Qin Mu killed the man in black, looked around, and, wielding his bronze sword, charged at the others. The man in black had been tightly entangled with the others, and the Bu brothers had also encountered two equally matched opponents. Fortunately, Qin Mu had conjured many soldiers beforehand, preventing the man in black from harming the criminals and apprentices.
With Qin Mu's help, the Bu brothers quickly killed their opponents. Only a few quick-witted men in black escaped into the heavy rain.
The death of seventeen constables darkened Qin Mu's face. These constables were all personally trained by him, and although they were not his two hundred most elite men, they still angered him.
The key issue is that this assassination attempt was completely inexplicable. If he had to name an enemy, the only ones he could think of were the Wang family. Or perhaps Qin Qiong's enemies, but that didn't make sense! The Wang family wouldn't risk such a huge incident by sending someone to Shuofang to assassinate him, especially since he had just threatened them recently. The Wang family should be busy cleaning up their own mess right now.
Without clearing themselves of suspicion of colluding with the beastmen, the Wang family dared not act rashly, otherwise they would be giving Li Shimin an excuse to deal with them.
As for Qin Qiong's enemies, although they might come to retaliate, it would be too much of a coincidence that the enemy has already organized a large number of people to come here when he has only been in Shuofang for a little over a month.
As he pondered, Qin Mu remembered an enemy he had been somewhat neglecting recently: Liang Luoren! This guy hadn't bothered him at all, or perhaps he hadn't had the chance.
However, Qin Mu quickly shook his head, dismissing his own guess. Liang Luoren was a surrendered general, and if he targeted him, or if something happened to him in Shuozhou, unless it was a very obvious enemy, Qin Qiong would hold him responsible. It would be extremely unwise for Liang Luoren to offend Qin Qiong, who had so many friends in the Tang Dynasty, so soon after surrendering. Anyone with a brain wouldn't do that.
Qin Mu couldn't figure it out, so he could only check the men in black. The weapons these men in black used were just ordinary weapons, without any markings or anything on their bodies, including the three leaders, who were the same.
The Bu brothers couldn't identify the assassins' moves either. They had no choice but to preserve the bodies of the three leaders until the rain stopped, then bring them back to Shuofang for the locals to identify and see if anyone recognized them.
He left some people behind to guard the prisoners and continue working, and then Qin Mu led his men back to Shuofang. He knew that these assassins were after him, and that his departure would actually make the remaining people safer.
"This looks like Temujin's gutless body!" Li Zhengbao said somewhat uncertainly after listening to Qin Mu's explanation and looking at the corpse on the ground.
"Temujin!" Liang Luoren exclaimed in surprise.
"Who is Temujin?" Zhang Gongjin asked, frowning.
“Temujin is not an individual, but an organization. It’s normal that the Governor doesn’t know this, because this organization has always only operated in the Northwest region,” Li Zhengbao explained.
Qin Mu was also startled. He thought it was Temujin from another world who had intruded. If it really was that iron-blooded guy, he would probably have to go back to Chang'an immediately if he wanted to save his life.
"What kind of organization is this Temujin? How dare they assassinate a court official? They're incredibly audacious!" Zhang Gongjin asked angrily.
"This is an organization that does dirty work. They kill, set fires, kidnap, steal—they do everything, as long as you pay them. The governor said they are incredibly audacious, and it's true! Because their motto is 'heart of stone, lawless, and real gold and silver,' they are called Temujin."
As for this Taoist priest, his voice was hoarse and his cheekbones were high, exactly the image of a person without intestines. "Although this old fellow is a Taoist, he moves sideways and domineeringly like a crab, hence the name 'person without intestines,'" Li Zhengbao explained.
After listening to Li Zhengbao's explanation, Qin Mu was somewhat taken aback. These guys didn't sound like good people just from their names, but why would they target him? Could it be that the Six Doors' cleanup had touched their interests?
Before Qin Mu could figure it out, Liang Luoren coughed twice and said, "Cough cough! No one at Temujin's headquarters knows where his stronghold is, so there's no way to wipe it out."
"That doesn't make sense. These guys need to get business. If nobody knows where they are, how can they get business?" Qin Mu said, frowning.
"People in the martial arts world might know, but we don't have much contact with them. If we want to find out, we'd have to ask people in the martial arts world. But that probably won't be very useful, because these organizations' strongholds aren't important to them," Li Zhengbao said seriously, glancing at Qin Mu. He was somewhat surprised that Qin Mu and his group were able to kill the Gutless Man.
In a one-on-one fight, he couldn't say who won or lost, yet Qin Mu returned unscathed. Looking at Qin Mu, Li Zhengbao then glanced at the impassive blind man behind him. Ultimately, he attributed the incident to Bu Fang.
Not only Li Zhengbao, but anyone who calmed down was surprised that Qin Mu and his group had killed the assassins. After all, among the assassins were near-top-level experts, and they were also spiritual energy cultivators. Dealing with them was no ordinary task.
However, it was only a surprise. After all, Qin Mu was Qin Qiong's son and a disciple of the great Confucian scholar Li Gang, so it was not surprising that he had some means of self-preservation.
"Investigate! We must find out the truth. If we don't teach them a lesson, even Tom, Dick, and Harry will dare to assassinate government officials in the future," Zhang Gongjin said angrily.
No one disagreed with this point. They were all court officials. If they tried to assassinate Qin Mu today, they would inevitably be targeted by others tomorrow. Who doesn't have a few enemies?
“There’s an exchange meeting in the Northwest that’s invited the imperial court to attend. Why don’t we send some people there as well?” Li Zhengbao suggested.
"An exchange meeting?" Zhang Gongjin asked with some curiosity.
“Although the Northwest region is not small, there are many more powerful families. So every ten years, an exchange meeting is held. It’s called an exchange meeting, but it’s actually a way to divide up the profits,” Li Zhengbao explained.
"Wouldn't it be inappropriate for us to go?" Zhang Gongjin asked.
“No, in the past, the imperial court and some other local forces were also invited to the exchange meetings as witnesses. It is very appropriate for the Shuozhou Governor’s Office to send people there,” Li Zhengbao said, shaking his head slightly.
“Alright, which of you colleagues is willing to make the trip?” Zhang Gongjin asked.
When Zhang Gongjin asked the question, everyone fell silent. They all knew that on the surface, they were there to bear witness, but they also had to do what they had just said: to teach Temujin's organization a severe lesson.
“Huai Dao, why don’t you go and take a look? You can decide what to do based on the situation. There will be other people from the imperial court there, so you don’t need to worry about your safety,” Zhang Gongjin asked.
"Okay!" Qin Mu agreed immediately. He wasn't acting impulsively. He was a member of the imperial court. Once he went there, who would dare to target him? That would just be giving the imperial court an excuse to send troops to the northwest.
Now that the imperial army is stationed in Shuofang, it can be said that all demons and monsters avoid it. The Six Doors don't have much to do, so it's good to go and take a look. At worst, we can just be careful.
……………
"You have failed."
"Don't worry, we will definitely complete the mission once we accept it. It's just that going back now would be too conspicuous."
"I hope I won't disappoint people, otherwise it won't look good for anyone."
"Pah! I don't know which guy came up with this idea, but the whole of Shuozhou is being relocated. They've started using new identification documents, so outsiders can enter Shuozhou like a beacon." The two men were talking in a dark room, one with a calm voice and the other with a fiery one.
"This idea was proposed by the target. I remind you again, the mission requires survival! If you die, you won't get a single penny," the calm voice said.
"Impossible! The people who killed us can't possibly still be alive!" the fiery voice rose again.
"Many of your people have died, but I haven't seen you all seek revenge. Don't tell me you have any feelings!" The flat voice said with sarcasm.
"You have to pay more!" The fiery voice turned calm.
"As long as the person is caught, the money is negotiable."
"It will take some time; infiltrating Shuofang won't be that easy."
"The target may have come to us on its own."
"real?"
"That's right, I just received the news too. But you need to be extra careful here, and don't provoke the imperial army."
"What does it matter to us if the imperial army comes? At worst, we can just hide outside the pass," the loud-voiced man said dismissively.
"You've angered the masses, but these powerful families in the Northwest won't let you off the hook."
"Alright, you don't need to worry about these things."
There was no talking in the room. After a while, an old man, who looked like a farmer and was somewhat hunched over, came out of the room with a kind smile.
…………
"Prefect Qin is truly a promising young man!"
"You flatter me, Deputy Commander!"
"No, no! I was just telling the truth."
Feng Duan! Deputy Commander of Shuofang City! He holds the rank of fifth grade, which is much lower than Qin Mu's, but the city garrison is not under the jurisdiction of the prefectural governor's office.
"My position as prefect is merely due to the promotion I received from Governor Zhang."
Seeing Qin Mu's constant humility, Feng Duan didn't take it to heart. Although Qin Mu was Qin Qiong's son, it was impossible for him to become a prefect of a region unless he was the emperor's son.
"The prefect isn't very familiar with Shuozhou, is he?" Feng Duan changed the subject.
Bored on the way, Qin Mu was happy to have someone to chat with, and nodded, saying, "I'm not really familiar with it, and this is my first time taking up a post in a local area."
"Shuozhou is located on the border. Although it was heavily guarded, it fell out of control during the chaos at the end of the previous dynasty and came under the control of Liang Shidu. At first, we were there to save our lives, but gradually, we were forced by circumstances to accept it," Feng Duan recalled. He then clicked his tongue and continued, "Although we were under Liang Shidu's command, we didn't condone his collusion with the beastmen at all. But we had no power and nothing we could do. It wasn't until recent years, when Liang Shidu had fewer and fewer capable men under him, that we finally had some troops."
Qin Mu understood what he meant; he was trying to clear his name, but he didn't understand his intentions.
Seeing Qin Mu's somewhat puzzled look, Feng Duan continued, "Ahem! Commander Li Zhengbao and I are not on the same side as Governor Liang Luoren. As for Xin Liao'er, that guy is not very bright and his relationship with everyone is just so-so."
Qin Mu now understood. He guessed that Feng Duan knew that Liang Luoren and his family didn't get along, so he explained it here to prevent Qin Mu from targeting him and Li Zhengbao.
Of course! Feng Duan might also have wanted to pass the message on to Qin Qiong through his own words.
Having more friends is certainly a good thing; if not friends, at least it means having fewer enemies. Qin Mu smiled sincerely.
"We are all colleagues, and we will need Commander Feng's continued support in our work in the future."
Feng Duan smiled at Qin Mu's gesture of goodwill.
"That's what I should do."
"I wonder how much Commander Feng knows about this exchange meeting in the Northwest?" Qin Mu asked again.
"In terms of power in the Northwest, there are mainly three types. The largest power is the Buddhist family. Once you leave the Jade Gate Pass, the entire territory belongs to the Buddhist family. Inside the pass are the ten great families of the Northwest. The rest are neutral families and sects that only guard their own territories."
The main point of contention at the exchange was the control of the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains, which was essentially a clash between the Buddhist sect and the ten great families of the Northwest. "Feng Duan explained."
Feng Duan was the one who went to the ceremony with Qin Mu. Qin Mu brought two hundred constables, while Feng Duan brought three hundred soldiers, more than five hundred people in total, to Tianshan.
That's right! This exchange meeting is being held at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains outside Yumen Pass.
"This exchange meeting shouldn't be a business negotiation, right?" Qin Mu asked curiously.
Qin Mu found it somewhat amusing that these aristocratic families and sects had actually organized an exchange meeting; it felt like they were in another world.
"Of course it's not a negotiation. This is a grand event in the Northwest. So many powerful families are gathered here, so this is a transaction, and then the competition among the younger generation! After all, top experts are the foundation of their families, and they can't easily make a move. If there are any losses, they would be hard to bear," Feng Duan explained with a smile.
"A trade! That's great! Shouldn't we be able to participate too?" Qin Mu asked with interest.
"Of course, but this transaction does not accept gold or silver; it is all barter."
"That is a problem. They are fighting for control of the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains. How can they control two such large mountain ranges?" Qin Mu asked again.
"Of course not! They are just some outer mountain ranges. You should know that although the two mountain ranges are huge, there are not many safe places to enter and exit. If these families control these places, others who want to enter or exit will have to pay a toll to these powerful families."
"Ha! They even charge tolls! That's quite novel."
"There's no other way. Although the environment in the Northwest is harsh, it produces a lot of things. There are good things in the two mountain ranges, so many people risk going there. Precisely because the mountains are so huge, these aristocratic families alone cannot explore them, so they welcome outsiders to come and go."
"That's quite a clever idea. Reaping some rewards without paying a price," Qin Mu exclaimed. He understood that the so-called toll was undoubtedly for the items found in the mountains. As long as they guarded the road in and out, they could collect taxes—a truly effortless gain. This income must be incredibly substantial, otherwise so many powerful families wouldn't be vying for it.
However, what Qin Mu paid the most attention to was the Buddhist family. They were able to contend with the ten largest aristocratic families in the Northwest, so their power must be very strong. The key point was that the Buddhist family actually occupied the area outside Yumen Pass. What did this mean? It meant that most of the small countries in the Western Regions were also secretly controlled by them.
70
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