Chapter 65

The short and sturdy man did not become angry. Instead, he looked at the two of them carefully and sighed, "I almost forgot, you two are no longer what you used to be. The name of the Sword Robe Hall is known even to us who live on the water. I remember a few years ago when you first came to me to talk business, you were just kids. I almost threw you out of the water fort to feed the fish. Thinking about it now, it's incredible how you two brats were so bold."

Speaking of the early days, Zhuang Wudao smiled. The man beside him, though unremarkable in appearance, was the chief of the Wuyu Water Fort, seven hundred miles away from Yuecheng. His name was Zhang Cunxiao, nicknamed 'Water Knife,' and they had a long-standing friendship.

The first 'business' deal he and Qin Feng made was with the Wuyu Water Fort.

At that time, the Wuyu Water Fort was already rising, controlling a section of the river. He and Qin Feng were only at the Blood Cultivation stage, with only a dozen or so men. Yet, they received Zhang Cunxiao's favor and strong support.

Therefore, both he and Qin Feng were grateful to him. Over the years, their cooperation with the Wuyu Water Fort had been seamless.

The private army of the Zhuang family numbered 150, all armored and elite. The Beiting family stayed out of the matter, making it difficult to act in the city. The Sword Robe Hall alone couldn't take them down, so they chose to act on the river, in cooperation with the Wuyu Water Fort.

The two sides, along with a few smaller water forts nearby, numbered over 600 men.

"It's starting!"

From the large ship, dozens of arrows flew down, most of which were blocked by iron shields and the walls of the ship, making a 'thud' sound. However, a few unlucky ones were hit. Fortunately, they protected their vital points and were only lightly injured, being rescued to the deck.

The fastest boat had already reached the ship, and a figure in a blue robe leaped out from it. In the air, he resembled a crane, his movements powerful and fierce. When he landed, he swept through the enemy.

"Nine Forms of the Crane?"

Zhang Cunxiao's eyes flickered. "Your retainer is quite good! If he trains for another fifty or sixty years, he might reach the middle stage of Qi Cultivation."

He himself was at the Qi Cultivation stage and could see the blue-robed man's strength, which exceeded that of ordinary Qi Cultivation practitioners.

Qin Feng also smiled in satisfaction. The blue-robed man was named Zhang Jie, the first Qi Cultivation practitioner the Sword Robe Hall had recruited with a hefty sum of a thousand taels of silver. It seemed the investment was worth it.

Cheers rose from the ship as Zhang Jie broke through the enemy lines. Behind him, a group of Sword Robe Hall members began boarding the ship.

The Sword Robe Hall was newly established, and many were recent recruits, lacking in tactics. However, with the fine iron armor and weapons from the Hundred Weapons Hall and their overwhelming numbers, their morale was high and their fighting spirit fierce.

At this moment, two Qi Cultivation practitioners also emerged from the ship's cabin, rushing towards the battle.

Seeing Zhang Jie about to be surrounded by two Qi Cultivation practitioners, Zhuang Wudao's eyes flashed, and he reached out to the air with a claw.

"Dragon Capture, Tiger Shock!"

His palm generated a suction force, pulling one of the practitioners from over sixty yards away to his front.

As the Qi Cultivation practitioner struggled in fear, Zhuang Wudao's fist, shaped like a tiger, snapped the man's throat with a 'crack.' The body fell into the river.

"Is this... a mystic technique?"

Zhang Cunxiao's pupils contracted, and he drew a sharp breath. After a moment, he said, "Good heavens, I never thought you, Zhuang Wudao, would have such potential! If this is the case, perhaps one day, I, Zhang Cunxiao, will rely on you two!"

Qin Feng immediately shook his head. "I'm far inferior to him! In terms of martial talent, a hundred of me wouldn't match Wudao."

Zhang Cunxiao laughed heartily. "Not bad either. His mind isn't as sharp as yours. I could tell from the early days that you two wouldn't be ordinary. You'd eventually make a name for yourselves. I have good eyes! No more talk, since your people have already moved, we can't just stand by and watch."

As he spoke, Zhang Cunxiao crouched down, causing the entire thirty-yard ship to sway. He leaped like a grasshopper, crossing twelve yards of the river and landing on the large ship. He landed like a meteor, causing chaos on the deck with his twin axes.

Several fast boats also approached rapidly, and hundreds of men swarmed onto the ship.

Zhuang Wudao and Qin Feng exchanged a smile, knowing the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt.

The battle lasted less than half an hour, and no one on the large ship resisted. The guards were either killed or surrendered, dropping their weapons and kneeling.

The remaining Qi Cultivation practitioner, though extremely loyal, could not withstand the combined attack of Zhang Cunxiao and Zhang Jie, and was beheaded by Zhang Cunxiao's axe.

Zhuang Wudao and Qin Feng were most worried that the Zhuang family would set fire to the ship to destroy the valuables. However, no one on the ship set fire, and the entire ship fell into their hands intact.

Zhang Xiaojie was excited, his face flushed. There wasn't much gold or silver on the ship, as Zhuang Xun was extremely cautious and only brought a few valuable antiques and treasures. However, the fine armor and weapons on the guards were worth a lot, all from the Hundred Weapons Hall, rare and high-quality. There were even two spirit weapons.

The gold and silver found on the family members were also valuable, worth at least fifty to sixty thousand taels of silver.

Most importantly, Zhuang Xun had six thousand three hundred taels of gold notes issued by various money houses in Yuecheng, and several land deeds. The Zhuang family had already acquired a hundred hectares of good land in the East Sea, also worth a lot.

The Zhuang family, after generations of business, was indeed incredibly wealthy, accumulating a large fortune. Even if the Sword Robe Hall only got seventy percent, it was still a substantial windfall.

Qin Feng, however, was thoughtful. "Zhuang Xun is indeed a remarkable person, a pity!"

Zhuang Wudao also agreed. Destroying the gold notes and land deeds would have been simple, but Zhuang Xun didn't act out of spite. This made it easier for them but also increased the chances of his family's survival. He was a very rational and decisive person, which piqued Zhuang Wudao's interest in meeting him.

Zhuang Xun and his son were now held in the fourth deck of the ship. When Zhuang Wudao and Qin Feng arrived, Ma Yuan was coldly smiling, using a whip dipped in saltwater to brutally beat Zhuang Tong, who was lying on the ground.

On that day of the small competition, Ma Yuan had almost been crippled by Zhuang Tong. Since then, he had hated Zhuang Tong to the bone. Now, he had the chance to beat him to death.

Zhuang Xun sat expressionlessly nearby, like a dead man. Only when Zhuang Wudao and Qin Feng arrived did his eyes regain some life. Recognizing that these two were the ones in charge, he looked at them for a long time and then smiled lightly.

"I was right, you were planning to attack my family. Unfortunately, I lacked the resolve."

"You brought this upon yourself, who else can you blame?"

Zhuang Wudao sneered. "Even if you spend more money and hire more people, you won't get out of the six hundred miles around Yuecheng."

If Zhuang Xun could hire people, couldn't he, Zhuang Wudao, recruit even more? The Sword Robe Hall now had the qualifications to do so.

Zhuang Xun wasn't unwilling to spend money, but he was concerned that being too conspicuous would attract unwanted attention and trouble. It was a difficult position for him.

Zhuang Xun fell silent again and then said coldly, "To the victor go the spoils, say what you will. But my family is innocent. I beg you to spare them. The Zhuang family has operated in Yuecheng for seventy years. Although our assets have been sold, we know the locations of several yuan essence stone mines outside the city. I feared drawing attention, so I never mined them. If you spare my son, Zhuang Tong, I will tell you everything."

Zhuang Tong, on the ground, was stunned and then stared at Zhuang Wudao with red eyes.

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow, also surprised. Zhang Cunxiao was even more startled, showing some interest.

A yuan essence stone mine, even a small one, could have a million stones in reserve. This could make a family wealthy for generations.

However, this was a personal matter for Zhuang Wudao, and he couldn't easily agree.

Zhuang Wudao, however, laughed coldly, showing no emotion. He drew a sword from a Sword Robe Hall member's waist and beheaded Zhuang Tong, spraying blood all over Ma Yuan. Zhuang Tong's head rolled on the deck, his eyes wide open with hatred and disbelief.

Zhuang Wudao didn't even look at it, holding the bloody sword and saying calmly, "I don't want to leave any future trouble. I heard you have two illegitimate sons who are almost grown. If you tell me, I'll let them leave with a hundred taels of gold, maybe they can revive your family one day. If not, there's no need to say more."

If the Sword Robe Hall also operated mines, it would draw the attention of other forces in the city. Even if they knew the locations, they would need to operate secretly. Or they could sell the information to others, but the profit would be limited.

Zhuang Xun looked at him blankly, then closed his eyes and sighed.

"Truly leaving no future trouble! Very well, I expected as much! You are all heroes of the wild, and you will keep your word."

He then quickly drew a map on the table with tea, marking the locations.

Zhuang Wudao memorized it and then exchanged glances with the others. Qin Feng and Zhang Cunxiao nodded, and Ma Yuan coldly smiled, stabbing Zhuang Xun in the throat.

They weren't worried that Zhuang Xun would lie about the mine locations. His family was still alive, and if the locations were false or there were any issues, it would only harm them.

Zhuang Xun was a very rational and intelligent person. If he wanted to protect his family, he wouldn't do something so foolish.