Astral Apostle

   Chapter 215 Standing Stick

  Yanbei, Tianwang Village.

   It has been a few months since the last time the messenger came to discuss the conditions for recruiting security. Recently, an imperial commission from the imperial court finally arrived, representing the official government to formally ask the people in Tianwangzhai for their intentions.

  Lu Longchuan and the commander on the mountain went out to welcome several imperial envoys and entertained them in the Hall of Loyalty.

  Three rounds of wine and five flavors of food.

The imperial envoy put down the wine glass, looked at Lu Longchuan, and cupped his hands: "Lord Lu, all the leaders, Qin Xiang knew that Tianwangzhai had the heart to serve the country, and he specially spoke kindly in front of the Holy Master to mediate for you. Now the imperial court has officially called for peace, As long as you are willing to help the imperial court to pacify the bandit troubles in Yanbei and Taidong, this matter will be most of the time, what do you think?"

  Lu Longchuan clasped his fists in awe: "The Holy One has given grace, we and other grass-roots people will naturally serve the country wholeheartedly. The bandit troubles in these two places will be pacified by my Tianwangzhai."

  The imperial envoy smiled and nodded: "It's so good."

  Lu Longchuan paused, then asked, "I don't know what the imperial court will do with my Tianwangzhai after I recruit security?"

"Haha, let's relax, and when the bandit troubles are pacified, most of Lu Zhai master can control the army and horses, control the soldiers of several states, or appease the envoys in one place, and each of the leaders also has official positions and rewards. If you can let the court see you It is not impossible for him to serve the country with his fists and fists, and it is not impossible for him to be appointed an envoy in the future.

  The imperial envoy laughed.

For nearly 180 years since the founding of the Great Xia Kingdom, there have been many bandit troubles. The method of recruiting security has been used too many times. There have been many prominent Lulin tyrants who have been recruited by the imperial court. When the Jiedu envoy, some people got a good death, which is a good story.

   So in this regard, the court has set a precedent, otherwise people in the green forest would not think that recruiting security is a good way.

  Lu Longchuan stood up, his burly body bent down, and said gratefully: "Sir, please thank me for your kindness and love. When I enter Beijing in the future, I will come to the door to thank you in person."

"It's easy to say, I'll go back and report to Prime Minister Qin. The sage is currently on a southern tour and is not in Beijing for now, so this matter will take a few months. It will probably wait until the spring of next year. , forgive the crimes of the past, and still have a clean body. At that time, you will also go to Beijing for the pilgrimage."

   "Thank you sir." Lu Longchuan thanked again,

   After negotiating the intention, everyone ate and drank, and the host and guests enjoyed themselves.

   stayed for three days in a row, before the imperial envoy went down the mountain and left, and Lu Longchuan and others sent them twenty miles before returning to the village.

On the way   , the straight-headed leader muttered:

   "What a character, big brother, to curry favor with those imperial envoys so much makes me feel so embarrassed. Why should I be so polite to this kind of bird."

  Lu Longchuan shook his head and said, "Hiring Ainz is a big deal. Since I'm looking for a way out for the brothers, how about lowering my posture?"

   "Brother, then Qin Xiang is one of the seven thieves in the dynasty, but we want to cling to this person, won't we be ridiculed by the heroes in the world?"

   "Brother's words are bad. Now that treacherous officials are in power, no one can do anything. Even if we have the heart to serve the country, how can we be recruited by the court if we don't follow the path of the powerful ministers? Alas, men should endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens, and this is the only way to do it now."

  Lu Longchuan explained with a sigh.

   Most of the leaders agreed and expressed their understanding.

   Now, thanks to the efforts of the village owner, the matter of recruiting security has come to a close, and everyone will soon be able to get the benefits of recruiting security, changing from grass bandits to regular troops. At this time, there is naturally no reason to go back.

  Someone muttered: "Since dealing with the imperial court, it's not easy to act like this, it's not as easy as before. Wouldn't it be comfortable to think of Chen Feng from the south, to do things for the sky, and to kill happily?"

  Chen Feng's actions were spread among the green forests all over the world, and many leaders in Tianwangzhai respected Chen Feng quite a bit.

   If it wasn't for the fact that they had joined the team in Tianwangzhai, and had been brothers for many years, many people would have liked to put their wings on and fly to the south, and follow Chen Feng to walk the road for the heavens and wander the world.

Lu Longchuan stroked his beard and pondered: "Then Chen Feng is indeed the No. 1 figure in eliminating evildoers and evildoers. It's heartbreaking, and he has the style of my youth. It's just... This person acts too recklessly, has a tyrannical nature, and is often provocative. The court, if the back road is cut off, it is most likely impossible to be recruited."

  Everyone was speechless.

   At this moment, Xiang Tianjie coughed, changed the subject, and asked:

   "The court wants me to pacify the bandits in Yanbei and Taidong. Can my brother and your military advisors have a plan?"

Hearing this, a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar next to him said, "Although my Tianwangzhai is the leader of the green forest in the north, the northern land is in turmoil and there are many large villages, so it is not easy to calm down. However, once my Tianwangzhai is recruited, With the righteousness of the imperial court, it may be said that some of the stockades that have a good relationship will be demolished, while the rest of the stubborn people will have to do a few games."

   "Yes, to pacify Yanbei and Taidong, you need a combination of strength and softness. As long as the bandit troubles in the two places are eliminated, most of the north will be settled."

  Lu Longchuan nodded.

   He didn’t want to fight blindly to suppress the bandits. If he fought all the money, even if he was recruited, it would be of little use. Maybe he would be slaughtered by the court.

In his opinion, only by maintaining the armed forces, making it difficult for the government to govern, and not breaking the taboos of the imperial court, will the imperial court be willing to give out real rewards to continue to win over their Tianwangzhai, thus indirectly becoming the entrenched official of the territory, and the status is no longer. Limited to the green forest, but on the right path.

  …

   After sailing on the boat for several days, Zhou Jing and his group finally came to the realm of Huyang.

  The folk style of this place is very different from Jiangchun and Luhe. It is far less prosperous and prosperous than those two places. The homeless people can be seen everywhere. The villagers in the countryside are more scrawny, yellow-faced and skinny, and their living conditions are worse.

  Looking around, it is a withered scene.

   "Brother, where are we going now? Are we going to the county town to get rid of evildoers, or to pay a visit to the masters, or to visit the green forest fellows?"

  Everyone looked at Zhou Jing, waiting for his decision.

  Zhou Jing touched his chin and said in deep thought: "The master's business is not in a hurry. If I want to meet Huyang Lulin and the strong, I will go to Yueshan Lake, and this matter of eliminating evildoers and punishing evil, I will do it on the way."

   "But listen to my brother."

  The crowd had no objection.

   Huyang water network was densely covered, and a group of people managed to do it for two days before being blocked by a large lake.

  There is a fishing village wharf by the lake, and rows of boats are parked. There are many fishermen and boatmen who make a living here.

  Fang Zhen went to inquire about the situation, and soon came back to report.

   "Second brother, the villager here said that this lake is called Xiaofeng Lake. If you go through it by dry road, you will have to go around a long way. It is best to cross it by boat."

   Zhou Jing looked at this big lake. The lake is dotted with sandbars, there are reeds everywhere, there are many harbors, and the waterways are complicated, but it is a dangerous place.

   He thought about it and asked, "This lake is complicated, can there be strong men?"

   "I asked, and the villagers said yes, I don't know if it's true or not. But according to my observation, this fishing village might be a little tricky."

  Fang Zhen is also a traveller, and he will not fully believe the words of the locals.

  Guo Haishen interjected: "Huyang water bandits are rampant. Basically, the slightly more sinister lakes are entrenched by water bandits. They are usually linked to the surrounding fishing villages. I don't think this place is simple."

   Zhou Jing squinted his eyes: "So that's the case... just to try the quality, find some boatmen to take us across the lake, and everyone will act according to the opportunity."

   When everyone heard the words, they responded and went to charter a boat, and soon hired dozens of boatmen.

   After a while, dozens of small boats, carrying Zhou Jing and his group of hundreds of people, sailed slowly on the lake.

  Many green forest masters separated, each sitting in a boat, protecting the poor people who followed.

  As the fleet moved, the surrounding reeds became denser and denser, obscuring the sight.

  The water surface is also cloudy green.

   At this moment, the stern man on the boat suddenly threw away the oars and jumped into the water one after another, like a tail of fish, very agile.

  Crash-

   There are waves on the water.

   The next moment, the boat that Zhou Jing and his group were sitting on shook violently. It seemed that someone was shaking the boat under the water, causing many people to exclaim in surprise.

   "Hey, there really is a problem."

   Zhou Jing didn't move, but with a slammed hand, as if fishing for a fish, he grabbed the scorpion directly from the water, threw him on the deck, and put a foot on his chest, making him unable to move.

   Most of the rest of the boat's companions responded in a timely manner, such as Guo Haishen, Duan Yunfeng, Hong Dingxian, Fang Zhen, Zhang Lei, and others also pulled out the stern from the water and easily subdued each other.

   Only a few people with average martial skills were slipped away by the stern, and some were even dragged into the water, choking on water, and pulling their hips.

   gududu——

   At this time, the decks of the boats suddenly seeped water.

  The bottom of the boat has already done tricks, and the stern man activated the trap as soon as he dived and chiseled the bottom of these boats.

   At the same time, small boats turned out from the reeds and surrounded it.

   These ambush soldiers are all water bandits, roughly three or four hundred people.

   "Little ones, here comes a big fish!"

   "Hahaha, it's finally open!"

  The water bandits shouted excitedly, and many of them stripped naked, jumped into the water with sharp knives in their mouths, and eagerly touched the boats of Zhou Jing's group.

   Zhou Jing did not change his face, but laughed instead:

   "The water bandits from other places still ask people what kind of noodles they eat. I didn't expect the local water bandits to be so rude, they wouldn't even let us choose."

   The water bandits who were present heard the words and looked over one after another, looking at this fearless burly man with curiosity.

  Under everyone's eyes, Zhou Jing suddenly pulled off his clothes and jumped into the water.

   The next moment, the surface of the water suddenly surging violently, as if the river was overturned.

  bang bang bang! !

  Suddenly, a piece of water bloomed, and I saw a water bandit being thrown out of the water, the scene was like fried fish!

   With a loud boom, the huge waves were emptied, as if a bomb exploded underwater, directly swept away all the boats of the enemy and allies in the field, making a mess.

The    water splash was like a downpour, slamming and drenching everyone present.

   At this moment, Zhou Jing suddenly jumped out of the water and landed on a water bandit's boat, smashing the boat, causing the boat to shake, and the water bandits on the boat fell to the ground.

"how?"

   Zhou Jing shook his wet hair and laughed.

   His own water is average, but his physique and body control are high enough. After a little familiarity with this kind of thing, he is proficient. Moreover, with the blessing of martial arts arrogance, his underwater speed is also much faster than ordinary people.

   "Who are you, who are you? To be able to overturn rivers and seas, could it be that the thousand-year-old Jiaolong has transformed into a human form!"

   The leader of the water bandit was stunned and couldn't believe it.

   He thought there was a big fish, but he didn't expect it to be a shark.

   Zhou Jing smiled, twitched his chest muscles, and said proudly: "Grandpa can't change his name, sit or change his surname, it's called Chen Feng."

   "Are you Chen Feng, the devil of the world?!"

   The leader of the water bandit suddenly changed his face, turned his head and yelled at his subordinates:

   "Stop! Stop everyone!"

   The movements of the minions were stopped, and they were at a loss.

   Immediately afterwards, the leader of the water bandit bowed directly to Zhou Jing, with a happy expression on his face, and said excitedly:

   "It turned out to be Brother Chen Feng. I have admired his name for a long time. No wonder he has such a skill! The older brother is on top, and the younger brother will worship him!"

   When the other water bandits saw this, they also dropped their weapons and bowed down one after another.

   Zhou Jing looked around, raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, do you know my name?"

The head of the water bandit said excitedly: "My brother's deeds in Jiangchun, no one knows about the Green Forest Road, and I will all admire it. I heard that my brother left Jiangchun some time ago, but I didn't expect to come to Huyang. I saw my brother today. Lucky to be born! Why didn't my brother sign up earlier? Almost flooded the Dragon King Temple! Before the swords were facing each other, I hope my brother is not to blame.

   Chen Feng's current reputation is like a superstar in Green Forest, with fans everywhere, and ordinary heroes are as excited as seeing him as an idol.

   Now, even if he doesn't use martial arts, just brushing his face is enough for many green forest cottages to welcome him as a guest, and the queue is bigger than Guo Haishen.

   "That's fine." Zhou Jing did not hesitate, and directly agreed to the invitation.

   He was trying to find a local gang to inquire about the current situation in Huyang. At this time, he was in the right place.

The leader of the    water bandit was overjoyed, and hurriedly greeted the minions to repair the boats of Zhou Jing's group, pulled up the drowning people, and escorted the group into the water village hidden in the lake.

  The environment of the water village here is dirty and chaotic, the conditions are quite limited, and it is not suitable for raising chickens and pigs. Most of the time, they make a living by fishing.

   The leader of the water bandit held a banquet, took out the food in stock, and entertained everyone.

   Zhou Jing, Guo Haishen, and other experts from the Green Forest were all seated, and they introduced each other according to the way on the road.

   The leader of the water bandit also reported his family name as Sheng Rong. He was the owner of the village. He had a nickname called "Shui Feizi" and praised him for his excellent water skills.

   This group of water pirates entrenched in Xiaofeng Lake, with a total number of about seven or eight hundred people, is not large in scale.

  The boatman in the fishing village by the lake and a group of water bandits are responsible for pulling the guests who cross the river to the port in the lake, and then digging the boat, waiting for the water bandits to come and arrest them.

   However, this business can only be opened once for a long time. Because there are many water bandits in Huyang, it has become a consensus. Most people do not want to go by water here, so the water bandits can only trap some small fish and shrimps from other places.

   Like Zhou Jing's group of hundreds of big fish, it was the first time they met, so they couldn't wait to make a move before, for fear of missing out.

   During the banquet, Zhou Jing asked about the surrounding green forest, but got an answer that interested him:

"I don't dare to lie to you, brother, in this area of ​​Huyang, most of the water bandits who can occupy a lake and a river to do business, mostly worship the wharf and have a backer behind them. Although there are not many people in my group, but they also worship 'Jin Jin'. The pier of King Lin, Fan Zong, is one of the twenty-two generals under his command."

   Fan Zong, the "Golden Scale King", is one of the Three Floods of Huyang, and he is a green forest pirate here.

   Huyang water bandits, there are many gangs, and because of the complex terrain, it is different from the form of ordinary cottages.

   The water pirates worship the wharf here, and the structure is similar to a loose alliance. It relies on the name of Huyang Sanjiao and uses the signboard of the backer to protect the site, so as to not violate other gangs. Otherwise, without this signboard, no matter what territory you occupy, as long as others like it, they can come to you and trouble you, without worrying about others.

  When the boss is in need, the water bandit gangs under his command will obey orders. Usually, these gangs stay in their own territory, do their own business, and develop on their own.

  Huyang Sanjiao competes with each other for territory, and many times they dig each other's corners, and let the opponent's gang of water bandits turn their heads and serve them, so as to strengthen their power and voice.

  Zhou Jing asked clearly, he was sure in his heart, suddenly got up, raised the wine bowl, and said loudly:

   "Brothers, I want to go to Huyang and gather in the mountains and forests. Would you like to join me?"

   "Haha, it's long overdue!"

   Fang really laughed.

  The crowd was also excited and responded in groups.

   On the way here, Zhou Jing had already mentioned to everyone his intention to set up a stick in Huyang, so everyone was not surprised at this time.

   Then, Zhou Jing looked at Sheng Rong, the leader of the water bandit, and said with a smile, "Brother, what do you think?"

   Sheng Rong was a little surprised, but after a little thought, he no longer hesitated.

   He suddenly stood up, drank the wine from the bowl, and said loudly:

   "Thanks to my brother, I would like to respect my brother as the leader. From now on, only my brother will lead the way!"

   Anyway, when I wandered around Huyang, I wanted to worship the pier. I was under Fan Zong, and I was just a little transparent at the end of the line. It might be a better choice to turn around and follow the famous Chen Feng.

  In Sheng Rong's view, with Chen Feng's ability, 80% of them can break through the world and break the current situation of the three pillars of Huyang Green Forest, and maybe they will keep pace with the "Huyang Three Jiao" in the future.

   Take effect as soon as possible, and you will have a better chance in the future.

   (end of this chapter)