Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 363 Xining
Lin Jiang closed his eyes.

In an instant, he found himself beneath the giant tree with the coffin hanging from it.

He then discovered that it was Zhao Liulang who had contacted him.

“Master,” Zhao Liulang’s voice rang out urgently, “Yu Wenyun just sent word that you have discovered traces of a submerged city and celestial beings in an underground cavern. Could he be… having a fit of hysteria?”

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang's lips twitched slightly.

"Did he say something that sounded like the ramblings of a madman?"

"It's similar, how could it not be? Suddenly it started talking to me about celestial beings and such. I went to ask that great monk, but he was just as confused. How can I not be worried?"

"He is telling the truth; I have investigated this matter."

"Oh, then it's alright."

This change in attitude is truly too obvious.

"I will send a team to the outskirts of that town later to dig up the ground. I believe we will then be able to see the town underwater."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang paused slightly in his speech:
“There are two people I recognize in that town.”

"Yu Wenyun has already informed me in a message. I will do my utmost to protect that side."

"Good work."

"This is my duty. Master, please rest assured outside and entrust all matters concerning the interior to me."

Zhao Liulang's words indeed reassured Lin Jiang.

If we were to discuss who under heaven carries the most weight in uttering these words, it would undoubtedly be none other than Zhao Liulang.

There are quite a few skilled people that Zhao Liulang has planted near the residence of my grandparents, but they did not appear when Lin Jiang visited them.

"Where does Master plan to go next?" Zhao Liulang asked again.

“I have already reached the southern border. After passing through the southern pass, I will reach the ancient battlefield.” Lin Jiang recalled the map he had read in the morning. “I promised Master Liang that I would search for Master Ye’s whereabouts. I will take this opportunity to visit the battlefield and see if I can find any clues.”

“That area…” Zhao Liulang clearly recalled the battlefield scene from back then. “Master, there were far too many Star-level experts who perished on that battlefield, and all sorts of strange celestial phenomena were intertwined there. If you set foot there, you must be very careful and lest you accidentally enter into the strange celestial phenomena.”

"Don't worry, since you dare to go, I will take care of everything."

“Aside from the ominous celestial signs, you also need to be wary of another group of people.”

"who?"

"Dust Kingdom".

"A state?"

"It's more accurate to call it a vast settlement rather than a kingdom, formed by the many small towns that once depended on the divine city. Among them are many Mountain Moving Taoists who once stole many treasures from the former divine kingdom, and even harbored descendants of the royal family of the previous dynasty, who are quite skilled. This group often goes to the battlefield to search for relics. Their own skills may not be top-notch, but the relics of the divine kingdom they carry should not be underestimated."

Lin Jiang couldn't help but conjure up a vivid image of a group of wasteland dwellers in his mind.

"In short, Master, please be careful. If you have a conflict with those people from the Dust Kingdom, you must eliminate them as soon as possible. They probably won't be able to hurt you, but they might still come up with some strange and unusual things to bother you."

The image of the scavenger in Lin Jiang's mind gradually dissipated, transforming into several treasure chest monsters that exploded out various strange items upon being hit.

"Don't worry, I've got it."

The two chatted casually for a few more minutes before cutting off contact.

Lin Jiang speculated that those people from the Dust Kingdom might be hiding quite a few strange Star Treasures. Given the usual practices of the Divine City, if they could really afford valuables and create a Star Treasure that could instantly throw Lin Jiang into the Boundary Sea, it would indeed be quite a headache for Lin Jiang.

He had to run back from the wellhead.

The same applies to others.

Thinking about it this way, we really do need to be more careful.

……

As the carriage approached the Southern Border Pass, Lin Jiang glanced out the window and immediately noticed that the area was much quieter than the Northern Border Pass.

The entire pass is flat, surrounded by endless plains and fields, but farmers are rarely seen working.

In the distance stands a majestic city, its gates wide open, with a plaque hanging high above, prominently displaying the two characters "Xining".

As the western gateway, we naturally hope for peace in the west.

From then on, it was called Xining.

Lin Jiang looked into the city through the city gate and saw that there were very few pedestrians on the streets.

In terms of bustling activity, Xining, a city that should be comparable to Qingniwa, appears unusually deserted.

Yu Wenyun said to Lin Jiangyan:
"The governor of Xining City was originally one of my subordinates, and he also holds the position of Sima. This city is small and lacks vitality. Even the number of officials has been reduced by half, so we need him, the governor, to do some other work."

Lin Jiang looks towards the city from the side.

At a glance, one could see many soldiers training below the city wall.

But Lin Jiang noticed at a glance that there were no elite soldiers among them; most of them looked like farmers wearing rough military uniforms.

Many soldiers noticed the carriage coming along the main road, and many of them showed some surprise in their eyes.

After all, it was a big city, and horse-drawn carriages were not uncommon, but Lin Jiang's carriage was obviously much more luxurious.

Horse-drawn carriages rarely come to this remote place.

When they arrived at the city gate, a middle-aged official was taking attendance. His eyes were downcast, and there was a hint of unspeakable melancholy in his expression. He glanced at Yu Wenyun, who gently pulled the reins, and the carriage slowly came to a stop.

Please register.

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes met those of Lin Jiang inside the car window.

The official in charge of the Ministry of Justice suddenly stood up:

"Young Master Zhu!?" Lin Jiang blinked.

This person looks very familiar.

Perhaps...

The cook's regular customer was that former official in the Ministry of Justice who had been demoted from the capital.

……

Lin Jiang dismounted from the carriage and followed the former official of the Ministry of Justice, while Yu Wenyun led the carriage behind.

They arrived at Qi Zhicheng's current residence in a short time.

It was a small house that looked very ordinary. If you had to say what made it different from the surrounding houses, or if you had to find something different about this small house from other places, you could only say that the entrance was cleaner and that there were even ditches dug up and flowers planted there.

It does indeed evoke the image of "Though the room is humble, my virtue makes it fragrant."

After arriving at the door, Jiang Jinyue and Yi Er San also got out of the car.

When this former official of the Ministry of Justice saw Jiang Jinyue, a look of surprise appeared on his face, and he immediately bowed to her.
"Officer Jiang, it's been a long time."

"It has been a long time, Dr. Qi Zhicheng." Jiang Jinyue made sure to say Qi Zhicheng's full name.

When they were in the capital, Lin Jiang never asked the name of this official in the Ministry of Justice. Jiang Jinyue telling him the full name was, in effect, an introduction to Lin Jiang.

He then eagerly said to Qi Zhicheng:

"Brother Qi, I never expected to meet you here again after we parted ways in the capital."

It was as if he already knew the other person's name.

Upon hearing this, Qi Zhicheng's face showed a hint of bitterness:
"I never expected that I would be demoted all the way to this place."

Logically speaking, the farther a Beijing official is exiled, the more difficult it is for him to return to the capital.

This former doctor has suddenly fallen to such a remote place, and it is unlikely that he will ever set foot in the capital again in this lifetime.

Moreover, this place is extremely remote, just as Yu Wenyun said, even the governor has to hold other positions.

It is not surprising that a demoted official like him had to register with the soldiers at the city gate to enter the city.

Lin Jiang naturally understood the source of the frown between his brows, given the difference in their circumstances.

If such an opportunity had fallen upon a poet, it would likely have been transformed into a dozen or so timeless poems.

Lin Jiang would not rub salt into Qi Zhicheng's wounds, and the other party had no intention of making a fool of himself.

Qi Zhicheng composed himself and asked with a smile:

"I wonder how Chef Song is doing in the capital?"

“She’s doing well,” Lin Jiang replied. “She opened a restaurant in the capital, using your old residence. She also developed feelings for my family’s guard, which can be considered as making up for her previous life.”

"That's good, that's good."

Qi Zhicheng turned his head to the northeast, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the wall, looking towards the capital. He stared for a moment before slowly withdrawing his gaze.
"I always felt that I was wasting her life as a cook, but now that I hear she's doing well, I can finally rest easy."

After speaking, Qi Zhicheng turned to look at Lin Jiang:
"Young master, have you come to this remote place for some business?"

"There are some things that require a trip to Daxing, heading west."

"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Qi Zhicheng was clearly taken aback: "You plan to go in this direction? Once you leave the pass, you'll be in that old battlefield. That place is chaotic and dangerous; I'm afraid it might not be a good idea."

"Since we've chosen this path, there's a way."

Lin Jiang spoke with certainty, but Qi Zhicheng's face still showed hesitation.

He thought for a while, then finally shook his head:

"I cannot make the decision on this matter. If we want to pass through the pass to the west, we must meet with the governor and get his approval."

"So strict." Lin Jiang was slightly surprised. "Normally, one can't just see the governor whenever they want, right? What if someone else wants to leave the city?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Zhicheng couldn't help but glance at Lin Jiang:
“Under normal circumstances, no one has left south for more than half a year. Half a year ago, a drunk man went out and made a bet with his friends that he was not afraid of the ghosts of the dead, but he never returned.”

"I've heard there are many treasures on the old battlefield, so why aren't the Mountain Moving Taoists coming this way?"

“Those who move mountains, steal gold, and plunder sheep, even if they really leave, they won’t go along the official road. They will go north for a while, where there are some villages outside the border of Daxing, where thieves roam freely, and they can go directly there without being checked.”

Qi Zhicheng explained, then sighed again:
"But these are not the fundamental reasons. We rarely check where people come from or where they go under the law. But now that there is a sudden situation outside the city, we have to be extremely cautious."

"What's the matter?"

“Recently, many people from the Dust Kingdom have appeared on the border with unclear intentions. It is because of these people that the governor is under considerable pressure. We have already asked the Southern General’s Mansion for help, but the General’s Mansion was recently hit by an accident, and it may take some time for reinforcements to arrive.” Qi Zhicheng said, “In order to prevent any further trouble, the governor simply placed the West Gate under martial law and issued this order.”

After all, the general's mansion had been destroyed in a previous bombing and was now being rebuilt. They were hoping that this newly established mansion would send reinforcements...

It was indeed a bit difficult for them.

Upon hearing this, Yu Wenyun seemed to ponder for a moment, then slapped his thigh:
When can I see the governor?

"I must inform you of this matter, as the governor is usually quite busy."

"Where is the governor's residence?" Yu Wenyun asked again.

"Huh?" Qi Zhicheng's position at the time was not in the Ministry of War, and he had never met this general who had been guarding the south. He obviously did not realize it: "It's over there at the West Gate."

Yu Wenyun stood up and walked straight out the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Should we go directly to Xiao Guo and ask him what's going on?"

Yu Wenyun still wore that unchanging, stiff smile.

(End of this chapter)