Bizarre Cultivation: Starting from Being Beaten Up by Reality

Chapter 108 After the Storm

Qian Yong returned to the county government office with a dark expression.

When he heard that County Magistrate Lin was dead, an overwhelming fear gripped him. County Magistrate Lin had led so many men, yet he was still outmaneuvered and killed by Liu Feng.

He had heard that the registrar had died and many constables and yamen runners had been killed, but he didn't seem to care much. No matter how arrogant Liu Feng was, he was always being chased around by Constable Li.

But this time it was completely different. According to the people who escaped, Liu Feng had three heads and six arms and could summon fire and rain. Was he even human?

Officer Li claimed to be the top martial artist in Baishi County, but Qian Yong didn't think much of him. On the contrary, his superior, the arrogant and domineering County Lieutenant Lin, died so easily.

Most of the militiamen who went with County Magistrate Lin deserted, with only a few returning to protect their families. They did not die protecting the magistrate, but instead faced exile to the frontier.

Those who escaped were no better off; they might become outlaws or sell themselves into slavery.

"How did it come to this? So many brothers have ended up in such a miserable state. That Liu Feng is truly despicable. Why won't he just surrender obediently?"

Qian Yong sighed deeply, especially when he thought about how he almost ended up in the same situation, he was filled with lingering fear. Fortunately, he and his companions were on a mission to guard prisoners, which saved them from disaster.

When he arrived at a house, Qian Yong knocked on the door.

A clear, crisp female voice came from inside, "Come in!"

Qian Yong pushed open the door and entered, seeing two beautiful women, each with their own unique charm. Mu Qingfeng was tall and slender, with a high ponytail, and exuded a heroic aura.

Standing beside her was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wu family, known as the most beautiful woman in Baishi County. Although she was already a mother, her extremely pretty face and curvaceous figure were as alluring as a ripe peach, exuding a charm that men could not resist. Even being a mother added a touch of mature and charming elegance to her.

Qian Yong suppressed his inner desires, glanced at the object briefly, and quickly lowered his head, waiting quietly to the side.

"Madam Wu, have you come to deliver a food box to the magistrate again?"

Jinlian patted the food box at her waist, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons, and said with a smile, "Yes, it's not right for a widow like me to show my face in public. Who would have thought that after my third sister got married, the second master's family left and disappeared without a trace, and then the old master suddenly fell ill and collapsed. In just a few days, I'm the only woman left in the Wu family to manage everything."

After Jinlian finished speaking, tears welled up in her large eyes, and she gently wiped them away with a handkerchief.

Mu Qingfeng sighed. It seemed the Wu family had been plagued by misfortune lately. First, the infamous Master Chen schemed to forcibly marry the third young lady of the Wu family. Although she was the legally wedded wife, Master Chen was old, one-eyed, and had a menacing face—the kind of face that would make even a child cry. He had previously married six wives, all of whom died mysteriously, the fastest passing away only two and a half months after their marriage. He wondered how long this third young lady of the Wu family would live.

Then there's the second master of the Wu family. He heard about some business opportunities in other states, so he took his whole family and went there. He hasn't even sent a letter back yet.

After a series of blows, it is said that the patriarch of the Wu family fell seriously ill due to the stress and anger. He was originally such a healthy person, capable of eating a whole pork knuckle in one meal, but he suddenly fell ill.

The Wu family's businesses were thriving under the management of the eldest matriarch of the Wu family. She even managed to acquire nearly half of the businesses of the collapsed Feng and Ma families through some unknown means.

Mu Qingfeng wasn't good at comforting people, so he simply changed the subject, saying, "Madam Wu is usually busy, so she doesn't need to come to see me every time she comes to the county office."

Upon hearing this, Jinlian immediately stopped crying and smiled, her soft body gently pressing against Mu Qingfeng. "Qingfeng, why be so formal? We are both girls, we should be even closer."

Mu Qingfeng shuddered. Although she was a woman, she had always been terrible at handling these kinds of situations. She stiffened like a virgin. Why did she keep encountering these kinds of things lately? She used to always be the one drinking with her arms around a man's neck.

Jinlian whispered many affectionate words to Mu Qingfeng before gracefully bowing to indicate her departure. She swayed her hips and slowly walked out the door.

Qian Yong stood there like a wooden statue the whole time, not daring to look or even breathe. Just as he had lamented before, life is unpredictable; who could have imagined that Mu Qingfeng was once a female constable who constantly talked about resigning to get married?

Clerk Jia is dead. Constable Li's hand couldn't be reattached, so he asked for leave and left, saying he was going to get a new hand and, while he was at it, find Liu Feng, kill him, and then return. He said he was asking for leave, but he left without waiting for anyone's permission. After all, no one in Baishi County could really control him.

Afterwards, because of his decent qualifications and reliable work, Constable Mu was temporarily put in charge of all the affairs of the yamen. The county magistrate was also very patient; he said he wouldn't come out and he really didn't.

Now that County Magistrate Lin is dead, judging from the magistrate's words, wouldn't the entire Baishi County be under Mu Qingfeng's administration? At least that was the situation before the new officials sent by the imperial court arrived.

However, Qian Yong also took over the management of the militia group, which had dwindled to almost nothing.

Having served as acting commander for some time, Mu Qingfeng unconsciously revealed a hint of authority. "Qian Yong, what is it?"

"Chief Mu, I've taken stock of the remaining men, detained the deserters, and issued a notice recruiting militiamen. The militia is now relatively stable. I wonder what the next step is regarding Liu Feng? After all, he killed County Magistrate Lin."

Jinlian, who had just reached the door, stopped abruptly upon hearing this, her lips trembling slightly. "The Liu Feng you're talking about, is it that Liu Feng?"

Qian Yong then realized that the beautiful young woman hadn't gone far. Feeling embarrassed, he looked to Mu Qingfeng for help.

Mu Qingfeng waved his hand, "It's alright. Madam Wu is now a favorite of the county magistrate, so there's no need to hide this from her." Otherwise, Mu Qingfeng would have waited until Jinlian was far away before asking Qian Yong.

Jinlian quickly bowed and said, "That was my proper manner just now. I still need to pay my respects to the magistrate, so please excuse me." Jinlian walked very fast this time, disappearing from sight in a short jog.

Mu Qingfeng then came to his senses and looked at Qian Yong. "No, this kind of person is beyond our ability to deal with. This matter is currently being reported up the chain of command, and the higher-ups will make a decision. Starting today, Baishi County will be under lockdown, with the militia guarding the city gates. Only exits are allowed, no entry. A public notice has also been drafted, the gist of which is to prevent the bandits from continuing their acts of violence. A trading area will be opened at the east gate, and the Wu family will assist with the exchange of goods between merchants inside and outside the city. Once the matter of capturing Liu Feng is settled, we will discuss lifting the lockdown."

Mu Qingfeng finished speaking in one breath, and thought to himself, "Chen Tou'er, how could you stir up such a storm?"

Qian Yong felt a mixture of resentment and hope. The militia had suffered such heavy losses, yet the county government had decided to back down and protect itself. He also felt a sense of relief; if they were to pursue the culprit, he would likely be leading the team. If he were to encounter Liu Feng, he would have no chance of survival.

Lin Yue'er lowered her head and remained silent. She fed Lin Fan another spoonful of porridge before speaking softly, "I haven't decided yet."

Lin Fan didn't ask any more questions and started chatting about other topics, especially about Niu Dadan and Sun Ruolan. Young girls love to hear this kind of gossip, and they were immediately drawn to what Lin Fan was saying, urging him to tell them more details.

After finishing a bowl of porridge, Lin Yue'er was also thoroughly fed with the shocking gossip about the wealthy man's concubine and the hunter, which Lin Fan exaggerated.

Lin Yue'er got up, but instead of cleaning up the dishes, she picked up Lin Fan's black knife from the table and brandished it a few times. "Brother Fan, when we were little, we always imagined ourselves as a pair of knights-errant, wielding wooden swords and traveling the world. This real thing is much colder to the touch than a wooden sword."

Lin Fan was also reminiscing about that beautiful memory that didn't belong to him.

Lin Yue'er took out a brown leather knife pouch from her bosom. "I sealed this myself. Brother Xiao Fan, your knife is always exposed like this. You might accidentally hurt yourself."

The brown knife pouch was simple and unadorned, with only a small crescent moon sewn into an inconspicuous corner.

Lin Yue'er put the black knife into her bag; it was the perfect size. She smiled sweetly, her two dimples particularly captivating.

Lin Yue'er drew the black knife again, and with a swift and decisive motion, cut off a lock of her hair. "If I can't go with Brother Xiao Fan, then take this lock of my hair with me."

Lin Yue'er tied her hair into a knot and stuffed it into the knife pouch, then put the knife away.

After finishing these tasks, Lin Yue'er picked up the bowls and chopsticks and prepared to wash the dishes.

Lin Fan stared blankly. In his eighteen years in his previous life, plus the original owner's sixteen years of memories, he had never been in a relationship. He simply said, "Thank you, the knife case is very nice," and then didn't know what to say next.

At this moment, Lin Yue'er had already opened the door, but something seemed off about it today. With just a gentle pull, four people tumbled in from the outside.

Dr. Lei, Niu Dadan, Sun Ruolan, and Chen Ergou looked at each other awkwardly, then at Lin Fan and Lin Yue'er.

“Brother, we just arrived, yes, just arrived. We wanted to discuss our future plans with you. Oh, we really weren't eavesdropping outside, we just arrived. If it's inconvenient, we'll come back later.”

Lin Yue'er smiled sweetly at the four of them, "It's getting late, and I'm about to head home. Thank you for taking good care of Brother Lin Fan, Doctor. I need to use the kitchen again to wash the dishes."

Dr. Lei quickly said, "Sister, just treat this place like your own home. You can do whatever you want without any problems."

Lin Yue'er thanked them politely and left, thoughtfully closing the door behind her as she went.

Now we have to discuss future arrangements.

Doctor Lei racked his brains and said, "Brother, we probably can't find any spiritual herbs around here. The Craftsman Bodhisattva should also be unrelated to spiritual herbs. We still need to go to Kunlun to look for spiritual herbs."

Because there were other people, Doctor Lei used the term "miracle medicine" to refer to the entrance into the mortal world.

“I have already found a caravan I know well. We will hire a carriage and travel with them. Brother, you don’t need to worry about travel permits and such. These merchants can take care of that.”

Dr. Lei chuckled, "Even if they are wanted criminals, you don't have to worry about being questioned by the imperial court if you follow them."

Lin Fan sat on the bed and sighed, "Okay, thank you very much, doctor."

He then turned to Niu Dadan and Sun Ruolan, "What are your plans?"

Sun Ruolan rubbed her hands together. "If it's convenient, could you give us a ride? We don't plan to go as far as Hu Di Kunlun; we'll just find a quiet place to settle down along the way. Don't worry, I have some savings; I can cover all the travel expenses."

Dr. Lei smiled and said, "That's excellent. With more people, we can look out for each other."

Chen Ergou squeezed into the middle of the crowd, "Me too, take me with you!"

Lin Fan frowned and asked him, "Didn't you just rent a house from Old Man Lin for a year? Are you leaving already?"

"Hey, didn't that Landlord Lin already pass away? Why bring that up again?" Chen Ergou said with a grin. "I just feel like good things always happen when I'm with you guys."

Lin Fan and Doctor Lei exchanged a glance. Actually, Chen Ergou was a problem. If he were caught by the government, he would definitely confess everything. It wouldn't be a bad thing to have him come along.

But Lin Fan still refused, saying, "Er Gou, Bailin Village is actually not bad. Why don't you get married and have children here?"

Chen Ergou shook his head vigorously, "That won't do. What if Lin Caizhu's matter comes back to haunt me? I'd better run away."

Dr. Lei nodded; that reason was acceptable.

Lin Fan pressed on, "Then what's the point of bringing you along?"

Chen Ergou originally wanted to say, "Then what use is Sun Ruolan to you?" But after glancing at the robust Niu Dadan, he swallowed his words, stared at Sun Ruolan for a while, and then said, "Madam Niu and Brother Lei's spirit beasts both need me as their dedicated doctor. If they encounter any bumps or bruises on the road, they don't need to worry about me with me around."

Finally, Dr. Lei agreed to let him accompany him, but he would have to pay for his own expenses along the way.

"The caravan will pass by in about three days, so we'll set off then. My dear brother, take good care of your injuries these next few days."

After they finished speaking, they all left. It was getting late, so they went back to rest.

Lin Fan also slept soundly until the rooster crowed the next day.

Lin Yue'er usually doesn't come this early, so Lin Fan simply started tidying up his things inside the house.

He hadn't dared to touch the things Miaozhu had given him before, fearing there might be some hidden tricks inside, but now he felt safe taking them out.

He recalled everything Miaozhu had done before, and realized that she had always been telling the truth. It was just that he hadn't trusted the Taoist priest at the time. "Fourth Senior Brother was right too. I'm also someone who doesn't understand people's hearts."

Lin Fan even believed Miao Zhuzi's final words that she had ulterior motives towards him.

"Junior sister, rest in peace. I remember you once said that only the dead are trustworthy. I think I understand you a little now."

Lin Fan casually picked up the top booklet, which had only two words on the cover: "Clone".

Lin Fan was taken aback. Could this be the Daoist technique that Miao Zhuzi had mentioned? His heart began to race. He wondered if he could learn it. The clone technique sounded very powerful. If he could learn it, it would definitely greatly enhance his strength.

Lin Fan turned to a page, only to find it completely blank.

"Holy crap, could it be a blank book? What kind of secret technique is needed to open it?"

As soon as Lin Fan finished speaking, words appeared: "The Daoist method transforms into a hundred, a hundred into a thousand, the Daoist method returns to one, one method, one way. There are three thousand six hundred Daoist methods, and everyone holds one root."

Today's chapter is a transitional one, so it's two chapters combined into one, not a single update. Brother Fan is about to learn Taoist magic!