Chapter 140: Treasures and Rare Objects, Our Own Gang
Yang Hua tempers the body, refines the skin and flesh, elevates the physique, and allows one to reach new heights.
Unlike "essence body cleansing," this directly enhances physical strength.
The Qi Lake extends for twelve zhang (approximately 63 meters).
Half an hour later.
Li Xian leaped lightly into the lake. After washing himself clean, he felt invigorated; the feeling was indescribable.
A magical device in the palm of one's hand, draped in rainbow clouds on one's shoulders, and thunderous sounds pounding in one's chest...
Commander Pang was at the same level back then.
...
...
The next day.
Before dawn, Li Xian had already gotten up. He was experiencing extraordinary phenomena, his body was being tempered by the Yang energy, and he was full of divine blessings, brimming with energy.
They only rest for two hours each day.
He led the guards in morning training. He then entrusted Ding Hu with some miscellaneous tasks. After settling things in, he rode out of the village on horseback towards Qingning County.
A new broom sweeps clean.
On West Street in Qingning County, there is an abandoned temple.
It was indeed the "Wuwei Hall".
More than ten years ago, Qingning County produced a military officer, who was selected based on his military merits. However, that military officer met a tragic end, unable to maintain order, and ultimately suffered the loss of his family and his life.
The Wuwei Hall has been abandoned for a long time.
Li Xian rode his horse to the hall.
Not only was the hall dilapidated, overgrown with weeds and entwined with vines, but two moss-covered stone lions blocked the entrance.
"Is this to establish authority?" Li Xian sneered inwardly, noticing that the two stone lions showed signs of being moved, clearly indicating they had been transported last night.
This means that Li Xian will not be allowed to enter the hall.
The streets were bustling with people, and in many places—on the terraces of restaurants, inside teahouses, in front of steamed bun shops, and among vendors pushing carts—there were people secretly observing and gloating.
Li Xian possessed double pupils, which allowed him to observe things with exceptional insight even when his pupils were closed. He walked straight toward the two stone lions.
With a slap of his left palm, the left lion shifted to its original position. With a kick of his right foot, the right lion moved to its original position. The two stone lions blocking his path were now subdued. Li Xian walked straight into the hall.
Wait until he's gone.
Scouts came to investigate and were all amazed. The two stone lions were perfectly positioned, back in their original places.
The stone lion on the left has a palm print that is an inch deep, and the stone lion on the right has a footprint that is an inch deep.
Moreover… last night, various martial arts schools joined forces to insert a “heavy iron core” into this stone lion to increase its weight.
To be able to do this much, this time, Commander Wu is probably not an easy target.
...
...
The political landscape of Qingning County is complex, with three institutions and two factions.
They are respectively:
"Bear Martial Arts School", "Barbarian Body Martial Arts School", "Spring Leaf Martial Arts School".
"Snake-Walking School" and "Red Copper School".
He has been active in Qingning County for many years.
The Leopard Blade Sect was a powerful outsider that had suppressed the Three Halls and Two Sects, keeping them silent, but that's no longer the case.
A coffin lay across the gate. Most of the sect's disciples had also dispersed. The three halls and two factions had regained their former power, dominating the village and acting arrogantly.
At this moment, the leaders of the three gangs and two factions are discussing the matter of "Military Officer" in a restaurant.
Nobody wants to be dominated by a mere kid.
The "Iron Bear" of the Bear Martial Arts School is tall and has fur like a bear. When he sits down, it is hard to tell whether he is a bear spirit transformed into a human or a human transformed into a bear spirit.
He said loudly, "Gentlemen, what do you all think of this newly appointed military officer? We are all martial artists, so please speak frankly."
Miao Xichun, the master of Chunye Martial Arts School, was a man, but he had a slender waist and triangular eyes that held a hidden glint of shrewdness. He smiled and said:
"This young master, at such a young age, has beheaded an enemy general amidst a vast army. Could it be that his martial arts have reached such an extreme level that he can single-handedly command an army?"
His words were sarcastic and unsettling.
The leader of the Snake Walkers, "Plum Venom," sneered, "Heh, I absolutely do not believe that someone in his teens could have such strength."
"What era are we living in now? Does the practice of rewarding merit for killing enemies still exist? In my opinion, this kid has some connections and is deliberately making up a story to get an official position."
“Brother Mei is right. To be honest, I think so too.” Zhou Long of the Man Shen Martial Arts School said loudly, “The Yellow Dragon Army’s supplies are running out. I guess… there must be a mutiny in the army. They cut off the general’s head and went to defect to the imperial court.”
"As for taking the enemy general's head from among ten thousand troops, haha, none of us saw it, so let him say whatever he wants."
"You've all used or seen these little tricks to some extent, right?"
Everyone echoed this sentiment, expressing their agreement.
"If that's the case, this kid must have some connections, so it's not good to target him directly. Gentlemen, I have a brilliant plan that will not only test this kid but also allow us to maneuver freely."
The leader of the Red Copper Sect is a woman named Hu Shengnan.
"Oh? Such a brilliant plan? Please tell me quickly, Sect Leader Hu," Mei Rendu asked curiously.
Hu Shengnan said, "Have you all forgotten what the duties of a military officer are?"
"Of course we haven't forgotten," the crowd said.
"Let's turn the tables on him and find out more about that kid," Hu Shengnan said smugly. "As a military officer, he should be mediating disputes within the county. Let's deliberately create a dispute and let this military officer mediate it."
"Then we'll know his true worth at a glance. If he's really capable, we'll weigh the pros and cons and make our own plans. If he's not, then we'll just have to accept whatever comes our way."
Everyone understood. This plan was flawless; it was an open and aboveboard scheme. But there was no way to counter it.
"In Master Hu's opinion, what kind of dispute should we create? It would be best to make a big fuss and embarrass him," Tie Xiong said with a smile.
Hu Shengnan frowned. Creating disputes also requires balancing the interests of all parties, and all three halls and two factions need to participate. No one can remain unaffected.
She suddenly had a brilliant idea. "I've got it. I have a plan, but I'm afraid it might offend Master Miao."
Miao Xichun's heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition rising within him. He cursed inwardly, realizing that this was where they had been waiting for him.
Hu Shengnan said, "I heard that Master Miao recently acquired a rare and precious item. Let's use this [rare and precious item] as a pretext to create a dispute over it."
Miao Xichun's face was grim. He did indeed possess a "precious treasure," which he had hidden extremely well, but his disciple had still spotted it, and the news had leaked out.
From then on, he attracted the covetous eyes of all sides. If it weren't for Miao Xichun's decades of fame and his past experiences in the prefectural city, where he had established a reputation, his name would still exist today.
I'm afraid someone has already come knocking and robbed it.
"Master Miao, those treasures and rare items are yours to keep. We're just using their name. We're not really stealing them. You wouldn't be so stingy, would you?"
“Master Miao, we’ll be seeing each other all the time, so we should prioritize the bigger picture.”
...
The crowd, their eyes gleaming with suppressed brilliance, joined in the cheers.
Miao Xichun knew the nature of the people well; if they agreed, the feigned robbery would become a real robbery. He could kill two birds with one stone: he could both deal with Wu Wei and seize the treasure.
If you disagree... you will still be in the same situation.
At that moment, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree, taking it one step at a time. "What you all say is right, I am willing to do this!"
"Hahaha, good."
"Master Miao is a man of great righteousness."
"Master Miao's martial arts skills are not only superior to ours, but his magnanimity is also beyond our reach!"
Everyone beamed with joy and showered him with compliments.
...
...
Wuweitang.
"Brother Lin, thank you so much."
Li Xian cupped his hands and smiled.
Lin Guolong stood on a low stool, tiptoed, and barely managed to stand side by side with Li Xian.
More than ten bailiffs were tidying up the hall. They moved away the abandoned wooden tables and chairs, uprooted the weeds, and cut the vines in half.
Li Xian doesn't need to do these tasks himself.
"No problem, no problem, Brother Li. Your gang is short-handed, I'll send a dozen or so people over later."
"However... the court does not pay those servants. You will have to figure out how to manage them yourself."
Lin Guolong said meaningfully.
Rebellions broke out everywhere in the Great Wu, and the national treasury was empty. Sometimes even county magistrates could not receive their salaries, and among the many servants in the government, only a few, whose positions were hereditary, were qualified to receive salaries from the imperial court.
The other constables never received a salary. Their income depended entirely on their uniforms; they used their power to extort money from merchants in the marketplace.
The people suffer greatly, their misery is beyond words.
This reveals a clue.
Li Xian frowned. If he wanted to control the constables, he would have to allow them to use their "military officer" status to extort money from the people. If he valued his reputation, he would not go along with their corrupt practices.
Why would a bailiff do his job if he doesn't get paid?
They'll disperse soon, unless Li Xian distributes the collected wages himself.
"Yes, Brother Li, this is your salary for this month." Lin Guolong took out a cloth bag.
There were three taels of silver inside.
"Now that you're an official, you're good at handling things. These meager salaries are really nothing to worry about."
"Look, don't you own several shops?"
Lin Guolong laughed.
He knew every detail of the business inside and out. It seemed he was going to teach Li Xian how to cleverly create pretexts to extort money.
Li Xian thought to himself, "In this chaotic world, only by doing this can one live comfortably. But I am unwilling to become such a person; my heart is not at peace."
He smiled and said, "Brother Lin, would you please pick five new constables for me?"
"You want new ones?" Lin Guolong patted Li Xian on the shoulder: "Why would I need new ones? I'll give you ten veteran constables. They're experienced and easy to work with."
Li Xian knew that the old constables had been mingling in the streets for decades, with a long list of bad deeds and a penchant for extortion. These constables were naturally useful; they didn't need to be paid a salary, and he could order them around whenever he wanted. They were also quite adept at flattering their superiors and winning people's favor.
That's why he didn't use the old constables. "No need," he said, "I'd rather have some new constables. They're young and strong."
“You don’t understand the ways of officialdom,” Lin Guolong shook his head and sighed. “So be it. They’re all newcomers who don’t know the rules. I’ll arrange for an old hand to mentor them.”
Li Xian was speechless. Lin Guolong was indeed warm-hearted; regardless of anything else, he treated him very well. "No need, no need. I have experience in this area. Brother Lin, don't forget that I am the commander of Yihe Manor."
"Oh, right, then okay." Lin Guolong nodded, keeping the matter in mind.
After the Wuwei Hall was cleaned up, Lin Guolong and his constables left and immediately went to the constables' quarters to select young constables from the roster.
It was afternoon.
The Wuwei Hall was extremely deserted.
Li Xian is practicing martial arts in the hall.
"Lord Wu Wei!"
"Lord Zhang, reporting for duty."
"Wang Wu, reporting for duty."
...
Suddenly, a shout was heard, and five constables reported for duty as scheduled. They had thin faces but clear eyes. They had only recently joined the service and still retained their ambition.
Li Xian put down his sword and said loudly, "Very good. From now on, you will work under me."
"I have something to tell you first."
"When serving in our Martial Guard Hall, one must not bully men or women, oppress the people, or extort money."
"As for the salary... I will pay it, three hundred coins a month, and occasionally... I will also bring you some dry food."
Li Xian has already calculated it.
Before leaving the manor each day, he would often steal some dried biscuits and coarse grains from the lady's kitchen. It wouldn't be difficult to support five servants.
Since he pays his own salary, he doesn't need to exploit the people.
Now in Qingning County, they have their own team and businesses.
(End of this chapter)
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