Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 158 The County Magistrate Agrees, and Troops March Against the Wu Family (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The night was deep, the candlelight flickered, and the figures swayed.

Suddenly, the hall fell silent.

"Zhao Jun, could you be from the Wu family, the one descended from Wu De, a guerrilla fighter in the north?"

Taking a deep breath, Cao Quan looked at Zhao Xian and asked in a trembling voice.

"Exactly!"

Zhao Xian nodded, then looked at Cao Quan and smiled, "Lord Cao, how about we include the Cao family in this matter as well?"

"This~"

Upon hearing this, Cao Quan hesitated for a moment, then said with a troubled expression, "This humble official cannot make such a decision!"

"It's alright, Mr. Cao, you can return home now and report to Patriarch Cao He!"

Zhao Xian looked at Cao Quan and said with a smile.

"In that case, I'll be right back!"

When Zhao Xian spoke, Cao Quan naturally couldn't refuse. Without hesitation, he immediately stood up, bowed, and turned to walk out of the main hall.

Once outside the main hall, Cao Quan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, a hint of lingering fear in his eyes!

"What will happen if I firmly refuse?"

Cao Quan took a deep breath, shook his head violently, a resolute look on his face, and strode towards the stable!

"With them charging ahead and the Cao family providing support from behind, nothing serious will happen!"

After Cao Quan left, Chen Yuancheng looked at Zhao Xian and teased, "Bozhang, you really scared Lord Cao!"

"We must be open and honest!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian smiled faintly.

None of them took Cao Quan's hesitation to heart, after all, the matter had indeed come suddenly!

Unlike Cao Quan's outward panic, Xu Dejing's face was filled with excitement.

The fact that such a major family was wiped out so easily by just a few people was incredibly exciting for him!

"Dekun, how powerful is the Wu family?"

Zhao Xian then looked up at Xu Dekun and asked in a solemn voice.

"There are more than ten bandits from Mangshan, and there should be more than ten guests from the Wu family. Add to that servants and followers, and those who can handle knives and guns, there must be at least several dozen!"

"As for the experts, the most skilled ones have already died under your arrows, Bo Zhang!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian was slightly taken aback, but then he understood.

That day, Wu's guests launched a surprise attack on the Xixiang village house, among whom were two first-rate martial artists!

First-rate martial artists are rare. The Wu family lost two of them just a few months ago, and it seems unlikely they can recruit any more.

"What about the strength of those bandits from Mangshan?"

Zhao Xian asked another question.

"This~"

Xu Dekun hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

His guests couldn't even get close to the courtyard, let alone enter to inquire about information!

"The Mangshan bandits are no ordinary thieves; they are divided into three levels: leaders, big bosses, and small bosses!"

"The leaders are all Foundation Establishment cultivators, the major leaders are late-stage Qi Refining cultivators or first-rate martial artists, and the minor leaders are mostly skilled second-rate martial artists!"

Seeing that Xu Dekun was unaware, and noticing Zhao Xian looking over, Chen Yuancheng continued to explain.

"This group of bandits, numbering more than ten, has traveled far beyond the Yunling Mountains; they must be led by a high-ranking leader!"

"There might even be Foundation Establishment cultivators hiding among them!"

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Xian looked at Xu Dekun and said in a deep voice.

"If there were Foundation Establishment cultivators~"

Chen Yuancheng pondered for a moment, then looked down at Xu Dekun.

"My great-grandfather will be accompanying us to the Wu family!"

Xu Dekun naturally understood what the two meant and immediately replied in a solemn voice.

"Excellent!" Zhao Xian slammed his hand on the table. "With that senior's help, we can definitely wipe out the Wu family completely!"

Meanwhile, Cao Quanye had already rushed back to the Cao family home.

After conveying Zhao Xian and the others' intentions to Cao He, Cao He also fell into deep thought.

Cao Miao waited respectfully below the hall.

After an unknown amount of time, Cao He looked down at Cao Quan with a warm smile: "Quan, what do you think of this matter?"

"Join them, and plot against the Wu family!"

Cao Quan replied without hesitation.

On his way back to the Cao family home, Cao Quan kept thinking about this matter.

Chen Yuancheng, Zhao Xian, Xu Dekun, and the Xu family behind them—it can be said that most of the forces in Wohu Township have already participated. If the Cao family doesn't participate, they will probably be abandoned by these families in the future!

Of the three major clans in Wohu Township, the Cao family has always been the weakest!

No high-ranking official, not even a hundred-stone official, ever appeared in our household; the highest-ranking official we ever had was a village clerk!

The reason they became the three major surnames was simply because the Xu and Yan families brought in the Cao family to make up the numbers so that they wouldn't stand out too much!

"good!"

Cao He looked down at Cao Quan and laughed, "In that case, you shall command all the guests in the house!"

"Thank you, Father, for your kindness!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Quan also knelt down and bowed.

"Go to the village and tell Lord Zhao and Lord Chen that our family has made a decision!"

"I will go immediately!"

Cao Quan bowed again, then got up and hurriedly walked out of the hall.

"It's been so many years; it's time for our Cao family to produce a high-ranking official!"

"With this achievement, sending some spirit stones might just help Cao Miao advance even further!"

Thinking of this, Cao He was also extremely excited!

Cao Miao has already taken up the post of village head of Shahe Township, and is only one step away from becoming a high-ranking official!

"Da da da!"

The sound of horses' hooves rose like the beat of drums. Cao He looked out of the hall, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

The following morning, at Salim village.

A lone rider sped off towards the county town!

Zhao Xian and his group cannot make decisions about exterminating an entire family!

It can only proceed with the approval of the county magistrate!

The rider on horseback was Zhao Cheng, who had been to the county town many times and knew the way very well.

Moreover, his martial arts skills were superb, so Zhao Xian was at ease.

On this day, Zhao Xian did not leave the gate of the country house. Instead, he stayed in the side courtyard, practicing martial arts and teaching Zhao Hong and the other three.

The demon-hunting team under his command was also resting in the camp, and at noon they even slaughtered two fat sheep for a snack!

As the sun began to set, a figure hurriedly rushed into the courtyard.

"Soldier, this is a warrant from the County Magistrate!"

Zhao Cheng walked quickly to Zhao Xian, took out a letter from his pocket, and respectfully presented it to him.

Zhao Xian quickly took the letter, unfolded it, glanced at it, and burst into laughter!

The silk scroll bore only one line of text: "All actions are permitted!"

"Immediately instruct Zhao Zheng to prepare jade pearl rice porridge!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hong, who was standing beside him, immediately became serious, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave the courtyard.

One pound of Jade Pearl Rice is worth three low-grade spirit stones, which is something even high-ranking officials cannot afford to eat every day.

Zhao Xian didn't have much jade pearl rice in his hand, only a little over ten catties.

If we want to feed the people of Moxia, we'll probably have to cook all ten-odd catties of Jade Pearl Rice!

"Fourth brother, you should go and rest too. We have an operation tonight!"

"By the way, order Zhao Ji to go to Wohu Township and tell Lord Chen that the county magistrate has issued a decree: all actions are permitted!"

"Please ask him to bring his men to meet us at the Salim village!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Cheng immediately nodded and turned to leave.

"Brother, what is it?"

Zhao Bing, who was standing nearby, leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

"kill!"

Zhao Xian chuckled lightly and replied calmly.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Bing, Zhao Duan, and Huang Zhong showed no fear whatsoever; in fact, they were even eager to try!

Before long, the camp was filled with the rich aroma of spirit rice, which even reached the village of Shalin, causing many officials to swallow hard.

"A hearty lamb for lunch and spirit rice porridge for dinner—it makes me want to join Zhao Jun's demon-hunting team!"

A minor official in the office made a joke.

"Ha ha!"

"We won't stop you! Go ahead!"

As night fell, the campfires in the camp outside the village of Shalin had gone out, and no one was resting inside.

The villagers, each clad in armor and armed with weapons, formed ranks and marched swiftly toward the western township pavilion.

The Jade Pearl Rice was full of spiritual energy, and the Daoist followers under its command had a hearty meal, so they were naturally full of energy.

Moreover, Zhao Xian ordered a pot of qi-boosting soup to be cooked and poured into the water bags of his Daoist followers to replenish their strength!

Besides that, there was a group of knights, about twenty in number.

Zhao Xian, Chen Yuancheng, and Xu Dekun led the group, followed by Xu Dejing, Zhao Cheng, Cao Quan, and others.

Besides these warriors, Zhao Xian also brought Liu Ping and Liu Sheng with him, who still needed to register their battle merits and spoils!

Song Ming did not come. He and Zhao Hong stayed in the country house. As soon as Zhao Xian's side successfully wiped out the bandits, he and Zhao Hong would immediately rush to the county town to report the matter to the county magistrate!

Besides, there was another person, the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Xu family, who had already set off for the Wu family in Xixiang.

Foundation Establishment cultivators possess abundant magical power and can control magical artifacts to fly dozens of miles in one breath, but that's all they can do!

If they flew dozens of miles, they would have no magic power left to continue fighting!

Therefore, if a Foundation Establishment cultivator goes on a long journey, he also needs to ride a mount, just like Xu Cheng, the Left Commandant whom Zhao Xian had seen before.

Of course, their mounts were no ordinary horses!

No one spoke along the way; everyone remained silent.

When the moon was high in the sky, the group finally arrived near the Xixiang Pavilion.

"Rest for half an hour!"

Zhao Xian immediately ordered his followers to rest.

He dismounted and fed the dismounted horse some roasted beans, glutinous rice, and warm salt water.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Everyone mounted their horses, and Zhao Zheng also began to line up!

The most important task at this time is to surround and kill the bandits of Mangshan, and the Wu family is the next priority.

The group continued forward, and as if sensing the murderous intent permeating the moonlit night, not a single dog barked wherever they went!

Before they knew it, the group had arrived at the village where the Wu family lived.

The Wu family mansion was quite large, and relying on the inner wall, it naturally occupied a large area of ​​the inner courtyard.

The village gatekeeper and the village head had already been tied up by Zhao Xian's men.

"Elder brother, break down the Wu family's gate and immediately proceed to the side courtyard to form an encirclement and kill the bandits!"

Zhao Xian looked at Zhao Zheng, who was putting on his armor, and said solemnly.

"Understood, Ah Xian!" Zhao Zheng replied, and Zhao Xian then looked at Zhao Duan and the other two beside him, "You three, come with your elder brother to surround and kill the bandits of Mangshan!"

"good!"

The three nodded in unison.

"Cao Quan, Xu Dejing, you two take men and keep a close watch on the Wu family's backyard to prevent anyone from escaping!"

"Sir, I wish to go with you into battle!"

Cao Quan nodded in agreement, but Xu Dejing refused to guard the backyard!

"This is a matter of life and death; how dare you be so picky!"

Xu Dekun suddenly turned around and looked at Xu Dejing, and whispered a shout!

"Brother~"

Xu Dejing blushed and immediately whispered.

"In that case, you shall accompany Captain Zhao to ambush and kill the Mangshan bandits!"

"A-Duan, you stay with Cao Jun and keep an eye on the back gate of the Wu family!"

Zhao Xian then looked at Zhao Duan and whispered his instructions.

"good!"

Zhao Duan responded with a simple "yes".

"Let's do it!"

At Zhao Xian's command, everyone quickly headed towards the Wu family's residence!

"Who goes there!"

The armor clattered as the group appeared not far from the Wu family's residence. The guards at the gate immediately heard the noise and shouted loudly.

"Swoosh! Swoosh!"

Two arrows whistled out, and the two guards immediately clutched their necks and fell to the ground!

"Rush!"

At his command, Zhao Zheng, Zhao Ji, Zhao Zong, and others moved with lightning speed, heading straight for the Wu family's gate!

"burst!"

A fireball suddenly flew past the group and landed on the gate of the Wu family!

"boom!"

In an instant, a deafening explosion resounded throughout the countryside!

"Break down the door!"

Before the dust had settled, Zhao Zheng had already rammed into him with his shoulder!

"Snap! Snap!"

"Bang!"

Several people slammed into the door, and several crisp sounds rang out before it crashed to the ground!

"kill!"

Zhao Zheng shouted and pounced into the courtyard. His ring-pommel sword slashed down, splitting the Wu family guard in two!

"Go to the side courtyard!"

With a loud shout, Zhao Zheng ran towards the side courtyard, following his memory!

Zhao Ji, Zhao Zong, and others followed closely behind.

The people behind them also surged toward the Wu family!

Meanwhile, Chen Yuancheng and Xu Dekun did not enter the Wu family's residence. Instead, they stood on an old tree in the inner room, gazing at the Wu family's residence not far away.

"Those bandits from Mangshan have made their move!"

Suddenly, Chen Yuancheng spoke.

Xu Dekun looked over and saw a group of disheveled bandits rushing out of the courtyard gate with sharp knives and attacking Zhao Zheng and the others who were blocking the gate!

The leader of the thieves was extremely fierce, wielding a ghost-headed knife with great skill!

In just a few steps, they had already reached Zhao Zheng and the others!

"kill!"

At the same time, Zhao Zheng, clad in iron armor, showed no fear whatsoever.

With a sharp shout, he didn't dodge at all, but rushed forward to meet the blade. Without hesitation, he thrust forward with his ring-pommel sword. Zhao Ji and Zhao Zong behind him also attacked from the left and right with their swords!

In the blink of an eye, the group was locked in combat.

Meanwhile, Xu Hua and the others behind him formed their own battle formations and thrust their spears forward!

"Ding!"

Sparks flew everywhere as the demon-headed sword was blocked by the iron armor, only managing to create a shower of sparks!

Wherever Zhao Zheng's ring-pommel sword passed, it splattered blood on the bandit leader!

"what!"

With a wail, one of the thieves was lifted up by Huang Zhong's spear!

"Bang!"

With a sudden flick of the gun, the thief was sent flying and crashed into another thief!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Several spears suddenly thrust forward, piercing through the bandits who couldn't dodge in time!

"kill!"

Huang Zhongli shouted and pounced on another thief like a tiger descending a mountain!

Wherever the spear went, it was invincible!

"This blond-haired fellow is so fierce!"

Seeing this scene from afar, on the treetop, Xu Dekun couldn't help but exclaim in amazement!

"Killing a second-rate martial artist is as easy as killing a chicken; this kid's combat strength is already comparable to that of a first-rate martial artist!"

At this point, Xu Dekun's eyes also lit up with admiration.

"Not only this blond-haired boy, but the strength of Zhao Ji, Zhao Zheng, Zhao Cheng, and others is also quite impressive among martial artists of the same level." Upon hearing this, Chen Yuancheng nodded immediately and continued, "In my opinion, this blond-haired boy has already begun preparing to temper his tendons!"

"Didn't he start training his tendons a long time ago?"

Xu Dekun immediately replied, but then suddenly looked at Chen Yuancheng, a hint of surprise in his eyes, and exclaimed in a low voice, "Tendon-strengthening secret technique?"

Chen Yuancheng nodded.

"Such a secret technique is truly extraordinary!"

Seeing Chen Yuancheng nod, Xu Dekun immediately blurted out, but then abruptly stopped himself from speaking.

Chen Yuancheng naturally understood Xu Dekun's meaning; how could such a secret technique be obtained by ordinary people in the countryside?

"Bo Zhang's grandfather was a soldier who fought in Xiao County for many years!"

"The great war between Qing and Nan provinces back then affected countless powerful families in Xiao County. It's no wonder that some of these secret techniques were leaked out!"

Chen Yuancheng immediately offered an explanation.

"That's absolutely right!"

For some reason, Xu Dekun remarked with considerable emotion.

"With Bozhang around, in a few decades, the three surnames in Wohu Township might become four!"

At this point, Xu Dekun also showed a slight smile.

The Xu family is on good terms with Zhao Xian and also has a good relationship with the Cao family. Even if the Zhao family rises to power, it will not harm the Xu family.

Meanwhile, the Wu family was in complete chaos!

The servants and maids in the house shouted and yelled, and the guests either rushed to fight back or fled in panic. Some even knelt down and begged for mercy!

Unfortunately, Zhao Cheng, Zhang Wen, Wang Cong, and others were not soft-hearted people. They naturally killed all of these cowards who were afraid of death!

Zhao Xian landed on the top floor of the Wu family's pavilion, overlooking the entire Wu family compound.

"kill!"

With a roar, a black-clad warrior, wielding a knife, charged straight at Zhao Cheng!

"Ding!"

As the two swords clashed, a powerful force struck, causing Zhao Cheng to fall backward!

Meanwhile, Zhang Wen, Wang Cong, and Mu Chun, who were standing beside him, also attacked the black-clad warrior from both sides!

Zhao Cheng forced down the metallic taste in his throat and charged again with his knife. The five of them immediately engaged in a fierce battle!

In a secluded courtyard in the distance, the bandit leader lay dead on the ground, his eyes wide open, filled with resentment.

Zhao Zheng bent down and cut off the head with a single stroke, then hung it on his waist.

Looking around the courtyard, one could see that many of the bandits had already fallen to the ground, with only a few remaining still fighting desperately!

Before long, all the bandits in the courtyard had been killed!

"Clean up the battlefield and take stock of casualties!"

Zhao Zheng looked around and immediately gave the order.

"Liu Ping, you keep watch here!"

Suddenly, Zhao Zheng looked at the black-robed youth in the distance and immediately shouted loudly.

Upon hearing the shouts, the black-robed youth quickly ran over.

He's not a warrior, so there's no need for him to get close.

"Second-rate martial artist, follow me to the main residence!"

Looking around at the Daoist people before him again, Zhao Zheng gave another instruction.

Before long, only Liu Ping and some third-rate Daoist practitioners remained in the area.

By the time Zhao Zheng and the others arrived at the main residence, the fighting was about to end.

Zhao Cheng and his three companions fought with all their might before finally killing the black-clad warrior!

Subsequently, the remaining guests and guards were also unable to stop Zhao Zheng and his men, and could only die tragically under their blades.

"So you are Wu Jun, the head of the Wu family?"

Zhao Zheng looked at the trembling middle-aged scholar in front of him and asked in a solemn voice.

"It is I who am, and may I ask who you are?"

The middle-aged scholar stood up, straightened his clothes, and then asked in a solemn voice.

"Pfft!"

The blade flashed and disappeared in an instant, and Wu Jun was already frozen in place, completely motionless.

But Zhao Ji slowly sheathed his ring-pommel sword, looked at Zhao Zheng, and laughed, "Why ask so many questions? Just kill them all!"

"Clean up the battlefield; no one is allowed to hide anything!"

Zhao Zheng glared at Zhao Ji, then continued to give instructions.

"Oh, and keep a close watch on the Wu family's servants and maids!"

"No one is allowed to approach!"

Zhao Zheng suddenly looked at Zhao Ji and said in a louder voice.

Zhao Ji naturally understood the meaning behind Zhao Zheng's words: he was worried that some Dao Min might not be able to restrain themselves and would do such a despicable thing!

Meanwhile, Liu Ping had almost finished taking inventory in the side courtyard!

"These ruthless bandits were all wiped out, and not a single one of them died!"

"The sergeant is truly formidable!"

Looking at the casualty information he had registered, Liu Ping couldn't help but praise it in his heart.

My gaze naturally fell on the dark leather armor on Dao Min's body. The difference between having armor and not having armor was like heaven and earth!

Even the simplest two-level armor!

With a sigh, Liu Ping prepared to leave.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a figure that had remained motionless throughout the entire procession of the Daoist people in the distance.

"Spells?!"

A flash of inspiration struck Liu Ping, but his heart was already pounding with excitement!

"Could there be bandits hiding among them?"

Upon realizing this, Liu Ping immediately feigned calmness and looked around at the Daoist priests before him: "Alright, the inventory is complete. Now, everyone, go to the main residence!"

The villagers were naturally happy to obey Liu Ping's orders and hurried toward the main residence.

After all, everyone knows that the good stuff is definitely hidden in the main house!

They would never hide in this secluded courtyard!

After everyone had left, and some time had passed, the shadow suddenly began to flicker slightly.

At this moment, Zhao Xian, having received the news, had already drawn his bow and arrow, climbed to a high place, and aimed at that secluded courtyard!

"Whoosh!"

As the shadows dissipated, a figure appeared in Zhao Xian's sight!

The figure carefully avoided the corpses on the ground and walked towards a corner of the side courtyard.

"Bang!"

With a soft thud, the arrow was already whistling out.

At this moment, the figure seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around to look at the pavilion!

Instead, a sharp arrow, accompanied by a whirlwind, came rushing towards them!

"Rune Arrow!"

The figure cried out in surprise and immediately dodged to the side!

Unexpectedly, arrows came one after another, whistling in like a whirlwind!

No matter how the figure twisted and turned, it couldn't escape in the end!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

In the blink of an eye, the two arrows struck the figure squarely!

The immense force of the arrow pinned the figure firmly to the ground, rendering it unable to move!

"Snapped!"

The last arrow came and struck him squarely in the face!

"Ah Duan, go and find out what their origins are?"

"good!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Duan behind him responded and turned to leave.

"Liu Ping, you and Liu Sheng each take Huang Zhong and Zhao Bing to inventory the Wu family's assets!"

"Zhao Zheng, lead your followers to the western countryside and set up camp!"

"Zhao Cheng, you, along with Zhao Ji, Zhang Gong, and Mu Chun, are to guard the Wu family's servants and maids!"

Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison, shouting, "We will obey the orders of the Military Officer!"

"Chen Jun, De Kun, it's up to you two now!"

Zhao Xian took out the county magistrate's warrant from his bosom and handed it to Chen Yuancheng.

"Don't worry, the two of us will definitely not let Wu De escape!"

Xu Dekun immediately responded.

"We must capture him alive, and the same goes for his subordinates!"

Zhao Xian gave another piece of advice.

"Dejing, Zhang Wen, and Wang Cong will accompany you two!"

"Handle this matter properly, and immediately issue a Golden Eagle notification to Lord Song!"

The two nodded immediately and then each led their men away.

Chen Yuancheng and Xu Dekun wanted to get involved and share in the credit, and nothing was more meritorious than capturing Wu De alive!

With this achievement, the two of them will surely be able to advance even further!