Chapter 127: The Moon Locking Sect Incident

Chapter 127: The Moon Locking Sect Incident

Chapter 127: The Moon Locking Sect Incident (I)

In August of the tenth year of Yousheng, there was a severe drought in Guanzhong.

Luyang County is three hundred miles southeast of Huazhou.

Unlike the relatively fertile Wei River Plain, this place is next to the Qinling Mountains and surrounded by mountains on three sides. The fields are barren and the grain production is meager. The common people rely on salt wells and mines for a living, while the rich have carriages and mansions comparable to those of kings.

The sun is scorching, the cicadas and birds have stopped singing, the earth is cracked, and the grass and trees are withered and yellow.

Three riders were galloping on the official road. They all wore short-brimmed hats to protect themselves from the sun.

The leading white horse was eight feet tall at the shoulders, without a single stray hair on its body, its eyes were like gems, its hooves were as audible as drums, and it was as majestic as a dragon. The man in white riding on the horse had a long sword on his waist, and he looked elegant and graceful.

He was followed closely by two horsemen, both of whom were dressed in black and were of petite build.

"Boss, there is a tea stall in front!"

"I saw it. There is only one tea stall over thirty miles away. Has it been the same in previous years?"

"Luyang is poor, not as barren as Huazhou, but it is not like it is now. Shopkeeper, it seems that the drought this year is very serious, and many people must have been affected."

Yue Jian complained, "Sister, how can this not be serious? I am dying of thirst."

There were two thatched huts beside the official road, each with three wooden tables, and two guests were already seated at the table.

An old man and a young boy were hiding in a corner to enjoy the cool air, fanning themselves with a palm-leaf fan. The fire in the stove had long been extinguished.

"Xu~"

The three men pulled the reins of their horses, stopped, and dismounted.

The young man stood up and dusted the table.

"Bring two pots of tea, and help us water the horses."

Yue Jian stuffed the three water bags over, sat on the wooden stool, took off her hat and fanned herself. She glanced at the shop assistant who was still standing there, took out a dime from her purse, slapped it on the table and pushed it over.

"Don't worry, you won't lose any money."

The young man looked at the small change and said in embarrassment, "Sir, this is not a matter of money. Tea is sold by the bowl. Each person is only sold three bowls. There is no extra water for the horses."

Yue Jian glanced at Zhang Yu, put his sword on the table, and sneered, "What kind of weird rule is this?"

At this time, the old shopkeeper came over, pulled the young clerk behind him, and said with a smile: "Sir, you don't know, Luyang has been dry for almost two months. Our shop also buys water from the Suoyue Sect, and only buys one load every five days. If you want to let your horse drink... our business can't continue."

Zhang Yu asked, "Luyang is suffering from a severe drought. How can the Suoyue Sect get water?"

The old shopkeeper chuckled twice, obviously afraid of causing trouble, and was unwilling to say more.

Zhang Yu glanced at Yue Jian, who reluctantly took out a dime from his purse and handed it over.

He chuckled and said, "We are just visitors from other places, so the old shopkeeper doesn't need to worry."

The old shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, but still took the silver and whispered, "In fact, there is still water in the Lanzhu River, but the Suoyue Sect built a dam to block the river, so all the water has to be purchased from them. I have a good relationship with the manager, so I can buy water at a low price to maintain this small shop."

Zhang Yu nodded and smiled, "I see. It seems that the Suoyue Sect has great influence here."

At this time, the guests at the other table had already left. The old shopkeeper felt a little relieved and spoke more boldly, saying, "Sir, you are from another place, so it's okay for me to tell you. Since the Sun Moon Sect was wiped out, the Moon Locking Sect has become the local tyrant. The emperor is far away here, and I heard that even the county magistrate has to act according to their wishes."

"Sun Moon God Sect?"

Zhang Yu was a little curious. For people in the martial arts world, these four words were as well-known as Shaolin and Wudang, so they must be familiar to them. But when they came from the mouth of the owner of a roadside tea stall, it felt a little weird.

He smiled and asked, "Is it the demon sect that is feared by everyone in the martial arts world?"

The old shopkeeper nodded and said, "Yes, it is also called the Demon Sect. I just shouted it randomly along with the passers-by."

"Did the Demon Cult do anything bad in Luyang?"

"It's hard to say what bad things they did. Anyway, after the Demon Cult came, they gathered a bunch of idle men and specifically opposed the Suoyue Sect. The two sides fought several times for the mines, and many people died. The county magistrate didn't dare to intervene, so they all hid in the city and pretended to be dead dogs."

Zhang Yu could hear disdain for the county magistrate from the old shopkeeper's words. In places where the power of the underworld is strong, especially in areas where the struggle between the two factions is fierce, the authority of the government in the hearts of the common people is bound to decline.

Luyang City was still seven or eight miles away from here. After drinking nine bowls of tea, the three men set out on horseback and rushed to the city under the scorching sun.

In the city, all businesses were depressed and prices were high. Most restaurants and hotels were closed, but many "sweet water shops" suddenly appeared on the streets. People, both scholars and common people, lined up in front of the shops holding wooden buckets and earthenware jars.

“The water is sold out!”

At noon that day, the waiter at the water store hung up a wooden sign.

Zhang Yu and his two companions went to the largest restaurant in the city, paid five times the usual price, ordered a large pot of tea, and paid extra money before the owner agreed to water their horses.

"I'm so thirsty!"

Yue Jian drank tea cup after cup, and soon his stomach became round.

Hua Jian followed Zhang Yu's gaze and looked outside the building.

Each sweet water shop had a different signboard, some called Zhang's, some called Li's, but there were always two or three men in grey robes holding long swords. Those who failed to buy the sweet water, even if they were dissatisfied, would not dare to act rashly when they saw these gangsters.

Zhang Yu asked, "Are they all disciples of the Suoyue Sect?"

Hua Jian thought for a moment and said, "Judging from their behavior, they all have martial arts skills. Apart from the Suoyue Sect, Luyang should not be able to find such a group of people."

Zhang Yu continued to ask: "How strong is the Suoyue Sect?"

"I heard from the former altar master that the leader of the Suoyue Sect, Liu Chan, is at the late stage of the Qi Hai Jing, but he has a sword handed down from generation to generation, called 'Moon Drop', which is made of meteorites from outer space and is extremely sharp. It is very difficult to deal with. In addition, there are more than 300 elite disciples like this in the sect. In Luyang, there are more than a dozen mines under the control of the Suoyue Sect, which have accumulated a lot of food and supplies."

It is said that he had met the leader of the Suoyue Sect at the Huashan Heroes Gathering a month ago, but there were many people there and the leader Liu Chan was not a prominent figure, so he did not have any impression of him at the time. He only remembered that the Suoyue Sect disciple who went on stage to compete was chopped off the stage by Nangong Cang with a sword and his arm was broken.

Zhang Yu laughed softly, "These bastard noble families are so lucrative, and they have the nerve to call themselves the righteous sects."

Anger flashed across Hua Jian's face, and he sneered, "They have always been shameless and have no shame, so of course they are embarrassed!"

At this moment, there were suddenly some noises on the street, and a crowd of people began to leave.

The sounds of gongs and drums came from far away.

"Water is being applied!"

"Hold the plate steady."

"Good man, you really have a kind heart."

"........."

Two horse-drawn carriages with the flag of the "Suoyue Sect" stopped at the crossroads, each carrying a large water tank. Accompanying them were disciples of the Suoyue Sect, both men and women, all dressed in fine clothes and riding fast horses.

A large crowd of people came from all directions, surrounding the two water wheels, holding wooden trays, wooden barrels, and earthenware jars, waiting for alms from the Suoyue Sect.

"Good trick, two faces, used very skillfully."

Zhang Yu withdrew his gaze.

Hua Jian said coldly: "What a hypocrite."

Yue Jian was puzzled and said, "This method is not that clever. Is it possible that no one can see through it?"

Hua Jian sneered, "Those who see through it won't speak out, those who don't see through it will naturally believe it, and those who see through it and are willing to speak out, no one believes it. Things in the world are so absurd."

Yue Jian was confused and asked, "Why is it so?" Hua Jian said, "Perhaps this is the true face of the righteous people in the martial arts world."

Zhang Yu looked at Hua Jian, and recalled the attitudes of those famous and upright sects towards the Qingcheng Sect that massacred the entire Fuwei Escort Agency in later generations. Some turned a blind eye and pretended to be deaf and dumb, while others simply said "Qingcheng Sect acted too overbearingly", as if as long as they raised the banner of righteousness, the evil they did would not be evil.

It seems that whether it is the righteous path or the evil sect, they are nothing more than a group of jackals and wolves, and a group of tigers and leopards.

"let's go."

Hua Jian asked, "Go to Shenyue Valley?"

Zhang Yu stood up with his sword in hand: "No, let's go to Lanzhu River first and meet the great people of Suoyue Sect."

…………

At dusk, there was finally a hint of coolness in the mountains.

The Lanzhu River is located to the south of Luyang City. It is formed by the confluence of several springs and streams in the Qinling Mountains. The lower reaches are about two meters wide. At this time, the river surface has long dried up, revealing the rocky riverbed, and the ground is like an turned over tortoise shell.

More than a dozen skinny old women in tattered clothes, with branches on their heads and clay pots on their backs on straw ropes, walked to the riverbed, sat on the ground, moved the river stones, grabbed the still slightly moist mud and sand from them, squeezed out one or two drops of water, and dropped them into the clay pots.

They looked numbly at the three horses parked on the shore. They had the same head and two shoulders, but they seemed to live in two different worlds.

“Is this Lanzhu River?”

"Yes."

Zhang Yu sighed and asked, "Where are their husbands and sons?"

Hua Jian said: "They should all be working in the mines of the Suoyue Sect."

Zhang Yu took off the water bag hanging on his saddle and sneered, "Give the water to them. We can't use it anyway."

Yue Jian dismounted, carrying three water bags, walked towards the old women and poured the water into their earthen jars.

Hua Jian rode on his horse and looked at Zhang Yu with a curious smile on his face: "Sir, you should be from a wealthy family, right?"

"How did you tell that?"

"Your Excellency is always seeking fine food, and you are always seeking delicious food. You have many wonderful ideas. I secretly guess that Your Excellency must be living in a carefree, wealthy and comfortable environment."

Hua Jian is a meticulous person, with a completely different personality from the carefree Yue Jian.

Zhang Yu said: "You guessed wrong."

Three bags of water were not much, so Yue Jian quickly distributed them to them. The old women knelt down on the dry riverbed and bowed towards the shore.

"Let's go."

The three riders rode up along the river bank and walked seven or eight miles along the winding mountain road, when they saw a manor. Dozens of carts were coming back from outside. These were the carriages that were delivering water to the city. Among them, only two were flying the flags of the Suo Yue Sect, which had been beating gongs and drums at the crossroads to do charity and distribute water.

The wind from the mountains brought a hint of coolness.

Yue Jian said, "The Suoyue Sect is not here. This is a manor under its name. From the looks of it, the guards are very lax. Sir, shall we just break in and kill these righteous thieves?"

The power of the Yunshuitang of the evil cult was destroyed. No force in Luyang County dared to go against the Suoyue Sect. A dozen disciples were enough to deal with general emergencies.

Hua Jian reminded, "The disciples of the Divine Religion are still detained in the mines of the Moon Locking Sect. It is better not to alert them first, right?"

Zhang Yu shook his head and said, "They may not know our identities."

After dark, three riders came down the slope, easily killed the guards, and rushed into the manor.

In addition to a dozen disciples of the Suoyue Sect, there are more than two hundred servants in the manor.

Behind the manor is the Lanzhu River, which is blocked by a dam made of stone and yellow mud.

The whole Luyang City seems to be roasted on a fire, and here it is sparkling, surrounded by lush green grass and trees, exuding vitality.

Hua Jian came over with a middle-aged man.

"Sir, he is the steward of the Suoyue Sect in this manor."

"Kneel down!"

Zhang Yu turned around to look at the man. He was fat, reeking of alcohol, and wearing a very breathable silk robe. He was struggling and refusing to kneel.

Zhang Yu signaled Hua Jian to let him go.

"What's your name? What do you do in the Suoyue Sect? You seem to have some backbone."

"I am Wang Shan, the third elder of the Suoyue Sect. If you are not afraid of death, just kill me."

Zhang Yu asked, "Elder? Then your martial arts skills must be very good."

The middle-aged man sneered and said, "If you hadn't launched a sneak attack, how could I have been captured?"

Hua Jian laughed and said, "Sir, don't waste your words on him. He is a good-for-nothing and stubborn person."

Zhang Yu sneered, "Hard-mouthed? I hate people who are hard-mouthed the most. Then chop him off."

"Drag them far away and kill them, so as not to pollute the water of Lanzhu River."

Seeing the name of the Suoyue Sect did not intimidate the other party, and hearing these words, Wang Shan sobered up instantly. His legs softened and he knelt on the ground begging for mercy: "Master, spare my life, master, spare my life, I am not a tough guy at all."

Seeing that he was no longer pretending to be a hero, Zhang Yu asked, "Was it the Suoyue Sect's idea to build a dam and sell sweet water?"

Wang Shan said, "Sir, the magistrate of Luyang County has also participated. The silver earned will be divided into 60% and 40%."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "It is indeed so."

"You guys are almost selling water for the price of oil. How much money did you make?"

Wang Shan said, "The daily income is about 800 taels. All the silver has been taken away by the headmaster. I only have a few dozen taels of loose change. If you are short of money, I am willing to contribute all of it."

Zhang Yu sneered: "I don't want your money."

Wang Shan swallowed his saliva and looked nervously at the man in white wearing a conical hat. If he didn't want money, then he would want his life.

"Then...what does the lord want?"

"Your name contains the word 'Shan', which is a gift from heaven and earth."

"You go and gather some people to dig the dam. If you can get it done in an hour, I will ensure that you are safe."

"If you exceed a quarter of an hour, I'll chop off one of your arms!"

Wang Shan did not dare to bargain. Under the supervision of Hua Jian, he immediately went to appease and gather the laborers. He got seventy or eighty people, brought hoes, came to the dam, and started digging hard.

This dam is not built very solidly. We just need to dig out the yellow mud between the bluestones and then move the stones away.

In about half an hour, a gap was dug out, and the river water flowed downstream through the gap.

Seeing the river water rushing down, Hua Jian suddenly asked, "Sir, isn't it too wasteful to release the water like this?"

Zhang Yu looked at the stars in the dark night without saying anything.

(End of this chapter)