The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 56 - 52 Trade

Chapter 56: Chapter 52 Trade

Qixia Mountain, Black Wind Village.

This place was originally a military camp abandoned by the government army, taken over by a group of strong-men who managed the area and it became the now-famous Black Wind Village of Jiangning Prefecture.

The leader of the strong-men is also skilled in military affairs. On the seven passes leading to Black Wind Village from Qixia Mountain, small fortresses were built to guard the main roads. Only several tens to a hundred people are needed to hold them, and even thousands of official soldiers can’t hope to break through them.

Such chokepoints amount to seven altogether, and it’s unknown how many lives would be lost trying to conquer them.

Not to mention Jiangning Prefecture, even Yingtian Prefecture, being the capital of South Zhili, does not have the financial power.

Thus, both high and low officials of Jiangning Prefecture have just let the matter be.

After all, since the establishment of the court, there have never been peaceful times from bandits or pirates.

Furthermore, imperial influence does not extend into the countryside, let alone up the mountains.

The court’s assessment of various places mainly focuses on the grain and tax revenue. If this aspect has no issues, it indicates that governance is stable.

Only when taxes cannot be collected would serious measures be taken.

The main overseer of Black Wind Village is surnamed Lin, known in the worldly society as the "Pagoda-Bearing King."

King Lin practiced the powerful Bull Demon Strength Kung Fu, possessing formidable might.

In the past, he was a bully in his village too.

Someone built a stone pagoda on the opposite bank of the river in his village, claiming it could drive evil spirits to their village.

King Lin, hearing this, could not be content, took the stone pagoda alone to his village, and drove the evil spirits to the opposite village.

Hence, he earned the title of Pagoda-Bearing King.

This King Lin loved to make friends with heroes and strong men. As time passed, his pockets inevitably tightened, and one day, in a bold move, he robbed official silver and henceforth occupied the mountains as a king.

In recent years, he even made connections with some powerful individuals inside Yingtian Prefecture, obtained some prohibited weapons, making Black Wind Village increasingly powerful.

However, taking favors from others naturally meant doing tasks for them.

Thus, when they asked him to rescue Xu Scholar in Jiangning Prefecture, he sent his capable man, Niu Peng, down the mountain.

On the appointed day, King Lin saw that Niu Peng had not yet returned. Soon after, a spy from down the mountain brought a person back and gathered information that the Zhao family was plotting treason. They had been raided, and Niu Peng was caught in the government’s dungeon.

King Lin then summoned his lieutenants for a discussion.

"This is Mr. Zhao Bao, Zhao arrest officer’s cousin from Jiangning Prefecture. The Zhao family has encountered trouble, and he has specifically come to seek refuge in the mountain," King Lin first introduced the person brought back by the spy.

With the sudden onset of the event, many things would definitely be clearer to this survivor from the Zhao family, Zhao Bao.

The Zhao family had been operating in Qingshui County for many years. After escaping through a dog hole on the night of the raid, Zhao Bao first hid in a household that usually had no dealings with the Zhao family but was actually one of their escape routes. Later, disguising himself, he made contact with the spy from Black Wind Village through a previously established connection point and thus came up to the mountain.

He knew more details than what the spy from Black Wind Village could gather.

The Zhao family’s conspiracy was already being treated as a solid case by Magistrate He. Zhao Bao knew that unless someone as influential as an Elder was alerted, such a solid case could not be overturned.

Moreover, he knew a bit about Zhao Xiong’s affairs.

Zhao Xiong initially only intended to provide conveniences for the teaching bandits to start an uprising without involving the Zhao family directly.

Unexpectedly, the incident happened prematurely, causing the entire Zhao family to get implicated.

Thus, Zhao Bao himself had no direct connections with the teaching bandits.

When recounting the events, Zhao Bao naturally did not reveal these associations with the teaching bandits, but focused on the events involving Xu Qing. In his view, Xu Qing was cunning and deep, and it might be Xu Qing scheming behind the scenes, framing them albeit inadvertently.

After hearing Zhao Bao’s account and comparing it with his spy’s reports, King Lin suddenly intervened and asked, "Wait, this Xu Family’s Scholar isn’t fifteen years old yet, right?"

Zhao Bao was stunned but dared not conceal anything, hesitantly said, "Indeed, he is only fourteen."

King Lin: "The current Grand Secretary became a scholar at twelve, although he is not from Zhili prefecture and the examinations there were a bit easier. I didn’t expect our Jiangning Prefecture to also produce such a talent."

In this era, the family precedes the country.

When someone from the same local prefecture becomes famous, the local people also feel honored.

King Lin immediately laughed heartily, "I originally thought this Three Elements Scholar was just a bookworm. But hearing what Mr. Zhao says, this person has quite some strategies. If he could assist us, I wonder how great an enterprise I could undertake."

He had already rebelled and held no reverence for the court.

Whether it was being officially pardoned or seeking a new and bigger stable base overseas, he needed a strategist for planning.

Hearing from Zhao Bao, wasn’t Xu Qing exactly the talent he had been seeking?

Upon hearing King Lin’s words, Zhao Bao immediately became anxious. If Xu Qing were to match well with King Lin, how could he survive? He said, "King, you may not know, but the Xu family’s son is extremely crafty. Before even the county test, when he couldn’t be considered even a child student, he dared to help his government official uncle to plot against my family. Such a person does not respect authorities or hierarchy at all. King, associating with him would be truly dangerous."

King Lin, upon hearing Zhao Bao’s description, his eyes shone brighter, and he clapped with a big laugh, "Good, good, good, him having no respect for authority and hierarchy is exactly what I like."

If Xu Qing were a strict conformist, a morally rigid scholar, he definitely couldn’t have invited him over.

Listening to this, Zhao Bao grew even more anxious, "King, this boy is a child student test’s little Three Elements, only fourteen years old. He could pass the examination sooner or later; how could he possibly come and help you?"

King Lin smiled disdainfully at Zhao Bao: "Nobles from Heavenly Capital still make deals with us mountain bandits. Even if he becomes a Scholar, what of it?" He paused, then continued, "The resources of this world, we people of the land are entitled to take them. Your Zhao family possessed such a huge estate but acted timorously; no wonder it has fallen in your generation."

His speech carried an air of fearlessness.

Like the Bull Demon of this era.

Other lieutenants admired King Lin for this fearless spirit.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have followed him into banditry.

Zhao Bao had no choice but to bow and say, "King, I cannot coexist with the Xu Family’s son. Please, considering the past when I sent you information, arrange a way out for me."

King Lin nodded, "Since Mr. Zhao has the intent to leave, I won’t retain you. Where would you like to go?"

Zhao Bao: "My family had ties with the Garrison Eunuch of Heavenly Capital. Please, King, find an opportunity to let me meet him."

King Lin: "Alright."

He immediately ordered someone to take Zhao Bao down to rest.

Next, they discussed how to rescue Niu Peng.

They were all blood-sworn brothers; if they didn’t attempt a rescue, it would definitely dishearten the other brothers.

As they were discussing, a spy operating a tavern down the mountain came up, saying they had a handwritten letter from Niu Peng.

King Lin received the letter from the spy’s hands, opened it with everyone to read, and it was crookedly written, undoubtedly Niu Peng’s handwriting which was hard for others to mimic, but the content was eloquently stated:

"Today there is an ounce of bezoar, for what price is righteousness?"

At the end, there was a small silver ring snake drawn, vividly vivid.

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