Chapter 569: Surrounding and Killing in Alley
Chapter 569: Surrounding and Killing in Alley
mid-October.
The autumn wind is chilling and the moonlight is like frost.
On the Grand Canal, huge ships that look like fortresses are drifting downstream.
After twenty days, the governor's team arrived in the Jiangnan region.
In the only palace room of the giant ship, Jiang He opened his eyes, ending this long retreat.
In the Land of Gluttony, it is now the 400th year of Gluttony.
Zhao State was divided into two countries, East and West, which fought each other for two hundred years. From hatred to habit, war had penetrated into their bones and became a part of their cultural imprint.
In the blessed land, two evil soldiers who served as generals of tens of thousands of troops from the two countries returned. Jiang He cancelled the first emperor's mode of the king's ministers descending. The time flow speed of the blessed land did not work for him and his animal companions, but it did for the evil soldiers.
Through the manipulation of the king's ministers, and secretly guiding the bloody battle between the East and West Zhao Kingdom, the two evil spirits killed continuously. This was a method he had recently researched to harvest the evil spirits of soldiers.
"The life level of the creatures in the blessed land is not as good as that in the world of Zhulu."
"The population size also limits the scale of the war."
"Two hundred years of bloody battles gave birth to a celestial dragon force, barely enough."
"But it is a great training for martial arts."
"Double Dragon Power."
On each of Jiang He's arms, there was a lifelike dragon pattern spreading, and the power of strength had been significantly enhanced. This power was different from fate, space and final flame. It acted directly on his body, and golden blood and auspicious clouds were swirling around.
During the two hundred years of bloody battles, Jiang He controlled the evil soldiers to practice the basic martial arts from the Holy Martial Ceremony one by one. Before this, he only understood it but rarely used it. This practice also greatly improved his theory.
With a point of his finger, three thousand arcs of light burst out, not all of them were straight, but flowed as desired.
"Dragon Spear Technique: Thousand Mountains and Snow, Sub-Legendary Level."
Of course, the improvement in the lethality of spearmanship is secondary. The real point is that after deliberate improvement and training, the energy consumption of Jiang He's abilities, including the Armor of the Overlord, has been reduced by 40% year-on-year, which is shocking.
"But it's still not the King of Gold."
Jiang He thought to himself that the gap between the King of the Times and the Overlord was like the gap between the Overlord and the great powers, and he was still lacking something.
"The good news is that I have learned the immortal transformations described in all the top techniques."
When the Divine Transformation and the End of the Divine World began, thick black liquid like mud wrapped Jiang He, and in an instant his whole body turned into black shadows, only his cold eyes remained.
"Just like a god moving with the heavens, the extraordinary factors in my body are temporarily transformed into the ultimate control of devouring power."
"But the biggest advantage is defense."
The pitch-black natal sword flew out and pierced Jiang He's forehead, but the damage was swallowed up, and finally a trace of sword mark was left in the Gluttony Land.
"Just consider the status of the mythical figure, the extent of the damage caused to the blessed land, and the huge energy consumption."
“This is a different kind of harmony.”
Jiang He stood up and the black mud on his body fell off.
Sensing the movement, the little white snake in the corner of the bed crawled over and fell asleep on my neck.
Jiang He took out Pei Xuanran and placed him on the table. He clasped the other person's white wrists with both hands, like reining a horse, and after relaxing for a few hours, he put them back in.
[Reminder: The Fallen Curse has ended this month]
[Gold Energy Value: 80300]
……
At dawn, the morning light shines on the river.
The huge ship was crowded with people. As it approached the shore, the servants and maids of the Governor of Grand Canal Transport and the Imperial Inspector of Salt were busy running around. Both of them were die-hard supporters of the imperial power. Because of someone's attempt to plunder Qingzhou, they had never taken the initiative to approach in order to avoid danger these days.
"Kill people!"
Suddenly, a maid screamed in panic, and the glass cup in her hand fell to the ground and shattered. She pointed to the shore tremblingly.
A group of servants and guards came and looked in the direction.
On the east bank of the canal, a raging fire broke out in the village. A group of ragged young men rushed into the village, wielding knives and guns, hacking and killing people. Naked looting was happening right before our eyes.
"They are bandits from Jiangnan."
A middle-aged civil servant in a long peacock-shaped scarlet robe looked towards the river with a look of pity in his eyes. The second-rank governor of the grain transport industry paced back and forth for a while, hesitated for a long time, and then waved his hand and said:
"Please ask Prince Yong to come over quickly, human lives are at stake!"
"My lord, it's too late now."
"Then go and ask for it too!"
There was a raging fire and hundreds of bandits looted the village. Men, the elderly and children were killed on the spot and women of marriageable age were carried away. Some people jumped into the river in panic. The bandits had few arrows, so they picked up stones and smashed them, splashing water everywhere.
Whoosh!
A powerful arrow flew into the air and hit the river bank like a rolling thunder, creating a huge deep pit. The powerful arrow spread like a tornado, and dozens of bandits around were instantly killed.
The huge noise caused the bandits who were dividing the spoils in front of the village to flee in a hurry. They soon disappeared into the mountains and forests.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
On the huge ship, the Governor of Grand Canal bowed deeply.
Jiang He leaned against the railing and waved his hand. He picked up a jade cup, which contained golden and mellow wine, the legendary wine - Divine Blood Wine. The main ingredient was Pei Xuanran's heroic blood, and the auxiliary ingredients were the symbols of wealth in the mysterious realm, that is, circulated and pure gold, silver and bronze.
From bronze to hero, the divine blood wine is also known as the immortal wine.
"Has Jiangnan become so chaotic now?" Jiang He asked casually after taking a sip of wine.
The governor of the Grand Canal sighed, "Your Highness, you don't know that the world is ultimately governed by your Majesty, who is above the ninth rank, and countless petty officials who are not even of the ninth rank."
"And the petty officials are the foundation for the noble families to dominate the local area."
"This time when your majesty came back from the temple, he made important use of scholars such as the Zhongshu Sheren, restarted the promotion of the salt and iron state-run enterprises, the performance evaluation system and the one-whip system, centralized financial power, rectified the administration of officials, and cleared the land. His original intention was good, but it was the poison that led to the destruction of the country."
"Not to mention the unrest caused by the official mountain and sea and the one-whip system, the performance evaluation of officials alone is already quite out of date. Work is implemented at every level, and performance is linked to official position. Although the efficiency is high, the results are all wrong. The governor oppresses the county governor, the county governor oppresses the county magistrate, the county magistrate oppresses the yamen runners, and the yamen runners and petty officials can only oppress the people."
The governor of the Grand Canal sighed repeatedly and said painfully: "The people can't bear the oppression and hunger, so they flock to become refugees and bandits. Because of the performance evaluation, the county magistrate does not report to the county governor, the county governor does not report to the governor, and the governor does not report to the court. Because the goal is set, they can only oppress other people more and more, and they are getting deeper and deeper into trouble."
"To be honest, Your Highness, the six states in the north of the Yangtze River are guarded by elite frontier troops and are relatively stable, but the ten states in the south of the Yangtze River are already full of bandits. The aristocratic families are often connived at the imperial court, and the Sun and Moon Demon Cult is secretly guiding them. It is said that Jiaozhou has been occupied by a giant bandit."
The servants and maids retreated to a distance tacitly, as some words would bring disaster if heard.
Seeing the two men talking, the Imperial Salt Inspector ordered the boatman to dock and sent someone to rescue the man struggling in the water. The Governor of the Grain Transport Bureau bowed deeply and pleaded:
"Please write to His Majesty, asking for a chance to give the people of the world a break."
Jiang He did not comment.
A land immortal, a powerful vassal king, and the lord of Qingzhou, it is false to say that he has no influence on the emperor.
Wu He stood on his shoulder and whispered, "Boss, according to modern research, any agricultural tax, whether good or bad, right or wrong, will eventually lead to an increased burden, without exception. This is the famous Huang Zongxi Law of Economics."
"what?"
"Zongxi, a great scholar in ancient times."
"You are the most learned person in our family."
"Quack quack!"
Seeing Prince Yong whispering with the house sparrow, the Governor of the Grand Canal suppressed his shame and saluted again.
"Please write a letter, Your Majesty!"
Jiang He said calmly, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful, and you must have a good plan. I'm afraid the Governor is worrying too much. I have important salt and iron duties to attend to, so I'm sorry I can't accompany you."
"My Lord, all the people of the world, my Lord!"
The Governor of Grand Canal Transport watched helplessly as Prince Yong turned and walked away.
……
At night, the huge ship arrived at Yangzhou City.
Unlike the devastation along the way, the luxurious prosperity of Yangzhou City has just awakened as night falls.
As the giant ship approached the shore, lanterns on the Suzaku Bridge lit up one after another, and the light was reflected in the sparkling waves of the canal. Painted boats shuttled back and forth, and the sound of stringed instruments and bamboo instruments came from between the carved beams and painted buildings. The sound of pipa strings mixed with sandalwood diffused from the carved window lattices, attracting tourists on the riverside to stop.
There are shops on both sides of the long street, with wine flags waving and golden plaques shining. The night market is very lively, with stalls of various colors stretching for miles. The silversmith is hammering, the old man selling lanterns hangs the lotus lanterns high, and children are chasing each other in groups, laughing. On the bank of the Qingshi River, the moonlight and the lights complement each other.
On the huge ship, the Governor of Grain Transport and the Inspector of Salt walked down together, followed by their families and servants.
The Yangzhou governor, the Yangzhou general and others stood on the shore to greet them, surrounding a handsome young man like stars surrounding the moon.
The young man was wearing a purple robe and jade belt, with an elegant temperament. He wore a tall crown on his head and a Chen County cinnabar stone that was exclusive to the Xie family hung around his waist. He was none other than the Sixth Man in the World, the second son of Xie Annan, the head of the Xie family. His name was Xie Wendao, and his courtesy name was Qiusuo.
A servant stepped forward and whispered, "President, the world-class BOSS should be on the ship. It is said that he is not easy to deal with. We are only at the peak of our strength and cannot withstand it."
Prince Yong is from the crown prince's line, and Xie is from the eldest prince's line. If the other party is here to kill people, today they are like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth.
Xie Wendao raised his folding fan and whispered, "It's not easy to get a high-level identity. It's not for show. Why are you so scared? Xie Annan ranks above Prince Yong."
"But the old man has been ordered to go to the capital to find the old monk Ku Chan." The servant boy said anxiously, "If he doesn't come back, this identity of the second son will be a huge problem."
"Xie has its own arrangements. We just need to focus on killing my cheap elder brother. This opportunity is rare and will never come back."
Xie Wendao had a kind smile on his face. According to the clues currently speculated, the several elders at the helm of the Xie family were estimated to have reached a cooperation with the Sun Moon Demon Sect.
Bandits will soon besiege the city, the leader of the Demon Cult is confronting Prince Yong. Once Xiao Qingzhi and the old monk Ku Chan in the capital take action, Yangzhou City will be destroyed. It is only two hundred miles to Jiankang. By then, when the Southern Liang is in turmoil, the Northern Wei will not remain indifferent.
"My nephew greets the Governor." Xie Wendao bowed.
The governor of the Grand Canal brushed off his clothes and said coldly, "Humph, the Xie family really has a high threshold. Where is Xie Dalang?"
"My brother is seriously ill, so he asked me to come and welcome the Governor-General and His Royal Highness Prince Yong." Xie Wendao looked around deliberately, wondering, "Why can't I see the prince?"
"Xie Erlang, you should not worry about the prince for now." The salt inspector helped the civil servant who had fallen into the water out and said solemnly: "The Yangzhou Tongpan reported that the Yangzhou left and right councilors, together with the prefect and others, colluded with the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue Guo Huan to embezzle 9 million shi of grain money, and colluded with the bandits to kill those who knew about it. We have already reported this matter to His Majesty, let's all go to the government office and wait for Yun Diao's order."
As soon as the words fell, everyone present was shocked, especially the Yangzhou Governor, whose cheeks turned as pale as paper.
Today, the imperial power is at its peak. Xiao Qingzhi, Prince Yong, and the old monk Kuchan, three immortals on earth, have oppressed many aristocratic families to the point where they can hardly breathe. Even before the fight over the salt and iron issues, the first wave of purges had already begun.
Xie Wendao glanced at the servant and said with a forced smile, "Then I'd rather obey than be respectful."
……
Yanzhi Lane, Yangzhou.
With one hundred skeleton dragon riders guarding them on both sides, Jiang He and Wu He rode side by side on horseback.
"Boss, the Yu family is the money bag of the Xie family. For decades, they not only controlled the local water transport and salt industry, but also had their escort business routes spread across the ten states of Jiangnan. The Huayue Tower, the Water Transport Gang, and the Salt Gang under their command are all first-rate sects below the ten major sects."
Wuhe was secretly shocked after he finished speaking. The three first-rate sects were just vassals of Xie's vassal. Pei Yu divided the world's noble families into four categories: A, B, C, and D. Among them, only Wang and Xie were in the A category, which was full of gold content.
Jiang He said calmly: "The authority has exceeded the limit, it should not be just a simple vassal relationship."
"My eldest brother is wise. The old lady Xie was born in the Yu family. She is Xie Annan's biological mother, so she is also the mother of the Prime Minister. She usually lives in the Yu residence. The relationship between the two families is extraordinary. Now the one in charge is the first wife, with two sons and five daughters. The family is prosperous. The eldest daughter is betrothed to Xie Dalang, and the second daughter is Sheng Gui's wife."
Wuhe stopped talking. Yanzhi Lane had become extremely silent without anyone noticing. The hustle and bustle of the distant streets sounded like a dream. The sky was dark and the lights flickered on the walls of the alley.
On the alley wall, a skinny woman was patiently cutting paper figures. She was wearing a cloak that had the unmistakable style of a cult elder.
At the end of the alley, an angry-looking monk came barefoot, turning the relic beads in his hands, muttering to himself, his whole body full of energy and blood, and surrounded by bursts of white smoke.
The lamp fell to the ground, and the flames materialized into an ugly old man. Heat waves overflowed from his spine, and his whole body was charred and seemed as if it would break at the slightest touch.
At the entrance of the alley, a handsome young man in wolf fur coat was dripping black liquid from his hands. The liquid was so heavy that it created deep pits the size of thumbs on the bluestone.
At this moment, the atmosphere in Yanzhi Lane was solemn. Four top-notch masters in the martial arts world, all of whom were sub-heroes of the fourth realm, seized the opportunity to surround and kill, blocking the front, back, left and right.
"Amitabha." The angry monk said in a low voice, "The prince killed my fellow apprentice monk Wubao, so I came here today to seek advice."
The young man in wolf fur smiled and said, "Your Highness was invincible in the Qingzhou battlefield. I don't know how many injuries the Prince of Changling suffered. I am the Emperor's Wolf Guard. If I can avenge him, it will be a great achievement."
The ugly old man said hoarsely: "Sun Moon Divine Cult, Torch Master."
"The leader originally planned to just go along with the prince, but after coming here, he discovered that Yangzhou is unparalleled in prosperity." The skinny woman stood up and shouted coldly, "Do it!"
Jiang He calmly snapped his fingers, and the domain gateman Wuhe and others were lured into the land of gluttony.
"As a last word, you are really noisy."
(End of this chapter)