Chapter 65: An Unexpected Surprise

"I'm sorry." Half a quarter-hour later, Qin Feng knelt on the ground and sincerely repented, "I spoke wildly just now. I ask that you, my lord, not bear a grudge against a small man like me. Let us off."

Qin Feng lost quickly. Under the group beating of over a dozen Great Strength Vajras, he was soon overwhelmed and beaten into a pig's head.

His blade techniques, when slashing at the Great Strength Vajras, did nothing to the other party; a few punches from the Great Strength Vajras and he couldn't take it at all.

Before he could exchange more than a few moves, he was laid out stiff.

Originally Qin Feng was still hoping his other three good brothers would help him, but when he stealthily raised his head—

Good lord, his three brothers were hanging from a tree!

Qin Feng had never seen straw effigies this strong. He immediately backed down and obediently lay on the ground begging for mercy.

He knelt with no psychological burden at all—once he went down the mountain, he'd forget the whole thing anyway!

"Weren't you being very arrogant just now? Looking down on us Farming Officials?" Zhao Xing asked lightly.

"My lord, I was blind and spoke without thinking. I'm the one who's laughable—you, my lord, are magnanimous. Please, please don't take it to heart with a small man like me." Qin Feng begged for mercy over and over.

"Yes, the post of Farming Official brings blessings to all the people, wresting from heaven on their behalf. We hold it in great reverence in our hearts."

"My lord, he lost his head just now. Please don't take it to heart with him."

"That lingzhi rightly belongs to a man of virtue like you, my lord!"

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

They hadn't even caught sight of Zhao Xing before being dealt with by a few straw effigies—how could they not submit?

As for calling him "my lord," they too did so without the slightest psychological burden.

Farming Officials had little combat power to begin with. To be able to take them down with straw-effigy techniques, how strong must that be? They must have run into an old official who had been cultivating for a long time.

"Letting you go is fine—do you have money?"

"Anything valuable, take it out and put it on the ground, then you can leave."

Zhao Xing couldn't be bothered to tangle with these people any longer. Once they went down the mountain, they wouldn't remember anything, so there was no worry about revenge.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Qin Feng immediately got up and dumped everything on him in a rush. There was no silver, but there were several second-tier talismans and a box of second-tier pills.

The other three were about the same.

Zhao Xing ordered the straw effigies to haul the things away, then saw Qin Feng start to strip off his soft armor. He immediately said, "A few paupers… I'll keep neither the blade nor the soft armor. Get lost."

The standard-issue weapons and armor of the Hucheng Martial Office all bore insignia on them. He couldn't sell them, and bringing them back to melt down for materials would not only slash the price but also be a hassle.

"Many thanks, my lord, many thanks, my lord!" Qin Feng and the others expressed a thousand gratitudes and scuttled off.

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

Just when they were about to be harmed by these petty men, they hadn't expected a master to suddenly appear and rescue them.

"Zhou Gang, Night Guard of the Hucheng Martial Office, thanks you, my lord, for your aid." Zhou Gong cupped his hands toward the surroundings.

"Fang Jie, Night Guard of the Hucheng Martial Office, thanks you, my lord, for your aid." Fang Jie also cupped his hands.

Several Great Strength Vajras closed in, and a voice followed on the wind: "Don't just thank me with your words. Anything valuable, take it all out."

Since Zhao Xing had made a move, there was no reason to come away empty-handed.

No matter if you're good or bad, righteous or wicked, anyone passing by Zhao the Farming Official has to leave behind a few hairs.

"This…" Fang Jie and Zhou Gang were taken aback.

"What? Are your little lives not worth as much as those worldly possessions?"

"No, no, you've misunderstood, my lord." Zhou Gang smiled bitterly and took out a box of pills and talisman paper from his bosom: "It's just that us Night Guards are poor wretches with hardly any money. These things, I'm afraid, are hardly enough to repay you, my lord, for saving our lives."

"Heh." One look and Zhao Xing was amused by their poverty.

Altogether there were only four Vitality-Restoring Pills and two Swift-Step Talismans for saving effort on the road—all first-tier, worth hardly any money.

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

He had no mind to squeeze a few paupers any further and was about to leave.

Unexpectedly, Fang Jie, hearing that cold laugh, thought the master was displeased and immediately said: "The two of us may have another way to repay you, my lord."

"Oh?"

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

Fang Jie and Zhou Gang exchanged a glance, then said: "Previously the two of us passed by a mountain cave. Inside that cave there is a spiritual marvel. I remember the location and can lead you, my lord, there."

"This spiritual marvel probably isn't easy to take, is it?"

Zhou Gang said: "I won't hide it from you, my lord. The cave is a fierce beast's lair. We knew we couldn't beat it, so we left, planning to try again once our strength had improved."

Zhao Xing asked: "Do you know what kind of fierce beast?"

Fang Jie said somewhat awkwardly: "We are of low strength. The beast's roar was terrifying to the soul, so we didn't go in to investigate."

Zhao Xing was silent. Zhou Gang and Fang Jie were one Gathering Origin Fifth-Tier and one Gathering Origin Sixth-Tier—able to scare them out of their wits? How fierce must it be?

"At least above Gathering Origin Eighth-Tier, possibly even Gathering Origin Ninth-Tier."

"But if I feared this and that, I wouldn't have come up this mountain in the first place."

"In any case, with straw effigies scouting the way, there's no harm in taking a look." He speculated for a moment in his heart and made his decision.

"Looks like being a good person has its perks." Zhao Xing chuckled softly. "Saving your lives was merely a casual act. If I truly obtain that spiritual marvel from the cave, I naturally won't treat you poorly."

"But let me say the ugly part first. If the two of you don't take me there, forget it. But if you harbor any other thoughts, or are hiding anything, don't blame me for turning a good thing into a bad one."

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

"Lead the way."

Zhao Xing sat steadily in his rattan chair. Two li ahead, Zhou Gang and Fang Jie accompanied the straw effigies in clearing the path.

In all things, trust only three parts. Even though Zhou Gang and Fang Jie swore up and down, he had never fully trusted them, let alone shown himself to approach.

After walking about three quarter-hours, the mountain path grew steeper and steeper, the surrounding forest dense—almost having to hack a path out with blades.

Just as Zhao Xing was gradually losing patience, Zhou Gang ahead whispered to the straw effigy: "My lord, it's just ahead."

Fang Jie pushed aside a cluster of leaves. Through his scouting straw effigy, Zhao Xing saw that there really was a mountain cave ahead.

"Senior, our hearts are racing, we've already sensed the spiritual essence. May I ask if you can sense it too?" Zhou Gang asked cautiously.

"Mm, you didn't deceive me." Zhao Xing naturally felt it too. Even though he was farther away than Zhou Gang and the other man, his strength was greater and his perception sharper.

"Senior, we don't dare hope for any reward. If we can repay your life-saving grace, that alone would be a great blessing." Zhou Gang spoke up.

What he meant was that he didn't want to stay here any longer.

Zhao Xing understood: "You two needn't overthink it. I mean what I say. Now that we've reached the place, I have some healing salve here. Find a secluded spot and tend to your wounds first."

Zhou Gang and Fang Jie, hearing that he was unwilling to let them leave for fear they might leak information, could only agree. Fortunately, the mysterious man did not make things difficult for them, and even ordered a straw figure to bring the salve, which made them breathe a sigh of relief.

For now, this senior's temperament didn't seem to be the type who would turn hostile and disavow everything.

Having sent two straw figures to watch Zhou Gang and Fang Jie, Zhao Xing himself took a detour to the opposite side of the cave entrance to observe.

"Thump-thump~ thump-thump~" The closer he got, the faster his heart raced. Zhao Xing understood that inside there was at least a mid-grade spiritual essence, even stronger than the Pure Essence Vermillion Fruit!

"First send a scout straw figure over to take a look."