chsdbacks Chapter 75 Military Flames!
Chapter 75 Military Flames!
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhongren sighed, but he was not surprised by Zhao An's choice.
So many people in this world make this choice.
"Those who know this secret will die. Although I escaped the palace, I will not live long. After I die, if you still want to know about this so-called immortality, I will point you in the right direction."
"If you die then, don't blame me for not warning you. If you live a couple more years, please save my foolish apprentice and granddaughter for the sake of me guiding you. Just hide them away," Meng Zhongren said to Zhao An as he stood up.
These words sounded like he was making his final arrangements.
"Senior, why me?" Zhao An also sensed something was amiss.
It seemed as if the other party had come specifically to say these things to him.
"I have no one by my side, no children, and my only concern is for those two girls. I only hope they won't be implicated because of me..."
As soon as Meng Zhongren said this, the enormous light of merit emanating from his body trembled slightly.
Zhao An saw this and understood; this was because the merit-based task on him had been triggered.
"Senior, you are here safely, who would want to harm you?" Zhao An couldn't help but ask.
Meng Zhongren shook his head, seemingly having many reservations, and said nothing more about the matter.
"I've heard that you possess a secret martial arts manual from Golden Scale Mountain, but you haven't mastered it. Let me take a look; perhaps it can help you."
Seeing that Meng Zhongren was unwilling to continue, Zhao An could only give up for the time being.
But the idea of immortality has become deeply on his mind.
He didn't care what caused the chaos in the world; all he wanted to know was how to achieve immortality!
He took out the book on pile driving techniques and handed it to Meng Zhongren.
Meng Zhongren simply flipped through a few pages and seemed to have grasped some of the secrets, stating directly, "This skill has two parts."
"The upper part glows with golden light; with careful concentration, it refines essence and strengthens qi—it's a good item, but..."
Meng Zhongren then changed the subject.
"The lower part is missing, so this manual is not complete."
"Can I still practice it?" Zhao An asked. It didn't matter if it wasn't complete, as long as the technique could improve his strength.
"You can practice it. After all, it's from Golden Scale Mountain. Even half of its exquisite content will be enough to benefit you immensely. You've really found a treasure!" Meng Zhongren smiled slightly, praising Zhao An's high luck in martial arts and predicting that he would surely achieve great things in the future.
Afterwards, he took the manual, intending to study it for a few days, write a summary, and then return it to him.
After Meng Zhongren left, Zhao An sat alone on a stone bench in the courtyard, still thinking about what the other man had just said, and his heart could not calm down for a long time.
"Immortality..."
These two words seem to have a magical power; once they're in your mind, they're hard to shake off.
"This matter is definitely not that simple. Without strong power to rely on, even if the opportunity for immortality is presented to me, I cannot compete with others."
Zhao An pondered for a moment, then took out the Heavenly Origin Pill again, wondering if he should swallow it directly today to see its effects.
Just then, an official knocked on the door.
Zhao An had been to the county magistrate's office quite a few times, and he recognized the other person at a glance as a minor official in the county magistrate's office.
"Master Zhao, the magistrate sent me to tell you that you should not go out recently. The cavalry captain has returned and is investigating Hu Dingtian's whereabouts. He will try to quell the situation."
The officials treated Zhao An with utmost respect.
After all, Zhao An is now someone who can go to the magistrate's study to chat, and even without an official position, no one would dare to neglect Zhao An.
"Alright, please thank the magistrate for me," Zhao An nodded.
He watched the official leave, his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed.
Tao Heng had clearly done everything he could for him, but he did not want to entrust his safety entirely to someone else.
Among the generals from the prefectural city, military commanders like Hu Dingtian, though powerful, could not pose much of a threat to him.
Only the captain in charge of the army, and the several military officers around him, were truly formidable, capable of exerting immense intimidation and pressure with just a glance.
After much deliberation, Zhao An's gaze finally settled on the Soul Pool.
Now that his movement skills have been perfected, it's not enough; he still needs to improve his physical strength!
His attention was first drawn to the soul slave who was responsible for cultivating the eighth-grade hard skill. This soul slave was the second king of Black Wind Stronghold in his previous life.
However, the enslavement period still has nearly thirty years left. If the cultivation results are harvested in advance, it will inevitably be a waste of this soul slave.
He then turned his attention to the seventh-grade quick sword he had obtained from the armory. The soul slave responsible for its research and cultivation was the former county magistrate, who also had more than ten years of enslavement to wait for.
Looking at the Heavenly Profound Meridian Intercepting Finger technique, it's currently progressing the fastest, and the Soul Slave's enslavement period will be over in a few more days.
"I'll wait a few more days..." Zhao An thought to himself.
Today he has just obtained the results of his movement technique cultivation. If he continues to obtain the results of his soul slave cultivation, it will only be a waste and cause some of his cultivation results to be lost.
On the other side, in the magistrate's mansion, the atmosphere in the main hall also seemed frozen.
"Is the magistrate determined to protect the villain who murdered the general?" Cao Yuanzhan said coldly. Behind him, a group of generals were clad in armor, exuding a murderous aura, like fierce gods. Their terrifying presence was enough to stop a child from crying.
A faint smell of blood permeated the entire hall and front yard.
They had just returned from the battlefield in the wild, having killed many Moon Clan members and bandits; the stench of blood on them would not dissipate for at least ten days to half a month.
Tao Heng took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "The Hu family has committed a grave error. Hu Dingtian not only showed no remorse, but also removed his armor and masked himself to chase after and kill this year's top-scoring scholar in the county's civil service examination. How can I tolerate such an evil deed?"
"If the general is dissatisfied with my actions, I will present the evidence to the Prefect for his review. As for Zhao An, his killing of Hu Dingtian was merely a self-defense act under duress, and I believe the Prefect will show leniency."
Upon hearing this, Cao Xinma was so angry that his eyes blazed with fury, and he took two large steps forward.
Tao Jinyi, who was standing next to Tao Heng, and several other guards immediately stepped forward to protect Tao Heng, staring at the general with hostile eyes, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.
"Hu Dingtian is my military commander, he couldn't possibly have done this! It must be Zhao An who framed him and deceived the magistrate!" Cao Xinma shouted.
"How dare you!" Tao Jinyi couldn't contain himself any longer.
"Whether it is true or not, there are witnesses and evidence. If you insist on not believing it, then the Prefect will decide!" Tao Heng asked rhetorically, flicking his sleeve.
"Or do you think the Prefect will also be deceived in the end?"
"No..." Cao Xinma was about to say something when the captain pulled him back.
They dared to confront Tao Heng, the county magistrate, but they would never dare to speak ill of the prefect.
"Magistrate, many soldiers in the army already know about this matter. If I just let it go like this, I'm afraid the resentment in the army will not be quelled, and the campaign against the Moon Clan will be delayed." Cao Yuanzhan raised his head slightly and squinted his eyes as he spoke.
According to the military ranks of the Great Wu Dynasty, his position as a military colonel was actually one rank higher than Tao Heng's position as a county magistrate.
Normally, he wouldn't be afraid of the local magistrate, and wouldn't even have to obey his orders.
However, Tao Heng had the Tao family behind him, which he could not afford to offend no matter what. Therefore, his tone at this moment was mostly one of negotiation.
"Then what do you suggest?" Tao Heng asked, frowning.
If the other party is not putting in the effort in the campaign, it will also give him a headache.
After all, the Moon Clan posed a great threat. Even if he protected Zhao An, he could not abandon the safety of the entire county's people for the sake of Zhao An alone.
Ultimately, both sides need to compromise and find a middle ground to resolve this matter.
"Bring Zhao An out. Don't say I didn't give him a chance. Since he dared to kill one of my military commanders, let him sign a life-or-death duel agreement with me and fight me in front of the entire army. If he wins, this matter will be considered closed."
"If he loses, he will pay with his life, which will be an explanation to the soldiers!" Cao Xin shouted arrogantly.
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