Chapter 187: The Saint Descends The Mountain, Emissaries From Tongzhou Arrive
With a “thud,” the sack was thrown onto the muddy ground of the vegetable garden.
The sack twitched slightly as it hit the ground.
Tian Xuan Saint’s gaze swept over the two sacks, both containing martial artists who had slain one bandit.
All of them were righteous persons who had “sacrificed” themselves at the three forked road during this period, either hall masters of some martial arts hall or martial world elders from the folk.
Their piles of gold and jade fates were precisely the finest materials for making fertilizer.
Seeing such excellent medicine boys, Tian Xuan Saint showed no joy on her face; instead, she frowned tightly, her voice cold as if tempered with ice,
“So, sending you all to infiltrate the water station internally, support our people to contest for the wellhead… not only failed, but in the end allowed Zhao Guangxi to stand firm and unify Wuqing County’s water management?”
Her words were filled with chilling intent, stirring up flying snow and freezing the mind and heart.
Plop!
Plop!
Guan Sheng and Huang Xing’s legs went soft from fear, and they knelt together on the frozen soil outside the vegetable garden, their knees aching but they paid no heed.
The two exchanged a glance, and Huang Xing said in a trembling voice,
“It’s really that those people at the water station are all insidious and cunning, not acting like humans! We initially approached and pulled in Zhao Guanghui, who knew this fellow only took benefits without doing anything, making all sorts of excuses; later we pulled in Guo Guanfu, and it seemed he was about to take control of the wellhead, who would have thought…”
“Shut up!”
Tian Xuan Saint’s gaze was icy cold as it swept over the two,
“Failure is failure… Among that water station, who are the ones who rose rapidly and came into prominence?”
“We know this one, we’ve investigated this clearly!”
Guan Sheng hurriedly kowtowed and replied at flying speed,
“There are several! One called Shan Tongtian, a water carrier delivering water around Four Square Pit and City God Temple, originally a second-rate martial artist. Some days ago, who knows what dog shit luck he had, he learned a strange ink splashing paper cutting technique. Clearly made of paper, the precious sword and sabre, just by writing a ‘firm’ character, were truly indestructible. He slew several great demons, ate their flesh and drank their blood, and in just a few months’ time, reached the true intent realm!”
“There’s also one called Mo Long A Tai, also a water carrier, fishing for decades, ten casts nine misses, very few fish catches. But now, who knows how he opened his apertures, hundred casts hundred hits, without exception all precious fish. He no longer does the cart-pushing water delivery business, and has become a guest of honor in the major fish markets!”
“In addition, there’s Chen Shun’an. Three months ago, he stumbled and fell into well, not only survived the great ordeal but showed signs of accumulated thickness bursting forth. First he broke through to second-rate, then underwent houtian transformation, possessing a Chong He Martial Tendon Body. Now he’s even become the shopkeeper of Crouching Tiger Well, highly valued by Zhao Guangxi… especially, during the extermination of Zhao Guanghui two days ago, he actually blocked an injured true intent master and severed his hands…”
Hearing Guan Sheng say the name “Chen Shun’an,” Huang Xing glanced at him subtly with his peripheral vision, without showing it.
Huang Xing now had turned enmity into friendship with Chen Shun’an, contracting the firewood, rice, oil, salt, and daily needs for Rongyuan Orphanage.
Moreover, Yue Ting had also revealed to Huang Xing that his information about Chen Shun’an being that mysterious true intent master who had repeatedly helped the Guo Lu Society.
If Yue Ting’s guess was not wrong.
Huang Xing was very worried about informing Tian Xuan Saint of this person’s existence.
It would be ill fortune rather than good…
Ill fortune for Tian Xuan Saint.
In Huang Xing’s heart, an irreverent, disrespectful thought toward the immortal master slowly rose.
Was Tian Xuan Saint really a match for that Chen Shun’an?
Would even an immortal fall to a martial artist’s hand?
Then, what kind of immortal was Tian Xuan Saint?
Stray thoughts suddenly arose, disturbing the sea of consciousness. Huang Xing couldn’t help but shudder in his mind and soul, his face paling slightly.
Moments later, Tian Xuan Saint waved her hand, letting the two withdraw.
Guan Sheng and Huang Xing were like receiving a great amnesty, hurriedly getting up, leading a group of subordinates holding torches, walking down the mountain path.
The winding torch procession was like a fire snake, gradually disappearing into the night.
At this vegetable garden, in front of the simple thatched hut, only Tian Xuan Saint remained.
Tian Xuan Saint slowly walked to the two sacks, her fingertip moving slightly.
Accompanied by two brief and sharp screams.
The mud turned over, and the vegetable seedlings half a person’s height greedily thrust their roots into the bodies of these two medicine boys.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle…
A strange sucking sound like drinking blood rang out.
The vegetable seedlings’ roots continuously absorbed essence blood, along the veins under the mud, all the way converging into the whisk placed on the cushion in front of the thatched hut.
On the whisk, white mist immediately formed, rosy clouds swirling, revealing a point of azure light within.
Just like Jia Mu, brimming with vitality, grass growing and orioles flying.
Seeing this, Tian Xuan Saint finally showed a bit of joy on her face.
“My earthly immortal fate has finally been sacrificial refined to show some form. Once I return to Yue Shan Daoist Academy and receive the edict, I can find a place to pasture it, nurturing the vessel with people…”
“Is that so? Senior Sister may not be able to return to the academy.”
Only the sound of silver bells ringing, ding ding dong dong.
An eighteen- or nineteen-year-old woman with a long oval face, wearing a pair of silver earrings, walked over from the flying snow on the mountainside with a playful smile.
Wearing a blue cloth jacket and blue cloth trousers, with a half-moon shaped pear blossom cudgel at her waist, holding a few storybooks in her hand.
Just looking at her appearance, she seemed like a “storytelling teacher” who could both sing pear blossom big drum and tell storytelling.
Seeing the visitor, Tian Xuan Saint’s face darkened slightly.
“Yu Shimei…”
“Hee hee~ Senior Sister, why are you still holed up here? Need my help?”
Yu Shimei’s bright eyes sparkled with youthful radiance, her little feet tapped, and with light, lively steps, she appeared in front of the thatched hut.
Her gaze first fell on that whisk glowing with azure light, a flash of wariness quickly passing through her eyes, then she turned to Tian Xuan Saint, tilting her head with a smile,
“Master Chan is somewhat unhappy, saying not only did you lose the Azure Gang Yang Huo, but after being down the mountain so long, you haven’t brought back a single ‘immortal seed’. If this continues… he’ll have to use you to fill his old belly.”
Tian Xuan Saint was silent for a moment, her voice low: “I also want to complete the task quickly, but…”
“So, do you want my help?”
Yu Shimei interrupted her, her figure flickering as she sat on the cliff edge.
Her hands propped on the rock behind her, dangling a pair of small, delicate legs over the cliff, gently swinging them, occasionally revealing her cute navel and soft little abdomen at her waist.
The night was hazy, sea of clouds and mists surging below the cliff.
Yu Shimei’s gaze looked toward the foot of the mountain, as if seeing that steadfast figure fishing in front of the cold pool.
Then, she turned back with a smiling chant,
“Just right, I’m short some material segments to incorporate into my storytelling, how about calling it ‘Heavy Snow Mountain Deep Night Hearing Fierce Voice, Deploying Immortal Method at Cliff to Slay Southern Martial’.”
“People divide north and south, fists also divide north and south. These southern people are even managing us Capital City people, how can that be?” Saying this, Yu Shimei’s gaze passed over that whisk with slight greed, saying,
“How about it? Senior Sister…”
Hearing this, Tian Xuan Saint showed hesitation.
It seemed agreeing to Yu Shimei’s help was an extremely difficult matter, one that would come at a great cost.
After a long time, she finally said softly,
“Fine.”
“Deal!”
Yu Shimei immediately cheered, revealing a pair of clean white little tiger teeth on her face.
……
Eight Li Bridge was one of the important post stations from Tongzhou City to Wuqing County.
Rustle, rustle…
In the icy snow, a clear breeze brushed past.
Three figures arrived silently, pausing briefly in front of the tea shed at Eight Li Bridge, all taking seats.
The three: one old, one young, one middle-aged man.
The old one had white hair and beard, a face full of amiability, scooping four bowls of hot ginger tea for himself and placing them on the table.
The young one was a little girl with baby fat on her face, holding the bowl in both hands, blowing gently at her lips, sipping a bit, her almond eyes immediately squinting into crescents, her face full of enjoyment,
“Mm! This ginger tea is so warming!”
And that middle-aged man dressed as a traveling Daoist priest, carrying male and female treasure sword on his back, a brown hat hanging on his shoulder, holding a turtle shell in his hand.
His gaze mild, demeanor gentle, quite possessing the air of a refined scholar.
It was not until the three were almost done drinking the ginger tea that a panting figure arrived leading a horse.
On the horse was also a blood-drenched, barely breathing figure.
The middle-aged Daoist smiled and said,
“Don’t mind the person you picked up… The tea is getting cold, come quickly.”
Xu Hong walked up, tied the horse to the wooden post, regulated his breathing for a good while with qi and blood churning endlessly, then entered the tea shed, looking at the middle-aged Daoist helplessly,
“Master Zhang, we passed Zhang Family Village.”
“Who said I was going to Zhang Family Village?”
“Ah? Old Master Zhang and the entire household are waiting for you outside the village…”
“Let them keep waiting. I didn’t tell them to wait.”
The middle-aged Daoist shook his head, looking at the little girl,
“Xiangling, how’s the Six Sceneries Rotation comprehension going?”
Zhang Xiangling’s little face scrunched up: “Still one scenery short, no movement at all.”
“Lousy, really lousy.” The middle-aged Daoist sighed.
Zhang Xiangling was the youngest daughter of the contemporary family head of the Zhang Clan, a prominent clan in Tongzhou.
Born with a feathered transformation bone, not yet twenty, already at slaying three bandits strength, and had viewed five deputy Flying Immortal True Cultivation Manuals.
Even in Tongzhou City, she was considered exceptionally talented.
But apparently, she still didn’t meet the middle-aged Daoist’s standards.
The white-haired old man glanced at the figure on the horse, set down his tea bowl, cupped his hands respectfully, and asked puzzledly,
“Master Zhang, this person should be a gangster from the Guo Lu Society, called something Red, Red… bold enough to meddle in Qianning Country’s Visit the Sacred Dynasty matter, targeted by Yue Shan Daoist Academy people, quite troublesome. Why did we pick him up?”
On the horse’s back, that blood-soaked figure remained silent, continuing to play dead.
Red Fifth Master also couldn’t figure out the identities of the people before him.
He only knew they seemed to be from Tongzhou.
Zhang?
Could it be the prominent Zhang Clan of Tongzhou?
That Tian Xuan Saint had somehow called in reinforcements, a quirky little girl.
Clearly only at slay four thieves realm, but she had a strange blank storybook, which covered his head and left him dazed, as if his soul was about to fly into the storybook.
Even more lacking in martial virtue, two women teaming up.
Fortunately, Red Fifth Master had his trump cards, and after paying a heavy price, he broke out of the encirclement.
But he was powerless and fainted by the roadside…
Picked up by the people before him.
The group naturally knew Red Fifth Master was playing dead.
But they didn’t call him out.
The middle-aged Daoist looked at Zhang Xiangling beside him and said,
“Xiangling, what do you think?”
