Chapter 201
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Chapter 201: Arrival
The next morning.
The storm that had raged all night had finally subsided, leaving behind a clear sky with scattered clouds.
Only the muddy mountain paths and the fallen branches and leaves scattered across the ground bore witness to the ferocity of last night’s tempest!
Yu Feihong had already departed with his entourage.
He was determined to continue his pursuit of the rogue martial artists who had freed the prisoners; allowing even a single escapee would mean failing to fully restore the honor of the Imperial Guard!
Before his departure, however, Yu Feihong had left an elite squad under Wang Chen’s command.
Clearly, the presence of Xiao Wan alone was insufficient to fully reassure the Supervisor!
Wang Chen did not decline the offer.
At that moment, a robust Imperial Guard strode into the grand hall, knelt on one knee, and saluted with a fist-palm gesture: "Immortal Master."
Wang Chen drained the last of his spiritual rice porridge, nodded, and declared, "Let us proceed."
After a brief pause, he added, "From now on, there is no need for you to kneel in salute."
Wang Chen had no intention of humbling himself to show respect to his subordinates; he simply found the act of kneeling to be an unnecessary hassle.
It was a waste of time.
These elite Imperial Guards had been meticulously trained from a young age, consuming secret elixirs and practicing esoteric techniques, which endowed them with formidable combat prowess.
Armed with divine crossbows and battle formations, they could effortlessly encircle and eliminate innate strong fighters!
Most importantly, these guards were unwaveringly loyal to the Imperial Guard and to Qianjing.
They were nearly incorruptible!
The robust Imperial Guard bowed his head in acknowledgment: "Understood!"
Shortly thereafter, Wang Chen, astride his Majestic Steed, led the way as they resumed their journey to South Shao.
The maid Xiao Wan rode alongside him, with ten war horses trailing closely behind!
The iron hooves of their steeds pounded the mountain path, splattering mud in their wake.
At the same time Wang Chen set off,
hundreds of miles away in the governor’s residence of South Shao County, a middle-aged man with a fair complexion and a scholarly demeanor was conversing with Elder Wu atop a high pavilion.
This middle-aged man, clad in a fifth-rank official robe adorned with white pheasants, spoke in a deep voice: "Elder Weng, I have received a hawk message from Qianjing. By my calculations, the new Celestial Master from the Yunyang Sect should be arriving within the next few days."
He was none other than Ruan Zhaoming, the governor of South Shao!
When he spoke of the Yunyang Sect and the Celestial Master, there was not a trace of reverence in his tone.
In fact, it was tinged with a hint of disdain!
"Let him come," Elder Wu said lightly. "As before, we shall treat him with lofty courtesy."
Ruan Zhaoming’s eyes gleamed with concern: "I only fear that he may disrupt our grand designs!"
“Hehe.”
The old man in gray chuckled, his tone chilling: “The Immortal Master can be killed just like any mortal.”
He asked, “What is the background of the person?”
“This person is named Wang Chen and should have a cultivation level of Qi Training seventh level.”
Ruan Zhaoming frowned: “He comes from the outer sect of the Yunyang Sect and is currently a disciple of Sunset Peak, without any proper teacher.”
“Then he has no solid foundation.”
The old man in gray was unconcerned: “If he is smart, we can coexist peacefully. If he disrupts our plans, we will send him back.”
The last part of his speech was filled with killing intent!
“But if something really happens…”
Ruan Zhaoming’s brow furrowed, “The Yunyang Sect will probably not let it go easily!”
“You don’t need to worry.”
The old man in gray smiled mysteriously: “The Yunyang Sect will soon have troubles of their own. By then, don’t even mention a mere celestial guardian; even the one in Qianjing might be too preoccupied to deal with them!”
Ruan Zhaoming was astonished: “Is this true?”
The old man in gray appeared displeased: “Governor Ruan, when have I ever joked with you?”
Ruan Zhaoming quickly apologized: “Senior, please don’t be angry.”
He understood that the other party had a high status in the academy and could access many inside stories, so he wouldn’t speak lightly.
A heavy stone lifted from Ruan Zhaoming’s heart in an instant!
“To be safe,”
the old man in gray continued, “once the person arrives, you should find a few individuals to test him.”
Ruan Zhaoming nodded: “I understand.”
He rose and went to the window, his gaze sweeping over the tightly-knit houses of South Shao County.
He looked towards the northern mountains, which rose and fell.
The governor sensed that the figure he feared was crossing the mountains to arrive!
South Shao County was originally a territory of the Southern Yue Kingdom.
Over two hundred years ago, the Southern Yue Kingdom was destroyed by Da Qian, which has governed the land ever since.
South Shao County consists of seven mountains and two rivers, divided into plots of land.
Due to the mountainous terrain, the natural conditions are quite harsh.
Therefore, there are only around one hundred thousand households and five to six hundred thousand people.
But this is just the official data.
In reality, the number of mountain dwellers and wild men in South Shao County is quite large; they do not submit to the ruling power and have set up camps in the lofty mountains for self-protection, occasionally coming down to harass the locals.
The local government is helpless against them.
The governor’s office located in South Shao County’s capital, South Shao City, is the largest city in the county, with a population of over two hundred thousand residents.
A clear river meandered around the city, providing convenient access for both water and land transportation.
South Shao County nestled against the mountains, with expansive, flat, and fertile plains stretching to the east, west, and south. Villages and small towns dotted the landscape like stars, their inhabitants having cultivated vast tracts of fertile land.
All this information about South Shao County was relayed to Wang Chen by Xiao Wan.
After a day and night of arduous travel, Wang Chen and the Imperial Guards finally left the rugged mountains behind.
South Shao County lay just ahead!
Though this county capital paled in comparison to Qianjing, its towering and robust walls exuded a solid strength and formidable presence, resembling a giant beast lying in wait beside the mountains.
It possessed a unique aura.
Following the straight official road, the group arrived at the western city gate of South Shao County.
The gates stood wide open, and numerous common people crossed the suspended bridge over the moat to enter the city.
It was a scene of bustling activity!
The arrival of Wang Chen and his entourage evoked an instinctive reverence among the crowd, who quickly moved to the sides to make way.
The soldiers guarding the city gate grew vigilant, tightening their grip on their weapons.
With a clatter,
a sharp Imperial Guard rode ahead of Wang Chen, halting at the bridge before pulling on the reins.
He tossed a token to the city guard officer who attempted to stop him.
The officer caught the token and glanced at it, his expression shifting immediately.
He hastily stepped aside.
The master of the Imperial Guard was not someone a mere gatekeeper could afford to provoke.
Under the escort of ten Imperial Guards, Wang Chen and Xiao Wan traversed the main street, heading straight to the Celestial Guardians’ residences in the northern part of the city!
The Imperial Guards halted before the gate and dismounted.
However, the grand gate of the residence was tightly shut, with no gatekeeper in sight and fallen leaves scattered across the ground.
It exuded an air of desolation and loneliness!
One Imperial Guard stepped forward and knocked on the door: “Is anyone there?”
He knocked for quite some time, the thick door reverberating with each thud.
Finally, someone opened the door.
“Who let these brutes in!”
The person barked angrily, “Do you know where this is? This isn’t a place for you to act wild!”
The person who opened the door had a flushed face, cursing and reeking of alcohol: “Damn you!”
He was clearly inebriated.
The knocking Imperial Guard took a step back and glanced at Wang Chen.
He dared not deal with the person from the Celestial Guardians’ residences and awaited Wang Chen’s reaction.
Wang Chen’s response was unequivocal: “Slap him!”
An unclean mouth.
Only a resounding slap could cleanse it!
