Chapter 230: Subjugation
At the prefectural government office, the old adviser pulled Liu Gaohua to the back gate of the official residence. Liu Gaohua saw a carriage already prepared, as if for a long journey. The old man extended his hand, smiling kindly. "Young master, please get in the carriage."
A woman lifted the curtain, her face tear-streaked like a pear blossom in rain. Upon seeing it was her younger brother Liu Gaohua, she felt slightly relieved, lowered the curtain, and leaned back against the carriage wall, thinking of her beloved Mr. Liu.
Liu Gaohua was completely bewildered. "Uncle Song, what is this about?"
The old man said formally, "The prefect has ordered me to escort you out of the city."
Liu Gaohua became anxious. "Leave the city at a time like this? Is Yanzhi Prefecture really facing a great calamity? Uncle Song, the more this is the case, the less I can leave here. What if something happens to Father?"
The old adviser, who had served in the prefectural office for many years, laughed. "If something really happens, what can you, a scholar with no strength to truss a chicken, do about it?"
Liu Gaohua was speechless.
The old man urged, "Young master, let's go. The eldest young lady is waiting."
Liu Gaohua shook his head. "I'm not going! If I have to go, let my sister go alone..."
Before Liu Gaohua could finish, he suddenly turned and ran toward the back gate. But a blur passed before his eyes, and he found that the old man had somehow blocked the doorway. When Liu Gaohua stopped, the old man smiled like a sly old fox, sizing up the young man before him. "Uncle Song has been around the martial world a bit and knows some fancy moves. Will you get in the carriage yourself, or would you rather be knocked out by my fist and carried up? To be honest, Uncle Song's old bones aren't what they used to be. Would you have the heart to make me carry someone around?"
Liu Gaohua stiffened his neck. "Knock me out!"
The old adviser sighed. "Your father knew you'd be stubborn. He had something he wanted me to tell you, but I held back earlier, not wanting to hurt the bond between father and son. Now, seeing you like this, I have no choice but to speak plainly. Your father said, 'Liu Gaohua, in these past twenty-odd years, you haven't done a single thing to put my mind at ease. Just don't stay here and be an eyesore and a nuisance, alright?'"
Liu Gaohua's eyes reddened, his lips trembling.
He was silent for a moment, then said weakly, "And my younger sister?"
The old adviser shook his head. "We'll have to let her go for now. You and the eldest young lady leave first. I've already sent someone to look for the second young lady."
Liu Gaohua was about to get stubborn again. The gaunt old man grew impatient, stomped his foot, and said irritably, "My dear young master Liu, I'm not one to criticize, but you're a grown man, and you're dithering like an old woman. How can you accomplish anything great!"
Liu Gaohua said aggrievedly, "If I don't care about my parents, don't care about my sister, then I'm a heartless bastard. How could I ever accomplish anything great!"
The old man was choked by these words. Huffing with anger, he said, "Let's go, let's go. Hurry up and go."
Liu Gaohua felt lost and confused. He always felt that no matter what he did, it was wrong.
At this moment, he began to realize that the heavy burdens he had carried in his heart—his father's preoccupation with officialdom and moral essays, his fondness for holding forth with outsiders, his willingness to spend entire afternoons playing chess with house guests, his never-stinting praise for the children of all family friends, while being cold and indifferent to his own son, especially after his hopes for Liu Gaohua's imperial examinations were dashed, even using sharp words to wound him...
Now he realized that none of those things really mattered.
The old man sighed. "Let's go. Staying here will only cause trouble and worry your parents for nothing."
Liu Gaohua smiled bitterly. "Then let's go."
The old man nodded. When Liu Gaohua was seated in the carriage, the old man took the reins and drove slowly through the streets where every household had its doors tightly shut. The horse's hooves clattered rhythmically as they made their way southward.
Along the way, Liu Gaohua looked left and right at the scenes of the prefectural city. Most streets were still bustling as ever, with throngs of visitors, shops lining both sides, and a lively atmosphere. They were completely unaware that a crisis had already enveloped the entire city, teetering on the brink of life and death. According to General Ma's account, the demons and monsters were making such a show of force that they must have come prepared. In the worst-case scenario, it wouldn't be a matter of a few hundred deaths. Throughout history, many disasters in the Caiyi Kingdom, officially defined as plagues, had claimed tens of thousands of lives. Among them were evil magical arrays set up by great demonic masters or foul magical treasures that had gone out of control. In such incidents, the common people who died often had their bones left to bleach in the sun, with no one daring to collect and bury them. The plague that once afflicted Yanzhi Prefecture and its surroundings was just such a calamity, giving rise to that massive chaotic burial ground spanning hundreds of miles.
If the heavens truly collapsed, how could the ignorant common people escape? Only if there were tall men to hold them up. If they couldn't hold, then they could only wait for death.
The old man felt a pang of emotion. The actions of the prefectural government and Prefect Liu in this matter had made even him, an old adviser, look at them with new eyes.
Prefect Liu had spent money to hire Chongmiao the Daoist to send a message by flying sword—true. The Lingxi Sect would surely send reinforcements—true. Cailuan could carry people and fly swiftly southward—also true.
But Prefect Liu had lied about the speed. Cailuan, flying alone, could indeed reach the skies above Yanzhi Prefecture by noon the next day. But if it carried two or three people, it might not even reach the northern border of Yanzhi by evening.
Why did Prefect Liu lie? Because as the chief official governing a prefecture, he needed people to step forward in times of crisis. If these people could hold out until Cailuan arrived with reinforcements, that would be the best outcome. If they could hold out until noon the next day, then everyone who had already shown their faces and made personal enemies of the demons would have no way back; they would have to share the fate of the prefectural city.
If the great demon leader lurking within the city remained inactive, waiting until noon the next day to make his move, that would also be fine. By then, Prefect Liu would have other ways to force him to reveal himself.
If Yanzhi Prefecture declared war proactively and the demons still had the patience to wait until the day after, that was even better. By then, the prefectural city would be in a favorable situation with reinforcements arriving from all directions, especially with the imminent arrival of the immortal masters from the Lingxi Sect. Prefect Liu would be even less worried about the situation.
So, when cornered, scholars can become ruthless, and their scheming can drown people.
This was also the first time the old man truly understood his mastermind, Prefect Liu. Far from being disappointed, he felt it was worth a hearty drink.
Unfortunately, that opportunity might not come.
Before tricking Master Liu Gaohua to the back gate, the old man had a heart-to-heart talk with Prefect Liu.
Prefect Liu admitted that if the calamity in Yanzhi Prefectural City ended with just a hundred or two hundred deaths, he would definitely run if he could. But if many innocent people were going to die, he wouldn't run.
At that time, the scholar in his official robe pointed to his own heart and said it wouldn't feel right.
He also said he had read so many sage books and considered them old friends. If he were to survive this while others died, he feared he would never have the face to open those books again, to face those old friends.
"If I can never read books again in this life, what pleasure would there be in living?"
The parent-official of Yanzhi Prefecture, who had never experienced war or the smoke of battle in his life, spoke those sincere words while his teeth chattered, his face pale, and his legs shaking uncontrollably.
The old adviser saw it all clearly.
Making such bold statements while looking so cowardly—
It seemed rather comical.
But the old adviser couldn't laugh, nor did he find it funny.
Some scholars who become officials are indeed different from those sour, impoverished scholars who complain about unrecognized talent and being born at the wrong time.
The old man acting as the coachman pulled himself back from his thoughts and quickened the horse's pace to leave the city.
He couldn't help but look back once, thinking of that unruly disciple he had secretly taken on. He had no idea where she had gone to play and couldn't find her anywhere. He only hoped she wouldn't cause any trouble. This calamity in Yanzhi Prefecture was not something she could muddle through.
The old man shook his head helplessly. "The rivers and lakes are murky, the wind on the mountains is strong. It's hard anywhere to make an honest living. Is it really that difficult to have a peaceful life?"
——
At the north of Yanzhi Prefectural City, there was a rice shop that had been open for over twenty years. The shop owner was a tall, thin old man who was taciturn all year round. Two shop assistants who had also settled in the city with the old man were not fond of laughing or joking either, but they often went to burn incense at the City God Pavilion. This gave the neighbors a favorable impression. Coupled with the shop's reasonably priced rice and mountain goods, the business was not bad.
Today, the rice shop had two visitors from out of town—a middle-aged couple who looked honest and unpretentious. The shop had closed early. A young assistant, who had joined the shop late last winter, explained that the rice shop owner had distant relatives visiting. No one found it strange. After so many years without family visits, it was only natural to have a long chat.
After the shop closed, the owner and the couple sat at a table laden with a sumptuous meal, the aroma wafting through the air. The three shop assistants huddled together at a distance, cracking melon seeds, clearly not qualified to sit at the table.
The man who had come from afar reached out and grabbed a greasy chicken leg directly, gnawing on it ravenously. In one hand, he held a wine flask, and when he tilted his head back to drink, half of the wine splashed out.
The woman tilted her head slightly, pinched the skin at her chin with two fingers, and peeled off a thin face mask effortlessly. She threw it heavily onto the table, then leaned back in her chair, letting out a heavy breath. "This damn thing is torture to wear. Can't even breathe properly, and it cost thirty Snowflake Coins..."
The three shop assistants at a distance drew in a cold breath. The woman who had torn off the disguise mask was really ugly!
The three fellow apprentices exchanged glances and smiled, thinking that the mask was well worth the thirty Snowflake Coins for the woman.
The woman then raised her other hand and tore off a second face mask, slapping it onto the table.
The three were stunned and swallowed their saliva.
This old woman was stunningly beautiful! They began to silently pray that there wouldn't be a third mask. But when the woman raised her arm again, they silently wailed in their hearts—well, it turned out she was still ugly. However, the seductive woman with a glamorous appearance threw a flirtatious glance at them and said in a coquettish voice, "That's all. Your big sister looks like this. Am I beautiful?"
The rice shop owner said impatiently, "Get to the point quickly."
The man jerked his chin, signaling the woman to speak, while he busied himself with eating and drinking.
The woman took out a small mirror and tidied her hair at her temples, saying lazily, "Old Demon Mi, we're here this time to split the spoils with you."
The old man picked up a piece of winter pickled vegetable with his chopsticks, crunching it in his mouth, and frowned. "The spoils aren't even in hand yet, and you're already thinking about splitting them? Do you two have a hole in your head?"
The woman lowered the mirror slightly and said with a bewitching smile, "You're close to Liuli Immortal, bosom friends for over a hundred years. Of course, we know that. But the big ship is about to sink, Old Demon Mi. You can't go down with him, can you?"
The old man, addressed as Old Demon Mi, stopped his chopsticks. "What do you mean?"
"Truly beautiful. Worth every bit of the eighty Snowflake Coins for a top-grade one. It's just that the seller was too timid. I offered two hundred Snowflake Coins, but he didn't dare to make me a mask that looks seventy to eighty percent like He Xiaoliang." The woman put down the mirror, then tore off another face mask, revealing an aged face covered in freckles.
The man, with grease dripping from his mouth, said with a grin, "Exactly, exactly. If I could look like He Xiaoliang or Su Jia, seventy or eighty percent similar, I wouldn't mind paying five hundred, let alone two hundred. At night, hugging an immortal lady like He or a fairy like Su and rolling around in bed... tsk tsk, that would be a life of the gods. I could keep the lamp burning all night!"
The woman shot a glance at the man and continued with the main topic. "There's a young swordsman from the Shengao Sect named Fu who has also joined the Lingxi Sect's southward expedition. He's young but has an ego bigger than the sky. On the journey south, the two ancestors of the Lingxi Sect treated the young lady like a bodhisattva."
The shop owner put down his chopsticks, his expression grave. "Is that true?"
The woman nodded. "If it weren't for this, would my husband and I want to break up the partnership early and leave you all behind? What benefit would that be? Doing things that harm others without benefiting ourselves—we don't do that. If you don't conduct business properly, you can't build a long-lasting establishment."
The old man asked a key question. "How do you know that someone from the Shengao Sect is involved? Do you have a spy planted in the Lingxi Sect? And is their status quite high?"
The woman retorted, "Is that strange?"
The old man let out a cold, sarcastic laugh. "So business has even reached the mountains? Admirable, admirable."
The man threw the chicken bone onto the floor and interjected carelessly, "It would be even more impressive if it reached the mountain peaks. Our little skirmishes are nothing."
The woman said bluntly, "Old Demon Mi, that's the situation. Give me a straight answer. If you're determined to stick with Liuli Immortal, my husband and I will finish our meal and leave without another word. The Lingxi Sect deal is enough for us to make a good profit. If you're willing to join forces with us, then let's plan carefully. After we take care of Liuli Immortal, we'll activate the formation early, seize the magical treasure in the chaos, and run."
The tall, thin old man hesitated.
The man wiped his mouth. "If we kill Liuli Immortal, not only does his Glazed Cup go to you, but all the belongings on his person that you can find are yours. But that seal must go to us."
Old Demon Mi pondered for a moment. "Wait a moment."
He turned to look at his youngest disciple. "Toss the coins. Cast a divination for good or ill."
The young apprentice had handsome features, red lips, and white teeth, with a radiant smile. He took out a handful of copper coins, clutched them in his palm, squatted on the ground, and looked up. "Old Mi, is there a reward?"
The old man said calmly, "You don't have to wear women's clothes every night."
The other two apprentices kept their expressions unchanged and exchanged a smile. The young man blushed slightly and said in a soft, coquettish voice, "That's not much of a reward. Old Mi, pick something else?"
The old man thought for a moment. "I'll give you a ten percent cut of the spoils."
The youth with the soft voice asked, "After getting the spoils, will this disciple still have a life to spend them?"
Old Demon Mi glanced coldly at the two disciples who had been with him for a long time, then nodded to the young man. "Yes."
The young man smiled charmingly, bit his finger, smeared blood on the coins one by one, and finally threw them down. He studied the arrangement for a moment, then looked up in surprise. "Great fortune!"
Old Demon Mi sighed with relief and looked at the couple. "I'll have my disciple activate the formation early. The three of us will deal with Liuli Immortal together, a quick battle. How does that sound?"
The woman slowly withdrew her gaze from the handsome young man's face, feeling pleased. "That works."
The man suddenly asked darkly, "Old Demon Mi, you've been friends with Liuli Immortal for a hundred years. Can you really bring yourself to do it?"
Old Demon Mi picked up a piece of vegetable with his chopsticks. "If I gave you an immortal's relic, a Glazed Cup, and asked you to kill your wife, would you do it?"
The man was deflated.
The woman, on the other hand, wasn't the least bit sad. She took out her bronze mirror again and admired herself. "If I could be worth a Glazed Cup in this heartless man's eyes, I wouldn't have lived this life in vain."
——
Outside the City God Hall, a young girl stood timidly at the back door of the first hall, not daring to stand even in the small square between the Hall of Wealth and the Hall of the God of the Year.
Because ahead, inside the City God Hall, a battle was raging, turning heaven and earth upside down.
In her mind, the esteemed immortal was first stepped on the back by the possessed City God Shen Wen, then the seemingly young immortal proved even more formidable. In an instant, he straightened his back with effort, forcing the City God to retreat two steps. Then the renowned Golden City God of Caiyi Kingdom erupted with astonishing combat power, dashing swiftly through the spacious hall, chasing the sword immortal carrying a sword case on his back, darting everywhere.
During the exchange, the City God unleashed a twenty-one-punch combo, or perhaps it was that strange boxing style that broke all spell prohibitions. The punches had already battered the Golden City God, who had fallen into the demonic path, until his golden powder scattered like dust drifting through the hall. The clay statue was covered in countless cracks, oozing wisps of black smoke. But the Golden City God let out a great shout, formed a strange hand seal the girl couldn't recognize, and not only did all the golden powder reassemble on the statue's surface, even the cracks instantly closed and healed.
The City God's eyes were pitch black like ink, exuding an eerie aura. Looking into them made one's spine run cold. But aside from that, his golden body was still dazzling and radiant, three zhang tall. Every punch he threw dented the walls, every stomp shattered the floor tiles. He was truly like a majestic deity stationed in the Heavenly Court, descending to the mortal world to vanquish demons and monsters.
The girl named Silver Bell was filled with worry. Could the Golden City God, with such invincible bearing, truly be defeated?
She also wondered why the old sword immortal didn't use those two golden talismans. Why wouldn't he even use his flying sword? Instead, he was just engaging in close-quarters combat with the City God. He had already switched through many boxing styles. Several times, she saw the sword immortal carrying the case get sent flying from one end of the hall to the other. Judging by the sound, he must have been swept into the wall. Later, the City God simply tore down a main beam from the hall, not caring whether the City God Hall would collapse, and used it as a weapon, swinging and smashing wildly.
Truly a battle of immortals, shaking heaven and earth.
The girl watched, her heart pounding, her palms sweaty. She silently chanted, "Keep going, keep going."
Although the old immortal was at a disadvantage for the moment, he still fought with vigor and grace.
For instance, when he crossed his arms above his head to withstand a main beam crashing down, the beam snapped with a loud crack, and his knees sank into the ground.
The girl quickly closed one eye and turned her head away, unable to bear watching. She thought, "That must hurt a lot."
Another time, he was kicked out of the hall and rolled more than ten times across the square. The Golden City God stood behind the threshold, sneering, and beckoned Chen Ping'an with a finger. Chen Ping'an got up and charged back into the hall.
In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the City God Hall was demolished by City God Shen Wen. With five or six main beams torn away, the hall that had stood for centuries through wind and rain completely collapsed, dust obscuring the sky. The Golden City God pulled out the last vermilion-painted main beam. The wall on the left side, unlike the right wall which was shattered, had fallen outward as a whole piece. Chen Ping'an stood on that wall, both sleeves already torn to shreds. He turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Chen Ping'an regarded this Golden City God as a second Ma Kuxuan, using this battle to temper his own physique and soul.
Relying only on his fists, it seemed he couldn't win.
It appeared that as long as the statue remained within this City God Hall, no matter how much it was battered and severely wounded, it could quickly recover to its peak state. This was too unreasonable.
Chen Ping'an glanced at the ruins from the corner of his eye, recalling the positions where the Golden City God had stood from beginning to end, and understood.
The so-called "Cun" objects were known as wonderful miniature cave heavens, with similar effects.
Various sages had their own "realm" concepts. For example, Mr. Qi and Master Ruan in the Lizhu Cave Heaven, or a Confucian sage in an academy or a military sage in an ancient battlefield—when fighting in such places, they always had the advantage of terrain and timing.
Presumably, this City God of Yanzhi Prefecture also enjoyed this advantage here.
Chen Ping'an took a deep breath and charged forward again. First, he would try to lure the City God away from this City God Hall. If possible, tricking him into leaving the entire City God Pavilion grounds would be best.
But things did not go as he wished. Although the Golden City God had fallen into demonic madness and his intellect was clouded, he instinctively refused to leave the ruins of the old City God Hall grounds. Even when Chen Ping'an twice used injury as bait to throw himself outside the hall, the Golden City God at most used sections of beams as weapons, madly hurling them at Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an didn't want to waste more time here. He needed to hurry to the prefect's residence and expose the mastermind behind this ghostly charade.
The true thrilling climax of this battle only fully manifested at this moment.
Chen Ping'an continued throwing punches while, at the same time, the two swords from his gourd—White Rainbow, First Day, and Emerald Green, Fifteen—shot toward the Golden City God.
Above the ruins of the City God Hall, the white rainbow of First Day and the emerald green of Fifteen, two flying swords, wove around the towering statue of the Golden City God, coordinating with Chen Ping'an's punches.
The girl Silver Bell was dazzled and dumbfounded.
In the end, Chen Ping'an produced a Precious Tower Demon-Suppressing Talisman made of golden material. At the cost of completely dimming a golden talisman, he finally suppressed the City God, shattering his golden body. Only a dozen or so fragments of gold body and a small green wooden box remained.
Chen Ping'an silently collected those items, wiped the blood from his face, and approached the girl, asking with a smile, "What's your name?"
The girl answered in a daze, "Liu Gaoxin!"
Chen Ping'an said, "Gao Xin? High and happy?"
The girl blushed a little and explained, "Gao as in 'high place,' Xin as in 'warm fragrance.' Not 'Xing' as in 'happy.'"
When her parents named her, the meaning was that in the future, she would stand out alone, fragrant even at the highest point.
The girl had fine features and a pure heart.
She didn't want to dwell on this matter. The esteemed immortal in front of her had just finished a great battle with the possessed Golden City God and needed to regulate his qi.
Chen Ping'an had been about to say it was a well-chosen name, appealing to both refined and popular tastes, quite similar to his own name.
But since it wasn't "Happy," he swallowed his words.
Chen Ping'an suddenly had a doubt and asked, "You wouldn't happen to be Liu Gaohua's sister, would you?"
The girl's eyes lit up. "What, esteemed immortal, you know my brother too?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Just met him not long ago. It's a coincidence. I need to go to the prefectural office and tell your father that the old immortal is the real culprit."
The girl hadn't gone to watch the excitement at the lake pavilion that night, so she hadn't seen the faces of the old immortal and the colorful-clothed female ghost. Chen Ping'an had already leaped toward the high wall, and the girl quickly followed. The two of them, one after the other, flew over walls and roofs. Although the girl had also trained her physique, she was far inferior to Chen Ping'an and soon became breathless. Chen Ping'an stood on the upturned eaves of a roof and let her rest for a moment.
Liu Gaoxin cautiously asked, "Old sword immortal, why don't you fly on your sword? You could take me along with you, riding the wind through the air to my home. It would be faster."
Calling him a sword immortal was bad enough, but adding "old" sword immortal?
Chen Ping'an was both amused and exasperated. He simply ignored her and waited until the girl's breathing returned to normal before he started running madly again across the rooftops of the prefectural city.
The girl thought to herself that this old sword immortal truly didn't take the usual path.
And his temper was so good!
Earlier, while talking, she had secretly sneaked a few looks at him. His face was actually quite handsome. He really didn't look old!