Yinshan Record

Chapter 61 Unexpected Turn of Events
After exchanging three sword techniques, Feng Xingbu invited Su Che to discuss the current situation in the court.

It's called a political affair, but it's also a family matter.

In the northern war, although Prince Yuan Ying of Zhongshan was defeated, the Northern Dynasty still had spare strength. Reinforcements from all directions gathered, the Huai River swelled and caused disaster, and the supply of military food was insufficient. Wei Huaiwen was in a dilemma.

Su Che's elder brother had already volunteered to stay and defend the north, and asked Wei Huaiwen to lead the army to retreat slowly to the south.

Even though Su Che didn't understand military affairs, he could see that staying in the north was a dead end.

With the war in the north at a stalemate, the kingdoms of Izumo and Hyuga, located on the ten continents of the East Sea, sent envoys to pay tribute. These two countries, situated on the East Sea, have always been subservient vassals of the Great Liang Dynasty. Upon hearing of Wei Huaiwen's great victory over the Northern Dynasty, they dispatched envoys to offer their congratulations.

The emperor then ordered the selection of a naval force to sail eastward and appease the two countries. The second son of the Su family was also promoted from a sixth-rank secretary to the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, serving as an envoy to appease the two countries.

The elder in the family was, after all, a person in the palace, and the three Su brothers were all serving in positions outside the capital, leaving no one from the Su clan of Duling in the capital.

"Before leaving, the second young master instructed his family to send someone to look after him. Master Su agreed."

Feng, who always put public affairs before private ones, finished explaining the important matters of the court and then began to talk about the Su family's affairs.

"I know that the Third Young Master is unwilling, but the north is fraught with danger and war, and the sea is a place where fortune and misfortune are uncertain, so the Third Young Master will still reluctantly agree."

Su Che responded to each question, gaining a general understanding of the changes in the court and at home.

Among the three Su brothers, the eldest and second eldest are ambitious and want to find an opportunity to restore the prestige of the Duling Su clan. The elder of the Su family also seems to follow this path of courage and progress and is happy to see them succeed.

It was a risky undertaking, in case anything went wrong. For example, the King of Zhongshan in the north might unleash his full power, and the eldest son of the Su family would be defeated and killed.

Or perhaps the journey to the East China Sea was suddenly interrupted by a storm or a sea monster, and the second son of the Su family perished when the ship capsized.

Or perhaps something unexpected happens on Xuanshan Mountain, or some delirious demon king makes a desperate attempt to save the day, or the newly appointed Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, the Third Young Master Su, dies in the line of duty.

Then we'll have to see if that elder in the palace has the skill to revive a withered tree through martial arts.

Another thing is that an elder in the Su family is trying to arrange a marriage for her.

It's common for high-ranking families in Daliang to arrange marriages among each other; once you reach that level, you don't care about your bad reputation.

When high-ranking families arrange marriages, character and appearance are secondary; the most important factor is the family's social standing.

The marriage alliance with the Su family of Duling was also sought from military families originating from Yongzhou, but a suitable match could not be found for the time being.

After talking for several days, Su Che announced his resignation to Feng Gonggong.

Feng Buxing said that he wanted Su Che to stay by his side to handle confidential documents, but in reality, he didn't want Su Che to get caught up in the situation like Shi Chibao. There was no real confidential matter for Su Che to handle.

Young Master Su asked to leave, and Feng did not try to keep him, but agreed to come to the camp to practice swordsmanship again the next morning.

Su Che had already returned to the county government office and changed into civilian clothes.

Tonight, I made a promise with the little fox to explore the large tomb in Niushou Village, and "Wuzhiqi" from the Zhongshan Society will also be there.

This was also a small gathering of several members of the Zhongshan Society, so Su Che naturally had to make plans in advance.

Having changed his clothes in advance, Su Che dressed up as a wealthy young master, wearing a light white Shu brocade robe, a crane-head jade hairpin in his hair, a yellow Shu brocade ribbon tied around his forehead, and then took out a folding fan with a beautiful wooden fan surface.

After inquiring about the situation at Niushou Mountain from Zhang San, a yamen runner, and learning that the village was about an hour's walk from the county town, Su San set off directly in the direction of Niushou Village.

Niushou Village is located in the south of Shanyin County, not far from Xuanshan Mountain. It gets its name from Niushou Mountain, which lies behind the village. The village has a small population and no particularly famous local products. It's not much different from many other villages in Shanyin County, lacking any unique features.

However, there is a towering mound near Niushou Mountain behind the village, which is said to be a large tomb left over from the previous dynasty.

At this time, Niushou Village, though it was daytime, was shrouded in gloomy clouds and thick with miasma. The bright sun was obscured by the clouds and miasma, and as far as the eye could see, the surroundings looked like dusk.

The miasma billowed and swirled, and from within the bleak, yellowish miasma came chirping sounds. Occasionally, a glimpse could be made of the vague shapes of monsters within the layers of miasma.

Strings of green lights, the size of lanterns, floated in the miasma. It was unclear whether they were torches used by the demons for illumination or the eyes of the great demons who craved blood.

Every household kept their doors and windows closed, except for two large red lanterns lit at the ancestral hall. A Taoist priest dressed in a yellow robe held a peach wood sword in his right hand and a divination mirror hanging high in his left, performing the Yu Step and chanting scriptures.

Strands of spiritual light flew out from his body and went straight into the ancestral hall.

This spiritual light gathered and forced the miasma to stop, preventing it from flooding the ancestral hall.

"...With sincere devotion, I take refuge in the supreme good and purity..."

Lin Jiugong finished reciting the scriptures and let out a long sigh.

He carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead, took a few steps back, and gently knocked on the ancestral hall door behind him.

The door creaked open, creating a gap just wide enough for someone to stand sideways.

As soon as Lin Jiugong stepped inside, he was immediately surrounded by a group of people, including men and women, young and old, totaling more than two hundred people. It turned out that all the villagers of Niushou Village had taken refuge in this ancestral hall.

The old folks and the young aunts and uncles talked a mile a minute, and even someone as experienced as Lin Jiugong was a little overwhelmed by their rambling.

Finally, several respected elders from the village stepped forward to stop the crowd, giving Lin Jiugong a chance to catch his breath and retreat to the other side.

Not far away, his eldest disciple, Qiu Sheng, and a group of people were waiting for him with furrowed brows.

among these people.

There was a Buddhist monk who wore a headband, a black robe, and hemp shoes. His face was as red as a date. He carried two knives on his back and held a water-polished staff in his hand. A small green snake around his neck kept flicking its tongue.

There was a swordsman with a leopard's head, bulging eyes, a thick beard, wearing a hemp robe and a leopard skin. On his back was an ancient sword with a ring pommel and eight sides, more than four feet long, and a green gourd was tied at his waist. His eyes gleamed with a sharp light.

There was a young girl, petite in stature, with delicate features, so beautiful she seemed almost unreal. She wore two buns in her hair, carried a bulging leather bag at her waist, wore a light green blouse, and held an ochre jade flute in her left hand. A slight frown appeared between her brows.

Seeing Lin Jiugong retreat, the ascetic immediately stepped forward and asked.

"Brother Jiugong, what's the situation?"

Lin Jiugong glanced at him, first with a bright smile, then gently waved his hand to signal his disciple Qiusheng to step forward and shield the villagers from their probing gazes, before frowning slightly and shaking his head.

"This miasma is a mixture of demonic and yin energy, originating from Xuan Mountain. If an ordinary person inhales it even a few times, they will fall seriously ill. I think it's most likely that a demon king has made his move in Shanyin County."

The swordsman with the leopard-like head and piercing eyes frowned and said, "Should we still explore that large tomb inside Niushou Mountain? And what about your disciples? I wonder where they are now."

Thinking of Wencai, Lin Jiugong let out a long sigh.

Since the changes at Kulin Temple, Lin Jiugong has been calling on friends and gathering acquaintances from all over the world. Of the three people in front of him, two are old friends of his.

(End of this chapter)