Chapter 81: I still prefer your arrogant, unruly look from just now

Ancient Well Town.

Because of Shen Qing's slaughter, these Blood Cultivators desperately dug into the ground.

Yet slaughter blades still awaited them on the surface, as hundreds of Embroidered Uniform Guards and Golden Warrior Guards went on a frenzied killing spree.

In just a little over half an hour, the Blood Cultivators at the front dwindled.

Jiang Ruohai glanced at his feet: "I don't even know what's happening down there."

"Let me go! I said I was kidnapped by these Blood Cultivators! Let me go!"

A shout fell into Jiang Ruohai's ears, sounding somewhat familiar; he turned his head.

He saw a middle-aged man in purple robes being hauled over by Zhang Sheng as if carrying a chick.

"What's going on?"

"Colonel, we've caught a strange person who claims he was kidnapped by Blood Cultivators!"

The purple-clad man lifted his head, looked at Jiang Ruohai, and a flicker of joy crossed his eyes: "Jiang Colonel! Jiang Colonel! It's me! I'm Peng Mei! We met last year in Luoshui City!"

Jiang Ruohai also recalled something: "You're the grandson of Commandant Peng, right?"

Peng Mei nodded vigorously: "Exactly, exactly, exactly!"

He then turned to Zhang Sheng: "Did you hear that? Hurry up and let me go!"

Zhang Sheng said nothing and did not loosen his grip, because Jiang Ruohai had not spoken to release anyone.

Peng Mei turned his gaze back to Jiang Ruohai: "Jiang Colonel! I was kidnapped, please let me go; I was seized by these Blood Cultivators a few days ago, and my family must be worried sick."

Jiang Ruohai thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Peng Mei, you'd better wait a bit; my word isn't final—wait for Commandant Shen to come out first; things should be wrapping up down there soon."

Jiang Ruohai faintly sensed something off, feeling that Peng Mei was suspicious; if Peng Mei were truly involved in this and he let him go...

... then, according to Shen Qing's nature...

... he would surely be planted upside-down in the ground by Shen Qing like a ginseng root.

Peng Mei's eyes flashed with fear; having just caught a distant glimpse of Shen Qing underground, he seemed like a man-shaped ferocious beast—each swing turned Blood Cultivators to flying ash.

If softness won't work, then only force will do.

He let out a low shout: "Jiang Ruohai! Do you know who I am? My grandfather is Peng Guang, the former Commandant! Do you know his influence in this region!"

"I said I was kidnapped by Blood Cultivators—is this how you treat victims? Believe it or not, my grandfather will make you regret it!"

Jiang Ruohai couldn't help but laugh; this was practically a self-incrimination.

All the more reason not to let you go.

Just then, a tremendous boom came from the direction of Ancient Well Lake; a violent air blast erupted, and a massive whirlpool appeared at the lake's center.

The next moment, a red-clad figure leapt from the lake and shot straight up.

Naturally it was Shen Qing; after slaying the Withered Glory Old Devil, returning the same way would be impossible—detouring would be a hassle.

Besides, Shen Qing, having received higher education, knows the straight line between two points is the shortest.

So Shen Qing unleashed a Mountain-Splitting Fist that blasted the ceiling apart.

Shen Qing landed steadily; before anyone could see clearly, he tossed a round object at Black Dog's feet.

"This is the head of the Withered Glory Old Devil; he confessed—he's the one who did what happened to your village thirty years ago."

"He died in agony; I didn't let him die comfortably."

Black Dog looked at the Withered Glory Old Devil's skull on the ground, felt his body go weak, stumbled back two steps, fell straight onto his rear, and burst into tears, wailing uncontrollably.

Shen Qing summoned the White Tiger, took the Commandant's cloak from its back, draped it over Black Dog, and patted his shoulder.

Jiang Ruohai hurried forward: "Commandant Shen, is this settled?"

Jiang Ruohai could hardly believe it—a Blood Cultivator on the verge of breaking through to the Grand Master Realm had been disposed of just like that.

He had long heard of Shen Qing's feat of killing Liu Chong with two blades, but that had been only on paper, nowhere near as shocking as witnessing it today.

Shen Qing nodded, pointed at Peng Mei in Zhang Sheng's hand, and asked, "Who is that?"

"Peng Mei, he's the grandson of former Commandant Peng Guang; he claims he was kidnapped by Blood Cultivators, keeps demanding to leave, and I sensed something off, so I didn't let him go."

Shen Qing laughed: "Well done!"

Shen Qing waved his hand; Zhang Sheng immediately hurled Peng Mei before Shen Qing, and Peng Mei knelt down, not daring to lift his head.

"Commandant... Commandant Shen, I am the grandson of former Commandant Peng Guang... reckoning it this way, we still have some affinity."

"I was kidnapped by those Blood Cultivators."

Shen Qing chuckled: "Kidnapped? Not likely."

"What I've heard isn't like that; you came to buy blood to prolong your grandfather's life, didn't you!"

As soon as those words were spoken, everyone around stared at each other, pricking up their ears—today they seemed about to hear some major scandal.

Peng Mei's body trembled, he lowered his head further: "Commandant Shen, what did you say? I... I don't understand."

Shen Qing crouched, pinched Peng Mei's cheek, and said, "How could you not understand? Weren't you born thirty years ago? Didn't your grandfather buy blood once before?"

"This time, you didn't come to negotiate with that old devil for buying blood with a hundred thousand taels of silver, did you?"

"Lying? I really dislike that!"

Having said that, Shen Qing's fingers clenched with force, tearing Peng Mei's mouth apart and ripping off a piece of flesh.

Peng Mei writhed in agony on the ground, his eyes filled with resentment.

"What arrogance do you have toward me! Dare you go find my grandfather? He's in Yongning Prefecture—do you know his standing in Qingzhou!"

"He's right on Red River Mountain—do you dare go there!"

Shen Qing snorted, rose, and glanced at the surrounding Embroidered Uniform Guards.

"He asks if I dare—do you dare?"

The Embroidered Uniform Guards around hesitated not at all, shouting.

"With the commander's order, we dare do anything!"

Good! Everyone mount up! Depart immediately!

Shen Qing leapt onto the White Tiger, took out a token from his bosom and threw it to Jiang Ruohai.

Jiang Lieutenant General, take this token back to the camp and give it to your general, tell him that within half a day I want to see him at the west gate of Luoshui City.

Jiang Ruohai took the token, although shocked, still somewhat doubtful: 'This, really works?'

Seeing the token, he will come.

The Golden Warrior Guard is stationed at the camp.

General Huo Zheng was drinking with General Cao Shen of the Majestic Martial Army.

At this moment, Jiang Ruohai hurriedly entered the tent.

Greetings, General Huo.

Huo Zheng was somewhat displeased: 'Jiang Ruohai, are you being too rude, entering without a greeting?'

Jiang Ruohai's face turned bitter; having just been thinking over Shen Qing's words, he didn't notice and walked in.

At that moment, Cao Shen beside him spoke: 'Ah, Jiang Lieutenant General is not someone without propriety; he must have an urgent matter.'

Huo Zheng snorted: 'Speak, is there an urgent matter?'

Jiang Ruohai gave Cao Shen a grateful glance, then spoke and explained the matter in full.

Huo Zheng slammed the table: 'A newly appointed commandant, without an imperial edict, wants to mobilize me, a third-rank Golden Warrior Guard general? He sure has a big air!'

Cao Shen laughed heartily: 'The Embroidered Uniform Guard naturally has some airs; in a few days they'll see the truth.'

Jiang Ruohai realized: 'Oh, right! He said that if you take out the token and the general sees it, he will come; shall we first look at the token?'

Huo Zheng snorted: 'What's there to look at in a commandant's token? Jiang Ruohai, I'm not saying this to you, but you're getting more and more clueless!'

Jiang Ruohai took out the token from his bosom and muttered: 'I was just saying, how could a token have such great power?'

But Jiang Ruohai didn't notice; the air in the room had gone silent, and then Huo Zheng's trembling voice reached his ears.

Ji... Jiang Lieutenant General, you... you... this... this token, where did it come from?

It's that commandant Shen who gave it to me.

Jiang Ruohai raised his head, only to see that Huo Zheng's hand holding the wine cup was constantly trembling, wine spilling continuously onto the floor; to the unaware, it looked like he'd had a stroke.

Cao Shen on the other side wasn't much better, his facial muscles twitching so badly they were about to cramp.

That Jiang Lieutenant General, what's the commandant's name?

Shen Qing! Wasn't it you, General, who sent me to deliver the official seal and uniform?

Huo Zheng shuddered, and the wine cup fell directly to the ground.

He strained to turn his head toward Cao Shen: 'General Cao, I didn't say anything out of line just now, did I?'

Cao Shen swallowed a mouthful of saliva: 'What should be said and what shouldn't, we seem to have said it all.'

Or... or perhaps we should pretend we never said that just now?

Huo Zheng stiffly nodded.

Jiang Ruohai lowered his head to look at the golden token engraved with the character 'Shen' in his hand.

He felt amazed; this thing really is that useful!!

Those generals who used to be arrogant as heaven are now like this—how satisfying!

At this moment he really wanted to lean close to the two generals' ears and say a sentence.

I still prefer your earlier unrestrained and unruly appearance!