Chapter 104: Establishing the Guard Station

Qinghe Branch Headquarters.

Li Residence.

"The Heaven and Earth turns in sequence, True Qi is hidden in the abdomen."

Li Rui sat cross-legged on a cushion, his palms forming a circle, his five centers facing the sky.

The so-called five centers are the two palms, the two soles of the feet, and the top of the head.

Hands and head are fine, but the soles of the feet facing the sky require some effort.

Put in the past, Li Rui would ask himself if he couldn't do it.

But as a martial artist, his whole body's tendons and bones had long been tempered to perfection, and his flexibility was excellent, so it was naturally easy.

A wisp of Profound Clear Qi wandered around his body again and again.

Thirty-six circuits.

Day after day without stopping, only then can one walk the Qi into form.

"The Nine Profound Spirit Firmament Map is truly mysterious!"

Li Rui felt during this period of cultivation that the Profound Clear Qi was much stronger than before; the hair-thin strands had become as thick as hemp rope, which was already quite considerable.

Before long.

The True Qi would be able to take form in the dantian.

Infinite wonders.

With the increase in reading volume and the refinement of cultivation, his knowledge was far from what it used to be.

The Divine Soldier Talisman mentioned by Han Qin and the others was actually a kind of application of True Qi.

Experts above the Sixth Rank can have their True Qi exist for a very long time after leaving the body.

The so-called Talisman.

Is to inject True Qi into the talisman paper, and when it needs to be used, use special techniques to trigger it, achieving the effect of hurting and killing the enemy.

This kind of thing is common among the elders of some big families, used to give to the younger generation as a life-saving talisman.

Of course, it is rumored that there is a big sect in the Central Plains that is immersed in the way of talismans and has quite a reputation.

Finished practicing.

Li Rui patted his trouser legs, stood up, pushed the door, and walked out.

Noon.

It was the time when the sun was scorching.

"Old Li, we are old, we should still come out often to loosen up, loosen up."

Yang Yong looked at Li Rui, concerned.

In the past, Li Rui would often come out to practice martial arts, and the "Old Man Fist" he hit was deeply in line with Yang Yong's heart.

But somehow.

In recent days, the number of times Li Rui went out had become fewer and fewer.

Getting up later and later, sometimes not seeing a shadow at noon.

And the "Old Man Fist" was no longer practiced.

Yang Yong was not young either, and he knew the condition of the elderly best.

If one doesn't move for a long time, the bones will become weaker and weaker, and falling ill and not being able to get up is common.

If this continues, I'm afraid there won't be a few years left to live.

So he often advised Li Rui to come out and walk around more.

Li Rui smiled faintly: "Don't worry, I know the situation of these old bones."

He understood Yang Yong's intention.

But the gap between martial artists and ordinary people is too big; his current physical condition is far better than even a young man.

Sitting and practicing Qi is a common means for Seventh-Rank martial artists.

It's just that the Seventh Rank is too far from ordinary people, so in the impression of the world, martial artists are all fierce and aggressive.

As the two were talking.

A knock on the door sounded outside the courtyard.

"Master Li."

The two walked toward the courtyard gate.

Yang Yong hurriedly pushed open the door and saw a young disciple standing at the door.

He recognized that this person was a disciple following Hearing Dao Xiong.

"Is Branch Master Dao busy?"

The young man nodded in surprise: "Deputy Branch Master Li, Branch Master Dao has an urgent matter to discuss, please come with me."

"Hmm."

Li Rui nodded.

Since it was Hearing Dao Xiong's request, it was generally better not to refuse.

Before long.

He followed the young disciple to the front of the Gathering Hall.

The Gathering Hall was not a hall, but the place where the Qinghe branch headquarters discussed matters.

When Li Rui walked in, he discovered that besides Hearing Dao Xiong, Ge Hong, Zhang Yang, and Zhou Rui, all the deputy branch masters were present. "What a big battle."

Li Rui thought to himself, sitting in the empty seat on Zhang Yang's left hand without a trace.

Zhang Yang turned his head.

With his back to Hearing Dao Xiong, he gave Li Rui a wink.

Li Rui understood in seconds.

Zhang Yang wanted to ask what had happened.

He shrugged, indicating he didn't know either.

Hearing Dao Xiong saw that all four were present, so he coughed lightly: "Just received news from the main headquarters that the Annan Army is going to set up a guard station in our Qinghe."

Guard station!

The eyebrows of Li Rui and the four others twitched in unison.

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Annan Army.

This is an incredible existence; Annan Army is a folk name, a collective term for the troops under the Annan Town.

The Annan General is a third-rank official.

His status is extraordinary.

He holds a full twenty thousand troops in his hands.

Annan Town has a total of seventeen guards.

Qinghe happens to be in the middle of two guards, so it has been a no-man's land for many years.

Never expected that now it would be set up as a separate guard station.

Hearing Dao Xiong laughed: "The imperial court is strictly cracking down on the Ghost Ming Sect, so they want to set up the guard station in our Qinghe."

Zhang Yang and the others' eyes lit up instantly.

This is a great thing.

Setting up a guard station is not always set up in the prefecture; sometimes, out of strategic considerations, it will also be set up in some big counties.

Every county with a guard station will see its status soar.

Some can even sit on equal footing with the prefecture.

Just because the guard station is set up in the city, the standing troops alone number more than a thousand, which will definitely drive the local economic development.

Besides that, the imperial court will also have a lot of care.

It often attracts Jianghu experts to seek opportunities in the city.

If they can be favored by the big officials of the Annan Army and take this opportunity to get an official position, that is a good opportunity to fly high.

The Annan Army is not the bitter border army like the Gufeng Army.

Most of the time, they don't need to fight to the death, which is a real fat job.

Qinghe City's status has risen, and the Qinghe branch headquarters will naturally rise with the tide, and the status of these branch masters and deputy branch masters will also be half a level higher than other branch headquarters.

Not to mention a pile of invisible benefits like expanding the city and dividing the land.

Zhang Yang and the others were all laughing from ear to ear.

"I don't know who the new Assistant Regional Commander is; I have to find a way to inquire."

Zhang Yang rubbed his hands.

He was already calculating how to befriend the Assistant Regional Commander.

The Assistant Regional Commander is the biggest official in a guard station; in terms of rank, he is the same as the Prefect, both are fifth-rank, and the Garrison Commanders below are sixth-rank, a whole level bigger than the County Magistrate.

If you can climb such a high branch, you can walk sideways not only in Qinghe.

But in the entire Anning Prefecture.

In the past, of course, there was no such opportunity; even if you wanted to send gifts, others wouldn't open this door for you.

The near water tower gets the moon first.

That Assistant Regional Commander came to Qinghe in person; in his own territory, he naturally wants to see the local snakes.

Isn't the opportunity here?

Setting up a guard station is a huge project.

Just waiting for the Ministry of War's approval takes a long time, not to mention building offices, barracks, and other matters.

It won't be done in two or three months.

The days are still the same.

Li Rui flips through books as usual, practices martial arts as usual, and is not affected at all.

A few days later, just as he was practicing martial arts.

A sound of gongs and drums suddenly sounded outside the door, very festive.

"It's still a few months before the New Year, why are there firecrackers?"

Just as he was thinking.

He heard someone knocking on the door.

Pushing open the door.

He saw a plaque half a person high, with the words "Righteousness and Bravery" written in a dragon-flying and phoenix-dancing style.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 105 =====

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