Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 218 Big Changes Are Coming
After the transfer order came down, Zhao Yifu had no choice but to pack up the small courtyard where he had already settled down and move with the Manshan Camp.

No, now the Manshan Camp has been renamed the Fancheng Camp, and the troop quota has been expanded to 5,000 people, with another 2,000 people waiting to be received in Fancheng.

Wu Dun cried all the way; he really didn't want to go to the front line.

Of course Zhao Yi Fu didn't want him to go either. What use could this fat man be?

Fortunately, Zhu Fei played a role again at this time. Zhao Yifu handed the task of leading the troops to him, but he managed to do the job well as a mere sergeant.

No one tried to trip him up, and everyone knew that once he arrived in Fancheng, he would surely soar to fame.

Zhao Yifu's position as commander-in-chief was originally a temporary position set up for civil servants during wartime. The closer the war got, the more say he had.

This is a major problem of the Daxu military system, but of course it is a good thing for the Fancheng Camp now.

They traveled by water and when passing Xiangyang, Zhao Xiangyu got off the boat and said goodbye.

She said, "I was supposed to go with you, Junxin, but Lord Zhou seems to have other plans for me. I'm a little disappointed."

It's just a little bit, which shows that she is still very happy to go back.

Zhao Yifu laughed heartily and said, "Xiang and Fan are actually one. It's not easy for my sister to see me. I'm afraid you won't be able to think of this so easily in the future, right?"

Zhao Xiangyu didn't shy away. She patted Zhao Yifu on the shoulder and said, "That's enough. I know you're worried about your sister. The child is his uncle!"

Zhao Yifu: "..."

Wow, he’s even thought about having children. Is that too much?
Zhao Yifu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

However, Zhao Xiangyu left, but the twenty members of the Zhao family stayed.

Now that Zhao Yifu is on the front line, he naturally needs help from his clansmen.

Now Wu Zhong was very happy, because they were all his juniors or old brothers.

By traveling by water, it only takes one day to reach Fancheng.

Zhao Yifu's spirit had already left his body and viewed the scene in Fancheng, then he burst into laughter.

Because it was Yang Zaixuan who led the troops to occupy Fancheng.

But Zhao Xiangyu got off the boat and returned to Xiangyang first. This is really interesting.

However, the person next to Yang Zaixuan looks unfamiliar. I don’t know who he is, and he doesn’t look like an ordinary general... Could it be that this person was the one who started the Fancheng Uprising?
It was just a quick glance, and he didn't take it seriously. After all, he didn't have any idea that people who surrendered couldn't be used.

……

At the foot of Fancheng, Yang Zaixuan led the newly surrendered general to greet them.

Zhao Yi Fu walked up slowly riding a bear... Well, he rode a bear, this kind of mount was definitely unique.

However, he felt that when the next big change came, it would not be worth being surprised, so he might as well show it openly.

The sun sets in the west and smoke rises from cooking fires. The county magistrate arrives riding on a bear and leading his troops.

Wow, this scene makes the people of Fancheng feel... intimidated.

In fact, Fancheng has changed hands many times in the past hundred years. The people here have gradually lost their sense of home and country, and only care about who can bring them a sense of security and who can exploit them less.

Therefore, when Zhao Yifu rode the bear here, the first thing he felt was the sense of deterrence, which also aroused the most basic sense of obedience.

Yang Zaixuan had seen Zhao Yifu riding a bear, so he was not surprised.

He stepped forward, clasped his fists happily and said, "Sir, you are finally here."

Zhao Yifu smiled and said, "You did a great job. You were able to lead the troops and capture Fancheng alone."

Yang Zaixuan said with embarrassment, "Although it was I who proposed the strategy to attack Fancheng, it was only when I led the troops there that I discovered that General Wei Kang had long harbored the intention of rebellion."

Zhao Yifu looked at the man next to him. He was dressed in dusty clothes, his brow furrowed, looking bitter and resentful. He was about thirty years old, but his face was old and weathered, like an old man.

"Wei Kang, the treacherous man, pays homage to Lord Zhao."

Wei Kang bowed humbly.

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "I don't care what happened before, just work hard under me."

This being said, his own official position may not even be as high as others.

Wei Kang said respectfully, "Yes, sir."

Then they entered the city.

Zhao Yifu's Fancheng Camp would select two thousand people from the original Fancheng defenders who had revolted to strengthen itself, and the rest would be taken back to Xiangyang by Yang Zaixuan.

The generals assigned to Zhao Yifu to defend the city were apparently Wu Dun and the surrendered general Wei Kang.

But...

In reality, Wu Dun was useless; the real defenders were Zhu Fei and Wei Kang. Of course, whether Fancheng would fall didn't depend on them, but only on whether Zhao Yifu stayed in Fancheng honestly...

This was Zhao Yifu's third time as a county magistrate, and it was also the time when he had the most people under him.

After seeing Yang Zaixuan off, Zhao Yifu gathered his generals and assigned them tasks.

"General Wei, you are most familiar with the situation in Fancheng. I hope you can lead the men to repair the city walls and strengthen the city defenses. I wonder if you are capable of doing so?"

Wei Kang was surprised and asked, "Sir, this general is not suitable, right?"

City defense layout is extremely important, and a surrendered general should never be allowed to have access to such things.

However, Zhao Yifu said, "It is precisely because you have been stationed in Fancheng for many years and know the strengths and weaknesses of Fancheng's defenses that I want to entrust this matter to you."

Wei Kang was deeply moved by what he heard. He said, "Thank you for your trust, sir. I am willing to fight to the death for you!"

Zhao Yifu felt that Wei Kang seemed to have a special feeling for him, and wanted to express his loyalty to him, but he was trying too hard.

But anyway, it wasn't a bad intention, so he didn't care.

Then he looked at Zhu Fei and said, "I'll let you be the deputy commander of the Fancheng Battalion first. The troops are mixed now and need to be reorganized. The task of training the troops will be handed over to you... If you have any questions, you can ask me."

This is cultivation.

Does Zhao Yifu know how to train his troops? Not now.

But he could use some talent!

Then he looked at Wu Dun...

Zhao Yifu asked with some annoyance: "Old Wu, what are you good at?"

Wu Dun blinked, looking as if he didn't know where to start.

Zhao Yifu saw this and stopped talking nonsense. He threw out a piece of paper and said, "Just follow the list above and finish it within a month."

"If you need money, ask my servant Wu Zhong. If you need men, ask Zhu Fei."

"If it's not completed in a month..."

Wu Dun blinked. He was actually very lazy at the moment. He thought that if the front line was so dangerous, he might as well go back home.

Zhao Yifu said, "If you can't finish it, I'll let you climb the city wall!"

Wu Dun was so frightened that his face turned pale. He quickly said, "Don't worry, sir. I will definitely complete the mission!"

A fifth-rank commander of the Fancheng Camp, how humble he is at this moment.

When he unfolded the list written by Zhao Yifu, he felt like his hair was about to fall out.

They were all clear instructions for him to complete, and these instructions were what a civil affairs official should do... Zhao Yifu broke down the government affairs in Fancheng into many instructions and gave them to Wu Dun, asking him to handle them on his behalf.

This is his 'County Magistrate Offline Mode'.

Are you kidding? If Wu Dun was given an easy time, how could he be lazy?

He touched the 'Taixu Forbidden Book', which would take up most of his energy!
I recently discovered a very interesting point, that is, the more he 'persuaded' (won arguments), the more power he could mobilize of the Taixu Soul Locking Forbidden.

In other words, this may be a unique kind of 'refining'.

Of course, he did not completely ignore the affairs of Fancheng. When he had nothing to do, he would still leave his body and walk around to see the situation in Fancheng.

Generally speaking, due to years of war, there are no wealthy families left here.

This made Zhao Yifu feel very sorry that he could no longer take advantage of the rich.

The remaining people were mainly engaged in farming. Fancheng was almost a military fortress. Everything was for military purposes. Even the entire Fancheng was like a large military camp.

The Yang God floated around in the city, collecting some wandering souls and sending them to the underworld for reincarnation.

Recently, he has unknowingly been promoted to Ghost Commander...

Just at this moment, he saw some people selling goods at the gate of Fancheng.

There were fishermen selling fish, mountain people bringing mountain products to sell, and some selling scraps... There weren't many things to sell, but Fancheng was deserted, there were few pedestrians on the streets and not many people coming to buy.

Zhao Yifu felt distressed when he saw the people whose feet were still covered in mud, and his yang spirit returned to its original form.

He called Wu Zhong over and said, "The people selling goods on the street at the city gate will leave before curfew. Before then, go over and buy up all the remaining goods."

Wu Zhong asked in surprise, "We can't use all the money we bought, right?"

Zhao Yifu said, "The kittens have big appetites, and with Xiong San being such a generous guy, how can we not use the things we bought? We can also prepare some extra supplies, as they will always come in handy."

Wu Zhong thought it made sense, so he did as Zhao Yifu instructed.

He didn't think much of it at first, but when he readily bought all the remaining goods at the market price, he was rewarded with the joy and gratitude of the people.

Suddenly he understood why Zhao Yifu asked him to do this.

There was no specific order to buy, just buying whatever was left... This is to provide a safety net for these poor families!
Wu Zhong understood the intention and naturally did his best.

As for whether the money is enough?

When Zhao Yifu was tormenting the Liao princess at the foot of Difei Mountain, he didn't just take away the armor and weapons...

In addition, a new fish-scale yellow book has also been made. At the same time, Zhao Yifu drew a household registration map of the entire Fancheng area in one stroke and posted it on the four city gates.

These things were actually his successful experiences in Fenglin County. When they were applied here, they were very effective and the hearts of the people in the city quickly won over.

After all, he was clearly telling the locals exactly what their property was. This clarity gave the people of Fancheng, who were used to living in uncertainty, a sense of security.

In this way, everything started to get on track.

However, one night, when he was pondering whether to go to the underworld to complete the promotion of Ghost Commander, he suddenly felt that the world had changed.

He looked up at the sky in shock, only to see that the bright moon was suddenly covered by dark clouds for a moment, and when it reappeared, it had turned into a dark blue moon similar to the underworld.

It was not until this moment that he realized that great changes in the world were probably inevitable.

How to do?
When it really came to this, he didn't know what to do.

"Meow~"

There was a sound of cats meowing around, followed by the sounds of cats and dogs in many places in the city. It was obvious that these cats and dogs were aware of what was happening.

They are very sharp little guys.

However, the cyan moon appeared for only a moment, as if it were an illusion, then disappeared into the dark clouds for a while before reappearing, having returned to its normal brightness. However, the moonlight had become noticeably colder.

Zhao Yi Fu couldn't sit still any longer, so he put on the Haoran robes and walked out.

"Master, are you going out so late?"

Wu Zhong was not asleep in the yard either. He was shirtless and seemed to be doing boxing.

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "It's been a rough night. I'll go take a look."

Seeing this, Wu Zhong immediately took the people from the Zhao family and followed.

He was worried. He could already feel that the boundary between Yin and Yang was about to be broken. If the things from the underworld came to the world of the living, what kind of terrible impact would it bring to this world?

It just happens to be this time!
It was just when everyone was gearing up and ambitiously preparing for the Northern Expedition!
Zhao Yifu felt very angry.

Even though I knew this was going to happen, I couldn't stop the suffocating feeling.

In the end, he could only wander around the empty streets of Fancheng, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he found that nothing seemed to have happened in the middle of the night.

only……

Fancheng is fine, but what about Fenglin County where he stayed?

What if I only stayed in Manshan County for less than two months?
Then the yang spirit left the body and traveled thousands of miles in an instant, arriving at Fenglin County first.

Fenglin County was quiet and everything seemed to be going well.

However, the area outside the city had already turned into a ghost town. Wherever Zhao Yifu's Yang Shen could see along the way, he could see some shadowy things swaying and moving.

But anyway, Fenglin County is surprisingly good.

"Hey, fellow Daoist, are you worried about Fenglin County?"

When Zhao Yifu heard the familiar greeting, he came to the City God Temple and met the local City God, Bai Na Taoist.

"Brother Dao, have you noticed anything unusual?"

Taoist Bai Na nodded and said, "With the moon in the sky, how could I not notice?"

"Just rest assured, my dear brother. I, the City God, will suppress the yin and yang here. Everything in Fenglin County will be safe."

After hearing this, Zhao Yifu suddenly felt as if he had suddenly realized something.

No wonder the gods in heaven didn’t react much to this change in the world. It turns out they already had a system in place to deal with it!

The city god, land god, mountain god, and water god are all patron saints on earth.

As long as these guardians exist, humanity can be ensured to be safe at all times.

Taoist Bai Na jokingly said, "My dear brother, you are truly a good parent to Fenglin County. Even after being transferred elsewhere, you still can't let go of this place."

Zhao Yifu was stunned for a moment, then said, "Yes, I still have to go to Manshan County to take a look."

"Brother Dao, let's talk again when we have time."

Taoist Bai Na smiled and shook his head, saying, "Okay, go ahead."

Then Zhao Yifu came to Manshan County.

There is a city god here, but Zhao Yifu is not familiar with it.

He went to the City God Temple and took a look. The City God came out in a panic and asked, "Is the Emperor of Dongyue here in person?"

Zhao Yifu was surprised, and then realized that the old city god must have recognized that he carried the aura of Mount Dong.

He said, "No, I am a Taoist priest in the human world and have served as a county magistrate here. Now that the world has changed drastically, I came here to take a look because I was worried."

The old City God smiled upon hearing this and said, "I see. But don't worry, Taoist Priest, I am here to guard this place and will not disturb the Yin and Yang."

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "That's reassuring."

Under his Yangshen's gaze, he could see that there was indeed a divine shield centered around the City God Temple.

Everything is safe within the range of divine power.

The local areas are also guarded by the divine power of the land.

However, the power of the land god is dispersed after all, so the situation in the countryside is much worse than in the city.

Zhao Yifu was aware of all this.

However, his Yang Soul did not return to his body, but followed the thread of cause and effect and instantly penetrated the underworld and came to the Dongyue Imperial Palace standing in the underworld.

He even came directly into the Dongyue Imperial Palace without going through any communication outside.

"Brother Junxin, is there something you need from me?"

In the hall, a gentle female voice echoed, with a somewhat ethereal feeling.

Zhao Yifu saw Mu Lu sitting in the hall, regulating his breathing, and said, "Greetings, Emperor."

Mu Lu [Yin] shook his head and said, "No need to be so polite. You and I are already connected, and this connection is not shallow. How about we call each other fellow Taoists?"

Zhao Yifu quickly responded, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lu."

Mu Lu [Yin] nodded with satisfaction and said, "You came to find me, but are you worried because this mortal world has entered the state of Que Yin?"

Zhao Yifu nodded and shook his head.

He thought for a moment and said, "I've roughly understood it. Under the principles of the operation of heaven and earth, this is just one of the changes in heaven and earth. It's just..."

Mu Lu nodded approvingly and said, "But what? Just tell me."

Zhao Yifu said, "I know that the City God is under the jurisdiction of fellow Daoist, but there is no City God in Xiangfan in the mortal world now. Can you appoint two people to take up the post?"

Mu Lu [Yin] was slightly surprised, then laughed and said, "So that's what it is."

"My [Yang] side is in your hands. The City God of the Yang World can choose you."

Zhao Yifu pointed at himself in surprise and asked, "Is this okay?"

Mu Lu [Yin] smiled and said, "Originally it's not allowed, but since you came to ask specifically, then it's okay."

Zhao Yifu hurriedly said: "Emperor, this..."

Mu Lu [Yin] said dissatisfiedly: "Daoyou!"

Zhao Yifu replied obediently, "Yes, fellow Taoist."

Mu Lu [Yin] laughed again and said, "That's good. You can go with peace of mind."

"Oh, right, before you leave, go to the gate of my palace and take that ghost away with you. I followed its path back then to be imprisoned in the mortal world, so I rescued it when the Yin-Yang Heaven disappeared."

Zhao Yifu nodded as if he understood something.

He said goodbye and went to the outer room, where he saw a translucent spirit in a corner of the wall.

The spirit looked very weak, as if it had just experienced a severe shock.

Zhao Yifu stepped forward to hold up the spirit, and then he heard the voice of Grandmaster Yuanxiu say, "You're here. I didn't expect you to see me in such a state of disgrace. I'm truly ashamed."

Zhao Yifu asked, "Master, how are you doing now?"

Grandmaster Yuanxiu said, "It's quite terrible. After all, the impact of Yin Yang Sky's disappearance is beyond imagination. If it weren't for the help of Emperor Dongyue, I'm afraid I would have fallen into the underworld."

Zhao Yi Fu was speechless. He knew that falling into the underworld was the worst possible scenario for Master Yuanxiu. It meant that his karma would cause him to suffer the torture of hell.

It originally seemed majestic in the Yin-Yang sky, but in fact it was barely surviving.

It’s a pity that he didn’t realize this and make arrangements for his master in advance.

Zhao Yifu said, "Master, I have a way to help you now."

Grandmaster Yuanxiu asked in confusion, "What?"

He must have thought of many ways himself. If there was a way out, how could he end up like this?

There are only two options for him at this time: fall into hell and be punished, and then his true soul will be sent into reincarnation, starting from the animal realm and going through several or even dozens of lifetimes before he can be reborn as a human being again.

Or, he could simply return to his true spirit and start over. That would naturally cleanse his karma and merits, but that would be completely different from who he is now.

Grandmaster Yuanxiu was already in a state of half-giving up at this time, and when he suddenly heard Zhao Yifu say this, he couldn't help but feel touched.

Zhao Yifu said, "I know the rules of the underworld, especially since King Yama is the reincarnation of that deceased person, not to mention any secret operations."

"But I have a solution. That is to let you, Master, become the City God of Fancheng!"

Grandmaster Yuanxiu shook his head and said, "That's impossible. The only two ways to be canonized as a City God are by the Heavenly Emperor or the Human Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor won't canonize me, and the Human Emperor of Daxu wouldn't dare canonize a criminal like me."

Zhao Yifu said, "Master, you missed one point. The enthronement of the Heavenly Emperor and the Human Emperor is official, but the Great Emperor of Dongyue has the right to grant temporary authority to act at his own discretion."

Grandmaster Yuanxiu looked over in surprise. He asked in delight, "Could it be that the Emperor is willing to grant me authority temporarily?"

Zhao Yifu smiled and said, "Master, please follow me."

As he said this, he brought Master Yuanxiu directly to Fancheng and came to the dilapidated City God Temple in the city.

This place has belonged to Beiliao for some time, and the belief in the City God has therefore been discontinued.

Zhao Yifu pointed at this place and said with a smile: "Now, please let Master take over the position of City God."

Grandmaster Yuanxiu said in embarrassment, "Even if I can take over for a while, it won't last forever."

Zhao Yifu laughed and said, "That depends on the Northern Expedition."

"Once your disciples succeed in their Northern Expedition, there will be plenty of cities for you to choose from."

"Once the Northern Expedition is successful, the karma placed on our master will be greatly reduced. This is the fundamental way to resolve our master's problems."

After hearing this, Master Yuanxiu nodded repeatedly, thinking that this might be his only way.

He said, "My method is very good, so let's do it this way."

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "Master, please wait here for a while. I will have the City God Temple rebuilt, and then we can all come here to worship you."

Master Yuanxiu nodded repeatedly and was very happy about this.

But then he thought of something and said, "Oh right, don't tell Qiu Yuzi. I don't want him to see me in such a mess."

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "Okay, let's do this in secret."

As the plan was being made, he suddenly felt something and said, "The Sect Leader asked me to come over to discuss things... I think it's because of the great changes in heaven and earth today."

Grandmaster Yuanxiu said, "You go first, don't worry about me."

Zhao Yi Fu nodded, and the Yang Shen disappeared from the spot again, and in an instant he traveled thousands of miles to Moshan.

It was late at night, but many people gathered in the Danqing Temple on the top of Mo Mountain to discuss things.

Not only the Danqing Sect, but also the other sects of the Chunyang Sect have had the Yin God descend!

Among them, his master Liang Zhongzhi is in the C position.

This is incredible! This is the first general meeting of the entire sect since Liang Zhongzhi became the leader!
(End of this chapter)