Catching Monsters

Chapter 409 Especially Resentful
The shopkeeper was quite frightened by this sudden turn of events.

This woman killed more than a dozen rebel soldiers with ease, and the crucial point is that since these dozen or so rebels died here, she was doomed...

This is hard to explain.

The rebels were brutal.

Normally, the people of Haiyan City would curse the corrupt officials of the imperial court for their rampant corruption and for always cutting corners on money.

But at least there are still some rules to follow.

After these rebels entered the city, they burned, killed, looted, and plundered, taking any gold and silver treasures they could find.

Countless beautiful women have also fallen victim to their cruelty.

The key issue is that these guys are ruthless; if there is any resistance, they will kill you with a knife.

The shopkeeper knew that if these guys died in the shop, he would be in big trouble.

But watching these guys get killed, I couldn't help but secretly cheer.

He then said to Jiang Yun and Linglong, "You two, these rebels are not to be trifled with. You've killed people, so hurry up and find a way to get out of the city."

"I have heard that the imperial court has assembled a large army that is on its way to Haiyan City."

“This young lady is exceptionally skilled. Why not let her go and serve in that army? There’s no need to worry about retaliation from the rebels.”

Hearing the shopkeeper's words, Jiang Yun raised an eyebrow slightly and asked curiously, "The imperial court has already assembled a large army so quickly? Who will lead the troops?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper lowered his voice and whispered, "As far as I know, the one leading the troops this time is the current emperor's fourth son, Xiao Jingfu."

Hearing this, Linglong nodded slightly and slowly said, "Haiyan City is extremely important to the imperial court. Thirty to forty percent of the salt in the entire dynasty comes from this place."

"With Haiyan City fallen, we must take it back as quickly as possible."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun remained silent for a while. He glanced at the corpse on the ground, patted his body, took out a fifty-tael silver note, and handed it to the shopkeeper: "These corpses will probably cause you a lot of trouble. I'll trouble you to dispose of them."

"Don't worry, you two." After the shopkeeper took the silver notes, Jiang Yun and Linglong got up and prepared to leave.

I originally planned to rest for a day in Haiyan City before continuing my journey, but it seems that if I stay any longer, I might encounter a series of troubles.

The two immediately decided to leave the place.

……

Fifty miles outside Haiyan City, under the cover of night, in a military tent, Xiao Jingfu had a defensive map of Haiyan City laid out in front of him.

Beside him came two experienced military officers in their fifties.

These two military officers, Wu Chuan and Lin Pingzhi, though without noble titles, were quite capable, serving as deputy commanders in the Tianqi Army and the Imperial Guard, respectively.

When Xiao Jing returned to recruit troops, he lacked experience in all aspects. After discussion, the military group decided to have two people accompany him.

Wu Chuan sat beside him and calmly analyzed, "Fourth Prince, these rebels march extremely fast and attack along the coast. Although they have captured Haiyan City, there are less than 30,000 troops in Haiyan City."

"Even so, these rebels are still defending the city, and although we have recruited 50,000 people in a short period of time."

"But these 50,000 men aren't even new recruits or ragtag soldiers; they're more like farmers in armor."

"Once the city is attacked, it is easy to be defeated."

Xiao Jingfu frowned slightly and said, "This group of rebels can hardly be considered elite, can they?"

"Indeed, they were not elite troops, but they attacked cities along the coast, and wherever they went, these cities surrendered without a fight."

"The soldiers were in high spirits and were relying on the city walls."

"My suggestion is to surround them without attacking. These guys are marching too fast and their load capacity is insufficient."

"Under siege, food shortages will soon destabilize their morale."

To be honest, from Wu Chuan's professional perspective on leading troops in battle, these rebels are simply insane.

After conquering the wealthy cities along the southwestern coast, these guys probably looted the area and made a fortune.

Instead of consolidating their sphere of influence and building fortifications, they went mad and expanded their army, then attacked the rich coastal cities all the way.

On the way, many officials were also worried about being killed after capturing the city, so as soon as the rebel army arrived, many officials surrendered without resistance.

This made the rebel offensive extremely rapid.

In a very short time, they conquered all the rich cities along the coastline of the Zhou Kingdom, from the southwest to Haiyan City.

He appeared to have a distinguished record of military achievements, but in reality, he was full of flaws.

Once the imperial court dispatches a large army, it will cut off their connection in the middle and then attack them from both sides.

They could easily wipe out this group of rebels.

However, there is some trouble at the moment. The imperial court is indeed mobilizing troops from the north to suppress the bandits.

Haiyan City was too important to the imperial court, and Xiao Jingfu was also eager to make a contribution.

Having just recruited 50,000 men, he heard that Haiyan City had been captured, so he immediately wrote to Xiao Yuzheng, claiming that he would lead his father's vanguard to take back Haiyan City.

The letter also claimed that the city would fall within seven days.

This put Wu Chuan and Lin Pingzhi in a difficult position.

Xiao Jingfu took a deep breath and slowly said, "There are four days left until the seven days I promised in my letter to the Emperor."

"If we were to besiege the city, I'm afraid there wouldn't be enough time."

Xiao Jingfu remained silent for a while before saying, "If all else fails, send the Imperial Guard to charge the city walls..."

The Imperial Guard Battalion consisted of 500 elite troops transferred from the Tianqi Army to protect Xiao Jingfu's safety.

Wu Chuan's expression changed slightly, and he shook his head repeatedly, saying, "The Imperial Guard Battalion should not be moved lightly."

"It's settled then." Xiao Jingfu said in a deep voice, "I promised my father that the city must be breached within four days!"

……

That night, Jiang Yun and Linglong slipped out of Haiyan City and rested briefly in the forest outside the city before continuing their journey.

Fortunately, after traveling a long distance, they finally found a post station, bought two horses, and then headed back towards the capital.

On the way back, Jiang Yun had already begun to miss the Wild Goose Demon Bird...

Riding a horse is not a comfortable experience.

The two men galloped along the official road without stopping. Along the way, they saw many large armies gathered, which must have been the troops recruited by Xiao Jingfu.

However, the quality is questionable. Just looking at it from a distance, it's hard to compare with Zhenchi Army.

Even these rebels looked more like a regular army compared to them.

Well, Jiang Yun was too lazy to get involved and let Xiao Jingfu deal with it himself. The two rode at full speed and finally arrived in the capital five days later.

At noon, the east gate of the capital city is a scene of vigorous vitality and burgeoning life.

It was still bustling with activity, with many merchants queuing to enter the city. Jiang Yun and Linglong had rushed back, looking travel-worn.

Upon arriving at the city gate, Jiang Yun showed his Embroidered Uniform Guard badge, and the guards treated him with utmost respect, quickly allowing him to pass.

Jiang Yun's face showed a hint of joy; traveling outside was far less comfortable than being in the capital.

Linglong looked displeased; returning to the capital meant that her boring life was about to begin again.

"Master, I need to go back to the Sanqing Temple first." Jiang Yun touched the Holy Dragon Saliva on his body.

The reason he rushed back to the capital in such a hurry was this: he wanted to quickly restore Qin Shujian's meridians.

Jiang Yun rushed back to Sanqing Temple immediately, and upon arrival, he found that nothing had happened.

He pushed open the door and went inside, and from a distance he saw Qin Shujian sitting cross-legged in front of the Sanqing Hall.

Hearing the noise, Qin Shujian opened his eyes, looked at Jiang Yun, and quickly got up: "Master, you're back?"

"Where's Wen Chen? Did he go to work at the Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Jiang Yun asked.

"Yes." Qin Shujian nodded.

Jiang Yun sized up Qin Shujian, then asked, "How have you been? What insights have you gained since losing your cultivation and magical power during this time?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Shujian thought about it carefully before saying, "At first, it was hard to accept, and I couldn't sleep even after tossing and turning."

"I was also very scared."

Jiang Yun asked, "What are you afraid of?"

Qin Shujian slowly said, "I'm afraid that I'll spend the rest of my life like a useless person, doing nothing every day. Such a life would be torture for me."

"But later, the disciple tried meditation, and gradually his mind calmed down."

"I also realized that a person's life, whether long or short, is like a journey."

"If you stand high, you can see the sky and white clouds, and towering mountains and steep ridges. But if you look low, you can still see small bridges, flowing water, and lush greenery."

"It's all part of life."

Hearing Qin Shujian's words, Jiang Yun smiled faintly and took out the Holy Dragon Saliva from his pocket: "Take it, drinking it will repair your meridians."

Upon hearing this, Qin Shujian quickly reached out and accepted the bottle of sacred dragon saliva, his eyes filled with gratitude. He said, "Master, you really went to the demon kingdom and brought this back?"

"I."

For a moment, Qin Shujian was unable to express his gratitude in words. In his entire life, he had probably only ever known his father to be so kind to him.

"After your meridians recover, cultivate diligently," Jiang Yun instructed.

Qin Shujian's eyes also showed hesitation. He slowly opened his mouth and said, "Master, when you were not here, I practiced the sword techniques taught by Xie Yifeng."

"Disciple wishes to practice swordsmanship."

After saying this, Qin Shujian dared not look Jiang Yun in the eye, after all, his master had gone through so much trouble to go to the demon kingdom to find the sacred dragon saliva for him.

In Qin Shujian's view, his master definitely wanted him to cultivate the Three Pure Ones Daoist arts.

However, during the time Jiang Yun was away, he did not have much hope that he could recover his cultivation.

He then took a wooden sword and began practicing the sword techniques left behind by Xie Yifeng in his mind.

Unexpectedly, even without the power of meridians and magic, his swordsmanship was exceptionally skillful.

After practicing it once and becoming familiar with it, when he practiced the sword technique a second time, it was as if he had already thoroughly understood it.

His talent in swordsmanship was indeed astonishing, just as Xie Yifeng had said.

Seeing Qin Shujian's evasive gaze, Jiang Yun couldn't help but smile and said, "If you want to practice Xie Yifeng's swordsmanship, then practice it. What's wrong? Are you worried that I won't agree?"

Qin Shujian took a deep breath and said, "Master, after all, we are members of the Daoist sect..."

“We Taoists believe in following our hearts,” Jiang Yun reminded him. “As long as you learn the doctrines of the Three Pure Ones’ Taoist teachings and comprehend the principles of Taoism, the Three Pure Ones’ patriarchs will not interfere with what methods you use to slay demons and monsters.”

"Thank you, Master." Upon hearing this, Qin Shujian glanced at the Holy Dragon Saliva in his hand and drank it down in one gulp.

Soon, he felt his whole body getting hot, and the three broken tendons inside his body seemed to be growing back.

This process is very painful.

Even with Qin Shujian's strong will, he was in so much pain that he was covered in sweat, but he didn't utter a sound.

Time passed slowly. Qin Shujian sat cross-legged on the ground, while Jiang Yun stayed by his side, protecting him.

A full hour passed before Qin Shujian finally opened his eyes and exhaled a heavy breath.

"Thank you, Master."

"Disciple has another question," Qin Shujian asked slowly. "Our Taoist school advocates a pure heart and few desires, free from distracting thoughts."

"But in my heart, I still harbor resentment towards Xie Yifeng. He made me a cripple. If I don't take revenge, I won't be able to get over this hurdle in my heart."

After a pause, Qin Shujian continued, "But I'm also afraid that this goes against the Daoist mindset."

Jiang Yun rolled her eyes at Qin Shujian and sat down next to him to explain, "Do I look like a petty person?"

Qin Shujian glanced at Jiang Yun, paused, and then said, "Master is broad-minded and decisive, unlike a petty person..."

Jiang Yun was speechless: "Tell the truth."

"Yes, she is a bit petty... especially vengeful."

Jiang Yun spread his hands: "Master, do I have many enemies because I hold such a grudge?"

Qin Shujian blinked and thought for a moment: "It doesn't seem like there are many."

"why?"

Qin Shujian frowned in thought. He was about to say that Jiang Yun was a good person, but then his master seemed to...

Jiang Yun said directly, "Because I've killed all my enemies."

“Our Taoist sect is not like the Buddhist sect, where people say things like ‘lay down the butcher’s knife and become a Buddha on the spot.’”

"Indeed, our Taoist school emphasizes a mind free of distractions. Holding grudges every day is not suitable for cultivation."

"So if you kill all your enemies, you'll have no enemies left, and your mind will naturally be clean."

(End of this chapter)