General Fan was a little anxious upon seeing An Lin's stunned expression, and he hurriedly called out to An Lin, Brother An! With me here, don't worry. Tell me what to do?
An Lin came back to his senses and quickly forced a smile onto his face. With you in Fenghua, I'm not worried about the Tartars at all. I'm just worried that Qu Zhixian is still hiding in Fenghua City. If he rushes to cause trouble in the middle of the night, we'll be in danger!
Fan Ruzheng was indeed afraid. His voice trembled a little due to his sudden nervousness, and he felt extremely ashamed in front of An Lin. Even a great general of the Taiping Country Army had his moments of discomfort.
Thus, he quickly calmed himself down, but his eyes were unfocused, and he couldn't seem to muster up his usual ferocity. He wanted to ask An Lin to find Qu Zhixian and put an end to all future troubles, but Shetou was a little disobedient.
An Lin was all smiles as he waited for General Fan's instructions. However, General Fan was unable to speak for a long time, and An Lin thought to himself that he might be afraid of his reputation as a general and didn't want to kill anyone. Besides, Qu Zhixian wasn't a bad official, so killing him seemed to be against the laws of nature.
An Lin didn't expect General Fan to be so afraid that he would freeze up and become speechless. He even wanted to lure Fan Ruzheng into saying that Magistrate Qu was a bad official and that he deserved to be killed for punishing the people of Fenghua. After dealing with Magistrate Qu, General Fan would be the savior of the people of Fenghua.
Thankfully, General Fan took a deep breath and began circulating his Qi Circulation for a few seconds before calming himself down. He then opened his mouth and said," An Lin, go back immediately and mobilize the Heaven and Earth Sect to search for Qu Zhixian. You must capture him today and bring him to justice immediately to prevent any more trouble."
An Lin faltered slightly upon hearing this, and a hint of regret appeared in his heart. Poor Qu Xian. Although he hadn't done many bad things, he was still going to be condemned to hell. He must have grown up with the wrong brain in his previous life. When he was an official, he really didn't know the trick to doing favors.
An Lin couldn't help but think of leaving his legacy behind. He had been involved in the underworld for many years, and his desire to leave some of his wisdom behind for his descendants was growing stronger and stronger. This reminded him of his dark and bottomless life, and he couldn't help but feel an indescribable sense of guilt.
However, An Lin tried his best to toughen his heart. He tried his best to think about Qu Zhixian's misdeeds, and only by thinking about his opponent's disgusting behavior could he ignite his fighting spirit.
If his opponents were all good people like Confucius and Mencius, An Lin's once black-hearted heart would hesitate for a moment. He really couldn't bring himself to teach these people a lesson, and they would stand on the opposite side of justice and become scum.
An Lin had been in the underworld for a long time, so he knew that underworld figures had to pay attention to the bottom line of the martial world. He often interacted with the officials and the people, so he had to meet all kinds of people. He naturally couldn't just bear a bad reputation and cause trouble.
Right now, An Lin felt that Qu Zhixian had made quite a few mistakes in Fenghua, and it wasn't worth it for him to keep a low profile for such a fallible official. The risk of betraying Qu Zhixian was relatively small, and he wouldn't suffer retribution from the righteous in the future.
Thus, An Lin gritted his teeth and decided to sell out the insensible Qu Zhixian. He rolled his eyes and instinctively looked around, causing Fan Ruzeng to become a little anxious. He quickly told An Lin to speak, afraid that Qu Zhixian would really start a rebellion if he was too late.
General Fan, please come with me and surround the mansion of the richest man in Fenghua County, Zhang Deshui.
An Lin couldn't help but think of Zhang Deshui's home. Using Qu Zhixian's capture as an excuse to search the place while digging up the treasures stored in Zhang Deshui's home was the greatest reward.
He was just about to tell Fan Ruzheng about this idea, to flatter him, to let General Fan earn some extra money, and to make some money himself.
However, it was fortunate that he was quick-witted. An Lin suddenly recalled what General Fan had said about Zhang Deshui. They were all brothers, and they needed to give him some face. If Fan Ruzheng wasn't willing to take Zhang Deshui's family's treasures by force, then even if he wasn't made for both sides, whether Fan Ruzheng was unhappy or Zhang Deshui bore a grudge against him, everyone would throw all their troubles on him.
Thus, An Lin could only plan to stop at Qu Zhixian and not look for any more opportunities to make money from Zhang Deshui.
He couldn't help but cough. He was about to spit on the ground to clear his throat and show his great dissatisfaction.
However, he knew that he was not in his own home and did not have the freedom to do as he pleased. He quickly swallowed hard and suppressed his anger. In front of him was the Long Hair Army, which was full of murderous intent. If he was not careful, his head would fall to the ground and he would say goodbye to Earth!
An Lin didn't want to die early. There were still many pleasures in the human world that he hadn't enjoyed yet. Even if he couldn't enter the officialdom in this lifetime, he had to enjoy the pleasures of life among the people so that his trip to the human world wouldn't be in vain.
An Lin gulped hard. Everyone said that swallowing body fluid was good for health, so today was a good day for him to experience it. Then, before Fan Ruzeng could reply, he hurriedly said," Let's go to Zhang Deshui's house right now and arrest him. We'll punish him immediately to prevent any trouble."
Fan Ruzheng couldn't help but gulp a few times in his throat. He felt that it was a bit sudden, but the danger was right in front of him, so he didn't have the slightest time to hesitate.
Therefore, General Fan shouted for his advisor to quickly order General Guo and General Wan to come to him.
The advisor responded at the sound of the voice outside the room and immediately went to inform General Fan. There was a flurry of footsteps coming from near and far. The advisor probably jogged out, afraid of delaying General Fan's important matter.
By the time the advisor reached General Guo and General Wan's encampment, his heart would probably be beating fast. However, this advisor is cunning. Although it's urgent, he knows how to take care of himself. As soon as he reached the gate of the courtyard, he called for the guards. Don't guard the gate for the time being. Hurry up and find a sedan chair carrier outside the mansion. I have to deliver the order.
The guard saw that he was General Fan's personal advisor, a figure who was below one person and above ten thousand people. He couldn't afford to offend him, so he quickly ran to the crossroad in front of him on the left. He knew that when the sedan carriers were not busy, they liked to rest there.
Just as the guards turned to leave, a few embroidered satin sedan chairs came from the right street. The advisor thought that the sedan chair carriers were taking the initiative to seek business, so he quickly waved at them and asked them to come over quickly. He was willing to pay a large price. Anyway, it was official business, so he could openly use the money from the military camp to repay the debt.
The three palanquins rushed to the front of the advisor before stopping. The advisor was about to say a few words about where they were going and the price when he saw the curtain of the palanquin open and a very wealthy figure came out. Seeing the advisor dressed in military attire, he quickly greeted him warmly. I'm Zhang Deshui, a merchant from Fenghua City. I'm here to visit General Fan.
Zhang Deshui followed the instructions of his close friend, Lord Lin, and prepared two gifts for the Taiping Country Army to send out after they took over Fenghua. Yesterday, the Taiping Country Army had just breached the city, and he had wanted to send gifts to An Lin and Fan Ruzeng immediately, but Lord Lin had dissuaded him from doing so.
Zhang Deshui was a little anxious at that time and complained that his close friend was playing with him! If he didn't pay tribute on the same day, but had to send gifts the next day, wouldn't General Fan be taking his life if he believed that he had deliberately thrown his face?
However, Lord Lin comforted him by saying that he had already contacted the people around General Fan. After breaking through the city, he would definitely think of ways to protect Zhang Deshui and his family.
Of course, Lord Lin knew that Qu Zhixian was hiding in the Zhang family, but he did not say it out loud. Instead, he deliberately said it in front of Zhang Deshui. According to the secret report from the informant in Long Hair, Fan Ruzeng did not usually like the main officials. He believed that the main officials were all villains who only knew how to be selfish. He did not think that the people under him were really characters who deserved to be killed.
After saying that, Lord Lin deliberately sighed deeply, showing a helpless look and saying that he could only leave it to fate!
Zhang Deshui thought of his relative, Qu Zhixian, who was hiding in his house at the moment. He wondered if the Long Hair Army would target him. This would implicate him.
He knew that Lord Lin cared about him and was worried that Qu Zhixian's crimes would be settled under his name. If it really didn't work, he would just get rid of Qu Zhixian and ensure his own safety.
Zhang Deshui then thought of his relationship with Qu Zhixian. He couldn't bear it, so he tried his best to think about Qu Zhixian's inappropriate words and deeds to arouse the anger in his heart and to wash away the embarrassment brought about by his family.
No matter how he thought about it, he could not avoid the kinship between him and Qu Zhixian. He could only resign himself to fate and let the Taiping Army deal with him.
Therefore, Zhang Deshui squeezed out more helpless expressions on his face to comfort himself.
However, when Zhang Deshui thought of the procedure of giving gifts and Qu Zhixian's situation, it seemed that he could spend some more money to save Qu Zhixian's life.
He had just told Lord Lin about this idea, but Lord Lin waved his hand and said," Don't interfere in things that you can't manage. Qu Zhixian isn't a smart person. Many things have been messed up by him. I've seen Qu Zhixian's heavenly appearance. The main plot is in conflict. I reckon there will be a bloody disaster."
Zhang Deshui was so shocked that his legs went weak and he almost knelt down. Fortunately, he woke up in time and regained his balance. He wanted to say something, but he did not know what to say!
Lord Lin saw his nervous expression and knew that he was afraid of being implicated. He quickly comforted him, saying that Qu Zhixian's Heavenly Blessing was only a single charge, which meant that the Long Hair Army would only target him and would not harm others.
After Lord Lin finished speaking, he felt that Zhang Deshui couldn't be at ease, so he quickly whispered into his ear," If you want to be safe, you need to get your money and sex in place as soon as possible. If General Fan gets soft on you, even if someone around you urges you to take care of him, he won't be able to do it."
Lord Lin coughed and cleared his throat. He smiled and said, Brother Zhang! You really don't have to worry. I have some connections in the Heaven and Earth Society and other gangs. I can use the informants in the Taiping Army to get in touch with Fan Ruzheng in advance to ensure the safety of your family.
Zhang Deshui was shocked again. However, his heart was filled with sweetness. He knew that he would not die. At most, he would just exchange some money. In this day and age, even if he did not ask for help, he would have to pay tribute, let alone ask for help. Moreover, it was a big matter that concerned his life.
Thus, he couldn't help but smile. He wanted to ask how Lord Lin knew these people. Zhang Deshui didn't know most of the members of the Heaven and Earth Society apart from An Lin, so he didn't have any personal relationships with them. During times of difficulty, he could only ask for help from the leader of the society, An Lin. Who knew that An Lin was not only arrogant, but he also had a huge appetite. He didn't seem like someone who knew him at all. Zhang Deshui had made a lot of money, but he also felt a lot of pain in his heart. Sometimes, the relationship between humans was even worse than that between animals.
Earlier, he had asked the butler to go to An Lin's residence to check if he was home. He went to give the gifts, but Chang Wang ran back in a huff and said that the streets were too chaotic and there were people everywhere. The city was probably about to fall and everyone was running for their lives!
Zhang Deshui interrupted him and asked if he had seen An Lin.
Chang Wang quickly got down to business. He went to An Lin's residence and asked a few shop owners nearby. Everyone said that An Lin hadn't been home for a few days, and the shop owner even asked him if An Lin had escaped.
In everyone's eyes, a scoundrel like An Lin was the target of the Taiping Country Army's tyranny. When the Revolutionary Army arrived, how could An Lin, who was used to doing bad things, not escape?
However, after the Taiping Country Army came to power in Fenghua, An Lin became a local official under the Taiping Country Army. He specialized in the investigation of tobacco, soil, and salt, and he had earned a lot of money. Everyone had taken him for a fool.
However, Long Hair's thieving nature didn't change, causing the morale of the army to fall apart. He lost the support of the people, and he eventually retreated from Fenghua, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, causing An Lin's career to come to an abrupt end.
Lord Lin couldn't help but sneer when he heard that An Lin wasn't home. He first comforted Chang Wang and told him to go back to his room to rest. In reality, he was worried that Chang Wang's mouth wouldn't be able to keep its mouth shut and would ruin Zhang Deshui's plans if word got out.
After Chang Wang left, Lord Lin instructed Zhang Deshui to send a gift to General Fan the next day and give him a day to rest. After sending General Fan off, he would send a gift to An Lin.
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