Chapter 210: The Hidden Mastermind, the Reincarnation Tower

Song Dian took a deep breath.

"About four months ago, a group calling themselves the Reincarnation Tower found me."

"They told me that in the coming months Cloud Prefecture would suffer a heavenly disaster, and I should purchase as much grain as possible."

"At first I didn't believe it, but later I heard that the neighboring Zhao and Zhang families were also buying up grain, and Cloud Prefecture hadn't seen rain for nearly a month."

"So I believed them and sent people to purchase large amounts of grain."

"After that, I heard that the grain in several surrounding prefectures was also being bought up in large quantities."

Shen Qing narrowed his eyes; this speech had already revealed much information—first, we learned the mastermind behind the scenes is called the Reincarnation Tower, though we won't discuss what exactly this organization is for now.

Yet the Reincarnation Tower knows about the heavenly disaster but doesn't hoard grain itself? At this point, hoarding grain could easily be sold for astronomical prices.

This shows the Reincarnation Tower isn't here for money; it's very likely they want to create a grain shortage in Cloud Prefecture.

The fact that grain in other prefectures is also being purchased confirms Shen Qing's suspicion.

With several surrounding prefectures out of grain, disaster relief would have to bring grain from farther away—but what about this gap in supply? That would inevitably lead to many people starving to death.

Shen Qing felt that this was the purpose of the Reincarnation Tower.

The scholar approached, holding a ledger: "Boss, before I came I looked up the prominent families of Cloud Prefecture."

"The Zhao and Zhang families that Song Dian just mentioned, plus their own Song family, have always had a bad reputation in Cloud Prefecture—in other words, they lack morality."

Zhou He snorted: "If they had morality, the Reincarnation Tower wouldn't have approached them; those with morals would likely have opened their granaries to relieve the famine."

The Reincarnation Tower wants exactly this effect—if they don't open their granaries to relieve the famine, more people will die.

Upon hearing this, Song Wen lowered his head directly.

Shen Qing spoke: "So, do you know what kind of power the Reincarnation Tower is?"

Song Dian shook his head: "It's always the Reincarnation Tower that contacts me; I can't find them."

"Do you still remember any distinguishing features of him?"

Song Dian shook his head: "He always appears wearing a black robe, a black mask, and even his hands are never exposed..."

Suddenly, Song Dian thought of something.

"I remember now—that person is left‑handed; he always uses his left hand to hold things."

Shen Qing nodded; although there are many left‑handed martial artists at the Golden Core level in Cloud Prefecture, having some information is better than none.

"Then how many times has the Reincarnation Tower contacted you?"

"Two times."

"Once was to tell me to purchase grain; the other was yesterday, when he said the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the chief of the Six Gates were seriously injured and thus unable to attend to us."

Shen Qing narrowed his eyes; the Reincarnation Tower dares to seriously injure even the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the chief of the Six Gates?

The point is they also have the ability to seriously injure both of them.

Normally the chief of the Six Gates cultivates at the sixth level of Golden Core or higher, while the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is usually at the seventh level of Golden Core or above.

Shen Qing nodded: "Then do you know anything else?"

Song Dian shook his head, looking pleadingly at Shen Qing: "Lord Shen, I truly don't know anything else."

"I've told you everything I know; Lord Shen, you must keep your word and spare the Song family."

Song Wen also spoke up at once: "I'll immediately arrange people to open the granaries and relieve the famine."

Shen Qing chuckled: "When did I say I would let you off?"

Song Wen's voice trembled: "Just just now..."

But gradually, Song Wen's voice grew softer and softer.

Shen Qing looked at Song Wen: "Did you remember? Just now you were talking to yourselves; I never said I would spare you."

"In the past I was too lazy to investigate, but over these three months of famine, what the Song family has done is enough to warrant extermination of the clan."

Song Wen crawled toward Shen Qing on his knees: "Lord Shen, Lord Shen, I will reform; please, please give me a chance..."

At that moment, a cold, angry shout rang out: "Lord Shen! Can I count on you when we strike?"

It was the Carefree Wanderer Lu Cang.

Just now, when entering the Song manor, Ma Qing and Lu Cang had already sneaked in from the rear.

Lu Cang walked over, his whole body stained with blood; it was obvious he had already killed someone in the rear.

Close behind Lu Cang were dozens of emaciated women, their faces pallid, with the marks of shackles still visible on their wrists and ankles.

Lu Cang shouted angrily: "Lord Shen, these women were all seized and imprisoned by the Song family using grain as leverage."

Moreover, this is only part of them—some have already been tortured to death by the Song family!

He, Lu Cang, wanders the great martial world, a lifelong romantic who loves women most and despises those who bully women the most.

Shen Qing looked at Song Wen: "Oh, Song Wen, do you have anything else you want to say?"

Song Wen's lips twitched, but he uttered no words.

Shen Qing rose to his feet and waved his hand.

Let's move.

The Song family, top to bottom—not a single one left!

As soon as the words fell, the Black Dog made the first move—since Shen Qing had used the Moving Flowers and Joining Trees Grand Technique to raise his cultivation to the Grandmaster realm, he finally had a chance to act.

A single blade flashed out; heads flew and blood spattered.

The second to strike was Lu Cang, the Carefree Wanderer, whose cultivation had reached the sixth level of Golden Core; his black long blade flashed, tracing three black arcs in the air, and several heads flew up inside the room.

Seeing this, Song Wen panicked and tried to rise to stop them, but Shen Qing slapped him on the shoulder with a crack; the bones of half his body were completely shattered.

Shen Qing's voice sounded in his ear.

Don't rush; just watch like this. Your Song family enjoys torturing people, doesn't it? Take a good look at how your relatives are dying one by one.

For the time it takes to burn an incense stick, slaughter and bloodshed continued in every corner of the Song manor.

At first there were nonstop wails; later, the voice grew fainter and fainter.

Suddenly, two people scaled the wall outside the Song residence.

They were the Pacification Envoy and two Captains of the Auspicious Virtue City Embroidered Uniform Guard.

They saw the dark clouds above the Song residence and immediately rushed over; upon seeing the ground covered with Song corpses, they each swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Just then, Shen Qing had just finished dealing with Song Wen and Song Dian as they came out of the house.

"You came just in time; hurry and call your men over to haul the grain."

The Pacification Envoy and the two Captains were stunned.

One Captain tentatively spoke: "Is... is it Lord Shen?"

Others may not know, but as far as the Embroidered Uniform Guard is concerned, while there might be those in the Great Martial Embroidered Uniform Guard who don't know the empress, there is absolutely no one who doesn't know Shen Qing.

Shen Qing's portrait had already spread throughout the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Shen Qing waved his hand: "Hurry up."

"At that time, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will keep a portion, and the rest will be divided up in the city."

Having received this affirmative reply, the three immediately dropped to one knee.

"I, your humble servant, accept the order!"

Immediately afterward, the three swiftly scaled the city wall and sprinted madly toward the Pacification Envoy's office.

One Captain, face full of excitement, exclaimed: "It's actually Lord Shen! Lord Shen has come to our Cloud Prefecture?"

"Great! It's Lord Shen! We're saved!"

The other Captain said: "It's really just as the rumors say—he speaks little and is overbearing!"

The Pacification Envoy shouted back: "Enough, stop talking, hurry up and run! We haven't even formally paid our respects to Lord Shen yet!"

"We'll have to make it up later when we go back."

Not long after, they returned with a large force, but by then the Song residence had already lost any trace of Shen Qing.

Among the clouds, Shen Qing gazed toward Lu Cang.

"Lu Cang, with this matter settled, would you like to come serve under me?"

Lu Cang placed his blood‑stained long blade on his shoulder and laughed heartily: "Lord Shen, better not."

"The martial world is like a journey against the wind; I am rootless duckweed, going wherever the wind blows."

"I'm used to being carefree; I'd rather not stir up trouble under your command, Lord Shen."

Shen Qing waved his hand: "Then do as you wish."

This person suits Shen Qing's taste, but it doesn't matter if he doesn't come.

Shen Qing continued toward Purple Cloud City, the provincial capital of Cloud Prefecture in the south.