Reborn as Murong Fu: This Time I'm the Protagonist

Chapter 566 Quan Guanqing

Murong Fu stood at a post station outside the city, with a middle-aged scholar standing beside him with his hands clasped, nine cloth bags hanging from his chest.

"The deputy leader has done a good job. I didn't expect that the deputy leader could manage the Beggars' Sect so well in less than a year. It's a waste of the Beggars' Sect's talent to only make such a great talent as a minor branch leader."

Murong Fu smiled as he looked at the trembling middle-aged man before him and praised him with great seriousness.

The newcomer was none other than Quan Guanqing, the former leader of the Dazhi Branch, one of the eight major branches of the Beggars' Sect, and now the deputy leader of the Beggars' Sect.

Of the people who conspired with Kang Min to murder Qiao Feng, Bai Shijing and Xu Chongxiao were disgraced, while Quan Guanqing was secretly protected by Murong Fu, who implanted a life-and-death talisman in his body and gave him the antidote periodically.

Under Murong Fu's covert manipulation, he gradually rose to the rank of elder and then deputy leader. Now, the position of leader of the Beggars' Sect has been vacant since Qiao Feng left, and in fact, Quan Guanqing, the deputy leader, is the de facto leader of the Beggars' Sect.

However, Murong Fu knew, and Quan Guanqing also knew, that no matter what, Quan Guanqing could not go any further. Murong Fu needed Quan Guanqing to control the Beggars' Sect, but he could not let a traitor like Quan Guanqing with a criminal record become the true leader of the Beggars' Sect.

Quan Guanqing quickly clasped his hands and said, "I owe my success today entirely to your guidance, young master. I will spare no effort to serve you, young master Murong, even at the cost of my life!"

"Upon receiving the young master's instructions, I immediately selected a group of loyal and reliable Five-Bag Disciples and infiltrated them among the disaster victims to maintain order and prevent unrest."

He paused, then said cautiously, "It is my honor to run errands for you, young master. Could you please consider my loyalty...?" Quan Guanqing's eyes were filled with hope.

Murong Fu flicked his finger, and a black pill landed in front of Quan Guanqing.

Quan Guanqing was overjoyed and quickly picked up the pill, swallowing it whole. A warm sensation spread through his abdomen, and Quan Guanqing's face became even more rosy.

Quan Guanqing felt as if he had been granted a pardon and was extremely grateful. He never wanted to experience the feeling of the Life and Death Talisman activating again.

The antidote for the Life and Death Talisman given to the Thirty-Six Caves and Seventy-Two Islands is given once a year, while the antidote for Quan Guanqing is a special edition, with each pill only lasting for three months.

If a venomous snake like Quan Guanqing, with his immense ambition and lust for power, were allowed to quietly cause trouble on his own for a year, it would be hard to say what he would accomplish. Murong Fu would absolutely not allow such an uncertain factor to develop on its own.

However, Murong Fu was reluctant to kill Quan Guanqing outright. After all, Quan Guanqing's abilities were undeniable—to be able to pull off such a major incident as the Xingzilin Incident right under the nose of Qiao Feng, the Beggars' Sect's most prestigious leader who led it to its peak. Even ten Bao Butongs couldn't match that skill.

If they really killed Quan Guanqing, the Beggars' Sect, led by those elders who were betrayed and still helping to count the money, would probably fall apart in no time. Then many things would be impossible to do, and Murong Fu wouldn't be so foolish.

Therefore, the best way now is to control him with the Life and Death Talisman, and make Quan Guanqing work for him, so that everyone can make the best use of his talents.

Murong Fu asked, "How are the things I asked you to do going?"

Quan Guanqing's expression turned solemn as he said, "As per your instructions, young master, I have ordered my followers in various regions to spread rumors about the abbot of Shaolin, pointing out that Shaolin was the mastermind behind the Xingzilin incident. I have also widely disseminated the fact that Shaolin has interfered in the affairs of various sects for many years. Now, there is a great deal of criticism against Shaolin in the martial world." "However, the young master asked us to find You Tanzhi, the long-lost young master of Juxian Manor, but we still haven't found him."

Quan Guanqing showed a hint of shame as he spoke.

Murong Fu waved his hand: "If you can't find it, just keep looking. There's no rush if you can't find it."

Quan Guanqing asked curiously, "As far as I know, You Tanzhi is nothing more than a good-for-nothing playboy who relies on his father's influence. He has been missing ever since Juxian Manor was burned down two years ago. He has no outstanding qualities. Why does Young Master want to find such a person?"

Murong Fu laughed and said, "If I told you that this person is a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand, would you believe me?"

Quan Guanqing didn't understand, but he was deeply shocked - what kind of brilliant person would be called a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand, by this unfathomable master in front of him? Could it be that this former young master of Juxian Manor had been hiding his true abilities all along?

Murong Fu laughed and said, "Never mind him, it doesn't matter much whether he's here or not. Keep an eye on the area around Qingzhou City these days, and arrest anyone suspicious you see."

That afternoon, in a courtyard on the outskirts of Qingzhou.

“Master Yue! You promised us that the market would open when the grain price increased fivefold. Now the government has issued a notice to buy grain at 800 coins per bushel, yet you're still holding back and preventing us from selling our grain. Even though you're the host, you can't be so harsh and unreasonable!”

A middle-aged man wearing a turban slammed his hand on the table and angrily rebuked Master Yue.

He was a grain merchant from out of town who had transported grain to Qingzhou Prefecture half a month ago, but local grain merchants, led by Master Yue, had been hoarding the grain, leaving him with unsold goods. Now that the government had posted a notice to buy grain at high prices, how could he not be extremely anxious!
The middle-aged man's words reflected the sentiments of everyone present. Whether they were local tycoons or grain merchants from other places, they had long harbored resentment towards Master Yue's actions.

"Three days, just three more days. There will surely be news from the capital. When that time comes, you can do as you please!"

Master Yue was also extremely worried; he was secretly anxious. Ever since Prefect Huang was flogged, he seemed to have lost his soul, spending all his time in the inner quarters. The agreement to collude with merchants and make a fortune together—why was there no sign of it now?

At night, a fine horse gallops along the path.

The rider looked around to make sure there was no movement before riding into the dense forest with peace of mind.

They had only run a few steps when a rope suddenly snapped up, causing the horse to stumble and fall off.

Several figures rushed up, and the rider quickly pulled something out of his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth.

The leader snapped the rider's wrist and snatched the item from his hand. In the dim moonlight, the writing on the envelope was faintly visible. Overjoyed, the man exclaimed, "Found it!" and then snapped the rider's neck.

That very night, the letter was secretly delivered to the government office in Qingzhou Prefecture.