Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

"Lord Li, there have been some unusual rumors circulating in the yamen these past few days."

"How so?"

"Yesterday I went to the stable and saw Old Liu whispering with Lin's men. When they saw me, they dispersed."

"Old Liu? The one who feeds the horses?"

"That's right, he used to work under County Magistrate Hu, and he was also someone who didn't show off his abilities."

Qian Duo stood in front of the desk in the document room, lowering his voice, his eyes darting around rapidly.

Li Ping toyed with the bronze seal in his hand, his fingertips gently stroking the seal knob.

"With so much money, how many mice do you think there are in our office?"

Qian Duo shuddered and quickly bowed.

"My lord, I am utterly loyal to you and have no other intentions whatsoever!"

I wasn't talking about you.

Li Ping smiled and gestured for him to stand up straight.

"However, since there are rats, we have to block up the hole."

"Otherwise, the little food we've worked so hard to save will be eaten up by rats sooner or later."

He pulled out three identical sheets of paper from his sleeve, each with different words written on it in cinnabar.

"Qian Duo, take these three letters to Old Liu, Uncle Zhou, and Shi Gan respectively."

Qian Duo was somewhat puzzled

"My lord, this is..."

"The letter from Zhou Bo says that I will personally go to the west of the city tomorrow to discuss the distribution of grain with the fleeing households."

"Old Liu's letter stated that I am going to the abandoned kiln in the north of the city tomorrow to secretly trade spirit sand with the Bai family."

"Shi Gan's letter states that I will go to the back office of the county government tomorrow to report the Bai family's tax evasion records to the county magistrate."

Li Ping looked at the large sum of money, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"When you deliver it, just say it's a confidential letter from this official, and tell them to keep it safe and not let anyone else see it."

Qian Duo was a shrewd man, and immediately understood Li Ping's meaning.

This involves using different baits to catch the mouse hiding in the shadows.

"Your Excellency is wise! I will take care of it immediately and will not let a word of it slip by."

The next day, at dusk

In a wasteland north of the city

Old Liu, leading his horse, stood somewhat awkwardly under a withered tree, glancing around every now and then.

A short while later, a man dressed as a merchant emerged from the woods; he was the same bandit who had received the letter the day before.

"Old Liu, any new news today?"

The bandit asked in a low voice

Old Liu took a letter out of his pocket and handed it over.

"That man surnamed Li is going to the abandoned kiln in the north of the city tomorrow to secretly trade spirit sand with the Bai family."

"This is a secret letter written by his own hand; I had a hard time stealing it from the document room."

The bandit took the letter, opened it, glanced at it, and a sinister smile appeared on his face.

"Good! This brat is indeed greedy, daring to trade spirit sand in secret. I'll go back and report to the young master immediately. Tomorrow at the abandoned kiln, we'll make sure he doesn't return alive!"

"That scoundrel's reward..."

Old Liu rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with greed.

"You'll definitely get your share."

The bandit pulled a bag of copper coins from his pocket, tossed it to Old Liu, and turned to leave.

However, as soon as he turned around, he froze on the spot.

From the surrounding overgrown weeds, a dozen or so tall men, all wielding clubs and with menacing expressions, suddenly stood up.

The leader was Shi Gan, who stood there like an iron tower, carrying a thick wooden stick in his hand.

"Old Liu, you've fed this horse well, and delivered this letter well too."

Shi Gan spoke coldly.

Old Liu's face turned deathly pale, and the bag of copper coins in his hand fell to the ground with a thud, scattering across the floor.

"Shi...Shi Gan? What are you doing here?"

"The master is waiting for you in the abandoned kiln, but not to trade spirit sand; he's there to send you on your way."

Shi Gan waved his hand, and the men behind him swarmed forward, instantly pinning Old Liu and the bandit to the ground and binding them tightly with thick hemp rope.

Half an hour later

Inside the abandoned kiln in the north of the city

Li Ping sat on a dilapidated wooden chair, holding a letter that read "Trading Spirit Sand at the Abandoned Kiln in the North of the City," and gently shook it over the brazier.

Flames erupted, instantly turning the letter to ashes.

Old Liu and the bandit were left on the ground, covered in mud and looking utterly disheveled.

"Old Liu, the job I gave you was to feed the horses, but you've treated me like horse feed, sending me into the mountains."

Li Ping looked at Lao Liu, his tone somewhat cold.

Old Liu knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, his forehead covered in blood.

"My lord, spare my life! I was confused for a moment and was forced by Hu Lie. If I didn't comply, he would kill my whole family!"

"Hu Lie?"

Li Ping raised an eyebrow and looked at the bandit.

That bandit was rather tough; he stiffened his neck and spat.

"Hey Li, don't get cocky! Our young master is in the mountains now, backed by the one-eyed boss, and he has over a hundred brothers under his command!"

"Furthermore, young master has also befriended a foreign immortal master. When the autumn tax begins to be levied, it will be your death day!"

Li Ping walked up to the bandit, squatted down, and tapped his cheek with the back of his short knife.

"A foreign immortal master? How powerful? Can he fly or disappear into the earth, or is he invulnerable to swords and spears?"

The bandit sneered and remained silent.

Li Ping stood up and looked at Shi Gan.

"Shi Gan, I'm leaving this bandit to you."

"As for Old Liu, we need to find out the exact location of their stronghold and the origins of that outsider cultivator..."

Li Ping glanced at Old Liu, who was still kowtowing, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.

"Send them to the west of the city and hand them over to those who fled."

"Since he enjoys delivering letters, let him go underground and deliver a letter to Hu Guan."

Old Liu nearly fainted from fright when he heard the words "absconding household".

Those who fled harbored deep hatred for Hu Guan; if they fell into his hands, they would probably be reduced to ashes.

"My lord, spare me! My lord, spare me!"

Old Liu's cries faded into the distance as he was dragged away by Shi Gan's men.

Only Li Ping and Qian Duo remained in the abandoned kiln.

Qian Duo's face was a little pale, and his eyes held a hint of awe as he looked at Li Ping.

This seemingly gentle clerk was surprisingly ruthless when she got going, not even blinking an eye.

"My lord, Hu Lie has colluded with outside cultivators. How should we deal with this?"

Qian Duo asked with some concern

"We only have a dozen or so men under our command. If we were to fight head-on, they wouldn't even be enough to fill a tooth gap."

Li Ping walked to the exit of the abandoned kiln, looked at the dark night sky outside, and put his hands in his sleeves.

"A direct confrontation? I am a scholar; why should I engage them in a direct confrontation?"

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Hu Lie is trying to rob the autumn tax, which is the county magistrate's lifeline and also the Bai family's source of wealth."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Li Ping's lips.

"If Hu Lie wants to be the mantis unaware of the cicada, I'll let him be one to his heart's content. However, it's time to change the roles of mantis and cicada."

He took out the communication jade talisman from his sleeve and twirled it between his fingers.

He never used the jade talisman left behind by Ren Jun.

But now that Hu Lie has colluded with outside cultivators, this situation...

That's beyond the ability of a novice Qi Refining cultivator like him to solve.

The water needs to be stirred up.

"Qian Duo, tomorrow you go to the county government office and 'accidentally' drop the register of the Bai family's tax evasion on Lin Bing's desk."

Li Ping turned his head and looked at Qian Duo.

"Also, tell Uncle Zhou that the grain from the official granary should be transported as quickly as possible these next few days, and the bigger the commotion, the better."

Qian Duo's eyes darted around, and he immediately understood Li Ping's intention.

This was intended to provoke the Bai family by using their records, and then use the commotion at the official granary to lure Hu Lie.

Let the Bai family, Chen Rang, and Hu Lie start fighting amongst themselves at the mahjong table in Xiyun County.

"Your plan is brilliant! I'll carry it out first thing tomorrow morning!"

Qian Duo bowed and withdrew.

Li Ping stood at the entrance of the abandoned kiln, gazing at the towering mountains in the distance.

Mountain shadows

"Hu Lie, since you're so eager to die, then I'll set up a proper stage for you in the city."

The night wind howled