Chapter 64 Only the Yellow Heaven Can Save You

These Yellow Turban followers glared with gnashing teeth.

If the Great Worthy Teacher were to truly meet with misfortune, they would not hesitate to tear down the yamen.

If Qiu Zhuo was indeed connected to the assassins or had even accepted bribes, then that crooked official's life was also coming to an end.

The roar born from their overflowing fury scared Qiu Zhuo so much that he almost tumbled backward onto the ground.

At this moment, Qiu Zhuo felt like crying without tears.

He could never have imagined that ever since the arrival of the Yang family, he had thought he would rise steadily through the ranks.

Yet who would have expected that disaster after disaster would follow one after another!

Now, he had even turned against the Taiping Dao, and the slightest misstep would result in him instantly dying a violent death on the spot.

"Great... Great Worthy Teacher, I... I beg you to guide me."

Trembling, Qiu Zhuo lowered his posture and pleaded with Liang Jin.

He already understood that since Liang Jin had brought so many people here to cause a disturbance, he would never let the matter rest without getting what he wanted.

Liang Jin raised his hand slightly.

Behind him, Miao Yuanzheng immediately handed the nine-jointed bamboo staff into Liang Jin's palm.

Holding the staff, Liang Jin swept it fiercely toward Qiu Zhuo.

"Whoosh!"

The bamboo staff tore through the air with a piercing sound, instantly knocking away Qiu Zhuo's official hat.

Thinking that Liang Jin was coming for his life, Qiu Zhuo grew weak in the legs and dropped to his knees on the ground.

Liang Jin then tapped the crown of Qiu Zhuo's head with the bamboo staff and said in a deep voice:

"Qiu Zhuo, once you remove your black gauze cap and strip off your official robes, you are nothing more than a mortal bound by a skinbag of impurities."

"Only by taking refuge in the Yellow Heaven can you wash away all your sins and filth."

"Are you willing to enter the Dao?"

The bamboo staff seemed to carry the weight of a thousand jun, pressing down on Qiu Zhuo so that he could only kneel in complete submission.

Liang Jin leaned forward slightly, his eyes burning with intensity, staring at Qiu Zhuo with an oppressive demeanor.

He was also telling Qiu Zhuo that this was his last chance.

Right now, Qiu Zhuo still had some utility, which was why he was being granted this opportunity.

Qiu Zhuo's heart trembled violently.

He was an imperial official of the court!

If he truly entered the Taiping Dao, he would find it difficult to shake off this stigma for the rest of his life.

Unless the Taiping Dao could become the state religion of the Great Qian in the future.

Even if it wasn't the state religion, it at least had to be a major sect on par with Buddhism or Daoism.

Throughout history, there had been no shortage of emperors, civil officials, and military generals who took refuge in Buddhism or Daoism.

Yet the Taiping Dao was merely a county-level sect; while seemingly tracing its lineage to Daoism, it had never received official recognition from the court.

If Qiu Zhuo took refuge in a sect unacknowledged by the court, his path to promotion would be thoroughly blocked.

Furthermore, his future governance and jurisdiction over Taiyang County would be subject to interference from the Taiping Dao.

As the supreme authority of the county, he would be no different from a puppet.

However...

Qiu Zhuo's gaze swept toward the countless Yellow Turban followers surrounding them.

Among them were people from all walks of life in Taiyang County, and even within the yamen and the city garrison, adherents to the Dao were as numerous as clouds.

Now the Taiping Dao was spreading outward to neighboring counties, and judging by the trend, it would likely reach a new peak before long.

Qiu Zhuo was utterly powerless to stop it.

Even if he refused to enter the Taiping Dao, he could not change the destiny of having his authority hollowed out.

Especially if he refused.

Then Qiu Zhuo had no doubt that he would not survive.

The Great Worthy Teacher already knew that Yang Jingye was the mastermind behind the assassination, and Yang Jingye was Qiu Zhuo's honored guest.

How could Qiu Zhuo possibly distance himself from this matter?

Had it not been for the fact that Qiu Zhuo still had some use, he would have been dead long ago.

If Qiu Zhuo refused at this moment, it would be tantamount to publicly rejecting the Great Worthy Teacher, standing in opposition to him, and completely breaking ties with the Taiping Dao.

By then.

Not only would he die.

His entire family would not escape either!

To keep his official position? Or to keep his life?

At this moment, the choice seemed hardly difficult.

In the end, Qiu Zhuo let out a desolate sigh and replied weakly and listlessly:

"I... I enter the Dao."

Satisfied, Liang Jin withdrew the bamboo staff.

A Yellow Turban follower brought over a bowl of talisman water, and Qiu Zhuo had no choice but to take it and drain it in one gulp.

Immediately following that was a series of initiation rituals.

Finally, Liang Jin instructed:

"Qiu Zhuo, since you have entered the Dao, you must live and die together with the Taiping Dao."

"Now the Yang family intends to undermine the Taiping Dao; you shall go and draft a memorial stating the Yang family's treason."

"Furthermore, the county yamen shall immediately issue arrest warrants to hunt down all members of the Yang family, confiscate all Yang family assets within Taiyang County, and gather all evidence of the Yang family's crimes from the populace."

Qiu Zhuo could only bow and reply that he would obey.

Though he feared the Yang family's retaliation, he could only save his own life for now.

Subsequently, Liang Jin turned to the assembled disciples and proclaimed in a loud voice:

"Pass down the order: let all Taiping Dao members across the various counties and prefectures jointly disrupt the Yang family's businesses."

"I want to make it impossible for the Yang family's trade to continue anywhere within Qingzhou!"

"I want the members of the Yang family to pay the price for their wicked deeds!"

Upon hearing this, the Yellow Turban followers raised their voices in a simultaneous cheer.

Their shouts rose and fell in waves, continuous and unending.

Miao Yuanzheng was still holding the umbrella for Liang Jin.

Looking at Liang Jin's back, he felt a deep sense of awe.

Ever since the ambush in the narrow alley, Liang Jin had vowed to retaliate against Yang Jingye.

At first, Miao Yuanzheng thought it was utterly impossible for Liang Jin to achieve this!

A fifth-rank martial expert like Bao Chao was certainly no joke.

Yet now.

Miao Yuanzheng had already received news from within the county yamen—

Yang Jingye was dead, and Bao Chao was dead as well!

They had died at the hands of an unknown expert of mysterious origins.

Where this expert came from, Miao Yuanzheng did not know.

Some said it was the Guiyi Sect.

But Miao Yuanzheng knew for a fact it was not.

He had once accompanied Liang Jin for a stroll outside the county yamen, and shortly after, the assassination inside the yamen had taken place.

Throughout the entire process, he had neither seen how the mysterious expert appeared nor how he vanished.

This even led Miao Yuanzheng to occasionally wonder: could the Great Worthy Teacher truly summon Yellow Turban warriors to descend and slay evildoers?

And now, a county magistrate had taken refuge in the Taiping Dao.

In the future, Miao Yuanzheng believed that more magistrates would take refuge, perhaps even prefects, and eventually even higher-ranking officials.

Miao Yuanzheng believed Liang Jin could accomplish this!

By provoking Liang Jin, the Yang family was destined for self-destruction.

Miao Yuanzheng raised his head.

The heavy rain was still falling.

This rain would not stop so easily; it was bound to grow even heavier.

When the rain finally stopped and the clouds scattered, the sky revealed would surely be the Yellow Heaven.

The Imperial Palace.

Department of Imperial Ancestors and Martial Affairs.

Within the dim room, even the light seemed to be locked outside.

A gray-haired, withered old eunuch holding a candle walked in front.

Even in broad daylight, one still needed to rely on candles for illumination here.

Zhao Bao followed respectfully behind.

Yet his heart was filled with lingering doubt: why were the windows of Eunuch Cao Xian's room kept shut even in the daytime?

At that moment, the old eunuch spoke:

"Zhao Bao, you have been thoughtful."

"Ever since I drank the medicinal decoction you brought, my lung ailment of over a decade has finally been cured."

"These past few days, my entire body has felt indescribably light and comfortable."

As Cao Xian spoke, he habitually pulled out a handkerchief to cover his mouth.

Yet he quickly realized that he was no longer coughing.

For more than ten years, he had developed the habit of coughing a few times whenever he spoke a few sentences.

Now that he had recovered, it was still difficult to break this old habit immediately.

Zhao Bao hurriedly bowed and replied:

"How could this be due to the efficacy of this humble one's decoction? It is clearly because the Head Instructor possesses a robust constitution."

"Even without this humble one's medicine, the Head Instructor would soon have healed on your own."

Cao Xian let out a dry, forced laugh as if straining his throat, then continued to lead the way ahead.

Zhao Bao had no choice but to follow.

The two finally arrived at the inner chamber.

It was even darker here, with the windows covered by thick felt curtains, making the room practically airtight.

The candle in Cao Xian's hand could only illuminate the center of the room, while the perimeter near the walls remained obscure and dim.

Just as Zhao Bao was stealthily glancing around, Cao Xian suddenly grabbed him by the wrist.

Startled, Zhao Bao asked:

"Head Instructor, what is the meaning of this..."

Yet Cao Xian merely pressed his fingers against Zhao Bao's pulse, sensing it carefully for a moment before saying:

"Zhao Bao, you have actually reached the eighth rank."

"It seems your talent and comprehension in martial arts are quite extraordinary."

Zhao Bao hurriedly replied:

"The Head Instructor flatters me. All of this is due to the Head Instructor's brilliant guidance."

Cao Xian let out a dry laugh, then pulled Zhao Bao toward a sturdy wooden chair.

"Come, sit down," he said, gesturing toward the seat.

Zhao Bao hastily answered:

"The Head Instructor has not yet taken a seat, how could this humble one dare to—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Cao Xian abruptly shoved him directly onto the chair.

Just as Zhao Bao was struck with astonishment, several iron clasps suddenly sprung out from the sturdy chair, firmly locking his wrists, ankles, and waist, binding his entire body tightly to the seat.

Who could have imagined that this chair was rigged with hidden mechanisms?

"Head Instructor, w-what is the meaning of this?"

Zhao Bao cried out in alarm.

He tried to struggle a few times, but the steel clamps and the chair were exceptionally sturdy, leaving him utterly unable to break free.

This chair seemed to have been specially crafted for martial artists; despite Zhao Bao being at the eighth rank, he could not shake it in the slightest.

Amid the flickering candlelight, a cruel and sinister smile surfaced on Cao Xian's face...