The State of Affairs, the Carriage

"Wow, what incredible skill! I've never seen anyone achieve such mastery in martial arts."

The old man in blue had his internal organs cut open and was weak and powerless, but he was not dead yet. He simply tore off the cloth covering his face and stared at Chu Tianshu.

Chu Tianshu calmed his blood and qi, gradually reducing his oppressive aura. His gaze seemed to sweep over the heads of these people, as if he were looking at something, and he asked, "And who are you people?"

The old man in blue robes said, "I am Shui Kongqi, the leader of the Giant Whale Gang."

The burly man beside him gritted his teeth and said, "I am Zhou Yan, the leader of the Sea Sand Sect. Please tell us your name so we can die knowing the truth!"

Chu Tianshu's expression became subtle.

"Giant Whale Gang, Sea Sand Sect, those are really common names, but are your gangs about to go bankrupt?"

"The dignified leader of the gang, going out on business all alone, without even a single loyal and brave Gan Jiang by his side."

The old man in blue struggled to say, "Our Giant Whale Gang has a considerable reputation along the coast; we are by no means a small sect. However, the improvement of the Fire God Secret Formula for firearms is of great importance."

"The people of Fire God Gully have scattered again, and there will inevitably be Fangxiang along the way. It will be dangerous and difficult, so I have no choice but to personally take charge of tracking down one of the routes!"

As the leader of the gang, even knowing the dangers and difficulties, he still had to take action.

Firstly, they come from a rough background, have strong political aura, and are very confident in their own strength.

Secondly, the Fire God Secret Formula is too great.

They're going to such lengths for a secret they've never seen before.

It seems that Fire God Gully was indeed an authority in the field of firearms and metallurgy.

If someone tells you that they've developed some excellent, improved technology, people will actually believe it.

At this moment, Xu Ben gradually recovered from the oppressive aura he had just experienced.

"The Giant Whale Gang and the Sea Sand Sect certainly have quite a reputation."

He said bitterly, "Your reputation is partly due to your smuggling of salt, but mostly because you can transform yourself into two groups of pirates at any time."

"It's because of scoundrels like you that the Japanese pirate problem has only gotten worse."

"You dare to covet the secrets of our Fire God Gully?"

The old man in blue and the burly man both burst into laughter, ignoring the fact that the bleeding from their abdomens was getting worse.

The burly man shouted, "Your Fire God Gully's secret techniques were developed just to kill and make money, and we're using them to kill, make money, and expand our power..."

Seeing that they were about to start a war of words, Chu Tianshu flicked two fingers.

Two silver needles were driven into the foreheads of the two gang leaders, ending their lives.

Seeing the two dead and lying on the ground, Chu Tianshu's eyes widened with a glint of light.

Sure enough, at the moment of their death, it was as if a batch of scattered light points were squeezed out from their bodies.

The light spots, each a different color, rose slowly and disappeared in mid-air.

Chu Tianshu had vaguely seen this scene on other dead people before.

Since reaching the level of "Martial Stove God," his physique has been such that he can see Spirit Body even without Aperture Opening.

But only after reaching Spirit Communication Aperture Opening can one truly see that points of light are actually flying up from their bodies.

That was definitely not a soul, not even a remnant soul.

It's just a jumble of emotions.

Previously, in the place where Chu Tianshu's consciousness was trapped, countless colorful Yanxia drifted endlessly.

Those Yanxia were formed by the accumulation of these specks of light.

Is there a unique dimension in this world that is particularly conducive to storing emotions?

However, those Yanxia were too loose and chaotic. If anyone were to come into contact with that level with complete consciousness, they would easily feel immense pressure and be swept away by the undercurrents.

Chu Tianshu was able to stabilize his spirit and form amidst the Yanxia and dark currents, eliminate distracting thoughts, and pull his mind back to its proper place, all thanks to the deep connection between his physical body and consciousness.

If it were a mere psychic, the danger level would likely skyrocket.

This situation is very unfavorable to warlocks, and it's unknown whether it will lead to the development of a unique warlock system.

"Thank you so much, hero, for saving my life!!"

Xu Zhicheng spoke up and kowtowed again.

Chu Tianshu reached out and helped him up.

"You bumped your forehead and the wound is covered in dirt. Don't you know that it's easy for it to get infected?"

Chu Tianshu looked at the dirty bloodstains on the boy's forehead and felt displeased. He stuck a needle into the boy's hairline to stop the bleeding.

"Find some cool boiled water later to clean and bandage it."

Xu Ben also came over. "Thank you so much for saving my life..."

Chu Tianshu grasped his right wrist, and before he could kneel down, with a tremor of his hand, he helped him reset his dislocated shoulder and elbow joints.

Xu Ben felt a sudden pain in his right arm, after which his whole body relaxed.

As my physical condition improved, my mood was also affected.

His previously chaotic thoughts relaxed considerably.

However, this benefactor seems quite different from the one I met last time.

Chu Tianshu looked towards the end of the street. "More muskets, more dead heads."

"Blood is splattered all over the ground. It'll scare the children when it gets light. Why haven't the officials come to clean up yet?"

This doesn't seem like the quiet and reserved person Zhicheng described.

Xu Ben said, "Given the style of Magistrate Wang, the more noise he hears here, the more he'll stay inside the yamen, only daring to send someone to investigate when the noise stops."

Chu Tianshu said, "Isn't there still a centurion?"

Xu Ben said, "That person is similar. If someone attacks the city and causes too much trouble, he might have to set out. But if something only happens in the city at midnight, he will never show his face."

"Okay."

Chu Tianshu placed three bamboo strips in the basket, picked it up, and said, "Then let's go find the magistrate."

Xu Ben hurriedly searched the corpses of the Three Yin Wind Sha and found his two muskets.

Chu Tianshu saw it clearly.

As soon as Xu Ben got his hands on the two muskets, a little light seemed to rise from the top of his head.

Those two muskets must have held extraordinary significance for him, causing his emotions to intensify in an instant, which led to this unusual phenomenon.

Although the light and color are invisible to the naked eye, it is already quite amazing.

Xu Ben's emotions were ten times stronger, this strange phenomenon wouldn't have occurred if it were in Chu Tianshu's hometown.

The current manifestation is mainly due to the influence of the Mist and Rosy Clouds Realm Layer.

When the three arrived at the county government office, they found the gates tightly shut.

The Yongchun County government office was a two-section building, with the magistrate's family living in the back.

Originally, yamen runners were not obligated to take turns guarding the county magistrate's home at night, but in reality, this practice was common in the homes of county magistrates across various regions.

Chu Tianshu led the Xu Family uncle and nephew over the wall and entered, where they saw more than a dozen yamen runners standing inside and outside the hall.

Magistrate Wang, holding his teacup, was absent-minded and his face was full of worry. Suddenly, he saw Chu Tianshu and was both surprised and delighted.

"Great hero, thank you so much for coming! Those sounds just now..."

Chu Tianshu said, "A few pirates caused trouble in the city, but I dealt with them. Send someone to the place where I sat during the day to move and clean up the corpses."

Magistrate Wang was overjoyed. "Good, good indeed!"

He immediately sent someone to handle the matter, and seeing that Chu Tianshu was willing to talk to him, he was even more delighted and sent someone to arrange a banquet.

The hall was magnificent, with sets of tables and chairs, all exquisitely carved, made of precious materials, and with a lacquer finish as smooth as black glass.

The cups, bowls, plates, and dishes used were made of fine porcelain, and the screen in the hall was embroidered with excellent craftsmanship.

The kitchen served the dishes quickly, starting with poached chicken, braised pork belly, and drunken spare ribs, followed by Taiji egg custard, meat swallow dumplings, and fish balls.

Among the many dishes, there were three plates of sesame seed cakes, which looked a bit out of place.

Xu Zhicheng immediately recognized that the magistrate had brought it back from the pancake shop during the day.

Chu Tianshu tasted several dishes and found them to be rather bland, but still quite flavorful.

Especially that bowl of meat swallow dumplings, it was very fragrant and smooth.

Seeing that the magistrate was about to make some more arrangements, Chu Tianshu said, "There's no need for such a fuss. Actually, I've come here to bid farewell to the magistrate."

Magistrate Wang was startled. "Could it be that I have failed to provide adequate hospitality?"

"No, that's not it. I was originally Rogue Person overseas, but because my ancestors were from the Jianghuai region, I didn't forget my hometown accent and came back to visit."

Chu Tianshu sighed, "It's just that the wind direction at sea shifted a bit, so we weren't able to reach our hometown."

"My original intention for this journey was to return to the hometown of my ancestors, but I found that everywhere was unstable, and life on a small island overseas was much more peaceful. Therefore, I decided to set sail again."

Magistrate Wang suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! But the instability along the coast is all due to rampant pirates; the sea must be even more dangerous."

"Pirate strongholds are mostly strategically important locations. My home is just a remote island. The sea is vast, and the shipping routes are different, so there's no need to worry too much."

Chu Tianshu raised his hand and said, "These two uncles and nephews beside me are also willing to go to sea with me. I feel that they are destined to meet me, so I will take them with me."

Magistrate Wang sighed, "What a pity that such a great hero's skills are buried on a small overseas island!"

"Although the coast is not peaceful, it is also an opportunity to make a name for oneself. There is no need to take risks. You can serve as a retainer in my city. Once I report to the court and Shangguan, you will enjoy wealth and honor."

Chu Tianshu smiled, picked up the sesame seed cake, took a bite, and said, "My mind is made up."

Magistrate Wang sighed, "I truly cannot bear to part with the great hero."

"Oh?"

Chu Tianshu pondered, "Then why doesn't the magistrate come with me to sea?"

Magistrate Wang quickly waved his hand. "No, no, no, it's hard to leave one's homeland, it's hard to leave one's homeland!"

Chu Tianshu simply smiled.

Xu Zhicheng, who was initially reserved, has now relaxed and started eating and drinking heartily.

Xu Ben seemed to be deep in thought, but he couldn't help but eat a few more bites.

They had been on the run for six months and hadn't tasted good food in far too long.

After dinner, Chu Tianshu told the two of them to wash themselves thoroughly and change into clean clothes.

In the morning, Magistrate Wang even presented them with the reward money for killing the Japanese pirates and gave them a carriage.

Because they didn't know the identities of the Giant Whale Gang and the Sea Sand Sect, they only calculated the price as if it were a regular Japanese rabbit.

Even so, it was still a substantial sum of money.

The horse's hooves clattered as it left the county town.

For the time being, no one rode the horse, letting it stroll on its own, while the three of them remained inside the carriage.

Xu Zhicheng looked at the silver in the basket. "I thought he would avoid mentioning the reward and try to get away with it."

Xu Ben said, "Although this man is an incompetent official, he is quite shrewd when it comes to receiving people from the martial arts world."

"Just an incompetent official?"

Chu Tianshu sat leisurely on the inside of the vehicle, making a windmill, and said, "I heard that the salaries of officials in the Great Ming Dynasty are not very high. How can a mediocre official be so rich?"

Xu Ben sighed, "After landing, my benefactor did travel around, but perhaps he didn't go to many places."

"In the past six months, we've traveled to various places, and among the government offices we've seen, Yongchun County is considered a pretty good one."

Xu Zhicheng nodded and said, "Our ancestors in Fire God Gully were originally craftsmen from the Divine Machine Battalion. They drifted to Lingnan, and the whole town was engaged in the firecrackers and weapons business."

"Although I am not a chivalrous hero, I still have a patriotic heart. After developing this Fire God Secret Formula, I originally intended to present it to the imperial court..."

With the power of the imperial court, if this secret technique is put into practice as soon as possible, it shouldn't be long before the Japanese pirates are eradicated from the southeast coast.

That was their original intention.

However, after the secret was leaked, several forces attacked Fire God Gully, and the survivors scattered and fled.

Xu Zhicheng's escape team, having mastered the secret, still wanted to contact the government.

Unexpectedly, they encountered pirates several times along the way. After the pirates left, the government troops arrived, but instead of pursuing them, they decided to plunder again!

This kind of thing happened all the time, and Xu Zhicheng understood.

If the government's soldiers can't fight pirates, can't they fight ordinary people?

If pirates cause trouble in a certain place, soldiers can take the opportunity to plunder and enrich themselves, and then blame all the local losses on the pirates.

If too much unrest is unacceptable, then kill some civilians, whether they are counted as spies or pirates, they can be counted as military achievements.

For soldiers, this is truly a win-win situation.

"Alas, the soldiers in the garrison are hereditary military households, all transferred from other places to cultivate the land again, leaving their homes behind. Moreover, the garrison officials have seized their land and imposed extra labor on them, so they harbor deep resentment and have a deep estrangement from the local people."

Xu Ben said, "In that case, they can burn, kill, and loot without any qualms."

Chu Tianshu recalled that Qi Jiguang, a figure from his hometown's history, was also quite dissatisfied with the original imperial army and wanted to recruit soldiers locally along the coast to fight against Japanese pirates.

However, he had inquired with the county magistrate last night and learned that the Great Ming for a hundred years.

Even if this world will produce famous generals like Yu and Qi in the future, they haven't been born yet.

Moreover, in this kind of world, simply killing Japanese pirates is not enough.

Call!!

Chu Tianshu blew on the windmill in his hand and handed it to Xu Zhicheng.

"Last night I asked you guys if there were any magical arts in the martial arts world, and you'd never heard of them."

"But for a bat to track its closest relatives by blood ties and scent is already akin to magic."

Chu Tianshu said, "By holding this windmill, your aura can circulate with the surrounding mountains and forests, and your scent will be masked, making you immune to such tracking methods."

Curse-type spells, which target individuals based on their bloodline, are very common.

The Secret Incantations of Vertical and Horizontal records several methods that can prevent enemies from detecting the bloodline target.

Xu Zhicheng took the windmill and hesitated, asking, "My benefactor, are you really going to take us out to sea?"

Xu Ben tentatively said, "The talk of going to sea is just a smokescreen. My benefactor seems quite enthusiastic; he doesn't appear disheartened or want to retreat overseas."

"That obvious?"

Chu Tianshu touched his face, his expression calming down. "Old Xu, you also want revenge, don't you?"

Xu Ben lowered his eyelids. "I will obey your orders, my benefactor."

The die is cast; the secret and the man have both fallen into the hands of this benefactor.

At least for now, he appears to have nothing to do with the Fire God Gully.

"Then let's go out and catch the carriage."

Chu Tianshu picked up a bamboo hat and put it over Xu Ben's head.

Don't let the horse run too fast.

(End of this chapter)