Chapter 40: Five Thousand Shi of Grain

At noon, Lu Yin invited Chu Danqing to eat, and just as they were about to depart, the retainer named Xie Liyang finally arrived.

The man was an old fellow with a bulbous nose, and the scent of alcohol clung to him.

He dressed like a peasant, save for the vivid emerald jade gourd at his waist, which drew the eye.

“Young Master, forgive my tardiness,” Xie Liyang said with a hint of apology. “I was delayed by a band of thieves on the road.”

“What kind of talk is this, Master Xie? We were just about to leave,” Lu Yin replied naturally—he knew Xie Liyang wouldn’t arrive late without reason.

As for these “thieves,” they were certainly no ordinary rogues, but too sensitive to name outright.

“This is Chu Mo, our retainer, skilled in beast taming and spirit summoning,” Lu Yin introduced.

Xie Liyang sized up Chu Danqing from head to toe, but did not underestimate him for his youth.

After exchanging greetings, they set off together toward the Ji household.

The entourage was small: one carriage and a few servants, the three of them seated inside chatting.

Chu Danqing took the opportunity to gather much intelligence.

He learned about both the government and the Taiping Dao, including the background of the former leader of Qingya Village—he had been a soldier in the Xiliang White Tiger Army stationed at the border.

Ordinary people found it hard to gain magical power, but border troops were different—brutal combat, especially among the Xiliang White Tiger Army, whose nine out of ten soldiers possessed magical power.

This was also tied to the unique nature of the White Tiger Military Training Scripture, which emphasized warfare as sustenance.

Hence the high proportion.

The method was easy to enter but hard to master, often leaving practitioners with hidden injuries that severed their Dao path; many practiced, but few achieved anything.

Chu Danqing also learned of the Lu family’s Heavenly Fire Spreading Scripture—Xie Liyang had now switched to cultivating it.

But Lu Yin himself did not seem to cultivate it; he practiced another method.

The specifics, Chu Danqing did not fully understand.

After all, he was his temporary employer—he shouldn’t pry too deeply.

At the same time, Chu Danqing truly grasped the difference between the Lu and Ji families.

The Lu family had ancestral cultivation scriptures as their foundation; the Ji family did not.

No matter how rich, they were still nouveau riche.

Ji Zhen had summoned a corpse-demon into his body to contemplate the “Cutting the Three Corpses” method from the Human Scroll of the Taiping Scripture, thereby creating a Ji-family scripture to complete his initial accumulation.

They chatted much along the way, only falling silent upon arriving at the Ji estate.

Lu Yin had sent a formal visitation note ahead; Ji Yun had prepared accordingly, so upon meeting, they immediately got to the point.

“Young Master Ji, the silver is correct—but why has the grain quantity increased?” Lu Yin, studying the contract, pointed to the grain amount.

Previously, Chu Danqing had stated the total was one thousand shi for fifty thousand cash.

The amount was unchanged, but the grain had risen from one thousand shi to five thousand shi.

Lu Yin did not rejoice inwardly or secretly keep the surplus—he pointed out the discrepancy.

He could not determine whether some scheme lay hidden within.

“My father, thanks to the assistance of the Chu retainer, has seen some improvement in his condition.”

“Our Ji family has nothing to offer in return, but since the Lu family needs grain, and given the Chu retainer’s favor, we cannot be stingy.”

“Therefore, I’ve added four thousand shi extra—and knowing Young Master Lu brought only fifty thousand cash, I’ve lowered the price accordingly,” Ji Yun said casually.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yin’s eyes flickered with surprise.

He had not expected Chu Danqing to hold such influence with the Ji family—it truly caught him off guard.

“Hah! What a coincidence!” Lu Yin quickly followed suit, pulling out a porcelain vial: “Upon returning, the Chu retainer immediately secured for Elder Ji a single Pill of Lustrous Heart Purification.”

“After countless assurances, I finally dared send someone to retrieve just one.”

“With this pill, Elder Ji will be safe.”

Ji Yun’s eyes widened in astonishment—he had not expected Chu Danqing to obtain a Pill of Lustrous Heart Purification; his status within the Lu family was truly high.

He had heard of this pill’s fame—it was a rare treasure unique to the Lu family, with no more than one or two produced annually despite immense expenditure.

It could suppress demonic obstructions, neutralize heart poisons, clarify the mind, and aid magical power.

His father, Ji Zhen, needed exactly such a treasure pill.

“Then I shall not refuse your kindness,” Ji Yun said, accepting it immediately.

Chu Danqing did not quite understand why both men were taking credit for the gift, but as long as everyone was pleased, it mattered little.

Then the transaction began: Lu Yin handed over a silver note worth fifty thousand cash; Ji Yun received it and dispatched Xie Liyang to collect the grain.

Afterward, they resumed conversation.

Chu Danqing had actually wanted to leave—the grain contribution was settled, and he still had time today; he considered claiming credit for helping maintain order at the porridge distribution.

But he couldn’t bring it up, so he stayed and chatted.

“Young Master Lu, what are your thoughts on the Three Corpses?” Ji Yun suddenly shifted topic to the matter at hand.

“I’d guess the Lower Corpse is within the government,” Lu Yin replied calmly.

“Correct. Before noon, the Commandant was replaced by a young man skilled in fist arts, decisive and forceful in action,” Ji Yun said.

Chu Danqing’s heart stirred—he immediately asked: “Is he this appearance?”

“Exactly. How did you know his look, Chu Retainer?” Ji Yun was surprised Chu Danqing could describe the Commandant’s features.

“I met him once,” Chu Danqing replied—the man he described was the Dimension Apostle with the cropped hair.

He never expected the man to become Commandant—his rank far surpassed Chu Danqing’s position as retainer.

Most importantly, the Commandant held military authority over Yangxian County.

“The new Commandant calls himself Fierce Fist. His cultivation aside, his sudden rise to Commandant is absurd.”

“The Lower Corpse craved lust and debauchery—it clouded the former Commandant’s mind, making him attempt to force the Governor’s wife. Fortunately, Fierce Fist arrived in time.”

“Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable,” Ji Yun said, still shaken.

If a scandal erupted, Yangxian County’s situation would grow even more chaotic.

“What happened to the former Commandant?” Chu Danqing asked.

“He was killed by Fierce Fist, and within his body was extracted an odd object—those with knowledge recognized it as the Lower Corpse,” Ji Yun answered.

“It seems an attack on the Taiping Dao is imminent,” Lu Yin added.

The Governor could never tolerate this.

The Commandant was controlled, and they sought to incite conflict—what did the Taiping Dao intend?

“Our two families must prepare early, lest we be caught in the crossfire,” Ji Yun said—not to Lu Yin, but to Chu Danqing.

He meant: keep away from the Taiping Dao; avoid any association.

“Then half the Three Corpses threat is removed,” Chu Danqing understood, continuing: “But the mastermind remains unseen.”

“We need not trouble ourselves with this—the government has entered the scene. Even if he escapes death, he’ll lose a layer of skin,” Lu Yin knew—the true rulers of Yangxian County had always been the government.

(End of Chapter)