Chapter 110: I’m Sick! Do You Have the Cure?
Chapter 110: I’m Sick! Do You Have the Cure?
Following his command, the armed sect members attacked again.
But some of the villagers on the outskirts began to leave.
Rebellion!
This was something that needed careful consideration. Believing in the Incense-Smelling Sect was one thing; after all, life was hard for common folks these days, and everyone needed some fantasy to hold onto. Believing in gods, immortals, and Buddhas did no harm. But rebellion was a different matter entirely. Yang Xin’s fierce performance, as an agent of the court, made the less determined villagers hesitate and retreat.
However, the proportion was not high.
More than half of the villagers still gathered around, tending to the injured.
Some even joined the attack.
Yang Xin, who was swinging his club and sweeping through the sect members, could now basically confirm that Yuncheng was under the control of the Incense-Smelling Sect. While it couldn’t be said that the majority were sect followers, in the villages, it was over half.
And over half meant control.
He had gotten the answer he wanted.
Suddenly, he let out a long shout, threw his club upward, grabbed two sect members, and hurled them forward with all his might. As they crashed into a group, he caught the falling club, stepped on their bodies, leaped into the air, and swung the club horizontally. Two sect members had their skulls shattered. Before the corpses even fell, he kicked out with both feet, sending the two corpses flying and breaking through the encirclement. He then faced the man giving orders.
The man’s face changed dramatically. As the sect members in front of him thrust their spears forward, he turned and fled without hesitation. Someone behind him handed him reins. While Yang Xin was blocked by the forest of spears from the sect members, the man mounted his horse as quickly as possible and fled in panic, protected by six mounted sect members.
“Is running away all you’re good at?”
Yang Xin roared.
That man had no interest in fighting him. Given Yang Xin’s fighting ability, only a fool would stay!
“Look! This is your leader! Where are the magic arts he always brags about? Why isn’t he using them now? If he has the guts, come back and fight me one-on-one! Let me see what Wang Sen’s disciples are really made of!”
Yang Xin shouted arrogantly.
The sect members’ morale was ultimately affected. Their leader abandoning them was a fact. Under the savage blows of Yang Xin’s club, they gradually began to flee.
Yang Xin quickly broke through the blockade.
But by then, the man had already galloped nearly half a mile down the road. Yang Xin immediately rushed into the wheat field outside, holding his club and running at full speed across the open field, cutting diagonally to pursue. He wore only a Silk Armor and a dozen or so pounds of inserts. His ironwood club was also lighter than the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. The weight barely affected him, and his speed even surpassed that of a burdened warhorse.
Running diagonally through the wheat field, he rapidly closed the distance.
The man, protected by six sect members, desperately whipped his horse, but he could only watch helplessly as Yang Xin approached. Two of the mounted sect members immediately turned and charged at Yang Xin with their Long Spears.
These six were probably his most capable fighters.
The galloping warhorses arrived in an instant. Two Long Spears, fueled by the speed of the charge, stabbed straight at Yang Xin’s chest from left and right.
Yang Xin held his club horizontally and watched calmly.
Just as the spears were about to hit him, he suddenly stepped forward and turned his body sideways.
The two spears grazed past him, one in front, one in back.
Almost simultaneously, he let out a furious roar and swung his club horizontally at the legs of the warhorse on the right.
The next moment, accompanied by the mournful cry of two broken front legs, the warhorse’s head plunged straight into the wheat field. The sect member on its back was thrown off. At the same time, Yang Xin turned, and his club shot out like a striking cobra, hitting the back of the sect member who had just passed him.
That man screamed and fell.
Without even a glance, Yang Xin retrieved his club and charged straight at the leader.
The leader panicked and spurred his horse faster, urging his four remaining followers to intercept. But the four scattered to the sides instead. He shouted angrily from his saddle, but they abandoned him nonetheless. In an instant, Yang Xin was right behind him.
“Get down!”
Yang Xin grabbed the horse’s tail and shouted.
He then yanked backward with all his strength. The horse whinnied and sat down, throwing the leader from its back. Before he could get up, Yang Xin stepped on his back with one foot…
“Run now, why don’t you?”
Yang Xin said with a sinister grin.
“You know magic, right? Hurry up and use it!”
He added.
The man lay on the ground, silent.
“Where is Xu Hongru? Tell me, and I’ll spare your life!”
Yang Xin said.
“Don’t waste your effort. I will not betray my master!”
The man, however, calmed down. Lying there, he spoke with disdain.
“Fine. I was just asking casually anyway. I don’t really need to find him. Also, I was lying to you earlier. The Wang Haoxian brothers haven’t been captured, and the court doesn’t know you plan to rebel. But now, Xu Hongru will probably have no choice but to rebel. After all, your escaped followers will only tell him the lies I made up, and they’ll also tell him the Imperial Guard has arrived. He either has to abandon all the preparations he’s made here and flee, or his only choice is to rebel.
Aren’t I wicked?
But if you don’t rebel, how can I exterminate you?
Killing a sorcerer who spreads lies at home is one thing, but killing a rebel king who has taken up arms and captured cities—clearly the latter brings greater merit, right?”
Yang Xin rambled on like a chatty villain.
The man under his foot struggled desperately, trying to break free to warn Xu Hongru, but unfortunately, Yang Xin’s club promptly came down on his head…
“Xu Hongru, your plot to rebel is exposed!”
Yang Xin stood by the corpse and howled arrogantly.
In the distant village, the sect members watched silently, letting him brag.
One hour later, Yang Xin reached Yuncheng.
His battered, wounded Flying Fish Robe and the terrifying news he brought quickly threw the small city into chaos.
Yuncheng County Office.
“Righteous Yang, rest assured. Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to Puzhou to request troops from the Military Defense Office. Actually, I must thank you, Righteous Yang. Had you not uncovered their plot to rebel and allowed them to continue inciting good people, when they struck suddenly, it would have been hard to handle. Now it’s easy. Once the Puzhou Military Defense Office gathers elite troops, with you, Righteous Yang, leading the way, eliminating this treasonous faction led by Xu will be a simple task. I will petition Your Majesty for your meritorious service. Come, Righteous Yang, please finish this cup!”
Magistrate Zhang Guiyou raised his wine cup, his face full of enthusiasm.
This was good news for him.
He was well aware that Xu Hongru was spreading his teachings in Yuncheng, but as long as it didn’t affect him, he had no interest in interfering. In fact, when Xu Hongru dealt with local matters, he, as the County Magistrate, certainly got his share. But rebellion was different.
This had to be crushed.
Moreover, in his view, those Incense-Smelling Sect followers were just a rabble of peasants.
Because they needed to protect the crucial Nanwang water ridge on the Grand Canal, Yanzhou Prefecture was a heavily defended area. Troops were stationed in Jining, Rencheng, Linqing, and even Puzhou. They could be mobilized within two days. If Xu Hongru dared to rebel, he was clearly delivering merit on a platter. Especially now, with the legendary fierce warrior Yang Xin here, once the Puzhou Military Defense Office gathered the troops, Yang Xin could lead them and quickly wipe out the rebels. As the local County Magistrate, he would certainly get a big share of the credit, and his rise to prominence would be just around the corner.
As for whether Xu Hongru was really rebelling…
He didn’t care about such trivial details!
Moreover, the Incense-Smelling Sect followers had already attacked Yang Xin. Even if his Imperial Guard token couldn’t be openly revealed, his Flying Fish Robe was real. Attacking someone wearing a Flying Fish Robe was enough to firmly pin a charge of rebellion on them.
In short, his moment to gain merit had arrived.
However, for the wealthy local gentry at the same table, the situation was different.
These men understood Xu Hongru’s strength better than Magistrate Zhang. Many even had some dealings with Xu Hongru. This meant Xu Hongru knew their family fortunes. If the Incense-Smelling Sect truly rose in rebellion, the first place they would attack was Yuncheng. And after taking Yuncheng, their first act would be to plunder these gentry. These wealthy locals also knew the quality of the government troops. They certainly didn’t share Magistrate Zhang’s confidence that Xu Hongru couldn’t take Yuncheng. Thankfully, there was Yang Xin, the legendary fierce warrior. No matter how infamous he was among officials and gentry, at this moment, he was truly their savior. He was at least much more reliable than the poor Military Household soldiers from Jining Guard.
“Magistrate Zhang, rest assured. With Yang here, a few rebels are nothing to worry about!”
Yang Xin said, patting his chest.
Then he suddenly let out a sharp cry, curled up like a boiled shrimp, and slumped over the table.
The table full of wealthy gentry stared in shock.
“R-Righteous Yang, what’s wrong?”
One of the wealthy gentry asked, horrified.
Yang Xin took a deep breath, then straightened up, clutching his chest.
“It’s nothing. In Qufu, I was ambushed by bandits and took an arrow to the chest. I fought the treasonous faction for a long time today, and the old wound has flared up again. Everyone, please don’t worry. Even with an injury, I can still kill bandits. Please continue drinking. I’ll go take some medicine first. This medicine is quite valuable, a gift from the Duke Yansheng!”
He said, forcing calm.
With that, he stood up and left.
Behind him, Magistrate Zhang gave the wealthy gentry at the table a meaningful look.
They hesitated, looking at each other. Magistrate Zhang coughed impatiently. The wealthy gentry then began to gather Silver Notes with pained expressions. By the time Yang Xin returned, two thousand taels for medicine expenses were already placed in a small box for him.
“This… this is too much. I cannot accept rewards without merit!”
Yang Xin said shyly.
“Righteous Yang, you protect the peace of Yuncheng’s people while injured. The people of Yuncheng must contribute this small amount for your medicine.”
Magistrate Zhang said righteously.
“Then I thank the good people of Yuncheng for their kindness. Ah, the people of Yuncheng are so righteous. Wasn’t Song Jiang from here? And those Liangshan heroes… oh, wait, the Liangshan heroes were bandits…”
Yang Xin said, holding the box.
Before he could finish, a yamen runner ran in, terrified.
“Magistrate, disaster! The treasonous faction of the Incense-Smelling Sect has reached the city gates!”
He wiped sweat from his forehead and shouted.