Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 189 Arrogant at First, Submissive Later, Taking Advantage of the Chaos with a Night Raid (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

As he rode back, Zhao Xian's gaze swept over the devastated battlefield, and a surge of anger rose within him.

These are all neighbors from Wohu Township!

"Zhang Gong, quickly lead your soldiers to guard the bandits!"

"Zhao Ze, immediately clear the battlefield, treat the wounded, and take stock of casualties and losses!"

Suppressing his anger, Zhao Xian immediately issued orders in a calm and methodical tone.

"We will obey your orders, General!" The two men quickly took a few steps forward and solemnly replied before turning around and getting to work.

"Brother Zhong, Brother Si!" Upon seeing several old soldiers helping Zhao Ji and Zhao Cheng stagger towards him, Zhao Xian immediately dismounted, a hint of worry on his face, and quickly went to greet them.

"Take it quickly!"

Then Zhao Xian took out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve, poured out two pills that looked like jade pearls, and gave them to the two men.

The two were seriously injured and, without bothering to be polite to Zhao Xian, immediately took the elixir and put it in their mouths!

Within moments, the elixir entered their bodies, and a warm medicinal power slowly spread out. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief, their expressions softening slightly, and then they looked at Zhao Xian with gratitude.

"Jiulang! Xu Hua and Xu Fu are more seriously injured. Go and treat them quickly!" Before Zhao Xian could ask, Zhao Cheng said urgently, his tone filled with anxiety.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian didn't ask any more questions and turned around to run quickly toward the crowd gathered in the distance.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!" Seeing several soldiers standing around Xu Hua and Xu Fu helplessly, Zhao Xian immediately shouted to stop them.

Upon hearing the sound, the soldiers immediately stepped aside to make way.

When Zhao Xian approached, the scene before him shocked him.

The two cousins ​​had their eyes closed, their bodies covered in blood, and their breaths were weak, barely able to breathe, their lives hanging by a thread.

Without delay, Zhao Xian poured out two more Rejuvenation Pills from the white porcelain bottle, flicked them with his fingers, and the two pills accurately entered the mouths of the two people.

The elixir melted instantly upon entering their mouths, and the two, whose faces were originally as pale as paper, gradually regained a rosy hue, and their disordered breathing also calmed down somewhat.

Zhao Xian scanned the two men with his divine sense and saw that their bones were broken and their sternums were sunken in by an inch. The shape of the depression was like a hoofprint, clearly caused by the fierce trampling of warhorses.

Seeing that the two were still fast asleep, Zhao Xian immediately took out two more Rejuvenation Pills and fed them to the two men. He then ordered the auxiliary soldiers to carefully carry the two back to the camp for treatment.

A bottle of Rejuvenation Pills, containing ten pills, sells for 350 low-grade spirit stones in the market. On this trip to Ronghuai County, Zhao Xian only bought one bottle to carry with him.

In no time at all, the ten Rejuvenation Pills were finished.

Looking at the wounded soldiers lying on the ground, groaning in pain, Zhao Xian's eyes turned red, and an indescribable grief welled up in his heart, almost overwhelming him.

"Thank you, Master Chen!"

"I am deeply grateful to the Immortal Master for saving my life!"

Just then, heartfelt thanks jolted Zhao Xian out of his grief.

Looking up, one could see Chen Yuanqing holding a jade-green spirit pearl, from which soft blue light emanated, gently falling upon the soldiers in front of him and nourishing their injuries.

He himself, however, was as pale as paper and his breath was weak, clearly indicating that his magical power was about to be exhausted.

"Fellow Daoist Chen!" Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian's heart tightened. He immediately stepped forward, took out a mid-grade spirit stone from his sleeve, and handed it to Chen Yuanqing. "Let him recover some of his magical power first, then we can treat him!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuanqing looked up at Zhao Xian, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He gently shook his head, his tone firm: "It's nothing serious. Treating these soldiers is the priority."

Seeing her stubbornness, Zhao Xian feared that she would damage her foundation by forcibly depleting her magical power. He immediately stepped forward, grasped her hand, and forcefully placed a mid-grade spirit stone into her palm. His tone was serious and left no room for argument: "Since you are in the military camp, you must obey my orders as a military commander and recover your magical power first!"

Chen Yuanqing looked helpless, could only nod slightly, withdraw his hand, and turn to walk towards his military tent.

Watching her figure disappear into the distance, Zhao Xian also turned around and joined the ranks of auxiliary soldiers, personally treating the wounded.

With the war over, the camp was short-handed, and as a military commander, he naturally couldn't stay out of it.

As a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, he could discern the severity of the injuries with a mere sweep of his divine sense, making the treatment of the wounded effortless.

However, Zhao Xian cultivated fire-based magic, which was fierce and explosive. The slightest use of it would cause the wounded to scream in agony.

Even so, it's still better than having no one to treat him and letting his injuries worsen, isn't it?

On the other side, Zhang Gong had already led his soldiers to escort the surrendered bandits back to camp in groups.

"Sir, a total of 126 bandits have been captured and are all under safe custody!"

Upon reaching Zhao Xian, who was squatting on the ground bandaging his wounds, Zhang Gong bowed respectfully and reported the news.

"Yes, keep a close watch on them and don't let your guard down!" Zhao Xian replied in a deep voice without turning his head.

"Sir, there are still some wounded bandits on the battlefield. What should we do with them?" At this moment, Zhao Ze stepped forward quickly and bowed to ask.

"Those with minor injuries will receive treatment and will be dealt with later; those with serious injuries will be executed on the spot to prevent future troubles!" Zhao Xian's tone was icy, without the slightest hesitation.

"We will obey your orders, General!" Zhang Gong and Zhao Ze replied in unison, then turned and left to make arrangements.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Xian finished bandaging the last wounded soldier in front of him. He felt exhausted and sat down on the ground with a thud. Sweat dripped down his face and into the soil, leaving a small wet patch.

"Commander, all casualties and prisoners of war in our unit have been tallied!" With a clatter of metal, Zhao Zheng, holding a bamboo scroll, strode over and reported loudly.

"Read it!" Zhao Xian said slowly, his voice hoarse.

"Thirty-three were killed in battle, thirty-six were seriously wounded, and forty-four were lightly wounded; one hundred and fifty-eight bandits were captured, including thirty-two lightly wounded; one hundred and twenty-three were beheaded." Zhao Zheng unfolded the bamboo slips and read steadily, "Eight warhorses, six complete suits of iron armor, seventy-three pieces of tattered leather armor, six low-grade sharp weapons, thirty-three ring-pommel swords, one hundred and twenty-three spears, and one hundred and twenty-eight other weapons and bows and arrows. There were also ten wounded horses, which I have ordered to be executed!"

After reading it, Zhao Zheng closed the bamboo slip and respectfully handed it to Zhao Xian.

Zhao Xian did not take the bamboo slip, but waved his hand and said listlessly, "The wounded horse was beyond saving anyway, so it doesn't matter if it is killed. Order the auxiliary soldiers to skin it, boil the meat in a big pot, and let the brothers heal their wounds and replenish their strength."

"The weather is hot right now. Whether it's our brothers who have died in battle or the corpses of bandits who have been killed, we must burn and bury them as soon as possible to prevent the spread of disease. We must treat the wounded, whether they are seriously wounded or not, without delay. These next few days, we will cook rice porridge using only crescent-shaped rice. We must not let our brothers suffer."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng hesitated for a moment, stepped forward, and whispered a reminder: "Marshal, if we continue to consume it like this, the camp's spirit rice may not last long."

"It's alright, the spirit rice will be delivered soon." Zhao Xian shook his head, looking into the distance. His tone was calm, but quite confident.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng pondered for a few moments, then immediately understood Zhao Xian's implied meaning, cupping his hands in acknowledgment and replying, "This humble official understands!"

He immediately turned and left to continue dealing with the complicated affairs of the camp.

Now that Zhao Xian is exhausted, he has to temporarily take charge of all matters, big and small, in the camp.

In the afternoon, the sun was at its zenith, blazing like fire, baking the earth, and even the air was filled with a scorching heat.

More than ten large trucks lined up in a long queue and slowly appeared outside the camp gate. The leader was none other than Sun Mao, the magistrate of Dongzhu Township.

The soldiers in the camp were all busy with their own duties, and no one came forward to pay them any attention.

Seeing this, Sun Mao forced a warm smile and took the lead in walking towards the camp gate.

To his surprise, no one stopped him when he crossed the camp gate.

Upon seeing this, Li Jin, the village official behind them, and a group of village officials quickly led the oxcart and carefully followed into the camp.

Upon entering the camp, the sight before them made everyone gasp in shock!

"Ugh—" A violent vomiting sound suddenly rang out. Village official Li Jin could no longer hold back and bent over to vomit violently. His face was as white as paper and his whole body was trembling slightly.

Seeing this, the other village officials were also affected by the violent vomiting and bent over to vomit, looking extremely disheveled.

"Lord Sun, the battle has just ended. What brings you here?" Zhao Zheng, his armor clanging, strode forward, a faint smile on his face, but his tone tinged with mockery.

"We, we~" The overwhelming bloody and murderous aura made Sun Mao's face turn pale. He stammered, not knowing how to speak for a moment.

Seeing this, Zhao Zheng's gaze fell on the large trucks behind him, and he asked with a faint smile, "What are these trucks carrying?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Mao immediately composed himself, put on a fawning smile, and replied fluently, "Reporting to Commander Zhao, the cart is loaded with the money and grain that General Zhao previously demanded. We have gone to great lengths to raise the funds and have finally managed to gather them all. We have come today to deliver them."

"You couldn't gather the money in three to five days, but the bandits arrived and you managed to collect it in no time?" Zhao Zheng sneered, his tone icy and merciless as he questioned, "Gentlemen of Dongzhu Township, did you perhaps borrow this money and grain from the bandits?"

With a clear "clang," the ring-pommel sword was drawn, and an old soldier drew his sword, his eyes wide open, glaring angrily at Sun Mao and his group, his whole body exuding a chilling murderous aura.

"No, no, no!" Startled by the scene, Sun Mao waved his hands frantically, fearing the old soldier would strike him with his sword, and cried out, "This money and grain were all raised by us from the wealthy and powerful families in the village; we have absolutely no dealings with bandits!"

"Hmph!" The old soldier sneered, spat, and angrily cursed, "You cunning petty officials are clearly only so eager to curry favor because we defeated the bandits! Over a hundred of our brothers have died or been wounded, their blood flowing like a river. Do you think your paltry sums of money and provisions can bring my brothers back to life?"

"Captain, let me kill this bastard and avenge the brothers!"

"Stop being so rude! Get out of here at once!" Zhao Zheng shouted sternly, his tone very harsh.

Although the old soldier was unwilling, he dared not disobey the order. He spat fiercely, muttered "cunning petty official" under his breath, then sheathed his sword and turned to leave angrily.

Zhao Zheng withdrew his gaze, looked at Sun Mao, and asked in a deep voice, "Is there any error in the amount of money and grain?"

"I dare not make the slightest mistake, and will present everything as requested by Marquis Zhao!" Sun Mao replied respectfully.

"Besides that, is there anything else?"

"There are also three physicians, a bottle of Rejuvenating Elixir, and a cartload of healing herbs, all of which are for comforting the soldiers and treating the wounded," Sun Mao said, not daring to conceal anything, and reported everything in detail.

Zhao Zheng nodded and calmly instructed, "Sun Jun, return to your village immediately and summon the prominent families and wealthy households in the village. Within one day, you must gather one shi of Jade Pearl Rice, forty shi of Crescent Moon Rice, and two hundred thousand talisman coins."

"What?!" Sun Mao's expression changed drastically, and he looked at Zhao Zheng in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"Dongzhu Township has three prominent families, six villages, and thirty-three wealthy households." Zhao Zheng didn't explain the reason, but coldly looked at Sun Mao, his words clear and distinct, "The money and grain contributed by each family must be registered and recorded; not a single one can be missed!"

Having said that, Zhao Zheng turned to the soldiers behind him and solemnly ordered, "You few, lead the team to unload all the money and grain from the carts and settle them properly. Three physicians, come with me to treat the wounded!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Zheng turned and left. Three doctors in blue robes, carrying medicine chests, quickly stepped out of the group and followed closely behind.

"Sun, Mr. Sun~" After a moment of silence, Li Jin slowly stepped forward and called out softly.

Sun Mao turned around abruptly, looked at Li Jin with a bitter expression, and asked, "Did you understand what Commander Zhao said just now?"

"I understand." Li Jin gave a wry smile, stepped forward, and said worriedly, "But how could such a huge amount of money and supplies be gathered in just one day!"

"Can't gather enough? Ha!" Sun Mao sneered, his sharp gaze fixed on Li Jin. "The narrow path leading to Feilong Mountain has been smoothed and widened like an official road by your large trucks transporting supplies. You still dare to say you can't gather enough?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jin was startled, his face turned deathly pale, and he looked at Sun Mao with disbelief!

How did he know such a private matter!

"You must gather them all within a day! Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!" Sun Mao flicked his sleeves, his tone icy, and turned to walk out of the camp gate, leaving Li Jin standing there alone, his expression uncertain, his heart filled with shock and anger.

Inside the military tent, all was silent, the air thick with the weariness and somberness of the post-battle era.

Suddenly, the curtain was flung open, and Zhao Zheng strode in, bowed deeply, and solemnly reported, "My lord, Sun Mao has led his men back to his hometown to raise funds and provisions."

"Commander Zhao, please take a seat." Zhao Xian nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the few scattered people in the tent.

At this time, the only military officers remaining in the tent were Zhao Zheng, Zhao Ze, and Zhang Gong; on the other side were Zhou Yan, Song Ming, Liu Ping, and Liu Sheng.

"Lord Zhou, Lord Song, how are your injuries?" Zhao Xian asked the two men on his right with concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Commander. We are merely exhausted and not injured," Zhou Yan replied with a smile, his tone tinged with fatigue but also revealing a hint of excitement. "In today's battle, we personally killed several fierce bandits, which can be considered as doing our part."

"Have all the wounded soldiers been properly taken care of?" Zhao Xian then turned to Zhao Zheng and asked in a solemn voice.

"The three physicians who came have already been treating the wounded together with Fellow Daoist Chen. The bottle of Rejuvenation Pill that Sun Mao brought has also been given to Fellow Daoist Chen for the purpose of treating the seriously injured," Zhao Zheng replied solemnly.

"I have arranged for the auxiliary soldiers to cook spirit rice porridge, and the wounded horses that have been killed have also been properly treated. The meat can be cooked immediately to replenish the strength of the brothers," Zhao Ze added from the side.

"Liu Ping and Liu Sheng, you two must immediately tally up the spoils of this battle and compile a list of rewards and compensations. Be sure to be fair and do not mistreat the brothers who died or were wounded."

"We will obey your orders, General!" The two bowed and accepted the order in unison.

After giving all the instructions, Zhao Xian looked around at everyone, but a hint of hesitation appeared on his face, as if he had something on his mind.

Seeing this, Song Ming immediately looked at Zhao Xian and asked with a smile, "General, is there something on your mind?"

"I intend to launch a night raid on Flying Dragon Mountain tonight!" Upon hearing Song Ming speak, Zhao Xian no longer hesitated and said in a deep voice with an extremely firm tone.

"What?!" Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent looked astonished, their faces filled with disbelief.

Only Song Ming fell into deep thought after hearing this.

"Although we have suffered heavy casualties, the bandits are not faring well either. After this battle, they have been severely weakened and their morale is low."

Zhao Xian looked around at everyone and slowly continued, "Tonight's night raid will surely catch them off guard, wipe out the Flying Dragon Mountain bandits in one fell swoop, and eliminate any future troubles!"

"But Commander, we don't have many soldiers left who can fight!" Zhao Zheng hesitated for a moment and said with concern, "After this battle, more than half of our brothers have been killed or wounded, and the rest are exhausted. I'm afraid they won't be able to withstand another fierce battle."

"The key to an army is quality, not quantity." Zhao Xian shook his head, his tone resolute. "The purpose of this night raid is to achieve secrecy and surprise. We don't need many men, just elite troops."

"If you insist on a night attack, I am willing to accompany you to Flying Dragon Mountain!" Zhang Gong immediately stood up, bowed, and solemnly requested permission.

"We are also willing to go!" Zhao Zheng and Zhao Ze stood up together, echoing loudly, their expressions resolute.

"None of you can go on this night raid," Zhao Xian said with a wave of his hand. "After I leave, the three of you will be responsible for managing the affairs of the camp, comforting the wounded, keeping an eye on the bandits, and negotiating with Dongzhu Township. None of you can be absent."

After a pause, Zhao Xian continued, "I will personally lead a team of thirty brave and fierce soldiers selected from my own camp, traveling lightly equipped, to Feilong Mountain. What do you all think?"

After speaking, Zhao Xian's gaze fell on Zhou Yan, Song Ming, and the others.

"General, your plan is brilliant!" Song Ming nodded slowly, looked around at everyone, and analyzed, "We are exhausted from today's battle, as are the bandits. Moreover, they have just suffered a great defeat and will surely relax their guard. Tonight is the perfect time for a night attack."

"However, the road to Feilong Mountain is rugged and the terrain is complicated. During this night raid, we must travel light and avoid alerting the bandits."

"I have the same idea." Zhao Xian nodded, turned to Zhao Zheng and Zhao Ze, and ordered in a deep voice, "You two go to the camp immediately, select thirty brave and fierce soldiers, prepare thirty sets of leather armor and thirty finely crafted ring-pommel swords, and tell them to eat and rest well to be in good spirits. They will set off with me tonight."

"We will obey your orders, General!" The two bowed and accepted the order in unison.

"After I leave, Zhao Zheng will make all the decisions in the camp. You must follow his orders and not act on your own." Zhao Xian looked around at everyone and solemnly instructed them, "Remember, Dongzhu Township is not a good place either. Sun Mao, Li Jin and others are unpredictable. Be sure to be careful and on guard against their secret sabotage."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded slightly, understanding Zhao Xian's unspoken meaning.

Meanwhile, inside the Li family mansion in Dongzhu Township, the heads of the other two major clans had gathered together at the invitation of Li Jin, the township official.

In the main hall, after the group had finished their tea, Li Jin gestured for the servants on either side to leave, leaving only the three of them in the hall.

"Gentlemen, Zhao Xian has sent another messenger with orders, requiring us to raise 200,000 talisman coins, 40 shi of crescent-shaped rice, and 1 shi of jade pearl rice within one day," Li Jin said slowly, his tone heavy.

"What?!"

"How dare he ask for such an outrageous price!"

Upon hearing this, the heads of the two major clans both changed their expressions drastically, exclaiming in shock and disbelief.

"With only two hundred new recruits, they defeated four hundred men from Feilong Mountain in a fair and square manner. Their morale is high. How can they not be arrogant?" Upon hearing this, Li Jin sneered, his tone full of helplessness and resentment.

"Ha, even if his soldiers are formidable, he can't just extort money like this!"

"Exactly! With such a solid foundation, how can we allow ourselves to be manipulated!"

Both men were filled with righteous indignation and shouted in a solemn voice.

Looking at the two indignant men below, Li Jin said calmly, "Sun Mao already knows that we are colluding with the bandits of Flying Dragon Mountain!"

The anger on their faces froze instantly, their expressions changing drastically. One of them quickly lowered his voice and asked urgently, "Does Zhao Xian know anything about this?"

"We don't know yet." Li Jin shook his head, his tone grave. "But if we can't raise the funds within a day, Sun Mao, to keep his position, will likely not hesitate to expose this matter to Zhao Xian. At that time, all three of our families will be doomed!"

"How dare he do this!"

Another person shouted angrily.

"Lord Li, things have come to this point. Why don't the three of us join forces and take down Zhao Xian and that Sun Mao tonight?"

At this point, the man paused, then suddenly raised his hand and swung it, a ruthless glint in his eyes!

"Afterwards, just blame it on Feilong Mountain again!"

Upon hearing this, the main hall fell into a deathly silence, the atmosphere so heavy it was suffocating.

After a long while, a bitter sigh broke the silence.

"Absolutely not! Zhao Xian is stationed in the camp, along with over a hundred battle-hardened soldiers, their fighting strength is formidable. Even if our three families join forces, with over a hundred guests, we may not be able to kill them all. If we fail, it will be a disaster that wipes out our entire clan!"

Li Jin shook his head, reluctantly declining, but also becoming more wary of this person.

Such people, who are always willing to take risks when faced with trouble, are ultimately not worth getting close to.

"This money and grain will not be raised by our three families alone," Li Jin said slowly, changing the subject. "All the wealthy households in the village must contribute money and grain to share this burden."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the other two leaders immediately softened, and their anger dissipated considerably.

This reduces the pressure considerably.