Chapter 279: A Triumphant Return [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Shen Tang's friendly international greetings—

Fuck you!

The message received by the visitor—

[Cut in half!]

Do you know who we are?

Seeing Shen Tang's provocative middle finger greeting filled with murderous intent, the man's face turned as sour as a stagnant ditch that had been brewing for years; he wished he could torture him to death. However, with two fresh, warm corpses of his colleagues lying at his feet, he dared not make a move.

"Of course I know!" Shen Tang casually kicked aside the corpse blocking his path, a faint smile appearing on his face, which was mostly stained with blood. "I came here to kill you!"

"You arrogant brat!"

Shen Tang looked slightly impatient.

They only exchanged a few bland greetings. If they were willing to pay, she could open a "trash-talking training course" and guarantee they could spew out all sorts of vulgarities. She seemed nonchalant, but in the next instant, her eyes suddenly sharpened.

Without a word of warning, they drew their swords and charged!

"Arrogant? If I didn't teach your unfilial son a lesson, would I have made him all high and mighty with drums and gongs and mourning clothes!" Shen Tang swung his sword from bottom to top, sometimes attacking the lower body, sometimes the upper body, while relentlessly harassing him with various verbal attacks, "I'll stab your left shoulder! Hey, this time I'll try the right shoulder! The face! Wow—you honest kid, you actually believed that?"

"Two against one, you two unfilial sons!"

When the sword light faded, one man's body was covered in bloody sword wounds, while the other had a gaping hole in his shoulder. Shen Tang needed to multitask, while also keeping an eye on the hidden Wenxin scholars, and couldn't take their heads for the time being.

The only thing we can do is to inflict more wounds on them when they are distracted, but this is not a long-term solution. These kinds of injuries will not kill the Martial Warrior in the short term.

It's not that I don't want to be ruthless, it's just—

With Qi Shan and a few others not present, there's also the fear of a major accident due to the large waves.

Little did they know, the two martial arts warriors were also complaining inwardly—the overall strength of the military guild was not low, with five martial arts warriors of the fifth rank or above and two scholars of the literary heart.

Of the five brave warriors, one was sent down the mountain to deal with the insects and has not yet returned, two were killed by Shen Tang and their bodies are probably almost cold by now, leaving only the two of them.

Even with two against one, they couldn't break through after a long attack.

The other soldiers were numerous, but the surprise attack was too sudden, and Shen Tang even set a fire at the outset, demoralizing the soldiers. They were barely held off by that pack of rabid bandits. As for the two literary scholars—

It's strange, where are they? Just now, the two of them clearly attacked Shen Tang and the invading soldiers, so why are they not making a move now?

Well—

Qi Shan took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off the sword, and with a swift motion, sheathed it. At his feet lay the corpse of a scholar, his eyes wide open in death. He had discovered this man just as the opponent's words were reaching a critical moment.

Qishan wouldn't miss out on a free kill.

With a single stroke, the sword pierced the heart, and the soldier guarding the scholar was also beheaded with two or three sword strikes.

Kang Shi was a step too slow and missed the head: "Your literary energy has been greatly depleted and you haven't recovered yet. How can you be so careless?"

“It’s been a long time since I’ve used a sword, so I’d like to try it out…” A scholar with a literary spirit isn’t someone who can be slaughtered just because he’s lost his literary talent. Qi Shan’s swordsmanship was specially learned from a master swordsman, otherwise he wouldn’t dare to wander around alone. “I’ll go find the lord first and meet up with him.”

A thief was right in front of them.

Kang Shi drew his sword and acted decisively.

"General Zhao has already gone there."

After all, the capable should do more. Although Zhao Feng had been thoroughly beaten by Gongxi Chou and had no chance to fight back, he could still handle a few brave martial artists who were showing off in remote and impoverished areas. If he had the stamina, he could take on this entire military camp by himself.

As Zhao Feng and his men arrived on horseback, the stalemate instantly shifted in Shen Tang's favor.

They swept through like a whirlwind, slaughtering indiscriminately!

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the shouts of battle from the soldiers' quarters gradually subsided. Those willing to lay down their weapons were taken prisoner, while those who continued to resist were stabbed in the heart and their deaths were swiftly ended. Shen Tang, covered in blood, clasped his hands in thanks to Zhao Feng, saying, "Thank you."

Zhao Feng dared not accept the compliment: "You flatter me, Lord Shen."

Actually, he only managed to catch a minor straggler when he arrived, and was just about to support Shen Tang when the martial artist entangled with Shen Tang fled in the opposite direction, ending up directly in Zhao Feng's hands. Zhao Feng knew him well; why wouldn't he accept a head delivered right to his doorstep?

The copper mace slammed down, shattering his skull.

When Shen Tang arrived, the man was already dead.

She looked at the corpse with a hint of regret, putting aside her displeasure at having her head stolen: "How many men did General Zhao bring?"

"Except for those left to guard the prisoners, the rest were brought out." The bandit stronghold that had been captured was still unstable, and those bandits still harbored rebellious intentions. In order to prevent them from rebelling while he was away, Zhao Feng left half of them to guard the stronghold and brought the other half out.

Shen Tang said, "Then I'll trouble General Zhao to organize them to put out the fire and take stock of the armory's inventory and the number of craftsmen..."

Zhao Feng nodded: "Yes."

What's the most valuable thing in the military workshop?

Five thousand arrows?

The prisoners captured?

Is it still that vein of ore that has been mined countless times?

None of them were; they were craftsmen working in the military workshop!

Shen Tang is desperately short of manpower right now. The weapon workshop isn't very useful to her at the moment, as its benefits are limited, but this group of craftsmen is different. They can not only forge weapons, but also have other uses, which is exactly what Shen Tang needs at this stage.

Fifteen minutes later.

The sky outside was just beginning to lighten.

The blood on Shen Tang's body had completely dried, leaving a sticky and uncomfortable feeling. However, given the limited resources available, she could only wet her sleeves with water and wipe her face and neck haphazardly.

As soon as Qi Shan and the other person entered, they saw her bold actions. The former's lips twitched slightly—so, it's no wonder that no one can blame others for not believing that Young Master Shen is a woman.

"Yuanliang, you've arrived."

Shen Tang raised her hand to beckon them in.

Qi Shan and the other man bowed and said, "My lord."

Are you hungry?

She magically produced a large pancake.

Qi Shan didn't stand on ceremony and even ordered a pot of wine to warm his stomach and body. Having not slept all night and expending a great deal of literary energy, he now felt like eating everything he saw. Kang Shi felt this wasn't quite right and wanted to say something, but then he came to his senses and started drinking too.

Kang Shi: "..."

This is a one-time exception; there will be no next time.

He told himself this.

The three of them, clutching flatbreads and drinking wine/water, satiated their rumbling stomachs. Shen Tang asked, "How did it go?"

The military workshop wasn't large, but it wasn't small either. The group of people Shen Tang brought weren't cut out for this kind of work.

Kang Shi said, "That's about it."

Most of the thatched huts were affected by the fire, but fortunately, the Zhang family, the river magistrate, had considered fire prevention when building the place, and the fire was put out in time, so the damage was not great. A total of 156 craftsmen and apprentices were unharmed except for a few unlucky ones who were injured by falling debris and burns. They were all captured and placed under guard by Zhao Feng. As for prisoners, more than 100 were also captured.

"Did any escape?"

Always prepare for the worst in everything.

Kang Shi said, "After checking the register, eleven people escaped. General Zhao has already sent men to hunt them down. It's hard to say whether they can catch up, since we are not familiar with the terrain here. At most, the River Governor Zhang should receive the news within half a day."

It would take until noon for them to come and go.

They didn't have much time, but it was enough.

Everything that can be taken away was dismantled, taken away, or moved.

Shen Tang secretly checked his own resources and manpower, and said with a worried expression, "Now is not a good time to confront the Zhang family head-on. We should wait until the appointment is made... By then, we should be able to put together a barely passable private army."

At least two thousand people are needed.

In addition, there were a thousand people who helped Zhao Feng.

Three thousand people are barely enough to keep things looking good.

Speaking of private soldiers and retainers—

"Were all those outside brought by the lord?"

"Yes, it's a pity that about thirty of them died."

They raided two bandit strongholds to gather this many men, and this operation alone cost them about thirty, along with sixty or seventy wounded, thankfully none of whom were seriously injured. Even someone like Shen Tang, who readily takes heads, couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

Shen Tang asked Qi Shan, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"It's remarkable that they've taken on a military appearance in just a few days."

Apart from the wounded, the group huddled neatly in a corner, not running around, not moving, not grabbing, and not even whispering to each other. Qi Shan initially thought that what Shen Tang had Qingniao bring was just her boasting and exaggeration.

Looking at it now, it truly lives up to its name.

Our lord certainly has the talent to train troops.

Those who are capable should do more!

In the future, when we destroy bandit dens, the bandits can be escorted to our lord's side, where she can be responsible for training and guarding them. How wonderful!

Little did they know—

Those people didn't dare to act recklessly simply because those who acted recklessly before had their skulls crushed by Shen Tang right in front of them.

Yes, with bare hands, I crushed his skull.

Shen Tang was praised and chuckled foolishly twice.

What does it mean to become rich overnight?

This is what it means to become rich overnight.

Seeing the carts laden with spoils of war, Shen Tang's fatigue from a sleepless night vanished completely. These spoils included not only the five thousand feathered arrows she coveted, but also six or seven hundred sets of medium-quality leather armor and over five hundred various weapons.

Many of these are still unfinished products.

This is because the military workshop was not long after its construction. If Shen Tang had come a few months later, the harvest would have definitely doubled!

Besides these, there was also a sum of gold, silver, copper, and iron, and a batch of poor-quality provisions—the provisions were for the miners. In order to expedite the mining, the Zhang family of Heyin managed to recruit more than 300 miners, who worked day and night in shifts, resulting in daily deaths and injuries.

After discussing with Shen Tang, Qi Shan and the other suggested leaving all the miners on the mountain instead of taking them in—firstly, the mine could not be started in the short term; secondly, these miners were a considerable burden, and Shen Tang did not have the financial resources to support them.

The last truckload returned fully loaded.

Less than half an hour after they left, Zhang, having received the news, hurriedly led his men to the scene. What they saw was the ruins of the military camp, burned beyond recognition, with bloodstains and charred marks on the ground, and all valuables had been looted.

Can't be taken away?

Everything was smashed.

What's there?

What did the sharp-eyed leader notice?

He ordered his men to remove the tattered cloth from the flag.

Upon opening it, I saw the words "dragon and phoenix dance" written in a flamboyant style.

Walk 330 steps to the right.

"Let's go! Let's go take a look!"

Upon arriving at the location, they found a second strip of cloth written in blood. Following the directions, they searched the area and found familiar corpses neatly arranged on the ground. Several of them were placed separately, each with a different cause of death.

Some were cleaved in two, their bodies split open, their cold, dark intestines spilling out; some had their heads chopped off by a sharp weapon, their bodies separated; some had their hearts pierced by a sword, yet their corpses remained relatively intact…

One of them was in the worst condition; his head was struck with a blunt object, causing his skull to cave in and his face to be completely disfigured.

Seeing this, the leader almost lost his footing.

These individuals were all painstakingly trained by the Zhang family. Two of the martial arts experts were members of the Zhang family, while the rest were recruited with promises of high rewards. The scholar Wenxin, who died tragically, was also from a collateral branch of the Zhang family, and countless amounts of real money were spent on him.

Before they could even fight for the Zhang family and repay the family's kindness in raising them, they died here!

His face was ashen.

At that moment, someone pushed him aside from behind and rushed to the body of the scholar Wenxin, wailing loudly. This person was the head of the military workshop and the only Wenxin scholar who had escaped unscathed. Seeing that things were going badly, he retreated first and took the news of the attack back with him.

The deceased scholar Wenxin was his brother.

"If I don't avenge this, I swear I will not be a man!"

He wept blood with resentment.

The leader, surnamed Zhang, shredded the blood-stained cloth in his hand and said hatefully, "Investigate! Find out who did this!"

Although Zhang had many enemies in He Yin, few were as ruthless and thorough in their attacks. Regardless of which one—

He felt a chill run down his spine. The losses to the military workshop were heavy, but not crippling. He feared that this was just an appetizer.

The enemy has a powerful move waiting for Zhang.

"only!"

From that day on, the Zhang family was on edge, seeing everyone as an enemy. Other families were utterly baffled. Although the Zhang family tried to keep it a secret, the truth still spread—over three hundred miners had escaped down the mountain.

Immediately, many people applauded and cheered.

Zhang's enemies also woke up laughing from their dreams several times.

Shen Tang's days were peaceful for a few days.

The two quickly broke the silence.

Chu Yao packed Lin Feng and Bai Su up and sent them over.

Shen Tang was surprised.

Bai Su is one thing, after all, she is a female knight-errant with martial arts skills, but what is Lin Feng, a little girl, doing here?

Chu Yao replied: "For the sake of merit."

Shen Tang was filled with questions: [Meritorious service?]

Chu Yao shared his guess.

Lin Feng's literary talent stems from Shen Tang's recognition and protection. As the owner of the Imperial Seal, she acknowledges Lin Feng. Lin Feng's assistance to Shen Tang is considered meritorious, which naturally grants him a certain amount of literary luck, beneficial to his cultivation.

Looking back and focusing on the text can also reduce the difficulty.

As for Bai Su—

Shen Tang's gender cannot be hidden forever.

She needs more help.

Chu Yao had carefully examined Bai Su, and even Gong Shuwu said that Bai Su had excellent physical attributes and a very good foundation in martial arts—it was extremely difficult for ordinary people to control a single long-tasseled sword, but Bai Su wielded two long-tasseled swords with unparalleled skill! It was truly admirable!

This weapon is not easy to master!

Once this sword is mastered, other weapons such as the nine-section whip and meteor hammer can also be quickly mastered and integrated into the skill.

This is enough to demonstrate Bai Su's talent in martial arts.

If she could acquire martial energy like Lin Feng, despite being a woman, and embark on the path of martial arts, coupled with her existing foundation, her cultivation would surely progress rapidly, and she could become Shen Tang's right-hand woman in the future. If not, she would at least be a role model.

Chu Yao also privately discussed Lin Feng's issues.

Lin Feng is young, but she has her own opinions. She wants to learn Chu Yao's way of governing the world, and she also wants to learn Shen Tang's ability to influence people with words, the latter of which is something Chu Yao is not good at.

─=≡Σ(((つω)つ

There should be a 10,000-word update at the end of the month, on the 28th.

(End of this chapter)