Chapter 926: Inside the Smelling Incense Sect

With their own troops and followers, they'd never really deferred to the Yuncheng main helm anyway. After that business with Zhao Jin, they held Xu Hongru in even less regard. When the government troops went to pacify the "rioters" in Xuzhou, they didn't go join that excitement either. Afterward, a batch of people were purged, and Xu Hongru planted his own trusted men here. But they took advantage of being close by to grab benefits, growing ever stronger, and their attitude toward the Yuncheng main helm grew ever more dismissive.

They'd assumed that since Xu Hongru was planning something big, he'd have to treat them generously. But ever since they arrived, Xu Hongru had shown far more regard for those dirt-poor newly risen assembly masters and incense masters, while treating them coldly. This rankled deeply. They'd made private connections among themselves. With Shandong in such chaos right now, the proper thing was to seize the disorder to get rich, enjoy life, and build up strength. Why waste grain and money, take risks, to do some grand undertaking? If they were pushed too hard, they'd just break off cleanly. They didn't believe this sect leader Xu Hongru could do anything about it. The Smelling Incense Sect was terribly weak right now—how would it dare fall out with the assembly masters below?

With this thought in mind, they acted even more recklessly. The moment they were rebuked, they felt they'd lost face. After a brief silence, one of them immediately huffed angrily: "If we weren't so close by, your subordinates wouldn't have been willing to come either. Take Lu Qing, Boss Lu, or the Zhan brothers—didn't none of them show up?"

Meng Xianhan, Zhou Nian'an, and Tang Yu were local strongmen entrenched in Wenshang and Ningyang counties. These places were very close to Yuncheng, so even though they didn't think much of the Yuncheng main helm, they still had to heed it. But the Lu Qing he mentioned was a major power in Xintai, and the Zhan brothers were underworld bosses in Gaotang Prefecture. Though both sides were also assembly masters of the Smelling Incense Sect, they'd always been rather disobedient because of the distance and their own strength. At this Shandong grand gathering of the Smelling Incense Sect, neither of them had been seen.

The brazenness of these three had already stirred public anger. The assembly masters and incense masters of poor origin were all glaring at them, and even the leaders who looked like wealthy gentry wore expressions of disgust. But what puzzled Meng Xianhan and his two companions was that Xu Hongju, Xia Zhongjin, and the other ironclad confidants of the sect leader hadn't immediately exploded. They just looked this way with cold sneers, while Xu Hongru himself appeared completely composed.

"Lu Qing and the three Zhan brothers have all come. Would you like to see them?" Xu Hongru asked with a smile.

"They came? How come we didn't see them?" Meng Xianhan blurted out.

"Bring them up for everyone to see." Xu Hongru waved a hand. Hou Wu immediately nodded in acknowledgment and called out twice toward the outside.

What Meng Xianhan and the others hadn't expected was that what was "brought up" wasn't people, but four wooden chests—chests one foot square. Meng Xianhan, Zhou Nian'an, and Tang Yu's faces went pale. They'd seen enough of the world to naturally guess what was inside.

The chests were opened. A burst of exclamations erupted from the crowd seated under the bamboo awning. Meng Xianhan and his two companions shot to their feet. They saw very clearly: inside those chests were human heads—the very heads of Lu Qing and the Zhan brothers, those overlords whose strength far surpassed their own. The features were twisted, hideous and terrifying.

The moment they stood, some of the guards on the perimeter turned around, hands pressing onto sword hilts.

"Meng Xianhan, you took advantage of this great earthquake to abduct your county patrol inspector's mistress back to your estate and swallow up over a thousand taels of his private savings. This seat never imagined you had such nerve. And Tang Yu, you and Zhou Nian'an swore brotherhood in secret, agreeing to pick a moment to ambush and kill Meng Xianhan and swallow his followers. So treacherous in the dark, yet so chummy in the open—truly, it must be hard on you both." Xu Hongru spoke as if mentioning it in passing.

The moment he said this, all three men's faces changed drastically. They looked at Xu Hongru as if staring at a ghost or god. Among those seated, the ones of poor origin all showed cold sneers, while those dressed in finery wore expressions of awe and fear.

These were the most critical secrets, never to be revealed—things they'd thought only a handful of people knew. They'd never imagined Xu Hongru would just speak them aloud like that. Meng Xianhan and the others were terrified out of their wits. And the several deadly misdeeds he'd exposed—all were capital offenses. The three exchanged a glance, then quickly averted their eyes. The solidarity they'd shared moments ago was already gone.

The quickest to react was Meng Xianhan. He dropped straight to his knees, knocked his head against the ground with several thuds, and wailed: "Sect leader above, this lowly one must have been blinded by greed to be so utterly senseless. After the sect leader's enlightening words, my mind is instantly clear. I beg the sect leader to mercifully work his power and pull this lowly one from the sea of suffering. Whatever you want this lowly one to do—even if it means being crushed to powder, even if I must throw this life away, even if I must offer my entire family fortune to the sect leader—I am willing. Please, sect leader, show mercy! Please, sect leader, show mercy!"

Once he made the first move, the other two caught on as well and followed suit, kneeling and saying only that they were willing to heed the sect leader's commands and be driven to any task, that life and property meant nothing to them, that they awaited only his orders.

"Who are you putting on this act for? You're just making fools of yourselves. Get up!" Xu Hongru said coolly. How would those three dare rise? Xu Hongju and Xia Zhongjin sneered a few times from where they stood. Meng Xianhan and his two companions were so consumed with shame and fury they wished they were dead.

As if discussing some household matter, Xu Hongru said with a smile: "Meng Xianhan and the other two have it all figured out. They'll endure the humiliation and abuse here, but once they're back on their own turf, it won't be up to us anymore. Then the sky is high and the emperor far away—can this seat really reach out a hand that far? Things will just go back to the way they were."

These words made all three of them shudder. The pace of their kowtowing involuntarily quickened. With their innermost thoughts laid bare, they didn't even know what to say in their pleas for mercy anymore.

"Stop kowtowing. Save some strength for doing work." Xu Hongru's voice was icy. Meng Xianhan, Tang Yu, and Zhou Nian'an didn't dare delay and sheepishly rose to their feet. They could hear the chill menace in the sect leader's tone.

"Do whatever you're told to do. Don't think that once you're back home, everything will be fine. Lu Qing and the Zhan brothers—they weren't willing to come either. They were brought here directly from their homes." Xu Hongru spoke slowly.

Hearing this, Meng Xianhan and his two companions couldn't help but shiver. A thought suddenly struck them: they were damned lucky they'd come this time. If they hadn't, their own heads would probably be inside those wooden chests right now, put on display for everyone else here.

"Please rest assured, sect leader—through water or fire, your subordinate will not utter a single word of complaint. If there is the slightest falsehood, may heaven's thunder strike me dead!" Meng Xianhan swore through gritted teeth.

Xu Hongru smiled faintly and paid him no further attention. At that moment, a poor, rugged man with a face full of devotion stepped forward two paces and knelt directly on the ground. With utmost earnestness, he said: "Sect leader, the sea of suffering is boundless, and the faithful are sinking. All await the sect leader to wield his boundless power, to establish the Western Paradise Pure Land, the Land of Eternal Bliss, and deliver all sentient beings. Sect leader, the faithful are suffering so bitterly!"

After the man finished speaking, he kowtowed reverently and prostrated himself on the ground. Everyone dressed similarly followed suit. Those in fine clothes exchanged glances, their eyes showing some helplessness, but their movements showed little hesitation as they too rose and knelt in obeisance.

"The eleventh day of the eighth month is the day Maitreya Buddha descends into the world. At noon on that very day, we rise. Everyone, return and prepare diligently. Once it is accomplished, we shall share in the wealth and glory of the mortal world and ascend together to the blissful immortal realm!"

The daytime grand assembly dispersed. That evening, those gathered with Xu Hongru were only his trusted confidants. Not all the houses in Yuncheng County had collapsed or been damaged in the earthquake, but no one knew how many hidden dangers lurked in those still standing. Though the weather was still cold morning and night, Xu Hongru stayed in a shack built of bamboo and wood, insulated and shielded as best as possible with cotton quilts and felt rugs.

"... Actually, Meng Xianhan and the others were just the ones who stuck their necks out. Lu Qing and his lot were just unlucky. Any assembly master or incense master with property—none of them were too willing this time..."

"... Once you've got a bit of a household and a decent life, of course you're reluctant to risk it. But arrangements have already been made. Anyone harboring disloyal thoughts, or thinking of colluding with the authorities—they'll end up just like Lu Qing and his bunch..."

The food and wine on the table were abundant. Outside, a full meal was a luxury beyond hope for many, yet here, one could see Hanjing famous liquor from Xuzhou and specialty delicacies from all over.

But Xu Hongru and his confidants paid little mind to such rare delicacies. Every one of them wore a solemn expression. With the great undertaking imminent, who had the mind for these everyday pleasures?

Xu Hongju, Xia Zhongjin, Hou Wu, and the others all looked rather excited, while Xie Mingxian and Shen Zhi wore grave expressions. Xu Hongru sat upright, holding a cup of warm yellow wine, deep in thought.

"Sect leader, we can now muster a mounted force of four hundred. If we count everyone who can ride and carry a blade, six to eight hundred should be possible. The Liaodong deserters we've gathered from Dengzhou and Laizhou prefectures number around a thousand. Adding the able-bodied men the various branch assemblies and incense halls can provide—those who can wield iron weapons and fight in formation—we can assemble between three and five thousand. Once the uprising starts, perhaps even more."

As Xie Mingxian laid this out, everyone set aside what they were doing and listened intently to the numbers he presented. Xie Mingxian continued: "But the local government troops in Shandong alone number over nine thousand. And now Dengzhou Prefecture has over ten thousand guest troops from Liaodong Garrison. That makes over twenty thousand. The government cavalry exceeds two thousand—still far superior to our sect's forces. This situation won't change much even by the eighth month. If we truly intend this great undertaking, it is perilous!"

"Of course, if the faithful mass together and we sweep up the common people everywhere, a hundred thousand or several hundred thousand is always possible. The government troops probably wouldn't be able to do anything—they'd just be scattered and routed. Then we could gather them for our own use. But Brother Xie is right: in doing something this big, we must have a bit more certainty." Shen Zhi chimed in agreement.

The two exchanged a discreet glance. Everyone present was part of the Smelling Incense Sect's innermost core. To undertake something this great, the necessary preparations had naturally all been made. The numbers Xie Mingxian had just recited were not unknown to the others. The reason for bringing them up was to lead into a topic.

Xie Mingxian had been in Liaodong all along, and most of his men were Liaodong soldiers. He had no way to put down roots in Shandong. Shen Zhi, meanwhile, had always stayed by Xu Hongru's side as an advisor and had spent very little time building an external network. Without a sufficient power base of his own, he couldn't delve too deeply into critical intelligence—especially when the Smelling Incense Sect's leader, Xu Hongru, didn't want them to know.

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