Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 125 Repeated Inquiries (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Greetings, Lord Cao!"

Moving swiftly like the wind, Zhao Xian entered the hall and immediately bowed to Cao Miao, who sat in the main seat.

"Greetings, Mr. Chen!"

He then bowed again to Chen Yuancheng, who was sitting to his lower left.

Below Chen Yuancheng, a familiar figure also came into Zhao Xian's view.

"De Kun greets Lord Zhao!"

Seeing the look of surprise in Zhao Xian's eyes, Xu Dekun immediately bowed and gave a salute.

Both of them are now serving as village assistants, so there is no difference in their positions.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian nodded slightly in return.

"Bozhang, please take a seat!"

Cao Miao looked up at Zhao Xian and immediately greeted him.

Zhao Xian didn't stand on ceremony and naturally went to sit down in the first seat on the right.

"Lord Cao, the Zhu family is a clan under your jurisdiction. Now, their caravan has been robbed by bandits, and we need Lord Cao to take charge of this matter!"

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Chen Yuancheng immediately looked at Cao Miao, who was in the main seat, and said solemnly.

"Mr. Chen, you flatter me!" Cao Miao waved his hands repeatedly upon hearing this, a hint of helplessness on his face. "More than a hundred bandits are far beyond the capabilities of a mere village head like me!"

"The fact that the Zhu family refused to report to the county authorities and instead sought help from Lord Chen shows how important Lord Chen is to Zhu Lai!"

"This matter will be handled entirely by Mr. Chen. If there is any manpower or material resource required, our Shahe Township will do its utmost to raise it!"

Cao Miao was a seasoned official, so he naturally understood the hidden story behind it.

The goods looted from the Zhu family were definitely not simple!

He is now nearly sixty years old and it's not worth it for him to cause trouble over such a matter!

Seeing Cao Miao's reaction, Chen Yuancheng understood the unspoken meaning behind her words and immediately stopped trying to persuade her. Instead, he turned to look at Zhao Xian.

"Bo Zhang, among us, only you alone led the Daoist people to defeat more than a hundred bandits. Tell me your thoughts first."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian immediately stood up and looked around at everyone present, a solemn expression on his face.

"Although Mount Duiying is a dangerous place, it is not a high mountain or a great peak. We certainly cannot afford to support more than a hundred bandits hiding there."

"Among those hundred or so bandits, there must have been many cunning and treacherous civilians; the truly ruthless bandits were probably only a few dozen!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall nodded in agreement.

"Bozhang, continue!"

Cao Miao immediately stroked his beard, looked at Zhao Xian, and his eyes brightened slightly.

If he could gain some credit for nothing, it would naturally be a good thing for him.

"Mount Duiying is high and densely forested, and it must have been difficult for the twenty-four carts and the captured caravan members to move through it."

"Although seven or eight days have passed, the Zhu family has sent people to search around Duiying Mountain several times, but they have not found any large cart tracks."

"Those large carts should still be inside Duiying Mountain!" Zhao Xian said with great certainty, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Our current plan is to first send out some elite Daoist warriors to infiltrate Duiying Mountain and investigate, then we can discuss our next move!"

"A hasty search into the mountains would only alert the bandits and allow them to escape!"

"Who should be sent to investigate?"

Chen Yuancheng nodded slightly, then asked further.

"Zhang Gong and Mu Chun, two members of my demon-hunting team, will suffice!"

Zhao Xian immediately replied in a solemn voice.

"Alright!" Chen Yuancheng responded emphatically, then looked at Zhao Xian, "Bozhang, your demon-hunting team is quite elite. Are they still inside?"

"The demonic calamity in Shahe Township has been quelled, and most of the team members have been dismissed and sent home!"

Zhao Xian gave a wry smile and said helplessly.

"Bozhang, quickly gather them back to their village!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Miao immediately looked at Zhao Xian and gave him instructions.

"Zhao Xian obeys!"

Zhao Xian also quickly cupped his hands in reply.

"Lord Cao, since that's the case, we'll be staying here for a few more days!"

Chen Yuancheng looked at Cao Miao again and said with a smile.

"It's been several months since I last saw Mr. Chen, and I've missed him dearly. Let's have a good game of chess these next few days!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Miao responded with a smile.

"Haha, I'd be honored to accept your offer!"

In the afternoon, Zhao Xian sent Zhang Gong and Mu Chun ahead to Duiying Mountain to scout the area.

Subsequently, Zhao Hong, Huang Zhong, and two others were immediately sent back to Shahe Township to recall the disbanded demon-hunting team members.

As night fell, the main hall in the backyard was brightly lit.

When Chen Yuancheng and Xu Dekun visited Shahe Village, Cao Miao, as the host, naturally had to treat them well.

When the moon was high in the sky, everyone finished their banquet and got up to leave.

Seeing Zhao Xian standing behind him, seemingly having something to say, Chen Yuancheng immediately led Zhao Xian and Xu Dekun back to the side courtyard.

The courtyard was deep and secluded, bathed in moonlight that shone like water, creating a magnificent and bright atmosphere.

"Bo-Zhang, do you have something to say?"

After dismissing Zhao Cheng and the others, Chen Yuancheng strolled in the courtyard, looked at Zhao Xian, and asked with a smile.

"Mr. Chen, Mr. Xu, in Zhao Xian's view, this matter concerning the Zhu family is like a pit of fire, something everyone else would avoid like the plague. How could you two agree to it?"

Zhao Xian didn't mince words and immediately voiced his doubts.

"Both high-ranking officials, Chen Shenggong and Liu Yujun, will resign from their posts at the end of the year!" Chen Yuancheng did not answer, but Xu Dekun, who was standing to the side, said solemnly, "Although Chen Jun and I have made some contributions, the more contributions we make, the better if we want to succeed you two!"

"I see!"

Zhao Xian's face showed a look of sudden realization.

"Of course, the Zhu family should not be shortchanged on the proper gifts!"

Xu Dekun then added further.

However, compared to the merit of suppressing the bandits, the small reward was barely worth mentioning.

The three of them then discussed the matter in detail again.

A moment later, Zhao Xian got up and left.

By the afternoon of the following day, a group of capable and skilled villagers had already reached the outskirts of the village.

Cao Miao, Chen Yuancheng, Zhao Xian and others all came out of their village house to greet them, showing no air of superiority and being very approachable.

That night, the Zhu family delivered a pig and a sheep, as well as four or five bushels of wine and water.

The villagers then enjoyed a good drink with Zhao Xian and others in their village house.

While Zhang Gong and Mu Chun were still away, Zhao Xian summoned the Daoist people for a preliminary training session.

After more than a month without training, the ranks of the Daoist people had become somewhat rusty, but they were still better than those scattered bandits.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Led by Zhao Li, the three Wu Daomins thrust their spears forward in perfect unison.

Not far away, shield bearers and archers were also practicing their formations in an orderly manner.

A hundred paces away, Chen Yuancheng, Cao Miao, and others watched this scene with great interest.

"Bo Zhang comes from a farming family, how could he know anything about warfare?"

After observing for a moment, Cao Miao couldn't help but show a hint of doubt on his face.

"Cao Jun, you may not know this, but many members of Bo Zhang's clan have joined the army. His grandfather even participated as a Dao soldier in the great battle between Qingzhou and Nanzhou decades ago!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuancheng immediately explained to Zhao Xian.

"Bo Zhang's family has a strong academic tradition!"

Cao Miao nodded slightly and then offered another word of praise.

Zhao Xian, who was watching from a distance, was unaware that the others were observing him; he was focused solely on training his troops.

Three days later, Zhang Gong and Mu Chun finally returned to their village.

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty!"

The two men entered the hall and immediately bowed to the four people in the hall.

"Please rise, you two brave warriors!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Miao immediately smiled and said.

"Ah Gong, did you two find out anything at Duiying Mountain?"

After Zhang Gong and Mu Chun stood up, Zhao Xian immediately asked in a solemn voice.

"Reporting back to Lord Zhao, after we entered Duiying Mountain, we searched carefully for three days and indeed found cart tracks and traces of bandit activity."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gong immediately straightened his expression and addressed Zhao Xian.

"Have you seen any trace of the thief?"

"Not seen!"

"Did you try to follow the tire tracks?"

"After following for about three to five miles, the tire tracks disappeared."

'

"Alright, you two have been traveling day and night, go and rest for a while!"

After questioning them carefully, Zhao Xian saw that the two had told him everything without omission, so he gave them instructions.

Upon hearing this, the two immediately bowed and withdrew.

After the two left, everyone in the hall pondered the information that Zhang Gong and his companion had gathered.

After a moment, Chen Yuancheng looked around at everyone and spoke first: "After the twenty-four carriages and horses entered the mountains, the wheel tracks disappeared. There must be something fishy about this!"

"It's highly likely that a Foundation Establishment cultivator was involved!"

"Mr. Chen is absolutely right!" Xu Dekun chimed in agreement, then looked at Zhao Xian and Cao Miao, "This batch of goods from the Zhu family is worth at least ten thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

"It's worth the risk of a Foundation Establishment cultivator committing murder!"

"What should we do if a Foundation Establishment cultivator intervenes?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Miao's face showed a trace of worry. Foundation Establishment cultivators were not something that Qi Refining cultivators could withstand or contend with.

"Bo Zhang, you continue training the troops here. De Kun and I will personally go to Duiying Mountain to scout the area!"

After pondering for a long time, Chen Yuancheng looked at Zhao Xian and said in a deep voice.

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

Cao Miao and Zhao Xian both spoke up to stop them.

"Mr. Chen, the situation is unclear; how can you risk your life!"

Zhao Xianfu continued to dissuade him.

"Bo Zhang, in the end, this matter was agreed upon by De Kun and me, so it is only right that the two of us go and investigate!" Chen Yuancheng waved his hand to Zhao Xian and Cao Miao, then continued, "We have both reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. If we retreat now, how will we face our true selves and build a foundation for our Dao in the future!"

"In that case, I will go with Mr. Chen!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately became solemn and spoke sincerely.

"Bo Zhang, you haven't yet reached the late stage of Qi Refining, so you can't cast spells or control magical artifacts. The terrain of Duiying Mountain is high and densely forested, and the situation is unclear. It's best to stay in the lodging and train the Daoist people!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, Chen Yuancheng immediately smiled and politely declined.

"Bo Zhang, we both have flying artifacts at our disposal. If something unexpected happens, we can use them to escape forcibly."

Seeing this, Xu Dekun, who was standing to the side, also spoke up to explain.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian could only give a wry smile and nod in agreement.

His current cultivation level is only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, while Chen Yuancheng has reached the ninth level and Xu Dekun has reached the eighth level. His cultivation level is indeed much lower than theirs.

"There's no time to lose, let's set off immediately!"

After a moment's thought, Chen Yuancheng immediately stood up, looked at Zhao Xian and Cao Miao, and said solemnly.

Zhao Xian and Cao Miao exchanged a glance, then stood up in unison, cupped their hands in a respectful bow, and said, "We await your safe return!"

Chen Yuancheng and Xu Dekun returned the greeting.

A moment later, the two mounted their horses and galloped away along the official road.

"Bozhang, just focus on your training. You'll find your place eventually!"

Seeing Zhao Xian lingering on the departing figures, Cao Miao offered a word of comfort.

"Zhao Xian respectfully obeys Lord Cao's command!"

As the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the east, two more days have passed in the blink of an eye.

For two days, Zhao Xian disciplined the Daoist people very strictly, and would scold them harshly if they did anything wrong.

Fortunately, all the Daoist followers were personally recruited by Zhao Xian and greatly admired him. With the help of his uncle Zhao Li and two cousins ​​mediating between them, there was little resistance.

"Da da da!"

A rapid sound of hooves came from the official road. Zhao Xian looked up and saw that the two riders had arrived outside the village. The figures on the horses were very familiar.

Seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately instructed his uncle Zhao Li and others to continue training, while he himself walked briskly towards the village.

A moment later, the four people were once again seated in their respective places in the main hall.

"How are Chen Jun and Xu Jun?"

After dismissing the servants, Cao Miao spoke first and asked the question.

"We've gone to find the bandits' lair!"

Before Chen Yuancheng could speak, Xu Dekun excitedly called out in a low voice.

"Bo Zhang, Zhang Gong and Mu Chun had actually found the bandits' lair that day, but since they were both martial artists and lacked magical abilities and spiritual sense, they failed to notice that a bewildering array had been set up where the cart tracks disappeared!"

Chen Yuancheng then looked at Zhao Xian with a smile and said.

"A hallucinatory array?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian immediately understood.

The formation must have cast an illusion in front of them, which they failed to see through.

"How many bandits are in the lair? Are there any Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

Cao Miao nodded slightly, then asked urgently.

"There should be thirty or forty people."

"As for Foundation Establishment cultivators, neither of us has found any."

"However—" Chen Yuancheng paused, a serious expression appearing on his face, "there should be two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators inside that nest!"

"Two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators turned thieves?"

Zhao Xian's face showed a hint of disbelief.

This is because cultivators with spiritual roots are already few in number, and those who can cultivate to the late stage of Qi Refining are considered experts in the countryside.

Such cultivators can live a very leisurely and carefree life, even if they teach Taoist texts or run private temples in their hometowns.

How could they possibly go into the mountains to become thieves!

"Could it be~"

Upon thinking of this, a terrifying thought arose in Zhao Xian's mind.

"Does Mr. Chen mean that there's someone else behind those bandits?"

Cao Miao also realized what was happening and asked the question first.

"Perhaps!"

After pondering for a few moments, Chen Yuancheng gave a bitter smile, and a slender figure appeared in his mind.

"Could they have done it?"

"Mr. Chen, what should we do now?" Zhao Xian asked after a few moments of silence.

"Bozhang, now that we've located the bandits' lair, we must wipe them out in one fell swoop!" Chen Yuancheng's face turned serious as he looked at Zhao Xian, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. "Now, it's up to Bozhang!"

"Mount Duiying is about 130 li from here. My demon-hunting team members all travel on foot, and it will take at least a day and a night to reach it." Zhao Xian pondered for a few moments, then looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "And the best time for a surprise attack is between 3 and 5 AM!"

"Now that our men and horses are exhausted, a sudden attack will surely catch the bandits off guard!"

"There's no time to lose; we should depart immediately after nightfall!"

"Alright!" Chen Yuancheng replied solemnly, "Bo Zhang will handle all the arrangements for the surprise attack!"