Chapter 49

* * * * Whoosh!

At the moment he sensed the danger, Ye Zhen's figure darted like a snake, instantly hiding behind a wall in the bandit stronghold.

In that split second, Ye Zhen's fingers, which were on the Overmountain Wind bracelet, quickly grabbed and pinched the bracelet, suspected to be a storage bracelet, into his hand.

Almost simultaneously, with a large amount of armor clashing sounds, a group of people rushed into Overmountain Wind's courtyard. Some of them aimed their bows and crossbows directly at the already dead Overmountain Wind.

Another part of the group aimed their bows and crossbows at the place where Ye Zhen was hiding, especially a two-meter-long blood-red giant bow that made Ye Zhen feel a chill.

Ye Zhen recognized it as the Black Water Kingdom's military-exclusive Blood Killing Bow. Within a hundred meters, no one below the True Essence Realm could withstand it, and even True Essence Realm martial artists found it extremely difficult to resist.

However, upon seeing the Blood Killing Bow, Ye Zhen let out a sigh of relief. The people who suddenly appeared were not enemies but should be the soldiers of Wuan County.

"Commander, it's Overmountain Wind, he has already been killed!" A county soldier reported after checking.

"My daughter, you must have suffered a lot, are you okay?" Upon hearing that Overmountain Wind was dead, He Bancheng, who was at the back of the group, stumbled into the inner hall to see his daughter.

He Bancheng did not even untie the ropes that bound his daughter but carried her out of the inner hall, spinning several times in the courtyard with her and the ropes before finally untying them.

At first, Ye Zhen was puzzled, but then he understood.

By not untying the ropes, He Bancheng was proving his daughter's innocence to everyone present. If he didn't do this, who knew what kind of rumors would spread.

"Is that you, benefactor?"

Ye Zhen, however, did not come out. Even when He Bancheng called out, Ye Zhen did not appear. It was only after the county commander ordered the soldiers to lower their bows and crossbows that Ye Zhen cautiously emerged from behind the wall.

Influenced by the events of the past few months, Ye Zhen had become much more cautious. If he had rashly come out and been killed by the official soldiers, it would have been a great injustice.

Seeing that the person who came out was a young boy with a hint of innocence on his face, the county commander was clearly taken aback, a look of disbelief and surprise appearing in his eyes.

He had led elite soldiers to attack the stronghold three times, all of which were repelled by Overmountain Wind. This time, he suddenly heard that He Bancheng had reported to the camp that a hero had single-handedly killed Overmountain Wind.

He had assumed it was a seasoned martial artist who roamed the world doing good deeds, never imagining it would be a young boy who still had a hint of innocence.

"Did you kill all these people?" the county commander Guan Ping asked in shock.

Ye Zhen was speechless, nodding without good humor. Who else could have done it?

Guan Ping immediately reacted, "I apologize, may I ask for your name and title, sir?"

"Disciple of Qiyun Sect, Ye Zhen!"

"Qiyun Sect?" Upon hearing this, Guan Ping was overjoyed. He casually instructed the soldiers to capture the remaining bandits and then approached Ye Zhen.

"Junior Brother Ye, Overmountain Wind is a wanted criminal by the imperial court. Killing him earns military merit. May I verify your identity token, Junior Brother Ye, for reporting purposes?" Guan Ping asked.

"Junior Brother Ye?" Ye Zhen was surprised by the title.

"Oh, to be honest, Junior Brother Ye, I was once an outer disciple of Qiyun Sect. Later, I earned military merit and became the county commander of Wuan County. I am ashamed, my cultivation is not strong, and Overmountain Wind is extremely cunning, which is why he has been wreaking havoc in the region for so long without being eliminated." Guan Ping explained.

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhen realized they were fellow disciples and was overjoyed, quickly handing over his identity token for Guan Ping to check.

Upon seeing it, Guan Ping was deeply respectful, "Junior Brother, you are the top of the Earth Rank?"

Hearing this, Ye Zhen was also taken aback but then understood. With Guo Duo's top position on the Earth Rank gone, his rank had naturally risen.

He Bancheng, who was comforting his daughter, also had his eyes light up. The Earth and Heaven Ranks of Qiyun Sect were well-known throughout the Black Water Kingdom. Ye Zhen, being the top of the Earth Rank and so young, was impressive.

Knowing Ye Zhen's identity as the top of the Earth Rank, Guan Ping's way of addressing him changed from "Junior Brother Ye" to "Senior Brother Ye," which made Ye Zhen feel very awkward.

However, no matter how Ye Zhen tried to persuade him, Guan Ping refused to change his address, saying it was the rule for outer disciples of Qiyun Sect.

Soon, the soldiers under Guan Ping's command had completely cleared the bandit stronghold, cutting off and collecting the heads of about two hundred bandits.

What surprised Ye Zhen the most was that the soldiers also confiscated a considerable amount of wealth from the stronghold, which looked to be about ten thousand taels.

This made Ye Zhen a bit worried. Could the bracelet he had taken from Overmountain Wind not be a storage bracelet?

"Is this all?" Guan Ping kicked the pile of wealth casually, frowning. "People say Overmountain Wind was extravagant, and it seems to be true. Last year, he looted the entire fortune of a wealthy family in Moshui County, which was said to be several hundred thousand taels. In less than a year, it was all spent."

Hearing this, Ye Zhen's heart stirred. It seemed the bracelet in his possession was likely a storage bracelet.

Suddenly, Guan Ping pulled Ye Zhen aside, looking troubled as he said, "Senior Brother Ye, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"What is it? Please speak!"

"Senior Brother Ye, can we share the military merit with you?"

Seeing Ye Zhen's expression change, Guan Ping quickly explained, "Senior Brother, you don't know, we attacked Overmountain Wind three times, and many of our brothers were killed or injured. If we can share some of the military merit, the compensation for those brothers can be more generous.

Moreover, if the elimination of Overmountain Wind has nothing to do with us, my position as county commander might be at risk." As he spoke, Guan Ping pulled open his shirt, revealing a deep, bone-deep wound.

"Senior Brother, it's not that we didn't try! I almost lost my life here."

"By the way, you can take half of today's spoils. How about it, can you help us out?"

The wound made Ye Zhen deeply moved. He didn't care about military merit; his goal was not there. He nodded in agreement.

They burned the bandit stronghold, and Guan Ping led everyone back to the small forest with the heads.

In the small forest, the survivors, some sad and some happy, all bowed to Ye Zhen, their benefactor, before leaving. Only the young boy whose father had died remained, looking lost after hastily burying his father's remains.

"My father was going to send me to Qiyun Sect as a servant disciple, but I never thought..." When Ye Zhen asked, the boy couldn't help but feel sad.

"Do you have any bloodline talent to become a servant disciple?" Ye Zhen asked.

"Upper-grade in three meridians!"

Hearing this, Ye Zhen casually handed the boy five hundred taels of silver, "Go, use this as travel expenses, go to Qiyun Sect as a servant disciple, and practice hard. Don't forget today..."

The boy was stunned, not understanding what Ye Zhen meant.

"Only with strength, only by possessing greater strength, can one truly control one's destiny!"

As he said this to the boy, Ye Zhen suddenly had an epiphany. He suddenly understood what he was truly pursuing by entering Qiyun Sect.

It was strength, freedom, and the ability to control one's own destiny!

Just like the girl he had glimpsed in the sky as a child, flying freely in the sky...

On the way down the mountain, Ye Zhen chatted casually with Guan Ping, mostly about how Ye Zhen killed Overmountain Wind, which Guan Ping was particularly interested in.

"Senior Brother Ye, how did you break through Overmountain Wind's Pan Water Soft Palm? I suffered greatly from his Pan Water Soft Palm," Guan Ping asked.

"Pan Water Soft Palm?" Ye Zhen was taken aback. "Is it the palm technique where the movements seem slow but are actually fast, continuous, and the power never ends?"

"Yes, that's the palm technique. You don't know it?"

Ye Zhen shook his head, "No, I don't. This palm technique is very difficult to deal with. In the end, I had to use a strategy of trading injuries to break through his attack. Otherwise, I would have lost. Do you know its origin?"

"Senior Brother Ye, you may not know, but the Pan Water Soft Palm is a signature technique of Lishui Sect, only taught to elite disciples. It's very powerful," Guan Ping said.

Ye Zhen knew about Lishui Sect, a powerful sect among the many sects in the Black Water Kingdom, which had recently gained a reputation rivaling Qiyun Sect.

"How did Overmountain Wind learn Lishui Sect's signature technique?" Ye Zhen was puzzled.

"Senior Brother Ye, you don't know, Overmountain Wind was a discarded disciple of Lishui Sect. He roamed the world for a few years before settling here and becoming a bandit."

"Since he was a discarded disciple, why didn't you ask Lishui Sect to clean up their own mess?" Ye Zhen asked.

"We did, who says we didn't? The county governor sent five official letters, but Lishui Sect never responded."

"Lishui Sect is truly despicable!" Instinctively, Ye Zhen felt a dislike for Lishui Sect.

Because it was too late to reach Wuan County, Ye Zhen and the surviving civilians had to spend the night in Guan Ping's camp.

Of course, Ye Zhen, the great hero, received different treatment from the others, with a private tent to stay in.

After sending off Guan Ping, when Ye Zhen was alone in the tent, he took out the bracelet he had taken from Overmountain Wind with some anticipation.

Ye Zhen followed the method he knew to open a storage bracelet, putting it on his wrist and focusing his mind. At that moment, he sent a thread of true essence into the bracelet.

The moment the true essence was sent, the bracelet glowed slightly, and a space about one meter in length, width, and height appeared before Ye Zhen's eyes.

The contents of this cubic meter of space made Ye Zhen's eyes widen in surprise.

* * * *

PS: Well, this chapter has several hidden jokes, and my head hurts from burying them.

They say a crying child gets the milk.

As usual, I, Zhu San, ask for some recommendation votes from my brothers. Readers can also log in to read, which can increase membership points.

Thank you, brothers!

[AD begins]

[AD ends]