Chapter 132: Lishan Post Station

Qingyi Daozhang knew Wen Gu was dangling this matter to keep him on the hook, but he was willing to take it on.

He only hoped that Gou Shusheng would leave Xinzhou City quickly!

At the thought of not having any pressure for a long time to come, the Daoist Priest's previously gloomy mood turned bright!

Wen Gu did not stay long in Qingyun Fang and returned to Jingxing Fang to prepare for the trip.

He also did not intend to continue assigning tasks to Qingyi Daozhang.

He could not push too hard; he had to let that dog of a Daoist relax for a while and recover his spirits.

But the other party would not be able to slack off for long. As the weather grew hot, business in Xinzhou City would increase; the powerful and wealthy never hesitated to find Daoist Priests to perform Dharma Assemblies during dangerous times.

In the current Xinzhou City, only Qingyi Daozhang could handle high-end business.

There were still several necessary rituals inside and outside the city.

Besides that, as far as Wen Gu knew, Uncle Zhao would likely provide medicinal materials and have Qingyi Daozhang refine a batch of incense beads with exorcism effects.

This dog of a Daoist should have analyzed quite a bit of the imperial incense Wen Gu had previously obtained from Princess Guangning.

Combining top-tier incense-making skills with the art of the alchemy cauldron, the incense formula had been upgraded to who knew which version; these were Qingyi Daozhang's technical secrets. As long as the medicinal materials were sufficient, the incense beads produced would certainly satisfy Uncle Zhao.

Hot weather was the time to conduct business; whether it was private commissions or public Dharma Assemblies, these were beneficial for pacifying the hearts of the people in the city and equally beneficial for the development of the Danguan—they were all serious matters.

With work to do, there was basically no spare time to stir up trouble.

Things like miraculous omens from heaven or large-scale man-made auspicious signs—crooked methods to quickly farm reputation—all required time and energy to prepare. As long as the dog of a Daoist was not given enough energy and time, there was no need to worry about him going astray.

It was already the fourth month.

Zhao Shaozhu was about to head to the front lines to oversee the battle for three months, not returning until late July or early August. If winter came late this year, he might stay away even longer.

From the perspective of the Zhao father and son, they certainly had to take risks, but it was something that had to be done.

Before the chaotic times, for the sake of an official career, the family had groomed Zhao Shaozhu in the direction of a man of letters, and he had not had much contact with those old generals at the border.

——

With the Young Master away overseeing the battle, the generals guarding various parts of Xinzhou actually did not need to worry too much.

In the past two years, both the Head of the Family and the Young Master had added children to their households; although they were only nursing babies, plus a six-year-old eldest grandson, they could not do anything yet, but the Head of the Zhao Family's health had gradually recovered, and he was not considered old.

If something were to happen to Zhao Shaozhu while away, even if the situation in Xinzhou fluctuated, it could be stabilized quickly.

The prestige of the Head of the Zhao Family was earned through fighting; the stability of the entire Xinzhou was fought for by Lao Zhao and his subordinates.

Zhao Shaozhu had not yet achieved any real results, and in front of the old generals, he did not have enough prestige.

To say something unlucky, if Lao Zhao were to pass away one day, he, as the Young Master, might not necessarily be able to command those old generals.

The old generals' knees were soft when facing Lao Zhao, but that might not be the case when facing Xiao Zhao.

Therefore, Zhao Shaozhu was very clear that even if the Zhao Family had other suitable candidates, he would still snatch the opportunity to oversee the battle to accumulate prestige.

Some of his subordinate scholars had advised him that "a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall," and that there were many other safer ways to increase prestige.

But this risk was one that had to be experienced.

In extraordinary times, build extraordinary achievements!

Now that Wen Gu was going on a business trip with Cousin Zhao, the one most worried was Lady Shen.

In the current state of the world, the Six Great Powers of Beidi each governed their own affairs and occupied their own territories. Outside, Plague Ghosts were rampant, but the possibility of the Six Great Powers going to war was low; the logistics and grain supplies could not support it.

So, there was no need to worry about the outside; what needed to be guarded against was the Evil Plague nearby.

One was her own son, the other was the junior she valued most from her maiden family; it was impossible not to worry.

"Try to stay with your cousin when you are out, don't go too far," Lady Shen said, pulling Wen Gu aside to urge him.

When away from home, the security force around a warlord's young master was certainly stronger than anyone else's.

She did not need to worry about Zhao Shaozhu, so Lady Shen's focus was on Wen Gu, and for this, she had even specially found a craftsman to modify a carriage.

Nowadays, all kinds of materials were in short supply, and good materials for modification could not be easily obtained. Ordinary people might not be able to trade for them even with money and grain.

The exterior of the carriage was unassuming, but its safety performance had been upgraded by several levels.

Wen Gu quickly arranged his family and official affairs.

He did not bring anyone else; the guards and attendants were all provided by Zhao Shaozhu, and there were also people from the Patrol Guard Division accompanying them.

The Clerks of Jingxing Fang and Qingyun Fang both had tasks to perform; as the weather grew hot, the pressure on the two wards would also be great.

Wen Gu had even signed the Clerks up for a class.

Centai Academy was mainly preparing for the training and selection of officials, but it would also conduct on-the-job training for grassroots Clerks.

Many of Centai Academy's plans did not require Wen Gu to propose them; the original imperial civil service system was already very developed, and the training system for officials could be considered refined and systematic.

At most, Wen Gu only exchanged his own views and supplemented certain details when chatting with Old Master Hong and the others.

In general, as long as the higher-ups determined the general direction, this group of scholars and famous teachers could handle everything else.

As of now, this group of scholars and famous teachers was full of vitality.

Regarding the training for grassroots Clerks, Wen Gu would not be able to see the results of the training while on his business trip, but he would check the work records when he returned in three months!

The day of departure.

Wen Gu's carriage followed closely behind Zhao Shaozhu's carriage; the person driving was Wen Gu's old acquaintance—Xiao Liu.

The young hunter who had followed Wen Gu all the way north was now a registered employee of the Patrol Guard Division.

When Zhao Shaozhu was selecting people from the Patrol Guard Division to accompany him, he specifically had Xiao Liu transferred over.

Wen Gu glanced at the Falcon flying back and forth in the air.

"Matuan is very excited today."

Xiao Liu chuckled: "He is kept quite restricted in Xinzhou City, so he is like this every time we go out."

The Patrol Guard Division also had people who tamed birds and beasts, but Xiao Liu also had the skills passed down through generations of his hunter family, which allowed him to stand firm in the Patrol Guard Division.

The two old acquaintances did not talk about work-related matters when chatting, but there were still plenty of topics.

Before Xiao Liu even spoke, a smile appeared on his face; it was not sycophancy, but rather because he was about to talk about something happy.

Last autumn, he followed Wen Gu from their hometown, heading north to reach Xinzhou, also to seek a safer path for the relatives, friends, and villagers back home.

Now, in less than a year, he has managed to gain a firm foothold in Xinzhou and holds an official position in the Patrol Guard Division.

Having a formal appointment means receiving a monthly salary and benefits, and if the tasks taken on are done well, there are other rewards as well.

"I've calculated it; the money I've saved is enough to build another small courtyard in Jingxing Fang, and I've already picked out the land," Xiao Liu said, counting on his fingers.

Wen Gu heard it in his words and asked with a smile, "Are you planning to go back to pick them up during the Autumn Hunt this year?"

"Hehe, that is the plan. By then, the money I've saved will be enough to hire some more escorts for protection." He certainly couldn't take the risk alone; he still had to find bodyguards.

Nowadays, Xinzhou City has more than just the Huwei Escort Agency; times are hard, so naturally, others have seen the demand in this.

Thus, some groups have also transitioned into escort agencies. It's just that in Xinzhou, the Huwei Escort Agency is the largest and most famous.

Wen Gu said, "You could ask the Huwei Escort Agency; they might also be heading back to their headquarters. You could also ask He Da, Yu Er, and Zhou Shan if they have the same plan."

Having more people traveling together is also safer.

"Yes, yes, call more people to go back together!" Xiao Liu's words were filled with excitement and anticipation, yet he was also very worried about the situation back home.

"It gets dangerous once the weather warms up; I don't know if they've managed to build the Wubao over there yet."

His salary alone certainly couldn't support so many people from his hometown, and his current position isn't high; perhaps in another two years, with enough savings and a promotion, he could better help the fellow villagers.

But given the current situation, he can't wait; he is uneasy and must bring them over as soon as possible.

The Plague Ghosts and evil entities in the north can decrease during the autumn and winter seasons, but during the spring and summer, those from the south also head north in search of food.

The two chatted all the way about the topic of going to pick up the people.

The team set out from Xinzhou City, not heading directly to Shuo City, but first going to check on a Defense Post not far from Shuo City.

The route had been cleared, and it was rare to see any "Plague Ghosts"; even if they appeared, they were only scattered few, and they would soon be shot and killed by the guards.

"Is that the scout post used for sentry duty and reconnaissance?" Wen Gu asked, pointing to something that looked like a small mound of dirt in the distance.

You couldn't discover anything looking from afar; only by walking over and getting close would you see traces of human activity.

"Yes, that's it," Xiao Liu said.

This is not classified information, and with Wen Gu's status, he is allowed to know it.

"If a Ghost Tide surges toward here, they will hide underground to take cover after sending out a warning."

The "Ghost Tide" in Xiao Liu's words is formed by clusters of Plague Ghosts and evil entities—a threat that surges over densely and continuously like a tide.

Anyone who has seen those clusters of Plague Ghosts from afar knows that unless they reach their target location, they basically will not stop along the way.

Wherever the Ghost Tide passes, small human settlements—like villages, towns, or stations—can only see their inhabitants survive if they are sturdy enough or sufficiently hidden. Otherwise, everything is like a plague of locusts passing through, leaving nothing behind.

Whether it is humans or other livestock, all will become victims.

Nowadays, the scout mounds in Xinzhou are mainly used for Ghost Tide early warnings.

The above-ground part is relatively simple; some are just crudely piled earth and stone, and only in places with more trees are they built with timber. The underground part is more sturdy and hidden, used for taking cover in times of crisis.

Being able to join this team, Xiao Liu has also come into contact with a lot of information.

He was very curious: "Ward Chief, I heard that the Defense Post is a type of alternative military fort that combines scouting, a transit station, and a defense tower?"

"That is the plan," Wen Gu said.

Whether this system can succeed depends on the performance of the first station.

The closer they got to the first station, the more desolate it became.

As far as the eye could see, in the scenes exposed outside the vegetation, one could occasionally see some brown traces; these were left behind during the outpost's clearing operations.

Most of the Plague Ghosts wandering outside had already been shot and buried, and there were no other threats on the road.

After leaving Xinzhou City for many days, as they neared their destination, Wen Gu was called to the front carriage.

Cousin Zhao wanted to chat with Wen Gu about the station and also share more detailed information about this place.

"There is a mountain near the station named Li Mountain; if it succeeds, this station will be named 'Li Mountain Station'."

""

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Zhao Shaozhu pointed to a hill ahead.

That hill was neither high nor low, neither big nor small; apart from being bald, it had no other features.

Strictly speaking, that height could not even be considered a mountain.

Zhao Shaozhu said: "Li Mountain was originally just a nameless hill. Later, a certain expert passed by here and felt that the vegetation here was not lush and the 'fire' energy was quite strong, so he specifically gave it that name."

"Li" means fire.

Wen Gu understood.

This place is dry, and thermal energy is abundant. There is little rainfall, and the surface vegetation is sparse.

Even though it is now the spring and summer season when vegetation is lush, looking around, that spot is the baldest.

If viewed from high above, in the area of Li Mountain, there is a circle of green all around, but that one patch in the middle is obviously bald.

However—

Wen Gu's focus shifted for a moment.

Who was that "expert"?

"Li Mountain and a large area around it are all dangerous places," Zhao Shaozhu continued.

When the world is at peace, this place lacks water, and no commoners gather here.

In times of chaotic disaster and plague, Plague Ghost clusters mostly break into Xinzhou from here. Although they don't pass through here every time, the probability is high. Even if they don't strike directly, they will still sweep the edges.

So it is even more devoid of human presence!

Lacking water and frequently encountering dangerous impacts, it is indeed a genuine land of baleful spirits!

After the Zhao Family took control of Xinzhou, they set up scout mounds nearby for early warning, but they couldn't do much else.

Until it came to choosing the location for the first station.

Li Mountain Station is the first "spirit-breaking nail" driven into this dangerous land.

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