Chapter 106 - 79: Radiant Sunlight Fulong Blade Weapon Art

Chapter 106: Chapter 79: Radiant Sunlight Fulong Blade Weapon Art

After listening for a long while, Zheng Jun still couldn’t figure out which faction these disguised Southern Chu forces belonged to.

"My lord, we’re here. This is the Government Treasury where the money and valuables are kept," the bandit said nervously as he led Zheng Jun to the treasury doors.

A large lock secured the entrance. Without hesitation, Zheng Jun drew his Beirong Saber. With a flash of cold light, the chain snapped apart. Pushing the doors open, he was met with a dense sea of chests.

"What is all this?" Zheng Jun asked, casually opening a chest to find it filled with dried medicinal herbs.

"My lord, aside from robbery and Gliding, we also do some trading. Other than the goods we usually rob on the roads, there are quite a lot of herbs from Black Mountain." The bandit answered honestly, "A few villages have locals who specialize in gathering herbs in the mountains. We’d go over, capture their parents and children, and force them to gather herbs for us. Then, every three months, Caiwei Hall from the Commandery comes to collect our stock."

"There are still mountain villagers?" Zheng Jun frowned. "Where are you keeping them?"

"They aren’t locked up," the bandit replied. "They just live in the village at the foot of the mountain. They can’t run away."

"Then a few months ago, did you capture any herb gatherers on the mountain? Around twenty years old, thin, and looking somewhat like me," Zheng Jun continued to ask.

"No, we don’t capture the mountain’s herb gatherers; most of them just work for us." The bandit shook his head. "Those who go up the mountain to pick herbs are all dirt poor without much silver on them. Why would we capture them? Unless we run out of food, only then would we grab someone to boil and eat."

Hearing the bandit’s words, Zheng Jun breathed a sigh of relief. He was, of course, asking about the whereabouts of his second older brother, Zheng Xing. A few months before Zheng Jun transmigrated, Zheng Xing had gone up the mountain to gather herbs to support the family, only to disappear. The neighbors all claimed he had been devoured by the Demon Fiends of Black Mountain, but Zheng Jun felt there was a chance he had been captured or killed by the mountain’s bandits. After all, the Acupoint Opening Great Demon of Black Mountain and its subordinates resided deep within the mountain. A mere herb gatherer would never venture that far in. No news was the best news.

Zheng Jun’s feelings toward his brother were rather complex. Strictly speaking, much of what he currently possessed was a parting gift from his brother’s disappearance. For instance, his position as a runner was originally meant for his brother. Similarly, the small, cluttered courtyard where Zheng Jun first lived was bought with his brother’s hard-earned money. Now that he had acquired some skills, it was only natural for him to track down Zheng Xing’s whereabouts. He needed to see him alive, or find his corpse if he was dead.

"You did well. Your punishment can be lightened later," Zheng Jun said, nodding in praise.

Overjoyed by the promise, the bandit kowtowed repeatedly. As for how much the punishment would be lightened? It would roughly mean that while the other bandits would receive a waist Slash, he would only be Slashed at the neck. A waist Slash was much more painful.

Zheng Jun looked through the chests and found that most of them contained valuable items he had no use for. There was a chest of brand-new bowls and chopsticks, a chest of clothes, and a chest of incense and candles.

"Unbelievable. You guys really rob everything," he muttered. These goods were indeed worth some money, but they were mostly everyday items. It was obvious that passing merchants had been ambushed, their carts confiscated, leaving them with absolutely nothing.

"Have the first and second squads stay behind. The other three squads will head down the mountain with Crew Leaders Xu and Du. Go to Nansha Town and have the first and second squads of the third crew come up. At the same time, send the cavalry squad back to the city to notify the County Government Office’s Strong Shift to bring carts over," Zheng Jun immediately instructed a soldier beside him. "Captain Yang and the remaining three squads of the third crew are to continue guarding Nansha Town and oversee the land distribution. I will inspect it when I head down."

"Yes, sir!" After receiving the order, the soldier immediately went to relay the message.

Zheng Jun couldn’t calculate exactly how much silver these items were worth; he only cared about the actual silver. However, after searching for a good while, he discovered that there was only about two hundred taels of silver locked in a small box. Seeing this, Zheng Jun couldn’t help but frown. "Where’s the silver? Where did it all go?"

He thought, "I came up the mountain to wipe out bandits first for merits, and second for silver. How are you bandits so poor? Do you just rob bowls, chopsticks, and incense every day?!"

"I-I don’t know..." The bandit’s heart trembled at Zheng Jun’s frown, and he answered honestly, "Our chief took it all away. I don’t know what he’s using it for..."

"Where is your chief’s residence?" Zheng Jun asked.

Following this, the bandit led Zheng Jun toward the residence.

Zhang Kang’s residence was surprisingly well-built. The main gates were crafted from sturdy oak, heavily reinforced with iron rivets. The bronze beast-head knockers gave off an ancient, weighty feel, making the doors seem even more impenetrable than the stronghold’s main gates. Zheng Jun kicked the doors open. Entering the courtyard, he saw a path of Qing stone slabs stretching forward. The roofs were covered in Qing tiles with the eaves turning upward at the four corners. Carved onto the lintel of the main house were four large characters: "Unrivaled in the World." The brushstrokes were vigorous and powerful, appearing to have been written by a master calligrapher.

"Unrivaled in the World?" Zheng Jun’s expression inevitably turned a bit strange at the sight, though he said nothing. Stepping inside, he found the furnishings simple and rugged. A large desk occupied the Central area of the room, scattered with a few maps. A sheathed Longsword hung on the wall, its scabbard carved with soaring dragons and dancing phoenixes.

Upon seeing the sword, Zheng Jun paused, thoroughly shocked.

He thought, "An Imperial Sword?!"

He was utterly astonished. He had never dreamed that there would actually be an Imperial Sword here!

He wondered, "How in the world did they get their hands on it?"

Taking the sword down, he drew it from its scabbard. A chilling aura swirled around the blade, which was engraved with the Beidou Seven Stars.

It really was an Imperial Sword!