down the mountain, these two young men from aristocratic families would turn their heads to look at him from time to time, as if they were looking at some treasure, which made Xie An feel uncomfortable.

Xie An instinctively felt that something was amiss, so he took the initiative to ask, "Chassis Zhao, is the princess in Qingwu County?"

Zhao Qing'er held the horse's reins while still observing Xie An curiously. "The Princess stayed in Shuideng Town for half a year without finding you. Furthermore, the demons from the Changsheng Sect in Nanyang Prefecture were making unusual movements, so she hurried back. However, the Princess specifically instructed that once she finds you, she will bring you to see Senior Brother Chen immediately. There will be a generous reward!"

Wei Haoran added, "In the battle to wipe out the Corpse Refining Hall, the Princess said you were the one who deserved the most credit. She also gave us a death order: if we can't find you, we won't be allowed to return to Nanyang Prefecture. For the past four years, Zhao Qing'er and I have been patrolling the mountains every now and then, but we haven't heard from you. At one point, we thought you were dead. We almost reported you as a martyr..."

Before Wei Haoran could finish his words, Zhao Qing'er kicked him and said, "Why are you saying such unlucky words? If you can't speak, then shut up."

Wei Haoran immediately became angry, "I haven't finished speaking yet..."

"Then hold back what you are saying. This princess feels uncomfortable hearing it."

Wei Haoran was furious, "Zhao Qing'er, don't go too far."

Zhao Qing'er was not afraid at all. She snorted coldly, "Wei Haoran, please put yourself in the right position. You are just a deputy official of the sixth rank. I am a full sixth rank official and your immediate superior."

Wei Haoran raised his spear. "You're just relying on your father being Prince Bao. Even if this weren't the capital, I wouldn't be afraid of you. Do you dare to try my spear?"

Clang!

Zhao Qing'er suddenly drew her sword and said, "Oh, your father is just a mere Duke of Wei. How can this princess be afraid of you? Just give it a try."

Then, the two of them actually started fighting.

Yuhe: “…”

Han Li: “…”

He Chunli: “…”

Xie An held his forehead, feeling speechless.

He finally understood why the two of them looked at him like a treasure. It turned out that the eldest princess had reserved the first merit for him...

Besides, I was careless.

Just now I thought that these two young men from noble families were well-spoken and experienced in the martial arts world, but now it seems... the temperament of these young men from noble families, which was hidden in their bodies, was exposed as soon as they were provoked by words.

Compared with the eldest princess who was also born into a noble family, the gap is extremely huge.

But their background is a bit scary.

One is the daughter of Prince Bao, the other is the son of Duke Wei...

Xie An guessed that the reason the princess brought these two fools to Nanyang Prefecture for training was probably because of their father's request. Otherwise... these two guys would not be worthy of the princess's attention.

"Master, they're fighting..." Han Li said blankly, "What should we do?"

Xie An certainly had the power to stop the two sons of aristocratic families from fighting, but there was no need to wade into this muddy water. "One is the daughter of Prince Bao, and the other is the son of Duke Wei. We can't afford to offend them, so we'll just watch. It's a good opportunity for you to learn their fighting style. It's rare to see masters of this level duel."

Han Li and He Chunli agreed with this and started watching from the side. They soon became absorbed in the scene with their eyes wide open.

Yuhe was also watching intently, secretly making a few gestures from time to time.

Xie An looked at it for a while and was shocked.

Although these two guys still have the temperament of children from wealthy families, their kung fu is truly amazing.

For example, Zhao Qing'er's swordsmanship was exquisite, powerful, and powerful, with the aura of splitting mountains and severing rivers. No one knew where she learned it from. And Wei Haoran's spearmanship was equally exquisite and profound, not inferior in the slightest.

His body movements, footwork, spearmanship, swordsmanship, the angle and strength of attack, the angle and strength of defense... they are all unique.

A true martial arts genius!
Xie An had been in Qingwu County for many years before, but he had never seen such a monster.

Not to mention Yuhe, Hanli and He Chunli, even Xie An benefited a lot from reading it.

About a quarter of an hour later, Wei Haoran put away his gun: "Forget it, forget it, I won't fight anymore, it's boring."

Zhao Qing'er was very proud, "Are you scared?"

"If you say so, then so be it." Wei Haoran patted his butt and left the battlefield. He came to Xie An and smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Brother Xie. Let's continue on our journey and don't waste time."

Seeing Wei Haoran admit defeat, Zhao Qing'er felt extremely satisfied. She walked over to exchange a few words with Xie An before leading the way down the mountain. However, the expression between her eyebrows could not be concealed.

After chatting all the way, the sense of unfamiliarity between each other was reduced a lot.

Xie An still didn't ask about the details of the initial siege of the Corpse Refining Hall. This was because Xie An felt that although these two children from aristocratic families were impulsive and competitive, they were not stupid. Their words often used official language, and they had many reservations about Xie An.

Xie An felt that there was no need to embarrass himself, so he could go back and ask Chun Ge.

After going down the mountain, you will reach Gupo Village.

Wei Haoran said, "Wait here for a moment. I'll go to the cavalry camp and borrow a few horses. This way we can get to the county town faster."

Cavalry battalion?
Could it be that Baiyutang has rebuilt the cavalry camp?
After thinking about it, I feel that this is possible.

Xie An thought that he was the head of Baiyu Hall after all, so he said, "I will go with Master Wei. We can also visit our old place."

Wei Haoran and Zhao Qing'er exchanged a glance, and Zhao Qing'er said, "Wei Haoran, go and borrow a horse quickly. I want to talk to Xie An."

After Wei Haoran left, Zhao Qing'er said to Xie An, "I know everything about you. You were the head of Baiyu Hall, and the eldest princess stayed there for several years, running a school. You even killed the seventh son of the King of Huainan in front of the villagers. Each and every one of these was a great deed that benefited the country and the people. Although this princess didn't see it with her own eyes, she admires you from the bottom of her heart. But..."

She suddenly changed the subject, "Times have changed. Chen Qinglang lost his arm to survive and fled far away. Meng Hu also found another supporter and made the Tiger and Wolf Sect bigger again. Now, Meng Hu has sold the entire Baiyu Hall, a popular potato, to the Giant Whale Gang."

Xie An was surprised to hear this. He had never imagined that Baiyutang, which had been doing so well, would be sold to the Giant Whale Gang. No wonder the two disciples had said that their former subordinates were not doing well.

How can I live well now that my boss has changed?
After a moment of stunned silence, Xie An finally came to his senses, "So this cavalry battalion... belongs to the Giant Whale Gang?"

Zhao Qing'er said, "Yes. But it's not a big deal. Our Qingwu Town Demon Division has overall authority over Qingwu County, and the county government and the Wanhu Mansion must cooperate. Wei Haoran holds the position of deputy division commander, so if he goes to borrow a few horses, the Giant Whale Gang won't dare to disobey."

Xie An sighed in his heart.

Four years have passed and everything has changed.

The entire Qingwu County has changed a lot.

Originally, Xie An had planned to go directly to the Li Mansion to see the seriously ill Madam Li, but now it seems... he still has to go to the Demon Suppression Division first to understand the current situation in Qingwu County.

It only takes half a day anyway, so it won’t waste any time.

Moreover, Xie An still holds the title of the head of Baiyu Hall. Now that Baiyu Hall has been sold, it is unknown what will happen to Lin Yun and the others. How will Meng Hu arrange his own affairs?

All of these need to be understood.

The most important thing is whether Li Changchun and the high priest are dead or not. If they are not dead, are they still keeping an eye on him... and the movements of King Huainan!
Since the eldest princess was here, the King of Huainan naturally didn't dare to do anything to him.

Now that the eldest princess is gone, Xie An needs to understand things clearly.

Otherwise, if you are not careful, you may be doomed.

Not long after, Wei Haoran came over with four horses and distributed them to Yuhe, Xie An, Han Li and He Chunli respectively.

He Chunli and Han Li are now warriors at the third level of the Iron Bone Realm, so they naturally know how to ride horses.

drive!
Four fierce horses set out from Gupo Village and galloped towards the county town.

……

Blood Ridge Market.

Now this place is very different from before.

The entrance to the canyon had been flattened, and four main roads, east, south, west, and north, led directly to the Blood Ridge Market. Horse-drawn carriages, ox-drawn carts, and other vehicles plying the roads, a constant stream of people and things.

There are also countless shops of all sizes and fixed stalls in the Xueling Market, and business is booming.

Compared to the Blood Ridge black market four years ago, it has now become a true commercial center. Even its name has been changed to "market." Even at night, it's brightly lit, and there are several brothels.

A large shipping channel was also dug outside the black market, which can directly reach the Shuideng Town Pier and connect to the Dahuai River, greatly facilitating business transactions.

In a separate courtyard.

A few people gathered together to drink.

"Brother Lin, we can't stay here anymore." Zhang Lin drank a mouthful of wine, slammed the glass on the table, and looked angry. Zhang Lin now has gray hair and many wrinkles on his face, and he looks much older.

Wang Xiang poured Zhang Lin a glass of wine. "At least we all worked under Master Xie in various branches. Our achievements and abilities are evident. But the Giant Whale Gang ignored all of this and sent us here on patrol. This is too much."

Liang Zhize lowered his head to drink, not participating in the discussion, but he couldn't hide the frustrated look on his face.

Gulu.

Lin Yun took a sip of his wine and laughed at himself, "The Blood Ridge Black Market took over a decade of hard work to build. Now it's been upgraded to a market, benefiting the Giant Whale Gang, of course. We can't even keep our original positions and have been sent here to patrol. We're also constantly being looked down upon and suppressed. If you want to leave, go ahead. This place is where Brother Wei and I have our roots, and we'll be here for the rest of our lives."

"Brother Lin, why are you doing this? If you stay here, you can do nothing but get trampled upon."

"That's right. Master Xie's life or death is unknown now. We have no one to protect us. We are worse than pigs and dogs here. Brother Lin, let's go together. At worst, we can find a new place to make a living."

"Yesterday, we offended the second gang leader's son, and each of us got a beating..."

Lin Yun waved his hand, "I appreciate your kindness, but I am old and my martial arts skills cannot improve any further. This is probably the end of my life. As they say, fallen leaves return to their roots, so I will stay here. You don't have to stay here and suffer such injustice with me."

……

When Xie An arrived at the gate of the county town, he found that the city wall had been repaired and was taller and bigger.

Moreover, there were obviously many more soldiers patrolling the door than before. Every soldier was wearing armor and had a very stern look on their faces.

As we entered the city, we saw a huge building from a distance. It was seven stories high and magnificent, which was particularly eye-catching in the entire county.

Han Li rode his horse up to Xie An and excitedly introduced, "Master, this is the newly built Demon Suppression Division headquarters. It took four years to build, and it's the largest building in the entire county. I've never seen such a magnificent building in my life."

He Chunli also came over and said, "The Demon Suppression Division is actively recruiting people. I was wondering..."

Xie An glanced at He Chunli and probably knew what his disciple was thinking. He said, "We'll talk about this later. Let me find out more about the situation. You two go back first."

The two disciples nodded in agreement, and when they arrived at the gate of the Demon Suppression Division, they dismounted, handed the horses back to Wei Haoran, and bowed goodbye.

Zhao Qing'er dismounted and handed the horse to Wei Haoran, "Take the horse to the stable."

Wei Haoran was obviously displeased, but after seeing Zhao Qing'er take out the identity token of a sixth-rank official, he could only hang his head, suppress his anger, and lead the horse away.

Zhao Qing'er raised her eyebrows and said to Xie An, "Xie An, Miss Yuhe, please follow me."

Xie An followed Zhao Qing'er forward, but his eyes kept glancing around.

The gate of the Demon Suppression Bureau is so grand!
The two stone lions stood over ten meters tall, creating a powerful sense of oppression. Even the gate itself was thirteen meters high, adding to its grandeur. Atop the gate hung a plaque, inscribed in a flamboyant style: "Qingwu Demon Suppression Office."

On the large pillar on the left is engraved a line of words: Supervise all officials and slay demons and monsters.

There is also a line of words engraved on the large pillar on the right: Execute first and report later, special permission from the emperor.

Xie An couldn't help but recall a line from a movie from his past life: "I take charge of things the East Factory doesn't dare to do, and I kill those the East Factory doesn't dare to kill. I take charge of things the East Factory can do, and I take charge even more of things the East Factory can't do." Acting first and reporting later, with special permission from the emperor—this was the West Factory.

But the Western Factory only said this verbally and did not record it in the records.

The Demon Suppression Division of Daqian was so powerful that it directly engraved it at the gate.

It seemed very impressive, but Xie An realized that there was a message behind it: the court was not as stable as it seemed, so extraordinary measures were needed in extraordinary times.

The Demon Suppression Division is this special organization.

The Demon Suppression Division has too much power!
If the court remains stable in the future, institutions like the Demon Suppression Division will become the greatest threat to the court's laws. If a wise and enlightened monarch were to rule, the Demon Suppression Division would likely be abolished or its power curtailed.

But the current situation in Daqian is an extraordinary period, and we have no choice but to do so.

It is possible that these inscriptions were intentionally displayed by the court to intimidate the King of Huainan and the evildoers of the Changsheng Sect.

But no matter what, this door and these inscriptions are indeed fascinating and exciting.

Any ambitious and capable hero, any passionate young man... who wouldn't want to join such an organization?
Xie An was older and more stable, so he didn't have such impulses.

Zhao Qing'er led the way while explaining, "This government office took four years to build. It's decorated entirely to the specifications and furnishings of the Nanyang Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. It's clear the princess has long-term plans."

Xie An nodded in agreement and looked around. He saw many passionate young men practicing martial arts and fighting in the martial arts arenas, as well as young men lining up to take the exam.

Zhao Qing'er explained, "The Qingwu Demon Suppression Division has a full quota of 500 Demon Suppression Guards, but the Princess is short on manpower, so she's only deploying 200. We'll have to recruit the rest ourselves. These people came here because of our reputation."

Xie An said: "The Demon Suppression Division is magnificent and aspires to bring justice to the world. Now that it has opened its doors, there will naturally be an endless stream of participants."

Zhao Qing'er was very proud. "Not bad. Young talents from five or six nearby counties have all come to take the exam. Although our recruitment requirements are very strict, based on the current trend, we will be able to fill the quota in about three to five months."

Xie An asked, "Who is currently serving as the Chief of the Demon Suppression Office?"

Eh.

Zhao Qing'er sighed, "Originally, the position of General Director was definitely destined for Senior Brother Chen Tie. He's a close confidant of the Princess, and he learned from a great master in the capital, reaching the eighth level of martial arts. The court had already issued a document, but for some reason something unexpected happened, and they changed their minds, only giving Senior Brother Chen Tie the title of Deputy General Director. The position of General Director has been vacant ever since."

Xie An keenly sensed that something was wrong. It seemed that the princess was not in control of the situation?

Of course he didn't show any abnormality and remained as usual.

Soon, he followed Zhao Qing'er to the roof of the seventh floor. Zhao Qing'er went in first to report. Not long after, a strong young man came out quickly. When he saw Xie An, he stepped forward and shook Xie An's hand eagerly. "Brother Xie, I am so glad to see you back safely. I am Chen Tie. Before the princess left, she specifically told me to treat you well. The princess left a great gift for you. Come in and tell me."

Chen Tie appeared generous on the surface, but in fact he had just asked someone to find Liu Chun and secretly identify Xie An's identity. He only came out to greet him after confirming that it was correct.

(End of this chapter)