Chapter 532: Turmoil in the Lawless World
Chapter 532: Turmoil in the Lawless World
The story began in Xiaoliang County.
A group of Truth Sect followers, responsible for overseeing ten-odd villages in the southeast region, had just completed a circuitous route, collecting grain with some twists and turns but not without success. They had managed to secure several dozen carts full of grain.
They could have directly returned to Mingzhou Prefecture to report their accomplishment, but as they rounded a mountain pass, they spotted a small cluster of farmhouses. Without hesitation, they rode over to collect grain from these households.
The villagers were few in number, but their courage in cultivating the wild land was remarkable. They didn't rent fields from landlords and didn't recognize any authority. When faced with grain raiders, they promptly grabbed their guns, sticks, and hoes to fight back.
Even mountain bandits would think twice before messing with these fierce villagers. Unfortunately, it was their bad luck that the leader of this group was a deputy altar master of the Truth Sect.
Upon seeing the villagers charging towards them, the deputy altar master let out a cold laugh. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and vomited a black child, covered in sticky mucus, who screeched and wailed. The malevolent aura emanating from the child was so intense that it sent chills down the spines of onlookers even in broad daylight.
The deputy altar master, still mounted on his horse, shouted, "My child, if we had this grain earlier, you wouldn't have starved to death..."
At this shout, the black child's resentment overflowed, and he charged towards the village's strong laborers, waving his tiny arms and legs and wildly scratching at them. Even these brave villagers were terrified by the little ghost.
"We, the Truth Sect, follow the rules. We have a tax official accompanying us. If anyone dares to disobey the decree, they'll taste my blade."
The deputy altar master, pleased with the black child's performance, watched as the villagers who dared to fight back were subdued. He sat tall on his horse and roared, "If you hand over the grain willingly, we'll only take four measures from the ten in your granary. If you resist, we'll execute those who dare to fight, right here and now, and take everything!"
As he finished his declaration, the sect followers behind him, along with the local ruffians and soldiers who had been coerced into accompanying them on their grain collection mission, surged forward. They smashed altars, shattered roof tiles, turned over mattresses, and piled up blankets, leaving nothing of value untouched.
The villagers were already terrified, but as they watched their grain being seized, they realized that if this continued, they would starve. They fell to their knees, repeatedly kowtowing.
Even the junior tax official, who had been coerced into joining the Truth Sect's mission, couldn't bear to watch the villagers' plight and turned away. But the Truth Sect followers paid no heed; instead, some of them drew their knives, staring intently at the villagers, waiting for them to make a move.
Throughout their journey, they had encountered many such incidents. There were plenty of people unwilling to hand over grain, but how could these ordinary villagers compare to the deputy altar master's extraordinary abilities, honed through the Truth Sect's unorthodox techniques? Initially, they had hesitated when faced with resistance, but after repeated killings, their eyes had turned red, and they no longer feared the villagers' defiance. Instead, they relished the prospect of more excitement.
However, this time, it seemed that the deputy altar master had used a secret technique, striking fear into the hearts of the villagers, who now focused solely on kowtowing, too scared to fight back. This left the sect followers feeling somewhat disappointed.
Just then, a loud shout echoed through the mountain pass: "Who dares to impersonate tax officials and rob our fellow villagers of their livelihood?"
As the shout died down, the sound of horse hooves and footsteps filled the air. A rider, swift as lightning, charged towards them from the other side of the mountain pass.
The horse was incredibly fast, and its rider was exceptionally skilled and fierce. With a gleaming swift saber in hand, he harnessed the horse's momentum, exuding a formidable aura as he slashed with his blade. Before the deputy altar master could react, the rider had already crossed paths with him.
"Swoosh!"
A head was severed, and the rider caught it in his hand, his body splattered with blood from the headless corpse beside him.
The remaining Truth Sect followers and the junior tax official, witnessing this scene, were left dumbfounded.
As they snapped out of their shock and prepared to react, they heard a commotion from the other side of the mountain pass. A large group of people, several dozen horses, and three to five hundred individuals, each armed with weapons, charged towards them.
Half of this group wore armor, and their weapons were standardized, including knives and long spears. Their killing intent was palpable as they surrounded the grain collectors, aiming their earth bows, sturdy bows, spears, and knives directly at their faces.
"G-Great King, spare our lives!" pleaded the junior tax official, terrified by the sudden appearance of this formidable force.
"They killed our deputy altar master!" exclaimed one of the sect followers.
Upon seeing their fellow sect member slain, the rest of the group was shaken, but they dared not act in such a disadvantageous situation. Instead, they clenched their teeth and glared at the rider, vowing, "Good, very good. I didn't know such a hero existed in Mingzhou Prefecture. But you should know the consequences of your actions today!"
"..."
"We don't tolerate such injustice," said Yang Gong, sitting tall on his horse, his eyes narrowing as he drew his knife and placed it against his neck. "The grain in these mountains is beyond your reach. Even if you manage to collect it, you won't be able to take it out."
"Even if the altar master comes, or that so-called general..."
"...they'll leave their heads behind!"
The speaker's expression remained unchanged as he said, "I'll deliver this message."
"You there, throw down your banner and let us know who you are. We'll send word back to the General."
"...Hmph!"
"Go ahead!"
Yang Gong let out a cold snort, "My name is Yang Gong, known as the Grain Protection General. I'll be waiting for him right here in the mountains. I doubt he'll dare to show up!"
The man nodded, showing no intention of attacking. He had already gathered over a dozen carts of supplies, but now he left them unattended and turned to leave. The villagers, who had been stunned, suddenly erupted into cheers.
Yang Gong held the Grandmaster's head and ordered his men to distribute three carts of the supplies to the villagers, keeping the rest for themselves as they returned to their village. Upon arrival, he went straight to see his Elder Father-in-Law and reported, "The task is done."
"I killed the Grandmaster with the most blood on his hands, established my reputation, and retrieved the supplies."
"Should we store them in the granary or..."
"...Hmm."
"Why put them in the granary?"
Yang Gong's Elder Father-in-Law replied, "Our village has enough supplies stored up for the past few years. Let's not be greedy for these. Distribute the supplies you retrieved to the villages that were looted."
"Let them have a good meal, but don't leave them with too much surplus. Just tell them that more people from outside will come to take the supplies. Real men should come and help."
"...Understood."
Yang Gong smiled inwardly, knowing what his Elder Father-in-Law meant. He had already done similar things several times in the past few days, but his Elder Father-in-Law suddenly remembered something and hastily said, "Wait a moment."
"How about the matter I asked you to consider carefully?"
"...Hmm."
"Are you thinking about the times I've taken risks and almost lost my life?"
Yang Gong responded with a bitter laugh, "Elder, I've never hidden anything from you. I'm a disciple of the Red Fragrance, and I've always risked my life for wealth and honor. There have been countless times I nearly died."
"However, if we're talking about hanging by a thread and almost dying, there were two instances. One was in Niujia Bay, where we took the Blood Feast Gang's supplies, and the other was in Qingshi Town, fighting bandits."
"Both times, I closed my eyes, but my strong vitality and the help of good brothers saved me. Not only did I survive, but I gained benefits. After the Niujia Bay incident, I earned the attention of the Lady. And after defeating the bandits, I became your esteemed son-in-law."
"...Hmm."
"I'm not that great of a son-in-law. If I were, I'd have taught you to read and write, and study military strategies, but you didn't listen."
The Elder Father-in-Law let out a cold snort and shook his head. However, Yang Gong's words did stir some thoughts within him.
With important matters approaching, he had asked a fortune-teller to predict his son-in-law's future.
The results were terrifying. The fortune-teller claimed that his son-in-law's life was fragile and cheap, like wild grass, and he didn't seem destined for success.
But when the fortune-teller saw that he had chosen the wrong person, he added, "It's precisely because his life is so fragile and cheap that he managed to survive and even thrive in such circumstances. It's uncanny!"
"You should ask if he has a noble companion by his side."
"...Hmm."
The Elder Father-in-Law pondered for a moment, wanting to say something, but ultimately decided against it. Instead, he asked, "If I remember correctly, the person who helped you both times was the same, wasn't it?"
"This time, someone sent word to prepare for an attack on our supplies. Was it also your brother?"
"...Yes, it was him."
Yang Gong smiled, "Elder, do you have any more daughters hidden away?"
"I want to share the good fortune with him."
"...Get out!"
The Elder Father-in-Law calmly pointed outside, "From now on, be more daring in your actions!"
Yang Gong happily left. The Elder Father-in-Law sighed, "It's a pity I'm too old to have more children, otherwise..."
"Tsk..."
"...Hmm."
Yang Gong left and followed his Elder Father-in-Law's advice, which immediately stirred excitement among the young men from several nearby villages. They grabbed their weapons and decided to join the Grain Protection General in fighting against the Truth Sect followers who were looting supplies.
News of such incidents spread, and the people of Mingzhou Prefecture, who had been suffering under the Truth Sect's supply confiscation, suddenly felt a surge of courage. The atmosphere in the region changed, and many started to join the cause.
Around the same time, the news of the Truth Sect's deputy altar master being killed in the mountains also spread throughout Mingzhou Prefecture. The news of someone openly resisting and reclaiming supplies from the Truth Sect's grain inspection team was almost unbelievable.
Finally, the Heavenly Mandate General in Mingzhou Prefecture issued an order, and the scattered grain inspection and tax collection teams from various areas of Mingzhou began to gather in the mountains.
As the number of people grew, a powerful killing intent arose, filling the air with a palpable energy.
(End of Chapter)
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