Chapter 180: Qingshi Village
Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Qingshi Village
SWISH SWISH—
The moonlight was dim, and leaves flew past in a blur.
Zhu Ge rode Mazhu at incredible speed, with Liu Jianjian perched on his shoulder.
This trip was for recruitment, so Zhu Ge needed to bring Liu Jianjian along as a precaution.
He himself was powerful, but the soldiers he recruited might not be.
When the time came for a long journey, it would be better to have some Demon Beasts for protection.
"Master, which village are we heading to now?" Liu Jianjian asked curiously from Zhu Ge’s shoulder.
"Qingshi Village."
Zhu Ge gazed ahead. "That village has at least five hundred households and plenty of able-bodied men. It’s a large village."
"The Demon Beast tide probably didn’t wipe it out."
"Qingshi Village? I think I’ve been there..." Liu Jianjian nodded slightly. "There are four or five First Realm Cultivators inside. They all follow the Martial Dao, so they couldn’t detect me."
As a master of jungle gossip who had roamed the forests for years, Liu Jianjian never put herself in harm’s way.
"They defended Qingshi Village with just four or five people. It seems they’re all quite skilled." Zhu Ge nodded slightly.
Normally, a village, regardless of its size, would need at least one Second Realm expert to defend it.
After all, only those in the Second Realm were qualified to hold territory. This was the law of the jungle.
"Speaking of which, I know of many other villages like this." Liu Jianjian began to recall them, listing them for Zhu Ge one by one:
"For example, there’s Slaughtering Village to the north, a place called Dog Street to the west, and another called Shayi Dam to the south..."
There were quite a few villages in the area.
In fact, another one of Zhu Ge’s reasons for bringing Liu Jianjian on this trip was precisely for her knowledge of these villages.
One had to understand, it wasn’t just Liu Jianjian who roamed the surrounding area. The Sword and Axe Mantis and its subordinates had also been entrenched nearby.
They were all essential living maps for Zhu Ge.
WHOOSH—
Mazhu was incredibly fast, like a green bolt of lightning under the moonlight. After passing through a sparse forest, the lights ahead gradually grew more numerous.
Soon, Qingshi Village came into view.
Qingshi Village was built against a mountain, its perimeter fortified with a low wall of bluestone, about half a man’s height.
It was called a wall, but in truth, it was only meant to keep out wild beasts. If a real enemy attacked, the wall was practically useless, ’just like the one in our Jianshan Village, right?’
It was now late 7 p.m., and most of the homes in the village had already extinguished their lights. Only a few houses near the entrance still showed a faint glow.
There didn’t seem to be any signs of a Demon Beast attack.
"Mazhu, stop," Zhu Ge said, patting Mazhu’s head.
"As you command!" Mazhu obediently halted, its discipline absolute, and then lowered its body.
"Master, should we just go and knock?" Liu Jianjian hopped down from Zhu Ge’s shoulder and took on her human form.
"No rush." Zhu Ge dismounted and stood at the village entrance, closing his eyes to sense his surroundings.
He was now a Mountain Shattering Realm Martial Artist. His Blood Qi was so abundant that his perception range had expanded several times over.
Within a three-hundred-meter radius, the slightest movement of a single blade of grass or leaf could not escape his senses.
There were only three First Realm presences.
’It seems they did suffer losses during the Demon Beast tide.’
And sensing Zhu Ge’s aura, the three individuals were alerted and were now rushing toward his location.
Zhu Ge stood at the entrance, waiting for the three of them while taking in the village’s appearance.
Qingshi Village had a simple layout. A main road ran north to south, flanked by scattered residences, most of which had earthen walls and thatched roofs. Only a few houses in the center of the village were made of blue brick and tile.
Before long, three figures came striding quickly from within the village.
The leader was an old man with graying hair and a beard, dressed in a gray long-robed and leaning on a pitch-black wooden staff. His gait was steady, showing no signs of old age.
Following him were two middle-aged men, one lean and the other stocky. Both had short sabers tucked at their waists, their gazes vigilant.
"A late-night visitor. May I ask which path you walk, friend?" the old man said as he reached the village entrance. He cupped his fist from across the low wall, his tone neither servile nor arrogant.
Zhu Ge sized up the three men.
The old man was at the mid-stage of the Anger Realm, while the two middle-aged men were at the initial stage.
Although their Blood Qi wasn’t strong, their auras were steady. They were clearly individuals with solid foundations.
"I am Zhu Ge, Palace Master of the Six Paths Palace." Zhu Ge returned the salute. "I am passing through your esteemed village and have some matters to discuss with the person in charge."
"The Six Paths Palace?" The old man’s brow furrowed slightly, as if searching his memory for the name, but he clearly found nothing.
The lean man beside him leaned in and whispered, "Village Chief, I’ve never heard of this person."
The old man nodded slightly. His gaze lingered on Zhu Ge for a moment before shifting to Liu Jianjian behind him.
Although Liu Jianjian was in human form, a faint Demon Qi still swirled around her, and a trace of fear flickered in the old man’s eyes.
"I am Zhao Dehou, the village chief of Qingshi Village." The old man pushed open the low wall’s wooden gate. "Palace Master Zhu, you have come from afar and are our guest. Please, come in."
Zhu Ge nodded and walked into the village with Liu Jianjian.
Zhao Dehou led Zhu Ge to the largest blue-brick-and-tile house in the center of the village and ordered someone to serve tea.
The two middle-aged men stood on either side of the doorway, seemingly as guards, but in reality, their stance carried a hint of wariness.
"Palace Master Zhu, what important matter brings you here?" Zhao Dehou asked, getting straight to the point.
Zhu Ge lifted his teacup and took a light sip.
The tea was coarse, but it had a fresh, grassy fragrance that gave it a unique flavor.
"Village Chief Zhao is a straightforward man, so I won’t beat around the bush either." Zhu Ge set down his cup. "I’ve come to recruit soldiers to fight against the other races within our Red River Prefecture."
"Before this trip, I repelled the hundred-thousand-strong Demon Race army from Jianshui City and also defeated and subdued the Third Realm Demon Race member, the Sword and Axe Mantis. Next, I plan to reclaim the other cities."
"Qingshi Village has some five hundred households and plenty of able-bodied men. I wish to recruit a group of them."
As soon as he said this, Zhao Dehou’s expression changed slightly.
The two men at the door also subconsciously gripped the hilts of their sabers.
"Palace Master Zhu..." Zhao Dehou said in a low voice. "Our Qingshi Village has just suffered heavy losses. The able-bodied men in this village need to farm the land and support their families. I’m afraid no one will be willing to go and risk their lives for you."
Zhu Ge smiled, unhurried. "Village Chief Zhao, don’t be so quick to refuse. Let me state a few conditions first. You can decide after you’ve heard them."
"First, everyone who joins me will receive a monthly stipend of one silver coin, with food and lodging provided. There will be additional compensation in case of death in battle."
Zhao Dehou’s eyelid twitched.
’One silver coin a month?’
That was an astronomical sum in the countryside.
How many silver coins could a normal farmer earn in an entire year?
"Second, all recruits will be able to practice the Cultivation Techniques and Martial Arts of my Six Paths Palace."
"For those who perform meritorious deeds, the supply of Spirit Pills and other precious medicines will be unlimited."
At this, even the two men at the door couldn’t help but turn their heads, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Cultivation Techniques and Martial Arts were things that common folk might never encounter in their entire lives!
The fact that these few from Qingshi Village had managed to cultivate to the Anger Realm was all thanks to a single, crude, low-grade Spirit Level Martial Arts manual.
"Third..." Zhu Ge held up three fingers. "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold."
"The Demon Beast tide has just passed, but who’s to say another won’t come in the future?"
"Our Human Race is like a dragon without a head, which is the cause of all this chaos in the world."
"This is true for the dynasty, for every territory, for every city, and for every village."
"At a time like this, rather than scattering our strength, it is better to concentrate it into a single entity!"
Zhu Ge narrowed his eyes. "If Qingshi Village is willing, you can all relocate and settle near my Six Paths Palace."
"My Six Paths Palace can contend not just with Third Realm Demon Beasts, but even those at the Great Realm!"