Chapter 108: Gloomy Shadows Emerging·Iron Crow Clues

The newly established administrative system is like a tightly wound spring mechanism.

It began to slowly and steadily drive the revival of Riverside County.

The dikes have closed, and spring plowing is imminent.

The tax reduction orders were implemented level by level, and the streets gradually heard the sporadic cries of vendors.

Everything seemed to be developing in a good direction.

Chen Wen's Fortune Momentum vortex in his sea of consciousness became even more solid and heavy, indicating that the foundation of this place was gradually stabilizing.

However, those few letters, vague in wording, retrieved from the hidden compartment in Zhou Tao's study.

It has always been like a fine thorn, pricking Chen Wen's heart.

"Goods from the north," "scheduled delivery," "the old place"……these fragmentary phrases.

It vaguely matched the clues Qian Gui had previously mentioned about the Iron Crow Army possibly using this place as a secret passage.

It prevented him from fully immersing himself in the joy of initial success.

This afternoon, Chen Wen was listening to Zhang Cheng and Wang Ru's report on the progress of spring plowing seed allocation and household registration reorganization in the second hall of the county office.

Qian Gui appeared silently at the door, his face bearing an irrepressible mix of gravity and excitement.

He held a scroll wrapped in oilcloth, as well as several sheets of paper filled with tiny script.

Seeing his expression, Chen Wen knew there must be important business.

He then said to Zhang Cheng and Wang Ru:

"For the spring plowing and household registration matters, proceed as just discussed; be meticulous, ensure no delay in farming season, and miss no one."

Zhang Cheng and Wang Ru received the order and withdrew.

As they were leaving, they both glanced at Qian Gui with thoughtful looks, obviously also sensing something unusual.

When only the two of them remained in the room, Qian Gui stepped forward immediately.

He presented the oilcloth bundle and the papers: "Sir, there is a major discovery!"

Chen Wen took them, first unfolded those sheets, which were transcripts of several testimonies.

Those giving the testimonies were several minor leaders captured during the earlier suppression of the Black Wind Stronghold.

And two veteran clerks who had worked in the county office's storeroom for over a decade.

During the earlier interrogation, they only confessed to the usual crimes of splitting spoils with Zhou Tao and oppressing the populace.

But after Qian Gui, having received Chen Wen's hint, conducted targeted interrogation and inducement using the specific phrases from those letters,

Some details that had been deliberately forgotten or overlooked finally surfaced.

The testimonies mentioned:

Roughly every few months, starting about two years ago,

there would always be a mysterious cavalry unit silently arriving at Riverside County in the dead of night.

They did not enter the county seat, but instead appeared about thirty li northeast of the city.

At an abandoned mine called Mute Valley, they conducted the exchange.

Zhou Tao would personally go or send his most trusted confidants to meet them.

What the cavalry transported was not ordinary goods, but something extremely heavy, covered with thick oilcloth.

After the exchange was completed, the cavalry immediately retreated the same way, heading north.

And Zhou Tao would secretly store these "goods" in a renovated, extremely concealed cellar deep within the county office's storeroom.

After a period of time, additional personnel would be arranged, seemingly to transfer the goods westward via waterway.

"Extremely heavy……mysterious cavalry……coming from the north……transferring westward……"

Chen Wen muttered to himself, his eyes sharp as a blade.

He set down the testimonies and untied that oilcloth bundle.

Inside were several irregularly shaped deep-blue crystal fragments, the largest no bigger than a thumbnail.

They were hard in texture, icy cold to the touch, even in the dim room.

They also faintly emitted a subtle glow, as if from the deep sea or polar night.

Moreover, staring at them for a while would cause a faint sense of mental sluggishness and chill.

"This is……" Chen Wen's pupils constricted slightly.

"Based on the prisoners' descriptions and the recollections of the old clerks in the storeroom, we thoroughly searched that hidden cellar again, and in the cracks and corners we found these fragments."

Qian Gui's voice carried suppressed excitement.

"Sir, look at this color, this feeling……doesn't it resemble what we encountered when we faced the Iron Crow Army?"

"That chill they emit? It's just much weaker."

Chen Wen picked up a fragment, carefully sensed that faint icy chill, and nodded affirmatively.

This shares the same source as the Iron Crow Army's mixture of bloody will and medicinal aura, their "killing qi."

It is merely purer, the very emanation of the substance itself.

"This is certainly no ordinary mineral."

Chen Wen said in a low voice.

"The 'goods from the north' mentioned in Zhou Tao's secret letters probably refer to this."

"Those mysterious cavalry units are very likely the Iron Crow Army, or people closely associated with them."

He stood up and walked to the rough map of Riverside County hanging on the wall.

His finger pointed to Mute Valley in the northeast direction:

"This is the reception point."

Then his finger traced a dashed line westward, pointing toward the Yellow River direction.

They are temporarily stored here, and then likely transported westward via the Lin River or its tributaries... Is it the Northern Han? Or even farther, the Tangut or Tibetan lands?

As the clues are linked together, a vague outline gradually becomes clear:

The Iron Crow Army, this mysterious and ruthless organization.

They collude with the Northern Han and the Khitan, carrying out the so-called "Cleansing Plan."

And Linhe County, this seemingly insignificant border county.

Because of its relatively concealed location and possible water-land transshipment conditions.

It has become one of their secret transshipment hubs for a certain important material—the Nether Energy Crystal Ore.

Zhou Tao, this corrupt official, was then won over by them with money and coercive means, becoming a link in this secret chain.

"Such an important transshipment hub, now we have uprooted it completely, cutting off their material flow..."

Chen Wen's eyes were ice-cold.

"The Iron Crow Army will not let this go unpunished."

"They will either try to rebuild this route, or... they will carry out retaliation to eliminate hidden threats."

He recalled the previous encounter with the Iron Crow Army.

That heart-pounding killing intent, and the almost rigid, eerie feeling they have when acting, existing solely to achieve a specific goal.

This world seems far more complex and dangerous than he imagined.

"Sir, should we immediately send troops to block Mute Valley and wait for the prey?"

Qian Gui suggested, his eyes flashing with a hunter's light.

Chen Wen pondered for a moment, then shook his head:

"No, startling the snake by beating the grass would be unwise."

"The Iron Crow Army acts covertly; we have taken Blackwind Village and captured Zhou Tao, so they must already know that things have changed here."

"In the short term, they probably won't come to Mute Valley again."

He paced a few steps, his thoughts deepening:

"Our current primary task remains to stabilize Linhe, restore livelihoods, and accumulate strength."

"But this line of the Iron Crow Army must not be cut."

"Qian Gui, your men must be like nails, firmly planted in Mute Valley and the surrounding area, setting up hidden posts to strictly monitor any suspicious movements."

"At the same time, continue to dig deep into the remaining relationship network of Zhou Tao and his followers, to see if we can find more clues about the Iron Crow Army and about the use of this crystal ore."

"Yes! I understand!" Qian Gui responded solemnly.

"Moreover!"

Chen Wen added, his tone grave.

"Warn all those who know of this matter that it is classified as top secret and must not be leaked."

"Especially regarding the existence of this blue crystal stone, the news must not be allowed to spread."

"To avoid inviting unnecessary trouble or even greater danger."

"Yes!"

Qian Gui received the order and departed, his figure once again blending into the shadows.

Chen Wen stood alone in the hall, rubbing the ice-cold, bone-chilling fragment of Nether Energy Crystal Ore in his hand.

His gaze passed through the window, looking toward the vast northern sky.

He had originally thought it was merely a routine local pacification and governance.

But unexpectedly, he inadvertently pulled out the Iron Crow Army—a venomous snake hidden in the shadows of history.

He had touched upon the secret of their source of power.

This gave him a heavy pressure, yet also a faint glimmer of understanding.

Perhaps, to truly end this chaotic age, one must not only confront the overt warlord fiefdoms and foreign invasions,

but also uncover the mystery of the hidden hands behind the scenes.

The turmoil in Linhe County is about to be quelled.

But a deeper, darker vortex seems to have only just revealed its ferocious corner.

Chen Wen drew a deep breath, clutching the crystal ore fragment tightly in his palm, its icy sensation stimulating his nerves.

The road ahead is long and arduous.