Chapter 47: The Golden Toad

Qinghe County, the rear residence of the prefectural yamen.

Seated at the head of the hall, brooding over the recent string of events, the current magistrate of Qinghe, Liao Yonghuai, swept his teacup from the table in a fit of rage, shattering it to pieces.

“What does that Iron Butcher think he’s doing, repeatedly ambushing merchant caravans? Does he have any regard for the law at all?”

His fury rendered him breathless, the flesh on his cheeks quivering with each word. The thought of his own losses made Liao Yonghuai’s heart ache—after all, he held covert shares in many of those merchant convoys.

Noticing his master’s wrath, the servants outside fell silent, not daring to make a sound. At that moment, a thin, goateed man hurried in—Xu Wenmao, Liao Yonghuai’s trusted adviser.

“Wenmao, you’re just in time. This Iron Butcher disregards all laws, wantonly slaughters honest merchants. I want to see him dead—do you have a way?”

Liao Yonghuai’s corpulent body seemed to engulf the entire chair, and the moment Xu Wenmao entered, the magistrate’s beady eyes locked onto him.

“Sir, I beg you to reconsider...”

Seeing the somber look on Liao Yonghuai’s face, Xu Wenmao secretly lamented. The magistrate was truly enraged this time, which was hardly surprising—his love for wealth was notorious. It was said he could only sleep clutching silver each night, and had even commissioned a life-sized beauty crafted with silver skin, golden hair, and jeweled eyes.

Liao Yonghuai did not immediately reply, but simply stared at Xu Wenmao, eyes glinting like a predator’s.

Xu Wenmao braced himself. He had to dissuade the magistrate from striking at the Dangjiang Bandits.

“Sir, the Dangjiang Bandits have entrenched themselves in Bewitching Bend—a treacherous terrain. Eradicating them is no simple task. Furthermore, this Iron Butcher is a genuine fiend. If you mean to act, you must be thoroughly prepared to strike decisively, or you may suffer a backlash. That would be a grievous loss. After all, he is but an outlaw, whereas you bear the well-being of the entire county.”

Xu Wenmao pleaded earnestly.

Yet no matter how hard he tried, Liao Yonghuai’s murderous intent did not waver. In the past, the Dangjiang Bandits kept to certain limits, never blocking his path to wealth, and were indeed difficult to deal with—so he had turned a blind eye. But things had changed; now even tax collection was threatened. Seeing the magistrate unmoved, Xu Wenmao could only sigh inwardly.

“Sir, if you are truly set on dealing with Iron Butcher, I will assemble the men at once. But when beating the dog, one must consider the master. The stance of the Gao family cannot be ignored. Should we incur their resentment, it may not matter for the moment, but the consequences could be dire.”

Xu Wenmao had pinpointed the crux of the matter.

At the mention of the Gao family, the fires of rage within Liao Yonghuai dimmed somewhat, and reason returned to his eyes.

“The Gao family...”

He murmured softly, frowning as he hesitated.

In the Southern Realm, the royal clan and the great cultivation families ruled jointly. Local officials, especially deputies, were invariably entangled with local gentry. The Gao family, though not the most powerful cultivation clan in Qingyuan Prefecture, wielded considerable influence. Not only did they have more than one Qi Refinement cultivator in their ranks, but their members also held high office in the prefectural government.

Of course, there was no need to be overly fearful. After all, Iron Butcher was, at best, a pawn nurtured by the Gao family—a mere hound, not a direct scion. Even if he were killed, the Gaos would not pursue enmity to the death.

“Iron Butcher has blockaded the riverways—public outrage is mounting in Qinghe. How do you suggest we handle this?”

Having suppressed his anger, Liao Yonghuai’s tone grew more measured.

Hearing this, Xu Wenmao finally breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the magistrate was reconsidering.

“Sir, you may send the county militia to sweep the river, making a show of bandit suppression. This would both reassure the people and serve as a warning to the Dangjiang Bandits, urging them to cease their actions.

“Of course, mobilizing troops is no easy matter. With the militia deployed and you personally commanding, it will require effort and resources. At such a critical juncture, Qinghe must unite—all families should contribute, whether with money or manpower.

“If, after this, the Dangjiang Bandits remain defiant, then you may petition the River Inspectorate for aid, and wipe them out in one fell swoop. By then, even the Gao family would have little to say.”

Confident in his plan, Xu Wenmao presented his counsel.

Liao Yonghuai pondered for a moment, then nodded. Though this approach let Iron Butcher off for now, it presented an opportunity to fleece the gentry—a chance not only to recoup his losses but perhaps even profit. It was a sound plan.

“Very well, do as you suggest.”

Waving his hand, Liao Yonghuai abandoned his earlier notion of striking at Iron Butcher directly.

Seeing this, Xu Wenmao bowed respectfully.

“Iron Butcher, considering all the silver you’ve sent over the years, I’ve done all I can for you this time. If you persist in your madness, I can do nothing more.”

Leaving the magistrate’s office and boarding his carriage, Xu Wenmao could not help but lament once again his own excessive virtue—otherwise, he would not have wasted so much breath today.

“Speaking of which, I hear the House of Blossoms has a new girl, fresh from the prefectural city. After all this exertion, I ought to unwind a little.”

With that thought, Xu Wenmao ordered his coachman to change course.

After Xu Wenmao’s departure, Magistrate Liao Yonghuai quietly slipped into an underground chamber, where silver and gold lay scattered everywhere, and at the center stood a golden toad idol.

“Iron Butcher’s recent actions are unusual; there must be hidden motives. I’ll have someone keep an eye out. Regardless, he should not obstruct my profits. If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll back down—otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to risk offending the Gao family and have him killed.”

With a grim face, Liao Yonghuai knelt and prostrated himself devoutly before the golden toad, then sat cross-legged and began his cultivation. As time passed, a golden sheen spread over his face, as if dusted with gold powder.

No one would have guessed that this rotund man, who looked as if walking was a struggle, was in fact a practitioner of the mystical arts. When he claimed he would kill Iron Butcher, it was no empty threat, but a genuine intent.

Meanwhile, as Qinghe reeled from the chaos wrought by the Dangjiang Bandits, Iron Butcher issued another order, commanding his men to expand their search even further.

At first, he could still wait patiently, but as time passed with no results, anxiety gnawed at him. If the Heart-refining Stone disappeared or fell into another’s hands, his last hope would be lost—an outcome he could not accept.

Thus, the Dangjiang Bandits grew ever more reckless in their actions, plunging the entire Qingyuan River into utter turmoil.