Yefutidaolu

Chapter 6 Testing
Just as Gao Jian and Bai Ping sat down and were about to order food, they saw a team of police officers surrounding their table.

There were seven of them in total, and they surrounded the place so tightly that the people eating nearby were scared away.

The leading arrestee walked up to Bai Ping, bowed, and said politely, "Master, the county magistrate wants to see you."

"Huh?" Gao Jian put his hand on his chest upon seeing this.

But no one paid any attention to him. After all, Gao Jian had no weapons on him, and no signs of spiritual practice were seen.

Without a bit of imagination, who would have thought that Gao Jian could pull out a knife more than one meter long from his chest?
However, Gao Jian had no cultivation method, unlike these rough guys who had hundreds of pounds of strength. He relied on his self-sacrificing sword skills, was good at risking his life, and could exchange injuries for lives. In terms of sword skills alone, Bai Ping said that he could beat two or three.

Without the support of the physical body, Gao Jian relied entirely on technique, which showed that his swordsmanship was superb at the moment.

There are seven people here in total. Bai Ping should be able to deal with four of them, right?

Gao Jian thought about this.

He had already seen that these people did not have good intentions.

But Bai Ping nodded and said, "So it's the county magistrate who invited you. Please lead the way."

He was not panicked at all. He stood up and prepared to leave before ordering.

Gao Jian had no choice but to follow.

However, Gao Jian, who was following behind, lowered his voice and said, "The person who came here has bad intentions. What are you going to do?"

Bai Ping also whispered, "We are the newcomers. Although dealing with the government is a bit troublesome, it is actually not dangerous. Just follow me. Maybe we can even get a good meal. The county magistrate can't come to us without even setting up a table of wine and food."

The two men talked secretly, but the yamen runners ignored them. There was no obstruction along the way and they soon arrived at the county government office.

The county government office is divided into two courtyards, front and back.

The front yard is used for office, and the back yard is the county magistrate's private residence, where the female family members are also.

In other words, if the banquet is held in the front yard, it is a public business, and if the banquet is held in the back yard, it is a private matter.

Bai Ping remained calm throughout the journey, and Gao Jian also became calm upon seeing this.

It seems that Bai Ping is confident, probably because he has something to rely on.

When they arrived at the county government office, the detectives led Bai Ping to the back house.

In the backyard, there are flowers woven into brocade, green grass spread out, orioles chirping, swallows buzzing, butterflies fluttering, bees busy, and the sound of water and trees.

Going further in, there is a pond with a winding willow-shaped bay and clear water. Flowers are planted against the scenery, and the fragrance fills the quiet room. The pond has a reflection, and the pavilions are towering, and the scenery is very beautiful.

"County magistrate, can you live in a house like this?" Gao Jian couldn't help but exclaimed as he walked along the winding path.

This was truly like entering the Grand View Garden. Even though Gao Jian was a layman, he could see that the backyard of the county government office was an extremely elegant garden, and... it must have cost a lot.

Even though he was used to seeing skyscrapers, he still felt that the county magistrate's backyard was a bit too luxurious and high-end.

Bai Ping explained: "This Ningtai County is a county town with hundreds of villages and towns around it. There are millions of people, and there are at least dozens of gangs and sects. All of them are respected by the county magistrate. The title of Baili Supreme is not false at all."

“Supreme Baili…” Gao Jian looked around.

He was still a little uncomfortable with it, but he could understand it intellectually, and Gao Jian also deduced another thing.

The county has strong control and the county magistrate is easy to use. This shows that the Qiyun Dynasty is now in a situation of raging fire and the government's suppression power should be quite large.

Even the idle guys delivering takeouts around the restaurant can perform Qinggong, and the villagers can even get evil ghosts like mountain gods to support them...

So what would it be like to be a county magistrate who governs an area of hundreds of miles?
It’s so stressful.

Is it too late for Bai Ping to become a monk now? If he becomes a monk, he should be able to pass on the proper practice method to him, right?

Gao Jian was very clear about his current condition. His self-sacrificing swordsmanship must be very powerful. He had absorbed all the essence of swordsmanship in Shen Yun at once. He could also judge that his skills were already very good. The fact that he could defeat those strong men with hundreds of pounds of strength with his thin mortal body was proof of this.

But he had no method of cultivation, and although his swordsmanship was sharp, to what extent could a mortal man perform it?
One's own cultivation is the base, and things like swordsmanship or magic are coefficients. No matter how high the coefficient is, there is nothing you can do if the base is not enough.

Suddenly, Gao Jian longed for real practice.

But Bai Ping only has one copy of this thing, and it belongs to his sect, so it is impossible for him to pass it on to Gao Jian.

Thinking of this, Gao Jian shook his head.

There's no point thinking about this now.

Let’s send Bai Ping back to the mountain gate first, and then find a way to get a copy.

This is essential if you want to gain a foothold in this world.

While thinking about these things, they had already arrived at the backyard, where a middle-aged man in official uniform had already set up a table of wine and food.

There was chicken, meat, a big pork elbow, and various seasonal vegetables on the table, which made people salivate.

The county magistrate sitting in the main seat did not look very majestic. Although he was not the classic fat guy, his mustache and the way he bowed did not seem to have anything to do with the four words "Supreme Lord of Baili".

Rather than being a majestic county magistrate, the other party looked more like a legal advisor.

When the county magistrate saw Gao Jian and Bai Ping arrive, he immediately stood up to greet them. "Ah, Immortal Master, I've finally seen you. I heard that you got rid of the evil spirits in Dishan Village. I've been troubled by this for a long time, but I didn't expect that you could solve it. So when I heard that you came to Ningtai County, I immediately prepared some wine and food to entertain you and thank you for getting rid of the evil spirits for the people."

"Master, you are so noble that you cut off your arm to save the people. I am in tears. On behalf of the people of the low mountain village, I pay homage to you, Master!"

After he finished speaking, he bowed and saluted with great respect.

Bai Ping didn't seem to know what to say, and he couldn't salute with one hand, so he just stretched out his hand and said, "No need... No need."

Gao Jian saw that Bai Ping was a little embarrassed and knew that he was definitely not good at this kind of situation, so he took the initiative to step forward and said, "Master, I am not good at speaking, please forgive me, County Magistrate."

"Oh, who is this?" The county magistrate then turned his gaze to Gao Jian, as if he had completely ignored Gao Jian's existence before.

The county magistrate looked at Gao Jian.

He was dressed in ordinary clothes, seemingly the clothes of an ordinary villager, nothing special.

He had no weapon and didn't look like he knew how to use one. There wasn't even a callus on his hands.

There were no signs of spiritual practice, his Qi and blood were the same as those of an ordinary person, and none of the major acupoints in his body were open, so no matter what kind of Qi it was, it could not be stored.

Completely, just a mortal.

"This is Gao Jian, my friend. Without his help, I would have probably died at the hands of that evil ghost." Bai Ping came out and introduced him.

"Oh, so you are also a righteous man! Please take a seat." The county magistrate immediately restrained his previous expression, and with a smile on his face, he extended his hand to invite Gao Jian to sit down.

Gao Jian and Bai Ping sat down and picked up their chopsticks.

"Can I eat it?" he asked Bai Ping.

He still remembered that Bai Ping was fasting. "Vegetarian," Bai Ping said, using chopsticks to pick through the chicken and duck made of bean curd.

Only then did Gao Jian realize that most of the chicken, duck, fish and meat on the table were vegetarian chicken, vegetarian duck, vegetarian ham and the like. Each one was exquisitely sculpted and looked so lifelike that Gao Jian could not even tell that they were vegetarian.

So he picked up the chopsticks and started eating.

It tastes great and is so realistic in appearance and texture that when you use chopsticks to pick up the ham, the shredded meat is clearly visible.

During the meal, the county magistrate was not idle. He served food to Bai Ping and introduced the dishes on the table: "The immortal master is injured, so eat more. These are all prepared for the immortal master. Look at this chicken. It is made of bean curd skin, mushrooms, and fresh bamboo shoots. It is shaped like a chicken. The bean curd skin is soaked to soften, and autumn oil and seaweed soup are added. It is slightly roasted in oil and then simmered in clear soup. It has the deliciousness of meat without the poison of meat, so it is called 'Duozhen Chicken'."

"Drink more of this soup, too. It uses yam, polygonatum, lily, rehmannia root, chrysanthemum, and wolfberry. It takes the essence of wild delicacies and blanchs them in salt soup. The taste is also very delicious."

"This cabbage is also freshly picked and tender. It is the best for home cooking when mixed with soy sauce. These vegetables are old if they are green, and dry if they are picked too long. Only at this moment are they the most refreshing, sweet and crisp, and there is no residue when chewing them."

"This is a pancake made by the Zhan family in the city. It is as thin as a cicada's wing and as big as a tea tray. It contains pine nuts, peach kernels, and sugar crumbs. It is extremely soft and smooth. However, they are unwilling to pass it on to others, so you can only enjoy it in Ningtai County!"

The county magistrate introduced the dishes one by one, played the role of a good host and showed his hospitality again and again. Bai Ping seemed not to be used to such occasions, so Gao Jian was the one who made the greetings.

Bai Ping ate as much as he wanted, but he didn't pick up any mock meat. He only ate ordinary vegetarian dishes, such as vegetables, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, or nuts. He wouldn't even look at any mock meat or chicken.

The county magistrate was standing nearby, pretending not to see anything and not getting annoyed. He continued to introduce the dishes enthusiastically and pick up the food.

Soon, the meal was finished and the stomach was full.

It is indeed delicious. Even a naive person has to admit that this thing is really delicious.

At this time, the county magistrate finally said, "Now that the meal is over, Immortal Master, can you tell me whether the evil ghost in the low mountain village was really killed by you?"

Gao Jian glanced at Bai Ping, took the initiative to step forward and nodded, "Indeed, we killed him."

The magistrate asked again, "Where is the wreckage?"

"It has turned into pus."

“Why is it raining for the villagers in the low mountain villages?”

"The villagers are worshipping evil spirits because there has been no rain."

"Do you know that is where the court punishes people?"

"Even though it rained, they are still obedient subjects of the court and will never dare to owe taxes again."

Unconsciously, the county magistrate, who was originally smiling and speaking in a flattering manner, now spoke in an aggressive tone.

If it was Bai Ping, he would have been stumped by this series of questions. Even if he knew the answer, he would have been frightened by this sudden change in attitude.

But Gao Jian was not frightened.

The county magistrate did not give in at all because of Gao Jian's attitude. He said, "How dare you, little brother, guarantee the low mountain village? Do you know what crime you are committing by secretly making rain without the permission of the imperial court?"

This time Gao Jian was not sure what to answer.

He really didn't know what sin this was.

But he did not shut up, instead he said: "It should be the same crime as the evil ghost in the mountain. I am a foreigner and do not know the laws of the Divine Dynasty. May I ask, sir, what crime did the evil ghost commit? How should it be dealt with?"

"How dare you!" the police officer standing guard nearby shouted!
At this moment, Bai Ping, who was standing next to him, was quick-witted and took out a specially shaped sign from the bag that Gao Jian was carrying.

That was the Five Thunder Order that he had used before when he was performing a ritual to pray for rain.

Then, he raised the thing with his only remaining hand: "I have the Five Thunder Order. According to the agreement between Zhenjing Dao Palace and Qiyun Divine Dynasty, I also have the power to make rain. I don't need to report it."

The county magistrate's pupils shrank slightly.

The aggressive momentum suddenly stopped.

The surroundings fell into an eerie silence.

After a long while, the county magistrate bowed and resumed his previous flattery at the dinner table, praising: "Master, you are so young, yet you have already received the dharma ordination. I was wrong. It's all right now. Come, send Master and... this little brother off."

"Thank you, County Magistrate, for your hospitality." Gao Jian stood up.

He looked around.

The county magistrate still had the same smile as his legal advisor, and there were some yamen runners outside, all of whom were skilled in martial arts.

There are no female relatives.

He nodded, and then he and Bai Ping left.

The originally beautiful garden seemed a little eerie when we came out.

On the way back to the inn, Gao Jian deliberately avoided the crowd.

"Huh, the county magistrate should not be hostile now, and we even had a good meal." Bai Ping said with a smile: "The Five Thunder Order still has some deterrent effect on the officials of the Divine Dynasty."

"That may not be the case." Gao Jian said at this time: "Master, I'm afraid we can't stay any longer."

"What do you mean?" Bai Ping was a little confused.

Gao Jian explained: "The low mountain village was punished by not having rain because it did not pay taxes. But if the purpose is to collect taxes, then if it does not rain, then it will be even harder to pay, right?"

"This means that the purpose this time is not to collect taxes. But according to common sense, this may be a way of killing a chicken to scare the monkey. So... which monkey is being scared? Do you see any monkeys in Ningtai County that need to be scared?" Gao Jian asked.

"As we walked along, Ningtai County was extremely prosperous. There was no shortage of all kinds of goods, and supplies were abundant. The arresters were full of dignity. No ordinary people dared to provoke them, not even the members of the sects. Does Ningtai County really need to be made an example of?"

After hearing Gao Jian's question, Bai Ping fell into deep thought.

He is not a fool, he is just not good at these things. Gao Jian mentioned these and woke him up.

Moreover, Bai Ping knew more than Gao Jian.

Bai Ping frowned and said, "Indeed, Ningtai County is a big county. From what I can see, the local city god and government are very good at controlling the weather, and the county magistrate also has prestige. He has firmly established the position of Baili Supreme, and it is not an empty title."

"There is no need to make an example of someone to scare the monkeys in Ningtai County. The common way to deal with overdue taxes is to make villagers do corvée labor, or catch snakes or collect herbs as taxes, rather than just stopping the rain."

With Bai Ping's confirmation, Gao Jian continued, "Moreover... with the local county's military strength, if the county magistrate wanted to exterminate the evil spirits, is it possible that the mountain god has been swaggering around for a year without any problems? The county magistrate found us as soon as we prayed for rain once, which shows how much control he has over Ningtai County. How many times has the mountain god prayed for rain? Does he really not know anything about it?"

"Besides, do those villagers have the ability to actively look for the mountain god? It must be the mountain god and the temple priest who came here on their own."

"Plus he asked directly about the mountain god."

"I suspect... the mountain god and the temple priest are all known to the county magistrate, or even... he is the one who is behind it!"

(Thanks to the marble leader~)

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(End of this chapter)