Chapter 113 - 81: Destroying Three Strongholds in a Day, Killing Them Until They Dare Not Come Down the Mountain to Plunder and Glide!

Chapter 113: Chapter 81: Destroying Three Strongholds in a Day, Killing Them Until They Dare Not Come Down the Mountain to Plunder and Glide!

He had lived for more than thirty years, and it was only through his old father’s Transmission, combined with an extraordinary Cultivation Technique and rare, precious spirit fruits, that he had finally become an Outer Gang Martial Artist.

If Zheng Jun had reached the Outer Gang realm in just three months, Cai Xun felt he might as well find a wall to smash his head against and die.

While Cai Xun was feeling extremely conflicted, he suddenly heard the surrounding County Soldiers shouting, "The Captain is back!"

"HOORAY!"

Upon hearing the word "Captain," all the County Soldiers erupted into a chorus of exuberant cheers that rumbled like an endless landslide.

Cai Xun was profoundly shocked. "Zheng San’s prestige in the Black Mountain Guard has already reached such a level!" he thought to himself.

To say he wasn’t envious would be a lie. After all, what man didn’t harbor the dream of commanding the world’s armies and reigning supreme in martial valor?

Putting away these distracting thoughts, Cai Xun looked outside. He saw Zheng Jun clad entirely in black, without armor. His Beirong Saber was sheathed, but his left hand dragged a severed head. Braving the wind and snow, he calmly returned to the front of the stronghold’s gates.

Seeing the County Soldiers cheering, Zheng Jun merely raised a hand. At the sight of his gesture, all the cheering ceased instantly, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

Zheng Jun casually tossed down the severed head, speaking in a nonchalant tone. "This is Songshi’s head. All eighty-nine bandits in the Songshi Stronghold are dead.

"There are still granaries and silver vaults in the Songshi Stronghold. After taking the silver coins from here and the Flying Thief, make another trip to the Songshi Stronghold and continue hauling!"

After giving his orders, Zheng Jun strolled over. Seeing that Cai Xun was also present, he immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. "Cai Xun, Zhou Pu."

"Zheng Jun!" Cai Xun stepped forward with immense enthusiasm before Zhou Pu could speak. With deep sincerity, he praised, "Wiping out three strongholds in a single day! In the entire history of our Black Mountain County, we’ve never had a Captain like you. You truly are a remarkable hero! Making you Captain back then was absolutely the right decision!"

"It was all thanks to your excellent command, Cai Xun. I merely possess a brute’s courage," Zheng Jun replied modestly. He then added, "Cai Xun, the Yan Clan, a Gentry family from Nansha Town at the foot of the mountain, was completely wiped out by these bandits. The entire household was slaughtered. I am truly ashamed that such Village Heroes died at the hands of mountain bandits."

"It’s a small matter, don’t worry about it." Cai Xun didn’t take the Yan Family seriously at all. He patted Zheng Jun’s shoulder and said, "However, Zheng Jun, why go to such exhausting lengths? Launching surprise night attacks on these strongholds won’t earn you any gratitude from the Court. You shouldn’t do such thankless tasks in the future."

Was the Yan Family really killed by mountain bandits? Cai Xun knew they weren’t. Judging by the traces left in Nansha Town, it was obvious they were wiped out by the Black Mountain Guard.

But it didn’t matter. To Cai Xun, local wealthy Gentry like the Yan Family were not worth mentioning at all.

In the Great Zhou, families that engaged in land expansion were of the lowest tier. Prominent State families like the Cai Family contracted the mining of a rare mineral known as Purple Cold Iron. By supplying this mineral to the Court, they earned heaps of gold daily and had absolutely no need for farmland.

Furthermore, a Martial Artist who had reached the Outer Gang realm could essentially achieve Fasting. To the Cai Family, grain wasn’t particularly important; what mattered was the flesh and blood of Demon Beasts. Therefore, the Cai Family secretly maintained three or four Demon Beast breeding grounds. They specialized in raising Little Demons, slaughtering and selling them once they grew to the Qi Storage realm.

This was vastly more profitable than farming. Who still cared about land annexation? Besides, annexing land carried a poor reputation, and major families wanted both face and fortune. So, if the Yan Family was wiped out, so be it. It didn’t matter. With Cai Xun covering for him, it was completely inconsequential.

What mattered was the act of exterminating the mountain bandits. After all, the strongest among the Black Mountain Thieves was Lu Hao. What if they angered Lu Hao and provoked him into coming down the mountain? Lu Hao was a powerful expert in the Outer Gang realm who practiced a Demon Fiend Cultivation Technique, possessing terrifying strength.

The act of exterminating bandits was trivial in the eyes of the Court. After all, there was the Rongdi Demon Court to the north, the Celestial King Great Bandit to the east, and widespread refugee uprisings to the west. Compared to them, the Black Mountain Thieves were nothing.

"As the Captain of the Black Mountain Guard, I have a duty to defend this territory. Since the bandits on the mountain like to come down and pillage, I will use the saber in my hand to slaughter them until they never dare to come down and pillage again!" Zheng Jun’s voice was resolute and resounding. He looked like a man determined to restore peace and justice to the mortal world.

Seeing Zheng Jun’s passion, Cai Xun didn’t know what to say. He simply waved his hand, ordering the donkey and ox carts to begin transporting the supplies down the mountain.

However, as Cai Xun was organizing the transport, Zheng Jun proactively approached him, lowering his voice to say, "Cai Xun, we need to hide half of these supplies. Don’t hand everything over.

"These bandits of Black Mountain are too arrogant. I reckon it won’t be long before other families suffer the same fate as the Yan Family of Nansha Town. When the bandit plague worsens, I hope you can submit a memorial to the Commandery to expand the Black Mountain Guard and grant us quotas for a few more squads.

"It would be even better if we could ally with the neighboring Zhiyuan County, Rongyuan County, and Pingyun County. If all four counties dispatch troops together to patrol Black Mountain, that would be ideal."

Pingzhang Commandery consisted of eight counties. Zhiyuan, Rongyuan, Pingyun, and Black Mountain were the four counties surrounding Black Mountain. Among them, Black Mountain County was located right at the foot of the mountain, hence its name. As for Zhiyuan County, Rongyuan County, and Pingyun County, although they were farther away, their borders extended and crisscrossed, making them adjacent.

Hearing Zheng Jun’s words, Cai Xun understood immediately. This seemed to be an opportunity to use the Black Mountain Thieves to legitimately extend his influence into the other three counties!

"What you say makes sense, Zheng Jun. The Black Mountain Thieves are far too detestable!" Cai Xun nodded, his expression turning serious and solemn. "When you get back, make a list of the wealthy... I mean, make a list of the Village Heroes who are vulnerable to harassment by the Black Mountain Thieves. Our Black Mountain Guard must take up the responsibility of defending the territory and protecting the safety of these Village Heroes under the Court’s rule!"