Yamafu Military Affairs

Chapter 679 Divine Strike
"So it turns out that Master Miaoxuan had already made plans. In that case, I was just being nosy."

Seeing that Qin Wen handled the situation appropriately, and that his sword strike just now resembled that of the Xuan Nu lineage, Wu Daoren immediately felt the urge to befriend him.

"Just now, the Lord of Huai River acted strangely. It was thanks to your intervention, sir, that no disaster was caused. On behalf of the young master, I thank you, sir, Master Miaoxuan."

With that, Wu Daoren bowed and expressed his gratitude.

"It was merely a matter of helping those in need; there's no need for you to take it to heart, sir. However, there is one point: the banks of the Huai River are densely populated with numerous residences. How could the imperial court bestow the title of god upon a mindless water demon? If it were to establish its power and stir up trouble, how many more people along the Qinhuai River and in Nanjing would be displaced and lose their lives in vain?"

Qin Wen waved his hand, using the incident in the river as a pretext to probe the origins of the young man in brocade robes.

"Sir, you have been in Wudang for a long time and may not know this, but since the True Dragon went south to Jinling, the prefect of the Huai River has changed six times, on average every ten years. The court has its reasons for bestowing this giant toad as a god and allowing it to enjoy incense offerings; it is not without reason."

Seeing Qin Wen's indignation, Wu Daoren hurriedly explained, "As you are not a disciple of Wuliang, I cannot go into too much detail. I can only say that the imperial decree to confer the titles of River God and Earth God upon mountain spirits and water monsters was personally bestowed by the Dao Ancestor and is the fundamental national policy of the Southern Ming Dynasty. It cannot be shaken under any circumstances."

"Oh? If that's the case, then Miaoxuan was being rash. I hope the Master will forgive me."

As he spoke, Qin Wen paused, then feigned a sigh and said, "Tonight, the moon is full, and there is a jade plate reflected in the water. Judging from the actions of the True Man and the officials, this giant toad doesn't always show itself in front of people to stir up trouble, does it? I wonder why it left the water palace and approached the painted boat. Judging from its actions just now, it was as if it was using the people on the boat as bait. How vicious!"

"this one"

Wu Daoren glanced at the young man in brocade robes without showing any emotion, then cupped his hands and said, "I still have to thank you for your help, sir."

"It is already late today, and the gates of Su Xuan Temple have been open for a long time. In order not to disturb your journey, let's end the banquet here. After you have met with Lord Zixu, I will invite you to visit the Dengzhen Pagoda."

Immediately afterwards, Wu Daoren took out two paper cranes folded from ochre-yellow paper from the large sleeve of his crane robe and handed them to Qin Wen: "These are spirit cranes that I made with boundless magic. As long as they are within a hundred miles, they can return to me and deliver messages. If you want to find me, just send these cranes."

At this point, the pleasure boat had already docked. Qin Wen knew that Wu Daoren was hesitant to speak too intimately with someone he didn't know well, so he simply stopped asking questions. After taking the paper crane, he led the coachman and the two of them to the dock, where they ran into the government officials who had come to their rescue.

"Wu Heyi, and who is this?"

The leading captain seemed to know Wu Daoren. After waving away the others, he subconsciously questioned Qin Wen about his identity.

"This is the chief disciple of Bixia Jun of Jingle Palace on Wudang Mountain in Xunyang, a high-ranking master of the Mysterious Female School, also known as Master Miaoxuan. The sword strike that forced the Toad Lord to stop just now was her doing."

Upon hearing what Wu Daoren said, the captain relaxed his furrowed brows and bowed, saying, "I am Ding Xun, the captain of the Shenzha Division, in charge of supernatural matters in Shangyuan County. I am responsible for cracking down on witchcraft, investigating ghosts and foxes, slaying demons and monsters, and eliminating evil spirits. Today, the Lord of Huai River is causing trouble, and I really need your help to get out of this predicament."

"It's alright, it's all for the people."

Having met the captain Ding Xun, Qin Wen had a sudden thought and guessed that the Shenzha Division might be an institution similar to the Killing Department in the Southern Ming court. After secretly memorizing the name, he told the coachman to take the curfew order issued by Ding Xun, leave the old courtyard, and return to the inn where he was staying.

"Wu Heyi, what happened today?"

After watching Qin Wen and the other man drive away, Ding Xun glanced at the young man in brocade robes following the old man and took the initiative to ask.

"Keep it on file. As for official documents, I will make a copy and submit it to the Divine Lord afterward."

After summarizing the incident of "Lord Huai River stirring up trouble at night" in a few words, Wu Daoren waved his hand, summoned Yu Yun, and led the young man in brocade robes straight to the Dengzhen Tower in the palace.

Besides agreeing to Ding Xun's official document, his most urgent task was to inform his senior brother, Abbot, about Qin Wen's sudden visit to Jinling, a high-ranking outsider.
-
That's all for today. Thank you for your help.

In the backyard of the inn, Qin Wen got out of the car, handed the warrant to the driver, and was about to go upstairs to rest.

"Sir, there's something I'm hesitant to say, but I'm not sure if I should." The driver gripped his handcuffs, his expression somewhat uncertain.

"Oh? But please speak freely."

Qin Wen turned around and asked with a smile.

He had already sensed that the driver had a story, so he wasn't surprised that he was stopped at this moment.

"Although my eyesight is failing, I can see that you are different from those charlatan Taoist priests in the Tower of Truth. You are a good person. Jinling is not a virtuous place. If possible, I hope you will withdraw as soon as possible."

The driver seemed to have some unspeakable trouble, and his words were incoherent.

"Could you please explain in more detail, sir?"

Qin Wen's eyes flickered slightly, and he took the conversation a step further.

"The Huai River was formerly known as Longzangpu, and there is great misfortune beneath it!"

The coachman gritted his teeth, leaned close to Qin Wen, and whispered, "That Zhu Ming dragon that lived for three hundred years is long dead! The one that has now entered Jinling is just a ghost dragon that has been reborn in another body. All that talk of destiny from those bird-like Taoist priests is a lie!"

After saying this, the old man, who was over fifty years old, glanced cautiously at the Tower of Ascension. His cloudy eyes were filled with mixed feelings, including resentment and fear, which were very complicated.

"Old man, you're so confident in your eyesight, aren't you afraid I'll take you to the Tower of Ascension to claim my reward right now?"

After listening to the driver's account, Qin Huai narrowed his eyes and bluffed.

"Sir, you are joking. We are the ones who are on the same path."

The coachman smirked and pointed at Qin Wen's wrist. Without saying anything more, he got into the carriage, mounted his horse, and left the inn's backyard.

'The Hundred Lotus Sect, huh? They really are a persistent ghost.'

Qin Wen lowered his head and looked at his wrist. Beneath the smooth skin, a blooming blue lotus was hidden.

Suppressing the murderous intent rising in his chest, Qin Wen thought it over and did not act rashly. He entered the inn through the half-open back door and saw Xiao Yi, the waiter, leaning against the wall with sleepy eyes.

Perhaps hearing footsteps, Xiao Yi suddenly woke up from his sleep, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, smiled at Qin Wen, and greeted him, "Sir, you're back! Did you have a good time tonight?"

"Very good, thank you Xiao Yi for leaving the door open for me."

Qin Wen smiled faintly and suddenly asked, "By the way, Xiao Yi, where did you find that driver today? I found him to be quite eloquent and tactful, so I was thinking of calling him again if I need a ride in the future."

“You mean Old Man Yang? His house is in Yanghu Lane up ahead, very close to the inn. If you need a car, I can call him anytime.”

Xiao Yi scratched his head and replied.

"What do you know about his family?"

(End of this chapter)