108: I hope Chu Qing can cultivate black gold bones in three years.
While Zheng Zhixiang led his elite forces quietly to the Prefecture City, Chu Qing was waiting for intelligence.
After sending Cui Moyang and the others away, Chu Qing instructed his maidservant to find the Vice Dean and retrieve all intelligence regarding the Qinghe County rebels.
Not long after, the maidservant returned, holding a box.
“Young Master, the Vice Dean said that only you can see what’s inside this box.”
Chu Qing nodded.
The box was sealed with a wax stamp, bearing the Vice Dean’s mark.
The maidservants withdrew, and he opened the box.
Click!
Inside were various intelligence reports.
There were reports on the rebels, the Fortified Manor in Shiji County, and Qinghe County.
The intelligence was quite detailed.
Chu Qing quickly flipped through them, then closed his eyes in thought:
The situation in Qinghe County was quite dire:
Firstly: The number of defenders was insufficient, and currently, they were relying entirely on ordinary people and the household slaves of prominent families to resist.
Secondly: The Fortified Manors of Qinghe had openly joined the rebels; many gangs were secretly colluding with the rebels.
Thirdly: The Old Dean of Qinghe County had died, the new Dean’s strength was insufficient, and more than two-thirds of the instructors and students of the Martial Academy had joined the rebels.
Finally: The Powerful figure behind Qinghe County, a person named Zhang from the Bingjia Sect, remained neutral.
If Zheng Zhixiang hadn't been aiming to reduce his main force's losses and simultaneously train his troops, Qinghe County would have been finished long ago.
Chu Qing’s first thought was:
Qinghe County is doomed.
Unless the imperial court sends a large army to rescue it.
But… the imperial court had long abandoned Qinghe.
“Even if it’s doomed, it must hold on for a few more days.”
“At least, until Cui Moyang and the others cultivate their Golden Tendons.”
Chu Qing had a long-term idea:
To help Cui Moyang and the others improve their strength, so they could become his assistants in the future.
Rip!
Chu Qing took out a more detailed map.
It showed the rebel encampment.
As he looked at the map, his eyes suddenly lit up:
The rebel camp was not stationed on the open ground by the river.
Instead, it was stationed on the other side, in a place with lush vegetation.
“Hmph!”
Chu Qing let out a long breath, suddenly thinking of his Senior Brother, Madam Jin, and the others.
“Indeed, extensive study is the Dao.”
“I had only planned to casually attack you, but I didn’t expect… you don’t understand military strategy.”
“If the heavens are on my side, I will teach you a profound lesson!”
Splash!
He put away the map and placed all the intelligence back into the box.
He applied the wax seal and stamped it shut.
“Send the box back!”
“Yes!”
The round-faced maidservant left, carrying the box.
Chu Qing then called the melon-seed-faced maidservant and said, “Pay attention to the weather. If there’s an east wind, call me.”
“Yes, Young Master!”
Finally, he said to the cold maidservant, “Go contact Cui Moyang and tell them to prepare flammable materials like fierce fire oil.”
“Yes, Young Master!”
...One day...Two days...Three days...Cui Moyang and the others collected fierce fire oil and other flammable materials while leading their household slaves to relentlessly hunt down the endless stream of rebel scouts and small teams.
On this day, the east wind arrived.
Chu Qing packed his things, contacted Cui Moyang and the others, and, taking the fierce fire oil and other items, headed straight for Qinghe County.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
One by one, the household slaves, carrying large amounts of flammable materials, stealthily infiltrated the vegetation and laid out the combustibles.
In the latter half of the night:
Chu Qing glanced at the chaotic rebel camp not far away and sighed:
“The heavens are on our side!”
“If I don’t set this fire, the heavens will not forgive me!”
“Light the fire!”
With a low roar, the next second;
The nearby household slaves ignited the flammable materials and simultaneously shouted, relaying the message:
“Light the fire!”
“Light the fire!”
“Light the fire!”
The shouts of “light the fire” echoed through the sky, shocking the rebels.
As the rebels awoke from their dreams, they saw the beacon of fire sweeping towards them.
Wind fanned the flames, and fire aided the wind.
A monstrous firestorm swept through the rebel camp.
Burning!
Burning!
Wailing!
Wailing!
The Crowd was miserable.
The rebels had no idea where the fire had come from.
They panicked, scattering and fleeing.
Those who died from being trampled were several times more numerous than those burned to death by the raging fire.
Chu Qing stood silently behind the firestorm, his face expressionless.
Cui Moyang and the others stood behind him, their faces pale.
Although they were Young Masters of a Prominent Family and looked down on common people, viewing human lives as worthless.
However, this was their first time witnessing such a method of killing.
The scene was too tragic.
Even though all who died were rebels, cannon fodder, and Mud Leg.
At this moment, they also felt fear.
Even people with hearts of iron like Cui Moyang and Wang Yinyang, at this moment, when looking at Chu Qing’s back, felt as if they were looking at a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Qinghe County:
The county magistrate looked at the great fire outside with a complex expression.
The Powerful Families and Powerful rejoiced.
“Lord Magistrate, why are you not happy?”
A Powerful Family member wondered.
The county magistrate whispered, “The Bingjia Sect and the rebels have made a deal; this Qinghe County is to be given to the rebels.”
“Now, the rebels have suddenly been burned by a fire. Tell me, will the Bingjia Sect blame the rebels? Or will they blame me?”
Many Powerful Families and Powerful looked gloomy.
The Bingjia Sect was a mountain for thousands of miles around.
Although they were Powerful Families, they were powerless when facing the Bingjia Sect.
A Powerful Family member gnashed his teeth and said, “Anyway, it wasn’t us who started the fire.”
The county magistrate sighed, “Do you think the Bingjia Sect will believe that?”
“Will Zheng Zhixiang believe that?”
The Crowd fell silent.
The county magistrate suddenly bowed to The Crowd and said, “Everyone… please take care of my wife and daughter.”
“Guards, bring three feet of white silk. I will hang myself on this city tower.”
The Powerful Families and Powerful immediately became anxious.
“Magistrate, you cannot commit suicide.”
“If you die, who will bear the wrath of the Bingjia Sect?”
“Who will bear the wrath of Zheng Zhixiang?”
The county magistrate cried, “I just wanted to resist a little, then sell myself for a good price.”
“Who knew that these rebels would be burned by a fire?”
“Damn it, who started the fire?!”
The county magistrate sobbed.
The Powerful Families and Powerful also sighed.
After a long while, they had their household slaves watch over the county magistrate and also sent him some women.
In the end, for the sake of the cute girls, the county magistrate tearfully bore it all… Chu Qing, who started the fire, was not very interested in this raging inferno.
Listening to the rebels’ screams, he sighed:
“These rebels are too useless.”
The Crowd… “Let’s go, we’re going back!”
Chu Qing turned and left.
The others exchanged glances and quickly followed.
As they walked, everyone's hearts were far from calm.
Especially those martial arts servants.
They had all prepared for sacrifice.
After all, a hundred or so people assaulting a military camp would undoubtedly be extremely brutal.
The result:
Just one fire destroyed the rebels.
This method was so terrifying… The Vice Dean of the Martial Academy was astonished when he heard the news.
He knew that Chu Qing was going to attack the rebel camp.
Originally, he thought Chu Qing would suffer heavy losses and then return, honestly clearing out small groups of rebels in Shiji County, improving little by little.
The result:
One fire, one rebel camp, tens of thousands of rebels, annihilated.
At this moment:
The Vice Dean had a thought: “Perhaps the wisest decision I’ve ever made in my life was to let Chu Qing enter the Inner Courtyard.”
“Chu Qing… came from a humble background.”
“Yet he is more formidable than any Young Master of a Prominent Family.”
The Vice Dean had a crazy idea:
To use every means to protect Chu Qing’s growth.
“If the Empire doesn’t perish three years from now.”
“Then, I will use every possible method to send him to the Prefecture City.”
He felt that Chu Qing had potential and a future.
He went to find the Dean.
The Dean smiled after hearing the news.
He knew Chu Qing’s talent even better.
365 Golden Tendons, not to mention going to the Prefecture City, he would even be qualified to go to the Zhou City, or even the main city.
If he could cultivate all the Black Gold Bones within three years, then he would use all his connections to send Chu Qing to the Imperial Capital.
“I hope… he can truly cultivate the Black Gold Bones in three years.”