Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

Chapter 174: Chapter 98: Proactively Understanding the Coexistence of Human, Disaster, and Demon Calamities in Yongzhou

Wu Sheng took a sip of his drink and said, "You don't know, but our Yunlu County is not peaceful. Around here, if it's not demons emerging, it's the Huang Tian Sect rebelling. This side of Yongzhou in the county town is still the most stable."

Yunlu County?

About the administrative regions of Great Zhou, Shen Qing also knew a thing or two.

Great Zhou divided its territory into nine counties, each governing several cities.

Yunlu County was one of those nine, with eight cities and a population of twenty million, making it a large county.

He hadn't expected that the situation in Taiping County was actually quite common in Yunlu County.

"Brother Shen, do you know what's most important in the world today? It's safety! People from nearby see Yongzhou as stable and are flocking here. Now, there are too many people in Yongzhou, and it's not easy to make a living."

"Many places in the Outer City are already experiencing food shortages, and people have started to die of hunger."

"If that were all, it would be one thing. The trouble is, with so many people in Yongzhou, the neighboring demons have caught scent and secretly sneaked to this side. A few of them are very strong, if this keeps up, I fear Yongzhou will also descend into chaos."

"That's why I say, Brother Shen, this is not a good time to come to Yongzhou."

"..." Shen Qing was left somewhat speechless. He hadn't expected that Yongzhou, where he had traveled thousands of miles to reach, would be in such a state.

he asked, "I've heard that there are many powerful figures stationed in Yongzhou. Even if demons appear in Yongzhou, they should hardly be able to escape their gaze and cause any trouble, right?"

Already having drunk several sips, Wu Sheng was slightly tipsy, and his words became more plentiful.

Seeing that Shen Qing was drawn to the content he was revealing, he unconsciously wanted to continue listening and suddenly felt a bit more enthusiastic.

After all, it was all commonly known information.

"You are right," he took another sip of his drink to moisten his throat and continued, "The geographic position of the county town is too important, and the court does pay attention to it. Just in terms of Innate Martial Masters, they have dispatched five or six here. Not to mention, there are thirteen high ranking families in Yongzhou, gathering a host of experts. If the situation were uncontrollable, they might even dispatch figures from the Spirit Void Realm or the Primordial Spirit Realm."

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"But...what use is that?"

Shen Qing frowned.

Logically, with such highly skilled figures stationed, there should be some usefulness, no matter what. How could it be useless?

But thinking of the style with which the Great Zhou Court's officials conducted their business, he suddenly became somewhat uncertain again.

Wu Sheng continued, "However impressive these great figures are, they protect the Ji Family's state and the safety of important persons. The demons that sneak out are unpredictable and elusive, and these great figures don't have the time to chase these demons every day. In the end, the work still falls to those low-level officials."

"So, Brother Shen, how can the demons be completely exterminated? Can they not create disturbances?"

Shen Qing found this to be very true and nodded, "That's exactly the reasoning."

"Therefore, the current situation in Yongzhou is indeed both a human and demon calamity coexisting. Given the current circumstances, it indeed would be difficult for Brother Shen if you were there."

"Thank you, Brother Wu, for the advice. Now that things have come to this, we can only take one step at a time; there's no other way," Shen Qing said, clasping his hands together.

"Advice would be too much to say, these are all well-known matters in Yongzhou." Wu Sheng picked up his wineskin and took a big drink before asking, "Brother Shen, I see your Qi-Blood is full and robust, have you practiced?"

"I've practiced some boxing and martial arts," Shen Qing calmly replied.

Since the other party had already figured it out, there was nothing to hide.

Martial Arts are all about usage; it doesn't become ineffective just because it's revealed.

"Have you condensed a Qi Sea?"

Shen Qing frowned, feeling that Wu Sheng was asking a bit too much, "No."

Wu Sheng patted Shen Qing on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Brother Shen, don't mind, I just happen to have some methods that can help people break through to the Qi Hai Realm. I usually make some money from this, so I asked out of curiosity."

"You have methods to break through to the Qi Hai Realm?"

"I do, but they're quite expensive," Wu Sheng continued. "Brother Shen, you know that the Great Zhou Dynasty controls the Martial Mechanism, Wish Power Pearls, and Refining Pearl Technique—all in the hands of the court. But as the saying goes, 'Where there are policies from above, there are countermeasures from below.'"

"Many officials desire to have multiple wives and concubines, luxurious houses, and mansions, and their official salaries just barely meet their needs, so that's where our opportunity comes in."

Shen Qing's interest was piqued immediately, and he continued to inquire, "What do you mean by that?"

Wu Sheng leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said, "Brother Shen, you know this is a matter of life and death, so the price is a bit high. Generally, a Wish Power Pearl costs five hundred taels, and the Refining Pearl Technique is a one-time fee of one thousand five hundred taels."

"Hiss…"

Shen Qing gasped.

The prices were beyond his expectations.

"There's no helping it, Wish Power Pearls are rare. Ordinary officials get only one a year, while higher-level officials can get more, but they all have good relations with various bosses, leaving no room for outsiders to interfere."

After hearing this, Shen Qing fell silent.

If he remembered correctly, he actually had a Wish Power Pearl on him, which he had taken from the Taiping County Magistrate.

He didn't expect it to be so valuable.

Five hundred taels in Taiping could easily buy a large mansion.

Shen Qing's hand involuntarily reached for his appointment document, feeling its immense significance.

According to Wu Sheng's calculations, if he were to join the court, he would save nearly two thousand taels—a considerable amount.

"Brother Shen, what do you think? Any thoughts?"

Shen Qing collected his thoughts and replied with utmost honesty, "I don't have money."

"…" Wu Sheng's expression froze.

A moment later, he regained his composure and said, "Brother Shen is truly straightforward. No worries, if you don't have money now, you will have it later. I see that you are a capable person."

"Thanks for your kind words, Brother Wu."

Wu Sheng sighed and said, "Nowadays, for some reason, demons are becoming more prevalent. People even rumour that it is the intentional act of the current emperor and the Ji Family. We don't care whether the rumor is true or false, but one thing is for sure: these newly appeared demons will coexist with our Human Clan for some time."

"Keep in mind, demons like to eat humans, and if we don't want to become their food, we can only strive to enhance our cultivation and strength."

Shen Qing's expression immediately turned serious.

"Alright, I've made you listen to so much nonsense all at once. I won't torment your ears anymore. We still have a little more than a day's journey, so we can talk more then. I'll rest for now."

Wu Sheng said, picking up his wine pouch and rising to his feet, returning to his own group.

He looked at Shen Qing, who appeared thoughtful, and felt satisfied.

He could see that Shen Qing's Qi-Blood was abundant, with a barely perceptible fierce aura, indicating that he was a Martial Master in the Qi Cultivation Realm.

It seemed that his words had touched Shen Qing's soul.

This business deal would likely materialize if Shen had the money.

Thinking so, he leaned back comfortably in a pile of hay and began to rest.