bookandnovel Chapter 22 Yejiaao 1
Chapter 22 Yejiaao 1
Daybreak.
After exchanging passwords with the gatekeeper.
The eldest brother, Lu You, set off carrying two "little chicks".
In fact, Liu Sheng discovered that after advancing to the Skin Polishing Realm and entering the Rank 1, his Qi and blood, as well as his strength, were more abundant than before.
They run even faster.
But no matter how fast he ran, it was still not as fast as his senior brother carrying him and leaping lightly.
At this moment, Lu You, while hurrying on his way, couldn't help but glance curiously at Liu Sheng in his hand out of the corner of his eye.
He didn't know what had happened in the room last night.
According to Master Gao Huang, this junior brother brought a future to the human race. He also instructed Lu You to properly and specifically nurture his junior brother Liu Sheng.
"No, no matter what, Ye Qi is definitely a person with superior physical constitution!"
Although everyone could see that Liu Sheng's comprehension was far beyond that of ordinary people and that he practiced his skills extremely diligently, they focused on cultivating Liu Sheng instead of Ye Qi, who had superior physical attributes.
Even now, Lu You is still completely bewildered.
It felt like my master had said something, but it was as if he hadn't said anything at all.
More practically, because he was praised for his merit in taking on apprentices, his monthly salary increased by 30%.
That's good news. Although his family also owns the [Lu Family Woodworking] business, he loses money when he takes money from his own family. Only the money he earns from the martial arts school is truly his own.
Moreover, cultivating to the seventh rank of the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Realm) costs money like water; it's always good to earn more.
Lu You also heard his master Gao Huang say that...
Master Zhang was so excited.
They also wanted to cover all of Liu Sheng's tuition fees.
It was he who dissuaded him, saying that Liu Sheng had never encountered any major setbacks so far and that he should experience them himself.
Earn your own money and improve your own skills.
Zhang Tianxing thought it made sense.
That's when they stopped.
Lu You clicked his tongue in amazement. This junior brother's importance in the grandmaster's heart was even more exaggerated than that of his master!
So what exactly did my junior brother do last night?
"Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore." Lu You shook his head.
In any case, Bajiquan has finally welcomed its 6th rank-up martial artist.
Regardless of their strength, the numbers have finally increased.
Once we get back, we can start preparing for the martial arts examination next spring.
This time, we finally have a chance to prove ourselves without relying on our master's infamous reputation, but by relying on our own strength as martial arts school disciples.
Speaking of the martial arts examination, Lu had heard his master mention it. In the previous dynasty, the martial arts examination was held in late autumn and early winter, after the busy farming season, when the livestock were fat and the horses were strong, which was the perfect time to hold the examination.
But now, the main cities of this great Fan Dynasty are located among snow-capped mountains and within valleys.
The busy farming season is only around the short period of summer.
It was still quite cold in early spring, so there wasn't much to do.
It's the beginning of another year, and just in time for the martial arts examination.
On the other end.
Thirty miles away.
Yueya County Government Office.
The county magistrate was also handling matters related to preparations for the military examination.
He sat upright in the main seat, his fingers tapping absently on the rosewood table, producing a dull thud.
"Hmm? Your Kang family wants a spot for a martial arts scholar this year?"
The county magistrate raised his eyelids and looked at the Kang family patriarch in front of him. His sheep-like eyes revealed no emotion.
The magistrate was quickly weighing his options.
Considering the cooperative relationship between the Shang clan and the Kang family, it doesn't seem like a bad idea. After all, it's better than letting the Yin family, supported by the Shang clan, benefit from it.
Moreover, as an outsider magistrate, he cannot gain a foothold by relying solely on the half-dead Beggars' Sect; he truly needs the support of local powerful clans.
The Kang family takes the money and actually gets things done; that's definitely a good choice.
Thinking about this...
He was about to agree.
At this moment, a member of the Beggars' Sect came to report.
Then, a Beggar Clan disciple appeared timidly at the door; it was Xiong Er.
It turned out that everyone was afraid of the county magistrate, including Diao Da, so it was Diao Da's turn to be the unlucky fellow again.
Perhaps because he had been scolded so much in the past, Xiong Er had learned his lesson this time. He knelt down with a thud, glanced at the Kang family patriarch beside him, and didn't dare to say anything.
"You tell me, Chief Kang is not an outsider."
When it came to the county magistrate's audience, it was Xiong Er again, and he was habitually a little angry.
I wanted to say something, but I held back. After all, Chief Kang was there, so I thought I'd let Xiong Er speak first.
"Reporting, Your Excellency! The new leader of the gang, Tong Wu, is dead!" Xiong Er hurriedly reported.
Immediately afterwards, the magistrate heard that a new batch of alchemy experts had been abducted by unknown forces and their whereabouts were unknown.
"waste!"
After the sharp reprimand, Magistrate Lun kicked over a rosewood table, sending teacups flying. He grabbed one of them and smashed it hard into Xiong Er's face.
Even the clan chief Kang, who was standing to the side, felt that the magistrate's actions were a bit excessive. He frowned and showed a slight displeasure.
But the county magistrate himself couldn't care less about such things.
At this moment, he was so angry that his two ram horns were trembling.
Crescent Moon County, after all, was under the jurisdiction of Shazhou, Zhang Tianxing's territory.
He managed to squeeze into the position and become the county magistrate, and secretly cooperated with the Beggars' Gang to exploit the people, create beggars, and then transport talent.
This is already the limit of what the family can do within Crescent Moon County.
He was truly envious. The neighboring counties of Shazhou were filled with demons, and some even had demon soldiers guarding them. Unlike his own situation, he was hampered at every turn!
"Alas, if I hadn't come to Crescent Moon County to reclaim the wasteland, how could I have ever had a chance to rise above my station in the Lun clan!" A strong sense of frustration welled up in the heart of County Magistrate Lun Ren.
Today, the demon garrison, the local powerful clans, and the Zhang family's influence in Shazhou are intertwined and mutually restraining.
In recent years, the human race has gradually grown stronger, and in order to prevent any unforeseen events, the demon race's garrison urgently needs talented people to refine pills.
Meanwhile, on their side, they also need talented individuals to refine the Blood Burning Pill, so that they can continue to take advantage of Zhang Tianxing's weakest moment to assassinate him and achieve unparalleled merit.
This would help the Lun clan increase its leverage in this round of struggle and gain the upper hand over the Shang clan on the other side.
After hurling his anger, Magistrate Lun Ren forced himself to calm down. He knew that anger wouldn't solve anything, especially with Chief Kang watching from the sidelines!
After a moment's thought, the county magistrate also made up his mind:
"Send me a message to Tong Yi."
A glint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes again, a self-doubt creeping in:
"No! I'll go myself, gather all the troops under the command of the 15 copper leaders, from Copper One to Copper Fifteen, and surround Yejia'ao! This time, we must succeed!"
Looking back now, only by taking Yejia'ao, which was relatively inconspicuous and lacked the protection of powerful clans and militias, could the urgent need for "talent" be met.
Xiong Er raised his face, which was wet with tea, and cautiously reminded him:
"Please forgive my bluntness, but you cannot gather all 15 bronze leaders, from Bronze One to Bronze Fifteen, because Bronze Five is dead, and now there are only 14 left..."
He kindly and meticulously added that the county magistrate had overlooked this small oversight due to his emotional outburst.
Then he proudly raised his head.
Waiting for the magistrate's praise.
"roll!!!"
The magistrate's next roar was so furious it could practically lift the roof off the county government office.
Although Xiong Er didn't understand what he had said wrong, he still obediently scrambled away and escaped.
Upon witnessing this scene, Chief Kang suddenly realized that the magistrate's earlier actions hadn't been so excessive.
On the contrary, this county magistrate seemed to have a better temper than himself.
Yes, it's worth cooperating with.
……
at first.
Soldiers stationed on the watchtower of Yejia'ao.
They saw Lu You, who looked like a human trafficker, carrying a child in each hand, flying over from the distant desert in segments.
Without hesitation, I banged on the empty can next to me.
When the guards on duty heard the noise, they took ten-foot-long, slashed hardwood spears and went out to investigate.
They finally recognized one of them as Ye Yong's daughter, the chieftain of the village.
The misunderstanding was cleared up after both sides talked it out.
They placed a plank across the Juma Ditch and let the three men in.
Liu Sheng looked around at Yejia'ao in the Mingsha Mountain.
Yejia'ao, nestled between the desert and the mountains, looks like a small oasis. Backed by steep cliffs, it was originally a terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Hundreds of adobe houses are arranged in a large circle on the outside, forming a crisscrossing maze in the middle. Many houses are still under construction, and you can see that they have poplar wood frames inside, covered with mud bricks on the outside.
At the entrance to the village is a gate made of poplar wood, reeds, and rammed earth. It is somewhat rough, but quite sturdy.
The walls on both sides of the stockade were covered with spikes.
We just discovered their garrison soldiers standing guard on the high watchtowers on both sides of the stockade wall.
Led by the fort guards, the group continued to walk inside.
As Ye Qi walked along the dirt road through the village, villagers would pass by from time to time. Some were men carrying farm tools, while others were women walking through the streets and alleys. They would all greet Ye Qi warmly, and their eyes would also be curiously observing the unfamiliar Liu Sheng.
Ye Qi's house is located in the very center of the village and is a rare brick and stone structure in the village.
There is a public square in front of the gate.
Several young women gathered around a well, washing clothes as they did so, splashing water everywhere with the washing sticks.
Upon seeing Liu Sheng walking alongside Ye Qi, they all began to discuss and whisper among themselves, followed by a burst of laughter.
Ye Qi knew perfectly well what they were talking about.
Her face turned bright red to her ears, and she quickened her pace.
He then jogged home.
Ye Yong was already waiting at the door.
He looked to be about 40 years old, standing still like an ancient pine tree rooted to the ground, his face bearing the marks of wind and sun. He lacked the fierceness of a battlefield, but possessed an upright posture and neatly dressed coarse cloth.
His professional military bearing and aura exude a certain charisma.
They were exactly the same as the other rebel soldiers Liu Sheng had seen in the Desert Cave.
Liu Sheng activated his spiritual eye and saw that Ye Yong was surrounded by a pale yellow light. He should also be a ninth-rank cultivator, only his cultivation level was slightly higher than his own.
"Father, this is Liu Sheng, whom I mentioned to you, and this is our eldest brother, Lu You." Ye Qi's voice was much softer than usual.
Ye Yong was also scrutinizing Liu Sheng, his gaze sharp and intense.
Liu Sheng neither dodged nor avoided the greeting, but instead cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Uncle Ye."
"Come in."
The interior was simply furnished but neatly arranged. Several large bowls of steaming "bo ge da" (a type of noodle dish), also known locally as "mian yu yu" (noodle fish), were already laid out on a large wooden table.
The two short, fish-shaped dough balls in the bowl, with pointed ends, are mixed with a few fresh homegrown vegetables, seasoned with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. They smell wonderful and look chewy and delicious.
Ye Qi's mother was a gentle and kind woman. She smiled and invited everyone to take their seats.
"It's so early, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Eat something while it's hot to fill your stomach."
After thanking him, Liu Sheng took the bowl and chopsticks and sat down.
However, he always felt that the way Ye Qi's mother looked at him was a little strange.
After quickly finishing his meal, he said he wanted to practice his skills. He went outside and started practicing stance training in the square in front of the gate.
He saw seven other martial arts masters in the square, practicing different martial arts techniques, including fist and leg techniques, some powerful and some cunning, and it was clear that they did not come from the same school.
So Liu Sheng opened his spiritual eye.
Good heavens, all seven of them were emitting a pale yellow light. This small Ye Family Village actually has so many rank-3 martial artists.
Inside the house, Lu You was still chatting with Ye Qi's parents.
Every now and then, you can hear standard polite phrases like "No, no" or "No, no."
A short while later, Ye Qi also came out.
"What's wrong?" Liu Sheng asked with concern when he saw that Ye Qi didn't look well.
"Sigh, it's all because of you, that 'other people's child'..."
Liu Sheng understood immediately.
So Ye Qi also started practicing stance training next to Liu Sheng.
"Brother's here, won't you invite me to your room for a bit, to hang out for a while?"
"Don't even think about it!!!" Ye Qi said urgently.
Liu Sheng didn't understand.
Why did Ye Qi react so strongly?
There can't be anything shameful in the room, can there?
At this moment, Ye Yong and Lu You, who had finished their conversation, also came out of the house. Ye Yong invited them to take a walk around Yejia'ao together.
Or more precisely, it is now Yejiazhai.
He pointed to the martial arts instructors in the square:
"These men are my comrades from the rebel army when I was young. We have a bond that has been through thick and thin. When they heard about the situation here and knew that bandits were rampant and the mountain stronghold was short of manpower, they simply came to live here and started their families."
As Ye Yong spoke, he glanced at Liu Sheng again, seemingly unintentionally.
Upon hearing this, Lu You and Liu Sheng solemnly clasped their fists in a salute to the martial artists opposite them from a distance.
"I had the southern wall of the stockade, the one you came from, raised by three feet. Now, even a ninth-rank expert would need some effort to climb over it."
As he walked, he pointed to the other side of the village, where several large houses that were clearly newly built and looked quite sturdy.
"That's the granary over there. There are cellars dug down there, and they store enough food to feed the whole village for a month. Even if we're besieged, it can hold out for a while."
The more Liu Sheng listened, the more alarmed he became.
This Ye Family Village, though seemingly peaceful, is no longer a mountain settlement; it has clearly been built to military standards.
"Over here..."
Ye Yong was still introducing himself when his voice was interrupted.
From the watchtower on the south side, the sound of empty cans being knocked and the soldiers' desperate shouts of warning could be heard.
"Thump, thump, thump—Enemy attack—!"
"Enemy attack—! Large numbers of troops, black wolf flags!!!"
Everyone's expression changed drastically!
Ye Yong's eyes instantly sharpened, and he shouted in a low voice, "Up the watchtower!"
Everyone rushed to the back of the South Gate and climbed the watchtower to take a look.
In the distance, dust billowed from the sand dunes, and a dark mass of people emerged, roughly numbering over a hundred!
These men carried swords and knives, and the dust kicked up by their horses' hooves was so thick it blotted out the sky.
At the very front of the procession, a large black flag was unfurled, embroidered with a ferocious wolf's head.
"It's bandits..." Ye Yong's voice was low: "Black Wolf Banner, judging by the number of people, most of the bandits in the desert have probably come."
Liu Sheng also activated his spiritual eyes and scanned the area. Of the more than one hundred people, very few were glowing green; the vast majority were glowing white, with a dozen or so glowing yellow and one glowing red...
Lu You also said with a serious expression: "Clan Chief Ye, this is likely to be a fierce battle."