Deep in the mountains, the woods were dense and the slopes steep, with brambles growing everywhere. In most places, there was not even a path.
Straw Bag Strategist limped out of the forest, covered in wounds from head to toe, his clothes reduced to tatters.
Fearing Ning Chuan might catch up, he only dared pause briefly to catch his breath before fleeing in panic toward the county city.
In his frantic escape, he had failed to find the horse prepared beforehand and could only rely on his old legs to travel.
He had even run out of his shoes. The skin on his large feet had been rubbed raw, bloody wounds curling open in a truly miserable sight.
Fortunately, Eagle Sorrow Gorge was not far from Qingshan County City. By the following afternoon, Straw Bag Strategist had reached its gates.
Leaning on a dead branch as a crutch, Straw Bag Strategist's outfit of hanging rags was especially conspicuous!
"Stop! Where did this old beggar come from? Didn't you see the sign?"
A young City Guard officer pointed at the sign beside the gate.
Straw Bag Strategist followed the direction of his finger, and his face turned green.
"Beggars and dogs are forbidden from entering the city!"
Wasn't that the sign he himself had ordered erected? Who would have thought that one day, he would fall into the pit he had dug himself?
Straw Bag Strategist flew into a rage. "Are you blind as a dog? Look carefully at who this old man is!"
Then he looked at his own appearance and immediately wilted.
Forget it. A tiger fallen to the plains was bullied by dogs!
"Well, well, isn't he just an old beggar? These days, even beggars are this cocky?"
The young City Guard officer circled Straw Bag Strategist once, plucked a withered yellow leaf from his hair, placed it in his palm, and blew. The leaf fluttered away on the wind.
"No money? Then get lost, old beggar! Hahaha..."
The young officer kicked Straw Bag Strategist in the backside, planted his hands on his hips, and let out a strange cackling laugh.
Straw Bag Strategist was kicked into a face-first sprawl. He lay on the ground for a long while, unable to rise, trembling all over with rage.
"You... you lot... deserve to die!"
As the County Yamen's Strategist, wherever he went, people had always treated him with utmost respect. When had he ever suffered such unparalleled humiliation?
At that moment, even draining the waters of the Five Lakes and Four Seas would not have described a ten-thousandth of his hatred for Ning Chuan.
"Ning Chuan, you little bastard! You brought all of this upon this old man!"
Angry as he was, he was still a Strategist and possessed some basic sense. He understood his current circumstances and knew he could only endure for now.
Trembling, he climbed up from the ground and slipped a silver bracelet from his wrist. It was the only valuable item left on his person.
"This shall serve as this old man's entry fee!"
Straw Bag Strategist handed the gold bracelet to the young City Guard officer, forcing a faint smile onto his face.
Yet inwardly, he gnashed his teeth, and a vicious glint flashed through his eyes.
Brat, you dare take something from this Strategist? One day, I'll make you spit it all back out with interest!
The young City Guard officer suspiciously accepted the bracelet, turning it over repeatedly, biting it, and holding it up to the sunlight. Then he was overjoyed.
"Old fool, at least you know what's good for you. Get lost!"
The young City Guard officer stuffed the gold bracelet into his pocket. As he watched Straw Bag Strategist's retreating figure, a cruel light appeared in his eyes.
After entering Qingshan County City, Straw Bag Strategist made his way straight to the County Yamen. He grabbed the mallet for the Grievance Drum and began pounding it. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Who is beating the drum outside to voice a grievance? Bring them in for questioning at once!"
County Magistrate Han Zhang had been dozing in the hall. The drumbeats woke him, and fury immediately flared within him as he cursed whoever had disturbed his pleasant dream.
"Yes!"
Several yamen runners shouted and pounced outside like wolves and tigers.
Before long, they dragged in an old beggar dressed in rags, his face covered in grime.
"Let go of me! Let go! County Magistrate, I'm Cao Bao! I'm Cao Bao!"
Straw Bag Strategist flailed his arms and kicked wildly with both legs like a duck caught by the neck.
County Magistrate Han Zhang straightened his robes, cleared his throat, and slapped the judge's block.
"Who stands below? Why have you beaten the drum? Speak at once."
"If you cannot explain yourself clearly, do not blame this County Magistrate for using severe punishment!"
A vicious expression surfaced on Han Zhang's face.
"County Magistrate, this lowly one is Cao Bao! This lowly one is Cao Bao!"
The moment Straw Bag Strategist saw the County Magistrate, tears and snot streamed down his face as he sobbed his heart out.
Han Zhang's brows furrowed slightly as he carefully studied the old beggar's face.
"You... are truly Cao Bao? Why have you become like this? And your ear? Where did one of your ears go?"
Han Zhang shot to his feet in shock.
"Quick, release Strategist Cao!"
The yamen runners hurriedly released Straw Bag Strategist.
Straw Bag Strategist stepped forward and clutched Han Zhang's leg.
"My lord...!"
"This lowly one followed County Magistrate's orders and tried every possible way to win Ning Chuan over."
"But that brat Ning Chuan could not tell good from bad. He did not put County Magistrate in his eyes at all and even cursed you, saying you kept company with bandits!"
"He also toyed with this lowly one in every way and cut off one of my ears."
"If this lowly one had not run fast enough, I would never have seen County Magistrate again."
"My lord, you must uphold justice for this lowly one!"
Straw Bag Strategist was sobbing so hard that he could barely speak. With a handful of snot and a handful of tears, he embellished his experiences of the past few days.
Han Zhang's old face was cold, as though a violent storm was brewing.
When he heard that the five hundred cavalry led by Long Da of Second Dragon Mountain had all been easily slaughtered by Ning Chuan, Han Zhang's face became frighteningly cold.
"Is that brat truly so formidable?"
Han Zhang was half convinced and half doubtful, but seeing Straw Bag Strategist's miserable state, he could not rebuke him too harshly.
When Straw Bag Strategist went on to say that at Eagle Sorrow Gorge, the six Second Bosses had been arrogant and underestimated their enemy, refusing to heed orders and being easily massacred by Ning Chuan,
Han Zhang gritted his teeth. Six Seventh Rank experts he had painstakingly cultivated had vanished in an instant, and the loss pained him terribly.
"Those worthless fools have run wild in the mountain stronghold for too long. They accomplish nothing and ruin everything!"
"Not only does that bastard Ning Chuan dare come to the county city, he simply does not put this old man in his eyes!"
"Men! Summon County Lieutenant Han Pin. Gather the troops and arrest Ning Chuan!"
"My lord, wait!"
Straw Bag Strategist hurriedly stopped him.
"Oh? What clever plan does Strategist have?" Han Zhang frowned slightly.
"Ning Chuan's strength is terrifying. The City Guard may be unable to deal with him. If we lose too many troops and officers, I fear it may affect your official career, my lord!"
"To kill Ning Chuan, this old man has a plan!"
Straw Bag Strategist moved closer to Han Zhang and whispered something to him.
Han Zhang's expression shifted between light and dark.
"Good. I shall leave this matter to Strategist!"
"This official does not care about the process. I only want results!"
Han Zhang's gaze upon Straw Bag Strategist was sharp, seemingly filled with warning and distrust.
"Yes!"
Straw Bag Strategist felt a chill around his neck and trembled in fear.
Not long after Straw Bag Strategist entered the city, Ning Chuan's merchant caravan also arrived at the county city.
"How magnificent! How imposing! How mighty!"
Standing beneath the city wall, Ning Chuan raised his head and stared upward.
His mouth hung open wide enough to fit a duck egg, like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
The city wall stood dozens of zhang high. Looking up from below, its battlements seemed to reach into the clouds.
The line of guards atop the wall looked like tiny black dots.
With such a magnificent city wall, even the Great Wall and pyramids from his previous life were child's play by comparison.
A high-martial world truly was extraordinary!
"Lord Ning!"
"Lord Ning!"
Shopkeeper Li called out several times from beside him before Ning Chuan finally came back to his senses.
"Oh, what is it?"
"Lord Ning, our Qingshi Town caravan has a temporary place to stay in the county city, at the Qingshi Chamber of Commerce in the north of the city. Will you be coming with us?"
Shopkeeper Li looked at Ning Chuan with an expectant expression.
"Oh, I need to go to the Imperial Guard office. Go ahead on your own. Once I have handled my affairs, I'll come find you."
"As for selling the warhorses and equipment, Shopkeeper Li will have full authority over it!"
Shopkeeper Li was overwhelmed by the favor and patted his chest as he agreed.
"Please rest assured, my lord. This lowly one will certainly handle the matter properly!"
After parting ways with Shopkeeper Li and the others, Ning Chuan brought his younger brother and sister to the southern part of the city.
They first found an inn and checked into a room. Then it was time to Sign In and increase his strength again.
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