How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

The so-called "prefectural soldiers" were civilian armies recruited by each prefecture.

There were basically none at the county level, but there were at the prefecture level. Considering the special circumstances of Lingnan, which is remote and far from the emperor, and the complex situation, Lingnan Prefecture had the most soldiers among the ten prefectures of Haizhou, with more than 5,000 men.

Xu Hai was taken aback: "Third Brother, why are you so sure he'll bring it?"

Zhang San said, "There are two reasons for this. First, Chen Zhang is very afraid of death. He would never dare to enter Qishan at this time without several thousand garrison soldiers by his side. Second, from a time perspective, He Wen went to Lingnan Prefecture at full speed in the early morning, which is three hours ago. It only takes an hour to get to Lingnan Prefecture from here by fast horse. If it weren't for the need to spend time mobilizing garrison soldiers, Chen Zhang should have arrived by now."

"Not bad! Third brother, you've learned how to analyze the enemy situation!" Zhou Wenju praised. "Next move, follow my instructions!"

The two men stood up straight simultaneously: "Please give your orders, young master!"

"Move a hundred-man squad over and set up defenses on the hill ahead. We'll wait for Chen Zhang there!"

The two men's expressions changed drastically...

Another troop deployment?

Could it be that the young master intends to kill Chen Zhang directly?

Never mind, obey orders!

"Yes!" The two accepted the order and turned to descend the mountain.

Inside Jingtian Nunnery, Zhou Shuang practiced her martial arts with her eyes closed.

The nun withdrew her gaze from the void, her eyes shining slightly.

This is Zhou Shuang's second brother.

Entering and leaving the nunnery...

The contrast is quite striking.

When he entered the nunnery, he really looked like a spoiled brat.

And it was the extremely vulgar kind.

However, the things he had just explained to the two men, and the respect the two men showed him, left this nun completely bewildered...

Yes, it must be said that Zhou Wenju seemed to have overlooked the cultivation foundation of this world. Every word of their conversation was heard by this nun.

Lunchtime has passed.

Zhou Wenju never returned to Jingtian Nunnery.

On the official road, the flow of people began to increase. Many men carried firewood out of the city and onto the official road.

This is quite common.

The people of Qishan County were too poor. During the long winter, they had no means of making a living. Many people had to chop firewood to exchange for a little money for oil and salt.

No one knew that after walking ten miles, these people carried firewood into the woods and pulled something out of their firewood. This thing was none other than the "gun" that was being talked about all over the city!

A hundred people ventured into the jungle, climbing trees and hills...

Soon, everything returned to calm.

Time passed little by little...

The sun is setting!

Suddenly, dust rose in the distance!

A large contingent of people came from Lingnan Prefecture.

Ahead are a thousand horsemen.

Behind them were two thousand infantrymen.

On the mountain peak, birds that had just returned to their roosts took flight, and the afterglow of the setting sun pierced through the dust kicked up by a thousand horsemen.

At the very front was a large sedan chair made of blue felt, carried by four men who moved with incredible speed.

The footwork of these four men was clearly that of someone who had started at the Taoist altar, or even reached the highest level of Taoist cultivation.

Even though he was being carried in a sedan chair, it was still easier than riding a galloping horse beside him.

After passing through the woods ahead and turning the bend in the road, you will see Qishan County.

Therefore, the hillside under our feet is called Xiemapo (歇马坡).

The sedan chair went straight up the hillside, leading a massive army.

Suddenly, on the hillside ahead, in the small pavilion where people rested, a man in white slowly stood up, strolled onto the official road ahead, and came to greet the sedan chair.

The setting sun cast its glow on his face, making him look so elegant.

It was Zhou Wenju.

His clothes were not the same as usual; they were clearly the scholar's robes he wore at the Nanyang Poetry Gathering that day—snow-white, noble, and spotless.

"Zhou Wenju!" On a tall horse beside the sedan chair, He Wen's face suddenly darkened.

The sedan chair suddenly stopped.

Inside the sedan chair, an official dressed in the robes of a fourth-rank prefect suddenly opened his eyes. He was Chen Zhang, and he heard He Wen's voice.

The sedan curtain was pulled open by a servant.

Chen Zhang's stern gaze fell upon Zhou Wenju, who stood in the very center of the official road: "Who is blocking the way?"

"I am Zhou Wenju, the second son of Zhou Liangsheng, the magistrate of Qishan County!" Zhou Wenju bowed slightly: "Greetings, Prefect Chen!"

"So you're Magistrate Zhou's son!" Chen Zhang said coldly. "Lead the way and take me to see your father!"

"No need for that!" Zhou Wenju smiled slightly. "My father is in officialdom and has no choice in what he does. He has to bow to you, this worthless prefect. If he's not upset, then I am! So, there's no need to see him. Whatever you want to do, just do it here!"

Upon hearing this, the entire audience froze, as if petrified.

Everyone was in disbelief...

The most surprised person was naturally Chen Zhang!

He had a smooth career in his officialdom for decades, but he had never heard the phrase "utter nonsense" used before the words "big shot" in front of someone.

His face turned ashen: "What...what did you say?"

"Alright, alright, I understand why you're here!" Zhou Wenju said, "He Wen reported to you about the robbery at his house, right? You came here to stand up for him, right? No need to bother, just come to me... After all, it was I who manufactured the guns that gave them this fighting power."

Chen Zhang's face was extremely grim: "You confess to everything?"

Its sound was as heavy as a mountain.

A clerk nearby quickly took out paper and pen and began to write down notes.

"The He family fell under the guns of the people, and the Cangshan Sect was destroyed under the guns of the people. In the final analysis, it's all because of me! My father knew nothing about it beforehand. I kept it from him because I knew he was indecisive. If I told him, nothing would get done. His reaction this morning after learning about it fully confirmed my foresight. That old man actually planned to tie me up and let the court deal with me. I only got out by escaping from prison. So, Prefect, you really don't need to go to the county office. Believe me, my father is even more distressed than you. Right now, he's banging his head against the wall in the county office, struggling with his decision... This clerk, do you remember this clearly?" Zhou Wenju's gaze turned to the clerk.

The clerk's hand suddenly trembled...

In the past, when the prefect judged cases, he was the one who kept most of the records. He had never had such a relaxed trial before.

Today, a shocking case was tried halfway through the trial, and it was surprisingly easy.

It looks like a good thing, but why did he suddenly break out in a cold sweat?

He Wen's heart suddenly trembled: "Cangshan Sect...Cangshan Sect too..."

Zhou Wenju laughed, "The annihilation of the Cangshan Sect happened almost simultaneously with your He family. Congratulations to you, because your two families, who were in cahoots, have successfully achieved a shared fate, and you are not alone on the Bridge of Helplessness!"

"Your Excellency, did you hear that?" He Wen shouted, "He has confessed to everything!"

Chen Zhang slowly raised his hand: "Take him down!"

As soon as the words fell, two constables beside the sedan chair stepped forward simultaneously, their hands holding iron chains...

Just one step!

thumping!

Two gunshots rang out, and bullets pierced the foreheads of the two constables.

The warhorses reared up, and the entire army was thrown into chaos.

Chen Zhang stood up halfway, then abruptly sat back down...

With a whoosh, two sedan bearers simultaneously stepped in front of Chen Zhang, their expressions changing at the same time...

Zhou Wenju smiled faintly: "I really don't know if He Wen didn't report clearly to the magistrate, or if the magistrate's ears are just for show. Since you know that the villagers of Hexi Valley have weapons that can kill, you still dare to come and question us! Aren't you afraid that the villagers of Hexi Valley will settle old scores with you?"

"You..." Chen Zhang stood up in one step!

He held the prefectural seal high in his hand.

A ray of golden light enveloped his entire body.

At this moment, he was incomparably majestic. He slowly parted the two sedan chair bearers blocking his way, his gaze fixed on Zhou Wenju: "You dare to kill an official and rebel?"

"Your Excellency, you flatter me!" Zhou Wenju said. "I am a scholar, and a member of the family of an official. How could I possibly defy the world and kill an official? However, the people of Hexi Village are another matter. Perhaps they remember Your Excellency's past kindness and were overcome with emotion, causing their gun to accidentally discharge..."

thumping!

A gunshot rang out!

Suddenly, a rapidly spinning bullet appeared in front of Chen Zhang.

The bullet spun rapidly amidst the golden light of the official seal, yet it could not penetrate its protection.

Zhang San, who fired the shot, felt a sudden sinking feeling in his heart...

He finally understood why Chen Zhang, the prefect who was always afraid of death, dared to push aside the person blocking his way and reveal his true colors when things came to a head.

So that was their trump card.

He activated the official seal.

Official seals possess the power of Heaven.

The higher the level, the greater the power.

The prefectural governor may seem to be only one rank higher than the county magistrate, but in reality, the difference is more than one rank. The county magistrate is a seventh-rank official, while the prefectural governor is a fourth-rank official, a difference of six ranks!

With these six levels and one high rank, the power of the official seal is a million times greater.

Under the special influence of the Heavenly Dao in Lingnan, the official seal of a county magistrate is almost useless in actual combat, while the official seal of a prefect, even though its power has been reduced by 90% by this special Heavenly Dao, is still far superior to that of a Dao Mountain realm cultivator.

The aura formed by the Dao Mountain realm can block ordinary bullets.

An official seal is also acceptable.

Should we use the "unruly bullet" to teach this unruly prefect a lesson?

Zhou Wenju did not give the order; he dared not act rashly…

However, this bullet gave Chen Zhang confidence.

So this supposedly miraculous gun couldn't penetrate his official seal? Very well! My life is spared, so you may proceed with your actions!

"Three thousand soldiers, listen to my command!" Chen Zhang gave the order.

"Here!" The three thousand soldiers behind him responded in unison.

"Send troops to the Hexi Valley and wipe out all the rebel villains!"

At Prefect Chen Zhang's command, the first thousand warhorses spurred themselves forward simultaneously, and the last rays of sunlight vanished at that moment...

Zhou Wenju stood on the official road, and the warhorses in front of him surged forward like a tide, about to completely engulf him.

Suddenly, gunfire erupted!

Bullets pierced the pale night sky, heading towards the cavalry.

In the first volley of fire, at least a hundred cavalrymen fell dead.

Dozens of warhorses let out a long neigh, and in pain, they turned and ran backward...

The cavalry was thrown into chaos.

"Charge! Kill!" Chen Zhang shouted repeatedly, his official seal like a golden shield, making him appear as majestic as a war god on the battlefield.

"That corrupt official is so annoying, let's get him!" Zhang San couldn't stand it anymore and changed the magazine.

thumping!

A shot was fired!

This shot wasn't a regular bullet; it was a bullet soaked in the waters of wickedness.

As soon as the wicked bullet was fired, the golden light of the official seal suddenly shattered.

The bullet pierced through the torn golden protective shield and accurately struck the official seal. Chen Zhang lost his grip, and the seal fell to the ground.

Chen Zhang was terrified.

The protective barrier is gone...

He suddenly jumped out of the sedan chair and grabbed the official seal, but no matter how he tried to move it, the seal was just a lump of paste inside...

He looked up and saw people falling one after another around him, and his courage completely vanished...

Run for your life!

The cavalry and infantry on all sides, who were already feeling like they were seeing ghosts when faced with the dense, rain-like gunfire with terrifying lethality, instantly broke formation upon seeing the prefect fleeing, with the remaining two thousand or so people scrambling to escape.

"Chase..." Zhang San ordered.

"Don't chase!" Zhou Wen raised his hand to stop them!

He then took the gun from Zhang San's hand...

thumping!

A bullet was fired at the crowd that was frantically fleeing ahead.

He Wen, mounted on his tall horse, was shouting at the prefect: "Lord Chen, how can we run away? We must..."

Chi!

With a whoosh, a bullet pierced the back of his head.

call!

His horse leaped up and over the high slope in front of him, and He Wen fell off the horse and lay motionless.