National Division

Chapter 43 Shen Xian: However, he has a millstone!

High above, the protective shield formed by spiritual energy made Shen Xian unaware of the strong winds.

Shen Xian calmed the turmoil in his heart and thought to himself, "Could it be that the three religions control all the immortal cultivation methods?" He was actually a little skeptical.

He always felt that there must be other methods of cultivation, but they were not mainstream, and he was afraid that Xue Zhihua had not told him everything.

Xue Zhihua, perhaps guessing what Shen Xian was thinking, added, "There is one sect that is not under its control."

"The Heluo Sect." Xue Zhihua's fair and delicate face paused slightly, and she said softly, "Currently in charge of the Imperial Observatory, he studies the method of star observation and cultivates the Eight Symbols of Heluo, but the requirements for talent are extremely high."

Shen Xian fell silent for a moment.

He should be considered quite talented, right?
It's uncertain. In my previous life, I was also a small-town exam-taker who fought my way up to a master's degree. I was a promising student, but I didn't reach the level of Tsinghua, Peking University, or any of the top five universities in China.

However, he has a millstone!
At this moment, Shen Xian's mind sank into the Yin-Yang Millstone, and he was stunned.

This is because the panel has changed. In the section below the character information system, there is now a new option: [Faction]: None.

Next to the merits section, the merits for humanity suddenly jump from eighty to six hundred.

Wait, what did they do? They just gave out year-end bonuses?
At this moment, Shen Xian thought through all the good deeds he had done in the past two days.

By the way, the newspapers? Or rather, the ones that recently contributed to the annihilation of the Golden Scale Gang?

At this point, Uncle Lin should have printed the newspaper and started selling it.

As he predicted, he made a major invention that promoted the prosperity and development of humanity, and he will receive merit for humanity.

Just then, the Yin-Yang Millstone also sent back a message.

Shen Xian's cold gaze concealed a knowing look.

It's not one thing, it's three things.

The first thing is newspapers, which is the most important because it is a new humanitarian thing. Perfume is also included, but it cannot compare to the former.

And just now, I played a part in facilitating the crackdown on the Golden Scale Gang, which also earned me some merit points, though not a very high one.

This is because the merit points are only awarded based on the progress of these tasks.

Therefore, the subsequent income comes from continuous merit.

Now we are reading Taoist scriptures and receiving Taoist ordination certificates from the three religions.

"We've arrived." Xue Zhihua pressed down on the clouds and landed in the deserted wilderness, with the county town gate not far ahead.

Shen Xian and Xue Zhihua headed towards the city wall.

Golden Scale Gang, Headquarters—

This is a manor covering hundreds of acres, named Meixiao Manor, a rather elegant name. However, inside it operates gambling dens, bathhouses, brothels and other businesses, providing services to the dignitaries and nobles of Guhe County. It can be considered a comprehensive high-end club.

At this moment, the sound of orchestral music filled the air.

At the entrance of the manor, several strong men greeted the guests arriving in their carriages and brought them to a stop.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the end of the bluestone-paved road, and soon a large number of constables dressed in red and black official uniforms arrived and surrounded the manor gate.

The sound of horses' hooves continued unabated, suggesting that a large contingent was still approaching.

"Who goes there?" Several strong young men quickly got down, their faces showing no fear.

In the past, government constables had searched the area many times. The members of the Golden Scale Gang had dealt with the government so much that they had long lost their sense of awe.

But this time, it's clearly very different.

A tall, scarred leader of the Golden Scale Gang came out of the house, approached, and shouted, "How dare you cause trouble on Master Xu's turf? Brothers, grab your weapons!"

A dozen or so gang members approached from behind, carrying sticks and long knives.

The leader sneered, "Li Yan, don't think that just because you're wearing this official's coat, I'm afraid of you. Don't you know that our Master Xu is a guest of honor at the county government?"

In the past, Shen Bin had sent Li Yan to the manor to arrest the criminals hiding there, even leading a large force of constables, but they always retreated due to pressure from the county.

Li Yan, mounted on his horse, had an icy expression. With a "whoosh," he drew his sword from its sheath at his waist. The blade gleamed brightly, white as a bolt of lightning. He declared, "The Golden Scale Gang has colluded with demons and monsters, plotting to kill officials and rebel. Brothers, go in and arrest them immediately! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

As soon as Li Yan said this, the constables behind him drew their knives in unison.

Ding Zhuang, standing at the door, froze in shock at the sight. The scarred-faced leader, momentarily bewildered, shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting? When did you start a rebellion?"

A sense of foreboding crept in.

"Go find the gang leader quickly," the scarred-faced leader ordered.

With a flash of light, Li Yan activated his inner energy, leaping off his horse and flying close to the leader. "Pfft!"

The long sword flashed like a bolt of lightning, and as it fell, a man with a ferocious face was severed from his body. Blood spurted three feet high, splashing onto the strong man wielding the club.

With a "thud," he fell to the ground.

This young constable, with a thin and handsome face, was once a notorious thief who robbed the rich to help the poor, and was also the kind of person who would draw his sword at the slightest disagreement. However, he was later won over by Shen Bin and became a member of the Bad Guys.

They had already suffered enough humiliation at the hands of the Golden Scale Gang.

"Holding weapons and resisting arrest, they are aggressive and rebellious. Charge in and kill them!" Li Yan shouted.

Upon seeing this, some members of the Golden Scale Gang, armed with sticks and long knives, resisted with their knives, some stood frozen in place, and some turned and ran away.

The constables behind Li Yan had fierce faces, like wolves and tigers, and surged into the manor like a torrent.

This trip brought over a hundred constables, all of whom were skilled.

Meanwhile, the Golden Scale Gang members within the manor numbered nearly a hundred. Unaware of the situation, they, led by several leaders, took up arms and rebelled.

This undoubtedly further confirms the accusations of colluding with evil forces, killing officials, and rebelling.

Li Yan was holding a hundred-forged steel sword. After all, he was a master of martial arts at the peak of the acquired realm. With each turn of his sword, screams of agony filled the air, blood rained down, and those who stood in his way were swept away.

At this moment, Zhao Lang led a group of soldiers to sweep through the casinos and brothels of the Golden Scale Gang along the banks of the Gu River.

Inside the gambling den, the gamblers who were gambling were all stunned when they saw this.

Why are the government officials coming here in broad daylight?
However, as a large number of Unity Soldiers began to pour in and take away members of the Golden Scale Gang, the news gradually spread.

The Golden Scale Gang colluded with evil spirits to kill officials and rebel!

In fact, this statement is not far-fetched.

Since the Empress Dowager was renamed the Holy Empress and the Heavenly Empress, and the two Holy Ones ruled together and ruled as regents, many ambitious people in the world have taken advantage of evil spirits, pretended to be gods and ghosts, and used the banner of a hen crowing at dawn and the mandate of heaven to rebel.

This is why Magistrate Liu was initially shocked by Xu Lin's alleged assassination attempt. The longer he stayed in the officialdom of Dajing, the more he realized that there were certain things that were the bottom line in the struggle and could not be crossed.

Otherwise, Qi Ting could just use a sniper rifle to take down the monkey that's jumping around all the time.

But unexpectedly, Xu Lin, blinded by greed, went on a crazy solo journey!
……

……

The manor, in the backyard—

County Magistrate Liu was talking with Xu Lin's sister in bed. After a while, he took a break because of his advanced age.

Just then, a voice came from outside, shouting, "Master, something terrible has happened!"

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Liu frowned, got up, and threw back the covers.

Xu Lin's sister helped him put on his undergarment. As she dressed, she pushed open the door and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

His men are noisy and sometimes even less impressive than the servants in Magistrate Lu's mansion, who truly have the air of a high-ranking family.

The servant, panting, said, "Master, something terrible has happened!"

Anger was evident on Magistrate Liu's chubby face. He said, "What do you mean, 'the master is in trouble'? You're spewing nonsense! Slap him in the face."

The servant, who was already panting, could only weakly slap his own face.

"Alright, tell me what happened quickly." County Magistrate Liu, who had also finished dressing, said in a deep voice.

"The Golden Scale Gang sent someone to deliver a message that many soldiers from the county have surrounded and attacked Meixiao Manor, killing anyone they see," the servant said urgently.

County Magistrate Liu's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise, "What's going on? Who mobilized the troops? How come I didn't know?!"

As the assistant magistrate of Guhe County, responsible for managing county affairs, why wasn't he informed of such a major event as mobilizing troops to besiege Meixiao Manor?
(End of this chapter)