Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Chapter 97 Zhang Guan

Ye Ci closed his eyes tightly, his mind sank into his dantian, no longer caring about the soreness in his skin or the surging of his blood and qi, but only holding on to that wisp of internal energy as thin as silk, washing and refining it along his meridians again and again.

His legs sank slightly, his stance as stable as the earth, and with a soft thud from his bones, the thin barrier inside his body trembled violently.

Buzz—

A surge of internal energy, far more profound, smoother, yet incomparably powerful, welled up from the depths of his bone marrow and flowed through his limbs and bones.

It is no longer the short, explosive burst of hidden force, but rather a continuous, penetrating force that penetrates to the bone and marrow, and can be controlled at will.

When the skin and flesh are relaxed, the tendons and bones naturally tighten, strength flows freely, and power arises from the heart.

【Rock Stake (Complete)】

In an instant, Ye Ci's aura subsided, losing all its previous sharpness and becoming as calm and composed as a deep pool or an ancient mountain.

He slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

With a gentle press of his hand, the air seemed to be crushed by an invisible force, yet no violent movement was observed.

The energy dissipates and penetrates the void, flowing throughout the entire body.

It became.

*****

Several days later.

Outside the city gate of Songjiang County, a welcoming procession stretched out like a long dragon, with gongs and drums beating and the atmosphere lively and bustling.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, this army, composed of wealthy households, awaited the arrival of the General Who Conquers the South.

Ye Ci was also among them, accompanying Master Shen Wanzhou.

The sound of horses' hooves drew closer, the splashing dew mixed with dust creating a dull thud.

The column gradually appeared on the horizon.

First, a striking black flag with the character "leopard" appeared in everyone's sight.

In fact, now that he has been demoted, he should no longer use this flag, but no one dares to say so.

The men and horses gradually drew closer.

Amidst the clamor of gongs and drums, the procession did not stop and headed straight for the city gate.

Ye Ci first saw Magistrate Fang, the old man who had seen Qin Lie off. He was sitting on his horse in a rather disheveled state, his beard flying wildly, and he kept touching his buttocks with one hand, as if he was not used to the jolting on horseback.

At the same time, he also had to be mindful of hierarchy, deliberately hunching over as if he were introducing something to the young general next to him.

Zhang Guan looked to be in his early twenties, with a handsome face that was almost otherworldly. He had sharp eyebrows and slightly upturned eyes, but his eyes were filled with a coldness that did not match his age.

He was dressed in light armor, with a longbow slung over his shoulder, and rode a tall horse.

What do the local people think of me?

Zhang Guan's gaze swept around as if he were sizing up a flock of lambs to the slaughter. He turned to the magistrate Fang beside him and said...

"That's excellent. The people all know that you have eradicated the demonic sect and are praising you. I have also reported this matter to the court truthfully."

Magistrate Fang adjusted the reins and forced a smile.

"That's good."

Zhang Guan was satisfied with the answer and nodded, asking, "Uncle Fang, how is the repair of the Commandant's Mansion progressing?"

The man called Uncle Fang was a middle-aged man. He spurred his horse to catch up and said in a low voice, "It's still under construction. It will take some time before it can be as grand as the mansions in the capital."

Zhang Guan paused for a moment, his expression darkening slightly, before shaking the reins again and increasing the speed.

The troops entered the outer city through the city gate without stopping, which made the wealthy people present look embarrassed.

The outer city was still some distance from the inner city, and the road was rather deserted.

Zhang Guan then asked, "Uncle Song, how are things going?"

He did not specify what it was about, but the man called Uncle Song was an old man who said indifferently, "Songjiang is wealthy. With just a little effort, it is already comparable to four or five cities in Jiaozhou."

"That's not what I meant," Zhang Guan said.

Song Bo nodded and said softly, "The Marquis has ordered you to garrison the area. Don't think being demoted is a bad thing. Be patient—a hidden dragon lies dormant in the abyss, and it will surely rise to prominence sooner or later."

"Damn it!" Zhang Guan cursed. "You're making me, a general, take over the position of captain."

Song Bo comforted him, saying, "Qin Lie has also been stationed here for over a decade, and the troops he leads are former members of the Shengwu Army. This exchange won't diminish your prestige. Besides, this is a wealthy county, and Qin Lie has managed it very well; it's a place for recuperation and development."

"The Marquis also asked me to remind you of something. Now that the Southern Barbarians have suddenly withdrawn their troops, some of the excuses we used before are probably no longer valid. Do not act arrogantly here, lest some villains find a handle against you."

"Why did they retreat?"

Zhang Guan was still seething with anger: "Qin Lie got away with it. I've been delaying until now, and even after we wiped out the Heavenly Mother Sect, I still had to obey the imperial decree to enter the city."

For some reason, he always felt that things were not going well.

Even his retreat was delayed until after he was demoted.

Looking up in the direction of the county town, I felt even more strongly that stepping into this place meant that I had been "defeated" by someone.

It's so frustrating.

"Hurry up!"

Zhang Guan suddenly raised his right hand, and with a "whoosh" sound, the soldiers' nerves tightened instantly, and the horse beneath them seemed to sense it as it exhaled white breath from its nostrils.

"drive!"

As Zhang Guan finished speaking, a collective shout resounded, and the warhorse, like an arrow released from a bow, galloped towards the inner city.

The wealthy families who came to greet them were all bewildered.

Upon seeing the general enter the city, they quickly signaled their own carriages to speed up behind them, raising clouds of dust.

The shadows of the city gate were trampled by warhorses. As soon as they entered the inner city, the rapid "clattering" sound, like dense drumbeats, made people's hearts tighten.

The once bustling streets and alleys were abruptly silenced by the neighing of warhorses, as if an invisible hand had snapped their throats.

The crowd gasped in surprise.

"Be careful!"

Someone screamed, but it was too late.

An old man was seen carrying a bag of rice on his shoulder, his steps slowed down.

The warhorse at the front row couldn't stop in time. With a muffled thud, the man flew out like a kite with a broken string. The bag of coarse rice on his shoulder fell to the ground, scattering rice grains all over the ground, mixed with the splattered blood, a particularly glaring sight.

Without pausing, the warhorse continued its galloping forward, stepping over scattered grains of rice and bloodstains.

"Stop!"

A furious shout suddenly erupted from the crowd, and a young man with a flushed face pushed through the onlookers and rushed out.

boom!

The boy slammed his shoulder into a warhorse, and with a loud "whoosh," the horse reared up.

The boy stumbled a few steps and fell to the ground. He then stood up and stared at them with bloodshot eyes.

The entire group came to a sudden stop.

The surroundings were completely silent.

"You insolent commoner! Why are you clashing with soldiers!"

Magistrate Fang caught up from behind, tumbled off his horse, looked like he was crying, and yelled, "Get out of here! Get out, get out—"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he saw Zhang Guan grip the reins expressionlessly.

He was in a bad mood, feeling that anyone dared to make things difficult for him.

Immediately, a lieutenant rode up behind them. This lieutenant also looked quite young, about eighteen or nineteen years old.

He dismounted and asked, "What's your name? How dare you block Jianwu's army?"

"Wang De!"

"You hit my dad!"

Wang De's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the deputy general.

The lieutenant's lips curled into a mocking smile: "You seem quite resentful."

Wang De retorted, his neck stiff: "So what if you're not convinced?"