The Nine Cauldrons Book 3: Black Armored Army - Chapter 43: Expert

Book 3 Chapter 43 Expert
The mounted bandits moved to the side of the road to let the caravan pass.
Nobody dared to stop them!
This time their Great Master, a big figure in Xuyang County, had lost a lot of face! Therefore, the Great Master ordered all present to be silent on everything that had happened that day. The matter could not be allowed to spread.
However…..
There were almost five thousand men present today, moreover, the mounted bandits were addicted to alcohol; how could the news possibly not spread?
……
A good deed is difficult to spread, but bad news travels great distances!
The biggest gang in Fanwu City of Xuyang County, the ‘Wushan Gang’ had failed to rob someone even with five thousand men at their disposal and were forced to pay treasures worth over a million taels of silvers instead. Like the wind, this news spread throughout the various major cities of Xuyang County!
Being able to muster five thousand men for just a robbery, one could imagine the strength of the Wushan Gang.
When comparing their true strength, they were even stronger than the ‘White Horse Gang’ of Teng Qingshan’s home, Yi City. However, this time they messed up big!
These treasure were normally calculated according to their lowest market price. Their true value amounted to about 700,000-800,000 taels of silver. However, the more the rumor spread, the more exaggerated the numbers became!
Xuyang County was in chaos!
With the Wushan Gang’s foothold and their huge forces, it couldn’t be said that they were weak; Teng Qingshan was simply too powerful. Even their mighty battalion couldn’t stop Teng Qingshan from catching their leader. For him, it was like taking candy from a child!
It was because of the Wushan Gang’s failure!
In addition, with the Black Armored Army’s fame, the several major gangs and sects in Xuyang County, didn’t dare try to rob them.
……
The caravan slowly marched forward along the public road. 80 cavalry guards and more than 20 Black Armored Army soldiers protected the cargo as the group continued forward, no bandit daring to try something along the way.
“Lord Lieutenant, it’s said that Xuyang County is chaotic! However, with Lord Lieutenant’s previous display of overwhelming might, we haven’t met any robbers for over two days,” Du Hong said with a smile.
“Haha, and if they come again, Qingshan will show them another,” Teng Qinghu laughed.
Ever since last time when Teng Qingshan exposed his astonishing strength, his already high status within the caravan increased even more.
Back then, Teng Qingshan had obtained gold and silver banknotes worth 130,000 taels of silver! Although the King Jade Buddha, power bow, battle saber and the Gold Silk Vest were more precious, they temporarily couldn’t be traded for money.
Although the Black Armored Army soldiers envied him very much, they didn’t think too much about the money.
After all……
Teng Qingshan had obtained it with his personal strength. In the Black Armored Army, when a team wiped out a group of bandits, even if the officer didn’t contribute, the majority of the money obtained would go to him. Let alone this battle, where the soldiers of the Black Armored Army hadn’t contributed at all.
However, Teng Qingshan still divided some of the money.
For the two centurions, each received 10,000 taels of silver.
As for the twenty soldiers and the sergeants, each received 1000 taels of silver.
This was more than what their monthly salaries added to, even after a year’s worth of work. With their purses filled up, of course the Black Armored Army soldiers would support Teng Qingshan even more. The 80 cavalry guards could only watch enviously as Teng Qingshan didn’t bother to give them even one tael of silver.
This was the advantage of the Black Armored Army!
“Raise the feeling of superiority amongst the Black Armored Army! This would create a stronger sense of belonging.” Teng Qingshan was very clear on this idea and shot a look at the carriage. At this moment, Zhu Chongshi stayed in carriage to accompany his three children.
Thinking of children, Teng Qingshan couldn’t help but feel pain in his heart.
He still had the memories of his previous life.
“Wolf, when we leave the organization, we must have two children. A boy and a girl.”
“Nm, okay.”
“When the time comes, we’ll let them study painting and the piano…… They’ll live the lives of ordinary people! They don’t have to learn to kill; this sort of life ……I’m tired of it.”
“Nm, very soon, we will get out of this organization. We will for sure, Cat!”
……
“Cat!” Teng Qingshan still remembered his wife from his previous life. His cold appearance that resembled a machine would melt away when he was together with that woman; the only woman he ever truly loved. According to his original plan, when he broke through to SS Rank, he would leave the organization.
Then he would start a family and raise his children with Cat.
Unfortunately, Cat died. After her death, he started his maddening revenge against the Red Organization and comprehended the ‘Saddened knife’. Afterwards, he focused and invested everything into martial arts, before finally stepping into the Grandmaster realm. Unfortunately, everything was achieved far too late.
“Cat ……” Teng Qingshan muttered.
Shaking his head, he diligently hid the love of his previous life in the deepest part of his heart. Teng Qingshan deliberately let himself forget; after all, this was a new life. However, occasionally he would remember these past events.
“In this life, I have parents, a younger sister, and clansmen. I’m already very satisfied.” Teng Qingshan’s mood quickly returned to normal. “Seek the pinnacle of martial arts! Like the legendary Emperor Yu, splitting a mountain with five axe swings, or like the Celestial Emperor Qinling who could dry up a hundred Li wide river with a palm strike. My current strength is still far below theirs. The journey of martial arts is long and bumpy. It’s worthy of using my life to explore it!”
Teng Qingshan’s heart was as firm as a rock!
……
The carriages’ wheels continued rolling while squeaking. In the spacious carriage, Zhu Chongshi and his two wives sat inside. As for his children, they were in the carriage behind them with the servants.
“Dear!”A beautiful woman wearing green said nervously. “We have already entered Xuyang County for four days and we can cross it in an estimated 2-3 days. Once we reach Chu County, we will be safe, but ……These brothers of yours, won’t they be scheming something?”
“What big sister said is right, I have a bad feeling in my heart,”Another beautiful woman wearing a purple gown said.
Zhu Chongshi laughed while lying on their laps and eating fruits, “Haha, you don’t have to worry. I just returned from overseas and immediately entered Jiangning county city from the East Sea. How many days did we stay there for? We then immediately rushed to Chu Province! Like me, my brothers are developing their businesses by themselves. They won’t be that quick in collecting the news……Perhaps, until now, only 2-3 of my brothers know that I have come back!”
Jiangning City is next to the sea.
That was also the reason why Zhu Chongshi stayed in Jiangning City.
“Dear, what will happen once they know?” The beautiful woman in green asked disturbed.
“Haven’t you already guessed it?”Zhu Chongshi asked. “They won’t dare to kill the children and I, since we are the descendants of Zhu! What my father hates the most is a kinslayer. Once they do, he will definitely find out with his information network. When the time comes, my father would never let someone who kills his brothers to become the head of the household! He will even deprive him of his possessions and expel him from our Zhu family!”
The weight on the two wives’ hearts lifted.
Indeed, their father-in-law was honoured as ‘the God of Wealth’ and his power was immense.
“They don’t dare to kill my children and I, but they still dare to ruin or rob my cargo.”Zhu Chongshi frowned, “If this cargo gets robbed, once the ten years have passed, I will probably only have a 20% chance to become the head of the household.”
His two wives also understood that this cargo was of utmost importance.
Their husband went overseas for several years because of this cargo.
“With this cargo, after the ten years period, I have at least a 90% assurance of winning the position of head of household!” Zhu Chongshi smiled self-confidently.
Within the 13 counties of Yangzhou, the south side was the wealthiest, while the north was the poorest. However, even the poorest ‘Chu County’, could be considered quite bountiful within the entire Nine Prefectures.
The northern public road was sparsely inhabited and therefore an inn was rare.
On the public road in the wilderness, inns were scarce because a lone inn could easily be robbed by bandits. Those who could open an inn in the wilderness, had a strong background!
The San Shi Inn was an inn along the public road north of Xuyang County. On the road heading south, there were no other inns within 60 Li.
In a room inside the backyard of San Shi Inn.
“Old Meng!” A man wearing a brown shirt walked into the room and announced, “Ninth Young Master Zhu’s troops are only 50 Li away from here! However, it is already afternoon and they probably wouldn’t be able to rush to our inn before dark. Perhaps, they won’t be able to get to our inn and would instead set up camp in the wild. When the time comes, won’t Master’s plan fail?”
Inside a room, a middle-aged man with bushy eyebrows was cleaning a long, thick and slightly curved saber. The long saber’s blade was covered in blood.
“Humph, what are you worried about,” This middle-aged man grunted, “The San Shi Inn is definitely on the map. The Ninth Young Master stayed overseas for the last several years and is a young master from a wealthy family after all. Even if the sky is dark, it wouldn’t be unusual for them to ride several Li to come to us. Moreover, if the Ninth Young Master doesn’t come to us, we will go to them!”
That man wearing a shirt smiled and complimented, “Having Boss Meng doing the work, we will definitely succeed. However Boss Meng, the Xuyang County is widely known for its danger, also, the Ninth Young Master Zhu seemed to have invited some soldiers of the Black Armored Army and one of them is a powerful expert!”
“Alright, you can leave now.” The middle-aged man revealed a cold look. From beginning to the end, this middle-aged man stared at the long saber in his hand and didn’t even spare a glance for the man in the shirt.
“Yes, yes.” The man wearing the shirt left.
Despite the other party’s attitude, the man wearing the shirt wasn’t angry at all. Because this Meng ……Was the strongest expert under his master, the Thirteenth Young Master of Zhu.
Even when this expert had the appearance of a middle-aged man, his actual age was already over 80 years old.
Because of his powerful inner strength, he was able to maintain his good health and appearance.
“With Boss Meng doing the deed, the cargo will definitely be taken away. If these people arrive at the inn, humph, Boss Meng doesn’t even need to help.” The man wearing the shirt went out of the room, basking in his self-confidence. Two days ago, they bought over the San Shi Inn especially for Zhu Chongshi.
Boss Meng’s real name was ‘Meng Tian’.
If one had seen the most recent 《Earthly Ranking》, one would know that this Meng Tian was a powerhouse ranked 61st in the 《Earthly Ranking》!
Ranked 61st was not something to be looked down upon.
One had to note that the four Commanders of the Black Armored Army didn’t even have the qualifications to be on the 《Earthly Ranking》. Under the vast sky, there were too many experts at the peak of the Postliminary Realm. Those who could be listed on the 《Earthly Ranking》, which of them didn’t have a scary unique skill? Even an Innate Master had to stay vigilant when faced against someone from the 《Earthly Ranking》.
Although their inner strength couldn’t be compared to an Innate Master, an expert of the 《Earthly Ranking》 would have a strategic move when they are pressured.
Being able to employ an expert of the 《Earthly Ranking》, the Thirteenth Young Master Zhu must have had some unique methods.