Chapter 292 (1): Party-pooper

Zhang Jitian had just left Earth Gate Fort to visit the village outside. With Chu Qiguang away in Hidden Fiend Village, Zhang Jitian had to take over many of his duties.

For example, the thirty-two new soldiers Chu Qiguang had been training were temporarily under Zhang Jitian's care.

However, the new soldiers were already nearly two hours late for their training session at the fort, and Zhang Jitian had a feeling that something was wrong.

After leaving the fort, he spotted the new soldiers tilling the fields in the distance, while the former captains and the others stood off to the side, issuing instructions.

"Hurry up!"

"You really think you're soldiers now and don't have to tend to the fields anymore?"

"We'll be leaving the spring plowing to you. You'd better not screw it up!"

"What do you think you're all doing?" Zhang Jitian snapped coldly.

The former soldiers turned around, and all of them instinctively took a few steps back at the sight of Zhang Jitian.

However, they quickly regained their courage upon remembering that Ning Chigong was backing them, and they began explaining themselves.

"The elderly villagers are sick, so there's no one to tend the fields."

"We're just getting them to help us for a while. Once they're done here, we'll send them back."

"Shut your mouths!" Zhang Jitian harrumphed coldly. "All new soldiers, come with me. Your job is to train and protect the fort, not to tend the fields."

Hesitant looks appeared on the new soldiers' faces, and they seemed unsure whose orders to follow.

Right at that moment, a voice rang out from beneath the nearby eaves.

"What's all that ruckus?"

Zhang Jitian turned to find Ning Chigong reclining on a chair, observing the unfolding altercation.

"The fields must be plowed in preparation for spring planting, Young Master Zhang. Someone has to do the job," Ning Chigong said with a smile.

"Did you order them to come here and tend the fields?" Zhang Jitian asked in a cold voice.

"I did," Ning Chigong confirmed with a smile as he rose to his feet, looking directly into Zhang Jitian's eyes.

However, Zhang Jitian naturally wasn't going to be intimidated by a deputy hundred-man commander like Ning Chigong.

The Zhang Clan was one of the most powerful clans in Spirit Province, and he was the clan's brightest young prodigy.

"A deputy hundred-man commander like you should know his place," Zhang Jitian sneered as waves of blazing heat began radiating from his body.

Ning Chigong's smile instantly faded, and an even more intense wave of heat erupted from his body, overshadowing Zhang Jitian's.

"You think you're the only fifth-state martial artist in Earth Gate Fort? As long as I'm still around, you don't get to call the shots."

As Ning Chigong spoke, he waved a hand, and the servant behind him stepped forward to present Zhang Jitian with an invitation letter.

"I'm organizing a martial gathering tonight," Ning Chigong explained as the smile returned to his face. "This will be a good opportunity for Hundred-Man Commander Chu to meet some people, so I hope he'll attend as well."

With that, Ning Chigong turned and departed with a cold sneer on his lips.

Zhang Jitian struggled to suppress his amusement as he looked at the invitation letter in his hand.

This idiot thinks he can mess with Chu Qiguang? Even Ihaven't dared to make a move against him yet!

A look of schadenfreude appeared on Zhang Jitian's face as he watched Ning Chigong depart.

***

Meanwhile, Qiao Zhi was resting atop a wall while keeping a close eye on the Ba Manor Daoist Temple.

Some time later, Zhang Fengyun stepped out of the Daoist temple, and Qiao Zhi's eyes instantly lit up as he vaulted over the temple's tall walls.

He padded along as he inspected the interior of the temple, but suddenly stopped in front of a wall bearing a line of large, inscribed text: "Inner court reserved for women only, men prohibited."

Qiao Zhi carefully inspected the wall and quickly spotted the paper talismans and red threads plastered across one end of it.

Instead of venturing any deeper, Qiao Zhi began exploring other parts of the temple, taking care not to trigger any traps. All of a sudden, he heard several women talking in the distance.

"You mastered it so quickly, Hao Xiangtong! It took me several months to master this meditation technique."

"Did your fiancee really come all the way from Spirit Province for you? He's so devoted to you!"

"Devoted my arse! Men like him only see women as trophies. You definitely dodged an arrow, Hao Xiangtong."

Qiao Zhi leaped onto a rooftop to eavesdrop on their conversation more clearly.

He had been observing Hao Xiangtong for the past few days, and it seemed that she hadn't told anyone about Chu Qiguang hiding his power.

Qiao Zhi left the Daoist temple before Zhang Fengyun returned, and not long afterward, White Rice approached him.

"What's up, White Rice?" Qiao Zhi asked.

After returning to Hidden Fiend Village, Chu Qiguang had instructed Qiao Zhi to bring several cat fiends back to Shu Province to gather intelligence, and White Rice was one of them.

The cat and dog fiends had already established an intelligence network in Azure Sun County, so their priority had now shifted to the Ba Manor.

Qiao Zhi's always finding opportunities to go on trips with Mr. Chu, and that's how he became Mr. Chu's favorite cat, White Rice thought to himself. If I can take his place, I'll become the top cat in the village!

In response to Qiao Zhi's question, White Rice revealed, "Chen Gang has been abducted."

***

Inside a small courtyard in the Ba Manor, Chen Gang was tied to a chair with a blindfold over his eyes.

Liu Yao sat beside him, sipping tea.

He had hatched a plan with Ning Chigong to work together and drive Chu Qiguang out of the Ba Manor, but Chu Qiguang had remained in Earth Gate Fort this entire time, giving them no opportunity to strike.

As a result, Liu Yao had resorted to kidnapping Chen Gang, who went out every day to run errands for Chu Qiguang.

One of Liu Yao's martial artist underlings punched Chen Gang in the stomach, eliciting a muffled groan from him.

"Who are you, and why have you abducted me?" Chen Gang asked. "I came to the Ba Manor to visit some relatives. Surely you must have the wrong person!"

"You think I'm gonna fall for that?" Liu Yao harrumphed coldly. He waved a hand, and his underlings immediately administered another beating.

"Where does Chu Qiguang's money come from? Why is Zhang Jitian so obedient to him, and why are you collecting Buddhist scriptures?"

"I'm just a servant. How am I supposed to know any of that?" Chen Gang asked with a wry smile.

Liu Yao shook his head, and his underlings continued beating Chen Gang.

"Still not going to talk?"

Chen Gang spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground, then snarled through gritted teeth, "All of you are dead!"