Chapter 222: Harvest

The County Lieutenant felt a lingering fear in his heart at this moment; he could never have imagined that this bandit suppression would be so full of twists and turns, and that they would even encounter evil weapons strictly prohibited by the Imperial Court!

This made him begin to doubt the difficulty of this mission, which was far greater than he had originally imagined. Moreover, judging from Liu Dong's performance, there must be someone behind the scenes manipulating everything, but who exactly was that person?

Thinking of this, the County Lieutenant temporarily suppressed the doubts in his heart and turned to look at Cheng Feng.

This man was like a dark horse, emerging suddenly; he not only saved their lives but also brought a turning point to this battle. If it weren't for his appearance, I fear that everyone present would have lost their lives.

Thinking of this, the County Lieutenant couldn't help but exclaim: "It is fortunate that this Hong Sect Leader stepped in to help; otherwise, I fear it would have been difficult for us to escape unscathed today!"

Despite this, the County Lieutenant still felt some regret; after all, although the Black Wind Stronghold had been wiped out, the three stronghold leaders, including Liu Dong, had escaped.

The County Lieutenant comforted the leaders of the various factions, saying: "Everyone need not worry; the government has seen your contributions, and we will certainly give everyone an explanation." Hearing this, smiles appeared on the faces of the crowd one after another, and their moods immediately lightened quite a bit.

"Furthermore, although the Black Wind Stronghold has been eliminated, the three, including Liu Dong, still survive; this is a major hidden danger. We must strengthen our guard to prevent them from staging a comeback. At the same time, regarding the distribution of the wealth in the stronghold, I hope everyone can uphold a sense of justice and not cause trouble due to a moment of greed, ruining our hard-won victory." The County Lieutenant's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, carrying an unquestionable majesty.

Hearing this, the crowd had varied expressions; some nodded in agreement, while others calculated secretly. The County Lieutenant saw it all, but was in no rush to force the issue.

Even so, who among those present wasn't keeping an ace up their sleeve? Only what one actually gets into their own mouth is truly their own.

Seeing the perfunctory responses from the group, the County Lieutenant was not annoyed; while giving orders, he was also searching for the silver that Liu Dong might have hidden.

The County Lieutenant stood on high ground, watching the figures searching everywhere in the stronghold, his gaze profound, reflecting faces that were either exhausted or greedy.

When his subordinates came to report that they had searched once and found no place where gold and silver were hidden.

An elder of the Black Snake Martial Arts Hall, a Lian Xue Martial Artist nearing fifty, slapped his thigh in regret and said: "It must be that thief Liu Dong who ran off with the treasure."

The crowd also chimed in one after another, though their eyes were all fixed on the County Lieutenant and Cheng Feng.

They had already suffered from the evil weapons and did not want to suffer again; what if Liu Dong still had evil weapons?

The County Lieutenant and Cheng Feng exchanged a glance, and both could read a bit of helplessness and determination in the other's eyes. Facing the questioning and expectations of the crowd,

The County Lieutenant coughed lightly to stabilize the situation: "Everyone, stay calm. Although Liu Dong and his cohorts are cunning, we must not lose our composure. Gold and silver are certainly important, but what is more important is to bring them to justice and restore peace to the people."

Cheng Feng added: "That is correct. The Black Wind Stronghold has operated for many years; its wealth cannot be easily transferred. Perhaps they set up some mechanisms or traps, or perhaps it is hidden in a corner we have not noticed. What we need is patience and care, not blind guessing."

The elder of the Black Snake Martial Arts Hall heard this, his expression softened slightly, but he was still unwilling: "That may be so, but we can't just wait here, can we? If they really have run away, wouldn't that gold and silver fall into their hands for nothing?"

The County Lieutenant smiled slightly, a flash of wisdom in his eyes: "Elder, rest assured, I have my own arrangements. I have already ordered men to blockade the surrounding mountain roads and set up multiple hidden sentries; as soon as Liu Dong and the others appear, word will be sent back immediately. As for the stronghold, I will personally lead men to search it again, leaving no stone unturned."

Having said this, the County Lieutenant turned to the crowd and said: "Everyone, divide into several teams, led by your respective leaders, and search the Black Wind Stronghold carefully once more. Remember, not only look for gold and silver, but also pay attention to any clues that might point to the whereabouts of Liu Dong and his cohorts."

Hearing this, the crowd agreed one after another and went off to carry out their orders. The elder of the Black Snake Martial Arts Hall also took his disciples and joined the search.

As time passed, the night grew deeper, but the Black Wind Stronghold was brightly lit and filled with noise. Every piece of rubble and every stone slab was carefully turned over. Although the process was arduous, every time a clue was found, it would lift the spirits of the crowd.

Cheng Feng found these futile efforts quite amusing; he had relied on his Mechanical Dog to tail them for several days before accidentally discovering the cave where the treasure was hidden, and when he came out, he was confident he had cleaned up all traces, so even if there was anything left in the stronghold, there certainly wouldn't be much.

Just then, a soldier hurried over and whispered a few words in the County Lieutenant's ear. The County Lieutenant's expression changed slightly, then returned to normal, and he said to the crowd: "Everyone, I have just received news that Liu Dong and the three seem to have fled deep into the mountains, where the terrain is steep and difficult to attack. To prevent them from colluding with other bandits, I have decided to lead a team in pursuit myself. I wonder which hero is willing to accompany me?"

As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of discussion arose in the crowd. Some were eager to try, wanting to use this opportunity to earn merit; others showed difficulty, unwilling to go deeper into danger. The County Lieutenant scanned everyone one by one, and finally, his gaze rested on Cheng Feng.

"Cheng Sect Master, you have contributed greatly to this bandit suppression. If you are willing to continue to assist me, I will certainly report it to the Imperial Court and request a reward for you." The County Lieutenant's words were sincere, and his eyes shone with expectation.

Cheng Feng smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said: "County Lieutenant, you are too kind; eliminating harm for the people is the duty of our kind. Since the shadow of the thief Liu Dong has not been removed, I naturally cannot shirk my responsibility. However, the mountains are dangerous, so we must act with caution."

Seeing the two experts of the Bone Refining Realm going together, the government officials could only follow; regardless of anything else, they had to go through the motions.

After working for another half a day without finding even a bird's feather, everyone assumed that Liu Dong had taken the gold and silver treasure, and they cursed loudly one after another.

This trip had truly resulted in lost soldiers and broken generals without gaining any benefits.

Cheng Feng also cursed a couple of times along with them. As for the matter of the pursuit, Cheng Feng had thought it through after waiting for a long time: the County Lieutenant was purely putting on a show for everyone to see, indicating his firm stance, but hindered by reality, he could only helplessly give up, so that he would have an explanation for the County Magistrate when he returned.

"Sure enough, there isn't a single simple person among those who can be officials," Cheng Feng laughed and cursed, and then didn't care about these things anymore.

He touched the Bronze Statue Technique in his bosom; one thousand eight hundred taels of silver notes and a bottle of Small Medicinal Pill—this harvest was enough to comfort himself.

Cheng Feng suspected that the harvest in the stronghold might not even be as much as the harvest he had on his own person.

His own harvest alone was enough to cover the compensation costs for the Hong Sect.

Thinking again of the three small boxes of gold and silver jewelry and the ten large boxes of swords in the cave, Cheng Feng used all his strength to suppress the corners of his mouth that were starting to lift.

The disciples of the Hong Sect have a promising future!