Chapter 516: The Prefect of Minfeng County (Two-part story) [Seeking monthly votes]
"—This is truly gratifying!" As he spoke with excitement, the merchant's face flushed. He grabbed the teacup that the audience had filled for him, tilted his head back, and gulped it all down in one go. He then wiped the water from the corner of his mouth, his emotions surging.
Some listeners voiced their doubts.
"...This doesn't sound very true. I heard that Mr. Shen is only fourteen or fifteen years old. What are we doing at our age?"
The merchant waved him away impatiently.
He started cursing, "You blockhead! It's your business if you're still wearing tattered pants and flaunting your genitals at your age, but Shen Jun is a young prodigy. Otherwise, how would he be the head of a prefecture, while you're still a mud-covered wretch? You're just dreaming!"
Someone nearby chimed in, "That's right, that's right."
The others laughed too.
The man's face turned red from the rebuke.
Ignoring the ridicule and refutation from the crowd: "Whether it's good or bad, isn't it all just your opinion, you old fool? Who knows if it's true or not? I just don't believe that two thousand people, and a fourteen or fifteen-year-old kid can bring them back? That's ridiculous."
Gong Xichou was displeased upon hearing this.
He said, "That must be true."
When the man saw Gong Xichou speak, he pointed the cannon at him.
He scoffed, "What's wrong? You've seen it before?"
Gong Xichou chewed on beans.
He smiled and said, "I've met that Mr. Shen."
Upon hearing this, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.
They all mocked Gong Xichou, saying he was dreaming.
Gong Xichou blinked and said, "Why don't you believe me? I not only know her, but I've also sung with her."
Someone grinned and said, "Oh right, you sang with Shen Jun, but did you know that Shen Jun also shared a urinal with me?" Everyone has a mouth, and anyone can brag.
Unexpectedly, Gong Xichou looked him up and down and silently shook his head.
Holding his father's urn, he said with utmost sincerity, "If you don't believe me, you two will never be able to urinate together."
The person who was rebuked was speechless.
The rest of the group slapped their thighs and burst into laughter.
For a moment, the teahouse was filled with cheerful laughter. The others, still wanting more stories, pressed the merchant for more details. The merchant, however, hadn't witnessed it firsthand; it was mostly hearsay. How could he know so many details? He was simply there for the excitement. The basic story was true, but he let himself make up the details, exaggerating and sensationalizing as much as possible—
The Shen Tang he described was nine feet three inches tall, with a broad forehead and wide face, a tiger's body and a bear's waist and an ape's arms. His voice was like a giant bell. He rode a majestic warhorse with a long mane and led his troops to attack the capital of the Ten Crows. The scene was so powerful that it shook mountains and collapsed the sky!
The strategist under his command was elegant and composed, calmly deploying troops. The soldiers were fierce and brave, and the fighting was so fierce that the ten crows cried out in disarray.
How could those ten crows possibly accept such a loss?
They tried to surround and intercept him, but Shen Tang and his troops outmaneuvered them.
Meanwhile, the battle at Yonggu Pass was even more intense.
The thunderous war drums shook the Ten Crows army, causing them to tremble and lose their fighting spirit. The three duels were increasingly fierce and intense, making everyone hold their breath in suspense for the fighters. Then, a mysterious scholar appeared on Shen Tang's side, waving his sleeve and unleashing countless golden rays, scattering beans to create soldiers, causing a myriad of auspicious clouds to rise on the battlefield, and summoning countless celestial soldiers and generals to descend and aid them—
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the ten crows scattered and fled.
Gong Xiqiu listened with great interest.
He clapped every now and then, acting very much like a shill.
The lecture lasted for more than half an hour, until even the sun overhead began to tilt slightly, before the crowd of listeners, still reluctant to leave, gradually dispersed. The merchant also packed his bags, preparing to set off for home. Just then, the sound of approaching hooves grew louder in the distance.
For some reason, the teahouse owner's face was visibly tense, and he clenched the cloth he was using to wipe the table, his knuckles turning slightly white.
Only when he saw the people and horses appearing at the end of the road did he breathe a long sigh of relief and continue with what he was doing. Gong Xichou placed his father's urn of ashes on the saddlebags of his warhorse and was about to mount when he caught a glimpse of the approaching figures and stopped.
There were more than ten people who came.
He reeked of blood.
He clearly looked disheveled after the battle was over.
Normally, Gongxi Chou wouldn't bother with it.
But this time it wouldn't work, because these were all his personally trained guards, whom he had entrusted to Gongxi to escort her safely back to the clan's territory. Why were they in this state? Could it be that Alai had encountered some misfortune? Gongxi Chou called out to stop them.
Upon hearing the familiar sound, the men hurriedly tightened their reins, jumped off their horses, and saluted Gongxi Chou: "General!"
What are you doing here?
They all looked like they'd been brutally beaten up.
Then he asked, "Where is Alai?"
The head guard's eyes were slightly red, which made Gong Xichou's heart skip a beat. His previously calm expression instantly turned fierce. The unnatural martial aura he exuded made those nearby feel breathless. He demanded, "Speak!"
How could any of them dare to hide it?
He confessed everything in detail.
It's not a complicated matter to explain.
Simply put, someone was tempted by the money!
The twenty cartloads of wealth that Gong Xichou gave to Gong Xilai were no small sum; anyone would be envious. But with a group of elite guards escorting them, even the most daring thieves along the way would have to think twice before risking their lives! The journey was relatively safe.
Until they entered the territory of Minfeng County. Although it was called a county, it was actually only a tiny place, about the size of a palm. The surrounding area was mostly mountains, forests and valleys, making it a good place for bandits to hide and fight guerrilla warfare. Because there was very little arable land, there were very few common people in the area, and the whole environment was relatively isolated.
The ancestral home of the Gongxi ethnic group is located within the territory of Minfeng.
They were immediately targeted by bandits upon arrival.
But the guards were strong and easily repelled wave after wave until a tough group arrived. Dozens of brothers were captured, and Gong Xilai and twenty cartloads of valuables were also seized by the bandits.
The group managed to escape, intending to return and find Gong Xichou.
Who knew we'd run into each other halfway there.
Upon hearing this, Gong Xichou instantly exploded.
"Where is that blind bandit?"
"I'm going to twist his head off!"
"You've gone too far in bullying Gongxi! You're asking for death!"
They immediately grabbed one of their guards and threw him onto a horse.
His expression was icy as he said, "Lead the way!"
We must raze that mountain to the ground!
The group dared not delay and immediately set off. The audience in the teahouse had not completely dispersed. Seeing this situation, and recalling Gong Xichou's imposing presence, and remembering the young man's claim that he had seen Shen Jun, their credibility skyrocketed, almost reaching 100%.
The warhorses galloped wildly.
The scenery on both sides rushed past us.
Although Gong Xichou was furious, he still retained his rationality.
His personal guards weren't necessarily the strongest, but they were all veterans of battle, and half of them were martial arts experts. Even though their ranks were low, they could easily wipe out several gangs of petty thieves. The fact that they suffered such a humiliating defeat suggested they were no ordinary men.
With the horse galloping at full speed, they arrived at the foot of the mountain in less than a quarter of an hour. Gong Xichou was too lazy to climb the mountain, so he directly transformed into his martial armor.
He roared, "You little thief, hand over A-Lai!"
The sound echoed through the valley.
The nearby mountains were shaken so badly that rocks tumbled everywhere.
at the same time--
A bandit's den.
The young man, clad in martial armor and half-covered in a large tiger skin, possessed a refined and handsome appearance. Two rows of imposing and spirited henchmen stood before him. His style was completely out of place in the bandit's den. To be precise, the entire bandit's den was completely incongruous with the word "bandit." Who had ever seen a bandit's den with the four characters "Minfeng Prefecture" hanging on its gate? The young man wore an official seal at his waist.
Holding a huge fruit in his hand, he casually wiped it with his sleeve, then took two big, crunchy bites.
Gong Xilai secretly clenched his teeth.
Despite her inner turmoil, she forced herself to remain calm and explained, "...I have said everything I need to say. These valuables were indeed a gift from my elder brother, not looted. I am returning home to live here permanently, so please do not make things difficult for me, Prefect."
Yes--
The young man with the bandit-like demeanor claimed to be the Prefect of Minfeng County. He said he was originally a wandering knight-errant who traveled here, single-handedly taking on several bandit strongholds, and then led his bandits to storm the Minfeng County government. He killed local gentry, destroyed tyrannical officials, seized the official seal, and proclaimed himself the Prefect of Minfeng County.
They even moved the county government to the mountains.
Bandits within the Minfeng territory all had to pay him taxes.
The lives of ordinary people were not greatly affected, and they even benefited from it—the bandits were under the control of the young man and dared not harm the common people in the area, and their lives became much more stable—they did not object to this prefect who had risen to power through his own efforts.
Of course, some people have also reported this problem.
But what about the royal court of Geng Kingdom?
The legitimate ruler of Geng Kingdom, Zheng Qiao, is not here.
This problem has been dragging on and on.
In addition, Minfeng is a tiny place, barely the size of a county, so who would want to bother with such trivial matters?
The young man settled here, living a carefree life. Recently, he heard reports from several mountain bandit strongholds that a suspicious group had entered the area, carrying a vast amount of ill-gotten gains. Coincidentally, the stronghold was so poor they were starving, so they decided to pull off a heist!
And so, this scene unfolded before our eyes.
The young man did not touch Gong Xilai and the others.
They interrogated people about their origins, where they came from, and where they were going, and found that many of their belongings bore official seals.
The young man asked, "Did your brother give it to you?"
He rested his chin on his hand and chuckled, “Do you know how much wealth is in here? Is your brother a prince or nobleman, or one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, to be able to amass such a fortune? I have never heard of any court minister named Gongxi. You lie without a care in the world.”
Gong Xilai pursed his lips.
It's clear that the young man's goal is money.
Now, I am at their mercy, like a fish on a chopping board. Even my trusted guards have been arrested. Do I really have to pay a fine to avoid disaster?
Gong Xilai was naturally unwilling to accept this.
But she knew even more clearly that the man in front of her was a bandit leader!
A single unpleasant turn of events could lead to her being casually given away as a reward to any subordinate, or even a group of subordinates. The thought of that scene made her lips turn pale and her body tremble slightly. Just as she was torn between her inner turmoil and her resolve to use her wealth to ensure everyone's safety, the young man who had been lazily reclining on the armchair sat up straight, his expression grave, and looked up towards the gate of the stronghold. A moment later, a streak of dark green martial energy shot into the sky.
He said, "We've got a tough one!"
The aura is extremely dangerous!
Gong Xilai and Yang Ying also looked towards the commotion.
But then a familiar figure burst forth from the martial energy, descending from the sky like a cannonball, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
"Brother!"
Gong Xichou glanced at her; she was clean and not particularly disheveled, so he figured she hadn't suffered much. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Come, stand behind your brother, don't be afraid."
Perhaps thinking that Gong Xilai and Yang Ying were both weak women, he did not bind them. Upon hearing this, Gong Xilai immediately ran behind him, grabbed a piece of his armor, pointed at the young man, and accused him: "Brother, this is the man who robbed us!"
Gong Xichou sneered: "I saw it."
He added, "Alai, how do you want him to die!"
Gong Xilai was also a vengeful person. With someone backing him up, when else would he dare to act? However, considering his identity as a young man, he didn't want to cause trouble for Gong Xichou, so he whispered, "Brother, he seems to be the governor of Minfeng County. It's better not to kill him."
But a severe beating is absolutely necessary!
The young man crossed his arms and scoffed, "He can kill me?"
Gong Xichou sneered, "How will you know if you don't try?"
Upon hearing this, the bandit henchmen swarmed forward, their blades completely surrounding Gong Xichou and his group. The young man raised his hand to stop them, ordering them to retreat. He cracked his knuckles and said, "In that case, how about we settle this with our skills?"
Gong Xichou said, "Very good."
If we're going to fight, we need to find another place.
The surrounding area was mostly populated by ordinary people like Gong Xilai, whose physical constitutions were weak and could not withstand the impact of a close-range burst of martial energy. One was dark green, and the other was light blue. The two streams of martial energy rose into the air almost simultaneously, flying towards another mountain peak in perfect unison.
Gong Xilai nervously gripped Yang Ying's wrist.
Yang Ying patted her hand reassuringly.
He whispered, "General Gongxi will not lose."
Yang Ying had not known who had taken her in until she learned it was Gong Xichou. She couldn't help but recall the gossip she had heard during her escape. The general who led the attack on Xiaocheng was none other than Gong Xichou! He was also the man who had fought her father.
In other words—
My father died at the hands of this man.
Despite her grief, Yang Ying felt little hatred. Coming from a military family, she often heard her father, Yang Gong, say that for a brave warrior to die on the battlefield was a good end, at least more honorable than to die on his deathbed with his aging body.
On the battlefield, life and death depend entirely on one's ability.
If I die in battle, it's because I was outmatched.
Yang Ying silently swallowed this matter, processing it alone, not daring to reveal a single word to Gong Xilai. How could a martial artist capable of defeating her father so easily lose to a bandit leader?
He had thought he could win easily, but the battle dragged on for quite some time, surprising even Gong Xichou himself. Although his internal injuries hadn't healed and he couldn't use his full strength, the gap in cultivation level between the young man and him was too great—an insurmountable chasm!
"The will of a warrior..."
Gong Xiqiu saw through the clues.
This young man actually has the ambition of a martial artist!
To my shame, he didn't have one.
Because a martial artist's intent is a killing technique that can only be comprehended with a 10% chance of success when facing death! It is extremely rare! Except for the night of the massacre of his clan, Gong Xichou was always the one who drove others into a desperate situation.
For him, the martial arts spirit was merely icing on the cake.
No matter how strong the enemy is, you'll still die if your head is ripped off.
However, this enemy is quite interesting.
There was a faint sense of familiarity about it.
Gong Xichou stepped forward and asked, "How old are you?"
The young man's animal hide was charred, and his armor was nearly half shattered. Despite his disheveled state, he showed no sign of begging for mercy. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and sneered, "Why ask that?"
Gong Xiqiu carefully examined the young man's face.
"Is there thirty-seven or thirty-eight?"
The young man rolled his eyes, not wanting to answer.
The next moment, Gong Xichou made a strange movement.
He took off one of his breastplates and used it as a mirror, muttering, "He is quite handsome, but he doesn't look like it..."
After taking the photos, put them back on.
"Is your surname Jimo or Gongxi?"
The young man retorted irritably, "My surname is Xun!"
Gong Xichou said disappointedly, "Oh, you do have some talent. You might become my rival in the future. I won't twist your head then."
Every good seedling pulled out is one less to go around.
How boring this will be!
“But you have to apologize to Alai. You scared her! If you don’t apologize, I’ll break your legs!”
As for why this young man surnamed Xun had a familiar aura, we'll ask him later. The young man glanced down at his limp, drooping, and twisted left arm, and his lips twitched slightly: "Heh, alright!"
He can bend and stretch!
ヾ(ω`)o
Another day of high energy.
It's been three days since the two-in-one session started, keep up the good work!
P.S.: I failed the glucose tolerance test today because I forgot to get my nucleic acid test. I've been staying home all day and completely lost track of time. Ugh, I was stopped at the health center entrance – so embarrassing! Last night I resisted drinking water after 9 PM, woke up at 7:30 without eating, and woke up twice in the middle of the night with a dry mouth, but I endured it. Still, I couldn't get in… I immediately got my nucleic acid test done. I'll try again the day after tomorrow!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
