Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 104 - 101 Hehuan Sect, Blood Mandarin Ducks (Please Subscribe, Request Monthly Pass)

Chapter 104: Chapter 101 Hehuan Sect, Blood Mandarin Ducks (Please Subscribe, Request Monthly Pass)

"Compared to the people we’ve arranged, the handiwork of that [Immortality Seeker] is even more extensive.

Not only did she change your place of origin, but she also crafted a whole new background for you, detailing how you became a disciple of Fan Wuju from your childhood, painstakingly practiced martial arts, studied military strategies and tactics, and as you grew older, how you fought against the Red Lotus Rebel Army and made your way into the city—she made it all seem so real."

"Moreover, this Red Lotus Celestial Maiden has her reach everywhere; she not only resolved your background issue and the problem with your recommendation for the exam, but she also found out who are on the roster for this term’s Martial Scholars, several of whom should not be underestimated."

Thinking it over, Lin Huaiyu reminded, "The Zhang, Wang, Zhao, Xue families, the four major houses in Qingyang City, have all sent out their own young members. What they are actually competing for is not talent or martial arts prowess, but status and the transactions behind it...

The key will come down to what the County Magistrate really thinks.

That point, I believe the Red Lotus Celestial Maiden must also already have paved the way for, but overall, Zhang Yuanhao of the Zhang family remains your formidable rival."

Zhou Ping’an knew that the Third Miss was actually being somewhat optimistic.

If we’re being honest.

When the four major families saw the opportunity, they all had blood in their eyes, sparing no effort to try to get Magistrate Li to recommend one of their own members; the competition was fierce unto the last man standing.

Last time, the Zhang family from Qingyang emerged triumphant, with Tian Shouyi becoming the County Magistrate as the successful son-in-law of the Zhangs, barely prevailing after a fierce contest.

This was not only because the Zhang family was indeed wealthy and powerful, firmly holding the top position in Qingyang.

Another reason was that Tian Shouyi himself was extraordinarily capable in both tactics and martial arts prowess, truly a standout.

Therefore, he was able to attain the position of County Magistrate, in control of the city’s forces, a term that lasted six years.

Now that Tian Shouyi has been assassinated, the post of County Magistrate has become vacant. Regardless of the chaos in the city, among the large households, it was practically a celebration.

On normal days, that would be okay.

An eighth-rank official post doesn’t count for much extravagance; it doesn’t raise the family’s status when spoken of.

But now, with bandits blocking trade routes, refugees gathering in crowds, and bones of the starved littering the roads, and the Red Lotus Bandits lurking beyond...

In such a precarious situation, these wealthy families can’t even flee or relocate; having a County Magistrate who controls the city’s forces holds a completely different significance.

"The Green Lady has made preparations concerning the County Magistrate; let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Otherwise, even if you secure the County Magistrate’s post today, the future troubles will be endless."

Zhou Ping’an naturally wouldn’t hide anything from Lin Huaiyu.

He had already relayed everything he had heard from the Green Lady about breaking through to True Martial, about needing to gain momentum.

And about the higher levels of "fate" and "fortune."

As a result, their rudimentary plan underwent some minor adjustments.

In summary, the plan to refine the "Seven-Colored Pill", to vie for the identity of a Cloud Water Heavenly Sect disciple, and to inherit the "Sword of Canghai Codex" remained unchanged.

At the same time, it was necessary to take a two-pronged approach, collaborating to a limited extent with the forces of the Red Lotus Sect within the city.

"This city, if others can take it, so can I."

Since all the sects are investing and betting on the powers across the world and sending Elders and disciples to meddle in the grand scheme of things.

It surely heralds a major conflict in the near future.

In these tumultuous times.

It’s useless to stay out of harm’s way.

Even if one were to hide in remote mountains not striving for advancement, there’s no guarantee of safety.

Rather than that, it’s better to swim against the current and snatch victory from the fire.

Once the major trend coalesces, with control in hand, many issues that now seem insurmountable will no longer be problems.

...

"Little Lian, Little Lian..."

As the two of them casually walked on, they suddenly heard a burst of wailing cries.

The voice was old and piercing.

Chilling to the bone.

Turning their heads to look, they saw in a small alley to the side, in front of a ramshackle house, an elderly woman crying and calling out, crawling forward on the snowy ground.

She cried so hard that she was gasping for air, rolling her eyes back several times, nearly fainting.

And in front of her, half-covered by a straw mat with a naked body and long hair exposed, was a not very tall young woman.

Lying there, silent and breathless.

Two black-clad constables were being blocked by several indignant farmers, "Constables, aren’t you going to do something about this? This is already the third case. The city is full of lechers, not caught, yet you’re investigating assassins day after day?

Heaven above, doesn’t anyone treat us as human beings?"

"Don’t stop me, the County Warden has been assassinated, and the criminals are too vicious. Not to deceive you, fellow villagers, with our capabilities, we can’t really help with the assassin hunt, it’s just a formality, really."

One of the more seasoned constables explained earnestly.

"As for young Mistress Little Lian’s case, it’s not that we’re unwilling to do our best, it’s just beyond our abilities.

Did you see? The blood-colored mandarin ducks painted on the shoulder of the young lady? That’s a unique mark of the Hehuan Sect disciples...

Wherever they go, they bring misfortune upon many women, and their martial strength is formidable.

Not just us, even if the County Magistrate were still alive, we’d have no way to deal with such elusive lechers."

"Does that mean you’re just going to let it slide?"

The honest farmer grew more heartbroken, his body nearly collapsing with grief.

If the Official Government cannot stand up for the people.

Then what’s the point of its existence?

Granny Wang and her granddaughter Cui Lian, they were such good people... After Cui Lian lost her parents to illness, she supported the household all by herself, selling her small block of tofu from dawn to dusk.

She fed her grandmother and younger brother.

But, plagued by such misfortune, it feels like heaven is blind, with no hope in sight.

"Misery often falls upon those who are already suffering."

Watching the two black-clad constables, rather than reacting, they freed themselves from the tangle of the farmers and strode away.

Standing still, Zhou Ping’an and Lin Huaiyu’s expressions turned extremely grim.

Distributing porridge and providing disaster relief can only ensure the refugees don’t starve to death temporarily.

It doesn’t solve the underlying issues.

And within the city, vile incidents periodically erupted.

Most ended up unresolved.

The City Guards were only concerned with guarding against another attack by the Red Lotus Army, to prevent loss and harm to the nobles’ and the rich households’ safety and property.

As for the tragedies that befell ordinary citizens, they generally adopted an attitude of turning a blind eye.

Zhou Ping’an would sometimes wander the streets aimlessly, lending a hand where he could.

But he couldn’t possibly spend every day just watching over the city.

In his heart, he still held out some hope for the government, for the Imperial Court.

After all, this was fundamentally the responsibility of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Dependence on individual acts of chivalry and momentary kindness, how many could one really save?

But as he watched the scene before him now, as he witnessed such human tragedy, he could no longer suppress the indignation in his heart.

"They’re all rotten to the core, deserving of their fate."

Lin Huaiyu didn’t say much.

She walked forward, took out some bits of silver, and placed them in the old woman’s hands.

"Please accept my condolences."

She gestured with a wave of her hand, and the house servants following her stepped up to take care of things.

There was nothing to be done, the dead could not be brought back to life.

If it was possible to make life a little better for the living, then that was what they should do.

Then there was the "Blood Mandarin Ducks."

Lin Huaiyu’s eyes grew cold, she scrutinized the bloody marking carefully, her body radiating a fierce killing intent.

"Brother Zhou, this Hehuan Sect disciple must be eliminated. Are you afraid?"

Third Miss’s voice held a hint of coldness.

Zhou Ping’an knew that she was truly enraged to her very core.

Even when facing Deng Yuanhua and Tian Shouyi, she had not displayed such emotional outbursts.

Her disposition was now somewhat disturbed by the rush of emotions.

"No matter which sect the disciple hails from, committing such atrocities, how can we let them go?

Dispatch our men, search everywhere—put other matters aside for now. If the government won’t handle it, we will."

Over the past few days, Zhou Ping’an had heard about the reputations of the various sects, gangs, and noble families.

On the whole.

He felt that the Heaven Corpse Sect and the Hehuan Sect were the most wicked.

The Heaven Corpse Sect often killed innocents in cold blood, committing mass murder in villages and towns to gather essence of death and corporeal energy for their cultivation.

Their method of cultivation was not like that of Xiao Changhe of the Yin Soul Sword, who would hide in graveyards and consort with decaying corpses to condense deathly and toxic energies.

They absorbed the resentments and deathly aura of living beings at the moment of death, harnessing a unique power from the brink of life and death to forge the Immortal King Body.

In some ways, their bodily strength was even comparable to the Golden Body physical cultivation methods of the Buddha Sect, which made disciples of this sect extremely hard to kill and universally reviled.

But even so.

Disciples of the Heaven Corpse Sect would emerge from time to time.

Never completely eradicated.

The Hehuan Sect was different.

The Female Disciples of the Hehuan Sect were one thing; they would simply seek out robust men to siphon off their vitality, leaving their victims frail and sometimes even causing death to aid their cultivation.

But due to the general beauty of these female disciples.

Finding targets wasn’t difficult.

They didn’t often take the great risk of kidnapping able-bodied men.

Nor did they attract excessive attention.

However, the male disciples were a different story.

The male disciples of the Hehuan Sect were fundamentally depraved, thieving, and they specifically targeted young women with ample... copious yin energy.

The most intolerable fact was.

These individuals, due to their wide exposure to beauty, were not easily impressed by ordinary looks.

The individuals they selected were generally spiritual and elegant women.

They claimed that such women were the most beneficial for nourishing their blood and enhancing their power.

In their eyes, people were no longer human beings but mere tools, no more than objects.

It wasn’t that no one wanted to hunt down these Hehuan Sect disciples.

But as one of the Seven Great Sects, this demonic path might have a disreputable name, yet their capabilities were certainly not inferior.

The usual noble heroes and rising stars truly might not be a match for such scum.

The reason was simple: one side progressed step by step, painstakingly cultivating,

While the other seized the essence of others for rapid advancement in martial arts.

Furthermore, the disciples of the Hehuan Sect had reached profound levels in the use of various poisons... sedatives, mesmerizing drugs, skillfully combining them with their sect’s martial practices, making them far from weak.

Only if a celebrated elder intervened.

However, the truly renowned masters, having made their name and settled in life, when would they bother with the fates of others, most preferring not to trouble themselves.

As for the government’s experts,

A rebel was a hundred times more important than a lustful thief.

They were overwhelmed.

Thus, such tragedies were occurring everywhere, but those who actually received retribution were exceedingly rare.

...

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