Chapter 870: Current Affairs (Supplementary update for 13,600 monthly votes from the month before last)

An inn.

Yang Fei found an "Xie Family Old Inn" to stay at; this old inn was said to have been open for a hundred years, never having had a single oversight, and enjoyed a very good reputation in this area.

He paid the money and returned to his room, where a waiter diligently brought him water to wash his feet; after scalding his feet, he felt the fatigue of the journey dissipate entirely.

"I hear that the families of high officials and nobles use boilers developed by the Taishang Dao Academy to heat water, which can be used at will for twelve hours a day; this is truly extravagant."

Yang Fei sighed, and after washing up and changing into the cloth shoes with thousand-layer soles sent by the innkeeper, he went to the front hall to eat.

Business at the Xie Family Old Inn was quite good, especially for a dish of drunken fish, which many guests liked to order.

Three days later.

"Audacious! How dare you insult our Taishang Dao founder?"

In an instant, the inn fell into chaos.

Yang Fei saw that Zhang Han looked pale, merely muttering: "It wasn't me, I didn't want to... no, no, I am a Taishang Dao disciple, recorded in the Daoist register, I must see the Daoist Official, the deacon... you cannot arrest me..."

At this moment, the door to the secret chamber opened again, and two people walked in.

"Is there no heavenly principle left? Is there no royal law? Can the Taishang Dao simply stand above the national law?"

Bang!

Not only did he reprimand them with his mouth, he stepped forward directly and overturned the table of a group of drinkers.

Suddenly, a crisp sound was heard.

Abruptly, although Yang Fei saw the intention of Ouyang Zhi's invitation, he did not agree, and instead, a section of the Liang Law he had memorized surfaced in his mind.

Feeling depressed in his heart, he went out to clear his mind.

It was just that many people felt it was bad luck and moved out of the Xie Family Old Inn overnight, leaving the innkeeper with a sorrowful face.

Bai Xin said indignantly: "Isn't that so... many people saw it; it's pitiful that the deceased left behind an orphan and a widow, wearing hempen mourning clothes and beating the drum to cry out for justice, but the yamen simply ignores them."

A wild scholar opened his collar, letting the wine slide all the way down his chin and neck to his chest.

At this time, several students nearby were competing in their drinking capacity; once people drank too much, they liked to say whatever came to mind.

Si Yunming looked at Taihe: "Can the Divine Fire Army still be used?"

It had only been twenty years since the world was in chaos, and the older generation still had a deep impression of it.

Si Yunming and Zheng Fang were both present, but they already showed signs of old age.

"Bah... I tell you, although most of this world was conquered by the State Preceptor, the tea cools when people leave... in my opinion, this State Preceptor might be in for big trouble!"

He had warmed up his books in his room for half a day and done several sets of practice problems, but he got quite a few wrong.

"Didn't others say it themselves? The person is recorded in the Daoist register; if they commit a crime, only the Taishang Dao can manage them. Others have no way to manage them!"

After some polite exchanges, he learned that these two people were named Bai Xin and Ouyang Zhi, both students who had come to take the civil service examination.

"This was already within our expectations; wanting to eliminate this national thief is bound to be complicated, so we must prepare for the worst."

'Liang Law, Criminal Law Chapter, Article 326...'

"This..."

"I said it, so what will you do?"

"Go quickly and notify the yamen runners!"

Yang Fei also hurriedly dodged.

Zhang Han saw this scene and suddenly became stunned as well, standing there motionless, like a wooden chicken.

Besides this, there were several merchants and several citizens who couldn't help but take a sip of wine and say: "Peace is still better..."

The wild scholar opposite had drunk too much wine, and his anger surged: "You dare to overturn my table? Grandpa will slaughter you!"

Yang Fei had originally wanted to move out, but his travel funds were not quite enough, and the environment of this place was indeed good, so he stayed.

The two took off their cloaks, and they were none other than Taichong and Taihe!

Daoist Taichong waved his hand: "That person has many eyes and ears, and one must be especially careful of beasts... Fortunately, this time the Buddha and Daoist schools have joined forces to set up a barrier, so not even a mosquito can fly in... I went to probe this time, and the old guy is still as unfathomable as before."

"This younger brother still needs to study at home, so please forgive me for not being able to comply."

The wild scholar fell to the ground, and a pool of blood slowly seeped out from his hair.

"Impossible, this is the feet of the Son of Heaven, no, the Human Emperor; even if it were a royal relative, killing someone would still cause a lot of trouble. What background does that Zhang Han have?"

Yang Fei watched the two people talking, and upon hearing something he was concerned about, he couldn't help but step forward to strike up a conversation.

"Hmph! I didn't expect you to be this kind of person!" Ouyang Zhi flicked his sleeves and left: "We scholars always have those who do not fear power; I will definitely collect ten thousand signatures to petition His Majesty to expel the Daoists!"

Bang!

The two groups of people wrestled together, making the drinkers scramble to avoid them.

"Someone was killed?"

Yang Fei actually didn't understand why there were still frequent 'bandit rebellions' in the north; although most were immediately suppressed, it still felt very incredible.

"Sigh, who told them to have the State Preceptor backing them... It is said that even His Majesty dares not argue with the State Preceptor."

Now the country is prosperous and the people are at peace, and the hearts of the people are settled; this is the blessing of the nation!

Watching the two leave, Yang Fei breathed deeply, only feeling a huge storm brewing and looming over Jinshi City...

Ouyang Zhi's face was flushed: "In broad daylight, under the bright sky... how can we allow the Daoists to be so presumptuous?! I have already contacted many classmates to go to the Taishang Dao Academy together; we must make the Dean give an explanation!"

"The State Preceptor is an immortal descended to earth; perhaps he is retiring after achieving success?" Another person expressed a different opinion.

A secret chamber.

Yang Fei took a look and found that many people were probably students like himself, who had come to take the civil service examination.

The innkeeper gathered his courage to go over and check, then felt the breathing and pulse, and suddenly his eyelids jumped: "Bad, there's no breath!"

He gulped down a bowl of wine and then said: "This time, His Majesty the Emperor discussed the Merit Pavilion, and there was actually no position for the State Preceptor... can you still not understand? The State Preceptor has lost power."

A man stood up: "I, Zhang Han, am also an Imperial Academy Student, and even more so a disciple of the Supreme Taoism!"

"In my view, that demonic Taoist will likely have to take a trip to the execution grounds at Caishikou in the future."

It turned out that the Supreme Taoism disciple Zhang Han had picked up a wine jar and smashed it against the back of the mad scholar's head.

Speaking until the end, even he could not help but ask: "That Zhang Han, has he really been released?"

The waiter and the shopkeeper wore bitter smiles, waving their hands frantically in an attempt to mediate, but how could they possibly persuade them?

At this moment, one person was heard saying: "What? That Taoist disciple killed someone, and he has actually already been released?"

Seeing these two people, they revealed expressions of no surprise: "You have come!"

The events of this day soon calmed down; the yamen runners came over, took Zhang Han away, and then the mad scholar's family also came to collect the corpse.

"The son of my uncle's family works in the Divine Fire Army, how could I not understand?"

"Although the Divine Fire Army has been reorganized, who knows how many of Tang Pavilion Elder's, or even the Dao Lord's people are inside..." Taihe shook his head: "This is actually a front, it cannot be used... Hasn't our side long been secretly training a Marine Corps? The Divine Fire Musket equipped there is the truly finest product. You all, however, have been causing quite a lot of trouble lately..."

"That wasn't us, it was all those poor, sour scholars... In reality, it doesn't have much significance, it's just a smokescreen..."

(End of this chapter)