Yongchun

BOOM!!

The last body fell from the horse's back.

Just now, when Chu Tianshu made his move again, his intense blood and qi caused his oppressive aura to spread out.

The horses and donkeys, which were already docile, froze on the spot, too afraid to move.

The Japanese pirates screamed and tried to attack, but they only caught a glimpse of an indistinct shadow flashing on the backs of different mounts.

Some corpses flew out, while others tumbled off the horses.

They didn't have large wounds on their bodies, but their deaths didn't look peaceful.

Chu Tianshu jumped off his horse, looked around, and walked into the woods.

It is Weapon Soul that is based on the Sanqi Divine Sword and nurtured using the "Lesser Yang Blood River Chariot".

He can borrow the concentrated Mind Power from the Sanqi Divine Sword, and he can also be nourished by the pure blood energy when controlling his master's body.

Unlike other Weapon Soul, it is not easily dissolved within its master's body.

Moreover, as the embodiment of one aspect of his master's will, he did not inherit any of his master's other skills.

But he's really good at fighting!

The Weapon Soul felt a small sense of joy.

Yes, this emotion is also an impurity, and it should be influenced by the owner's physical body.

His lips curled up slightly before his expression returned to blank.

He walked into the woods, and after only two miles, he found a very clear stream. He washed his hands there and sat down on a nearby blue stone.

The pebbles at the bottom of the stream remained still, and the sound of the flowing stream was gentle.

Occasionally, a leaf would drift down onto the stream, swirling gently as it floated downstream.

Chu Tianshu appeared to be in a daze, but in reality, he was admiring the scenery.

After a while, he closed his eyes and listened with his ears.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky was filled with stars.

As the moon moved westward, the starry sky was worth watching all night.

The master's consciousness became increasingly clear.

The following morning, a large number of people also entered the woods.

It was already bright outside, but the sun had not yet risen.

This group of people also carried many torches, as if afraid that they might lose their footing and twist the magistrate's ankle.

The magistrate of Yongchun County looked to be in his forties, of medium build, with a slightly round belly but not too fat face, and had a shiny black beard.

"Where is the hero? Quickly, find the hero!"

As the magistrate spoke, a large number of his yamen runners and servants spread out around him, cautiously calling out "Great Hero!"

They quickly found Chu Tianshu sitting motionless by the stream.

The magistrate, holding the hands of the people beside him—one a city guard, the other a tall, thin boy—murmured, "Is this the one?"

The city guard looked troubled; he had only seen a figure from afar, who could recognize him?

If I had known the magistrate would come to question the centurion, I wouldn't have stood outside.

"Look at the color of the clothes..."

The city guard said, "That should be him."

The magistrate was displeased and looked at the boy again.

The young man said, "It's him."

"Hahaha."

The magistrate laughed, straightened his robes, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "Great hero, I am Wang Jin, the magistrate of Yongchun County."

"Yesterday, the Japanese pirates attempted to attack the city, but were fortunately stopped by the great hero. Those soldiers were really careless; after finally Chucheng, they were only concerned with bringing back the pirates' corpses to claim credit, and didn't even think to look for the great hero's whereabouts."

You can tell just by looking at the quality of those Japanese pirates' weapons.

These dozen or so people were all highly skilled.

If they manage to infiltrate the city, who knows what kind of chaos they'll cause.

Along the coast, there have been many precedents of how dozens, a dozen, or even just a few Japanese pirates could wreak havoc on entire cities.

After all, while there are skilled pirates, they value pomp and circumstance, and if they want to cause any big trouble, they are usually accompanied by bandits.

If the enemy forces are slightly larger, it's easy to exaggerate or fabricate reports, which might give the higher-ups something to say.

These Japanese pirates who dared to cross the ocean were mostly ruthless and audacious. They sometimes allied with the pirates and sometimes separated from them. When they caused trouble, their numbers were too small.

The number of people was obvious at a glance, and when the news spread, it was truly a disgrace to the imperial court.

The local officials all suffered greatly afterward.

Magistrate Wang was genuinely grateful for surviving such a calamity, and he had also been pondering all night, wanting to see if he could win over this chivalrous hero.

Coincidentally, the person hadn't gone far at all, even after a night had passed.

It seems like there's a good chance.

"Slaying the Japanese pirates will be rewarded handsomely, along with a plaque. May I ask your honorable name, sir? Would you have the honor of staying in my city for a while?"

Magistrate Wang spoke with utmost respect.

But Chu Tianshu sat there, motionless.

Magistrate Wang waited for a while, feeling rather embarrassed. He glanced at Chu Tianshu's profile and saw that he was not very old, and a thought struck him.

"Great hero, my Yongchun, though not a famous city, has several renowned courtesans whose talents are widely known. They are not only proficient in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, but also knowledgeable in Daoist and Buddhist scriptures."

Magistrate Wang laughed and said, "A few years ago, a high-ranking monk from the Southern Shaolin passed through the area. Several of the city's most talented men gathered with him, and a courtesan dressed as a man sat down to discuss Buddhist scriptures."

Even the eminent monks of the Southern Shaolin praised it highly, and it became a well-known story.

"They heard that the hero had eliminated the Japanese pirates and were filled with admiration. They all wanted to meet him when I hosted a banquet for him."

Young people, what one isn't attracted to women?

Moreover, these words were very polite; the monks of the Southern Shaolin were not only martial artists but also renowned monks with good reputations, and they could even chat with beautiful women.

That would make it even easier for others to chat.

Sure enough, after he finished speaking, Chu Tianshu turned his face slightly.

To hold a banquet means to have food.

The master's consciousness has not fully returned, and the concentrated Mind Power within the Sanqi Divine Sword is decreasing with each use. However, the body's blood and energy can be restored through eating.

The previous incident with the Japanese pirates served as a reminder to him that it was best to keep his body in peak condition.

So, would you consider these people to be strange?

Chu Tianshu stared at them carefully for a while, and seeing no ill intent, decided to leave.

Magistrate Wang greeted the hero with a delighted smile as they walked out.

After seeing the whole picture, I realized that this hero was younger than I had imagined.

Being young is great! So young and already so talented, he must be a top student from a prestigious family.

But he has this problem of not liking to talk.

Throughout the journey, no matter what Magistrate Wang and the others said, Chu Tianshu didn't utter a single word.

If you don't even reveal your own name, then you can only call him a great hero.

After leaving the woods, Magistrate Wang wanted to offer his sedan chair, but Chu Tianshu simply strode towards the city.

Magistrate Wang had no choice but to follow. Several sedan chair bearers, happy to carry an empty sedan chair, followed behind with light steps.

Some people in the city knew that the magistrate was going to see the chivalrous man from yesterday.

Upon seeing Chu Tianshu enter the city gate, the county magistrate did not ride in a sedan chair but carefully followed beside him.

The neighbors immediately started talking about it.

The common people in the city get up early, and by this time all the shops are open, it's time to sell breakfast.

As Chu Tianshu walked, he looked north, sniffed the air, turned, and entered the small street.

Magistrate Wang quickly said, "Hero, this way!"

Chu Tianshu ignored him and walked straight to a sesame seed cake shop before stopping.

The people selling the sesame cakes weren't young women like Lady Wenjing, but an elderly couple.

There was also a boy who was helping to wrap the sesame seed cakes.

Magistrate Wang arrived and laughed, "This sesame seed cake is hardly fit for a refined meal. My household has many pastries..."

He saw that Chu Tianshu had already reached out his hand, and his tone immediately changed.

"Those pastries were touted as incredibly delicious, but Mr. Wang preferred this humble sesame seed cake. It's truly a return to simplicity, the ultimate taste of life."

Chu Tianshu had already taken the sesame seed cake and taken a bite.

Is this what it feels like to eat?

It's so inefficient; it can't be absorbed directly like the master's blood Mind Power.

But remembering that the owner really liked sesame seed cakes, I ate more.

Chu Tianshu kept stuffing sesame cakes into his mouth, his lips bulging slightly, and he quickly chewed them clean.

Magistrate Wang had initially pretended to eat one, but then he noticed that Chu Tianshu had already eaten five sesame cakes in such a short time.

The way he ate made everyone around him feel their throats go dry.

The tall, thin boy quickly asked for a glass of water and handed it to Chu Tianshu.

Chu Tianshu drank it without hesitation.

The tall, thin boy was holding a bamboo tube, about to fetch water, when he heard a cry coming from the end of the alley.

A group of disheveled townspeople were being driven away by government officials.

"Officer, our house burned down yesterday. We just want to work in the city. After a while, once we've saved up some money, we'll go back."

"Get out, get out! Do you know how much trouble you hundreds of beggars have caused us by flooding in like this? If you start stealing and robbing, the jail won't be able to hold you all."

"Yes, not just you guys, everyone else will be kicked out sooner or later. If they want to find work, they should go somewhere else. Why are they hanging around in the city?"

The tall, thin boy looked over there, his face contorted in pain.

Chu Tianshu chewed on a sesame seed cake, his gaze also drifting over.

Magistrate Wang had been watching his every move closely. Upon seeing this, his expression changed, and he immediately turned and walked away, loudly reprimanding the constables.

The head constable asked in surprise, "Sir, isn't this you...?"

Magistrate Wang said in a low voice, "Shut up! Can't you see the person who saved them yesterday is standing right there? Do you want to die?"

The foreman exclaimed in surprise, "They really found it! Weren't we supposed to invite them to our residence? How did they end up in this poor, remote area of the Northwest?"

"They probably have ulterior motives."

Magistrate Wang glanced back furtively and ordered loudly, "It is our duty as officials to appease the people. Hurry up and help find work for the able-bodied men among these people."

Women can also find some needlework and laundry.

The constable thought to himself: That would be too much trouble.

Since the magistrate had spoken, they dared not disobey.

There's a shed next to the sesame seed cake shop.

As Chu Tianshu ate, he sat down on the bench and then stopped moving.

Magistrate Wang had someone pay for the sesame cakes, and after several attempts to talk to him, he found that the man was unresponsive and unwilling to move. Frustrated, he had no choice but to resign and prepare to return to the county office to gather some clever people to figure out what was going on.

The few people left behind by the magistrate carefully stayed by his side.

After a while, the tall, thin boy returned, accompanied by a large group of people. When they reached the front of the shed, he knelt down and kowtowed, crying and laughing at the same time.

Chu Tianshu sat calmly, watching without moving.

Is this a thank you?

I feel a little happy, like when I'm sweeping away all the malice.

However, it is also an impurity.

Chu Tianshu's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression returned to calm.

He was focused; he just needed to wait for his master to return completely.

(End of this chapter)