Yellow Skinned Taoist Master

Chapter 133: Unrest in Xuzhou City

Xuzhou City at dawn.

A picture of peaceful harmony. Citizens went about their lives contentedly. Peddlers hawked their wares along the streets.

Yet above this city of several million souls.

Thousands of spectral deity projections — invisible to ordinary mortals — had materialized.

Deities subsisted on human qi, breathing it in as sustenance.

Yet right now, these gods studiously ignored every wisp of human qi that drifted up.

As though they had gone on a hunger strike.

At the temporary quarters of the Lackey Grand Tutor, Wang Taiyu.

Clad in his crimson court robes and wearing an expression of stern authority, Wang Taiyu sat upon the dais. Cultivator guards flanked him on either side. The image of officialdom personified.

Below him, the assembled officials of Xuzhou City sat with eyes fixed on their noses and noses pointed at their hearts, still as meditating monks. Not a single one spoke first.Because something had happened in Xuzhou City.

Though the Lackey Grand Tutor hadn't said it outright.

The events of yesterday had already spread through every circle of the city's elites.

Song Tiangang, the mighty Governor of Xu Province, had been brought down — by a dirt-poor nobody who'd clawed his way up by playing lapdog to the Emperor. This very Lackey Grand Tutor.

Now, with one night having passed.

Song Tiangang, who had fled into the Hundred Thousand Mountains, might already have been apprehended by the imperial envoys. Perhaps he'd be brought back in chains any moment now.

Someone sneaked a glance upward.

Seeing Wang Taiyu's grim composure, they couldn't help the pang of bitter resignation.

'That Lackey Grand Tutor is good,' the man thought, equal parts admiration and indignation. 'What an actor. If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, who would have guessed that this same Lackey Grand Tutor — who spent the past weeks drinking and carousing, seemingly addled by greed — was quietly engineering a coup like this?'

'Once the Lackey Grand Tutor returns to the capital, his seat will rise yet another notch.'

Where one man sighed, another seethed.

Xuzhou City bordered the Hundred Thousand Mountains. While powerful evil spirits rarely ventured out, it was hardly a land of plenty. Local officials could only grind away here for a lifetime.

The lucky ones put down roots.

Maybe one of their descendants would prove promising enough to make it to the capital.

The unlucky ones would be stuck here forever.

But these officials weren't the true local powerhouses. The real powers were the city's elite families — those with the foresight to have long since submitted their declarations of loyalty to Song Tiangang.

Those shrewd elites, however, would never deign to meet this Lackey Grand Tutor.

Because the only one who'd fallen was Song Tiangang.

Not the Song family. And even with Song Tiangang gone, a Song family provincial City God still sat enthroned in Xuzhou City.

With that presence here, order would hold.

Pity that once this Lackey Grand Tutor packed up and left for the capital, these local officials were the ones who'd take the fall. If the provincial City God decided to settle scores after autumn, their years of thankless toil could be wiped out overnight.

Wang Taiyu surveyed the officials below.

He knew perfectly well what was running through their minds.

But he didn't care.

'Nothing but a pack of useless wine sacks and rice bags,' Wang Taiyu sneered inwardly. 'If I didn't still have use for them, I'd strip them of their official robes right here and now.'

In the half month since arriving in Xuzhou City.

Beyond his secret investigation of Song Tiangang's tax embezzlement.

Wang Taiyu had also dug into the backgrounds of every official in the city.

He'd had his suspicions even before looking.

But once the findings came in, his fury proved impossible to contain.

Wang Taiyu was indeed the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty — but he truly was a peasant by birth. His cultivation, his food, his clothing, his expenses — even his travel funds for the imperial examinations — had all been pooled together by the villagers back home.

He knew that in the eyes of those lofty personages.

Commoners were nothing but expendable resources. The gods needed only prod them, and they'd breed in endless succession.

He also knew that commoners were beasts of burden.

And he treated them as beasts of burden too.

Just as he treated himself as a beast of burden.

But this particular beast of burden held a whip — a whip that could lash these local officials into action.

With that thought.

Wang Taiyu picked up the gavel and set it lightly on the table.

Crack.

The sound was not loud, yet every official below snapped upright in their seats.

"Summoning you all here today was not this old man's preference."

Wang Taiyu said evenly. "I'm sure you're all aware of the matter regarding the Governor of Xu Province. However, today's business has nothing to do with that."

Nobody's expression changed below, but inwardly, they all had their guesses.

This man had silently toppled the Governor of Xu Province.

Now he'd gathered all the officials together — surely he was looking to squeeze one last windfall before departing.

Or perhaps he wanted to plant some of his own people. In a century or so, the Wang family might even grow into a minor noble house.

But what Wang Taiyu said next froze them in their seats.

"The autumn harvest has passed, yet the common folk have still not planted next year's wheat seed. As local officials, you should immediately organize people, coordinate at every level, and ensure the planting is completed on time."

Wang Taiyu's displeasure stemmed from two things.

First: Song Tiangang had siphoned off this year's tax revenue from Xuzhou City.

Second: Song Tiangang had ordered the gods to stimulate the populace into reproducing more.

People couldn't just be conjured from thin air.

Although the common folk, under the influence of divine power, lost control and copulated involuntarily.

And although they bore children after only a few months.

Only half a month had elapsed overall.

With so many women now heavy with child, there was no way they could help with planting and plowing.

And so, getting next year's grain sown before winter was looking increasingly impossible.

Without enough food, who knew how many of Xuzhou City's citizens would starve come next year.

Wang Taiyu set his face in stone. "For every household with a pregnant woman, establish groups of ten households and provide one plow ox per group. The cost shall be deducted from next year's harvest."

"If next year's harvest falls short, the balance carries to the autumn. If autumn fails, defer again — and so on."

"Grand Tutor!"

Someone couldn't help but speak up. "Xuzhou City has several million people. Where would we find that many plow oxen?"

"That is not your concern."

Wang Taiyu fixed the man with a cold stare until he lowered his head, then continued, "If there aren't enough oxen, use cultivators. Cultivators are more useful than oxen. This old man may not be able to command those cultivators directly, but he can certainly command you."

"Every one of you is a Nascent Soul cultivator. Every one of your households has Golden Core servants."

"This old man departs for the capital in three days. If this matter is not resolved within those three days, don't blame this old man for being discourteous."

The officials wore expressions of suffering. One by one, they nodded in acknowledgment.

But inwardly, they seethed with hatred for this Wang Taiyu.

No wonder that even with the Emperor backing him, courtiers and commoners alike cursed him as the Lackey Grand Tutor.

He really was a loathsome old dog.

They were Nascent Soul cultivators! They wore the crimson court robes! How could they endure such humiliation?

Three days. Three days!

To hell with his three days.

Without needing to communicate, every one of them arrived at the same thought.

You, Lackey Grand Tutor, leave for the capital in three days. But those beasts of burden aren't going anywhere.

If they had fire to vent and couldn't vent it on him — well, they'd vent it on the cattle instead.

The officials departed, storming out of the quarters one after another. Once they had gone.

Wang Taiyu addressed his close aides. "Have the confession letters all been prepared?"

"All written. We've already signed on their behalf."

"And their family assets — this old man is taking everything when he leaves. Not a single item may be missing."

"Rest assured, Grand Tutor. Not a cent will be short."

Satisfied, Wang Taiyu permitted himself a small smile, then said, "You've all followed this old man for decades. You've earned your share of merit and endured your share of hardship. By rights, Xuzhou City would be a fine posting for you, but this old man cannot station you here. He still has great things to accomplish — and can't bear to let you go."

"The Grand Tutor jests. My name is Niu Tiezhu, and I have never changed it."

"And I, Zhang Ergou, feel the same."

"Good. You are all good men."

Wang Taiyu spoke with warm approval. "The assets from the confiscations must be presented to His Majesty. If we kill this many officials without offering the proceeds, His Majesty will be greatly displeased. Afterward, this old man will find other means to compensate you."

"Also — has there been any unusual activity from the provincial City God at the Song residence?"

"None..."

The guards shook their heads. "Since the Governor fled with the golden seal yesterday, the Song household seems completely unaware. Everything continues as normal — they've simply stopped receiving visitors."

"We considered infiltrating for a look, but didn't have the ability."

"Mm. This old man understands."

Wang Taiyu was wary of the Song family, but knew his own actions hadn't been particularly outrageous.

The Song family might hold a grudge.

But they wouldn't move against him in secret — because he was at the height of his influence right now. If anything happened to him, everyone would know who was responsible. The Song family would even have to guarantee his safety — all the way until he reached the capital, not a single hair could be out of place.

And after his return to the capital, with four imperial envoys escorting him, there would be even less risk.

However...

What puzzled Wang Taiyu was this: the four envoys had chased Song Tiangang into the Hundred Thousand Mountains yesterday.

It was already the second day. By all rights, they should have returned by now.

Why was there still no sign of them?

Right then.

Wang Taiyu felt a sudden stirring in his senses. He rose and said, "Leave me for a while. All of you, go attend to the preparations."

"Yes, Grand Tutor."

The guards cupped their fists and withdrew.

Once they were gone.

Wang Taiyu abruptly turned to look at his own shadow.

It was dense, unusually heavy. If you weren't paying attention, you'd barely notice.

Then, from within the shadow, a young man with a sallow complexion emerged — looking as though his vitality had been severely drained.

It was none other than Wang Taiyu's only son, Wang Mingdao.

"My boy, why are you only returning now?!"

Wang Taiyu said anxiously. "You followed that Song Jiu into the Hundred Thousand Mountains — did he discover you?"

"Grand Tutor, there are no fathers or sons before the bench."

Wang Mingdao saluted formally. "Left Guard Attendant Wang Mingdao, reporting to the Grand Tutor."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Wang Taiyu said through gritted teeth. "Left Guard Attendant, this official asks you — where have you been these past two or three days? Why have you only now returned to report?"

"Reporting to the Grand Tutor."

Wang Mingdao said stiffly. "This subordinate entered the God-Burying Mound. It was no small feat to escape, hence the delay."

"As for Song Jiu — he's dead."

"What did Song Tiangang send him into the Hundred Thousand Mountains to do?"

"To avenge Song Qiuyue."

"Song Qiuyue is dead? Who killed her?"

"The same person who killed Song Jiu."

Hearing this, Wang Taiyu paled. "That Song Jiu carried a county seal and was accompanied by a county City God, plus eight hundred lesser gods. Who could possibly have killed him?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

Wang Taiyu gave a cold laugh. "You saw it with your own eyes and you don't know? Brother Yang, you tell me."

Brother Yang was the shadow evil spirit.

The next instant.

An icy voice issued from within Wang Taiyu's shadow. "Brother, I don't know either."

"Even if His Majesty asks, you don't know?"

"I truly don't know."

The shadow evil spirit sounded genuinely helpless.

It was the same as Chen Five and his companions.

Yang — homophone of "sheep." Wei Sheep. In reality, its designation was Wei Four. It simply used Yang as a surname in daily life.

In the spring of the fourth year of the Qingli era, it had transformed into an evil spirit within the capital city and had a nail driven into it.

Before its transformation, it had been Wang Taiyu's closest friend.

That was why the Da Kang Emperor had assigned it to Wang Taiyu.

By all logic, even if it wouldn't tell Wang Taiyu, it should tell the Da Kang Emperor.

But...

Like Wang Mingdao, it truly didn't know.

Or rather — it had known before leaving the Hundred Thousand Mountains, but had forgotten afterward.

It was as if, aside from knowing it had entered the God-Burying Mound and apparently sold its life to some evil spirit, every other memory had been erased. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn't recall what had happened.

"If I could see that evil spirit again, I might remember a thing or two."

The shadow evil spirit sighed. "But it was perfectly content staying in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. We leave for the capital in three days. I'll probably never see it again."

Wang Taiyu's brow furrowed deeply.

He had a vague inkling of what had happened.

The batch of civilians Song Tiangang had previously relocated to the Hundred Thousand Mountains had similarly had their memories erased.

It seemed his son and his old friend had suffered the same fate.

"If that's the case, then let the matter rest."

Wang Taiyu said reassuringly. "Knowing too much isn't always a good thing. Know too much, and your life is no longer your own."

"Indeed..."

Wang Mingdao said with feeling. "It's better for one's life to remain in one's own hands."

The shadow evil spirit had sold its life to that evil spirit, and Wang Mingdao, hiding within the shadow, had lost his autonomy as well.

"One more thing."

Wang Taiyu continued. "Brother Yang, the four imperial envoys still haven't returned. Do you know why?"

The shadow evil spirit closed its eyes.

Evil spirits like them could sense one another's existence through their nails.

But no matter how hard the shadow evil spirit probed.

It could not detect the slightest trace of Chen Five or the other three.

As though they were dead.

But just as the shadow evil spirit's expression turned grave, ready to deliver this news to Wang Taiyu, it suddenly felt them — the presence of Chen Five and the other three. Only something was off.

They seemed to have... merged into one.

Thinking this, the shadow evil spirit channeled the nail and called out: "Who are you?"

And then it heard a boy's surprised voice: "Huang Er, do you think I nailed it stupid? It doesn't even know who I am?"