Witch God Cult

Only after asking around did Chen Sanshi learn that Xu Bin lived very close by, only about a five-minute walk away.

He knocked on the door and announced himself. Before long, a young woman opened it.

Chen Sanshi noticed her slightly rounded belly. "Is this Xu Bin's home?"

"Yes."

The woman hurriedly called someone out.

Xu Bin emerged with a palm print on his face and greeted him awkwardly. "Officer Chen."

He still remembered how, not long ago, he had insisted that Chen Sanshi address him by his rank.

Yet in such a short time, they now held the same position.

"I really don't see myself as an official. Just call me Little Stone or use my name."

Chen Sanshi smiled and pulled a slip from his sleeve. "This is for you."

"This is..."

Xu Bin saw that it was a slip from the armory and remembered that he had indeed lent out a bow before.

"What are you standing there for? Apologize to Little Stone!"

Old Xu rushed out and kicked Xu Bin squarely in the backside.

Xu Bin's face immediately reddened.

In the Military Camp, he had never given gifts or currried favor with anyone. He had always proven himself through hard work.

"Bin, hurry up!"

Old Xu was so anxious he stamped his feet. "If Little Stone doesn't help us and you offend Commander Wang, our whole family might not even have food to eat in the future!"

"I..."

Xu Bin's face burned, but when he looked at his wife's swollen belly, he finally yielded. "Officer Chen, I..."

"I told you, no need to call me Officer."

Before he could finish, Chen Sanshi cut him off. "Use ranks in the Military Camp, but at home, there's no need to draw such clear lines. If you don't mind, I'm still willing to call you Brother Bin."

"What?"

Xu Bin suspected he had misheard. "You don't resent me?"

"Why would I?"

Chen Sanshi was frank.

If not for borrowing that heavy bow, how could he have so easily won the Hundred Household Commanders' favor? He certainly could not have cultivated his qi and blood so quickly.

Granted, Xu Bin's attitude had not been very good.

But help was help.

He could simply have refused to lend it.

"Commander Wang is a bit..."

Chen Sanshi truly could not praise Wang Zhi's character. "In short, I'll speak to him. It'll be fine."

"See? I knew Little Stone had a good heart. How could he possibly refuse to help you?"

Old Xu said, "Why aren't you thanking him yet?"

Xu Bin looked at the young man.

In this world, it was already considered decent if someone did not repay kindness with hatred.

Yet there was someone willing to let bygones be bygones, even call him brother?

Besides, to him, it had truly been nothing more than lifting a finger.

How could he bear that?

For some reason, when Xu Bin looked at Chen Sanshi again, he began to feel that there was an indescribable aura about him, one that inspired admiration.

Admiration was not quite the right word, but for the moment, he could not think of anything more fitting.

After holding it in for a long while, Xu Bin finally clasped his fists. "From this day forth, whatever you need, just give the word!"

Chen Sanshi smiled. "That's too serious. Still, I really do have a favor to ask.

"I'd like Brother Bin to spar with me in spear techniques whenever you're free."

He had benefited enormously from their last exchange.

"Call on me anytime."

Xu Bin agreed without hesitation. "But I truly can't accept this."

He handed the slip back.

"My saber is enough. If you insist on giving it to me, then it means you still resent me."

"Alright."

Chen Sanshi did not press the matter.

"Little Stone, don't leave. Eat with us!"

No matter what, Old Xu would not let him go.

At noon, Chen Sanshi and Gu Xinlan both stayed for the meal.

Lan Jie'er and Xu Bin's Wife, Tong Shi, got acquainted. Since both enjoyed needlework, they had plenty to talk about and got along wonderfully, even agreeing to keep each other company in the future.

"Bwoo—"

Halfway through the meal, the assembly horn sounded from the Military Camp.

"Dad, we have to go."

Xu Bin hurriedly donned his armor and grabbed his saber. "Stone, hurry!"

"What's going on?"

Chen Sanshi deliberately looked to the sky. There was no wolf-smoke, so it was not an enemy invasion.

When they arrived at the Military Camp, they found Lord Thousand Households with fury written all over his face.

Xiang Tingchun publicly issued an order: from this day onward, half the men in the Thousand Household Office were to search Poyang City every day for Witch God Cult followers. Not even martial arts academies were to be spared; each was to be searched thoroughly. Anyone discovered would be charged with treason and collaborating with the enemy.

What was the Witch God Cult?

Why were even martial arts academies being searched? Had they not just cooperated in surrounding and suppressing the barbarian assassins?

"I don't know either."

Commander Xiong said in puzzlement, "I only know that yesterday, Lord Thousand Households went to Tianyuan Martial Arts Academy with Luo Dongquan. When he returned, he flew into a towering rage, saying they were all parasites of the Imperial Court and that he would teach them a lesson."

"Lord Thousand Households might be planning to make the county's bigwigs bleed a little."

Commander Liu stroked his chin. "Isn't he afraid of the people above?"

The Great Sheng Imperial Court's treasury was in dire straits. Even low-ranking officers and soldiers knew that.

In earlier years, the garrisons often went unpaid.

Meanwhile, the martial arts academies and local gentry were dripping with wealth.

The money in the hands of Hundred Household Commanders like them was merely scraps stuck between those lords' teeth. Put nicely, it was called a bribe; put bluntly, it was alms tossed to beggars.

Naturally, it would be a good thing if they could squeeze some wealth out of the martial arts academies.

But the problem was—

If it were really that simple, the Imperial Court would not be in such difficulty.

Many martial arts academies and local gentry were run by people who had retired from posts in the capital. Some were outright businesses owned by current high-ranking officials. Who could afford to touch them?

On the surface, their Thousand Household Office was the biggest power beneath the heavens.

But in truth, which martial arts academy did not know people in the prefecture or province?

They could not quite understand Xiang Tingchun's actions.

"Unless Xiang Tingchun has something on them."

Chen Sanshi thought it, but did not say it aloud.

Just as he had guessed.

These people had been searching for an immortal treasure behind the Imperial Court's back.

Xiang Tingchun intended to use the matter to extort the martial arts academies, but it seemed the negotiations had fallen apart.

"Move out!"

Five Hundred Household Commanders led more than four hundred soldiers out of the Military Camp in a mighty procession.

Chen Sanshi and the men under him were among them.

Wang Zhi was absent, so two General Flags led them instead.

One was surnamed Miao, the other Fang.

"General Flag Fang."

Chen Sanshi asked, "Weren't they barbarian assassins before? How did it become the Witch God Cult?"

General Flag Fang shook his head. "The masked men who appeared out of nowhere that night and rescued the assassins were said by those above to be Witch God Cult members. They seem to be some powerful heretical fiends. Beyond that, I don't know."

"I know this, I know!"

Xu Wencai raised his hand high and caught up with them.

"Mr. Xu knows?"

Chen Sanshi said, "Please, enlighten us."

"Ahem!"

Xu Wencai cleared his throat and began solemnly. "This Witch God Cult is a religion that originated among the barbarians. It has a history of two hundred years, though it declined long ago.

"Until the last ten years, when they suddenly became active again. They even supported the Yuwen Tribe in swallowing up the three grassland tribes in one stroke, transforming from a small tribe into one of the Four Hegemons. In recent years, the barbarians harassing Great Sheng's borders have mainly been led by the Yuwen Tribe, while the other three hegemons have mostly remained on the sidelines."

"Heh, you really know quite a lot!"

Zhu Tong was half-convinced. "You didn't make that up, did you?"

"Pah!"

Xu Wencai said proudly, "I traveled far and wide in my early years. Did you think I traveled for nothing?"

"No wonder you weren't home when your father died of illness a few years ago!" Zhu Tong blurted out.

Xu Wencai's face darkened, and he fell silent.

"Witch God Cult, Yuwen Tribe, borderlands, immortal treasure..."

Putting it all together, Chen Sanshi realized this seemed to be a matter of great consequence.

After five hundred soldiers entered the city, they began searching from house to house.

For now, however, they did not inspect the four great martial arts academies or the first-rate academies. They mainly searched minor and unranked academies.

Xiang Tingchun was killing a chicken to scare the monkeys.

The citywide search continued until dusk before they withdrew. No conflicts broke out in the meantime, but this was only the beginning.

After losing an entire afternoon, Chen Sanshi returned to the Thousand Household Office and headed straight for the armory, intending to redeem the weapon slip and then exchange it for another bowl of Blood Replenishing Soup.