I Have A Qi Fortune Altar-Chapter 142 - 135 Subduing the Yunjiang Four Ghosts! (Please Subscribe)

Chapter 142: Chapter 135 Subduing the Yunjiang Four Ghosts! (Please Subscribe)

The field fell silent for a moment, the whistling of the wind resonating through the air. Zhao Beishan, Qian Xishan, and others exchanged glances, swallowing saliva nervously, some feeling inexplicably terrified.

For some reason, the sight of that bloodstained, azure-clad figure in the midst of the field inspired fear in them.

It was indeed because of the previous manner in which Chen Yuan had acted, slaughtering with great ferocity, that had shaken them deeply. Some had even been torn in half by Chen Yuan, and Yu Wancheng had nearly been smashed into a lump of flesh.

Especially when Chen Yuan had grabbed Yu Wancheng by the shoulders and violently smashed him to the ground, it was not at all like the calm, and even gentle, Lord Wang En, they remembered.

Chen Yuan slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the Yunjiang Four Ghosts, then he smiled and said:

“Just now, I got a bit carried away. Don’t take it to heart.”

He was certainly no demon, he simply wanted to intimidate the Yunjiang Four Ghosts and incidentally savor the rush of power.

The Yunjiang Four Ghosts might have once held onto their sense of justice, descending into banditry out of dissatisfaction with their superiors, but years of living as bandits had undoubtedly transformed their mentality.

To subjugate them, aside from enticing them with benefits, it was essential to overawe them with power!

Back at the inn, Chen Yuan felt that their politeness was most certainly due to his display of strength, and what he needed to do now was to reinforce that impression.

“Pre… predecessor.”

“Lord Wang En…”

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Several people were somewhat at a loss.

“On this occasion, I am deeply grateful to Lord Wang En for his intervention, saving the lives of my brothers and me!”

In the end, it was Zhao Beishan, who seemed to embody the presence of an elder brother, who spoke with great respect.

Chen Yuan smiled and said:

“Allow me to formally introduce myself. My surname is Chen, my given name is Yuan, from the Heavenly Patrol Bureau!”

…

…

North of Nanling City.

Atop a tavern, Chen Yuan sat in the seat of honor with Zhao Beishan and his three brothers lined up below him. They were still reeling from the shock they had not yet recovered from.

Wang Ping was an alias, and the true identity of “kind sir” turned out to be a Heavenly Patrol Envoy from the Nanling Prefecture’s Heavenly Patrol Bureau!

A member of the imperial government!

“What brings ‘kind sir’ to seek out my brothers and me, I wonder…”

Zhao Beishan’s eyes flickered, pondering something.

Hearing his words, Qian Xishan, Sun Nanshan, and others also looked at Chen Yuan with some confusion.

Could it be that the government also intended to take action against these river bandits?

And then the ‘kind sir’ reached out to them, giving them prior notice?

“What do you think Chen seeks from you?” Instead of answering, Chen Yuan countered with a question.

Zhao Beishan looked around:

“This… we are slow-witted, I hope Chen… ‘kind sir’ will speak frankly. If there’s anything we brothers can assist with, we will not hesitate to do so.”

“Yes, ‘kind sir’, please do not hesitate to speak.”

“Since ‘kind sir’ has saved our lives, our lives are indeed in ‘kind sir’s’ debt.”

The others echoed in agreement.

In their eyes, Chen Yuan would not seek them out without a good reason, and they were ready to repay the favor as best as they could.

After all, without Chen Yuan, they would have died twice over by now.

“No need to be so anxious. Actually, I am offering you an opportunity for absolution. Do you intend to spend your lives as Yunjiang river pirates?”

“Without resources and cultivation techniques, you might never break through to the Gang Condensation Realm in your lifetimes.”

Chen Yuan smiled.

“What does ‘kind sir’ mean?”

Zhao Beishan vaguely sensed something.

Chen Yuan smiled without responding.

Zhao Beishan’s eyes flashed, and after exchanging a few glances with his brothers, they all nodded secretly.

Then, the four of them stood up, knelt down on one knee before Chen Yuan, and said in a low voice:

“We are slow-witted and from now on pledge our allegiance to ‘kind sir’. We hope ‘kind sir’ will take us in!”

“Gentlemen, please rise.”

A smile curled at the edge of Chen Yuan’s mouth as he helped each of them to their feet.

“From now on, we brothers are ready to brave any danger for ‘kind sir’.”

“To climb a mountain of swords, to plunge into a sea of flames, there will be no refusal!”

“Without ‘kind sir’, there would be no road to survival for us, earnestly wishing to pledge our loyalty.”

Their words were modest, but each of them conveyed their intentions clearly.

“There is no need for such perilous talk; from now on, follow by my side, and you shall have resources, cultivation techniques, and status!”

Chen Yuan’s expression became stern.

As long as the Yunjiang Four Ghosts truly served him without second thoughts, Chen Yuan would not be stingy in nurturing them.

People like Yue Shan could also be trusted, but they were after all people of the court.

And Chen Yuan…

He had joined the Taoist Divine Palace, not out of loyalty to his country, but simply using the power of the government to climb higher. And the Taoist Divine Palace itself did not seem like an organization of the Righteous Path but might be scheming something in the shadows.

Yet Chen Yuan had joined without hesitation.

If the benefits were great enough, betraying the government would not cause him any moral dilemma.

In this world, most things are illusory; only interests are eternal!

“We pay our respects to the master!”

Zhao Beishan nodded solemnly, abandoning the title of ‘kind sir’ and addressing him as ‘master,’ which signified that from this point forward, they were subordinates of Chen Yuan.

He did not know if the choice he and his brothers made was the right one, but it seemed the most suitable at the moment.

After all, there was still the oppression of the Azure Flood Dragon Association above them.

With Yu Wancheng gone, even though they had cleaned up the battlefield a bit, it would still be easy for the Association to conclude that Yu Wancheng’s death was related to them, the Yunjiang Four Ghosts.

If Chen Yuan hadn’t taken them under his wing, they would undoubtedly have had to leave Nanling Prefecture for the time being.

To avoid their sharp edges.

“Greetings, my lord!”

“Greetings, my lord!”

After Zhao Beishan had spoken, the others also quickly changed their tune.

After some chatting, Chen Yuan learned from Zhao Beishan the reason behind Yu Wancheng’s ambush: the Azure Flood Dragon Association was preparing to monopolize Yunjiang and take complete control.

To drive out all the river pirates of Yunjiang and eradicate them completely.

Either submit and join the Azure Flood Dragon Association, or… die.

And these brothers had once had conflicts with the Azure Flood Dragon Association, plus they simply couldn’t stomach their way of doing things, so they had never considered joining the Azure Flood Dragon Association.

Faced with the threats from the Azure Flood Dragon Association, they outright refused.

After that, they were pursued for assassination.

Initially, it was just members of the Azure Flood Dragon Association below the Gang Condensation Realm who were searching for their whereabouts, but after confirming their location, it led to the Deputy Hall Master of the Blood Killing Hall, Yu Wancheng, coming after them.

And Chen Yuan’s encounter was not mere coincidence.

They had been pursued for several days already, always skirmishing in the mountains. After encountering Yu Wancheng, unable to match his strength, they had fought as they retreated to the riverside.

“The Blood Killing Hall again!”

A chill flashed in Chen Yuan’s eyes.

Under the Azure Flood Dragon Association, there were three main halls: the Blood Killing Hall, Feiying Hall, and Yunshui Hall.

Among these three halls, the Blood Killing Hall was strongest, with both a principal and a deputy hall master. The Feiying Hall was next, while the Yunshui Hall was not good at fighting; it was involved in business.

The Azure Flood Dragon Association openly had three to four martial artists in the Gang Condensation Realm; with just the strength of the Heavenly Patrol Bureau, it truly was impossible to suppress so many forces in Jianghu.

Keep in mind, the Azure Flood Dragon Association was a third-tier power among the Five Great Forces.

With the Shenxiao Hall and Gold Mountain Monastery above it, their strength was even greater.

Jianghu forces, within Nanling Prefecture, had already put great pressure on the court.

After a moment of silence, Chen Yuan said in a low voice,

“The news of Yu Wancheng’s death will definitely spread in the next few days. For now, you all will do something for me.”

“Just give your orders, my lord.”

“Go to Qinghe County and gather some information on Ren Changyi and the Ren Family for me.”

“As you command.”

Having the Yunjiang Four Ghosts go ahead and scout was Chen Yuan’s way of being more cautious. If things changed, Chen Yuan would need to make further plans.

Plan first, then act!

…

…

After the Yunjiang Four Ghosts left Nanling Prefecture, Chen Yuan did not busy himself with other matters but instead refocused on cultivation.

Cultivation depends on diligence.

Even though he had the incredibly miraculous Taoist Technique of the Supreme Mysterious Scripture constantly aiding his cultivation, he did not slack off in the slightest.

His goal was not just limited to Qi Absorption.

The Qi Absorption Level might be sufficient for self-preservation, but within the entire Nanling Prefecture, it was only considered a mediocre standard. It was not enough to stand at the absolute summit. Only the strong ones in the Reach Profound Realm,

could claim a place for themselves.

After several days of cultivation, Chen Yuan’s cultivation had improved a bit. At this moment, the whirl of qi within his dantian had already taken up two-fifths, a significant increase in his cultivation.

If others knew about it, they would undoubtedly be astounded.

After all, it had been nearly twenty days since Chen Yuan entered the Gang Condensation Realm. For many, this time was merely a part of the process of cultivation.

Of course, the further one went in cultivation, the harder it became, and the more time it required.

Meanwhile, the Azure Flood Dragon Association was exceptionally furious in these few days, having discovered the death of Yu Wancheng. They issued the Azure Flood Dragon Token throughout Nanling Prefecture, pursuing the Yunjiang Four Ghosts.

Whoever brought their heads to the Azure Flood Dragon Association would receive a thousand taels of silver, along with three Mystic Spirit Pills.

The bounty was extremely generous, causing many to seek information on the Yunjiang Four Ghosts. Unfortunately, there was no trace of them, as they had left Nanling Prefecture days earlier.

Inside the Heavenly Patrol Bureau, there were also murmurs about why Chen Yuan had not started on his duties as a Heavenly Patrol Envoy for over half a month. Chen Yuan knew that Nie Qi Yun was definitely behind this.

No doubt, the other Envoys might also be adding fuel to the fire.

That day.

Chen Yuan summoned Yue Shan, Yang Feng, and Mo Donghe.

“My lord, are we starting on the mission now?” Yue Shan asked with a bow.

His complexion was a bit unnatural; he had heard the talk within the Heavenly Patrol Bureau these past few days and was somewhat indignant on Chen Yuan’s behalf.

The power dynamics within the Heavenly Patrol Bureau were crystal clear to everyone. After Zhang Xuan’s departure, the other Envoys were somewhat dissatisfied with Chen Yuan.

“Indeed, the mission arrived several days ago, but it wasn’t yet time to take action. Now… it’s about time,” Chen Yuan said.

“May I ask my lord, what is the mission?” Mo Donghe asked gravely.

Chen Yuan stood up and said indifferently,

“Qinghe County, bring back a head!”

After that, Chen Yuan briefly explained the mission.

Mo Donghe’s calm face squeezed out a smile. He loved tasks like extermination!

“Do we set out now?” Yue Shan inquired.

Chen Yuan nodded,

“Go and deploy the men. Immediately, set out!”

————

I hope everyone isn’t nurturing the book…

The drop is truly a bit fierce, woo woo woo.