Chaos in Multiple Places, Terrifying Bandits

"Oh? What's today, my big sister replied, and Constable Qin is at my door?"

Chu Ge smiled as he took the letter from Steward Fu, opened it to read, and strolled towards Yingbin Pavilion.

Steward Fu followed closely behind, carrying the package.

"Little Ge, it's rare that you've finally started studying martial arts in recent years, and I'm very pleased. It's a pity you're already eighteen, and starting martial arts is a bit late.

However, Master Hu at the Tiger Martial Arts School in Linyuan City is quite good. You can learn the Tiger Crouching Technique from him, which is completely sufficient for the Four Martial Arts Realms.

I've prepared two bottles of Blood-Generating Pills for you. This pill is suitable for those in the Four Martial Arts Realms to enhance their Qi and Blood."

Chu Feixue's letter was hundreds of words long, every sentence filled with concern for her younger brother, Chu Ge.

Finally, she mentioned that the world had been unstable lately.

Many evil cults like the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult and the Yellow Turban Sect were active, and rebels like the Blackwater Army were also causing trouble. Many towns had wealthy merchants robbed, advising Chu Ge to keep a low profile and ideally seek refuge at the Hidden Water Sect for protection.

"Is the outside world really this chaotic? Besides the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult, there are also the Yellow Turban Sect and the Blackwater Army causing trouble. This is a bit like the signs of the past when various tribal powers attacked the Yun Kingdom and heroes rose in great numbers?"

Chu Ge clicked his tongue in shock upon reading the letter, thinking that what Fu Wei had said was true – the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult had long been targeting wealthy families like theirs.

He then took the package from Steward Fu and opened it. Inside were two bottles of Blood-Generating Pills and instructions for their use.

These pills must be expensive.

But now that he was in the Blood Change Realm, the effect of these pills on him was limited.

However, since obtaining the fourth chapter of the Tiger Crouching Technique, he wasn't lacking in resources or martial arts for the time being.

The martial arts of the Hidden Water Sect were definitely not to be taught outside. Even if his big sister managed to get him some other martial arts, it would be too much to digest.

As for the cultivation methods after breaking through to the Force Condensation Realm, they were even more precious. They were considered secret techniques not to be easily passed on in any sect, and in some families, they were even hereditary.

"The cultivation methods after the Force Condensation Realm are ranked even after Spiritual Aptitude. I still don't know if I have Spiritual Aptitude. Only by possessing this aptitude can one guide and absorb external power from heaven and earth using the cultivation method."

"To determine if you have Spiritual Aptitude, you need to reach the peak of the Blood Change Realm in the Four Martial Arts Realms and then explore it yourself when breaking through during the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top.

Before that, to confirm, you would need to have at least reached the Bone Tempering stage of the third realm and then go to a major family in the prefectural city or a sect like the Hidden Water Sect to get tested."

Chu Ge pondered as Yingbin Pavilion came into view.

He put away the letter and the pills, entered the pavilion, and saw Constable Qin, whom he had met a few times before. He immediately cupped his fists and laughed heartily.

"What wind blows Constable Qin to my humble abode today? Could it be that there are Spirit Fish again today?"

Little Qin quickly stood up, cupped his fists, and smiled, "Young Master Chu, please don't tease me. Just call me Little Qin. I'm not here to trade Spirit Fish this time, but to remind Young Master Chu of something important."

"Oh?"

Chu Ge's heart stirred with a guess. He raised his hand, and two beautiful maids quickly came forward to serve tea and water.

After they sat down, they began to chat. As expected, what Constable Qin had to say was related to the Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits outside the city and the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult, just as Chu Ge had guessed.

Little Qin said with a serious expression, "The Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits are almost a tool for the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult to rob and plunder. Recently, many wealthy families in various towns have been robbed, even Master Xu of our Linyuan City.

These incidents are inseparable from the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult."

"I didn't expect the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult to be so evil. These bandits are birds of a feather, and they deserve to die. It's a pity my strength is insufficient, otherwise, I would surely eliminate them for the people."

Chu Ge sighed, feigning a sorrowful posture of self-pity for his powerlessness.

Seeing this, Little Qin quickly comforted him a few words, then said, "These villains might target you, Young Master Chu, so I specifically came to warn you.

The Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits have disappeared without a trace, and no one knows where they are hiding.

They are a group of vicious criminals. Most of them are martial artists in the Muscle and Skin Refining Realm, and their leader, Boss Wei, is a Bone Tempering Expert. They are an extremely powerful force when they go on a killing spree."

Chu Ge picked up a cup of tea and drank it, hiding his embarrassment, and nodded in agreement, "It seems they are indeed very powerful."

He said this, but he felt strange in his heart.

He had already dealt with the Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits, so of course, they had disappeared.

On that night, after Fu Wei died, he had quietly left the city.

Based on the information he extracted from Fu Wei under duress, he easily eliminated the other Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits outside the city.

Now, all their corpses had been sent into the Dragon Bell to be refined, truly destroying the evidence and eliminating them for the people.

He even found a batch of stolen money from the bandit's den, over ten thousand taels in Silver Notes, perhaps including some of the Xu Family's property, which helped to cover his recent expenses.

Instead of worrying about the Thirteen Golden Spear Bandits, this Little Qin should be more worried about the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult's strongholds.

Chu Ge intentionally or unintentionally steered the conversation towards the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult.

Finally, he obtained some information.

After delivering his message, Little Qin left the Chu family mansion and continued to notify other wealthy families in the city.

After walking out of the Chu family's main gate, Little Qin felt the inexplicable sense of unease disappear.

"Strange, I'm wearing the skin of an official, yet every time I speak with this Young Master Chu, I unconsciously feel nervous."

Little Qin rubbed his nose and looked back at the closed vermilion gate, thinking that it must be because the young master of the Chu family was too wealthy, and his elder sister was in the Hidden Water Sect, causing him to instinctively feel reserved and respectful.

"Judging from the information revealed by Little Qin, it seems that the City Guard Captain Tian Youji had already been targeting the nearby strongholds of the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult.

However, this sudden influx of bandits was unexpected. With this commotion, perhaps Tian Youji will make a move on that stronghold."

Inside the Chu Family residence, after Chu Ge saw Little Qin off, he pondered the information exchanged earlier and felt a bit more at ease.

He had initially been troubled about how to subtly alert the county yamen to the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult's stronghold. Now, it seemed the City Guard Captain wasn't easily fooled and had already been keeping an eye on them.

With City Guard Captain Tian Youji leading the charge, Chu Ge could observe the situation. Perhaps he'd even have an opportunity to gauge the strength of that Iron Token Envoy through Tian Youji.

Although Linyuan City was small, it had several factions. The county yamen was one, the Tiger Martial Arts School and another martial arts school, the Snow Saber Martial Arts School, were another, and then there was the Merchant Alliance formed by wealthy merchants.

The representatives of the first two factions were City Guard Captain Tian Youji and the Tiger Martial Arts School's master, Hu Xuezhi, both of whom were Blood Change Realm martial artists.

As for the Merchant Alliance's representative, he was the city's richest man, Wang Youcai.

This richest man had also hired two Bone Training Realm martial artists to work for him, giving him considerable influence. Of course, the Chu Family, where Chu Ge resided, had also joined the Merchant Alliance.

With these few factions holding sway, even though the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult's Iron Token Envoy had learned some secret technique involving strange powers, he wouldn't dare to act recklessly in broad daylight.

However, only seven days remained until Fu Wei was due to deliver the tribute money.

It was possible that once the Iron Token Envoy discovered Fu Wei's disappearance, he might also sneak into the city at night to cause trouble.

Chu Ge hoped that if City Guard Captain Tian Youji intended to move against the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult's stronghold, he would do so as soon as possible. This would catch the enemy off guard.

At that time, perhaps he could follow along, seize the opportune moment to beat a drowning dog, and reap some benefits by looting the Heaven and Earth Incense Cult's stronghold himself.