Chapter 109: Searching for Treasure in the Mountains (Fifth Update, Please Subscribe)

Entering winter.

Yunzhou is located in the southern border of the Yu Kingdom, and it doesn't snow every year, and the forest is withered and yellow.

Creak, creak.

The rolling wheels made a miserable sound that could not bear the weight, and the short horse in front was panting directly.

Finally.

Bang!

A crisp sound.

The wooden wheel was still broken into two pieces from the middle, and the goods on the carriage almost overturned. Several strong men reacted nimbly and used their bodies to hold it up together, which avoided an accident.

"Master Zhang, I'm afraid we can't leave today."

A shrewd man who looked like a steward ran to a middle-aged man in brocade clothes with jade pendants hanging from his waist.

"Trash!"

The middle-aged man cursed lowly.

Being scolded like this, the shrewd man's legs trembled.

In the eyes of outsiders, he is one of the eight major stewards of the Zhang family, but in the eyes of the Zhang family's direct line, he is a slave, who can be killed if they want to.

This Zhang is not that Zhang.

It is the Zhang family of the "one alliance, two gangs, three families."

Zhang Hao, the second master of the Zhang family, glanced at the broken wheel, looking displeased: "Why don't you hurry up and change to another one, don't delay the journey."

"But..."

Seeing the steward stuttering, Zhang Hao scolded again: "Speak!"

The steward had to bite the bullet: "The spare wooden wheels have been used up, and we can only... only send someone to Qinghe City to find an artisan to repair it."

This is the Zhang family's caravan.

Their target is Qinghe City.

Seven or eight carriages of goods, each filled to the brim

The Zhang family had learned the news that Qinghe was to establish a guard battalion.

Knowing that Qinghe was bound to take off in the future, they thought to act early, at least to secure several more plots of land.

The Zhang family patriarch attached great importance to this matter, even sending his most capable second master, Zhang Hao.

To get a share of the spoils in Qinghe.

How could one not need to grease palms everywhere?

Buying everything on the spot—did they really think the Zhang family's money was inexhaustible?

These cartloads of goods were all of great value, all intended for smoothing over relationships.

Zhang Hao gave a cold snort: "You and Zhang He stay behind; the others follow me into the city first. Do not delay the time for meeting Garrison Commander Wei."

"Yes, yes."

The steward's back was already soaked with sweat, and he nodded repeatedly.

Why was the Zhang family's second master so deeply favored by the patriarch?

Was it not because his heart was dark enough and his methods ruthless enough?

A family must have both a facade and substance.

The eldest master, Zhang Sheng, was the facade for outsiders to see, while Zhang Hao was the substance; with his Seventh-Rank Wu Gong and his ruthless nature, it was hard for others not to be afraid.

Watching the caravan depart with a creaking sound.

The steward finally heaved a sigh of relief.

At this moment.

"I'm going to wander around the woods and will be back in a while."

A young man spoke up.

"Yes, Third Young Master."

Zhang He, the third son of the second master Zhang Hao, had also followed Zhang Hao to Qinghe this time.

"Follow me."

Zhang He beckoned to the few people behind him, and seven or eight martial arts guards followed Zhang He into the woods beside the official road.

It's no wonder the Zhang family is a great clan.

Even the guards were Rank-Entered martial artists, and the hook-nosed man leading them was an Eighth-Rank.

Before long, the figures of Zhang He and his group had completely disappeared from the steward's sight.

Only then did the steward curse in a low voice:

"Fop!"

A disciple of a great clan like Zhang He, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, loved doing things that aristocrats did, such as the hunting that was popular among the nobility.

The imperial princes in the capital went on autumn hunts every year, and these young masters imitated the royal family, playing at hunting as well.

They found it exciting.

And it gave them face.

Regarding this behavior, the steward, who had been a mountain dweller in his early years, only thought they were mentally ill. Of course, it was impossible to show these emotions in front of Zhang He.

Roe Deer Ridge.

Evening.

In the rarely visited mountain ravine, the withered branches looked like ghost hands, and the atmosphere was terrifying.

The older generation often said, do not go up the mountain at night.

It was not entirely superstition.

Walking mountain paths at night, even experienced mountain dwellers could easily run into trouble, let alone ordinary people unfamiliar with the terrain; they wouldn't know where the pits or wild beasts were. Spraining an ankle would be considered extremely light; if one accidentally fell off a cliff... there would be no divine eagle to see, and in all likelihood, one would only be dashed to death or injured and left to wait for death.

……

Ever since he heard Zhang Yang mention the various anomalies of the spirit beasts on the mountain last time, Li Rui knew there must be treasure on the mountain.

And so, taking advantage of the dark night and high wind, he immediately put his plan into action.

=9+Book_Bar

A somewhat abrupt pit about a foot in circumference.

Li Rui's eyes narrowed slightly, excitement flashing in his gaze.

"There really is treasure!"

He had finally found the reason for the violent rage of the Nine-Horned Silver Lizard and the other few spirit beasts.

Under the perspective of his spiritual eyes, he could see the ground before him shimmering with a golden luster.

Spirit Soil!

Li Rui's heart pounded wildly.

He also roughly guessed the cause and effect of the matter.

There were already records of spirit beasts eating soil.

In fact, not just spirit beasts, many animals also had the habit of eating soil; the Nine-Horned Silver Lizard likely happened to arrive here before dying, bumped into this large pit, exposing the Spirit Soil, and after eating it, managed to survive.

Like the spirit beasts killed by Wei Ming and Zhang Yang, the Spirit Soil had not been neutralized by other medicines, and its medicinal power was too overbearing.

Even a spirit beast could not withstand it.

Therefore, its last remaining bit of intelligence was also washed away, leaving only the instinct for slaughter.

That was why it was abnormally violent.

The value of Spirit Soil was beyond doubt; selling it to those sects would fetch a good price, and using it oneself could also enhance one's physique—it was truly top-tier stuff.

He had already experienced this before.

"Such a large piece."

Previously, he and Wu Tu had spent a full two thousand taels of silver just to buy a piece of Spirit Soil the size of a fist.

By a rough estimate, the piece of Spirit Soil before him was at least five or six times larger than that!

Ten thousand taels!

Even though Li Rui could no longer be considered a poor man, his heart still pounded at the thought of this number.

Such family wealth was already considered top-tier in Qinghe.

The Lin family had sold it cheaply; the actual value would be fifty or sixty percent higher than that, and if one met a good buyer, it could even double.

"A great opportunity!"

But now that the person had disappeared, wanting to hold them accountable was beyond their power.

Originally, he thought there were spirit herbs hidden in the mountain, so he carried a bag with him.

Now that it was Spirit Soil, the bag was just as useful.

Just as he was huffing and puffing, earnestly digging the soil.

A sound of hurried footsteps came from behind him.

Suddenly.

A man's voice rang out from far to near: "Boss He, there's an old man over there, seems to be digging soil, how very strange."

And then he heard another man give a light exclamation of surprise.

"This soil seems unusual, there's some trick to it."

Finally, an arrogant and domineering voice rang out:

"Forget him, since I, this young master, have seen it, it is my, this young master's, good fortune."

Let's go; today, although we didn't hunt any wild beasts, encountering treasure makes the trip worthwhile.

Li Rui turned his head.

He saw a young, standard fop's face.

Accompanied by an arrogant shout.

"Alright, old man, you can get lost."

(End of chapter)