Yinshan Record

Chapter 79 Leaving Xuanshan

Amidst the miasma and evil atmosphere, Su Che pondered a somewhat thorny problem.

What should Song Qi do?

The little fox knew perfectly well what the Mysterious Nether Dao True Pill that it had taken out was.

It was a poisonous pill from the deepest, most mysterious place in the East Sea.

Old Song's lifespan could have been extended by two more years, but if he had actually eaten the "Mysterious Netherworld True Pill" produced by the little fox, living two more days would have been a testament to his skill.

Now the old fox has shown its face, and the little fox has disappeared.

It became my responsibility to appease Song Qi.

Moreover, after this trip to Niushou Mountain, I have gained a new understanding of Old Song, the coffin shop owner.

I'm really reluctant to let him just give his final answer like that.

After thinking about it, Su Che decided to take the blame.

All Song Qi wanted was to prolong his life; whether it was the Xuan You Dao Zhen Dan or something else was not important.

Let's think of a way to exchange that poison pill for a life-extending magical treasure.

I don't have any similar treasures on hand right now, but who knows if the Su family of Duling might have one? Who knows if Huang Tiandao might have one?

Because of Song Qi, I obtained a page of the Golden Book and a wisp of the true meaning of the "Future Star Constellation Tribulation Scripture". I must remember this favor, and I can settle this debt with the little fox later.

Amidst the hazy, miasma, the sounds of men and horses neighing could be heard from ahead.

Many men and women, covered in dirt, were pushing carts, herding livestock, and carrying large and small bags as they fled the disaster.

The old man's curses mixed with the child's crying were enough to give anyone a headache.

A group of armored soldiers, wielding halberds, were shouting and maintaining order.

"What are you doing standing still?"

A soldier wielding a long sword with a ring pommel glanced at Su Che and the others.

"Aren't you coming with me?"

Su San Gongzi and Song Qi exchanged a glance and silently walked into the group.

"Wait, what's the rush?"

A clerk wearing leather armor, with a short sword at his waist, a writing brush in his hand, and a bamboo tally in his other hand, walked over.

The clerk's eyes swept over Su Che and his party hastily.

"It's a chaotic time of war, please excuse me, young master."

"Name, place of origin, why did you go into the mountains?"

This clerk seems very efficient, using words sparingly.

"Yue Buqun is residing in Duling, Yongzhou. These two are my servants. We went for a spring outing in the mountains. That one is Daoist Lin. We met him in the mountains."

"Song Qi, Qi from Qishan."

"Ma Shoude."

Su Che gave an introduction.

The clerk took out several bamboo slips from his waist and wrote words on them.

"Is the Taoist priest injured?"

Lin Jiugong was wearing a Taoist robe, so he couldn't hide it from anyone.

"This humble Taoist priest is Guo Beilin Jiugong."

"Is he a Taoist priest from Guobei County? Why was he injured?"

"I saw mist rising in the Xuan Mountain, so I came to investigate. On the way, I encountered a great demon and was injured."

The clerk nodded.

"What kind of powerful demon is it?"

"It's a two-headed bear monster."

The clerk pondered for a moment and then handed the bamboo slips in his hand to the group of people.

"It's all packed. We'll check it again later."

"Ah, may I ask which general you serve under?" Su Che called out to the clerk.

The Liang army was small, and the terrain was fragmented, with most of its troops stationed at the front lines fighting against the northern kingdom.

In his pursuit of the fleeing enemy, Wei Huaiwen drew upon almost all the available troops from various regions.

Transporting provisions, dividing troops to occupy captured cities, dredging waterways for warships, replenishing frontline forces... all these tasks had already stretched the Liang army's resources thin. Otherwise, Feng Xingfu wouldn't have brought only a single elite force to carry out these tasks.

In terms of military system, the soldiers of the Great Liang were owned by their generals. Each general led his own troops, and whose troops belonged to whose general. My own family, the Su clan of Duling, had its own troops, which my elder brother was currently leading in service on the northern frontier.

The ranks of generals were divided into 109 positions, with 24 classes in 10 ranks. It could be said that there were generals everywhere and captains everywhere, but only two or three groups of men were truly useful.

Cizhou is located in the heart of Daliang and has never had any troops. A group of people appeared in Shanyin and helped cover the retreat of the people.

This illustrates a point indirectly.

The imperial court was already aware of the Black Mountain Monster's actions and had made arrangements in advance.

The soldiers before me are not the elite troops of Wuyundu. They are capable of covering a hundred miles a day. Their deployment to penetrate Xuanshan at this time must have been planned in advance.

"General? We are personally led by the Imperial Censor, and we are ordered to receive the people and evacuate them to the county town for resettlement."

Yu Ze? He arrived just as quickly.

"Those wicked creatures in Xuanshan have gone mad and are arresting people everywhere," the clerk reminded Su Che. "If you don't have anything else urgent, young master, you should go back as soon as possible."

"Thank you, sir."

Without a word, Su Che took out a small string of copper coins from his sleeve and gently placed it in the clerk's hand: "Thank you for your hard work, sir, for serving the country and its people."

The clerk looked at the copper coins in his hand and then at Su Che.

"Then I thank you, young master."

The clerk turned and left.

Su Che then led a few people to blend into the group of refugees.

The surrounding area was filled with shouts from people and neighing from horses. The cart tracks chugged and chugged across the broken ground, like a worm struggling to move across the scorching sand, each step slow and painful.

"When Mr. Yue travels the world, he never forgets to carry toll money with him."

Song Qi made a joke.

"It's not shameful to be worldly-wise or worldly-wise."

Young Master Su knew that revealing his identity would solve many problems.

But that would cause more trouble.

For example, how did he come to know Lin Jiugong? This could lead to the question of what exactly happened at Kulin Temple.

If the cooperation with Song Qi is exposed, it will draw the attention of Bailudong back to him. Although he now has Yu Lizi as a backer, it is better to avoid trouble.

As for the future inheritance of the Starry Sky Tribulation Scripture, the Nine-Page Golden Book, the origin of the Black Mountain Monster, and so on.

These things are not suitable to be exposed to others.

There are some things that Yu Lizi can know, but Feng Buxing can't.

But Yu Ze.

I'm sorry, we're really not that close.

Does anyone know what this Imperial Censor is thinking?
The group walked and stopped frequently, and the official road became wider and wider, while the evil miasma in front of them gradually faded away.

Amid the commotion, other groups escorting people back could also be seen.

"just in front."

The clerk's voice came from over, and Su Che turned his head to look.

Then they saw a group of heavily armored soldiers pushing aside the surrounding civilians and heading straight in their direction.

The man leading the group must be the leader of this group. He was wearing heavy lamellar armor, carrying a shield on his back, with a black tassel on his helmet, and a short axe and a long sword with a ring pommel hanging at his waist.

The clerk they had met before led the way, and upon seeing Lin Jiugong, he called out loudly.

"This is the one, this is the one."

Su Che and Song Qi exchanged a glance.

Is there going to be another unexpected twist?
The general walked over, his eyes sweeping over Lin Jiugong, and then glancing at Su Che.

"I am Ning Tuizhi, the commander of this army."

The military officer clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lin Jiugong.

"Are you Master Lin Jiugong from Guobei County?"

Lin Jiugong reluctantly returned the greeting.

"It's Pindao."

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there was a position called "Military Commander". The number of soldiers under his command was only a few hundred, while the number of soldiers under his command was nearly ten thousand. It all depended on the strength of each family. Many famous generals were originally Military Commanders or Banner Commanders.



(End of this chapter)