Chapter 22

Regarding the Qi family, Zhang Yi entrusted Zhang Jian with a task.

Have Zhang Jian bring gifts and prepare to go to the prefectural city.

In one and a half months, it will be the 60th birthday of his maternal grandfather, General Wei Yuan Qi Yi of the Qi family.

Of course, having Zhang Jian go ahead also comes with several tasks, one of which is suppressing bandits.

Zhang Yi said: "On Fengxi Mountain between Fengxi and Lingyang, a gang of bandits has long been entrenched; this is one of the two main routes from Fengxi to Lingyang, and they often plunder merchant caravans, harass the people, and commit countless acts of arson and murder. Father originally planned to wait until the situation in Fengxi stabilizes before freeing up hands to eradicate them, but this time you are going to the prefectural city, so you might as well lend your fourth uncle a hand. Father has allocated five hundred militia for you; take the opportunity to wipe them out!"

"Five hundred militia?"

Zhang Jian blinked, very much wanting to say it was unnecessary, but he quickly suppressed the thought, realizing Zhang Yi's intention: this is to let him command troops and accumulate prestige among his personal retainers.

As the future head of the family, if he does not lead soldiers, how can he convince these warriors?

Zhang Jian immediately agreed; having these personal retainers assist will make many things easier.

Zhang Yi then mentioned another purpose: this second purpose is a marriage meeting—to go and meet several young ladies from the Qi clan in advance, to fulfill the Qi family's wishes, so they won't keep thinking about it.

……

However, before preparing to depart, Zhang Jian, following custom, went again to a funeral shop in the west alley of the city and sold many gold ingots for sacrificial offerings.

Zhang Jian visited several shops and found that, compared to the Paper Man Zhang, these funeral shops were obviously 'perfunctory' in many ways—not because the goods were inferior, but because they lacked 'innovation'.

Zhang Jian actually felt a bit nostalgic for Paper Man Zhang.

Unfortunately, the Zhang Paper Craft Shop had already been reduced to scorched earth; Paper Man Zhang had disappeared, and now even the land had been temporarily reclaimed by the magistrate's office.

With one load after another of vermilion treasure notes, the vermilion treasure ingots were lit in the ancestral hall, completely burned to ashes, and then Zhang Jian turned and left.

The next day, Zhang Jian led the five hundred militia on their march, accompanied by Zhang Kui and Jian Yao.

The group proceeded directly to Fengxi Mountain at the edge of the Double Phoenix Mountain Range.

At this moment, Zhang Jian felt a milky-white small ball appear deep in his spiritual sense.

This is the treasure returned by the "ancestor" last night.

Looking closely, it seems like a 'toy'!

The Myriad Realms Spiritual Sense Ball, which can aid the soul and understand the language of all things.

To Zhang Jian, this thing seems a bit useless.

He once used the Myriad Realms Spiritual Sense Ball to eavesdrop on animal communications, but most animals are ignorant and instinct-driven, lacking spiritual intelligence, so it has little use.

However, having this thing on him means he need not worry about not understanding foreign dialects...

Thinking of this, Zhang Jian's expression became somewhat strange.

……

Fengxi Mountain lies on the southwest side of the Double Phoenix Mountain Range, at the tail of Xiongfeng Mountain; here the mountains are towering and the terrain perilous, easy to defend but hard to attack.

It is also a good place to establish a mountain stronghold to evade official pursuit; historically, refugees and bandits have fled here to wreak havoc on the two counties.

Precisely because this location lies at the junction of the two counties, the two counties cannot cooperate, and have always been unable to eradicate this place.

At this moment, in the stronghold, a gang of bandits was noisily drinking; a long table was laden with dried fruits, fish and meat, mountain chickens, wild rabbits, and many other game; the bandits were eating meat and drinking heavily, and many held in their arms pale-faced, disheveled women.

At that moment, a bold voice rang out from below: "Big brother, this haul we pulled off is truly splendid—not only did we gain much gold, silver, and wealth, but also many beautiful women; all thanks to Big Brother's capable leadership, brothers, we must raise a bowl of wine to Big Brother!"

The speaker was a man of extraordinary height and build, with a tiger's back and bear's waist, leopard eyes and ringed pupils—he is Zhang Bao, the third chief of the gang, and also the second strongest in martial prowess in the gang after the leader Song Heihu.

The second chief, Bai Mianhu, was dressed in white, slender in build, with a fawning smile on his face, and had risen to his feet.

"Big Brother is naturally extraordinary, harboring grand ambitions—this is only the beginning; good days have just started. Once Big Brother unites the other refugees in the Double Phoenix Mountains, we might even take over the surrounding counties; the gold, silver, wealth, and beautiful women of those great families are the true signs of prosperity—lubricating!"

On the tiger-skin master's chair, Song Heihu surveyed the many fierce bandits and laughed heartily: "Rest easy, brothers; once I clear out the Double Phoenix Mountain Range and free up my hands, all this will mean nothing; your good days are still ahead!"

A group of fierce bandits, stirred by Song Heihu, had eyes blazing with greed and lust; many, in the depths of their passion, directly tore the clothes off the young women in their arms and began copulating right there.

Seeing this, Song Heihu felt no disapproval, but rather a look of gleeful satisfaction.

At that moment, suddenly a cold wind swept in, blowing the torches in the hall to flicker uncertainly.

Song Heihu saw this, his face changed abruptly as he rose, but then he heard mournful cries erupting from outside the hall.

Seeing this horrifying scene, some were at a loss, trembling with fear.

At that moment, however, a figure holding a cloth banner slowly walked in from outside the hall; his body was surrounded by a layer of invisible blood qi, while the many fierce bandits, their faces drastically changed, stared at his back—where two blue-faced, fanged figures hopped and stood.

The cloth banner also bore several large characters.

Able to know fortune and misfortune, blessings and calamities, to judge success and failure, rise and fall!

The figure holding the cloth banner opened his mouth, revealing two fangs; he scanned the crowd, his gaze causing a group of bandits to stiffen, unable to move; finally his gaze fell upon the figure on the tiger-skin master's chair, and he hoarsely laughed: "Are you Song Heihu?"

"Who are you?"

Faced with this situation, Song Heihu felt a momentary daring, his courage and heroism vanishing silently at this moment; even the hand gripping his weapon showed blue veins.

Only then did the black-clad diviner laugh: "Master of the Stronghold, I observe that today you have a murderous aura on your brow, dark clouds covering your head, your fortune shows an extreme omen of early death; I have a word of good advice here—will you listen?"

The other bandits, hearing this, exchanged glances, their eyes all turning toward Song Heihu; his face was grim, but seeing the black-clad diviner behind him two monsters with bloody mouths wide open, he quickly said: "I am willing to listen! I am willing to listen!"

"Wise man"

The black-clad diviner nodded slightly.

Although he nodded, his form flashed—he appeared directly before Song Heihu like a bolt of thunder and lightning; one hand seized Song Heihu's throat with immense force; Song Heihu was shocked and found he could not break free, only able to watch helplessly as the black-clad diviner pulled a centipede from his sleeve and shoved it into his mouth.

……

Meanwhile, on the official road of Double Phoenix Mountain, Zhang Jian's group was also marching swiftly; after a period of adjustment, and with Zhang Kui intentionally offering guidance, Zhang Jian quickly understood some details of leading troops.

It is indeed true that having elders in the family can save many unnecessary procedures.

But just as they arrived at Fengxi Mountain, Zhang Jian suddenly reined in his horse, looked up at the sky; Zhang Kui and Jian Yao raised their heads to look, but saw only two gray eagles flying past, nothing unusual.

On the contrary, Zhang Jian, through the Myriad Realms Spiritual Sense Pearl in his body, heard a different message.

"How terrifying, how terrifying, hurry and leave!"