Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 147 Nighttime Movements (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The lamplight flickered, and all was silent!

In the main hall of the backyard, all the officials from the west were crowded together, their faces ashen!

Although the head village official Liu Chen sat upright in the main seat, holding a green bamboo slip and studying it carefully, he pretended to be calm in order to reassure the other officials.

However, the palms of his hands, which held the bamboo slips, were already sweating.

As the sounds of fighting gradually subsided, the officials' faces grew increasingly terrified. Several of the bolder men, who had originally been wielding ring-handled swords, were now retreating into the crowd!

Cold sweat poured down everyone's foreheads!

After an unknown amount of time, a figure slowly walked towards the main hall!

"Da da da!"

The crisp sound of footsteps, like drumbeats, landed heavily in everyone's hearts!

"Come, who goes there?"

A young clerk looked at the figure, a resolute expression on his face, and asked loudly!

The figure did not answer, but instead continued to step forward!

Before long, the person who came had already climbed up the steps!

By candlelight, all the village officials, including Liu Chen, looked up at the scene.

The newcomer was a burly man with disheveled hair, holding a ring-pommel sword, and covered in blood!

"call!"

The autumn wind suddenly came and blew into the hall!

All the officials felt a strong smell of blood rushing towards them!

"Ugh! Ugh!"

The first few clerks, upon smelling the strong stench of blood, immediately felt their stomachs churning and began to vomit loudly!

"Snapped!"

The verdant bamboo slips fell to the ground, startling the officials below!

"Who goes there! Breaking into a village house in the dead of night, what brings you here!"

Liu Chen, worthy of being the head of the local officials, suddenly stood up, threw his official tablet to the ground, and shouted loudly.

"Mu Chun, attendant under Military Officer Zhao, pays his respects to Lord Liu!"

The visitor immediately bowed and responded solemnly.

The fearful expressions of the village officials were something Mu Chun found utterly disdainful, but the village magistrate, Liu Chen, did have some courage!

But it was just a bit of courage!

The bandits attacked and killed the county's high-ranking official in the village, but this village magistrate only dared to hide in the back room.

If this matter gets out, his job as a village magistrate will be over!

As for what happened today, whether it gets out or not depends on the will of our family head!

"Lord Mu, has the Military Officer returned?"

Upon hearing this and seeing Mu Chun's serious expression, Liu Chen immediately asked, but then paused and changed his words, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"The bandits attacked in the dead of night, but the sergeant has already annihilated them all!" Upon hearing this, Mu Chun immediately continued, "The battle is over, but the sergeant's robes are covered in blood!"

"Please prepare some spirit rice porridge, some hot soup, and a black robe so that the Sergeant can bathe and change!"

"Does the sergeant have any other instructions?"

Liu Chen nodded slightly, then asked in a solemn voice.

"No!"

Mu Chun answered solemnly.

"In that case, Lord Mu, please return to the side courtyard and report back to Lord Bingcao!"

"We will prepare immediately upon receiving your orders!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Chun nodded slightly, then turned and walked out!

After Mu Chun left, all the officials breathed a sigh of relief!

"Liu Jun, let's..."

At this moment, a minor official suddenly looked at Liu Chen and asked in a low voice.

"Pretend you know nothing! Quickly prepare porridge and hot soup for the Sergeant, and help him bathe and change!"

Liu Chen immediately glared at the minor official and shouted sternly.

"And also, no one is allowed to leave the cottage tonight!"

"If I am to know that someone has left their village without permission, I must report to the magistrate that they are an accomplice of bandits!"

With that, Liu Chen flicked his sleeves and turned to enter the inner room.

"Truly worthy of being a high-ranking official of the hundred shi rank, capable of single-handedly quelling the demonic disturbances within the county!"

"So many thieves attacked in the dead of night, yet he killed them all!"

Although Liu Chen did not know how many bandits there were, he could tell from the sounds of fighting that there were at least a dozen bandits!

With a sigh, Liu Chen returned to his bed in the inner room, ready to rest!

"I've really reached the end of my career as a stingy village official!"

With a soft sigh, the inner room fell silent.

Meanwhile, the local officials also began to get busy, some boiling water, others cooking porridge.

Some people even collected the robes of the officials; one set wasn't enough, so they collected at least two sets to send to the side courtyard!

After all, there's also the attendant of the sergeant, Mu Jun!

Although the shepherd did not mention his robes, how could these minor officials not have thought of that!

Back in the side courtyard, Zhao Xian did not ask Mu Chun what he had gone out to do. He simply sat on the steps and looked down at the corpses scattered all over the ground.

"Muchun, take stock!"

Suddenly, Zhao Xian spoke up and gave an order.

"Understood, Master!"

Mu Chun immediately responded and began to carefully clean up the battlefield.

Since following Zhao Xian, Mu Chun has done this kind of thing several times!

A moment later, the courtyard was no longer as messy as before, and was quite tidy.

On the left was a pile of mangled, bloody heads, and on the right was a neat row of headless corpses.

In the very center of the courtyard was a pile of swords!

"Report back to Lord Zhao!"

Mu Chun stepped forward, stood at the bottom of the steps, and bowed respectfully.

"A total of thirteen thieves were found, and apart from swords and knives, not a single talisman or spirit stone was discovered!"

"None of them had any tattoos or hidden marks on their bodies!"

"Um!

"6

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian nodded slightly, signaling Mu Chun to continue.

"Two ring-pommel swords of the sharp weapon level, one longsword of the sharp weapon level, and ten ring-pommel swords refined through thirty temperings!"

"The Wu family is quite wealthy!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian smiled slightly and joked.

"The Wu family, having produced a high-ranking official of the hundred-stone rank, is certainly no ordinary family!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Chun echoed his sentiment.

"Alright, let's get this all sorted out!"

"Oh, right, have Liu Chen write a letter about the bandits' night raid on the village, and immediately have the village official deliver it to the county on horseback!"

Zhao Xianfu added.

"I will obey the master's command!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Chun immediately bowed and walked towards the backyard.

A moment later, in the main hall of the backyard, the candles were relit. Liu Chen, wearing a cotton robe, rubbed his eyes, yawning as he ground ink.

A higher-ranking official can crush you!

Meanwhile, in the side courtyard, Zhao Xian was already enjoying his spirit rice porridge.

After finishing the spirit rice porridge, take a proper bath!

Three miles east of the village house, there is a large, secluded mansion.

Although it was late at night, the main hall was still bustling with activity, with toasts being made and string music playing.

Wu Jun, the head of the Wu family, who was seated at the head of the table, invited two other prominent families in the village and several wealthy households in the village to drink and make merry tonight.

In late autumn, the countryside is very quiet at night!

The two loud bangs were clearly heard by the guests in the main hall.

Seeing that Wu Jun remained calm, as if he hadn't heard anything, the guests naturally suppressed their confusion and continued drinking and making merry.

The guests did not leave until late at night.

As a promising young talent of the Wu family, Wu Rang naturally represented the family head, Wu Jun, to see off the guests.

After watching the guests depart, Wu Rang's expression immediately hardened, and he quickly returned to the main hall.

.

"Grand Uncle!" Wu Rang dismissed the servants in the hall, then looked at Wu Jun and said urgently, "A-Jian, Zhou Cheng, Wu Fang, and the others have not returned home!"

"An hour has passed since those two loud explosions!" Wu Jun nodded slightly, his expression grave, and analyzed, "Even if all the village officials were executed, they should have returned home by now!"

"They haven't returned yet; they've likely fallen victim to thieves!"

At this point, Wu Jun and Wu Rang exchanged a glance, both showing expressions of disbelief.

"Ah Jian is a first-rate martial artist, and he has already reached the perfection of his skin-training technique. His strength is quite impressive even among first-rate martial artists!"

After a moment's thought, Wu Jun continued his analysis: "As for Zhou Cheng and Wu Fang, although they are just ordinary first-rate martial artists, they are not to be underestimated because they wield sharp weapons!"

"Plus those ten skilled fighters from the household!"

"Such formidable power would have been more than enough to plunder an entire village, so how could they have perished in that rural dwelling!"

"Could it be that Zhao Xian secretly recalled his demon-hunting team?"

At this point, Wu Jun looked at Wu Rang below the hall.

"Grandpa! Impossible!"

Wu Rang immediately replied in a solemn voice.

"I have ordered the local officials to keep a close eye on Zhao Xian and his companion, and our Wu family guests are also keeping watch outside their residence!"

"When A-Jian and his group made their move, apart from the village officials, no other Daoist priests entered the village house!"

"Could it be that the local officials were helping Zhao Xian?"

At this moment, Wu Rang also raised the question that had been on his mind.

"Ha! Arjan, you overestimate those petty officials!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Jun scoffed and waved his hands repeatedly.

"So, there's only one possibility!"

"Zhao Xian single-handedly killed A Jian and Zhou Cheng!"

Wu Rang said with a solemn expression.

"A-Rang, go to Pinghe Township immediately and report this matter to your uncle, Wu De!"

"He has to handle this!"

"Your son will now proceed to Pinghe Township!"

Wu Rang immediately agreed and then turned and left!

"Ha! Such talent has emerged from among the lowly commoners of the countryside!"

A cold laugh echoed throughout the main hall.

Meanwhile, inside the Xixiang village house, in the main hall of the backyard.

Liu Chen had already summoned the two young clerks who had been standing at the front of the group of officials.

"You two must immediately ride to the county seat. Here are two letters: one for the clerk Liu Yuan, and the other for the county magistrate!"

"This matter must not be leaked!"

"When I return, having accomplished this, I will personally recommend you two to the county!"

Liu Chen handed the two letters to a young clerk who was in charge.

Most of the village officials were mediocre and incompetent, and they were probably deeply connected with the powerful families in the village.

These two are newcomers to the village and are both from Waiting, so there is no need to worry about them colluding with the Wu family!

"I will obey Lord Liu's orders!"

The two immediately responded solemnly, a hint of excitement showing on their faces!

Such an important matter was entrusted to these two men, which proves that in Liu Chen's eyes, they were his most capable assistants!

The two immediately turned around and stepped out of the main hall, then led their two mounts out of the country house.

Some village officials, upon witnessing this scene, exchanged glances but made no move to do anything.

The lingering stench of blood was enough to deter petty villains from making any rash moves!

In the main hall of the backyard, Liu Chen watched the departing figures of the two minor officials, and then glanced at the direction of the side courtyard.

"You have powerful backers, but don't I?"

"Without the help of influential people behind me, how could I have risen from a lowly clerk in the county government to a steward in charge of an entire township?"

A slight smile appeared on Liu Chen's lips before he returned to the inner room.

It was still dark, so we needed to rest some more.

Liu Chen served as a clerk in the county for more than 20 years before finally becoming a village clerk in his old age. Although it seemed quite pitiful, compared to those county and village clerks who spent their entire lives fighting for a living, wasn't he much better off?

Liu Yuan, the county clerk, was the influential person he curried favor with. Liu Yuan was a member of the Liu family, a prominent clan in the county.

Liu Chen was not a member of the Liu family, but since they shared the same surname, they could somehow find some connection.

Because of this connection, Liu Chen was able to take up the position of Xixiang Steward!

As dawn breaks in the east, the first light of day appears.

The village officials worked all night to clean up the bloodstains in the side courtyard.

The soil on the ground was shoveled away in a thick layer, and then the village soldiers carried over several baskets of yellow soil, which were then carefully sprinkled in the yard.

As the sun rose, Zhao Xian walked out of the main hall and looked at the courtyard. He was slightly taken aback by how clean and tidy the courtyard was!

"That's so thoughtful!"

Zhao Xian smiled and said something, then took off the ring-pommel sword from his waist and stood in the courtyard, slowly practicing his boxing techniques.

He repeated the fist technique twenty times. After finishing the round, the stabbing pain from his internal organs lessened by three points.

"Cough cough! Cough cough!"

After coughing violently a few times, Zhao Xian spat out a mouthful of foul blood.

After spitting out the blood, Zhao Xian felt much better.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Zhao Xian picked up the ring-pommel sword beside him and began practicing his swordsmanship once more!

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Xian sheathed his sword, and just then, the village head Liu Chen appeared outside the courtyard.

Seeing that Zhao Xian had finished his practice, Liu Chen quickly stepped forward, a hint of apprehension and worry on his face: "Lord Zhao, last night bandits attacked our village. I was guarding the village and was unable to come to your aid in time. Please forgive me!"

"Protecting the village?"

Zhao Xian smiled and looked at Liu Chen in front of him, then asked a question in return.

"Exactly!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Chen immediately replied in a solemn voice.

Seeing Liu Chen's shamelessness, Zhao Xian didn't bother arguing with him and simply asked, "Has the letter to the county magistrate been sent?"

"We dispatched men to the county seat last night!"

Liu Chen immediately responded solemnly.

"Hmm, I'll be bothering you for a few more days!"

Zhao Xian nodded and immediately turned and left.

Seeing Zhao Xian's indifference, Liu Chen could only smile bitterly, bow, and turn to leave.

What else can be said now?

We're all sensible people, so there's no need for further explanation.

We are just waiting for the county magistrate's decree to be issued!

Meanwhile, at the Rongtai County government office.

Deep within the county government office, in a quiet and elegant courtyard, in the main hall, Liu Yuan, the clerk, knelt cautiously on his seat, looking up at the county magistrate, Gao Su.

After a while, a gentle voice rang out from the hall.

"Order Zhao Xian to quell the demonic calamity as soon as possible; he need not concern himself with anything else!"

"Your humble servant obeys!"

Liu Yuan bowed and accepted the order, then stood up and slowly withdrew.

"A bunch of good-for-nothing scoundrels!"

After Liu Yuan left, a cold snort came from the hall!

Meanwhile, on the official road leading to the county town, several riders sped along, kicking up a trail of dust. The leader was none other than Wu De, a guerrilla from the north!