Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 405: Chapter 391 Mountain River Tower, Jade Dew Spirit Peach

Yang Zhenshan also drank quite a bit with these officials, but after the banquet ended, he came to a luxurious courtyard within the city walls.

”Mr. Lv!”

Lv Hua was sitting under a pine tree in the courtyard, raising his glass to the moon and drinking leisurely.

”General Yang, please take a seat!” Lv Hua made a graceful inviting gesture.

Yang Zhenshan, without being polite, sat directly on the stone bench nearby and poured himself a cup of wine, which he then gulped down.

Hmm, top-quality Hundred Herbs Brew!

Well, this was what he had given to Lv Hua.

The two sat quietly like this, looking up at the bright moon in the night sky, drinking cup after cup.

The cool autumn breeze blew over, giving a refreshingly clean sensation.

The faint fragrance of pine lingered, creating a relaxing comfort that loosened one’s mind and spirit.

”Mr. Lv, did you ask me to come here for any particular advice?” Yang Zhenshan was the first to speak.

Tonight, it was Lv Hua who had asked him to come over, quite suddenly at that.

The corners of Lv Hua’s mouth lifted slightly, and his beautiful eyes looked towards Yang Zhenshan as he said, ”General Yang, you’ve run into a big trouble!”

”Oh! What big trouble?” Yang Zhenshan stroked his beard and asked.

Although he appeared calm and composed on the surface, his heart had actually started to feel heavy.

If even Lv Hua said it was big trouble, then surely it wasn’t a small matter.

Lv Hua took out a golden token from his sleeve and handed it to Yang Zhenshan, ”This is your big trouble!”

Yang Zhenshan accepted the token, looking at it astounded.

On the back of the token was inscribed a verse: ’Snow chants through the vast sky as mountains and rivers end, on this frosty night by the river we test the heavens high.’

”What audacity!”

Yang Zhenshan read the verse, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He turned it over to the front, which bore three large characters: ’Shanhe Token’.

”What is this?” Yang Zhenshan asked somewhat puzzled.

This token looked somewhat unserious.

It didn’t seem like a token from the court; the court would not have such a tacky token.

”It’s the ’Shanhe Token’ from Mountain River Tower!” Lv Hua explained.

Yang Zhenshan’s thoughts stirred as he immediately remembered that Mountain River Tower was a force in the worldly society.

”If I’m not mistaken, isn’t Mountain River Tower an assassin organization?”

Mountain River Tower was indeed a famous force in the Da Rong worldly society.

But it was not a Jianghu Sect, rather it was an organization of killers.

”That’s right, it’s that Mountain River Tower!” Lv Hua nodded, watching Yang Zhenshan with interest as he continued, ”General Yang, you are on Mountain River Tower’s gold list, and the bounty on your head is a Jade Dew Spirit Peach!”

”Jade Dew Spirit Peach?” Yang Zhenshan’s pupils contracted slightly.

There are many types of Treasure Medicine, including Spirit Fruit.

And Spirit Fruits have always been quite rare; legend has it that in Da Rong there is only one Spiritual Fruit Tree, the one encountered by the founding Emperor.

Now, this Tree is in the royal family’s hands, its exact location, variety, and the effects of its Spirit Fruit are entirely unknown to the outside world.

”The Jade Dew Spirit Peach grows on Taohua Island in the South Sea; it bears fruit once every ten years, only thirty-six peaches at a time, each capable of condensing a trace of Innate True Qi, helping Postnatal Martial Artists cultivate Innate True Qi!” Lv Hua explained.

After hearing this, a thought suddenly popped into Yang Zhenshan’s mind.

Taohua Island?

Is the Island Master possibly Huang Yaoshi?

Of course, he knew this was impossible, so he did not voice this question.

”So what now?”

”So, many people will try to kill you for the Jade Dew Spirit Peach!” Lv Hua said.

Yang Zhanshan picked up his wine glass and gulped it down.

Mountain River Tower has its own assassins and can also outsource tasks; as long as someone completes the task, they will hand out the bounty, regardless of the background or status of the person completing the task.

All in all, if you can complete the task, you can claim the bounty listed on Mountain River Tower’s gold list.

Mountain River Tower’s reputation in the Jianghu is top-notch, no one doubts that they would embezzle the bounty.

”Who wants to kill me?” Yang Zhenshan asked.

Mountain River Tower isn’t the key; the key is who wants to kill him.

To offer a treasure like the Jade Dew Spirit Peach as a bounty for his life, this was indeed a bit flattering yet shocking.

”I don’t know!” Lv Hua said.

”There are still things you Secret Martial Guards do not know?” Yang Zhenshan said.

”There are many things that we, Secret Martial Guards, do not know, and I know even less!” Lv Hua replied.

Although the Secret Martial Guards are formidable, they cannot possibly know everything under the heavens.

And Lv Hua, merely being the director of the Secret Martial Guard North Station, does not even know everything within the ranks of the Secret Martial Guards, let alone everything in the world.

”However, there shouldn’t be many people wanting to kill you!” Lv Hua added.

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly, acknowledging that while not many, there were indeed quite a few who wanted him dead.

Prince Qing and young Prince Wu Tuo, who had just been defeated by him, probably both wanted his life.

As for others, there were likely people in the Capital City who also wanted him dead.

Thinking of the Capital City, Yang Zhenshan’s eyes slightly drooped.

”It seems my journey to the Capital City will not be smooth!” he concluded.

Lv Hua picked up his drink, ”Then I wish General Yang a smooth journey!”

”...”

Not a bit of sincerity!

Yang Zhenshan gulped down a cup of liquor.

...

On the twenty-second of September, the autumn deepens, and the harsh winter approaches.

Yang Zhenshan did not wait for the Yang family members to arrive at Chongshan Pass and left Chongshan Pass first.

He wanted to rush to the Capital City as soon as possible to get more clarity about the court’s situation, as just hearing rumors wasn’t enough to truly understand it.

As for the Yang family moving to Chongshan Pass, naturally, Yang Zhenshan did not need to manage that - Qingyi Yu was enough.

However, Yang Zhenshan did miss Qingyi Yu, as a short separation is better than a wedding; they had not seen each other for several months, and naturally, he missed his wife.

But the matter of becoming an ennobled lord involved too many complications, forcing him to tread carefully.

Moreover, concerns regarding the Mountain River Tower were weighing on his mind, and he had to leave Chongshan Pass to divert attention, ensuring no one targeted the Yang family members.

This time heading to the Capital City, he did not bring many people, only his twenty personal followers.

After delegating responsibilities at the General Mansion, a group of twenty-one riders left Chongshan Pass without any concealment.

As he departed from Chongshan Pass, news about his journey to the Capital City spread across Da Rong.

In Jizhou City, within the Hengdao Sect.

In a room decorated in an ancient style, an old man in a loose Taoist robe sat quietly in front of a chessboard, idly tapping on the chess pieces.

Ji Hai entered the room, saluted the old man with a fist, ”Master! Just received news, General Yang has left Chongshan Pass!”

The old man in front of the chessboard was Ji Zhen, renowned as the number one Martial Arts Master in Liaodong.

As a once notorious Martial Arts Master, Ji Zhen was no ordinary individual, and now, the Hengdao Sect is one of the top Jianghu forces in Jizhou and Liaodong.

”How many people did he bring?”

”Twenty?”

”Only twenty?” Ji Zhen set down his chess piece, looked up, revealing a rosy-cheeked face.

Ji Zhen, now seventy-five years old, did not look very old; instead, he had a somewhat youthful appearance.

”Yes, only twenty,” Ji Hai said, looking down.

Ji Zhen stroked his white beard, ”Go remind General Yang.”

Ji Hai frowned, ”Master!”

Ji Zhen waved his hand, interrupting what he wanted to say, ”I understand your thoughts, but a single Jade Dew Spirit Peach is far from enough for me!”

”Besides, over the years we of the Hengdao Sect have had deep interactions with General Yang. If we were to act now, wouldn’t it contradict the ethical codes of the Jianghu?”

”Such thoughts should not have crossed your mind!”

Ji Hai’s expression stiffened, embarrassed, ”Disciple was greedy!”

”Hehe, I know your intentions well!” Ji Zhen stood up and patted Ji Hai on the shoulder, ”You were also thinking of me!”

The temptation of the Jade Dew Spirit Peach was too great.

Even Ji Hai was moved.

However, Ji Zhen was not tempted, as he said, one Jade Dew Spirit Peach was not sufficient for him.

With that Jade Dew Spirit Peach, he could not enter the Innate Realm.

Without it, he still had a chance to reach the Innate Realm.

With or without the Jade Dew Spirit Peach, to him, the difference was merely one in ten thousand to two in ten thousand - truly negligible.

”Go, I have a premonition that helping out in this snowy situation will bring great benefits!” Ji Zhen said.

”Disciple obeys!” Ji Hai responded gravely.