Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 239 [I've Come to Find Him]

Chapter 233 [I've Come to Find Him]

Indeed, while such an interception of a cargo ship might seem significant to those at the bottom of society, for a behemoth like the Gu family, sending a direct descendant to handle it was likely just to show respect for the sage sect. If the incident hadn't happened here, but in some remote mountainous region, they probably would have just sent a high-ranking manager or something similar.

Even if a close confidant or influential figure arrives, it's merely a matter of courtesy. The task of personally questioning those involved in the case is not something such a high-ranking official is qualified to undertake personally.

After Chen Yan understood this point, he felt much more at ease.

Then a servant from the sect presented a transcript of Chen Yan's dictation. After it was delivered to Chen Yan, he took it and read it.

"Zhao Shanhe, is the recording what you said a few days ago? Is there anything wrong with it? If there isn't, think about it again and see if you have anything to add?" asked the fat man named Gu Jiu.

Good guy.

One girl has a problem, the other is thinking about it.

Needless to say, this fat guy is indeed a member of the Gu family!

He spoke the first few sentences clearly and distinctly, but his accent came through later on.

Chen Yan did not rush to answer. Instead, he carefully read through the transcript before handing it back to the servant beside him. He said calmly, "Reporting to Military Advisor Gu, I have read this transcript. It is indeed what I said that day, without any error."

Gu Jiu nodded: "Okay."

He then stared at Chen Yan for a moment, and thought that although the man was plain-looking, he was calm and composed. He asked, "I have also read the transcript you gave. After the incident that night, you were able to escape from the cargo ship and use those methods to evade the soul-searching technique activated by the criminal's primordial spirit once on land. It seems that you are quite clever and have some skills."

Chen Yan remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I've also learned that you said you came from Xueya Pass, so I thought that you must have experienced battles outside Xueya Pass, which is why you have such a keen sense of awareness and character, right?"

Chen Yan slowly said, "When I was at Snow Cliff Pass, I did go out of the pass to hunt the Beast Clan, and I also fought a few battles with the Beast Clan's sled teams."

Gu Jiu nodded: "That's settled then, but..."

He suddenly changed his tone: "Let me ask you, since you have hunted outside Snow Cliff Pass, have you ever handed over the heads and merits of the Beast Clan at Snow Cliff Pass? Is your name on the bounty list in Snow Cliff Pass?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan's heart sank slightly.

He knew he was in trouble!

·
Chen Yan had, of course, exchanged the heads of the ferocious beastmen for bounties in Xueya Pass, and the amount was quite substantial!

However, the name recorded in that booklet was [Wang Chuyi].

However, it had absolutely no relation to Zhao Shanhe.

The name Zhao Shanhe does not exist on the list of those exchanging bounties at the garrison commander's mansion in Xueya Pass.

So, that's the flaw.

A cultivator at the second realm should have a cultivation level that is not low among rogue cultivators, especially since he himself admitted to going out of seclusion to hunt several times.

Not a single head was ever sold on the register.

This is unreasonable.

Fortunately, when Zhao Wuji called him out today, he heard on the way that the Gu family who came were from Xueya Pass, so he immediately paid attention to this issue and thought about the trouble that might occur during the questioning.

On the way here, he was already thinking of a solution—although the time was short, it was much better than being suddenly asked this question on the spot, catching him off guard.

During the few minutes on the way, Chen Yan had already come up with a preliminary plan in his mind. Although he felt that this answer was not perfect, he did not have a better explanation at the moment.

Chen Yan took a deep breath, feigning a troubled expression, and deliberately revealed a faint sense of fear in his eyes, which he then carefully concealed.

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before whispering, "Reporting to the military advisor, I actually..."

As he spoke, it was as if he had only just made up his mind, and his tone was somewhat strained: "Although I have the cultivation of the second realm, I am not actually good at combat and fighting. I mainly cultivate talisman techniques."

In previous hunting expeditions, I always went in groups and only served as an assistant in battles, so I never earned many merits. After each battle, even if the team made some gains, I rarely received any decent spoils.

Most of what they received was just the meat of the hunted animals. As for the heads of the ferocious beastmen, they only received four or five.

"Since you've already reached the second realm of cultivators, it must have been many years. How come you only have four or five kills in all these years?" Gu Jiu asked.

"...I am not good at fighting. Besides my main focus on talismanic arts, another reason is that I have been a cautious person since childhood. I am not very... not very... um, not very willing to go into battle. So, I tried to go out of seclusion a few times, but I didn't kill many. I felt that it was not worth risking my life for so little reward. So I rarely went out of seclusion. I just made some talismans for those rogue cultivators in the seclusion and sold some talismans to earn some jade money to make a living."

As Chen Yan spoke, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she lowered her head, her cheeks burning red.

Are you too cowardly to go to the battlefield?
Gu Jiu smiled upon hearing this, a hint of disdain involuntarily flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

"So, according to the records in Guanzhong, your total military achievements amount to only four or five heads?"

"Uh, actually... there isn't a single one." Chen Yan sounded a little embarrassed as he slowly said, "Well... since you are a military advisor in the Snow Cliff Pass Garrison, you naturally know that in Snow Cliff Pass... selling the heads of the ferocious beast tribe for money is not necessarily, not necessarily... well, not necessarily to the Garrison's Garrison, the place that collects war merits."

"……Um?"

Chen Yan sighed: "Whether it's the Thunder Cavalry or the garrison, they all get promoted in the army based on their battle merits. In the years before the major battles, the Thunder Cavalry could only achieve something by going out to scout and patrol."

So… in fact, some independent cultivators who hunt in Guanzhong occasionally sell the heads of ferocious beasts they kill to people in the military… it’s just that this kind of thing can’t be done too openly, and the price is often higher than the official bounty.”

Gu Jiu gave Chen Yan a deep look, hesitated for a moment, and then let out a soft breath.

Chen Yan said that there were times when soldiers in Xueya Pass would secretly buy heads to earn military merits, and he, as the Left Military Advisor of the Garrison Command, naturally knew about this.

However, such things are extremely rare in the military—since the soldiers who joined the army were actually at the bottom level, their own military pay and savings were not much, and they did not have the financial resources to buy heads on a large scale.

Those who buy kills actually do so by first fighting hard themselves in order to accumulate enough heads and military merits to level up.

Once they've accumulated enough, they'll only spend money to buy one or two more if they're short.

Moreover, such things cannot be carried out publicly on a large scale.

how to say……

Chen Yan's statement was generally correct, but Gu Jiu still had some doubts.

He thought for a moment: "Since you haven't sold many heads, did you spend the rest of the time selling talismans? Who did you sell them to?"

“Some rogue cultivators who went hunting after leaving the pass, and some people who mainly sell to the Brotherhood.”

Gu Jiu squinted: "Brotherhood? Who are they?"

Chen Yan hesitated for a moment, then slowly named two or three people from the Brotherhood, including the bald Thirty-Nine, who was the person he was closest to besides Gu Jinjia.

Upon hearing these names, Gu Jiu's expression softened, clearly indicating that he recognized them as well. Then, the plump Left Military Advisor pondered for a moment before waving his hand: "Alright, you've finished questioning me. You can go now. I'll have someone call you if I need anything."

Chen Yan deliberately lowered his voice and said, "May I ask how much longer I need to stay here, enlisted soldier? Um... I was originally supposed to take a boat to the City of No Return in the Southern Frontier, which has already delayed me quite a few days..."

As he spoke, he looked at Gu Jiu with a hint of unease.

Gu Jiu said calmly, "Our Gu family will not wrong innocent people. If this matter has nothing to do with you, I will naturally let you go and will even compensate you with some money as travel expenses to the Southern Frontier."

But...not returning to the city?

He suddenly smiled and said, "Then you don't need to rush. General, after returning from your duty report in Sendai, your next stop is the Southern Frontier. If you are going to the City of No Return, once things here are settled, I will arrange for you to take our flying boat and go to the Southern Frontier together."

Chen Yan's heart stirred, but he didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. At this moment, he could only express his gratitude and then leave.

·
After Chen Yan left, Elder Qian slowly said, "This man didn't lie about the details of the ship interception case, but judging from the fluctuations in his spiritual energy, he probably concealed some things about himself. However, these rogue cultivators have a difficult cultivation process and their experiences are very complicated, so it's not surprising that they would hide some things about themselves."

Gu Jiu nodded: "Thank you, Elder Qian. I don't doubt him about this matter, but I'll have to report today's questions to the town general and then see what the town general thinks."

Elder Qian stroked his beard and smiled: "I heard that in the battle of Snow Cliff Pass this time, more than 30,000 heads were taken! The garrison commander is a direct descendant of the Gu family, so naturally he cultivates the Gu family's killing techniques. With so many heads taken in this battle, his cultivation must have taken a big step forward again, right?"

Gu Jiu's face showed a hint of respect: "That's natural. My family's generals have painstakingly planned this great battle and gained so much. Naturally, it will greatly benefit the cultivation of my Gu family's martial arts."

After saying that, he stood up and said, "The questioning is over. I will go back and report to the town magistrate now."

He bowed respectfully, and Elder Qian immediately rose to return the bow.

"The town general said that he was very grateful for the help from Jing'an Hall this time, and also for helping to collect the remains of the steward and crew members on my Gu family's flying boat. My Gu family will remember this favor."

"I may not have been of much help in solving the case, but collecting the remains is the duty of a fellow practitioner. Besides, the Gu family and our sect are both descendants of sages, so there's no need to thank me for these duties."

·
An hour later.

The Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Harmony Sect's inner sect immortal mountain.

In a clean and tidy Zen temple, several soldiers in leather armor stood outside. After entering the courtyard, Gu Jiu went straight to the study on the right. When he arrived at the door, he took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and said in a deep voice, "Young Master, Gu Jiu requests an audience."

A soft "hmm" came from inside, and Gu Jiu pushed open the door and went in.

The person sitting behind that table, dressed in a tight-fitting training uniform, was naturally the general of the Gu family town.

At this moment, he was sitting behind the table, holding a jade slip in his hands, reading the military strategies and reports from Xueya Pass.

Gu Jiu's face was full of a fawning smile. After taking a few steps closer, he whispered, "Young Master..."

"In the military, one is addressed by their rank!"

Gu Jiazhen raised his head, his star-like eyes narrowed, a hint of displeasure flashing in them, and said coldly, "How many times have I told you, call me General, and don't call me Young Master anymore."

"Well... well, I don't have any outsiders here anyway." Seeing the general's displeasure, Gu Jiu quickly put away her smile, performed a military salute, and said seriously, "I've already taken care of the questioning."

As he spoke, he briefly recounted what had happened.

The town general listened intently. After listening, he tapped his long, slender fingers lightly on the table a few times before slowly saying, "There shouldn't be any mistake in the matter. This rogue cultivator was probably innocently dragged into it. However, he's been concealing his own affairs..."

After a pause, the town general waved his hand: "The cultivation of rogue cultivators at the bottom is arduous, and they experience many hardships and complexities. It's not surprising that they have some personal secrets they don't want others to know. Since it's unrelated to this case, there's no need to pry into their private secrets. Go tell him that if he wants to leave, he can leave now and give him some money. If he's willing to wait, he can take me on a boat when I set off for the Southern Frontier."

Gu Jiu nodded and was about to accept the order and leave when the garrison commander suddenly remembered something: "Wait a minute!"

"Hmm? Young... General, is there anything else you need?"

"You said... what's that person's name?" The town general's tone suddenly became a little strange.

“Zhao Shanhe,” Gu Jiu said casually, “His name sounds quite imposing, but this guy seems rather timid.”

He paused, seemingly misunderstanding something, and said, "General, is it because you think this person is somewhat clever that you dare to recruit him? I think this person is just average."

He might be somewhat clever, but he's a bit timid and cowardly, with a poor temperament.

“Zhao…Shanhe?” The town general took a deep breath, his eyes and expression turning strange. He frowned, but finally let out a sigh of relief: “I understand. Don’t go and inform him yet. Let’s leave this matter for now.”

"what?"

The town general's face darkened, and he gave Gu Jiu a cold look: "Do I have to tell you something twice now?"

Gu Jiu shrank back, quickly agreed, and ran away.

·
After Chen Yan finished speaking, Zhao Wuji escorted him back to the outer courtyard. However, as soon as they reached the outer courtyard's corridor gate, they saw a figure standing there in the distance.

Zhao Wuji glanced over and his expression immediately became more solemn. He quickly walked over with Chen Yan and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Nangong!"

The person standing before me wore an apricot-yellow robe with black and gold trim, had black hair like clouds, and an elegant and extraordinary appearance. He was the same handsome man from the inner sect who had lectured the prospective outer disciples that day.

Chen Yan now realized that this person's surname was actually Nangong.

He sighed softly to himself.

So, his surname is Nangong? That's it. He's destined not to be a chosen one; at best, he'll just be a minor supporting character.

In various cultivation stories, those families with compound surnames that sound traditional and noble, and who appear refined and elegant, are destined to be supporting characters.

Hmm... at most a few members of the main character's harem will appear.

Senior Brother Nangong smiled lightly, but his eyes were very indifferent as he glanced at Zhao Wuji: "You... I remember your surname is Zhao, right?"

"My name is Zhao Wuji. I didn't expect you to remember me, Senior Brother." Zhao Wuji's expression was very respectful: "Senior Brother, were you waiting for me here? Is there anything you need me to do?"

Senior Brother Nangong chuckled softly, but stepped past Zhao Wuji and looked at Chen Yan, who was standing obediently behind Zhao Wuji with his head down. He pointed and said, "I'm here to find him."

·
My recent health problem is that my old cervical spondylosis has flared up. It's painful, and this time it's quite severe because it's compressing blood vessels, causing dizziness.

I've seen a doctor. There's no quick fix for this kind of problem. Surgery is an option, but considering my condition, the doctor doesn't recommend it, and I don't want to have it done either. So, I'll have to rely on conservative treatment and rest for a while.

Headaches are actually manageable; I can bear them or take painkillers. But dizziness really affects my work performance. It's a little better when I'm lying down, but if I sit for even a short while, I can't handle it.

This illness isn't serious, and I can tolerate it, but it really affects my work. The dizziness isn't enough to knock me out immediately, but even the mild to moderate dizziness makes it very difficult to write or think about the plot.

Many longtime readers know this is a recurring problem of mine, so please forgive me these past few days.

·
(End of this chapter)