Volume Two: Blood Stains the Bodhi Chapter Eighteen: Dark Clouds Gather

“This… this is…”

Captain Zhao looked puzzled, though there was a hint of anticipation in his expression.

In truth, he vaguely sensed what it might be but dared not be certain.

“This is the soul! Didn’t I tell you, the Great Immortal is about to accomplish something grand? With this, half the work is done!”

The old man smiled faintly, stroking his white beard, gazing at the words on the paper with satisfaction, and recited: “Ha ha… The old heavens have perished, the new sky shall rise. In the year of Jiazi, all under heaven shall prosper. Wonderful, wonderful! What do you think, Captain Zhao?”

“Hm… Lord Zheng is truly a scholar; a mere phrase can stir one’s blood to boil. This grand endeavor is sure to succeed,” Captain Zhao murmured to himself, nodding in approval.

“Ha ha, this is the very soul of our Green Turban Army! Captain Zhao—no, I should call you General Zhao,” the old man said with a satisfied nod, patting Zhao’s shoulder warmly.

“I vow to follow the Great Immortal’s path forever.”

Hearing the title “General,” a fiery passion suddenly ignited within Zhao’s heart. If this great undertaking succeeded, perhaps he truly could become a general…

The old man nodded approvingly and said, “By the way, tonight you should find a few more ‘holy maidens’ to join the ranks of cultivation…”

“Well… Lord Zheng…” Captain Zhao furrowed his brow, somewhat troubled. “This morning, a wave of missing person reports came in to the office—all registered. They say their daughters have disappeared… If this continues, it might become problematic.”

Captain Zhao understood well that the so-called holy maidens the county magistrate spoke of were merely respectable local women with some beauty. Ever since the Great Immortal arrived, the county magistrate had every few days ordered him to capture some women at night to present to the Great Immortal, claiming they were to cultivate immortality under him.

“Those who seek greatness cannot be bogged down by trivialities… Just follow orders,” the old man said with some displeasure.

“Understood, Lord Zheng…” Captain Zhao agreed reluctantly, hesitating before finally daring to ask, “The holy maidens already given to the Great Immortal—do we know where they are now?”

“They are cultivating with the Great Immortal… You need not worry about that,” the old man frowned, his expression souring.

“...” Captain Zhao frowned and pondered for a moment before nodding, “Very well.”

“Also, in a few days, the Great Immortal will hold a grand ceremony to save all sentient beings. This must be arranged swiftly and flawlessly,” the old man smiled faintly, tidying the paper on the table as he spoke slowly.

“The arrangements for the ceremony have long been made. Once the Great Immortal is ready, we can begin at any time,” Captain Zhao nodded, then hesitated, as if wanting to say more.

“What is it? Anything else?” the old man asked.

“There have been some matters in town recently, though nothing major…” Captain Zhao began cautiously.

“Handle the minor issues yourself. I need to meet with the Great Immortal soon to discuss upcoming plans. That will be all for now,” the old man said, frowning.

“But this matter involves the Great Immortal as well,” Captain Zhao hesitated but finally said, “There’s a wild monk spreading words unfavorable to the Great Immortal…”

“What’s his name?”

“I haven’t investigated yet…”

“Hm? What background does he have? You must find out everything.”

“No need to worry, Lord Zheng. He’s just a young man, likely with no background. He seems to have some skill but I haven’t seen him fight or sensed any inner energy. Probably not strong. But he is affiliated with the She Dabiao Medical Clinic.”

“Hm?” The old man turned his head toward Captain Zhao, asking, “You need not worry about She Dabiao’s background. Just be discreet. Take Datou Tuo and the others tonight and deal with them. Any threat to our grand plan must be eliminated! Understand?”

“Lord Zheng…but…” Captain Zhao quickly objected.

“No buts! Besides this, has anything else happened in town? This is a critical moment; no mistakes can be allowed,” the old man pressed, frowning deeply.

“There is one thing. I heard that the heads of four of the ten great northern clans have come to Baicao Town, supposedly to slay a great demon,” Captain Zhao said, his voice betraying some excitement.

“A great demon?” The old man looked puzzled.

Captain Zhao recounted what he had just seen on the road.

“Ha ha… the ten great clans, still with those faces—interesting. I’ve heard of this matter. It’s said that this so-called great demon actually saved over a million disaster victims in the region,” the old man nodded slowly.

Though a humble county magistrate, the old man’s skill at gathering information in official circles was extraordinary.

This intelligence was the very confidence underpinning his ambition for greatness.

“Is what you say true?” Captain Zhao found this hard to believe.

Yet, being young, he had only ever viewed the ten great sects as paragons of justice—the righteous orthodox schools.

It was not entirely his fault; the entire martial world saw them as the embodiment of justice.

“Heh… quite true. Moreover, all ten clans refused to donate grain, which led to a duel between Li Bai and Yue Badao. Li Bai was utterly defeated, even losing his sword-wielding hand. But at that moment, this great demon alone turned the tide,” the old man said, his eyes flickering with reverence.

“Alone, against the ten great sects? That…”

Captain Zhao, having witnessed Chen Buqun’s astonishing power, had actually overestimated this great demon.

But after the old man’s words, he realized his error.

To think one person could defeat the ten great sects—such a story would be too fantastic even for fiction.

“Could this great demon have three heads and six arms?” Captain Zhao asked, frowning.

“Ha ha… not quite,” the old man shook his head, then continued, “But I heard from a storyteller that the man is eight feet tall, with a waist also eight feet wide...”

“That’s…”

“Ha ha, but it’s said the great demon’s ability to make the ten clans donate all their grain has little to do with martial skill; it’s just some rather unscrupulous methods,” the old man paused, then continued slowly, “Actually, what we aim to accomplish is also to save all living beings. Compared to our great endeavor, what this great demon did seems truly insignificant.”

“Indeed! Lord Zheng speaks truly!” Captain Zhao quickly nodded in agreement.

With that thought, his blood boiled anew.

“This era belongs to us, General Zhao, do you understand?” The old man suddenly raised his eyes to the sky, his gaze burning with fervor.

“The old heavens have perished, the new sky shall rise. In the year of Jiazi, all under heaven shall prosper!” Captain Zhao stood at attention, his face solemn as he shouted.

“Hm.” The old man nodded, then said, “Go. Handle the wild monk. As for the ten great sects, you can leave them for now…”