Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 116 The Bandits of Shahe (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"kill!"

With a roar, a figure wielding a ring-bladed sword lunged forward like a ferocious tiger descending a mountain, his momentum astonishing!

"Ding!"

A metallic clang rang out as the ringed sword and the dark scale armor clashed violently, sparks flying everywhere.

"This beast has incredibly tough scales!"

A muffled groan escaped Zhao Li's lips, and a look of shock appeared on his face!

The immense recoil caused a tearing pain in the web between his thumb and forefinger, and his arms became numb and tingly!

"cut!"

In the blink of an eye, another flash of cold light ripped through the sky, the blade's gleam accompanied by a whistling wind.

"Pfft!"

A gushing stream of blood erupted like a fountain, and the gleaming ring blade plunged straight into the wound created by the exploding talisman arrow!

"roar!"

A heart-wrenching roar of pain erupted from the beast's mouth, followed by a whooshing sound as a dark shadow swept in—"Ah Xian!"

A cry of surprise rang out, and Zhao Xian felt a gust of wind rushing towards the back of his head!

Unfortunately, it was too late to dodge!

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, the wooden shield shattered, and a figure slammed heavily into Zhao Xian. The immense impact caused both of them to fall forward and roll several times like gourds.

In a flash, Xu Fu, wielding an iron-wood shield, leaped behind Zhao Xian to shield him from the approaching shadow. At that moment, everyone saw clearly that the approaching shadow was the beast's thick, whip-like tail.

"kill!"

Ignoring Zhao Xian's injuries, Zhao Li leaped forward and caught the ring-pommel sword stuck in the monster's neck.

"Sizzle!"

A piercing, sharp sound rang out as Zhao Li forcefully thrust the ring-pommel sword to the hilt, the long, narrow blade piercing through the other side of the beast's neck.

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Li grabbed the ring-pommel sword with both hands and yanked it out!

"puff"

Blood gushed forth like a torrent, the gushing demonic blood shooting skyward, reaching a height of over ten feet.

"ha!"

At this moment, several Taoist priests stood at the four corners of the ferocious beast and finally used the demon-trapping net to trap it.

"kill!"

Upon seeing this, the Taoist priests around him, each wielding a spear, thrust their spears forward!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

In the blink of an eye, the spear pierced the beast trapped under the barbed wire, leaving it covered in blood, and the beast roared incessantly!

Several miles away in the fields, more than a hundred Taoist priests gathered on a small hillside, pointing and gesturing towards the forest in this direction.

Hearing the beast's mournful cries, the people of the Dao were also astonished.

Among the crowd, two people heard this voice and their faces showed shock, with a hint of fear in their eyes.

The two exchanged a glance, and one of them quietly left, while the other remained to watch the battle.

"kill!"

The spear was incredibly sharp. Zhao Xian held the spear and roared as he thrust it straight into the gaping maw of the ferocious beast in front of him!

"Pfft!"

With a mournful cry, the beast finally gave way, its four legs buckled, and its body slumped to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"call!"

Zhao Xian let out a long sigh, leaned on his spear, and looked around. There were less than ten Taoist priests still standing.

"Ah Hong, Ah Duan, the four of you, hurry up and treat the Daoist people!"

Zhao Xian looked at Zhao Hong and the other three, and seeing that they were mostly unharmed, only their faces were flushed and they were panting, he immediately gave them instructions.

"Understood, elder brother!"

The four responded in unison and then dispersed.

"Uncle, you stay here and keep watch. I'll go check out the monster's cave first!"

Zhao Xianfu then looked at his uncle Zhao Li and nodded.

"Go ahead, I'll keep watch here!"

Zhao Li nodded slightly in response.

Zhao Xian didn't stand on ceremony and immediately headed towards the dark cave hidden in the dense weeds.

After brushing aside the dense weeds around the cave entrance, Zhao Xian gripped his ring-handled sword tightly, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

Although it was noon, the cave was still quite dark. Fortunately, Zhao Xian was now at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and his eyesight had greatly improved, so he had no problem seeing in the dark.

The cave was filled with a decaying and cold atmosphere, and the soil underfoot was very dry, mixed with some withered grass.

The stone walls on the left and right were very smooth, obviously caused by the friction from the frequent entry and exit of the monster.

After walking forward seven or eight zhang, Zhao Xian was suddenly greeted by a nest that was about seven or eight zhang deep.

Inside a nest made of dry grass and twigs, there were three pinkish-white cubs, each about a foot long!

"this!"

Zhao Xian looked surprised, then looked around the nest and saw some bloodstains scattered all around.

Bending down, Zhao Xian picked up a smear of blood-stained soil, took a deep sniff, and confirmed it was indeed human blood.

"This demonic beast must be raising its cubs, which is why it hunted down the Daoist people."

Zhao Xian muttered to himself, then looked at the three cubs, his hand unconsciously tightening his grip on the ring-handled sword!

A hint of killing intent emanated from Zhao Xian's eyes, and the three cubs seemed to sense that killing intent, immediately squeaking and screaming in panic within their nest.

"Ah Xian, you can't kill him!"

Suddenly, a low call came from behind. Zhao Xian turned around and saw his uncle, Zhao Li.

"I've been to the Daqingshan Market twice with Ah Zhi. These monster cubs are valuable; they can sell for quite a few spirit stones!"

Zhao Li glanced at the three cubs in the nest, then looked at Zhao Xian and said in a low voice.

"Uncle, that's exactly what I was thinking." Zhao Xian nodded to Zhao Li, then smiled and said, "In that case, Uncle, you can arrest them first, and then sell them later!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Li immediately turned and walked out of the cave.

Zhao Xian stopped paying attention to the three cubs and instead carefully examined the area around the nest.

Suddenly, something caught Zhao Xian's eye.

"This is~"

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Xian rubbed his eyes as if he couldn't believe it, and looked again.

What you see is a pottery jar used by rural folk!

"Whoosh!"

But then Zhao Xian darted up to the stone platform next to the nest and looked down at the pottery jar!

Inside the earthenware jar, there were some remnants of spirit rice porridge!

The rice grains are shaped like pearls, crystal clear, and emit a faint fragrance.

"Jade Pearl Rice!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian couldn't help but exclaim in surprise!

"It's actually Jade Pearl Rice!"

After examining it closely once more, Zhao Xian muttered to himself.

One pound of Jade Pearl Rice requires three low-grade spirit stones. Not to mention Zhao Xian, even Chen Yuancheng, who comes from a prominent family in the county, doesn't have many!

The last time I saw this Jade Pearl Rice was when those high-ranking officials from the county came to Shanghuting to quell the bandits, and Chen Yuancheng specially prepared it for them!

I still remember that after the county officials finished their breakfast, Zhao Xian distributed the remaining rice porridge to his father, uncle, and several other injured clansmen.

How could there be jade pearl rice inside this monster's lair!

Upon realizing this, a flash of lightning struck Zhao Xian's mind, and his expression changed drastically!

"Could it be that someone is raising this demonic beast here? Otherwise, how could there be jade pearl rice here!"

"Da da!"

Footsteps approached from behind, and Zhao Xian immediately showed a resolute expression. With a slight exertion of his foot, he kicked the pottery jar to pieces.

This matter must never be known to anyone else!

Immediately, Zhao Xian forcefully crushed the pottery shards into small pieces and mixed them into the soil.

"Ah Xian, I'm taking these three little brats with me!"

Zhao Li called out to Zhao Xian, and then stuffed the three cubs into the cloth bag.

"Uncle, what are the casualties?"

At this moment, Zhao Xian also stepped down from the stone platform and looked at his uncle Zhao Li with a very solemn expression.

"One dead, one seriously injured, and ten others also seriously injured!" Upon hearing Zhao Xian's question, Uncle Zhao Li's face immediately darkened, his expression bitter. "The one who died was the Daoist who was pinned down and torn apart by the demonic beast, and the one seriously injured is Xu Hua!"

"Hmm, we can get some talisman money by selling these three monster cubs!"

Zhao Xian felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he forced himself to remain calm and said...

"Let's go back to the country house first!"

After saying that, the two walked out of the cave.

Before long, the group finished packing, bid farewell to the head of Gaoqiu Pavilion, and headed towards the country house.

The group of people were covered in blood, their faces were somber and calm, and as they walked along the country road, they were avoided by passersby.

Upon returning to his village, Cao Miao received the news and hurriedly went to visit everyone.

After Zhao Xian spoke to him in detail, Cao Miao comforted him for a while before getting up and leaving.

Before leaving, Cao Miao took out dozens of low-grade spirit stones as compensation for the injured and deceased Daoist people in the village.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Zhao Xian never revealed the truth about the discovery of jade pearls in the cave.

Cao Miao, this old official, has served as the assistant village head of Wohu Township for more than ten years, serving several village heads, yet he has always held the position of assistant village head. He is truly not to be underestimated!

Zhao Xian would never tell him about this matter before it was clarified.

Subsequently, Zhao Xian sent a local official to invite a local traditional Chinese medicine doctor to treat the patients.

As for the deceased Daoist, he was a member of the Zhao clan in Yangpingli. According to the clan's seniority, Zhao Xian should have addressed him as "Uncle."

The following morning, Zhao Xian left Huang Zhong and Zhang Gong to look after the wounded, while he, along with his uncle Zhao Li and Zhao Hong, used the oxcart to take the deceased clansman back to Shanghuting.

The group traveled for a whole day, until dusk, before finally returning to Yangpingli.

As the ox walked slowly along the country path, Zhao Xian's heart grew increasingly heavy.

The clansmen followed him to hunt demons, but perished in the mouths of the beasts. Alas!

"Oh, Ah-Xian's back?"

Zhao He, the gatekeeper, had sharp eyes and recognized Zhao Xian at a glance, so he immediately greeted him.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian forced a smile.

As the oxcart approached, Zhao He saw that Zhao Xian, Zhao Li, and the others looked very solemn. He also noticed that a straw mat on the oxcart was rolled up, revealing a pair of feet sticking out.

His expression changed instantly. He took a few steps forward, lifted the straw mat, and looked out. A familiar face came into view!

"Ah-Cai!"

Zhao He exclaimed in surprise, then looked down and saw a bloody mess.

"With sharp teeth tearing at it, what killed it?"

Zhao He turned to look at Zhao Li and asked in a solemn voice.

"The earth dragon has transformed into a demon, and its cultivation level is at the late stage of Qi Refining. The three cubs of that earth dragon are in that bag."

Zhao Li immediately responded solemnly.

"What's the point of keeping such a beast alive?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao He naturally asked a question in return.

"One cub is worth at least fifty low-grade spirit stones, enough for Brother Twenty-Third's family to live on for ten years!"

Zhao Li gave a wry smile and continued in reply.

"Ugh!"

With a long sigh, Zhao He's gaze swept over Zhao Xian and the others, all of whom were covered in blood.

"Let's first pay our respects to our great-uncles and great-uncles, then go to our twenty-third brother's house!"

Zhao He sighed, turned around, and opened the inner door.

Zhao Xian nodded slightly, while Zhao Li drove the oxcart forward.

A moment later, the group, along with elders of the clan and village chief Zhao Zhong, arrived at the home of this clansman, Zhao Cai.

Although Zhao Cai's family was not very wealthy, he was already married with a wife and two sons, and his elderly mother was also at home.

Knowing that their son had died in the mouth of a monster, Zhao Cai's wife and children wept bitterly, and his mother, Zhao Cai's mother, was especially heartbroken, tears streaming down her face as she clenched her teeth and sobbed silently.

Seeing this, Zhao Xian felt a pang of heartache. He immediately knelt down before Zhao Cai's mother, his forehead slamming heavily against the mud, and cried out, "Grandmother, my uncle died hunting demons. I am but a lowly grandson, with no way to repay your kindness!"

"From now on, your family will be supported by Ah Xian!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hong and the others behind him immediately knelt down and shouted, "We are willing to serve our great-aunt alongside our elder brother!"

"Enough! Ah Xian, get up quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cai's mother immediately wiped her eyes and exclaimed repeatedly.

"I didn't want him to go hunting demons, but he insisted on going, wanting to seize an opportunity for my two grandsons!"

"Now, in the end, we are separated by life and death!"

The onlookers were deeply saddened upon hearing this.

"Grandmother, please accept these fifty low-grade spirit stones!"

Zhao Xian did not get up, but instead picked up a wooden tray, knelt down a few steps, and presented it with both hands high!

"Once those few demon beast cubs are sold, I'll offer you another fifty spirit stones!"

"Furthermore, from now on, your family will not be required to hand over a single grain of millet from your land to the township!"

"I will go to the village tomorrow and change your family's household register!"

After speaking, Zhao Xian continued to present the tray to Zhao Cai's mother, his expression resolute.

"Kuro, get up!"

Seeing that Zhao Xian was very sincere, his great-uncle Zhao De immediately stepped forward with his cane, extended his withered left hand, and helped Zhao Xian up.

Zhao Xian kowtowed again and then stood up.

"Sister-in-law, with these hundred low-grade spirit stones, plus the yield from our dozen or so acres of land, it's enough to raise these two boys to adulthood!"

Zhao De took the wooden tray from Zhao Xian, then looked at Zhao Cai's mother and handed it to her, saying comfortingly, "A-Cai did not die in vain!"

"Sister-in-law, when these two boys come to my house in the future, I will personally teach them martial arts!"

Grandfather Zhao Mu also stepped forward, bowed to Zhao Cai's mother, and said in a deep voice.

At this point, Zhao Cai's mother finally couldn't hold back her grief and burst into tears!

It wasn't until nightfall that Zhao Xian and his entourage left Zhao Cai's house.

The inner road was rugged and uneven. Zhao Xian helped his great-uncle Zhao De walk along the road by the moonlight.

"Jiulang, Ah Cai has passed away, and your demon-hunting team is short one person. What do you think of me?"

Suddenly, a figure strode forward a few steps and stood in front of Zhao Xian, speaking solemnly to him.

"Uncle Nineteen, what's wrong with you~"

Zhao Xian looked at the burly man in front of him, his face showing great astonishment.

"Ah Xian, I'm a good archer and quite strong, so I'd be perfect for your demon-hunting team!"

Seeing Zhao Xian's astonished expression, the burly man whom Zhao Xian addressed as Uncle Nineteen scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

"Nineteenth Uncle, your uncle has just passed away, aren't you afraid?"

Zhao Xian helped Zhao De to a stop, and then asked in a deep voice.

"One hundred low-grade spirit stones, plus exemption from taxes on my family's land—I don't even think my life is worth that much!"