Chapter 62: Is There Any Need for Salvation?

"My Lord, we have entered the territory of Sanshui County. Estimating another half-day's journey, we should be able to reach the county seat!"

"Good, then let's pick up the pace, otherwise Mr. Chen really will be hopping mad!" With a light smile, Shen Yu then took Zhou Yuan and flashed away. Behind him lay a raging inferno and mountain bandits sprawled all over the ground.

Fresh blood had long since stained this mountain stronghold, built in a perilous location, red; the crimson flowing across the ground appeared even more jarring under the firelight.

Ever since receiving the transfer order, Shen Yu had ignored Mr. Chen's repeated urgings, choosing instead to first settle the refugees from various places and finish handling the matters at hand before setting off.

Shen Yu had always felt that it was best to see things through to the end; besides, he could not entirely pin his hopes on his successor. Who knew what kind of character the County Magistrate coming to replace him would have? It was better to resolve everything before he left.

This was also the one thing Shen Yu felt he had done most correctly; even now, he could still remember the scene of the masses seeing him off on the day he left. Countless people had swarmed over upon hearing the news, almost blocking the roads, a sight that made Mr. Chen, standing to the side, incredibly envious. To be an official to such a degree—that was a life without regrets.

In his youth, he too had dreamed that one day he would have such glory, but unfortunately, due to a twist of fate, he ended up becoming someone else's advisor. That dream of the past could only be buried deep in his heart in the end.

On this journey after leaving, Shen Yu had not been traveling properly at all; instead, he spent his time inquiring about any heinous bandits in the vicinity and then unceremoniously harvesting a wave of them.

Therefore, in Mr. Chen's original plan, the thousands of miles from Baian County to Sanshui County should have taken about ten days or so if one traveled at full speed. But now, Shen Yu had spent over a month walking this very journey.

He himself was satisfied, but he had made Mr. Chen anxious to the point of desperation. The old gentleman was famous for his impatient temper, asking him every few days where Shen Yu was, but the key was that even he didn't know where Shen Yu was; this kid hadn't followed the normal route at all.

Moreover, Shen Yu was someone he had recommended to the old gentleman; while in Baian County, he could be completely called a capable official. Especially that scene of the masses seeing him off, which left a deep impression on Mr. Chen, so after returning, he had praised him again and again.

But who could have guessed that Shen Yu would let himself go the moment he left Baian County? A ten-day journey had dragged on for over a month and he still hadn't arrived; the old gentleman's spit was almost spraying onto his own face—could he be any more unreliable?

However, what Mr. Chen did not know was that Shen Yu had not been idle at all during this time. He kept wiping out bandits and kept checking in everywhere. These heinous bandits along the way were the best stepping stones for him to improve himself.

Tell me, could he be blamed for moving slowly? Sanshui County was filled with gangs and numerous experts; with his strength, it was not enough to completely suppress the scene. And the so-called full support in Mr. Chen's words was just giving him some detailed intelligence on Sanshui County.

This intelligence indeed provided him with great convenience, covering the personnel of various factions, the distribution of forces, and so on. But it only kept him from being completely in the dark; other than this intelligence, there was only the additional moral support gifted by Mr. Chen.

As for actual, visible support, apologies, the imperial court needed manpower everywhere right now. Especially experts, most of whom were stationed in one region and could not be mobilized at will.

To put it bluntly, the only one truly fighting for his life was himself. So Shen Yu could only take action himself; only then could he be well-fed and clothed. If he could just slack off and drift through life every day, who would be bored enough to go around hacking people and checking in? Was it easy for him!

Fortunately, his gains during this period were quite good; not only did he harvest the Sky Frost Fist and Lingbo Microsteps, but he also got his hands on a Peacock Plume, and his internal energy had reached the realm of Innate Perfection under the constant reinforcement of checking in, his strength rising to a higher level than before.

Besides this, he also obtained Advanced Zither Arts and Advanced Gambling Arts through checking in. Oh right, there was also a book of Three Hundred Tang and Song Poems. He had no idea how this thing managed to get mixed into the check-in rewards.

"System, check in!" While speeding toward the direction of Sanshui County, Shen Yu communicated with the system, deciding to claim the reward for the stronghold he had just worked hard to wipe out first.

"Check-in successful, obtained Basic Mechanism Arts!"

"Great, more useless stuff!" A lot of knowledge regarding Mechanisms and the like appeared in his mind, but Shen Yu didn't pay much attention to it; these flashy things couldn't be cashed in immediately. What he needed now were things that could immediately enhance his strength, even if it were just a Rain of Pears Blossom Needle.

Taking Zhou Yuan along at high speed, Shen Yu successfully entered the county seat near noon. But not long after entering, he seemed to hear an urgent cry for help, and the sound was getting closer; a moment later, a disheveled figure appeared in his line of sight.

"Help, help!"

And behind the young girl, several people were in hot pursuit, catching up to the already exhausted girl in almost an instant. These few people had fierce expressions; one look and they didn't look like good people.

"Run, why aren't you running anymore? Keep running! Slap!" Blocking the girl, the leading burly man gave the other party a fierce slap on the face; in an instant, the girl's face was already red and swollen.

"Stop!" Before Shen Yu could even open his mouth, the sense of justice in Zhou Yuan beside him had already exploded, followed by a loud shout: "In broad daylight, you actually dare to bully a weak girl; is there no rule of law in your eyes?"

"Big Brother, you stole my line!"

"Fen Shui Gang is working, be sensible and give me..." The arrogant words were only half-spoken when Zhou Yuan's fist had already landed, hitting the other party dizzy with a single punch, almost unable to get back up.

Where did this bastard come from, not following the rules of martial arts? You should at least wait for me to finish speaking before hitting. Even if you're going to hit, hit the face!

"Brothers, beat them up, let them know the power of our Fen Shui Gang!"

"Hmph, overestimating yourselves!" With a light snort, Zhou Yuan rose and stepped forward, throwing several punches in succession, almost every one landing solidly. Although these few people had some martial arts, they were just amateurish; in front of Zhou Yuan, they weren't enough to look at. After just three punches and two kicks, they were already sprawled all over the ground.

"Miss, are you alright? Why were they trying to catch you?"

"I'm fine, thank you, benefactor. I was snatched by them!" Seeming to have just survived a disaster, the young girl was still a bit nervous, saying tremblingly, "They built a manor in the city, and inside are countless girls who were tricked and abducted by them; I am one who escaped from there!"

"Oh? This..." Looking back at Shen Yu, they had only just arrived in Sanshui County, and it seemed they had already encountered an extraordinary matter. And Shen Yu, standing to the side, nodded at him.

Having cooperated for so long, Zhou Yuan immediately understood what he meant, and then immediately said righteously, "Miss, where is the place you mentioned? We will go and rescue the people right now!"

And just at this moment, a patrol of Constables seemed to have sensed something wrong here and ran over quickly. Judging by these people's attire, they should be Constables of Sanshui County, and the leader was a Head Constable.

"What happened?"

"Your Excellency should be the Head Constable of Sanshui County, right!" Cupping his hands at the other party, Zhou Yuan then pointed at the people sprawled on the ground and said, "These people claim to be members of the Fen Shui Gang; they forcibly abducted innocent women and imprisoned them in a manor. Please, Head Constable, join us in wiping this place out!"

"Is that so?" The leading Head Constable looked at the scholar-dressed Shen Yu, then looked at Zhou Yuan. A weak scholar, and the burly one next to him should be his Huwe. What is up with scholars these days, why do they dare to wade into any muddy water!

"This hero, come over here, this Head Constable has something to say!"

"What is it?" Walking forward, Zhou Yuan had no defenses, waiting to hear what the other party had to say, when the leading Head Constable suddenly attacked, chopping a palm onto the back of Zhou Yuan's neck. Before Zhou Yuan could even react, he fell straight down, not even knowing what had happened in the end.

Is this how people in Sanshui County greet each other?

Afterward, this Head Constable then used the fastest speed to chop a palm toward Shen Yu's neck. This left Shen Yu very conflicted: should I fall down, or should I not fall down?

In an instant, Shen Yu made a decision and fell down crookedly; he wanted to see what these people were actually trying to do.

"Many thanks, Head Constable Lu!" The few burly men who had been soundly beaten by Zhou Yuan earlier now climbed up while supporting each other, revealing fawning expressions, and then sheepishly took out a small money bag and handed it over.

"A small token of appreciation, please do not take offense, Head Constable Lu!"

"En!" Nodding quite satisfactorily, Head Constable Lu then said coldly, "The new County Magistrate is about to arrive, everyone pay attention, don't cause trouble for me!"

"Certainly, certainly, we won't make things difficult for Head Constable Lu!"

And at this moment, Shen Yu, who was feigning unconsciousness, couldn't help but slightly furrow his brows: "Even the Head Constable of the County Government Office is in cahoots with these people; is there any need to save the people of this Sanshui County Government Office? I'm afraid I'll have my hands full this time!"