Told You I Can Turn Back Time
Chapter 98 Post-War Handling

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Post-War Handling

On the way back to Shanghe County.

Since the horses they had been riding were all lost in the canyon, Lin Xing and Jing Shiyu could only move forward on foot.

Fortunately, the Puppet Girl, who was incredibly strong and full of stamina, could carry Zhang Tiande and the baggage under Master Bai’s control and hurry on the road.

Soon they arrived at a nearby small town and got in touch with a merchant convoy that was passing through.

Jing Shiyu did not reveal her identity and simply paid to take a seat in the merchant’s carriage, departing with the convoy in the direction of Upper River County.

Inside the carriage, the several helpers, and bodyguards of the merchant convoy couldn’t help but look towards the back of the carriage, their eyes lingering on Jing Shiyu’s face as if uncontrollable.

A trace of annoyance flashed in Jing Shiyu’s eyes, and she pulled Lin Xing’s body in front of her.

Seeing the two young men and women leaning on each other, a sigh of regret seemed to emanate from the hearts of the helpers and bodyguards.

Even though there was another pretty girl who often carried a burly man on her back, her cold, frosty face and the great strength she inadvertently displayed made the men in the carriage subconsciously keep their distance from her.

But now, Jing Shiyu and Lin Xing, leaning on each other, were quietly talking about something.

"You should know that as the overlord of the north, Xingxiao Sect’s real territory is there, and their influence and power can’t be compared to that in Dongya Prefecture."

"If you are going to the Taiqing Sect, you will inevitably encounter even more threats from the Xingxiao Sect."

"On the way back, I’ll try to tell you everything I know about the Xingxiao Sect."

Lin Xing nodded at her words; he indeed needed more information about the Xingxiao Sect.

However, Jing Shiyu had not previously collected information about the Xingxiao Sect specifically, and most of the information she had was fragmented. Now, she was just speaking off the cuff, telling him whatever came to mind.

"Unlike the new government in the south, the sixteen provinces in the north still acknowledge the Emperor of Great Zhou in name, governing with the new government, divided north and south by the river..."

"The actual rulers of the provinces in the north are the military governors, and often the backers behind these governors are major sects and local magnates..."

"Though the Xingxiao Sect has only emerged for ten years, they have amassed a huge fortune by trafficking in military equipment."

"And there’s Tianshu Zi, the leader of the Xingxiao Sect. You also know this man is said to have the ability to foresee the future..."

"It’s rumored that ever since he started, he has continuously encountered extraordinary fortunes, with some saying he obtained a treasure trove hidden by the Xingdou Sect five hundred years ago and thus established today’s Xingxiao Sect..."

"Some say he found the tomb of a previous Emperor and obtained the Divine Weapon worshiped by the imperial family for a thousand years..."

"Others claim he consumed a ten-thousand-year-old vermilion fruit and cultivated prowess unmatched in the world..."

"These rumors are of uncertain veracity, and I’ve heard them over the years, hard to discern. But overall, ever since this man appeared, he has never been defeated, and just this point alone is terrifying enough..."

"Two years ago, rumors started that he had mastered the third Heavenly Master lineage, but those are just rumors, and it has been a long time since anyone has seen him take action..."

At this point in her talk, Jing Shiyu suddenly had a thought, "Since the leader of the Xingxiao Sect has been unbeaten ever since he emerged and is said to have predictive abilities, then why has the Xingxiao Sect failed twice in capturing Lin Xing?"

"Did he not foresee it, or was it simply a mistake by his subordinates?"

"Or could it be... that the failure to capture is also within his plans?"

...

Two days later, the merchant convoy arrived in the town of Upper River County.

After making contact with the followers of the Heavenly Will Sect in town, Jing Shiyu brought Lin Xing and Bai Yiyi to her own residence and arranged for them to settle down.

"You can treat this place like your own home."

Jing Shiyu stood beside Lin Xing, speaking softly, "Now that my senior sister is not here and I’ve been away for so long, there are definitely a lot of sect affairs that have piled up."

"Furthermore, we must guard against the remnants of the Xingxiao Sect in Dongya Prefecture. I expect I’ll be busy for a while and won’t be able to see you every day," Lin Xing warned.

"The remnants of the Xingxiao Sect?" Lin Xing’s eyes lit up with anticipation, "If there’s danger, call me anytime."

If someone else had said this, Jing Shiyu would have dismissed it as mere lip service, but hearing Lin Xing say it made her feel a burst of heroic spirit washing over her, affording her a sense of relief.

"Oh, right." Lin Xing remembered that he had used up all his talisman paper in the recent battle and so he said, "Do you have any money? Lend me some."

Without asking why Lin Xing needed the money, Jing Shiyu simply asked, "Is five hundred taels enough?"

Seeing Lin Xing nod, she then instructed someone standing nearby, "Go to the accounting room, fetch five hundred taels of silver, and bring them here to Mr. Lin."

Not far from the courtyard gate, several young women were waiting anxiously, looking in the direction of Jing Shiyu.

One of them stamped her foot and exclaimed, "Ah, there are so many sect affairs waiting to be dealt with, and Master Bai is still not done?"

"Look, Master Bai is giving him money, too."

"Why haven’t they finished talking?"

Seeing Jing Shiyu’s amiable demeanor in front of Lin Xing, a hint of surprise appeared in the eyes of the young women.

After all, the Jing Shiyu they knew was decisive and quick to act, not showing the slightest hint of a girlish demeanor as she was now.

The girl named Shuting, however, huffed and said, "What do you know? Master Bai’s heart has always only been set on the position of the Leader of the Holy Sect. When has she ever cared for such romantic affections?"

She speculated aloud, "It’s clear that Master Bai is just giving this man some kind of bewitching drug. This man’s identity must be extraordinary, or perhaps he possesses some unique skill."

The other girls nodded their heads in agreement, feeling that this was something their master would do.

Just then, they saw Jing Shiyu step outside the gate and say coldly, "Prepare yourselves, and summon all of Jing Yuwei’s subordinates over."

"I don’t care how, but within three days you must spread the word throughout Dongya Prefecture, tell them I have news about Jing Yuwei..."

Jing Shiyu’s words carried an edge of ruthlessness, signaling that Dongya Prefecture was about to witness a storm of blood and violence.

Seizing the opportunity of Jing Yuwei’s followers being leaderless, Jing Shiyu began to absorb their influence.

It was a mixture of threats and appeasements, carrot and stick.

The members who were unwilling to join her cause were either relegated to idle positions or were directly expelled from the Holy Sect.

Through this process, Jing Shiyu transformed all the Heavenly Will Sect followers within Dongya Prefecture into her own power, step by step.

As for the true whereabouts of Jing Yuwei, of course, Jing Shiyu would not disclose them—and she wouldn’t even speak of the great battle in the canyon just yet.

Considering that she was now the only remaining Holy Daughter candidate, Jing Shiyu believed that as long as her power in Dongya Prefecture grew stronger, the true position of Holy Daughter would eventually fall into her hands.

As for any news of the canyon battle leaking, when her power became sufficiently dominant, there would be no need to worry.

Beyond that, she continued to take over the remnants left by Zhang Tiande, pacify the various factions within the prefecture, connect with the Xingxiao Sect members in Dongya Prefecture, and gradually expand her influence and assets...

While Jing Shiyu was occupied with these matters, Lin Xing set about acquiring yellow paper and cinnabar, painting talismans daily to replenish what he had used up in the last battle.

He also began practicing another skill he’d learned from Jing Shiyu—the art of Spirit Vision.

The recent battles had made him keenly aware of his limited surveillance abilities, especially the insufficient perceptiveness after his spirit had left his body, compelling him to prioritize this new skill.

Sitting cross-legged in a corner of the courtyard, waves of spiritual thought emanated from the center of his brow, sweeping over the surrounding space like ripples of water and gradually bringing impressions of the vicinity back to Lin Xing’s mind.

As Lin Xing practiced, he found he could sense more and more information from the fluctuations of spiritual thoughts.

In his mind, he pieced together and processed these insights, constantly striving to reconstruct the appearance of the courtyard before his eyes.