Chapter 14: Various Schemes, Winds Rise Over Green Mountains (Please bookmark, recommend, and...)

Qiao Xuan, Wenren Jie, and Young Master Kongxu exchanged glances.

They were not fools blinded by the fame that comes from slaying demons and monsters.

They each had their own motives and had gathered here solely for profit.

Qiao Xuan sought an official position for himself and his disciple to ensure future stability.

Wenren Jie sought fame and the cultivation techniques promised by Qingshan County.

Young Master Kongxu sought fame and several specific resources provided by Qingshan County.

Xu Xiao was there to assist her close friend and protect her sect's reputation.

As for Jiang Sheng, it went without saying; if the demon in the Taiping River hadn't been so close to his Qingping Mountain Daoist temple, he wouldn't have cared whether Qingshan County lived or died.

It could be said that they were all gathered due to shared interests. It would have been one thing to discuss matters in public, but to enter someone else's private chamber on their own territory—if something were to go wrong, their corpses might rot before anyone even noticed.

Furthermore, although Zhang Qing trusted her close friend Xu Xiao the most, it was Zhang Qingyun, the Magistrate of Qingshan County, who had personally invited Jiang Sheng. Who could say there wasn't some collusion between them?

What if the demon-slaying was a ruse, and the true goal was to wipe out all these rogue cultivators in one fell swoop?

While they were contemplating, Xu Xiao had already entered the secret chamber.

After carefully sensing his surroundings, Jiang Sheng spoke: "If this were merely a secret chamber of Qingshan County, this Daoist would be loath to accompany you."

"But since the Lanyue Sect is a Golden Core sect of Qingzhou, this Daoist is willing to extend some trust. Miss Zhang, do not disappoint me."

Hearing this, Wenren Jie laughed heartily. "Daoist Jiang makes a valid point. I, for one, naturally trust the reputation of the Lanyue Sect."

Seeing Wenren Jie agree, Young Master Kongxu gave a feminine, sly smile. "Hehe, quite right! If there is no trust even between us, how can we speak of slaying demons?"

Old Man Qiao Xuan nodded in agreement, puffing on his tobacco pipe.

Only after the others had entered did Zhang Qing follow them into the chamber.

The secret chamber was built about ten zhang beneath the backyard of the county magistrate's office, making it extremely secluded.

Clearly, this chamber had just been opened; the interior was simple, and spiritual power flowed through the walls, indicating it was a one-time-use facility.

Once inside, Zhang Qing first poured tea for everyone before spreading out a map of Qingshan County.

Jiang Sheng studied the map, which depicted the mountains and rivers of the county in great detail.

Qingshan County bordered the Qingping Mountains to the east and the Taiping River to the south. Aside from the county seat, there were fifteen towns with a population of over two hundred thousand. Nearly half of the population resided in the county seat, while the rest were scattered across the various towns.

Qingping Town, situated at the junction of the Qingping Mountains and the Taiping River, housed a thousand households and was exceptionally well-positioned.

Seeing that no one had touched their tea, Zhang Qing did not mind. She pointed to the map and said, "Please look. The Taiping River runs through our Qingshan County, flowing through seven towns. One could say nearly half of our county lies along its banks."

"Although there are many villages and towns along the river, the location for our annual River God Grand Sacrifice is fixed—it is in Donghe Town."

Jiang Sheng looked toward Donghe Town. It was the closest to the Taiping River and was exceptionally prosperous, with a large population and many roads; it was indeed a prime location.

Zhang Qing continued, "Of course, that is not what I want to discuss."

Her gaze turned intense as she looked at them. "Everyone, Qingshan County has issued hero recruitment posters to call upon the heroes of Qingzhou to slay demons. This matter has caused quite a stir, and I am sure everyone assumes we will strike the demon during the River God Grand Sacrifice."

A shadow flickered in Young Master Kongxu's eyes. "Is that not the case?"

"Of course not!"

As Zhang Qing spoke, her bright eyes were filled with self-assurance. "What everyone knows is no longer a secret. How can a plan known to all possibly succeed?"

"Although the demon in the Taiping River remains dormant at the bottom of the river and only awakens during the annual Grand Sacrifice, how can we guarantee it has no spies in the outside world?"

"Therefore, our true time of action is not on the day of the Grand Sacrifice, but before it! Only by taking them by surprise can we achieve victory!"

After hearing Zhang Qing's words, the others nodded in unison.

Indeed, her plan was clever. By making a massive spectacle of the event, she drew everyone's attention to the Grand Sacrifice, only to strike covertly beforehand. It was a brilliant move—simple, yet highly effective.

After a moment of silence, Wenren Jie asked, "Then, what of the others?"

Zhang Qing replied decisively, "They are the bait! My father will inform them that we intend to strike the demon during the Grand Sacrifice, to see if there are any demon spies among them."

"Afterward, I will lead them into action ahead of schedule. If there truly are spies, the demon will inevitably awaken early, and our planned operation will fail. The demon will then feel safe and return to its slumber."

"If there are no spies, it becomes a direct assault. Once they have tested the demon's strength and methods, you all will step in to slay it!"

As she spoke, a rare killing intent appeared on her pretty face. "The demon will never expect that after one killing move, there is another!"

Qiao Xuan and the others looked at Zhang Qing, finding it hard to imagine that such a young girl could devise such a scheme.

"We truly underestimated the world. Miss Zhang is actually using the lives of so many cultivators as bait. Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance," Qiao Xuan said, looking at her with surprise.

Jiang Sheng, however, said calmly, "But Miss Zhang's method is the most secure, is it not?"

"Who can be certain of the true strength of a water demon that governs hundreds of miles of river? If we do not let them test it first, would you expect us to risk ourselves?"

At these words, Qiao Xuan fell silent.

Indeed, the demon's strength had to be tested.

And testing required pawns, and pawns were destined to be sacrificed.

Who among them were not rogue cultivators seeking fame in Qingzhou?

Who would be willing to be the sacrificial pawn?

Thus, everything was predetermined. The reason Zhang Qing kept so many Qi Refinement rogue cultivators around was specifically to use them as testing pawns.

Wenren Jie said, "Miss Zhang is right; someone must scout the way. I find this plan feasible."

Young Master Kongxu also spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Those Qi Refinement juniors swarm here like flies to honey just to seek fame in Qingzhou, do they not? Since they want fame, they must bear the corresponding risks and costs."

Even Xu Xiao of the Lanyue Sect did not question the matter, clearly not placing much value on the lives of those Qi Refinement rogue cultivators.

From beginning to end, these people were not driven by compassion or a desire to prevent suffering; they were driven entirely by interest.

And this was the truest side of this world: at any time, strength speaks, and interests are intertwined.

Without strength or background, one was destined to be a pawn—or perhaps not even that.

How many rogue cultivators were lured by profit to act as cannon fodder?

How many mortals yearning for the immortal path were sold like livestock to evil sects, becoming nothing more than consumable resources?

Even within the righteous sects, what they maintained was merely a semblance of orthodoxy. Unless it involved their own interests, who would have the surplus kindness to care about the masses?

Jiang Sheng was never a kind man, and he certainly felt no pity for others!

***

Meanwhile, in the capital of Dong County, even in the deep of night, certain areas remained brightly lit, as if it were day.

The city guards patrolled these areas most heavily. Some sections even had specialized inner rivers separating them from other districts, highlighting their extraordinary status.

These areas were the residential enclaves of the cultivation clans of Dong County.

These so-called cultivation clans were all local powers that had been passed down for hundreds of years.

Either the family had produced Foundation Establishment cultivators for several generations, or they had a Purple Mansion ancestor presiding over them. They were the local titans and the actual controllers of the region.

In the current world, whether it was the State of Qi, the State of Wei, or the State of Chu in the Eastern Great Continent, the heavens were co-governed by the imperial court and the great clans.

The Imperial Family was the largest cultivation clan in the entire State of Qi, while the great clans were the local cultivation families just below them in status.

Although the Governor of Dong County was appointed by the Qi Imperial Family, once he arrived in Dong County, he had no choice but to cooperate with these cultivation clans.

Otherwise, he would be unable to implement policy, let alone govern the region and collect taxes and resources.

Therefore, these cultivation families in Dong County—especially those with a Purple Mansion ancestor—were effectively the local emperors of Dong County.

The Cha family was a renowned cultivation clan in Dong County. With the Purple Mansion ancestor Cha Liangcai presiding, the Cha family had been prominent for over two hundred years.

If nothing unexpected happened, the Cha family would remain prominent for another two hundred years.

Even if no descendants could reach the Purple Mansion stage, maintaining Foundation Establishment across generations would still guarantee the family's wealth and glory.

At this moment, the Cha family's Purple Mansion ancestor, Cha Liangcai, was speaking to a jade statue in a secret chamber.

"Do you know? The Magistrate of Qingshan County intends to eliminate the River God of the Taiping River. If your avatar wishes to continue absorbing the incense offerings of Qingshan County, you had better prepare early," Cha Liangcai said, holding a cup of spiritual tea with a very relaxed expression.

The jade statue spoke: "I know. My avatar possesses the strength of the early Purple Mansion stage at the very least. As long as you Purple Mansion experts do not intervene, a mere group of Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot take it down."

"That is for the best."

As Cha Liangcai spoke, he seemed to suddenly remember something and said casually, "Speaking of which, we have cooperated for so many years, and I am truly curious about your background. Just who exactly are you?"

"Thirteen early Purple Mansion avatars... that is truly terrifying."

The jade statue replied irritably, "Why do you care about that? You only need to know that I can help you reach the Golden Core stage!"

"As we discussed before, you help me absorb the faith and incense in Dong County, and I will naturally help you reach the Golden Core stage. Do you intend to go back on your word?"

"Don't forget, whether it is the Lanyue Sect, the Qingyun Sect, or the Heavenly Sword Sect, they will not allow a fourth Golden Core power to emerge in Qingzhou."

Cha Liangcai was momentarily choked by those words. His expression turned unsightly for a moment before quickly returning to its usual calm. "That is exactly why I am cooperating with you."