Chapter 53: Reprimanded
The two men leading the group were also Sixth Seats from the Nanlin Road Daoist Scripture Hall. They were talking as they came in and, judging by their expressions, were clearly acquaintances.
One of them wore a grayish-white, practical uniform, with two imposing greatswords strapped to his back. His features were so ordinary that even Wang Ping’s Face Reading Technique yielded no results. His hair was cut short, very much in line with the aesthetics of Wang Ping’s past life.
The other man, clad in a grayish-black uniform, was exceptionally short, standing less than five feet tall. He had sharp, simian features that were unsettling to look at. The skin on his neck and hands was a purplish-black, making him look terminally ill.
After a brief exchange, Wang Ping learned their names and a few basic details. The man with the greatswords was named Leng Shan, an Artifact Cultivator. The shorter man was Yu Shi; he was in the process of merging with a Demon Soldier, leaving him stuck on the threshold of a new realm. It looked as if he had been in this state for a very long time.
After the six of them exchanged greetings and pleasantries, Gao Ding stopped trying to cause trouble for Wang Ping. They split into three small groups and stood on either side of the County Magistrate’s Office’s main hall.
The silence lingered for a moment before Li Rong said in a low voice, "There’s still one more to arrive..."
The words had barely left his lips when an armored soldier led another three people in. In the lead was a Cultivator in a shabby blue Daoist Robe. He had a long, glossy, jet-black beard, which made Wang Ping think of Guan Gong. However, instead of a green hat, this man wore a grayish-green jade coronet.
"My apologies, my apologies! So sorry to have kept you Fellow Daoists waiting. I was delayed for a bit while entering the city." The man had a brilliant smile and the air of someone who could befriend anyone. As he drew near, Wang Ping smelled the strong scent of pipe tobacco on him.
After brief introductions, Wang Ping learned the man’s name was Wenxing. He was a cultivator from a small place called Three Flames Temple, which was under the authority of the True Yang Sect. He went out of his way to explain that he was currently communing with Earth Fire, which was why he had a certain "smell" about him—this "smell" being the reek of pipe tobacco.
Not long after Wenxing took a seat, a group arrived from the Daoist Scripture Hall. They were there to register the disciples that Wang Ping and the others had brought along. The Daoist Scripture Hall would then issue new combat uniforms and identity tokens to prevent friendly fire in the chaos of future battles.
This was slightly different from what Wang Ping and Zhao Qing had previously discussed.
After the registration, the Daoist Scripture Hall assigned them to residences near the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office, ordering them to remain there and await further instructions.
「That night.」
Wang Ping and Guangxuan were sipping tea and chatting in the small courtyard assigned to Qianmu Temple.
"You suspect it was the White Water Sect that tried to poison you?" Guangxuan asked, his expression turning serious after Wang Ping described the previous night’s encounter with the Mouse Demon.
Wang Ping didn’t answer directly. "I’ve already sent a carrier pigeon to Junior Brother Zhao Qing," he said. "He will get to the bottom of this..." He trailed off and beckoned to Liang Tao, who was standing nearby. Liang Tao immediately jogged over.
"Martial Uncle!"
"Did you reveal our whereabouts to any outsiders?"
Liang Tao’s face grew panicked at the question, and he immediately denied it. "No!"
Wang Ping fixed his gaze on him, maintaining the friendly smile of an elder. "I’m not accusing you," he said reassuringly. "Just think carefully. When you were speaking with outsiders, for instance, did you happen to let anything slip?"
Liang Tao did as instructed and thought hard. After a dozen breaths or so, his brow furrowed. "When I first arrived in Sanwen County to rent a house," he said uncertainly, "the landlord asked a casual question, and I answered without thinking much of it."
"Alright, you’re dismissed."
"Yes!"
Liang Tao departed, looking anxious.
Aside from Zhao Qing and Zhao Mou, who had joined the sect with skills already learned, Qianmu Temple’s five Stewards had all spent years living on the mountain. They were used to dealing only with their fellow disciples and would subconsciously answer any questions with honesty.
"Your movements weren’t exactly hard to guess..." Guangxuan said with a deep breath. "Still, it never hurts to be careful. Our lives are on the line, after all."
"Mm."
As Wang Ping replied, he glanced toward the courtyard gate where Liu Shuang was approaching at a brisk pace.
She came over and reported, "The local civilians have all been evacuated. Two thousand armored soldiers have moved into the county seat, and tens of thousands of Militia have assembled in the camps outside the city. All routes in and out of this city have been completely sealed. Martial Uncle Zhao won’t be able to contact us."
"This has gotten serious!"
Guangxuan said grimly, "I thought this mission was just about gathering the Sixth Seats from various sects to carry out an encirclement. Now, it looks like it’s escalating into a full-blown war!"
He looked at Wang Ping. "On the bright side, this means the White Water Sect won’t dare to make any more moves."
Wang Ping nodded slightly. Just then, another disciple ran over and said quickly, "A message from the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office! They summon you to a meeting, Martial Uncle."
...
Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.
Although it was night, the entire Prefecture Magistrate’s Office was lit as bright as day by braziers placed every ten paces.
When Wang Ping and Guangxuan entered the main hall, they saw a middle-aged man in a pale yellow Daoist Robe sitting where the County Magistrate had been during the day. His face was clean, with features typical of someone from the northern Xia Country—slightly sunken eyes and a high-bridged nose. As he sat there in silence, he exuded a solemn and dignified aura.
Meanwhile, General Li Rong, who had presided over the office earlier, now stood by the man’s side like a bodyguard.
"Sit!"
The man simply lifted a hand toward Wang Ping and Guangxuan, who had arrived early, pointed to a row of chairs on the left, and uttered that single word. Soon after, Hong’an, Gao Ding, Leng Shan, Yu Shi, and Wenxing entered the hall.
As Wenxing entered, he bowed respectfully to the seated Daoist.
Once everyone had arrived, the Daoist in the seat of honor spoke. "This humble Daoist is Yuanqing. I cultivate on Purple Forest Mountain and am temporarily serving as the Fifth Seat of the Daoist Scripture Hall. For this encirclement mission, I am in charge of your group."
"Greetings, Daoist..."
Upon hearing this, the seven cultivators below immediately rose and bowed again. After all, a Fifth Seat of the Daoist Scripture Hall was, at minimum, a First Realm Cultivator. He was a figure none of them could afford to offend.
"Very good."
Yuanqing was very satisfied with their reaction. He nodded, then continued in a level voice, "Before we get down to business, there is one matter I must address..."
"Fellow Daoist Changqing, Fellow Daoist Hong’an..."
He called out two names...
Hearing his name called, Wang Ping felt a wave of pressure as he stood and bowed again. Across the hall, Hong’an did the same.
Yuanqing continued, "I have heard of the feud between Qianmu Temple and the White Water Sect. Under normal circumstances, you can fight amongst yourselves as you please, but not this time. The current situation is dire. As for those men you both secretly positioned, I have already personally gone to ’persuade’ them. They should be delivered to your respective stations when you return."
"Do you... have any objections?"
"We wouldn’t dare!"
The two answered in unison.
Yuanqing nodded in satisfaction again and waved his hand. "Since that’s settled, sit down."
After Wang Ping and Hong’an were seated, Yuanqing turned to Li Rong and said, "General Li, please brief us on the mission."
"Yes!"
Li Rong took a step forward...
The initial mission for the soldiers and Cultivators gathered in Sanwen County was to construct a fortified encampment on the shoals where the Five Divine Rivers meet the Great Sea. This was to block the northward advance of the Corpse Soldiers while waiting for the main forces to assemble. At the same time, if the opportunity presented itself, they were to try and retake Yuma County to the south.
After the mission was laid out, Yuanqing Taoist added, "Yongming Port has already been overrun by Corpse Soldiers. The sudden appearance of these Demon Soldiers is highly unusual. All of you must work diligently so we can resolve this matter as quickly as possible!"