Chapter 622

Swish, swish.

The tea leaves swirled, and foam stuck to the cup wall.

Xiang Fang Su picked up the teapot and poured a cup of fragrant tea for himself and Ke Wenbin.

"Hmm, 'Effort leads to establishment, and eventually there is success.' Martial Artist Yang achieving Jiang Zongshi is something to be happy about. From now on, there will be two Grandmasters in the River Patrol Office, leading the way, and three Grandmasters in Pingyang Prefecture, standing like a tripod. With the three of them standing firm, the Ghost Mother Sect will definitely not dare to invade. And then?"

"And then..."

Liang Qu scratched his head.

How is it completely different from what I imagined?

So calm?

"Heh, stop it." Ke Wenbin picked up his chopsticks with disdain. "Who doesn't have a Perfected Form Jiang Zongshi?

Martial Artist Yang had been lingering in the Hunting Tiger Realm for a long time. Last time King Yue came to Pingyang Prefecture and gave you a Profound Yellow Plate, we guessed it was about time.

We just didn't expect it to be so fast, being able to pass the two barriers of 'Opening the Profound Light' and 'Smelting the Hundred Scriptures' in succession and breaking through before the festival this year."

As the saying goes, Profound Light requires wealth, Smelting requires enlightenment, and Qi Consumption requires luck.

The wealth for Opening the Profound Light is easy to solve; Yang Dongxiong himself is not poor, has extensive connections, and can borrow from the imperial court.

Only the "enlightenment" for Smelting the Hundred Scriptures being so fast really exceeded the expectations of Xiang and Ke.

But that's all.

The word "enlightenment" is mysterious and profound.

Sometimes you can't understand it because you're too smart, and sometimes it happens naturally because you're too stupid. Who can explain the fate involved?

Achievement is achievement.

It's definitely a good thing for Pingyang Prefecture to have one more Jiang Zongshi.

"Ahem."

Liang Qu leaned back against the chair, looking embarrassed.

After all, their family backgrounds are different; they've seen and eaten everything.

Miscalculation.

"Instead of talking about your master, why don't you talk about how you caught Zhao Hongyuan? We came to Huangzhou today just for him. Brother Yuelong gave Wenbin and me a total of one month, and we have to go back before December."

"It's a coincidence. There was a Great Hunting Meet in Huangzhou, and I accidentally ran into his son, Zhao Xueyuan."

Liang Qu briefly explained his encounter.

He learned of the words Zhao Hongyuan had released.

"He won't talk unless it's a Third-Rank official? Doesn't that mean Lord Su has to interrogate him personally?" Ke Wenbin was astonished. "Could the old guy have found the Ghost Mother Sect's lair?"

"Not necessarily. The Ghost Mother Sect is too scattered. The one who contacted Zhao Hongyuan is just one branch, and the branch itself might not even know the location of the lair. But Zhao Hongyuan is indeed different from other Ghost Mother Sect members."

Liang Qu was curious: "How is he different?"

Xiang Fang Su watched the Ba River flowing outside the window: "Previously, when various counties caught Ghost Mother Sect members, most said they were coerced and lured, greedy for a moment, and then realized it was too late to get off the pirate ship.

They have to use all their strength just to get a benefit from their superiors, let alone know any secrets. Zhao Hongyuan being able to jump around and fool the Ghost Mother Sect...

It's unlikely he did it on his own intelligence. It feels like there was some special reason when he developed, a twist of fate."

"Whatever is special has nothing to do with us. Just take him back and let Lord Su ask him, and it will be clear. If he knows, he knows; if he doesn't, forget it."

"That's true. Eat, eat! The soft-shelled turtle is good—fresh, fragrant, and spicy!"

Xiang Fang Su and Ke Wenbin clinked their glasses.

The imperial court established Pingyang Prefecture for confrontation, not counterattack.

With only a few Grandmasters, rushing up would just mean getting killed. They don't ask for great results; just being able to defend in normal times is enough.

Just look at the quality of the younger generation of the Ghost Mother Sect.

A single branch, with only two or three Hunting Tigers.

Not only is there a lack of successors, but their brains aren't very sharp either.

In contrast, the Great Shun is vibrant, with young talents emerging one after another. In just over a year, people in the River Patrol Office, the Demon-Hunting Division, and the Three Judicial Offices have broken through to Hunting Tiger.

Under Xu Yuelong, there are Ran Zhongshi, Xiang Fang Su, and many others, such as Ke Wenbin and Lu Kaiyun, who are all at the critical threshold.

If the young people aren't good, it's like drawing the firewood from under the cauldron.

As long as the Ghost Mother Sect hides in the Great Marsh and doesn't come out, the Great Shun will remain invincible.

"When are you going to pick up the person?" Xiang Fang Su shook his head: "Two days later. From west to east is downstream, so it will definitely be faster than coming here. Let the Huangzhou Prefectural Judge keep them locked up for two more days. We can save some time to play around, visit Mount Lushan, and tour the Ba River."

The two of them were not panicked at all.

Huangzhou is far from the Jianghuai Great Marsh, and the news is so blocked that the Ghost Mother Sect probably doesn't even know a key figure has been caught.

As long as the Ghost Mother Sect doesn't show up, a state prison is enough to hold Zhao Hongyuan's family.

"Okay, tell me two days before you leave. I'll have the Jiaoren tribe go with you. On the road, relying on the River Patrol Office's flag will make things more convenient."

"Ahem, Ashui, I'm curious, what do Jiaoren women look like? Are they as pretty as Dragon women?"

The next day.

Yang Dongxiong officially came out of seclusion.

He had come out earlier to catch the birthday banquet, but there were still details in the construction of his divine ability that needed polishing, and it was only today that it was completely finished.

A true Perfected Form Jiang Zongshi!

Although they had already celebrated once before, the fellow disciples still couldn't help but feel happy.

Xiang Fang Su and Ke Wenbin also came to offer their congratulations.

Yang Dongxiong is the dual manager of the Demon-Hunting Division and the River Patrol Office.

His strength is strong, so the River Patrol Office has a greater say, and with a greater say, they can get more benefits. It's an honor for everyone!

Not to mention anything else, the grade of good items that can be stored in the treasury can become higher, so there's no need to wait ten days or half a month for future exchanges.

Xu Zishuai looked around. It was rare for everyone to be free and gathered together, so he took the opportunity to suggest visiting Mount Lushan.

After a brief discussion, everyone agreed unanimously.

It's rare to come to Huangzhou and Yunzhou, so you have to taste the local specialties.

"Ashui, prepare the boat to go south quickly!" Xu Zishuai stepped on a stool and gestured grandly, "The Jiang Zongshi's first battle—we're going to occupy Mount Lushan!"

"In the Red Mountain Ridge, the Dragon Crossing the River's long spear is like a dragon, tossing people and horses; the bow in his hand is like a thunderbolt, scaring everyone out of their wits."

On the Ba River, the boatman rowed and sang of Liang Qu's deeds.

Inside the cabin.

Fresh fish soup was steaming, several small dishes were spread out, and the scenery of the river was beautiful.

However, the three men and one woman on the boat were all wrapped in black, their eyes meeting in disbelief.

They had rushed all the way from Jianghuai to Huangzhou and asked a servant of the Xu family about the whereabouts of the Dragon Crossing the River.

Who would have thought that Liang Qu would have come to Mount Lushan in just over a month and made such a big name for himself!

How could a mere Wolf Smoke Martial Artist be so powerful? Could he defeat three Hunting Tigers? Did the Xu family rig the game?" The bearded man frowned.

"Not necessarily. The Xu family is the local power; they're the bookies, so there's no need to do that."

"Who would complain about having too much money?"

"I heard that kid only reached Wolf Smoke this year... Strange. Is he drinking Pulse Marrow Jade Liquid like water?"

Liang Qu's strength is completely inconsistent with the intelligence provided.

Fortunately, it's not too exaggerated.

According to the news, defeating three Hunting Tigers was a combination of one-on-one and a sneak attack.

There were three tigers and one wolf in the arena, and the leader had even condensed two divine ability seeds, so it was considered stable when combined.

"If I had known, I would have asked for more money!"

The middle-aged leader shook his head: "It's too late. Going back and forth will waste at least half a month. The top priority is to find the person first and then think of a way. We aren't assassins; what we want is the news about the White Ape, so we don't necessarily have to fight head-on."

"That's right, we can ask for a higher price after we succeed."

They discussed in low voices.

The boatman at the bow cleared his throat.

"Is there anything else you guests would like to hear?"

"No need, old man, pull over to the shore."

"Alright! Guests, sit tight."