Storming the Mountain Stronghold
Shen Jingchuan held the contract of indenture, looked at the four people in front of him, and said in a calm tone:
"The four of you haven't been with me for very long, but I know you've always been loyal to this family. Now that we're in such a big mess, which could be a capital offense, I can't let you get dragged into this."
I'm returning these indentures to you today; from now on, you are free. I'll give you another hundred taels of silver. Leave Yuxi Prefecture as soon as possible and find a peaceful place to live.
After hearing Shen Jingchuan's words, Liu Zhong's first thought was indeed to take his family and leave as soon as possible, but he quickly calmed down.
A contract of indenture is easy to return, but how easy is it to remove one's status as a slave? According to the laws of the Great Qian, to be freed from slavery, one must go to the government to complete the procedures and change one's household registration. But now they have offended a prince, and the government has been keeping an eye on the Shen Household for a long time. If they go to complete the procedures at this time, it is no different from walking into a trap.
If they really try to run away without completing the formalities, without a household registration and travel permit, they won't be able to go anywhere in the world. They'll be arrested as runaway slaves wherever they go.
Furthermore, Mr. and Mrs. Shen Jingchuan had always treated their family with kindness and trust, so it would be really unethical for them to just walk away now.
After a moment's hesitation, he made up his mind, stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Young master, we are not leaving."
Liu Hu, who was standing next to him, immediately chimed in:
"Young master, I'm not leaving! If I leave, who will feed your horses and drive your carriage!"
Liu Cuier also clutched the hem of her clothes and whispered:
"Young master, I'm not leaving either. The young master and madam have treated me exceptionally well; I don't want to leave you."
Standing at the back, Madam Liu didn't speak, only nodded slightly, her attitude very clear in her eyes.
Shen Jingchuan glanced at the four of them and nodded slightly:
"Alright, fine. Since that's the case, come with us. Go back and pack your things, help your families with their arrangements, only bring your valuables and small items, leave all other bulky things behind."
Liu Zhong accepted the contract with both hands, and without any pretense, bowed deeply and said:
"Thank you, young master. Even without a contract of indenture, our entire Liu family will definitely follow you."
Shen Jingchuan nodded and gave the instructions:
"Hurry up and pack your things, help the ladies with their luggage. Liu Hu, go to the stables and hitch up the carriage."
Everyone agreed in unison and immediately dispersed to attend to their own tasks.
Shen Jingchuan turned to look at Lin Qingyao and Bai Ruoli, and began to give them instructions:
"Just take your personal belongings and valuables; leave everything else at the manor. It's alright. I'll still be here."
The two were stunned upon hearing this, and asked in unison, "Husband, aren't you leaving?"
I didn't explain myself clearly.
Shen Jingchuan waved his hand:
"I'll take you to Azure Cloud Stronghold and settle you in first, then I'll come back. You know your husband's methods, what can they do to me?"
After a pause, he decided to speak frankly:
"There's something I haven't told you two in detail yet. I'm now a cultivator at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. With my cultivation as a shield, ordinary government officials and soldiers can't harm me."
Lin Qingyao and Bai Ruoli exchanged a glance, not particularly surprised. They knew he meditated and cultivated, and that his aura was extraordinary, but since their husband hadn't mentioned it, they hadn't inquired further. Now that they heard him say it himself, they felt completely at ease.
Lin Qingyao gently cautioned, "Even so, my husband, you must be extremely careful."
Bai Ruoli frowned slightly as well. "I'm still worried."
Shen Jingchuan reached out and gently embraced the two of them, his tone soothing:
"Alright, don't worry. If I really can't win, I can always run away. Besides, we still have that one in our family."
As he spoke, he pointed towards the east wing. Xiao Mingshu had been staying in the east wing since she returned earlier and hadn't come out since.
The two exchanged a glance, nodded, and without further delay, turned around and went back into the house to pack their luggage.
Shen Jingchuan walked to the door of the east wing and knocked. "Sister, I'm coming in."
Upon entering the room, he saw Xiao Mingshu sitting at the table drinking tea. She glanced at him, a slight smile on her face, and spoke:
"What? Are you planning to run away?"
Shen Jingchuan smiled helplessly:
"There's no other way, sister. I have a whole family to support. I'm not afraid myself, but I plan to send them all to Azure Cloud Stronghold first."
"I guessed it." Xiao Mingshu put down her teacup and said calmly, "You only have one place to go. This arrangement is fine, just get everyone up the mountain and settled first, and I'll explain the details to you when we get back."
Shen Jingchuan replied, "Okay."
An hour later, the Shen and Lin families met at the entrance of the escort agency.
Shen Jingchuan rode Big Black covered in heavy armor. He was dressed in plain, close-fitting clothes, the typical attire of a cultivator, and was not wearing a full helmet or armor—ordinary mortal armor was no longer of any use to him.
Lin Qingyao rode a similarly armored Little Black beside him. The Shen Household family members and their belongings were transported in two four-wheeled carriages, one driven by Liu Zhong and the other by Liu Hu.
The Lin Household, on the other hand, were fully armed. Lin Weiyuan, Lin Shan, Lin Yue and his son, along with two bodyguards, were all clad in armor, and their mounts were also covered in horse armor. Zhou Fu and Shopkeeper Zhang followed behind them, along with six four-wheeled carriages carrying their families and valuables.
The group arrived at the city gate in a grand procession, but the city gate had already received an urgent order from the prefect to seal it and prohibit anyone from leaving the city.
The guards had all heard about the earth-shattering fight at the entrance of the escort agency that afternoon. Now, seeing Shen Jingchuan riding at the front, a ruthless character capable of killing a Celestial Master, they all put their hands on their sword hilts, looked at each other, and wanted to stop him, but none of them dared to take a single step forward.
Shen Jingchuan spurred his horse to the city gate, where the guard, steeling himself, stepped forward and bowed, saying:
"Lord Shen... Immortal Master, we have received orders from our superiors that no one is allowed to leave the city today."
Shen Jingchuan looked at him, his tone calm:
"Do you want me to kill you all and leave the city, or do you want me to obediently move aside?"
The captain trembled upon hearing this, not daring to utter a word. He quickly gave his men a wink, waved his hand, and turned to run. The soldiers, as if granted a pardon, scattered in a flash.
Shen Jingchuan smiled. Several Lin Household disciples who hadn't left the escort agency stepped forward and together pulled open the heavy city gate.
The group left the city one after another. Shen Jingchuan stood by the city gate, keeping his horse in place until everyone had left, before urging his horse to follow at the back of the procession. The group then left Yuxi Prefecture.
The road was a smooth cement road, and the four-wheeled carriage traveled quickly and steadily. In just over an hour, they arrived at the Government Army' checkpoint at the foot of Azure Cloud Stronghold. When the Government Army at the foot of the mountain saw someone coming, they immediately went forward to stop them.
Shen Jingchuan didn't waste any words and gave Lin Qingyao a wink.
Lin Qingyao understood, reached out and picked up her submachine gun, and pulled the trigger at the dozen or so soldiers in front of the checkpoint.
The group had barely opened their mouths to shout "Stop!" when a burst of thirty bullets swept over them, instantly mowing them all down to the ground.
The group pressed forward. Lin Weiyuan, along with two veteran bodyguards, brought up the rear, while Lin Shan, Lin Yue, and Lin Qingyao led the way. Shen Jingchuan rode alongside on horseback the entire way, protecting only the flanks of the group and not personally intervening.
Lin Qingyao led the way with a submachine gun, while Lin Shan and Lin Yue flanked her on either side, and the group rushed straight up the mountain.
The Government Army who had blocked the mountain had no time to react and were caught off guard. Dozens of them died on the spot, and the ranks were scattered instantly.
They had witnessed the formidable firearms of the mountain stronghold during their recent attack on the mountain, and now, encountering them again, they were all terrified and turned to run down the mountain.
Along the way, whenever they encountered soldiers blocking the mountain, Lin Qingyao swept them down with a wave of her hand. With Shen Jingchuan protecting them, no one could harm the group in the slightest. The group fought their way through and soon arrived at the entrance of Azure Cloud Stronghold.