Zhang Xinhu had not expected to encounter Zhou Wuji at this moment either. He truly wanted to charge straight over with his saber and chop Zhou Wuji into mincemeat.
And those Taoists from the lower monastery, along with Wu Di of the Ironclad Guard and Jin Chuan-he wanted to kill them all!
Not one of them was any good. They all deserved to die!
But he had already received word that every last rebel soldier had been killed. Not a single one had survived.
The truth had not come to light, so there was no need to risk his life.
Despite the killing intent boiling in his heart, Zhang Xinhu quickly calmed down. He gradually slowed and stopped before a heap of corpses.
Zhang Xinhu's eyes were exceptionally keen. He immediately noticed that most of the wounds on the corpses were unusually smooth, and many had been pierced through the throat with a sword.
The rebel soldiers had all been wearing armor, so whoever wielded the sword had targeted their throats.
Even an ordinary person's head was extremely sensitive; the slightest disturbance would trigger a reaction.
For the rebel soldiers to have fought their way here, they had to be proficient in martial techniques. Piercing one of their throats with a single sword thrust was extraordinarily difficult.
Could Zhou Wuji really have displayed such seasoned, refined swordsmanship?
Zhang Xinhu also saw Zhang Yuan. That slippery fellow's head had been severed from his body. The wound did not look quite as smooth; it was probably a saber wound...
All he could say was that the rebel soldiers had been utterly useless! They had cost him so many lives for nothing.
Zhang Xinhu looked at Zhou Wuji again. Zhou Wuji calmly met his gaze, then turned and entered the courtyard with Wuzheng.
Wu Di slowly walked over. Zhang Xinhu could hardly keep putting on airs, so he dismounted and went forward to meet him.
"Company Commander Wu, a word in private."
Wu Di was a little surprised, but he asked no questions and walked with Zhang Xinhu to the large tree in the center of the village.
Seeing that no one was nearby, Zhang Xinhu said bluntly, "Commander, please help me kill Zhou Wuji. Name your price."
Wu Di could not help laughing. Without even sounding him out, Zhang Xinhu had gone straight to asking him to kill someone. What sort of person did he take him for?
"Brother Zhang, I understand the pain of losing your son. But Taoist Zhou belongs to the Taoist order. In a sense, he's a colleague of mine."
"He killed my son in front of everyone at Hidden Dragon Temple. He's a murderer!" By this point, Zhang Xinhu's voice and expression had both turned fierce.
"That's not for you to decide. The county magistrate's office has no authority over the Taoist order's internal affairs. The case can only be sent to the Heavenly Master's Manor..."
As a company commander at a Pacification Office guard station, Wu Di was very familiar with the imperial court's laws and documents.
Zhou Wuji, Zhang Wuding, and Fang Wuzhen were all Taoist disciples. Although Zhou Wuji had killed the other two, the local authorities had no right to interfere. Even the Pacification Office would not get involved.
Even if a lawsuit were filed, it would have to be submitted to the Heavenly Master's Manor for judgment.
This was true not only of the Taoist order, but of the Buddhist order as well.
Allowing the sects to manage their own affairs was also a mark of the imperial court's respect for the Buddhist and Taoist orders.
"One thousand taels of gold." Zhang Xinhu knew what sort of man Wu Di was. Rather than waste words, he named his price.
One thousand taels of gold was no small sum. For an Eighth Rank Taoist like Zhou Wuji, that price was downright extravagant.
Wu Di was tempted. He cared neither for his reputation nor for what others thought of him.
He was already in the Ironclad Guard. What reputation was there to speak of?
Only benefits that landed in his hands were real. Everything else was nonsense.
But he thought the price could go higher, so he remained silent in apparent deliberation.
Zhang Xinhu understood his meaning and raised his offer. "I also have a hundred-year-old Purple Blood Ginseng. I was saving it for my attempt to break through to Sixth Rank.
"Kill Zhou Wuji, and I'll give you that too."
Wu Di was even more tempted. Purple Blood Ginseng was a spiritual treasure that greatly nourished Qi and Blood, and it was quite rare.
A hundred-year-old Purple Blood Ginseng was rarer still. It truly was something good that money could not buy.
He had no expectation of making further progress in martial cultivation, but this Purple Blood Ginseng could at least give him another three to five years of life. It would also make a lavish gift that no one would refuse.
Zhang Xinhu continued, "Brother Wu, I also know the location of a large band of rebel soldiers.
"When the time comes, I'll help you kill the battalion commander leading them. Suppressing the rebellion will earn you another great merit, enough to secure you a promotion..."
Somewhat puzzled, Wu Di asked, "You're paying such a steep price just to kill Zhou Wuji and vent your anger?"
Zhang Xinhu said heavily, "I'll be frank. The Heart Tiger Method I cultivate places the greatest emphasis on one's state of mind. Unless Zhou Wuji dies, my heart will know no peace!"
"Very well. I'll do you this favor, Brother Zhang. The Purple Blood Ginseng will serve as the deposit."
Wu Di said leisurely, "But you mustn't rush me about how or when I kill him."
He had it all worked out. Whatever happened, he would get the Purple Blood Ginseng into his hands first.
If an opportunity arose, he would kill Zhou Wuji along the way and earn that extra thousand taels of gold.
If no opportunity arose, he would simply wait. In any case, there was no chance he would refund the deposit.
Zhang Xinhu had guessed what Wu Di was thinking, but he replied readily, "It's a deal."
Giving away this Purple Blood Ginseng was partly to have Zhou Wuji killed and partly to smooth things over.
After all, the convoy had met with trouble here. Now that a money-grubber like Wu Di had sunk his teeth into him, he had to feed him his fill.
Inside the room, Wuzheng was also discussing Wu Di with Zhou Wuji. Frowning, he said, "Wu Di is like a venomous snake. Just looking at him fills you with disgust and dread."
Zhou Wuji nodded solemnly. "His nickname is Venomous Python. A python will swallow anything, but pythons aren't venomous. This man is both venomous and greedy. We'd best keep our distance."
Wuzheng shook his head and sighed. "There aren't any good men in the Ironclad Guard!"
The Pacification Office specialized in monitoring officials, investigating rebels, and carrying out the emperor's secret decrees. It was a department dedicated to dirty work.
Over the centuries, imperial power had grown ever stronger, and the Pacification Office had spread throughout the realm.
Because its members all wore specially made iron armor, the common people also called them the Ironclad Guard.
Officials and commoners alike loathed and hated the Ironclad Guard.
Zhou Wuji casually agreed. Wu Di was indeed a bastard, but Zhang Xinhu worried him more.
Noticing that something was weighing on Zhou Wuji's mind, Wuzheng said, "Junior brother, there's no need to worry. No matter how bold Zhang Xinhu is, he wouldn't dare lay a hand on you."
"Once word gets back, the lower monastery will send experts to back us up."
Having nearly died in Old Cang Village, Wuzheng also harbored considerable resentment toward Zhang Xinhu.
A country moneybags, yet he dared act so outrageously!
Zhou Wuji nodded in agreement. "Zhang Xinhu is ruthless and unyielding. We'd still better be careful..."
Wuzheng wholeheartedly agreed. Yesterday, he had refused to believe Zhou Wuji and nearly died for it.
Wuzheng went out and spoke to Patrol Officer Zhang Huai. The group from the lower monastery then traveled back to Siming County with the patrolmen.
By the time they reached Siming County, it was completely dark, so they stayed at an inn in the county town for the night.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon reaching the county town.
Neither the rebel soldiers nor Zhang Xinhu would ever dare cause trouble there.
The inn's accommodations were quite good. Even Zhou Wuji was given a private room, with hot water to wash his face and feet.
The dishes were freshly prepared by a skilled cook, rich in aroma and flavor.
After several days of traveling, everyone finally had a good meal, and their appetites were hearty.
Sitting beside Zhou Wuji, even Wuming could not resist eating a bowl of rice.
Zhou Wuji, by contrast, ate only a little. The Zhang Household had considerable influence in the county town; there was no telling whether they might poison the food. In any case, it never hurt to be careful.
After dinner, Zhou Wuji declined Wuming's invitation to go for a walk and returned straight to his room.
Wuming had been rather interested in the county town, but with her senior brother not going, going alone held no appeal.
Before Zhou Wuji had even settled into his seat, Wuming came running after him.
Smiling brightly, she said, "Senior brother, let me keep teaching you the Heavenly Pivot Hand."
Zhou Wuji nodded. "I've gained a little insight too. See whether I'm practicing it correctly."
He took a sheet of coarse straw paper from the room's writing desk and casually tossed it into the air.
He began flicking the thumb of his left hand, channeling True Qi at the same time.
His thumb flicked out with a hiss. True Qi shot from his fingertip straight into the drifting pale-yellow straw paper, leaving a hole clean through it.
His other nine fingers flicked in succession, each one releasing True Qi.
Amid a series of hisses, ten see-through holes had appeared in the yellow paper.
Zhou Wuji pressed his left hand down through the air. His True Qi transformed into palm force and landed directly on the yellow paper a little over a foot away.
Struck by the soft palm force, the already tattered yellow paper instantly shattered into scraps that fluttered through the air.
His right hand followed with another press through the air. The Heavenly Pivot Hand's soft, exquisite palm force descended like a net, gathering all the drifting scraps onto his palm.
When Zhou Wuji withdrew his hand, his right palm was piled with scraps of paper, yet not a single scrap lay on the floor.
Zhou Wuji was just about to ask Wuming what she thought when he turned his head and saw her staring at him in disbelief, her little mouth wide open!
Her shock was undoubtedly excellent praise, but what stirred Zhou Wuji's heart even more was her adorably silly look with her little mouth hanging open. He nearly reached a finger inside to touch her little tongue...