Chapter 65: Unexpected Joy

"I am sorry." Half a quarter-hour later, Qin Feng knelt on the ground, sincerely repenting, "My words were arrogant just now. I implore the senior to not hold a grudge against a small person like me and spare us."

Qin Feng had been defeated very quickly. Under the siege of over a dozen Vajra Warriors, he was soon submerged and beaten directly into a pig's head.

His blade technique, when hacking at the Vajra Warriors, caused them no pain or itch, but a few punches from them were more than he could bear.

Before he could even exchange a few moves, he was laid out flat.

Originally, Qin Feng had hoped his three good brothers would help him, but he peeked up stealthily.

Good heavens, the three brothers were hanging from a tree!

Qin Feng had never seen such powerful straw men. He immediately admitted defeat and obediently lay on the ground to beg for mercy.

He knelt without the slightest psychological burden; anyway, once they went down the mountain, they would forget everything!

"Weren't you very arrogant just now? Looking down on us Agricultural Officials?" Zhao Xing asked indifferently.

"Senior, it was I who had eyes but failed to see, and spoke without thinking. I am the ridiculous one; the senior is magnanimous, please do not hold it against a small fry like me." Qin Feng begged repeatedly.

"That's right, the position of Agricultural Official brings blessings to all people, striving against Heaven for the sake of the people. We all hold deep reverence in our hearts."

"Senior, he was muddled just now; please do not hold it against him."

"That Ganoderma should rightfully belong to a virtuous person like you, Senior!"

The other three who were hanging were also beaten into submission.

They hadn't even seen Zhao Xing's person before being cleaned up by a few straw men; how could they not be convinced?

As for calling him "Senior," they did so without the slightest psychological burden.

Agricultural Officials naturally didn't have much combat power. To be able to beat them down using the Straw Man Technique, how strong must he be? He must have encountered an old official who had been cultivating for a long time.

"I can let you go, but do you have money?"

"Take out all your valuable things and put them on the ground, then you can leave."

Zhao Xing couldn't be bothered to entangle himself with these few people. Anyway, once they went down the mountain, they wouldn't remember anything, so there was no need to worry about retaliation.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Qin Feng immediately got up and emptied everything on his person in one go. There were no silver taels, but there were several Tier 2 talismans and a box of Tier 2 elixirs.

The other three were much the same.

Zhao Xing ordered the straw men to transport the items away. Seeing Qin Feng start to take off his soft armor, he immediately spoke: "A bunch of poor ghosts... I don't want your blades and soft armor, get lost."

The standard-issue weapons and armor of the Hucheng Martial Office all had markings on them. They couldn't be sold, and taking them back to melt down for materials was not only a huge discount in price but also troublesome.

"Many thanks, Senior! Many thanks, Senior!" Qin Feng and the others expressed endless gratitude and rolled away nimbly.

Fang Jie, Zhou Gang, and the others, seeing this turn of events, suddenly felt that the situation had taken a favorable turn.

Just as they were about to be secretly harmed by these villains, they didn't expect a master to suddenly emerge and save them.

"Hucheng Martial Office Guard Zhou Gang, many thanks to the Senior for the help." Zhou Gang cupped his hands toward the surroundings.

"Hucheng Martial Office Guard Fang Jie, many thanks to the Senior for the help." Fang Jie also cupped his hands.

Several Vajra Warriors surrounded them, and the sound of wind followed: "Don't just say thanks with your mouths; take out whatever valuables you have."

Since Zhao Xing had taken action, there was no reason to come up empty-handed.

Regardless of whether you are a good person or a bad person, righteous or evil, passing by Agricultural Official Zhao means you have to pluck a few feathers.

"This..." Fang Jie and Zhou Gang were stunned.

"What, your small lives aren't worth as much as those worldly possessions?"

"No, no, Senior has misunderstood." Zhou Gang smiled bitterly and took out a box of elixirs and talisman paper from his bosom, saying, "It's just that we guards are all poor wretches with little money. I fear these things are hardly enough to repay the Senior's life-saving grace."

"Heh." Zhao Xing took one look, and these two immediately made him laugh at their poverty.

Added together, there were only four elixirs for recovering vital energy and two God-Speed Talismans for saving effort while traveling; all were Tier 1 and worth almost nothing.

The valuable things were the blades and armor, but Zhao Xing couldn't take those.

He had no interest in squeezing a few poor ghosts and was planning to leave.

Unexpectedly, Fang Jie heard that cold laugh and thought the Senior was dissatisfied, so he immediately said, "The two of us might have another way to repay the Senior."

"Oh?"

Zhao Xing stopped immediately, wanting to hear what the two had to say.

Fang Jie and Zhou Gang looked at each other and immediately said, "Previously, the two of us passed by a mountain cave. There is a spiritual treasure in that cave. I remember the location and can take the Senior there."

"This spiritual treasure is probably not easy to get, right?"

Zhou Gang said, "I won't hide it from the Senior, the cave is the lair of a fierce beast. We knew we couldn't beat it, so we left, planning to try again after our strength improved."

Zhao Xing asked, "Do you know what kind of fierce beast it is?"

Fang Jie said somewhat awkwardly, "Our strength is low, and the beast's roar was terrifying, so we didn't go in to check."

Zhao Xing was silent. Zhou Gang and Fang Jie were at Tier 5 and Tier 6 of Yuan Gathering respectively; if they were scared out of their wits, how fierce must it be?

"At least above Tier 8 of Yuan Gathering, possibly even Tier 9."

"But if I'm afraid of this and afraid of that, I wouldn't have come up this mountain."

"In any case, with the straw men scouting the path, there's no harm in going to take a look." After pondering in his heart, he made a decision.

"It seems there are benefits to being a good person." Zhao Xing smiled softly, "Saving your lives was just a matter of convenience. If I truly obtain the spiritual treasure in that cave, I naturally won't treat you unfairly."

"But I'll say the ugly words first: if you two don't take me there, that's one thing, but if you harbor any other thoughts or hide anything, don't blame me for turning a good deed into a bad one."

Zhou Gang and Fang Jie felt a chill in their hearts: "We would never dare to deceive you."

"Lead the way."

Zhao Xing sat steadily on his rattan chair. Two miles away, Zhou Gang and Fang Jie accompanied the straw men to clear the path.

He only believed three parts of anything; even though Zhou Gang and Fang Jie were swearing oaths, he never fully trusted them, let alone showed his face or got close.

They walked for about three-quarters of an hour. The mountain path became increasingly steep, and the surrounding forest was so dense that they almost had to hack out a path with blades.

Just as Zhao Xing was gradually losing patience, Zhou Gang in front whispered to the straw man: "Senior, it's right ahead."

Fang Jie pushed aside a leaf. Zhao Xing looked through the scout straw man and discovered that there really was a mountain cave ahead.

"Senior, our hearts are racing; we can already feel the spiritual treasure. I wonder if the Senior can sense it?" Zhou Gang asked cautiously.

"Hmm, you didn't lie to me." Zhao Xing naturally felt it too. Even though he was further away than Zhou Gang and the other, his strength was greater, and his perception was much sharper.

"Senior, we don't dare hope for a reward. If we can repay the Senior's life-saving grace, that is already a great fortune." Zhou Gang said.

His meaning was that he didn't want to stay here.

Zhao Xing understood: "You two don't need to think too much. I keep my word. Since we have arrived at the place, I have some healing ointment here. You should find a quiet place to heal your injuries first."

Zhou Gang and Fang Jie heard this and realized he wouldn't let them go, fearing they would leak the news. They had to agree. Fortunately, the mysterious person didn't make things difficult for them and even ordered the straw men to send over ointment, which made them breathe a sigh of relief.

For the time being, this Senior's temperament didn't seem to be the type to flip his face and deny people.

Sending two straw men to watch Zhou Gang and Fang Jie, Zhao Xing himself detoured to the opposite side of the cave entrance to observe.

"Thump-thump~ Thump-thump~" The closer he got, the faster his heart beat. Zhao Xing understood that this was at least a mid-grade spiritual treasure, perhaps even stronger than the Pure Yuan Vermilion Fruit!

"Send the scout straw man over to take a look first."