Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

Yunling stretches for thousands of miles, with high mountains and dense forests, where many powerful demons roam.

If the tiger demon came from Yunling, then everything makes sense.

However, in order to protect Qingzhou, the Yunlan Sect built a demon-suppressing pass at the border of Qingzhou and Yunling, which is guarded by a Golden Core cultivator year-round.

In addition, many outer and inner disciples are stationed at the passes, patrolling the edge of Yunling and hunting down the monsters that have escaped from Yunling.

How did this tiger demon manage to escape to Crouching Tiger Mountain?

Since Chen Sheng revealed the origin of the courier ghost, everyone has been pondering this point.

Could it be that something happened at Zhenyao Pass?

Upon realizing this, Chen Sheng and Liu Yu exchanged a glance, their faces filled with shock.

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Chen Shengfu looked at Chen Yuancheng again and said, "Dozens of people have gone missing; we must provide an explanation!"

"Liu Jun and I have traveled here from the county seat with only a dozen or so officials and followers. Even with the village officials included, it is still insufficient for a large-scale search of the mountains!"

After a few moments of contemplation, Chen Sheng continued in a deep voice, "Yuan Cheng, immediately summon the prominent families of the village to the village hall for a meeting!"

"Lord Liu, you shall immediately dispatch your officials to each post and summon the brave soldiers of the post to come here."

"Once we have enough manpower, we will then assign people to search the mountains and forests!"

Looking around at everyone, Chen Sheng gave a loud order.

"We will obey Your Majesty's command!"

Everyone readily agreed.

Stepping out of the main hall, Chen Yuancheng pulled Zhao Xian aside and whispered, "Bozhang, the head of Shanghu Pavilion is nothing but an old scholar, powerless to even kill a chicken. You must immediately go to Shanghu Pavilion and, together with Zhao Ze, the thief, recruit a group of Daoist followers!"

"Around fifty people, we need to be quick!"

"good!"

Zhao Xian didn't say much and immediately responded.

It was noon, and without even thinking about lunch, Zhao Xian rushed out of the pavilion like a gust of wind.

He leaped onto his horse, grabbed the reins, and immediately cracked the whip, sending his mount galloping westward along the official road.

......

As the sun began to set, Zhao Xian, along with Zhao Ze (who sought to steal), his elder brother Zhao Zheng, and others, returned to their village home. A group of Daoist villagers from Shanghuting also accompanied them.

By this time, the official road was already crowded with people from various pavilions, making a great commotion.

As night fell and the village houses were insufficient to accommodate everyone, Chen Sheng immediately ordered the villagers from each village to set up camp in the town center.

There weren't really any tents, just piles of bonfires to keep warm.

It was mid-September, and the weather was turning cold, with particularly chilly nights. Without a fire to warm themselves, many of the Taoist priests would suffer from frostbite.

Although the local residents of each pavilion practiced military drills every year to prepare for the enemy, some pavilion chiefs took the drills seriously while others took it easy.

Today, in this great marketplace, the officials stand on the high platform, and they can naturally tell which section of the road is the most orderly.

Obviously, the most orderly among them were the Daoist people of Shanghuting.

The remaining villagers were still gathered together in a noisy commotion, chatting and joking.

Under Zhao Xian's command, the villagers of Shanghuting were already in groups of ten, each sitting around the fire, enjoying their hot rice porridge.

"Bo Zhang actually has some talent for leading troops!"

Seeing this, Chen Sheng looked at Zhao Xian with considerable surprise.

"You flatter me, Lord Chen. It is not Bo Zhang's achievement that is to blame. It is all thanks to Lord Chen when he served as the head of Shanghuting. He trained the soldiers every two days to prepare for the enemy, which is why the people of Shanghuting are so familiar with the military."

Zhao Xian, naturally not wanting to take credit, immediately replied respectfully.

"While this was due to Yuan Cheng's training, it was also thanks to Bo Zhang's command."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yu stroked his beard and smiled. He then looked at Zhao Xian more closely and realized that Zhao Xian had already entered the fifth level of Qi Refining.

"Last year, when bandits attacked Shanghu Pavilion, I met Bozhang at this time of year. At that time, Bozhang had just begun his spiritual journey."

"A year has passed in the blink of an eye, and Bo Zhang has already reached the fifth level of Qi Refining!"

Seeing this, Liu Yu couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

The others were also quite surprised to hear this.

In just one year, he has already reached the fifth level of Qi Refining. In just a few years, wouldn't this young man be able to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining?

Upon realizing this, the other county officials no longer dared to underestimate Zhao Xian when they looked at him again.

From the seven pavilions of Wohu Township, dozens of people from each pavilion have come here. In addition, guests and servants sent by the three major families in the township and the wealthy households of each pavilion have also come. Now, hundreds of people have gathered in the market.

It was late at night, and the Daoist people were not trained Daoist soldiers. To prevent a sudden riot, a commotion, or a collapse of the camp, Chen Sheng, Liu Yu, Chen Yuancheng, and other officials all rested here tonight.

Zhao Xian was also among the Daoist people of Shanghuting, keeping a close watch on the surroundings with Zhao Ze, Zhao Zheng, his father, uncles, and others to maintain order among the Daoist people of Shanghuting.

After a night of anxiety, Zhao Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief as dawn broke.

After gesturing for the surrounding Daoists to rise, Zhao Xian began distributing millet mixed with spirit rice to each bonfire.

After breakfast, led by Chen Sheng and Liu Yu, the group headed towards the Xiangting Mountain Forest.

......

"Quack quack quack!"

Several piercing cries of crows echoed through the air, followed by a crow, nearly half a person's height, landing on a tree trunk, its heavy body pressing the trunk downwards.

Not far away, however, was a deep cave, from which the faint sound of whistling wind could be heard.

"Old Yin, Old Yin!"

"Something terrible has happened!"

Suddenly, a sharp cry came from the crow's mouth.

"You noisy old bird, what are you wailing about so early in the morning!"

A deep voice came from inside the cave, followed by howling winds and a bloody stench.

A huge figure slowly emerged from the cave; it was a magnificent tiger, as tall as a person.

He raised his head and stared at the crow in the treetop, shouting, "What happened to make you so panicked!"

"Human cultivators have entered the mountains!"

"What!" the striped tiger roared, then looked at the crow again, "How many have come?"

"There are two cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining, three at the eighth level, seven or eight at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and hundreds of ordinary people!"

Are there any Foundation Establishment cultivators?

"I didn't notice!"

"Since there are no Foundation Establishment cultivators, these mere Qi Refining cultivators aren't even enough to fill this mountain lord's teeth!"

Upon hearing this, the striped tiger immediately replied loudly, a hint of disdain appearing on its ferocious face.

"You keep watch, and once they enter the mountains, we can have a feast!"

......

"Uncle, did you encounter any monsters during your travels in Xiao County?"

With his spear parting the weeds in front of him, Zhao Xian asked without turning his head.

"Of course, I've not only encountered them, but I've also personally killed a few!" Uncle Zhao Li grinned upon hearing this, then looked at Zhao Yi, who was standing silently to the side, and said, "Ah Xian, more than ten years ago, you weren't even born yet."

“A wounded demon wolf came to our Shanghu Pavilion and ate two Taoists. Your uncle, your father, and I followed the trail and found the demon wolf, and together we killed it.”

"Your grandfather tanned the wolf skin and took it to the town market to exchange it for a thousand coins, which finally gave our family the money to prepare the betrothal gifts."

"You were born the following year!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian was slightly taken aback, turned to look at his father Zhao Yi and uncle Zhao Li, and looked incredulous.

Just then, Zhao Ze, the thief, spoke up: "That demonic wolf was over ten feet long, as big as a bull. After it was skinned, I got a piece of meat too!"

"Uncle, are the monsters easy to deal with?"

Seeing that Zhao Xian's face was flushed, the elder brother Zhao Zheng immediately spoke up to help him out.

"They're not easy to deal with. Their hides are tougher than iron armor, their bones are strong, they move like the wind, and some even possess magic." Hearing this, Zhao Li's smile faded, and he replied in a deep voice, "The magic cast by demonic beasts is extremely powerful and often strikes unexpectedly!"

"That demonic wolf was already severely wounded back then, and it took the three of us a bloody battle to finally kill it!"

"If this ferocious beast in the mountains is truly a tiger demon, then apart from those two high-ranking officials, no one else can possibly withstand it!"

Zhao Yi looked at Zhao Xian and replied in a deep voice.