A person sacrifices himself to become a saint in a chaotic world of martial arts.

Chapter 170 Treasure Hunt

Although the Golden Knife Alliance and the Blood Knife Gang were only county-level forces, they were involved in the deaths of two people, the capture of dozens of prisoners, and the seizure of tens of thousands of taels of silver.

It's unacceptable not to report it; the necessary procedures must be followed.

But Su Bai knew in his heart that Fengshan County wouldn't care too much.

In the eyes of those in the prefecture, county-level gangs were nothing more than a minor ailment. As long as he handled things well, paid the due taxes, and distributed the spoils, the prefecture wouldn't interfere.

He withdrew his gaze, sat back down at his desk, and began processing other official documents.

Three days later, the county's approval was sent back.

At noon that day, a fast horse rushed into the Zhenfusi, and the courier on the horse was covered in sweat and held a sealed bamboo tube in his hand.

Tang Dingzhen personally received it and quickly delivered it to the signing room.

Su Bai took the bamboo tube, broke the seal, and took out the official documents inside.

The document was very short, containing only a few words, which he scanned at a glance:

It has been reported that he has rendered meritorious service in suppressing bandits and has been awarded a commendation.

The surrendered property shall be disposed of in accordance with established procedures. Do your best.

His gaze lingered on those lines of text for a moment, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, forming a faint smile.

The act of recording merit is meaningless. A "merit" is merely an additional entry in the county's merit book; it cannot be exchanged for silver or a real position.

However, the phrase "handled according to precedent" is indeed true.

The usual procedure is to let him handle it as he sees fit. As long as he doesn't cause any major trouble, the county won't interfere.

This is enough.

He put down the official document and looked up at Tang Dingzhen, who was standing below him: "The prefecture has approved it. Now, it's time to get down to business."

Tang Dingzhen's eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "What are your orders, sir?"

Su Bai stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to him: "Take stock of the two gangs' assets. Inventory all the shops, fields, and residences under the names of the Golden Knife Alliance and the Blood Knife Gang, one by one, and register them."

Tang Dingzhen replied, "Yes!"

Over the next few days, Su Bai, along with Tang Dingzhen and a few others, began to inventory the assets of the two gangs.

The Golden Knife Alliance doesn't have many businesses.

The three shops are located in three places: two in the east of the city and one in the south. Su Bai personally inspected the two shops in the east of the city. They were next to the dock, and there were many merchants coming and going, making them a good location for doing business.

Although the one in the south of the city is a bit out of the way, it's quite lively because there are many people living around it.

In addition, there are 200 acres of fertile farmland, all located in the southern suburbs of the city. The terrain is flat and the soil is fertile, with golden waves of wheat stretching as far as the eye can see.

The two residences, one in the east of the city and the other in the south, were both three-courtyard houses with blue bricks and gray tiles. Although they could not compare to the grandeur of wealthy families like the Wei and Wu families, they were still remarkable residences in the eyes of ordinary people.

The Blood Knife Gang is richer.

The four shops were located in different parts of the city: two in the east, one in the west, and one on Beimen Street, the most bustling street in Qingyuan County, lined with shops and bustling with people, where every inch of land was precious.

Su Bai stood at the entrance of the shop and glanced inside. The shop sold silk fabrics, and the business seemed to be doing very well.

The farmland covers 300 mu, 100 mu more than the Golden Knife Alliance's, and the land is also more fertile.

There are three residences, one more than the Golden Knife Alliance. There is also a villa located in the suburbs, five miles outside the north gate of the county town, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, in a quiet and secluded environment.

It is said to be the place where Liang Yan kept his mistress. There are also several osmanthus trees in the courtyard, which are in full bloom now, filling the courtyard with fragrance.

Su Bai had someone meticulously inventory the location, size, and rent of each shop, as well as the acreage and location of each plot of land.

The harvest, the layout, area, and market value of each house were all registered and recorded.

As the account books piled up thicker and thicker, Tang Dingzhen's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

On the day the inventory was completed, he held the account books, his hands trembling slightly: "My lord—all these things, added together, are worth at least tens of thousands of taels of silver!"

Su Bai didn't reply, but simply took the ledger and flipped through a few pages.

Then he began to distribute them.

That morning, the signing room was packed with people.

Tang Dingzhen, several old constables, and a few ordinary constables who had been summoned filled the room.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the room, and everyone's face was filled with anticipation and nervousness.

Su Bai sat behind his desk, picked up the account book, and spoke in a calm voice, as if he were talking about something ordinary: "Two shops in the east of the city are rented to a cloth shop and a grain store. The manager of the cloth shop is surnamed Liu, and the manager of the grain store is surnamed Zhou. They are both legitimate businessmen with good reputations. The rent is charged at market price and goes to the Zhenfu Division for public use."

Tang Dingzhen nodded and took notes.

"That shop in the south of the city," Su Bai paused, "is being converted into the Huimin Pharmacy. Ostensibly, it's a place for ordinary people to see a doctor and get medicine, but in reality, it's a way to benefit our brothers. The Zhenfu Division pays for doctors, and our brothers only pay the cost price for medical treatment and medicine."

As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the ordinary constables in the room lit up instantly.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Charging only cost price for medical treatment—that would save so much money!"

The person next to him nudged him, signaling him to be quiet, but the joy on that person's face was already impossible to hide.

Tang Dingzhen had done a preliminary count; there were more than thirty constables in the Zhenfu Division, all of whom had elderly and young families, and their biggest fear was getting sick.

An illness can cost anywhere from a few ounces to more than ten ounces, often consuming half a year's salary.

With the pharmacy, they can save a lot of money.

Su Bai continued, "The shop on North Gate Street will remain in my name."

It wasn't embezzlement; it was just a nominal arrangement, then the property was rented to a merchant surnamed Liu—a distant cousin of Tang Dingzhen—who dealt in porcelain and had a good reputation. Half the rent went to the Zhenfu Division, and half to me.

As he spoke, he glanced at everyone and asked, "Does anyone have a problem with that?"

Everyone quickly shook their heads.

Tang Dingzhen opened her mouth as if to say something, but when she saw Su Bai's gaze sweep over her, she shut her mouth.

He knew what Su Bai meant—they wouldn't feel at ease if he didn't take it.

They took it, and instead felt that this person was one of them.

Su Bai withdrew his gaze and continued, "Two hundred acres of fertile land will be distributed to the poorest brothers in the Zhenfu Division. Families with many members, including the elderly, the sick, and those with many children, will be given priority. Each household will receive eight to ten acres, which they can rent out if they can't cultivate it themselves, earning an extra ten or twenty taels of silver a year."

Upon hearing this, some of the ordinary constables clenched their fists, their eyes slightly reddening.

Su Bai didn't look at them, but continued reading: "Three hundred acres will be reserved as public land, rented to farmers, and the rent will go to the Zhenfu Division's treasury to be used for purchasing weapons, repairing houses, and giving rewards to the brothers."

"The mansion," he paused, "the mansion of the Golden Knife Alliance, has been converted into dormitories for the brothers. Before, those whose homes weren't in the city could only sleep on the floor in the government office or squeeze into a dilapidated rented house nearby. Now, each person has their own room, with a shared kitchen and outhouse. The conditions are a hundred times better than before."

Someone whispered, "The shabby room I rent leaks wind and rain, and it costs three qian of silver every month—"

The person next to him patted him on the shoulder without saying anything.

Su Bai continued, "Give the Blood Blade Gang's villa to Tang Dingzhen."

Tang Dingzhen was stunned.

He stood there, motionless, as if someone had struck his pressure points.

After a long while, he finally came to his senses and stammered, "M--sir, how...how can this be? What merit do I have—"

Su Bai waved her hand, interrupting him: "You've been running around for me for so long, it's only right. Besides, that villa is in the suburbs, I don't go there often, it's just sitting empty anyway. You can move in and keep an eye on it for me, make sure no one ruins it."

Tang Dingzhen's lips trembled slightly.

He stood there, looking at Su Bai, his eyes slowly reddening.

Then he knelt down, his knees slamming heavily onto the ground with a dull thud. He bent over, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles, and kowtowed three times. Each kowtow was solid, and when he raised his head, blood was seeping from his forehead.

"This subordinate's life belongs to you, sir!"

His voice was hoarse, yet it carried an unprecedented firmness.

Su Bai stood up, walked over to him, and reached out to help him up.

He held her steady, his grip just right. He didn't speak, but glanced at Tang Dingzhen, a glance that held something unreadable to others.

Tang Dingzhen stood up, wiped her face, and stepped aside.

Su Bai walked back to the desk and continued, "The Blood Blade Gang has two other residences. One is for Tang Dingzhen, and the other is for a few of our older brothers who have made great contributions, so that they can live together."

Upon hearing their names called, the old constables were first stunned, then exchanged bewildered glances, and finally their faces lit up with unbelievable joy. One of them opened his mouth, as if to say something, but no words came out.

Su Bai continued reading out the disposal of the remaining shops, fields, and houses: rent out what could be rented out, sell what could be sold, and put part of the proceeds into the treasury and distribute the rest directly to the constables.

He finished reading, closed the ledger, and looked up at everyone.

The room was quiet.

Those ordinary constables stood there, some clenching their fists, some biting their lips, some with their heads down so their expressions were obscured. But their shoulders were all trembling slightly.

For a long while, no one spoke.

Then, an old constable suddenly stepped forward and knelt down.

He didn't speak, but simply kowtowed heavily.

Immediately afterwards, the second, third, and fourth people were kneeling on the floor in the first lot-deposit room.

Su Bai looked at them calmly.

"Get up," he said, his voice indifferent. "Go do what you're supposed to do."

Only then did those people get up and leave the signing room one by one. When some of them reached the door, they turned back to look at Su Bai. In their eyes, there was gratitude, awe, and something else indescribable—as if something had taken root in their hearts.

The day the money was distributed, the entire Zhenfu Division was in an uproar.

It was three days later, in the afternoon. In the courtyard outside the signing room, there was a long table piled high with gleaming silver ingots. Sunlight shone on them, reflecting a dazzling light.

The constables lined up and went forward one by one to receive their reward.

Tang Dingzhen stood by the table, holding a list in his hand, reading out names and distributing silver as he went. Each time a name was read, someone would step forward, accept the silver with both hands, and then step aside.

Someone was holding a silver coin, their hands trembling. The coin swayed slightly in their hands, making a soft clinking sound.

Some people had red eyes, turned their backs, and secretly wiped away their tears.

Some people were about to kneel down and kowtow on the spot, but were pulled back by those around them and forced to stand up.

"Old Zhang, why are you crying?"

"I—I've worked in the Garrison Command for twenty years, and this is the first time—the first time I've received such a generous reward—"

The person next to him patted him on the shoulder without saying a word, but his own eyes also reddened.

Su Bai stood at the door of the signing room, looking at the excited faces in the courtyard, his gaze as calm as still water.

The sunlight shone down from above, casting his shadow long and thin on the threshold behind him.

After Tang Dingzhen finished distributing the last sum of reward money, he walked to his side and whispered, "Sir, the brothers all say that they have never seen such a good chief clerk in their lives."

Su Bai did not respond.

He simply looked at the servants in the courtyard—some were still holding silver coins and looking at them, some were huddled together talking quietly, and some looked up and met his gaze, quickly clasping their hands in a salute, their faces full of gratitude.

He nodded slightly in response.

Then he turned around and walked back to the signing room.

I thought to myself: It's not that I'm good, it's that those people before were too bad.

But he wouldn't say it out loud.

After everything was arranged, Su Bai began preparing for his trip.

That evening, he summoned Tang Dingzhen to the signing room.

The last rays of the setting sun streamed in through the window, bathing the room in a golden-red hue. The candlesticks on the table were not yet lit, and the room was dimly lit, but both faces were clearly visible.

Su Bai sat behind his desk, holding a map in his hand. The map was yellowed and brittle, with some damage to the edges, but the mountains and rivers on it were still clearly visible.

"The Qishan Mountains," he said calmly, pointing to a spot on the map, "are located northwest of Qingyuan County, about three hundred li from the county seat. The mountains there are high and the forests are dense, and it is a place rarely visited by people. It is a place where bandits and thieves roam, and it is also a place where herb gatherers and hunters make a living."

Tang Dingzhen leaned forward, looking at the map, his brows furrowing slightly: "Where is Your Excellency going?"

Su Bai nodded and pointed to the map: "According to this map, the treasure is located deep in the mountains in a place called 'Fallen Eagle Gorge.'"

He paused, then continued, "It takes two days to get there from the county town on horseback, and another day to walk into the mountains, so the round trip will take at least six or seven days. Add in the time spent searching for the treasure, and it will take at least ten days to half a month."

Tang Dingzhen opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

Su Bai glanced at him: "Speak your mind."

Tang Dingzhen hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "My lord, I've heard about the Qishan Mountains—there are indeed bandits there. Wouldn't it be too risky for you to go alone? Perhaps I could choose a few skilled men to accompany you?"

Su Bai shook his head: "No need. Too many people would just be troublesome. I can move around freely on my own."

Tang Dingzhen wanted to say something more, but seeing Su Bai's gaze, she stopped talking.

Su Bai continued, "I'll set off first thing tomorrow morning. During this time, you will temporarily take over the affairs of the Zhenfu Division. I've already written an official document to Fengshan County and reported it."

He took an official document from the drawer and handed it to Tang Dingzhen.

Tang Dingzhen took it, unfolded it, and glanced at it.

"According to investigations, bandits are active in the Qishan area. To ensure the safety of the trade route, I plan to personally go and investigate. It will take about half a month. During this period, the affairs of the Zhenfu Division will be temporarily handled by Chief Envoy Tang Dingzhen."

After he finished reading, he looked up at Su Bai.