Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Chapter 195 The Alchemist's Relics, Paying Respects to the County Magistrate Again (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Qi Lian, the wandering envoy of Huang Tiandao, greets Fellow Daoist Zhu!"

But then the scholar in blue robes straightened his face and bowed respectfully.

"Huang Tiandao!?"

He gasped in surprise, and when he came to his senses, a gloomy look appeared on Zhu He's face.

Although he was a bandit who robbed and plundered the countryside, he ultimately dared not oppose the government!

However, Huang Tiandao has already incited the Daoist people to revolt, and they have already occupied the three southern counties of Xiaojun!

Ronghuai County is adjacent to Xiao County, and as a notorious bandit in the county, Zhu He naturally had some understanding of the situation in Xiao County.

He had already secretly planned to go to Xiao County after completing this job, to live in seclusion and break through his cultivation barriers!

Unexpectedly, all these plans ultimately came to naught, and were thwarted by Chen Sheng!

Thinking of this, Zhu He felt even more hatred towards Chen Sheng!

"Even now, you're still so indecisive; you're practically courting death!"

Seeing Zhu He's uncertain expression, Qi Lian secretly grumbled to himself.

"Fellow Daoist Zhu, our Huangtiandao is not a traitorous rebellion. It is the Yunlan Sect's tyrannical actions that have forced us to rebel!" Qi Lian explained again, a smile appearing on his face at the opportune moment.

"Heh~" Zhu He sneered, a hint of mockery on his face. "If I don't join the Yellow Heaven Path today, will this cave be my burial ground?"

"If you, fellow Daoist, are unwilling to join the Yellow Heaven Path, I will not force you!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Lian shook his head and simply laughed.

"If that's the case~"

Zhu He paused, then looked at Qi Lian opposite him, while Qi Lian also smiled and looked back at Zhu He.

"I will then join the Yellow Heaven Path!"

Upon hearing this, a smile gradually appeared on Qi Lian's face.

There's no need to waste any more words!

Zhu He was just a bandit, so recruiting him was extremely easy. But that fellow Daoist held an important position, so how could he be recruited?

Suppressing his melancholy, Qi Lian looked up at Zhu He again and smiled, "Now that Fellow Daoist Zhu has joined the Yellow Heaven Path, once you have recovered from your injuries, you may travel to the three southern counties of Xiao County on your own!"

He then took out an exquisite token that was neither gold nor jade from his sleeve, tossed it with his hand, and the token landed in Zhu He's arms.

"At that time, you can use this token to borrow the cave dwelling and attempt to establish your foundation!"

After saying that, Qi Lian turned and walked out of the cave without any hesitation.

"Wait a minute!"

Suddenly, Zhu He grabbed the token, looked at the departing figure with an incredulous expression, and shouted, "Fellow Daoist Qi, are you just leaving like this?"

"Does Fellow Daoist Zhu have any unfinished business?"

Qi Lian stopped and turned around to look at the middle-aged scholar opposite him with a smile.

"If I recover from my injuries but do not go to the three southern counties, what should you do, fellow Daoist?"

Zhu He stared intently at the scholar in the blue robe opposite him and asked in a solemn voice.

"Whether you go or not is your choice, fellow Daoist!" Qi Lian chuckled, then continued, "This token is nothing more than an ordinary carved token."

"Now, fellow Daoist, you are like a stray dog, wandering alone in the world, without any support. What place is there for me, Huang Tiandao, to scheme for?"

Upon hearing this, both of them burst into laughter.

"Fellow Daoist, you certainly don't hold back!"

Zhu He gave a bitter smile, shook his head, and sighed.

"Chen Sheng went to great lengths to capture Fellow Daoist Zhu, all for the sake of that low-grade Xuan-level Crimson Heart Flame on your person!"

"You actually knew about this?!"

Zhu He's expression immediately hardened, and he shouted in a deep voice.

In an instant, a murderous intent permeated the cave, and the tense atmosphere that had eased somewhat froze again!

"Fellow Daoist, obtaining this Crimson Heart Flame is truly your good fortune!" Qi Lian chuckled upon seeing Zhu He's palpable killing intent, then sighed, "Our three Dao Masters of the Yellow Heaven Dao possess extraordinary and all-encompassing abilities. How could a mere low-grade Xuan-level spiritual artifact possibly catch our eye!"

"Whether to go or not, and when to go, is entirely up to you, fellow Daoist!"

The carefree voice echoed in the cave, but when you looked at the scholar in the blue robe, he had already walked out of the cave at a leisurely pace.

"call!"

As the scholar in the blue robe walked away with an air of nonchalance, Zhu He breathed a long sigh of relief, while the talisman he was tightly holding in his palm was almost soaked with sweat!

"Since they already knew the Crimson Flame was within me, why didn't they take it away while I was still recovering from my injuries?"

Don't be fooled by Qi Lian's grandiloquent words. Zhu He is no naive newcomer. He has been a powerful figure in Ronghuai County for decades and would not easily believe anyone's words!

"Could there be another motive?"

Thinking of this, and looking at the token in his hand, Zhu He's face also revealed a ruthless expression.

"Regardless of the circumstances, once I recover from my injuries, my first priority will be to refine the Crimson Heart Flame and forge my foundation for the Dao!"

Amidst the torrential rain, a lone figure sat beneath a tree in the mountains, carefully examining a jade slip in his hand.

Beside it, a small alchemy furnace, about a foot tall, was casually placed in the mud.

"Chu Shu!"

Playing with the jade slip in his hand, Zhao Xian also let out a long sigh.

The bandit who knew Zhao Xian that day was none other than Chu Shu, the alchemist from the Chu family in Pinghe Township, who had previously interacted with Zhao Xian!

The Chu family of Pinghe Township behind him is also a well-known Qi-cultivation family in Rongtai County.

Logically speaking, a Qi Refining cultivator skilled in alchemy should have abundant cultivation resources, so why did he become a bandit in Ronghuai County?

Zhao Xian was genuinely puzzled by this.

Now, not only has the person died in Ronghuai County, but the family's alchemy heritage has also been leaked.

This jade slip contains a set of alchemy techniques that can be used to refine high-grade Yellow Rank spiritual pills, as well as Chu Shu's various insights into alchemy over the years!

In addition, there is this small alchemy furnace in front of us, which has two magical restrictions.

Of the various arts and crafts, alchemy, artifact crafting, talismanic arts, and array formations are the most important, with alchemy being considered the foremost among them.

The alchemy furnace used for refining pills is naturally extremely precious.

A low-grade alchemy furnace with a single magical restriction sells for 500 low-grade spirit stones in the market, while a slightly better furnace costs 700 or 800 low-grade spirit stones.

At the auction in Daqingshan Market that Zhao Xian had participated in, a mid-grade alchemy furnace with four magical restrictions was sold for 3,050 low-grade spirit stones.

It became the top auction item at that auction, second only to the final item in terms of price!

Zhao Xian had also asked Chen Yuancheng why the alchemy furnace was so precious!

Chen Yuancheng's reply was that every step of the cultivation path requires the assistance of elixirs!

Even with the profound heritage of the Chen family, which once produced a True Immortal of Core Formation, their clan only possessed one alchemy furnace with six-fold restrictions, which was still ranked as a mid-grade furnace and could not be considered a high-grade furnace.

"Alchemy~"

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Xian's face showed a thoughtful expression.

With more and more followers under his command, and since they also need the help of elixirs and miraculous medicines in their cultivation, it would be better to refine them themselves than to buy them from outside!

However, the Dao of Alchemy is a vast and profound field, and I may still need a master alchemist to teach me!

What a pity, Fellow Daoist Chu Shu was a suitable candidate!

Thinking of this, Zhao Xian sighed again.

After putting away the alchemy furnace and jade slip in front of him, Zhao Xian continued to open the remaining two storage bags.

There were no valuable treasures in these two storage bags, only a few low-grade yellow-rank spiritual herbs and a few dozen low-grade spirit stones.

That's rather shabby!

But that's to be expected. If they weren't poor, how would they dare to risk their lives to become bandits?

The fact that Chu Shu had become a bandit truly shocked Zhao Xian!

Suppressing his thoughts, Zhao Xian began to tally up the gains from his trip to Ronghuai.

Aside from the materials used for alchemy, they obtained seven low-grade magic artifacts, as well as over 1,100 low-grade spirit stones and twelve mid-grade spirit stones.

Zhao Xian doesn't need the seven magical artifacts, but he can keep them. After all, in a few years, Zhao Sheng, Zhao Yu, and Huang Xia should return from their studies at the county school.

Night had fallen, and Zhao Xian, unable to sleep peacefully in this desolate wilderness, could only secretly plot in his mind.

The pensions for the wounded soldiers, the purchase of land, the future of the army under his command—all sorts of miscellaneous matters rushed into his mind, causing Zhao Xian to frown deeply.

After an unknown amount of time, the first light of dawn appeared in the east, and the torrential rain gradually turned into a light drizzle.

Zhao Xian slowly got up, tidied himself up briefly, then mounted his horse and rode off into the rain.

A rider came from the south, the thunderous sound of his hooves causing pedestrians to hurriedly make way for him.

Looking at Rongtai County, which resembled a giant beast lying prostrate on the earth in the distance, Zhao Xian finally smiled.

After a long drive, we finally arrived!

After galloping forward for a short while, Zhao Xian could already see the long line of people waiting to enter the city outside the city gate.

As a high-ranking official, Zhao Xian naturally did not need to wait in line. He immediately rode forward and soon arrived outside the city gate.

He flashed the official seal at his waist, and the soldiers guarding the city gate quickly let him pass.

After entering the city, Zhao Xian continued on to the county government office.

I have come into the city today to report back to Magistrate Gao Su!

Before long, a hearty laugh echoed from the quiet courtyard deep within the county government office.

In the main hall, Zhao Xian sat respectfully at the lower left, opposite Liu Yuan, the county clerk.

"Bo Zhang, you quelled the bandits in Ronghuai County within ten days. You truly deserve to be called the hidden tiger of Rongtai County!"

Looking down at the respectful Zhao Xian, Magistrate Gao Su stroked his beard and smiled, praising him with great satisfaction.

"Without the strong support of the two county magistrates, as well as Lord Chen and Lord Liu, Zhao Xian would not have been able to quell the banditry in Ronghuai County so quickly!"

.

Zhao Xian quickly stood up, bowed, and said modestly.

"Haha! Bozhang, there's no need for such modesty!"

Gao Su waved his hand, gesturing for Zhao Xian to sit down.

After a few casual words, the three gradually got down to business.

"Bozhang, you must be aware of the situation in Xiao County. What are your thoughts on this?"

After pondering for a few moments, Gao Su looked at Zhao Xian and asked in a deep voice.

"Reporting to the County Lord, in Zhao Xian's view, the situation in Xiao County is already in complete disarray!"

"It will be extremely difficult for the Prefect of Xiao Commandery to muster his troops and prepare for war to recapture the three counties!"

At this point, Zhao Xian then told the two about Huang Tiandao, who was behind the Daoist people of the three counties.

The two men did not react unusually upon hearing this, and Zhao Xian, seeing this, naturally understood that Huang Tiandao was no longer a secret.

"Huang Tiandao's power is immense; the Prefect of Xiao County may find it difficult to withstand them!" After a long silence, Gao Su looked at the two men with a grave expression and said, "This matter must not be leaked!"

"Bozhang, although Rongtai County is not adjacent to Xiao County, it is not far away, with only Ronghuai County in between."

At this point, Gao Su paused, then continued, "I intend to station troops in Nankou Township to guard against any potential influx of refugees!"

"Zhao Xian will obey the county magistrate's command!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian immediately stood up, cupped his hands, and shouted.

How many soldiers do you have left?

"After a series of battles, more than half of our forces have been killed or wounded, leaving only a little over a hundred survivors!"

"I hereby order you to recruit another troop, temporarily assume the position of military commander, and command two garrisons and four teams to garrison Nankou Township!"

"As for money and provisions," Gao Su said, glancing at Liu Yuan below, who then continued, "the county provides 30,000 coins and 200 shi of millet each month!"

"This humble official will obey the magistrate's command!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian bowed deeply.

As for the money and grain that Liu Yuan mentioned, Zhao Xian was quite pleased. Although it wasn't much, it was enough to ease some of Zhao Xian's burden.

"Bo Zhang, is Xu Dejing still under your command?"

Suddenly, Liu Yuan, the county clerk, looked at Zhao Xian and asked with a smile.

"Dejing abandoned his official post and followed me to Ronghuai County to suppress bandits. He has now returned home!"

Zhao Xian immediately replied without hesitation.

"Bozhang, I intend to entrust the task of leading troops to garrison Nankou Township and inspecting the county with the responsibility of this matter to Xu Dejing. What do you think?"

At this moment, Magistrate Gao Su also looked at Zhao Xian and asked with a smile.

"Dejing is a steady and reliable man; he will surely live up to the county magistrate's high expectations!"

"On behalf of Dejing, I thank the County Magistrate for her promotion!"

Zhao Xian immediately showed delight and bowed to thank Xu Dejing on his behalf.

"Promotion?" Gao Su chuckled. "You're quite clever, kid; you shut me up right away!"

"The county soldiers are of little use, so we appointed him as the garrison commander and recruited another garrison of soldiers!"

Zhao Xian showed no outward sign of surprise.

Since the county magistrate intended to reorganize the county troops, he naturally could not entrust all the troops to Zhao Xian.

It is only right and proper to promote Xu Dejing to establish a separate village!

"Bo Zhang, your pacification of Rong Huai's bandits has greatly enhanced my reputation in front of that scoundrel Zhen Que. You must reward me!"

"Hearing that your wedding is approaching, and having nothing of value to offer, I present this as a wedding gift!"

Gao Su smiled and looked down at Zhao Xian. He flicked his finger, and a jade slip landed on the table in front of Zhao Xian.

"Thank you for your generous gift, Your Excellency!"

The jade slip was a record of precious inheritances, so Zhao Xian immediately stood up and bowed to the county magistrate again to express his gratitude.

"Bo Zhang, I also have a congratulatory gift to offer, but I still need to ask for a cup of wine!"

Liu Yuan, the county clerk standing to the side, also smiled and said, implying that he would personally attend Zhao Xian's wedding banquet.

"Zhao Xian thanks Lord Liu for his personal visit!"

Liu Yuan was a confidant of the county magistrate, and his personal presence to offer congratulations was a great honor for Zhao Xian.

After chatting for a while, seeing that Gao Su was somewhat tired, Zhao Xian got up to take his leave.

After Zhao Xian left, Gao Su continued to discuss various matters with Liu Yuan.

After leaving the county government office, Zhao Xian went straight to the residence in the city where his mother and younger sister lived.

Upon seeing Zhao Xian's return, his mother and younger sister were overjoyed.

With Zhao Xian's wedding approaching, they were preparing to return to Wohu Township ahead of schedule.

However, Zhao Xian was worried about his younger sister and the others' studies, so he told them to return with their uncle's family in a few days.

My younger cousin Zhao Sheng has been studying at the county school for more than six years. He has grown into a tall and handsome young man with the fifth level of Qi Refining. However, it is probably not possible for him to reach the seventh level of Qi Refining in three years!

Zhao Xian had already discussed Zhao Sheng's arrangements with his uncle Zhao Zhi, and naturally, Zhao Sheng would become an official under Zhao Xian's command.

Zhao Xian is now at the eighth level of Qi Refining, Zhao Sheng at the fifth level, and Zhao Yu and Huang Xia at the third level. Guiding them in their cultivation is more than enough for them.

Zhao Xian did not leave until the next morning, returning to Wohu Township.

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