Star Martial Era: The Way of Star Light Cultivation

48: Chapter 44: Taffy and Convention

48 -44: Taffy and Convention

Tianyang Branch.

Flag Master Zhong Da had met with Mountain Master Zhou Qingzhu in the quiet room of the Scripture Transmission Institute, but at this moment, after rushing about for most of the day, Zhong Da looked slightly haggard, with some cracks on his lips.

“Mountain Master, the people from the Jinshan Taoist Institute, in the name of searching for evil demons, forcibly blocked the county city of Jinshan County.

Under the cooperation of the Locking Star Ring used by Vice Mountain Master Dong Zhao, not a single person above the Star Refining Realm could get out.

I arranged for a Loose Cultivator of the Star Condensing Realm to leave the city via the waterways, but they discovered him too and blocked him from escaping,” lamented Zhong Da.

“What about those below the Star Refining Realm?” asked Zhou Qingzhu.

“They didn’t care much about those below the Star Refining Realm, but most of the ones at the Star Refining Realm were also blocked.

At present, only one person from the early period of Star Refining managed to leave, and several from the Dining Dawn Realm have been dispatched to the six counties to gather information.

They all carry Star Pigeons, so as soon as there is news, it can be quickly sent back,” Zhong Da reported.

“Hmm, is their purpose still unclear?”

“There are speculations, yet no clear intelligence!”

“When things are abnormal, there must be demons involved!”

Standing with his hands behind his back, Zhou Qingzhu slowly turned around, “Vice Mountain Master Dong Zhao even deployed the Star Artifact, the Locking Star Ring, and semi-blocked Jinshan County city; just to catch a few bandits that were disturbing the peace?”

“This….”

Zhong Da knew some things, but these things he dared not speak of.

Some things, it’s enough just to know; speaking out could bring big trouble.

“We must prepare early!

Have you established contact with the teams hunting the evil demons outside?” Zhou Qingzhu asked.

“We did make contact, but they said the team led by the County Guard Governor suddenly intensified their operations and reinforced their discipline, strictly forbidding any leave.

The mutual supervision among colleagues also drastically increased, so currently, the likelihood of withdrawing from the team is virtually nonexistent,” replied Flag Master Zhong Da.

“So the searching teams outside have synchronized with the Jinshan Taoist Institute?

Dong Zhao is playing a big game here.”

Contemplating, Zhou Qingzhu had made a decision, “Immediately contact Hua Xin, Han Shou, Lv Yigong, and the five people including Jin Chi and Lin Lang.

Command them to use all means to withdraw from the search team and assemble around the strategic routes leading to the four gates of Jinshan County city.

If necessary, they may directly desert.”

At these words, Zhong Da was suddenly alarmed, “Mountain Master, that would be desertion….”

“And what of desertion?

All responsibilities I shall shoulder.

Besides, once anyone from my Tianyang Branch leaves the army, they do not fall under Military Law,” declared Zhou Qingzhu.

“Understood.”

When Zhong Da left to execute the orders, Zhou Qingzhu let out a cold laugh, “If that’s the case, then I, as the Mountain Master, must also try and see how they plan to stop me!”

The next instant, Zhou Qingzhu’s figure flashed as he left Tianyang Branch, becoming a streak of light speeding towards the East Gate of Jinshan County city.

Almost the moment Zhou Qingzhu appeared within range of the East Gate, Vice Mountain Master Feng Shu directly manifested to intercede.

However, Zhou Qingzhu’s feet surged with Starlight, and he leapt into the air, intending to fly directly over the city wall.

Feng Shu’s Cultivation Level was only at the Star Condensation Realm, and he was essentially powerless to intercept.

It was then that another streak of green light suddenly landed on the city wall.

A Locking Star Ring in hand flickered, and a bunch of Starlight shot out like chains, entwining towards Zhou Qingzhu.

“Audacious!”

Zhou Qingzhu bellowed in rage, repelling the Locking Star Ring’s binding Starlight.

Dong Zhao also soared into the sky, and amid the burst of Starlight, the two exchanged several blows in an instant, neither gaining the upper hand.

Zhou Qingzhu sharply retreated, looking at Dong Zhao with a mocking smile, “Well played, Dong Zhao.

I am the Mountain Master of Tianyang Branch, and there is an urgent situation at hand.

Do you dare to stop me?

If you mess up the important matter of capturing the evil demon, not just you, even your State Taoist Institute cannot afford the responsibility!”

Dong Zhao put away the Star Plate in his hand but smiled, “Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, I had thought it was an evil demon breaking into the city, I had no idea it was Mountain Master Zhou.

Had I known it was Mountain Master Zhou, how could I dare to intervene!”

“Hmph, as if you dare,” Zhou Qingzhu snorted disdainfully and turned to leave, sweeping out towards the city outskirts, but in the next instant, Mountain Master Dong Zhao closely followed behind.

Afterward, whether Zhou Qingzhu sped up or slowed down, Dong Zhao kept close behind, following him whether he went east, west, south, or north.

“You!”

Zhou Qingzhu glared in anger, “Dong Zhao, are you spying on me?”

“Not at all,” denied Dong Zhao with a smile on his face, “I simply saw that Mountain Master Zhou was in the mood for a nocturnal jaunt in all directions.

I’m merely partaking in the scenery, please don’t take offense, Mountain Master Zhou.”

Fifteen minutes later, unable to shake off the clingy Dong Zhao, Zhou Qingzhu snorted and helplessly returned to the city.

There was no choice; leaving the county city, he could divert Dong Zhao, but without his coordination and command within the city, the responses to the subsequent events would only be worse.

After all, there were things that only he knew, only he plotted, and only he dared to do.

He had to return for now.

“Mountain Master Zhou, please proceed.”

Watching Zhou Qingzhu go back to Tianyang Branch, Dong Zhao smiled and saluted.

Zhou Qingzhu then departed with a sweep of his sleeves.

******

Heshui County city.

Xu Jin and his group emerged from a cart and horse shop, escorting an evil culprit.

This was the fifth target of this mission, and they had successfully apprehended them all quite smoothly.

At this moment, everyone was bloodstained and emitted an intense killing aura.

With this, the task assigned to their team heading to Heshui County was completely accomplished.

But Xu Jin felt a sense of unreality.

The mission was easy.

Except for Hong Li, who posed a bit of difficulty, the other targets presented no challenge at all.

This did not seem to justify the investment Tian Zhang had made in them over these days.

Not to mention the energy, just the training and the Pills had already cost over two hundred taels of Silver.

But what they were sent to do was barely challenging, and Xu Jin always felt it was somewhat mismatched.

“Gentlemen officers, the five targets have all been completed, and my task is also finished.

I will take my leave now,” said the guide sent by the Spring Rain Department, also coming to bid farewell.

Although it was night, this guide from the Spring Rain Department was also wearing a bamboo hat and veil, making it impossible to see his true face.

Xu Jin’s heart stirred, and he beckoned the guide from the Spring Rain Department over to one side.

From the silver notes previously seized, he took out a hundred-tael note and handed it to the guide from the Spring Rain Department.

“It was a hard night for you, senior.”

“Please, I don’t deserve this.” The guide from the Spring Rain Department was about to accept, but hesitated upon seeing the denomination of the silver note, a bit too much.

Xu Jin pressed it into the guide’s hand and then, in a quieter voice, asked, “Senior, I feel that this mission was completed with great ease, and it doesn’t seem to match the heavy rewards offered by the Governor.

Please give me some guidance.”

The guide from the Spring Rain Department glanced around and also whispered, “Be careful on the way back.

A single misstep could be the difference between life and death.

Either move extremely quickly,

or find the opportunity amid slowness.”

After speaking, the guide from the Spring Rain Department took the silver note and turned to leave.

Xu Jin, however, was startled.

A matter of life and death?

What kind of difficulty awaited them on the way back?

Suddenly, Xu Jin realized that these captured bandits might be escorting them back to the county city.

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Jin and his men returned to the residence where they were holding Hong Li.

At this point, the number of captured bandits they were watching in the courtyard had reached four.

In the main hall, there were now five chests filled with treasure, one containing the loot and the other four full of plunder.

Although the other four targets yielded far less than Hong Li’s, the combined haul was significant.

“Niu Gui, when do we return to the county city?

Should we escort the prisoners back to the county city overnight?” Xu Jin went forward and made the suggestion directly.

Niu Gui looked at Xu Jin somewhat unexpectedly; he did not expect Xu Jin to suggest an overnight return.

Niu Gui was well aware that returning overnight would be slightly safer.

But it was just a bit safer.

What was more important was that the orders Niu Gui had received were different.

The orders from the Governor were: if possible, escort the main and accomplices along with their confessions back to the county city—if not, at least get the main culprit, Hong Li, and others’ confessions to the county city, and at the least, bring back the confessions.

If even the confessions couldn’t be brought back to the city, then this mission would be considered a complete failure.

Therefore, facing Xu Jin’s suggestion, Niu Gui shook his head, “No.”

“I must interrogate them overnight, secure their confessions, and make a solid case before returning!”

Seeing Niu Gui’s determined look, Xu Jin knew there was no room for further negotiation and turned to ask, “Niu Gui, how long will it take to obtain a confession through torture?”

“At the fastest, one whole night.

I’ve already called in a few civil clerks and criminal room clerks from the Heshui County Government.

By dawn, we should be able to wrap things up,” Niu Gui answered.

“And us?”

“You all just rest and build up your strength; the road back could be unstable,” Niu Gui said.

“Then, Niu Gui, about these treasures, particularly the seized items—I see there are quite a lot of Pills in the seizure—I was thinking of dividing them among everyone first,” Xu Jin said.

“That’s fine.

You handle the distribution.

You can take an extra one-tenth from the plunder.

Moreover, we can’t break the customary practices of the military,” Niu Gui instructed.

“What customs?” Xu Jin asked.

Niu Gui glanced at Xu Jin, “Officers have to take the larger share, the specific ratio is up to you, and different ranks differ.

In addition, the civil clerks and criminal room clerks who came to help need to be compensated for their efforts, and when we return the one-star warhorses to the Beast Taming Hall, we should show our gratitude to facilitate future cooperation.

The usual rate is about three to five taels.”

Xu Jin understood that Niu Gui was giving him advice as a newcomer, and he quickly expressed his gratitude, then asked about what to do with the seven or eight children who had been skinned alive and the women who were violated.

“Send them to the almshouse.

Give each person a few extra taels of Silver, and send a hundred taels of Silver to the almshouse with a promise of future visits.

The treatment should be better.

If you’re willing, you can take a few hundred taels more from the plunder and visit every few months, giving a bit of Silver for the welfare of these children.”

“As for those women, one has already committed suicide…” Niu Gui sighed, “after the case is closed, and if we return alive, and if they have no home to return to, then we’ll think of something.

Each of them should also get a bit of Silver.

Not too much; too much can harm them.”

“Niu Gui, your righteousness is admirable!”

Xu Jin saluted Niu Gui sincerely.

Niu Gui waved his hand, “Go distribute the plunder quickly, arrange the night patrol, and I’m off to deal with these scourges!” As he spoke, a ferocious look filled Niu Gui’s eyes.

“Come on, Xiaohu, call a few men over; let’s divide the loot first!” Xu Jin strode towards the wing rooms, eager to distribute the Silver.