"Greetings, Captain."
"Captain, sir."
Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang hurried forward, bowing in salute.
Nie Yuanliu gave a slight nod, then casually tossed a cloth bundle, still seeping blood, onto the ground. He gave his orders in a flat tone:
"Cut off the left ears from the rebel corpses as proof of your rits. Bury the rest of the bodies on the spot and leave no trace. After we return to camp, I will personally report your achievents."
With the ambush successfully concluded, Nie Yuanliu naturally wouldn’t continue escorting them to their new post.
"Thank you, Captain!" the two n replied in unison.
After Captain Nie’s figure disappeared into the woods, Chen Sheng let an expression of dawning realization and lingering fear appear on his face. He leaned in and asked Wu Kuang in a low voice:
"Sir, could it be that this ambush today... Captain Nie knew about it all along?"
Wu Kuang patted his shoulder, his tone a mixture of complexity and emotion.
"You’ve guessed correctly. Captain Nie had received intelligence long ago, but he kept it secret for the sake of confidentiality. I had originally intended for you to take the vanguard and seize this opportunity for rit, but I didn’t expect..."
He had planned to give the primary credit for this battle to Chen Sheng, to pave the way for his future promotions. Who would have thought that Chen Sheng wouldn’t volunteer, allowing the eager-to-perform Huang Ren to snatch the opportunity, ultimately costing him his life.
Thinking of this, all he could do was sigh.
"Weren’t the main rebel forces already wiped out?" Chen Sheng pressed on, trying to learn more.
"Easier said than done."
Wu Kuang shook his head, his expression growing serious.
"This rebellion has affected most of Yunzhou and half of Qing Province. How could it be quelled overnight? The court’s army only eliminated the bandit armies that gathered and openly caused trouble. In reality, the waterways, mountain forests, and shadowy corners of every prefecture and county still hide a large number of Taiping Dao remnants, waiting for a chance to strike."
He paused, then lowered his voice even more.
"That is why our superiors have been transferring elites like us, veterans of the war, to serve in local prefectures and counties. They want to use us to strengthen the local authorities, suppress these hidden threats, and prevent the sparks from reigniting into a fire."
"The Taiping Dao?"
This was the first ti Chen Sheng had heard the specific na of the force behind the rebellion.
"Exactly."
Wu Kuang nodded, a trace of fear flashing in his eyes. "This sect is skilled at bewitching people’s minds, and their thods are treacherous. They’ve been behind most of the rebellions in recent years. Their ambitions are not small; they aim to throw the world into turmoil... But enough. It’s not proper to speak more of this."
He waved his hand, cutting the topic short, and ordered Chen Sheng to take charge of cleaning the battlefield, counting the casualties, and dealing with the bodies and spoils of war.
Chen Sheng was already an old hand at this.
Months on the battlefield had made him exceptionally skilled in such matters. Even without a prompt from [Seeking Fortune], he could instinctively scavenge so deeply hidden valuables and silver coins from the corpses and wreckage.
Although most of it had to be turned in, by handling it all, he could secretly skim off a portion—enough to refill the purse that had been drained by buying his official post and greasing palms.
Chen Sheng also personally buried Huang Ren’s body.
Chen Sheng felt little guilt over his death. It was within his expectations. Wu Kuang had only two Vice Commanders under him; it was either him or Huang Ren. ’Better you die than .’ In these chaotic tis, staying alive was all that mattered.
However, he had ultimately escaped disaster because Huang Ren had died in his place. Chen Sheng stood silently before his grave for a mont before finally pouring out a jar of cheap wine as a small gesture.
Wu Kuang felt more regret over Huang Ren’s death. After all, his older brother had entrusted him to Wu Kuang’s care, yet in the blink of an eye, they were separated by death. It would be awkward and shaful to face him in the future. But that was the extent of it. In a chaotic world, life and death were commonplace.
Not long after, Captain Nie truly departed, leaving quietly. Before he left, it seed he whispered a few more instructions to Wu Kuang.
After a headcount, the casualties among the soldiers were found to be considerable.
Including Huang Ren, a total of twelve n were killed in action, most of them falling in the first, sudden volley of arrows. Another dozen or so were wounded.
They had lost nearly half their troops before even arriving at their post. This was undoubtedly a terrible start, and it slowed the rest of their journey considerably.
Chen Sheng, of course, wouldn’t let the ti go to waste. After delegating the miscellaneous marching duties, he once again devoted his full attention to his cultivation.
Although they had won the battle, it made him feel the inadequacy of his own strength and the dangers of the world even more keenly. The world was descending into chaos, and the only thing he could truly rely on was his own martial power.
[Basic Knife Technique: Great Success (680/1000)]
[Golden Bell Body Refining Technique: Minor Achievent (345/500)]
[Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique: Entry (84/100)]
Sweeping his gaze over the data that appeared before his eyes, Chen Sheng cald his mind and focused, continuing to hone his Cultivation Techniques.
...
In the blink of an eye, seven or eight days had passed since they broke camp and finally reached the border of Ning’an Prefecture. The journey was slow, hampered by the wounded, but this unexpectedly provided Chen Sheng with a long, uninterrupted period of stable cultivation ti.
With the support of ample Qi and Blood Pills, after half a month of hard cultivation, his strength had improved once again.
[Basic Knife Technique: Great Success (850/1000)]
[Golden Bell Body Refining Technique: Minor Achievent (425/500)]
[Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique: Entry (95/100)]
The progress in his Knife Technique and Body Refining Technique was astonishingly fast, but the cultivation of the Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique was agonizingly slow. The progress was glacial.
Of course, this was partly because Chen Sheng was focusing his main efforts on the foundation-building Pile Skill and practical Knife Technique. Still, it highlighted the technique’s difficulty, making Chen Sheng yearn for the unstoppable montum he’d felt when refining the Purifying Essence Pill.
After arriving at Ning’an Prefecture City, Wu Kuang had to follow regulations and first go to the Prefecture Governnt Office to pay his respects to the Lord and the Garrison General who commanded Ning’an Prefecture’s troops. He ordered Chen Sheng to lead the n, find a place to camp outside the city, and await news.
It wasn’t until noon the next day that Wu Kuang finally returned to the encampnt. His face was grim, a deep-seated worry etched between his brows that he couldn’t seem to shake.
Seeing this, Chen Sheng imdiately went forward and asked with concern:
"Sir, did you run into so trouble on your trip?"
Wu Kuang waved his hand, gesturing for him to enter the tent. After sitting down, he let out a long sigh.
"Not trouble, exactly. It’s just that I learned about the recent situation in Changshan County from the Lord and the Garrison General... *Sigh*, it’s much more severe than we anticipated."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and continued,
"Within Changshan County, three major scourges are running rampant. First, the water bandits on the Qinglin Waterway are out of control, robbing rchants and raiding villages and towns along the banks. Second, the city’s gang factions are deeply entrenched and constantly fighting, treating the Governnt Office as if it doesn’t exist. Third, the local powerful families have grown too strong, annexing land and privately amassing ard forces, essentially becoming their own independent entities."
"The Lord has given a clear order: upon taking my post, I must quickly restore order, eliminate the water bandits, and suppress the gangs and powerful families... Although he has granted the authority to act decisively on my own, this is..."
His face was full of worry, and he couldn’t stop sighing.
’Even if Changshan County is a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den, it won’t stop my determination to hoard resources and accumulate wealth. I invested a huge amount for this position of County Captain. If I don’t earn it all back with interest, wouldn’t all my efforts have been for nothing?’
"This... This is simply asking the impossible!"
Chen Sheng chid in at the right mont, expressing indignation on his superior’s behalf.
"From what you told about Changshan County’s old situation on the road, I thought it was already difficult enough. I didn’t expect the reality to be even worse."
Wu Kuang let out a heavy breath, his gaze gradually turning sharp and resolute. "You grew up in Changshan and are familiar with the local problems. In the future, I will need you to assist diligently in many matters."
"Rest assured, sir! Since I have chosen to follow you, I will naturally do everything in my power. I will go through fire and water for you and sweep away all obstacles!" Chen Sheng imdiately declared with a solemn expression, his tone firm and decisive.
After so discussion, the contingent set out again, heading straight for Changshan County Town, which was over a hundred li away.
At dusk the next day, the contingent finally reached the Changshan County Region.
Gazing at the familiar yet strange silhouette of the county town in the distance, the lingering resentnt of the body’s original owner began to stir in Chen Sheng’s mind again. Countless mory fragnts, mixed with complex emotions, surged up.
He took a deep breath and silently circulated his ntal thod, only then managing to slowly suppress the agitation.
However, as they approached the city gate, the expected scene of officials coming out to welco them did not materialize.
There were only large crowds of sallow-faced, emaciated refugees in ragged clothes gathered near the city gate, and a few listless guards peering down from the top of the wall, painting a bleak and indifferent picture.
"It seems the people in the Changshan County Governnt Office want to give you a show of force right off the bat, sir," Chen Sheng said in a low voice, frowning at the scene before them.
Wu Kuang’s face was as grim as still water; he seed to have expected this. He gave a cold snort, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and with a light flick of the reins, urged his horse forward.
"Enter the city!"
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