Chapter 66: Punishment

Yan Liqiang was locked up in one of the small rooms in the military barracks . There were two soldiers standing guard outside the room . He initially thought that he would be allowed to leave as soon as they were done taking his statement since that shouldn't have been a really big deal . Besides, it was those Shatu people who had rudely started the incident . He could justify his own actions with a clear conscience . But he didn't expect that no one would come to visit him until nightfall; neither did they inform him of when he could leave . He tried to inquire the two soldiers, but they didn't know either and told him that he'd have to wait for their superior's orders .

Apart from going to the toilet accompanied by the two soldiers, he had to stay in the room for the rest of the time . He wasn't allowed to go anywhere else .

The two soldiers were standing guard by the door . Out of extreme boredom, Yan Liqiang started resuming his cultivation on the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing .

Besides, this technique didn't require any special place to cultivate, just a square meter of space would suffice . During the fight with those few Shatu men, Yan Liqiang had once again felt how formidable the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing was . He had been cultivating it consecutively for two months . Not only did his strength increase significantly, even his reaction speed had improved drastically . Most importantly, he had already attained the realm of the second layer for that secret manual, the 'Nine Palace Wind Shadow Steps', that Qian Su had given to him before he even realized it . The body technique and footwork that he exhibited when running up the inner walls of the town gate earlier during the fight was from this 'Nine Palace Wind Shadow Steps' that had been leveled to the realm of the second layer . If he could attain the next layer, then the Dharmic projection of this secret manual's technique should emerge .

Over the past few decades, Qian Su had only managed to cultivate the 'Nine Palace Wind Shadow Steps' to the realm of the second layer, whereas Yan Liqiang managed to achieve this point in just two months . Even Yan Liqiang himself thought that his cultivation speed was faster than expected . Although Qian Su never passed the Horse Stance stage which would be a little more challenging for him to cultivate this footwork, Yan Liqiang's speed was still too shocking considering the fact that he had passed the Horse Stance stage . After pondering about it for some time, he concluded that this was probably the miraculous result brought about by cultivating the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing .

Having understood till this point, Yan Liqiang put in all his effort whenever he cultivated the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing .

Apart from the 'Nine Palace Wind Shadow Steps', the technique that Yan Liqiang desired to cultivate the most right now was still that 'The Golden Bell Divine Protection Technique' which he found on King Cobra . 'The Golden Bell Divine Protection Technique' was basically the Golden Bell Shield technique that was described in the secret manual . However, according to the secret manual, one would need to pass the Stretching Tendon and Extending Bone stage before they could cultivate the Golden Bell Shield Technique .

Over the past two months, Yan Liqiang had been feeling gradual extension and expansion of the tendons and bones in his body . His body was also becoming more agile . He reckoned that he could probably pass the Stretching Tendon and Extending Bone stage very soon .

The two soldiers politely served him his dinner . His dinner consisted of rice, some meat, vegetables . and two apples . The food was quite decent, so Yan Liqiang didn't feel shy either . He finished his meal along with the apples and then started walking around the room in circles so that he could digest better . After half an hour of exercise, he started to cultivate Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing again . . .

When he started the Fixed Body Diagrams in the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing this time around, loud chaotic noises from outside the military barracks suddenly reached his ears . He opened his eyes and stopped in his cultivation . Then he walked towards a window in his room . When he tried to catch a glimpse outside, he saw a sea of red lights that seemed like swaying flames on the other side of the perimeter wall . The source of the noises he heard also came from the other side of the perimeter wall . In the midst of those noises, he could make out some loathsome Shatu language that sounded like gibberish .

The noises grew even louder . From the sounds of it, there were at least ten thousand people .

At this time, he could hear urgent footsteps coming towards the door .

"Corporal, what is going on outside?" He heard a voice from the other side of the door . Yan Liqiang recognized this voice . The person who had spoken was one of the soldiers who had been guarding him .

"The Shatu people have come to create a disturbance! One of you stay here and stand guard . Zhao Feng, follow me! Bring your trusty weapon along . Xu Chun, you will take care of things here and act according to the circumstances!"

"Understood!"

Two sets of footsteps left in haste .

"RELEASE! RELEASE!"

The noises and clamor outside the military barracks slowly unified, turning into two words that even Yan Liqiang could comprehend .

However, after half a minute, the door to his room was unlocked and opened from the other side with a creak . The soldier guarding the door pushed it open and came in . He looked at Yan Liqiang with a grave expression on his face . "If things get chaotic later, someone barged in and I couldn't watch over you . You may leave this place yourself . You'll also have to protect yourself!"

"Alright . Thank you, Brother Xu!"

"How do you know my surname is Xu?" That soldier was slightly taken aback .

"I overheard the Corporal ask Brother Xu to stay here just now from inside…" Yan Liqiang laughed . Remembering someone's name was totally the basic of the most basic things required in his line of work back in his previous life . This was because it had subtle psychological effects that could bring a stranger closer to one in the quickest way .

"Oh, so that's why!" Xu Chun's facial expression instantly relaxed . He looked at Yan Liqiang . "Do you need any weapons? I can go find one for you so you can protect yourself . "

"Thank you, Brother Xu . I have a knife in my bag . I will take it out when it is needed!" Yan Liqiang pointed at his own bag . There was a kukri knife that was forged in the blacksmith store back home in his bag, sheathed in a cowhide scabbard . He would naturally take it out in times of need . The people in this military barrack had been very kind to him . After he came in, they didn't make things difficult for him and they didn't even inspect his bag .

"Glad to hear that…"

. . .

At this moment, the voices of the Shatu people gathered at the main entrance of the military barracks were extremely loud . A few of the streets outside the military barracks were filled with the torches that the Shatu people were holding, swaying in the air . All the stores had already closed out of fear . There was no one else other than the Shatu people out on the main street . At a single glance, the estimated number of Shatu people who had gathered outside the military barracks was at least over ten thousand .

A few rows of soldiers fully donned in armor and weapons were already standing at the main entrance of the military barracks, facing the swarm of Shatu people who were bellowing agitatedly from more than ten meters away .

The Shatu had lined themselves up into a human wall, yelling for the release of their people while they pressed on towards the military barracks .

Lining up at the front of the Shatu party were some old, frail women and young children . Each and every one of them was extremely worked up as they were pointing and shouting at the soldiers in the military barracks with uncontrollable anger . They weren't holding any weapons but they were pressing on to the military barracks with their chins up and chests out . Behind these old people were the young and strong Shatu people . The icy gleam of their weapons flashed from the crowd from time to time .

The black-faced commandant stood at the entrance of the military barracks while watching these Shatu people . A cold light flashed across his eyes . "Damn these f*ckers . Your father, I, am not buying any of this today . If worse comes to worst, I will just take off my armor and go back home to open a martial arts academy…" The black-faced commandant cursed a few times and then flung the helmet he wore on his head to the floor . He drew his sword and gave his order in a loud voice . "SOLDIERS! This Pingxi Town is still the Pingxi Town that consists of us, the Chinese, and the Great Han Empire! Kill anyone who dares to take a step inside my barracks today and has the balls to fight us, regardless of who it may be! I, Su Tianhao, shall bear all the responsibilities alone! Everyone, follow my command… HOLD YOUR SPEAR . . . AND STEP OUT!!!"

"AYE!" All the soldiers responded loudly as they immediately straightened their spears in their hands and took a loud step forward . Their awe-inspiring aura and the icy gleams of their spearheads instantly halted the Shatu people who were pressing on to the military barracks in their tracks as they were afraid to come any closer to them .

Upon seeing those Shatu people stopping in their tracks and only shouting, the black-faced commandant waved his hand at a squad commander beside him . When that officer came over, he gave his order in a soft voice . "Go check on the Shatu people we captured earlier today . If any of these Shatu people here dare to attack the military barracks later, kill them if any of us dies here, whether it is only one person or one hundred people . Have all our brothers kill every single one of the Shatu people we have tied up…"

"Understood…" That squad commander accepted his order, turned around, and quickly left the military barrack's main entrance .

A military officer at the side leaned his head over and asked in a soft voice, "Sir, news has already traveled to the city governor and he's already looking for the military governor . How come we haven't heard anything from the higher-ups until now?"

"Goddamn it, how am I supposed to know? Let's just focus on what's going on here first…"

. . .

Meanwhile, two high ranking officers in Pingxi City, the Military Governor Huangfu Qianqi from the Military Governor's Office of the Pingxi Prefecture and City Governor, Li Pingtao from the northern gate of Pingxi Town, were sitting on their chairs in one of the brightly lit halls of Pingxi Town's Prefectural Governor's Office, staring closely at the prefectural governor of Pingxi Prefecture who was seated behind his desk .

The tea on the table had already gone cold long ago . Although a full hour had passed, the prefectural governor of Pingxi Prefecture still had his head buried in the urgent report they had presented to him . He seemed to be carefully studying each and every word written on it, never lifting his head even once all this time .

The city governor, Li Pingtao, had already clenched and unclenched his fists about seven to eight times . Finally, he couldn't take it anymore . He turned his head to the side and threw a single glance the other working military officer of Pingxi Prefecture who was sitting in front of him, Huangfu Qianqi .

"Ahem, ahem . " After restraining himself for another moment and seeing that the prefectural governor still showed no signs of lifting his head, Huangfu Qianqi, as a senior officer, finally couldn't take it anymore either and slightly raised his voice . "Sir!"

The prefectural governor finally raised his head from the report he was reading, revealing his slightly swollen eyes . He rubbed his temple with one hand and threw a glance at the two high ranking officers among the Pingxi Prefecture standing there before he lightly tossed the report on the table . "So this is the urgent report that you spoke of? That a Shatu caravan had brought with them some weapons into town, and your subordinates went ahead and detained all of them in the military barracks? I also heard that some were injured?" There was displeasure in the tone of his voice .

"Sir, about this…"

"That's enough . " The prefectural governor lifted his hand, cutting off Huangfu Qianqi's explanation . "I know what you want to say General Huangfu, but don't you think you are all a little too sensitive? Those arrows with the symbols erased may not mean anything . They just happen to look a little similar to the ones from the Gan Province Weaponsmiths Quarter . Whether or not they are manufactured there is another story . After all, there are quite a number of workshops that manufacture arrows among the people . Sometimes, for the sake of putting a higher price tag on the arrows that these private workshops manufactured, they would also carve the symbol of the Weaponsmiths Quarter to masquerade their products . There's no need to make a fuss about this . I will report this incident to the Gan Province's Military Governor's Office so that they can investigate if any of their arrows are being smuggled out from the Weaponsmith Quarters . In our Great Han Empire, there have never been any laws that prohibit Shatu caravans from carrying weapons . "

At this moment, one of the Prefectural Governor's Office's servants hurriedly came over and softly whispered something into the prefectural governor's ears . The expression on the prefectural governor's face slightly changed . At the wave of his hand, that servant bowed and retreated .

"The Shatu people in town are causing another disturbance right now! I still need to settle this mess . All of you should quickly order that commandant to release the Shatu people he detained and return their goods to them . Compensate them and apologize to them accordingly . Pacify the people who had been injured by the Shatu people . It was only a lash, no big deal . Don't let this problem get out of hand . The Provincial Governor will visit Pingxi City in two days, so don't create any more problems for me . Alright, that's it for now . I went to Rong County today for inspection and I'm quite tired…" The prefectural governor yawned upon finishing his sentence and immediately left, abandoning the two high-ranking officers in the middle of the big hall . . .