Chapter 87: Chapter 79: Ziyang Academy
Weighing the bag with about a hundred large coins, Du Chengfeng’s opinion of Yanzhou only grew stronger.
Back when he was doing good deeds in Jizhou, the Governor’s Mansion would at least give him five hundred coins. Now, even after capturing a spy from the prairie in Jizhou, he only got a hundred coins—he considered confronting those Capturers about it, but after they imprisoned the Sparrow Hawk, they were unwilling to hand over even a single copper coin more.
"There’s no bounty on a spy! This money came from us!"
That was how the Capturers responsible for security answered when facing Du Chengfeng’s questioning.
Well, they’re all colleagues anyway, so Du Chengfeng didn’t make things too difficult for them. After all, a hundred large coins aren’t too little; at least it would buy him a meal or two.
However, the bounty mentioned by these Capturers piqued Du Chengfeng’s interest.
The targets with bounties were all mountain bandits and road rogues near Yanzhou. Just looking at that long list, it seemed it wouldn’t be peaceful even outside Yanzhou—thinking of this, Du Chengfeng prepared to leave the city for a while and have the townsfolk who were ready to flee to wait a bit, otherwise, with the Yang family fort’s combat strength, it might be quite some time before they meet again, perhaps even at some unknown mountain stronghold or a roadside burial ground.
But just as Du Chengfeng glanced up the list to see who the bountied bandits in Yanzhou were, he suddenly saw a familiar name.
"Mad Swordsman Cui Yuan, bounty ten pounds, dead or alive?"
Du Chengfeng was stunned. Even though at the moment he wasn’t short of money, such a large sum was something he was seeing for the first time.
"What did he do? How did he become so valuable? All the bandits in Yanzhou combined aren’t as expensive as him, right? Who did he offend?"
"He’s a traitor!"
The Capturer whom Du Chengfeng asked spoke with hatred.
"You came from north of Ji, and you don’t know?"
"Ah?"
Du Chengfeng was a bit confused. He really didn’t know.
However, after the Capturer’s explanation, he roughly understood the reason behind Cui Yuan’s high bounty.
The story began when He Xiqing infiltrated Jizhen. At the time, Governor Liu was in poor condition and was killed on the spot by He Xiqing, leading to the fall of Jizhen. The resistance force in Jizhou then became scattered sand—though scattered, there was still some resistance. For instance, the rangers and swordsmen Liu Duke had deliberately fostered by leveraging the valorous Yanzhou folk forms were the backbone of resisting the prairie barbarians after Liu Duke’s death.
But just as these brave warriors finally linked up and were ready to strike back at the prairie barbarians, Cui Yuan appeared.
Without even unsheathing his sword, Cui Yuan, carrying his longsword in its scabbard, sought them one by one, taking them all down with his own strength and declaring they should leave Jizhou or else he wouldn’t be polite.
These rangers and swordsmen couldn’t tolerate this, but Cui Yuan’s skills were formidable, so they were forced to migrate south to Yanzhou, ready to counterattack any time to show the prairie folks the men of Ji were not to be trifled with.
And the name Cui Yuan spread as these rangers and swordsmen migrated south.
"Everyone is busy fighting the prairie folks, yet Cui Yuan turns on his own people—if he’s not a traitor, who is?"
The more the Capturer spoke, the more they gnashed their teeth.
"Cui Yuan might have already become a dog for the prairie people, chewing on the bones!"
"Ah, this..."
Du Chengfeng was speechless for a long time.
Strictly speaking, it was actually his fault; he asked Cui Yuan to help clear the field to prevent He Xiqing from killing and gaining power in Jizhou. Of course, due to Cui Yuan’s excessively efficient clearing, even Du Chengfeng himself struggled to find anyone for dueling and generating Evil Qi, but overall, Du Chengfeng still quite appreciated the matter itself.
But who would have thought Cui Yuan not only helped clear the field but also willingly took the blame for it?
No wonder hardly anyone in Yanzhou City is discussing the big battle in Ji north; clearing was too thorough for Du Chengfeng’s message to get out, and people in Yanzhou are currently indignantly denouncing the traitor.
This ten-pound bounty is jointly funded by major businesses in Yanzhou, plus many civilians and those rangers and swordsmen.
For Cui Yuan, the traitor who collaborated with the prairie people, they can’t wait for him to die soon.
"Hmm..."
Du Chengfeng returned the list.
At some point, say a few words to Cui Yuan; after all, this somewhat crazy swordsman ended up in such a state for helping him with work.
Of course, now is not the time to step up. At such times, it wouldn’t just fail to exonerate Cui Yuan, it might backfire and drag himself down as well.
After all, Jizhou has been razed, and who can really say what happened inside?
"Can’t proceed without using some brains."
Du Chengfeng thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with a good solution, lamenting his lack of intelligence.
And when lacking intelligence, naturally, one should go study well.
Of course, studying is one aspect; another reason lies in the Broken Horse Long Saber in his hands—he still remembers this saber was sharpened by an old man called Ruan Shantao, using a method entirely unlike sharpening. During his days in Yanzhou, he learned Ruan Shantao now lives in seclusion in the mountains, running an academy as the headmaster.
Well, as a foreign grinding Master Craftsman, having come to Yanzhou, naturally, he should have a good academic exchange with the local grinding Master Craftsmen.
But when Du Chengfeng finished instructing the townsfolk in the Yang family fort and rode to Ziyang Mountain outside the city, he was stopped by two maids at the mountain gate.
"If you want to enter the mountain, pay up first."
"Pay?"
Du Chengfeng was taken aback by the demand.
Pointing to his warhorse beside him and his official seal on his waist, Du Chengfeng looked curiously at the two maids in front of him.
"Want to think again? Don’t you know who I am?"
"We don’t know, we only know you’re someone with money."
The two maids cupped their fists, bowing slightly to Du Chengfeng.
"Since you’re wealthy, why not donate a bit? The academy students are poor and lack many things."
"I..."
Du Chengfeng was left speechless, pulling out the hundred large coins he just received and tossing the whole bag over.
Never mind, this was his reward for turning in the Sparrow Hawk, donating it to the academy would be a good deed.
However, after checking the amount, the two maids shook their heads.
This amount was not enough.
"Sir, you sit on high, ride a fine steed, and are a person with great momentum."
After flattering him, the two maids revealed their intent.
"For someone like you, only donating this much?"
"Are you deliberately mocking me?"
Blocked repeatedly, Du Chengfeng’s temper flared, his gaze shifting to the necks of the two maids as he prepared to take action.
But just as he was about to make a move, a hand reached over and tossed a bag of coins forward.
"Alright, don’t make it difficult for this warrior. I’ll pay for him."
"Mr. Liu!"
This time, the two maids dared not take the money bag, bowing deeply with heads lowered.
Du Chengfeng, curious, turned around.
It was a tall and ugly man, six feet in height, dressed in wide robes like Wang Gaoceng, a scholar-type noble; but from the strong smell of alcohol and a shabby appearance, he resembled more of a beggar.
Yet what caught Du Chengfeng’s attention was the intense smell of wine emanating from him.
The smell seemed familiar, as if he had encountered it before.
Somehow deeply impressed.
"Anyway, thank you, sir, for this matter."
Du Chengfeng cupped his fists in thanks, but then he slightly frowned.
"I wonder where your wine..."
"Eh? Have you tasted that wine before?"
The man named Liu paused, draping an arm over Du Chengfeng’s shoulder.
"As long as you’ve tasted it, it’s good. Rather than you thanking me, it’s more appropriate for me to thank you..."
"Thanking me?"
Thinking of a certain suspicion, Du Chengfeng’s face darkened.
"You wouldn’t happen to be..."
"You’ve come to the mountain to block me, what else can I say?"
Liu, the ugly man, shook his head with a wry smile.
"Liu Bolun, the former arms overseer of Yanzhou, a pleasure to meet a colleague."
