Chapter 166: Blood Crane Guardian Team

Chapter 166: Blood Crane Guardian Team

Chapter 166: Blood Crane Guardian Team (Long chapter, shamelessly asking for monthly votes)

At the foot of the Baizhang Cliff, there is a maple forest on the east side.

There are dozens of large blue-tiled houses hidden in the deep and quiet woods, connected by corridors and surrounded by high walls on all sides. From time to time, screams of torture can be heard faintly, making this place look solemn and murderous.

In the Sun and Moon Sect, the Guardian Hall points its sword inward and is responsible for enforcing laws and hunting down traitors. It has no fixed territory and the number of disciples is far less than that of other halls, but their martial arts are outstanding and they are known to be able to defeat ten people with one.

"It seems like Brother Di has benefited a lot from this trip?"

"It's just a little polishing, a little repair, a little patching, wasting time."

"Brother Di is too modest."

"Meng Jiu, you are only 38 this year, in your prime, but I am already on the decline. On the road of martial arts, if you don't make progress, you will regress. It won't be long before I can only look up to you."

"Looking at Brother Di's chess moves, he is determined to make progress, and he is more aggressive than young people. He doesn't look like he is going downhill at all."

There is a square of natural bluestone in the forest. Its cross-section seems to have been cut with a knife and is as smooth as a mirror. There are 19 vertical and horizontal straight lines on it, intersecting to form 361 points, just like the number of stars in the sky.

The man sitting facing south was about fifty years old, wearing a light grey robe, with two long and thick white eyebrows reaching into his hair, and protruding temples. He was obviously a master of internal martial arts, and because he had held a high position for a long time, his expression was intimidating without him getting angry.

Di Baiying slowly placed a piece and looked at the handsome man opposite him.

"Meng Jiu, what do you think of that young man?"

Wen Mengjiu smiled and said, "He is a man of both civil and military talents, the best choice of the moment."

Di Baiying was slightly surprised: "Really? It's not easy to get such a comment from 'Little Wenhou', right?"

Wen Mengjiu smiled and shook his head, "He's too cunning, I'm afraid he's not easy to deal with. Brother Di, do you want to subdue him? I don't think it's going to be easy."

Di Baiying chuckled and made a move: "No matter how powerful Sun Wukong is, he can't escape the palm of Tathagata Buddha. Young people will always hit walls. When he gets hurt, he will naturally understand that to gain a foothold in the Dharma Protector Hall, it is not enough to be appointed by the Eastern Sect Leader!"

Two people were playing chess in the maple forest when another person walked slowly towards them.

The woman was wearing a black dress, had long legs and an exceptionally slender waist, and had a crescent-shaped scimitar hanging on each side.

She has a stern face and is not particularly stunning at first sight, but she is very attractive, especially the gap between her wasp waist and her peaks, which are so slender that they can be held in one hand, yet so steep that they have a strong visual impact and can't help but arouse people's imagination.

"Godfather, someone wants to see you."

"Who wants to see you? I need you to report it."

Di Baiying looked at the woman and said with a smile, "Xiao Man, are you taking this opportunity to come and see Meng Jiu?"

Hearing this, the woman in the black dress glanced at Wen Mengjiu, tenderness flashing in her eyes, but the other party seemed to be focusing on the 19 lines on the chessboard. She didn't even raise her head and didn't respond. A trace of disappointment flashed across her face.

Di Baiying shook his head slightly and said, "Xiao Man, who wants to see me?"

The woman in the black skirt came back to her senses and said, "He claims to be the new deputy head of the Dharma Protector Hall."

Di Baiying put the white chess piece back into the chess box, looked at Wen Mengjiu, and said with a smile: "It turned out to be him. Speak of the devil and he will appear."

Wen Mengjiu quickly said, "Brother Di, can I go with you?"

Di Baiying pondered for a moment and said with a smile, "There's no need to let him know that you're here, Meng Jiu. Besides... this game of chess isn't over yet. You're about to lose. Don't even think about cheating and escaping. Wait for me to come back and continue the fight."

Wen Mengjiu looked at the black and white situation. He clearly had the advantage. Could it be that the other party had some hidden killer moves?
Di Baiying looked at the woman in the black skirt and said, "Xiao Man, you stay here to watch over your foster father and don't let him mess up the chess game."

Di Baiying left alone, leaving the two in the woods, speechless for a while.

She hesitated for a moment, then took out a sachet from her bosom. It was in the shape of an auspicious symbol, with two mixed-feather water birds embroidered crookedly with needle and thread. The woman mustered up her courage and handed the sachet to the man.

"Xiao Man, you know..."

"Ok?"

"I am thirty-eight years old."

"Ok?"

Wen Mengjiu stroked his forehead and said helplessly: "You are only eighteen years old!"

"so what?"

Wen Mengjiu looked at the embroidery on the sachet, which looked like a duck or a long-feathered chicken, and could only speak more seriously: "Let me put it this way, your godfather Di Baiying and I have been friends of equals since we met. You should call me uncle!"

The woman in the black dress stretched out her hand. On her snow-white wrist was a twisted silver bracelet. She said very seriously, "Foster father said that the three of us should talk about our own affairs. We are children of the Jianghu, so we should not be bothered by such trivial matters."

Wen Mengjiu cursed Di Baiying in his heart, I treat you as a brother, but you insist on being my father-in-law!
"Xiao Man, you can't mistake gratitude for affection just because I saved your life."

The woman in the black dress lowered her head, a blush on her face, and she said softly, "I can tell the difference."

Wen Mengjiu still shook his head and said, "I won't accept it."

She stubbornly placed the sachet on the chessboard, turned around and walked away quickly.

Wen Mengjiu looked at the woman's back, sighed deeply, picked up the sachet, and was so clumsy with the needle and thread that it was really laughable.

He smiled bitterly, not knowing what to do.

The woman was originally a disciple of the leader of the Yuandao faction, a gang affiliated with the Divine Religion.

Two years ago, her master passed away, and the Songshan School took the opportunity to destroy the Yuandao School.

Wen Mengjiu happened to pass by, rescued her from Fei Bin, and brought her back to Heimu Cliff.

Di Baiying was an old friend of the leader of the Yuandao Sect, so he adopted her as his daughter and raised her under his wing.

It was originally a good thing, but the woman ended up falling in love with Wen Mengjiu, who was 20 years older than her...

In the main hall of the Dharma Protector Hall, there is a plaque with the words "The law cannot be violated", which was written by the Eastern Patriarch in the early years of his accession to the throne.

Zhang Yu drank tea three times before finally meeting the real owner.

He stood up and bowed, saying, "I am Zhang Yu, meeting Master Di."

Di Baiying sat down on the armchair and said with a smile, "Elder Zhang, there is no need to be polite. Please take a seat."

Zhang Yu thought to himself that his position was clearly 'Elder of the Dharma Protector Hall and Acting Deputy Hall Master', and Di Baiying calling himself 'Elder Zhang' was an expression of disapproval, and he really had bad intentions!

"Thank you, Master Di."

Zhang Yu sat down in the guest chair.

Two female disciples with nice figures came in and served new tea.

Di Baiying picked up the teacup and said with a smile, "Elder Zhang, you are young and promising. When I was your age, I was just a small flag master. The Eastern Sect Leader really favored you. By the way, have you ever gone to Chengde Hall to meet the Sect Leader to thank him?"

Zhang Yu shook his head and said, "Butler Yang said that Dongfang Sect Leader is in seclusion and will not see any visitors for the time being."

Di Baiying sighed softly and said, "Alas, over the years, the leader has been in seclusion for longer and longer periods of time. Even I, the head of the Dharma Protector Hall, have not been able to see the leader for a long time. However, even though he is so busy, the leader still promoted you personally, which shows how deep his kindness is."

Zhang Yu chuckled and said, "The reason why the Eastern Sect Leader asked me to take over the position of deputy hall leader is that he felt that my qualifications and reputation were shallow and that I had not made enough achievements in the Dharma Protector Hall. It depends on when I can make achievements. I removed the word 'taking over' so that I can repay the Sect Leader for his care and protection."

Di Baiying blew the tea foam and said with a smile: "Want to establish a career in the martial arts world? It is inevitable to have swords and sabers, and that is risky."

Zhang Yu pretended to be young and vigorous, and said: "Since I am in this position, I can naturally withstand the bloody storms and swordplay in the martial arts world."

Di Baiying was silent for a while, as if he was thinking. Finally, he put down the half-cold tea and looked at Zhang Yudao.

"I have an opportunity to make a contribution. Would you like to take it?"

Zhang Yu bowed and said, "I am willing to obey your orders."

Di Baiying said with a smile, "You are the favorite of the Eastern Sect Leader, how can I order you around?" He continued, "So it is like this, there are four law-protecting teams in the hall."

"The two guardian teams, the Heavenly Dragon and the Earthly Tiger, have always been under my personal command, and there has never been any difference."

"The Canshe is under the command of Deputy Hall Master Han, and is currently handling a few minor matters in Shandong."

"There is only the Blood Crane Guardian Corps. Last July, the elder of the hall died in the capital. Without a leader, the army is in disarray. There has been no new candidate. Does Elder Zhang have any interest in it?"

Zhang Yu thought to himself, this old guy is obviously setting a trap for him.

He was targeting the law enforcement team, so he naturally did his homework.

According to the rules of the Dharma Guardian Hall, unless ordered by the Eastern Patriarch or for very special reasons, the missions taken by the Dharma Guardian teams will never be changed. Even if the leader dies in battle, they must continue to fight until the entire Dharma Guardian team is destroyed and removed from the team.

The original leader of the Blood Crane Guardian Team died in battle. They must have encountered a very difficult opponent, which is why no one is willing to take over.

Seeing Zhang Yu was a little hesitant, Di Baiying smiled gently.

"Elder Zhang is still young. With the appreciation of the Eastern Sect Leader, he can live a peaceful life. Sooner or later, he will be able to rise to prominence and become a close official in the Chengde Hall. Why risk your life? You should know that risking your life may cost you your life."

It is different from the outside world, where there are mostly large-scale fights and calculations between people of equal status.

The situation within the cult is complicated, with numerous factions, collusion and struggle between them. It is like being in a chess game, with black and white running through it all, and it is unclear. One wrong step may lead to eternal damnation.

Di Baiying has run the Dharma Protector Hall like an iron bucket, and it is difficult for Yang Lianting to interfere. It is not easy for him, an outsider, to get a share of the spoils. If he stands on the shore and watches, he will naturally not get his shoes wet. But as long as he steps into the quagmire, he will have to look for opportunities in countless hidden pits and poisonous pits.

Di Baiying smiled and said, "Have you thought it through? Do you want to go back first and think about it for ten days or half a month before giving your answer?"

"Don't think about it. I am willing to take this job."

"Okay, young people are ambitious."

Di Baiying was not surprised, or rather, no matter what choice Zhang Yu made, he had a backup plan.

He nodded in approval, "The Eastern Patriarch was right in judging people."

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Thank you, Master Di, for the opportunity."

"Hahaha, Di is already old, and you are like the rising sun. Sooner or later, the Dharma Guardian Hall will be dominated by young people."

The cake looks good, but Di Baiying's real meaning is: I have the final say now, so you just have to bear with it.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "It seems that I can only be a chess piece first, and then I can find a chance to break the situation. Di Baiying, you bastard, if I give you a chance, I will teach you a lesson sooner or later."

………………

To the north of the Dharma Protector Hall, there are deep forests and high walls.

The courtyard never sees sunlight all year round, moss erodes the wall tiles, and there is a wooden sign hanging outside the door. There is no text on the sign, only a flying crane painted with cinnabar, which is slightly faded.

A few green vines poked out from the crack in the door, and it seemed that no one had been here for some time.

"Sir, this is Blood Crane North Courtyard."

The middle-aged man pushed open the gate, and with a creaking sound, a large cloud of dust fell. He had some physical skills and subconsciously raised his head to avoid it, but he only cared about his head and not his butt, and just happened to catch the cloud of dust with his robe, looking very embarrassed.

"Oh, this is the robe that Qiu just bought. Madam spent five taels and four cents of silver on it. She originally planned to keep it for the holidays."

He turned around to look at the handsome young man and said with a flattering smile, "Fortunately I didn't dirty you, sir."

Zhang Yu raised his hand and threw a silver ingot over, then walked into the courtyard.

He weighed it for a moment and said, "Five ounces!"

He immediately smiled happily, not even bothering to dust himself off, and hurriedly followed him into the Blood Crane North Garden.

The yard was covered with dead leaves and wild grass. The pond was covered with layers of gourd vines. Two long-tailed pheasants landed by the water and preened their feathers. When they heard footsteps approaching, they flew up to the roof.

It's only been wasted for half a year?
It seems that in the battle in the capital, not only the commander was killed, but the entire Blood Crane Guardian Team was also severely damaged.

"Qiu Ping'an, how much salary do you get a month?"

"My Lord, I only have thirteen taels, which is just enough to feed my family and not starve to death."

"You are at the level of a flag master... a little less."

"Sir, of course it's less! It's eight taels less than the Azure Dragon Hall, and twelve taels less than the Wind and Thunder Hall..."

Zhang Yu was curious: "Why is this happening?"

Qiu Pingan complained bitterly: "We are the Dharma Protector Hall. We have no territory or property. All our money comes from the allocation of Chengde Hall. We are definitely not as good as those big halls with influence in several provinces. We have always been the most poor."

"The Dharma Protectors who take turns at Chengde Hall not only have free food and lodging, but also receive a special allowance of five taels of silver per month. Qiu applied several times, but was rejected each time on the grounds that he was too old and his appearance was unsightly."

"There are also people working in Pingding City, who have good benefits, but unfortunately... Liu Mazi, who is in charge of this job, has some grudges against me."

"I am affiliated with Xuehe Beiyuan. It sounds good, but in terms of treatment, it is the lowest among the lowest, and the poorest among the poor."

Zhang Yu asked curiously, "So hardship? Then there is no way to make up for it?"

"There are some, too."

"Ok?"

"Execute the blood file. There will be a reward for every person killed. The minimum is a few dozen taels, and the maximum is... tens of thousands of taels."

"So this is ah."

"By the way, Old Qiu, how much was the reward for the last Blood Crane Commander who went to hunt down the Blood Dang?"

Qiu Pingan showed fear on his face and hesitated, "Sir, you..."

Zhang Yu laughed and said, "Can't say? Don't dare to say? Are you really that amazing?"

Qiu Pingan thought for a moment and whispered, "That head is worth nine thousand taels. Since I have been managing the blood files of Xuehe Beiyuan, this is the highest reward. In the battle in the capital last year, the entire law enforcement team was dispatched. Not only did Commander Shang die in the battle, but less than 40% of the brothers and sisters returned in the end..."

The two walked down the stairs and found the door closed. There was a plaque above it with the words "Blood Dang".

Qiu Pingan said with a smile: "Sir, please stand still. I will go open the door."

Zhang Yu suddenly looked at him and said, "Old Qiu, you are not going to take this opportunity to extort five taels of silver from me again, are you?"

Qiu Pingan smiled flatteringly and said, "Sir, what are you talking about?"

Zhang Yu chuckled and said, "You could have avoided that gray fluff before, but you deliberately didn't. 'Four-legged civet cat' Qiu Ping'an?"

Qiu Pingan said with a smile, "Those are just the nonsense from my friends in the old days. I have been working as a civilian for eight years, with a wife and children, and I have wasted my time. I shouldn't have been greedy. I will give the money back to you, sir."

He took out the silver ingot from his arms and handed it to Zhang Yu reluctantly.

"Save it for your son to buy bud candy."

Zhang Yu smiled as he walked past him, stepped onto the stairs, and pushed open the door with both hands.

Sure enough, a huge cloud of ash fell down.

Qiu Ping'an only saw the figure floating into the blood room like light smoke, without being stained by any dust at all.

He couldn't help but be surprised: "What a high level of Qinggong!"

(End of this chapter)