Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 164 Practicing Flying Swords, Revisiting Old Stories (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

into the night.

In Xixiang Township, Zhao Xian, along with his subordinates Song Ming, Liu Ping, and several other military officers, as well as the township officials, held a welcoming banquet for the newly appointed Xixiang Township Head, Zhu Shen.

The welcoming banquet lasted until the moon was high in the sky before everyone finally left, having enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

Back in the side courtyard, Zhao Xian was no longer drunk. He sat upright on the couch and carefully took out an exquisite wooden box to examine it closely.

This is the reward I received today from the county magistrate, Gao Yuan.

With a sweep of his divine sense, Zhao Xian found nothing unusual in the wooden box and slowly opened it.

A jade slip, a piece of silk, and three objects about the size of a palm.

They were a short sword about three inches in size, gleaming coldly; a shield shaped like a tortoise shell, about the size of a palm; and a crystal-clear red jade pendant.

Zhao Xianxian picked up the silk scroll and began to read it carefully.

After a long while, Zhao Xian put down the silk scroll, looked at the objects in the wooden box, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

"The county magistrate is decisive in her actions; seeing her today, she is indeed extraordinary!"

With a sigh, Zhao Xian felt a weight lift from his heart.

After killing the bandits of Mangshan, Zhao Xian remained in a state of constant anxiety and fear.

That's a bandit group with Foundation Establishment cultivators!

If they knew that Zhao Xian had led his men to kill their companions, how could Zhao Xian possibly stop the Foundation Establishment cultivators from seeking revenge!

However, the bandits of Mangshan have now been completely wiped out by the county magistrate and several Foundation Establishment cultivators!

Unfortunately, Zhao Xian was unaware that County Magistrate Gao Su had not completely wiped out the Mangshan bandits; their leader, Master Tianying, had escaped with serious injuries!

After pondering for a few moments, Zhao Xian took out the silk scroll again, and with a flick of his fingers, a wisp of flame appeared at his fingertips.

Then, the silk was ignited by the flames, and within a few breaths, it turned into a small pile of ashes.

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhao Xian sent a gentle breeze that completely dispersed the small pile of ashes.

Looking at the wooden box again, Zhao Xian picked up the jade slip and placed it on his forehead.

He closed his eyes slightly, scanned the jade slip with his divine sense, and became immersed in it.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Xian opened his eyes, took off the jade slip, and carefully put it into his storage bag.

The jade slip does not contain any cultivation techniques, but rather the art of sword control!

Sword control is derived from object control, but it is different from object control. When it is used, the magic power is more explosive and fierce.

As a basic spell for cultivators to control magical artifacts, Zhao Xian also practiced the Art of Controlling Objects after entering the late stage of Qi Refining.

Now that we have flying swords, we should naturally continue to practice sword control techniques.

However, Zhao Xian has not yet learned any sword techniques. If he wants to maximize the power of his flying sword, he will need to receive more sword techniques in the future.

Flying sword techniques are a highly precious tradition in the cultivation world!

At least, Zhao Xian did not find any sword techniques passed down after obtaining the Wu family's treasures.

The Wu family, a large clan with a history spanning a century, possesses only two high-grade Yellow Rank cultivation techniques treasured within their possession.

As for the middle and lower grades of the Yellow Rank, there are more than a dozen, but unfortunately, in Zhao Xian's eyes now, they are no longer considered particularly rare.

The Wu family possessed a considerable collection of martial arts manuals and techniques, numbering in the dozens, all of which Zhao Xian had already sent back to Yangpingli.

Among these, the most precious is a secret technique for perfecting tendon training, but unfortunately Zhao Xian already possesses secret techniques for perfecting skin and tendon training.

However, keeping it within the clan as a reference is also a good idea.

"Unfortunately, there is still no news about the secret technique for perfecting bone tempering!"

Suppressing his thoughts, Zhao Xian looked at the three magical artifacts in the box.

Zhao Xian scanned the three magical artifacts with his divine sense and learned their grades.

A ritual implement is one that has ritual inscriptions or prohibitions engraved inside.

A single magical artifact can be inscribed with up to nine magical restrictions.

A magic weapon inscribed with one to three restrictions is considered a low-grade magic weapon; one inscribed with four to six restrictions is considered a mid-grade magic weapon; and one inscribed with seven to nine restrictions is naturally considered a high-grade magic weapon.

As for anything above high-grade magic artifacts, that should be the legendary magic treasures.

The three magical artifacts before me are all low-grade magical artifacts.

What surprised Zhao Xian was that among these three magical artifacts, the one with the most engraved magical restrictions was actually the red jade pendant, which had three magical restrictions!

Even among low-grade magical artifacts, it is considered a fine piece!

Moreover, these are rare jewelry and magical artifacts.

As for the flying sword and the shield, they were nothing special; both had two magical restrictions on them.

Offensive and defensive magical artifacts such as flying swords and shields generally have at least two magical restrictions. One is the mandatory "Ruyi" magical restriction, and the other depends on the situation.

The flying sword in Zhao Xian's hand has two magical restrictions: "Ruyi" and "Flame"!

The so-called "ruyi" refers to ruyi of various sizes.

Of course, this mere low-grade magic weapon flying sword cannot keep growing larger or smaller after being infused with magic power.

If it grows larger, it will at most become three feet long. As for shrinking, the current three-inch-long blade is the smallest form of the flying sword.

By the moonlight, Zhao Xian carefully stroked the three magical artifacts, pondering their value in his heart.

If we go by the price Chen Yuancheng had discussed with me, these three magic artifacts would cost at least six or seven hundred low-grade spirit stones!

"The county magistrate is truly generous!"

With a sigh, Zhao Xian picked up the three-inch sword, closed his eyes slightly, and a faint glow instantly enveloped the flying sword.

"It's always safer to leave a divine imprint first!"

The next morning, as dawn broke.

"Squeak~"

Pushing open the door, Zhao Xian slowly walked out of the room, but he did not bring his ever-present ring-pommel sword.

Upon entering the courtyard, Zhao Xian first assumed a fighting stance and practiced his boxing techniques three times.

Immediately, he took out a short sword, as clear as jade, from his sleeve and placed it on the steps.

"rise!"

Zhao Xian made a hand seal, and after a few breaths, he let out a soft shout. A beam of crimson spiritual light shot out from his fingertips and landed on the short sword!

"Ding!"

The short sword emitted a soft hum, then wobbled and flew up, hovering three feet above the steps.

Seeing the flying sword successfully take off, Zhao Xian couldn't help but smile slightly, seemingly quite pleased.

At the same time, a message came from the depths of my consciousness!

"Sword Control Proficiency +1!"

Clang!

Suddenly, the flying sword trembled and then fell straight onto the steps.

"oops!"

With a soft gasp, Zhao Xian immediately stepped forward, picked up the flying sword, wiped it clean, and examined it closely.

Seeing that the flying sword had no cracks, he placed it back on the steps and continued practicing his sword control technique.

"Ding!"

The flying sword wobbled and took flight again.

"Sword Control Proficiency +1!"

Clang!

The sword was still unstable and fell to the ground.

"Ding!"

"Sword Control Proficiency +1!"

"5

'

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Hong, Huang Zhong, Zhao Duan, and Zhao Bing emerged from the side room one after another.

Seeing Zhao Xian standing in front of the steps, making hand seals with his hands, the four of them naturally gathered around him with great curiosity.

"A flying sword?!"

A gasp interrupted Zhao Xian's focused spellcasting.

Clang!

The small sword, now tinged with a crimson glow, immediately fell onto the steps!

"Why!"

Zhao Bing, standing to the side, scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile. It was his exclamation that had interrupted Zhao Xian's concentration.

"rise!"

Zhao Xian didn't take it to heart, waved his hand, and continued to cast spells. The crimson flying sword then wobbled and flew up again.

"go!"

With a soft shout, Zhao Xian used his divine sense to control the flying sword, which immediately flew over the steps and slowly flew to Zhao Hong and the others.

Under the gaze of the four boys, it circled around them once, and finally landed in Zhao Xian's palm.

"call!"

With a long sigh, Zhao Xian put the flying sword in his palm back into his storage bag, and then wiped the sweat from his forehead.

This morning's practice alone nearly exhausted his magical power!

Just as Chen Yuancheng, Chen Sheng and other late-stage Qi Refining cultivators said, magical artifacts should originally be used by Foundation Establishment cultivators!

For a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator to wield a magical artifact, it still consumes too much mana!

"Brother, is this the flying sword?"

Zhao Bing spoke first, asking curiously.

"This was a reward from the county magistrate for my meritorious service in annihilating the Wu family!"

Zhao Xian nodded and said with a smile.

"But isn't it said that a flying sword can take a person's head from a hundred paces away? This is so slow; by the time it gets there, the enemy will have already run away, won't they?"

Zhao Bing immediately asked another question.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Duan, who was standing to the side, raised his hand and patted him on the back of the head, scolding, "Ah Bing, your elder brother is only at the late stage of Qi Refining. It's already impressive that he can even make a flying sword fly!"

"To take a person's head from a hundred paces away—only a Foundation Establishment cultivator could do that!"

"Ah Duan is quite right! However, even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot control a flying sword to travel a hundred paces, otherwise, why would they fear powerful bows and crossbows!"

Zhao Xian nodded, looked at the four people opposite him, and continued with a smile: "If you encounter a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the future, as long as you don't get within twenty or thirty feet, you won't be harmed by their magical artifacts or spells!"

Upon hearing this, all four nodded and kept these words in mind.

"Alright, let's begin practicing martial arts!" Zhao Xian instructed, then looked at Huang Zhong, "Ah Zhong, you've now perfected your tendon training; strive to enter the bone training stage as soon as possible!"

"Dejing successfully entered the Bone Refinement stage a few days ago!"

"And you three, you must also complete your muscle training as soon as possible! Starting today, double your morning training!"

"Understood, elder brother!"

Upon hearing Zhao Xian's words, the four of them responded helplessly.

Crouching Tiger Village.

At the beginning of the Si hour, the morning sun rises in the east.

On the official road, pedestrians came and went in an endless stream.

"Hiss!"

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves thundered, and several riders came to a stop just outside the gate of the country house.

Then the valiant knight dismounted and strode toward the country house.

Three young clerks followed closely behind.

The four men entered the village house, and the village guards standing on either side of the gate immediately led the four horses to the hitching posts on the side.

"Lord Chen has been promoted, and the Military Commissioner has already come to congratulate him!"

"You know perfectly well that Military Officer Zhao was recruited by Lord Chen and that's how he entered the officialdom!"

The two village soldiers, while tying the reins, whispered among themselves.

In the main hall of the front courtyard, all the officials from the village had already arrived.

"We congratulate Lord Chen and Lord Xu on their promotion to high-ranking officials!"

In the main hall, led by Zhao Xian, all the officials offered their congratulations in unison.

"Please rise, gentlemen!"

Upon seeing this, Chen Yuancheng and Xu Dekun immediately stepped forward to help the people up.

Today, both of them have changed into brand new robes, with official seals hanging from their waists and bronze crowns on their heads. They are truly exceptionally handsome!

"Bozhang, why are you here so early! Are you perhaps eyeing the fine wine in my house?"

Seeing Zhao Xian's beaming smile, Chen Yuancheng also chimed in with a joke!

"Haha! I've been eyeing the fine wine in Yuan Cheng's residence for a long time!"

Zhao Xian smiled and replied, then looked at the officials in the village behind him, "When Lord Chen becomes a high-ranking official in the county, he will surely have to forgo the fine wine in his house!"

"Today, we'll sweep up all the wine in his house, and we won't leave until we're completely drunk!"

"We will obey Lord Zhao's command!"

The officials below the hall, led by the newly appointed magistrate of Wohu Township, He Qing, shouted in unison.

Beside He Qing, Zhao Xian also saw an old acquaintance, Yan Su, a member of the Yan family.

Now Yan Su is also dressed in a black robe, with a beautiful jade and a sword hanging at his waist, and a red turban on his head, looking exactly like a food official!

Seeing Zhao Xian looking at Yan Su, He Qing spoke up at the opportune moment: "Mr. Zhao, Mr. Yan is now serving as the village assistant; from now on, we two will work together in the village!"

Congratulations, Mr. Yan!

Zhao Xian naturally didn't show any displeasure, immediately offering his congratulations, and then said with a smile, "Mr. Yan's family has countless fine wines; today, please bring a few bottles to Mr. Chen's residence so we can feast on them!"

"Today is a banquet hosted by Lord Chen, how dare Yan Su make a fool of himself in front of Lord Chen!"

"The day after tomorrow, when you all gather at my home, you will be treated to the finest wines I have prepared, which you may enjoy to your heart's content!"

"Strict Lord Yan is magnanimous!"

Upon hearing this, the officials all chimed in with their agreement.

This scene pleased everyone in the hall, and their conversation was very harmonious.

There was one person, though smiling broadly, whose eyes inadvertently revealed a hint of melancholy.

This person was naturally Cao Quan, an official under Zhao Xian.

Back when Chen Yuancheng first took office as the head of Wohu Township, he, Xu Dekun, and Yan Su were all commoners. They went out of the township gate to welcome Chen Yuancheng.

Now, two years have passed, and Chen Yuancheng and Xu Dekun have been promoted to high-ranking officials, while Yan Su has become a low-ranking official in charge of food.

Even the young man who followed Chen Yuancheng back then has now become famous throughout the county and holds the high position of a 100-stone official.

He himself was just a minor official.

Unfortunately, no one noticed this.

The minor officials in the hall naturally surrounded the three high-ranking officials.

A moment later, three high-ranking officials led the way, followed by a large number of clerks, and marched in a grand procession toward Chen Yuancheng's residence.

The Qian law stipulates that officials are not allowed to leave their official residences except on days off.

Not to mention drinking and making merry during the day, but now that the Qian Dynasty has collapsed, naturally no one cares about such trivial matters!

The banquet lasted until nightfall before it ended.

After the officials dispersed, only Zhao Xian, Chen Yuancheng, Xu Dekun, and three of Zhao Xian's subordinates, Song Ming, Cao Quan, and Xu Dejing, remained in the hall.

Taking a sip of tea, one can feel the lingering fragrance in their mouth.

Setting down his teacup, Zhao Xian looked at Chen Yuancheng at the head of the table and said with a smile, "Mr. Chen is about to take up his post in the county. It will be difficult for us to meet again in the future!"

"Ha ha!"

"While being a county official is a good job, in Yuan Cheng's view, it doesn't offer a leisurely and carefree life!"

"But you two, one a northern patrol officer and the other a sergeant, are both capable of touring the countryside and appreciating the scenery of the four seasons!"

At this point, Chen Yuancheng also showed a hint of envy on his face.

"Yuan Cheng, how about we switch places? You become the patrol officer, and I'll become the bandit chief?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Dekun, who was below, immediately made a joke.

"That would be excellent! Unfortunately, this action might only anger the county magistrate!"

Chen Yuancheng also chimed in with a comment.

After chatting for a while, the group began to discuss serious matters.

"After we leave, that matter will probably have to be put on hold!"

After a few moments of silence, Chen Yuancheng looked at Zhao Xian and said solemnly.

"Fellow Daoist Qi Lian, may we continue this matter?"

"By the way, why haven't I seen Fellow Daoist Qi Lian here today?"

Zhao Xian pondered for a few moments, then looked at Chen Yuancheng with a hint of doubt.

"Fellow Daoist Qi Lian has gone on a journey!"

Chen Yuancheng seemed unwilling to mention Qi Lian, and after saying something evasive, he looked at Xu Dekun and asked, "Does Mr. Xu not wonder what Bo Zhang and I were discussing?"

"I have no doubt about it. If Lord Chen and Lord Zhao are willing to tell me, Dekun will grit his teeth and keep this matter strictly confidential!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Dekun immediately smiled.

"The robbery of Lingmi rice in Wohu Township more than twenty years ago!"

Chen Yuancheng looked at Xu Dekun and said solemnly.

"So that's what happened!"

Upon hearing Chen Yuancheng's words, everyone in the hall was greatly shocked!

This story isn't just circulating in Wohu Township; it's spread throughout Rongtai County.

That's over a thousand shi of spirit rice!

"I have heard about this matter!"

"This case remains unresolved!"

After a moment's thought, Song Ming looked at everyone in the hall and said calmly.

"Such a major case must have been committed by an inside traitor!"

Xu Dejing also whispered a warning from the side.

"An inside man?!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into silence.

Zhao Xian and Song Ming exchanged a glance, then remained silent, simply raising their cups to drink tea.

Which families within Wohu Township could be capable of committing such a major crime?

Upon hearing this, Xu Dejing realized he had misspoke and immediately blushed. He wanted to explain, but Xu Dekun stopped him with a look.

"Let's talk about it later!"

"What happened in the hall today must not be leaked!"

Looking around at everyone, Chen Yuancheng spoke again, giving them some more instructions.

The matter was thus dropped, and the atmosphere in the hall gradually eased somewhat.

"Bo Zhang, I have a favor to ask!"

Suddenly, Xu Dekun looked at Zhao Xian and said with some hesitation.

"What is it? Dekun, just say the word!"

"Could you hand over Dejing to me? When I took office as the northern border commander, I didn't have a single subordinate!"

At this point, Xu Dekun gave a wry smile.

The former Northern Patrol Officer was Wu De. When Wu De was arrested, his subordinates were also arrested!

Now that Xu Dekun has taken office as the northern border patrol commander, he has no subordinates at all!

The patrol officers are responsible for apprehending bandits, and Xu Dejing, now a first-rate martial artist, is a considerable asset!

"This~"

Zhao Xian hesitated for a moment, then looked down at Xu Dejing.

"Deokkyung, the decision is yours!"

After pondering for a few moments, Zhao Xian then passed the problem on to Xu Dejing.

Xu Dejing was also in a bit of a dilemma!

On one side is his own elder brother, and on the other is his benefactor!

A moment later, Xu Dejing looked at Zhao Xian with a hint of apology on his face.

Seeing this, Zhao Xian understood Xu Dejing's intentions.

He immediately looked at Xu Dekun and said with a smile, "In that case, let Dejing serve under Lord Xu!"

"Thank you, Bozhang!"

Xu Dekun also bowed and thanked him.

"Of the four subordinate officials under the command of the border patrol, now that Dejing has arrived, there are still three short."

3

"I will choose three of the remaining three from among the guests at home!"

Xu Dekun immediately smiled and replied to Zhao Xian.

As night deepened, Xu Dekun, Xu Dejing, and Cao Quan rose to take their leave, while Zhao Xian and Song Ming stayed overnight at Chen's residence.

After the three left, Zhao Xian called Song Ming into his room, where Chen Yuancheng was also waiting.

"Lord Song, the people who attacked and killed the grain transport convoy more than twenty years ago must have been the Yan family!"

Zhao Xian didn't waste any time and immediately looked at Song Ming and whispered.

"The Yan family?!" After a moment's thought, Song Ming nodded slightly. "Of the three major clans in Wohu Township, the Yan family is indeed the most powerful!"

"Is there any evidence?"

He then looked at Zhao Xian and the other two and pressed for an answer.

"Absolutely no evidence!"

Chen Yuancheng gave a wry smile and shook his head.

At this point, Song Ming understood why Zhao Xian and the other man had summoned him here.

"Chen Jun, Zhao Jun, why not use this as a warning to others?"

After pondering for a while, Song Ming looked at the two of them and said in a low voice.

"What is meant by 'knocking on the mountain to intimidate the tiger'? Please enlighten me, Lord Song!"

Zhao Xian immediately followed up with a question.

"When Chen Jun takes office as the Chief of the Bureau of Corruption Investigation, he can make a big show of it by investigating old cases and creating a stir!"

"This move might force the thief to reveal his true colors!"

"Even if the thieves didn't make any unusual moves, Mr. Chen's actions are still not considered excessive!"

Upon hearing Song Ming's words, Chen Yuancheng also fell into deep thought.

"However, this matter is truly full of suspicious points!"

Song Ming was well-informed and had a strong memory. This case of spiritual rice could be said to be the biggest case in Rongtai County in the past twenty years. Because of his grandfather, he naturally knew the details of the case.

"More than a thousand shi of spirit rice would require a hundred or so large carts to transport, but subsequent tracking revealed no traces of those carts!"

"That thief must have used a precious storage artifact to store spirit rice!"

"Once the storm passes, it will be extremely difficult to sell over a thousand bushels of spirit rice!"

"There might be someone else behind that thief!"

At this point, Song Ming also let out a long sigh, while Zhao Xian and Chen Yuancheng's expressions were already very solemn.

Low-grade storage bags are only four or five feet wide, medium-grade ones are about ten feet wide, and high-grade storage bags may be two or three feet wide.

Above that, they are no longer ordinary storage artifacts, but more precious storage bracelets and storage rings.

The space may be tens of feet, or even hundreds of feet in size.

Such a large space is more than enough to hold over a thousand shi of spirit rice!

However, even Foundation Establishment cultivators do not possess such rare storage artifacts; most of those who do are Core Formation cultivators.

More than a thousand shi of spirit rice, at most thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones.

Will the Core Formation Realm cultivator make a move because of these spirit stones?

Everything is uncertain!

"Let's follow Lord Song's advice and see if the thief can slip up!"

After pondering for a long time, Chen Yuancheng could only say this.

But a thought was vaguely emerging in his mind.

As far as he knew, the Chen family possessed an extremely rare storage bracelet due to the existence of that ancestor!

However, it was definitely not done by the Chen family!

Thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones may seem like a lot, but they are nothing to the Chen family!

"We still need someone's help in this matter!"

Suddenly, Zhao Xian looked at the two of them and said in a solemn voice.

"Who is it?"

"Liu Zhuo, the head of the pavilion in Wohu Township!"

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