Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 497 Going to Jinhua

With such an efficient method, it would not be an exaggeration to say that wealth is rolling in once one ascends to the position of prefect.

Such an investment would be worthwhile if it meant giving up everything to become the other party's godfather, but unfortunately, my dear brother is unwilling to accept it.

“Brother Hanwen, I have received my appointment and will take office immediately. However, Wu County is not as peaceful and prosperous as Qiantang. There is Wutong disturbing the people in front and Deng’s rebellion behind.”

"I have absolutely no idea what to do, so I can only shamelessly ask you for guidance."

Song Youde will be heading to Suzhou to take up his post after the New Year; the imperial edict has already been sent.

This fat man is really lucky; he received a report from the Ministry of Personnel before the new year and even got approval from the Emperor of Jin.

If the report is submitted to the state now, who knows if the old emperor, who has already been severely punished, will still be in the mood to handle state affairs.

Seeing his humble and polite elder brother, Xu Xuan estimated the value of the goods and nodded in satisfaction.

Baoan Hall has always had ample funds to operate, so harvesting more wild resources is not excessive at all.

Bai Lian never wastes her time.

"Oh dear, brother, please don't send such expensive gifts next time."

"Once you get to Wu County, just follow the customs of Qiantang. The aristocratic families in Suzhou are quite obedient."

Finally, he pulled out another document and handed it to his brother.

"A congratulatory gift should be enough to help you establish yourself in Wu County."

Song Youde was overjoyed; this gift was definitely the right one!
However, my dear brother always speaks so modestly; he truly is a model scholar.

Upon opening it, my eyes widened in surprise, and sweat broke out on my forehead.

He slammed the object shut, then looked around furtively before finally lowering his voice and trembling as he said, "Thank you for your help, brother, but this... is unacceptable."

It turns out this is information about the pirates of Taihu Lake.

From personnel and organizational structure to disguised identities, even the locations of activities and hideouts are clearly described, and the location of treasure is even specified.

With this alone, we can wipe out the water bandits entrenched in the Taihu Lake basin in one fell swoop and make a great contribution.

There was one problem: it was too detailed, so detailed that even Song Youde was afraid.

Who would know so much inside information, down to the specific individuals and villages?

Unless these pirates were kept by someone specifically to do inconvenient things.

The meaning of "nurturing enemies to enhance one's own importance" is quite obvious.

Xu Xuan was speechless. The Taihu Lake region had been taken over by Baoan Hall. With the strength of eight thousand demon soldiers, what did they not know?

How could mere water bandits possibly escape the eyes of the fish and turtles in the lake?

"The one who raised the bandits was the former governor Deng You. The information was obtained by chance, so don't worry about using it."

This isn't just slander; the centipede demon deliberately allowed this group to wreak havoc in the area to cover their tracks. If any demons were causing trouble, they could blame it on the water bandits.

These anthropomorphic behaviors are, to some extent, considered outstanding among the demon race.

Song Youde was only relieved after explaining it many times.

At the end of the conversation, the Holy Father raised his palm in a gesture, intending to recite a short poem to admonish Song Youde not to forget the people after his promotion.

Unexpectedly, the virtuous brother immediately bent down to let the hand rest on his shoulder, with a sincere smile on his face.

"Please give your instructions, my worthy brother."

? !
I won't say anything if you lower your stance, but this look and dialogue make me seem like a bad person.

"Ahem, let's not forget the people of Wu County."

"Taking control of Wu County as soon as possible would be the greatest help to me."

Oh no, saying such things really makes me sound like a bad person. It's all Song Youde's fault for corrupting me with the atmosphere of officialdom, which is why he said such things.

After seeing his esteemed brother off, Father happily put away the valuables—a great start indeed! He wondered what surprise the second person would bring.

The second one is Zao.

I've come today to wish you a Happy New Year and present you with a festive gift.

He was in a situation where he was single and had no family to worry about, and he had sold almost all of his family's property, so he had plenty of money.

In addition, he understood the relationship between Baoan Hall and Gudu Garden, so he was very generous with his money.

Xu Xuan accepted another generous small gift, and at the same time showed concern for this disciple.

"How is the research on the divine sword inside the stele going?"

Zhanlu is in a semi-detached state, and it has a history of choosing a wise master for its divine sword, so we can't let it escape.

If Zao cannot draw his sword, then Xu will have to resort to some methods.

The sword of benevolence should be wielded by one's own disciple; this is a sign of confidence.

Zao also thinks so; who else but him deserves this sword? Besides, which of Master Xu's disciples lacks benevolence and righteousness, and which lacks morality?

As for how to retrieve the sword, we've got a better idea: it's about reasoning with it and communicating with the sword's spirit through unwavering loyalty and devotion.

The Seven Star Sword's spirit of self-sacrifice combined with the invincible divine sword of the benevolent will surely unleash unimaginable brilliance in the great calamity to come.

Isn't this a unique combination of two swords? It's so romantic!

“Master Xu, I will be going to Jinhua in a few days. Caichen has sent me a letter saying he has encountered some minor troubles and needs help.”

It was specifically noted that Ji Rui is not included; it's just the two Qi meeting.

Knowing that Master Xu had some special views on the combination of the three wonders, the sensible boy naturally informed him in advance.

As long as we don't bring the most troublesome guy along, this trip shouldn't be too bumpy.

As for Caichen's minor trouble, he's been entangled with a woman, and someone needs to check if there's anything wrong with him.

Of the three, Zao's righteous spirit can distinguish between evil and demons. As long as it's not an outrageous old devil, no one can be fooled by Bi Xue Dan Xin.

Xu Xuan was indeed relieved to learn that Ji Rui was not going; the Three Wonders were missing one, and their power was greatly reduced.

However, Ning Caichen became entangled with a woman...

"The letter said that the woman's name was Fu Qingfeng, the eldest daughter of the former Imperial Censor Fu Tianchou. Lord Fu has been in Yangzhou to oversee the case of Deng You's substitution of an official and has not yet returned to the capital, so the woman has been in Yangzhou all along."

The letter clearly describes how the two met. The matter of the silkworm and the horse is not surprising, but it is a bit strange that the woman looks exactly like Xiaoqian.

Ning Caichen, with his terrifyingly strong anti-fraud awareness, didn't fall in love at first, but instead sought someone to distinguish between truth and falsehood, demonstrating the extent of Master Xu's influence.

Xu Xuan… Good, good, so this play can be performed like this. If Fu Qingfeng has any problems, he will face the Confucian swordsman's immediate execution; that's truly swift and decisive.

"Go ahead, and let me know if there is any danger."

Mr. Xu declined to comment on this, leaving it to them to do as they pleased.

Ning Caichen's heart can discern true feelings from false ones, while Zao Tongxue's heart can see through demons and monsters. With the two of them working together, there are few conspiracies that can be hidden from them in Jiangnan.

He didn't know anything about Fu Qingfeng's situation, so he might as well investigate it carefully.

Moreover, with Ji Rui not around, safety is still guaranteed.

I took my leave early and immediately prepared to go on a long trip.

Following them were Master Li and many other important figures from Qiantang.

Apart from the old master, all these people were there for purely business socializing, and a few perfunctory words were enough.

After finishing his worldly social interactions, the door to the courtyard was knocked on again.

Tuk-tuk-tuk.
(End of this chapter)