Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

Shen Qing then realized that in Huang Furo's eyes, a gang was not worth mentioning at all.

With the power of the Huangfu family and her military department's influence, eliminating these lower-level forces was as easy as crushing a few ants.

Martial arts indeed equaled authority, without a doubt.

Noticing what Shen Qing was thinking, Huang Furo put away her jesting expression and said seriously, "All right, I'll have someone from the military department take care of loose ends later, it's a small matter. Also, if everything goes smoothly in the next couple of days, I will temporarily hand over the Guardian Martial Department to you for a period of time. Prepare yourself, and make sure nothing goes wrong."

Shen Qing clasped his fists and replied, "Yes, Lord Huangfu, I will do my utmost."

"Is there anything else?"

"No. I take my leave."

With that, Shen Qing slowly turned and left the pavilion, walking out of the gate.

The gate of the Huangfu family slowly closed with a deep, prolonged sound.

Shen Qing turned back and glanced at it, his mind pondering for a moment before he stopped lingering and strode away.

When he returned to the courtyard, he found that the people from the military department had arrived before him, acting very swiftly.

Leading them was a dispatcher from the military department, who looked upright.

Shen Qing had some impression of the dispatchers from the military department. If he remembered correctly, this person seemed to be an illegitimate child from one of the Thirteen Noble Families.

He probably received Huang Furo's order, nodded at Shen Qing, and silently carried away the corpses of Hei Zhao Gang and others without asking any unnecessary questions, which made Shen Qing extremely relieved.

He couldn't help but sigh, having backing really made a difference. With Huang Furo covering for him, the issue with Hei Zhao Gang was resolved with no trace left.

After the people from the military department left, the family gathered together, still feeling a lingering fear, comforting each other with words of intimacy.

Shen Qing also recounted his recent experiences, and the atmosphere in the small courtyard gradually became warm, as the family enjoyed harmony and happiness.

The earlier fear gradually dissipated.

It was then Shen Qing suddenly remembered something, slapped his thigh, and said, "Oh no, these people might have had some things on them, I forgot to search."

"Brother, are you talking about these?" Shen Xiaoshan, hearing this, went back inside and brought out a bundle, opening it in front of Shen Qing.

Inside, there were scattered pieces of broken silver and golden leaves.

Shen Qing even saw a few gold teeth, causing him to pause in surprise.

Shen Xiaoshan sheepishly scratched his head, "I saw their mouths glittering, so I just took them off by hand. Dad is even better at it than me."

Uncle Shen the Second, who was drinking water, choked and kept coughing.

Shen Qing burst into hearty laughter.

"Food's ready." Xiao Zhi, sporting a panda eye, brought in a plate of pickled fish.

Tian Xiaohu, who had finished cleaning up the mess, carried a big parcel and arrived just in time for the meal.

Shen Qing pulled out a bottle of wine and put it on the table, "Come, friends bring good wine, wolves bring knives and arrows. Today we narrowly escaped death, we ought to celebrate a bit."

"Yes, yes, we should celebrate," Uncle Shen the Second said in his usual honest manner.

Shen Qing raised his glass high, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one go.

The slightly bitter, burning wine spread in his throat, bringing a hint of warmth in this icy winter.

After the downfall of Hei Zhao Gang, Shen Qing counted and found he had gained thousands of taels of silver, hundreds of taels of gold, and some other jewelry and elixirs. It could be said that Shen Qing wouldn't need to worry about money for a while.

This event also made Shen Qing realize that he couldn't keep fighting alone; he must find ways to increase the strength around him.

...

On a peak of Huang Tian Sacred Mountain, mist swirled around.

Palaces stood among it, towering, appearing and disappearing within the clouds and fog.

Though it was winter outside, with everything encased in white snow, making all silent, within these peaks, somehow it avoided the harsh cold and snow. It was like spring all year round, lush with vitality, astonishing to behold.

Among the peaks, a young man in luxurious yellow robes stood in an open area behind a palace.

He closed his eyes, gathered his thoughts, and gently rubbed his hands. A faint light danced on his fingertips.

Suddenly, he uttered a deep spell, and a yellow talisman was conjured.

A bright yellow thunder streaked across the sky, its deafening roar echoing.

"It's done!" Shen Xiaohu's face lit up with uncontrollable joy, his bright eyes gleaming with excitement.

At that moment, a burly figure quietly appeared behind him, as stable as a mountain, exuding an indescribable majesty and pressure. Upon seeing this scene, he said approvingly, "Not bad."

Hearing the voice, Shen Xiaohu quickly turned around, his eyes full of awe and respect. He bowed and said, "Commander."

The Commander nodded slightly, his gaze deep, "Your progress surpassed my expectations. This Yellow Thunder Talisman, even in our sect, not many can cultivate it so quickly. Although you are not good in martial arts, you do have some talent in talismans."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaohu was even more thrilled, "It's all thanks to the teachings of the Commander and the envoys."

"Just when you've grasped some basics, we are preparing to attack Dan Zhou and are short of hands," the Commander said flatly, "You go with others and prepare secretly."

Shen Xiaohu's heart tightened, not daring to refuse, and he agreed with his head bowed.

Seeing Shen Xiaohu's reluctance, the Commander spoke, "Do you know why we must first preach?"

Shen Xiaohu shook his head.

The Commander laughed and said, "Those who are educated and know the truth mostly serve as officials in the court. So, to counter the Ji Family Court, we must use people who are a bit foolish. To deal with those fools, we absolutely cannot tell them the truth; we must use religion to hypnotize them, making them feel all their actions are justified."

"So, 'Heaven is Above' is just a slogan, just like 'Amitabha.' The Ji Family, for their martial arts, has always oppressed us and left us no way out, so we must rebel against them."

"If we succeed, not only will there be countless silver and women, but also the unattainable path to longevity, allowing us to live as long as heaven."

Shen Xiaohu's eyes lit up as he asked, "So rebelling against the Ji Family Court is to take back our money and women, and pursue longevity, right?"

"Are you willing to go?"

"I am willing."

The Commander of Huang Tian Sect chuckled, "This time, you will go down the mountain to take on the role of the Yellow Angel, prepare to go preach with other envoys."

"Yes, Commander."

A newfound excitement appeared on Shen Xiaohu's face. Upon hearing this, he saluted and went back to prepare.

He changed into ordinary clothes and packed his bag, ready to join the others.

Among a pile of clothes, Shen Xiaohu saw a mirror and stared at it for a moment.

After a long while, he sighed deeply.

He wondered how his parents were doing.

This place was several thousand miles from Yongzhou; with his current capabilities, he couldn't travel that far.

He could only hope for improvement in the future.

Shen Xiaohu put away his bag and headed down the mountain.