NFBE Chapter 18 has nothing to do with me.
Chapter 18 has nothing to do with me.
A map, a prescription, 18,000 taels of silver, the "Jade Snow Spear" fifteen-style spear technique, and a spear formation manual—these were all that Bai Shao possessed.
The map shows the entire Malanshan area, and marks more than 130 bandit strongholds on it.
The prescription contained sixty-eight herbs, each weighing over a hundred catties. At the bottom was the total price of the herbs: eighteen thousand taels.
The largest denomination of Wuyan Kingdom's silver notes was one thousand taels, and there were only eighteen notes totaling eighteen thousand li, making them very convenient to carry.
Bai Shao's mission was to arrange the purchase of medicinal herbs, but unexpectedly, Zheng Qian intercepted the deal and obtained the silver notes.
Eighteen thousand taels is equivalent to eighteen thousand cows. Adding the ten thousand taels he already has, that's twenty-eight thousand taels. Even if Zheng Qian moves his family to Lichun Tower and changes his patrons three times every night, he still won't be able to spend all of it in his lifetime.
Zheng Qian glanced at the "Jade Snow Spear" spear technique book. It contained fifteen spear techniques, which were actually fifteen moves and combinations, each with its own mysteries.
Now that the Jade Spear Sect and Zheng Qian have a grudge, they will meet sooner or later. Therefore, Zheng Qian decided to go back and study the Jade Snow Spear carefully, hoping to find a flaw.
Unfortunately, Bai Shao only has fifteen moves; the three strongest moves are still a mystery.
Hua Feng was known as the number one spearman in Lüchang County. He had many famous battles in Lüchang County, which storytellers often talked about. However, they never talked about his last three spear techniques because no opponent had ever forced him to use them.
With such a master as an enemy, and one who could appear at any time, Zheng Qian felt a slight sense of urgency.
As for the spear formation, Zheng Qian doesn't have time to study this battle formation, which is said to be the best in Lvchang County.
At this moment, Zhang Tiezhu ran over, covered in sweat and panting heavily, and said...
"Head镖师, everything is taken care of."
He was the first to arrive at Malanshan, but he didn't participate in the battle; he was only responsible for cleaning up the corpses with the hunters from Zhangjia Village.
Now only Hua Zhongzheng is left.
At the foot of the mountain, Hua Zhong was still sleeping.
He was so tired last night that it was hard for him to wake up once he fell asleep.
"You can handle it."
"Yes, Chief Escort."
Zhang Tiezhu's eyes were resolute. The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) had dealt with forty-two men, leaving only the good-for-nothing Zhang Tiezhu had left. This was an opportunity for him to hone his skills, and he was determined to do a good job.
Hua Zhongzheng was fast asleep, drool dripping onto the ground, a faint smile on his lips, talking in his sleep.
"Xiao Cui, I caught you! Come here, give me a kiss."
Like Zheng Qian, Zhang Tiezhu carried three swords on his back. He drew a short sword with his right hand and raised it with his left.
Snap, snap.
Two resounding slaps landed on his face.
"Who?"
Hua Zhongzheng immediately sobered up and saw a dark, unsightly face facing him. He immediately sat up and pointed at Zhang Tiezhu.
"Zhang Tiezhu, how dare you hit me?"
呲.
The short sword pierced Hua Zhongzheng's heart, and Zhang Tiezhu's face darkened.
"I not only dare to hit you, I dare to kill you."
"you……"
Hua Zhongzheng lost his life after uttering only one word. He passed away peacefully, without experiencing much pain.
The Jade Spear Sect protected him too well, causing him to lack any sense of crisis. When he opened his eyes, he didn't fight back or run away first, but wasted time scolding people. He deserved to die.
Zheng Qian was shocked by Zhang Tiezhu's actions. This kid looked honest, but he was unexpectedly quick to act.
He also wanted to interrogate Hua Zhongzheng about the Jade Spear Sect and Hua Feng, but that's no longer an option.
However, Zhang Tiezhu may seem like a simpleton on the surface, but he is actually ruthless.
Yes, he has potential and is worth nurturing.
After finishing, Zhang Tiezhu chuckled and said to Zheng Qian.
"Head镖师, I'm going to take care of it. The cave they abandoned isn't far from. I'll be right back."
Zheng Qian nodded, and Zhang Tiezhu didn't shy away from the topic. He mentioned Hua Zhongzheng and headed deeper into Malanshan.
Zhang Tiezhu already possessed a strength of over 1,000 jin (approximately 500 kg), so lifting a person was still quite easy for him.
Hua Zhongzheng framed Zheng Qian twice, and Zheng Qian warned him that if there was a next time, he would risk his life. Zheng Qian kept his word.
Half an hour later, Zhang Tiezhu returned with a happy smile on his face.
"So happy, did you find something good?"
"What good stuff are you touching?"
"You idiot, looting corpses. Otherwise, how will you make a fortune?"
"Yes, head镖师, wait for me, I'm very fast."
Zhang Tiezhu was really fast. He was very excited at the moment, his eyes gleaming, and he handed a stack of silver notes to Zheng Qian.
"Head镖师, I found a 150 tael silver note, here you go."
Zheng Qian waved his hand.
"This is what you deserve, you don't need to give it to me. Is there anything else?"
"Nothing."
Zheng Qian was a little disappointed; why hadn't he mastered the last three paths of spear technique?
A good-for-nothing is a good-for-nothing; he's utterly useless.
However, he quickly realized that there are countless ways to fight and kill, and if Hua Feng dares to show up, he can find a way to kill him.
Zheng Qian and Hua Feng are destined to die. Zheng Qian has decimated half of the Biqiang Sect's strength, and Hua Feng will not let this opportunity pass without seeking revenge.
A portion of the Biqiangmen's forces were taken away by Hua Feng's younger brother, Hua Yixuan, and it's unknown when they will return, posing a significant threat.
Forty minutes later, Zheng Qian and Zhang Tiezhu waited at the crossroads for the bandit-suppression team to return, and they could hear their voices from afar.
"I thought Liu Wu was so great. He came and challenged me to a drinking contest right away, but I knocked him out after just three bowls."
"I'm not bad either, I got three drunk."
"Bai Shao didn't come today, otherwise their boss wouldn't have had to lean against the wall to see us off."
They all had oily faces, and you could smell alcohol from a distance.
As expected, their method of suppressing bandits was not with knives and guns, but with words.
The person at the front saw Zheng Qian immediately, and their face turned very ugly. They hurriedly reminded the people behind them.
"Shh, don't say anything, there are people ahead."
"Who is it, Sect Leader Bai? They're moving so slowly, they're even..."
The person speaking seemed to have their throat caught, and instantly fell silent.
He saw Zheng Qian; it was Zheng Qian.
Bai Shao and his group knew that they were going to ambush Zheng Qian today. Zheng Qian was still sitting here perfectly fine, so where was Bai Shao?
A chill ran through their bodies, and everyone sobered up considerably.
No one who managed to get to the position of riding a horse to suppress bandits was an idiot.
It's impossible for Zheng Qian to kill all 43 members of the Biqiangmen Sect by himself. The only organizations in Lvchang County capable of dealing with the 43-member Biqiangmen Sect are the Jinmao Chamber of Commerce and the Jindao Shop, and even then, it would require all of them to be present.
The spear formation of the Biqiang Sect is no joke; it is recognized as the number one battle formation in Lvchang County.
The political landscape in Lvchang County has changed, and several major forces are about to reshuffle the power structure. Their biggest concern now is whether this reshuffling will affect them.
And what if Hua Feng, the one who fired the first shot in Lvchang County, comes back and causes them trouble?
The person at the front bowed and asked.
"Chief Escort Zheng, isn't Sect Leader Bai with you?"
Zheng Qian spread his hands.
"When we went to the toilet, Sect Master Bai was with you. How could I have seen him?"
Since no one saw him kill Bai Shao, then he neither saw Bai Shao nor was he with him.
In dangerous situations like bandit suppression, death or disappearance is all too common.
Furthermore, Bai Shao disappeared while they were up the mountain suppressing bandits, and it had nothing to do with Zheng Qian.
At least in terms of public opinion, it has nothing to do with him.
It will take time for Hua Feng and Hua Yixuan to return to Lvchang County to investigate Bai Shao's death, which will give him time to prepare for a counterattack.
At this moment, Zhang Tiezhu also said in a simple and honest manner.
"The head镖师 and I don't know the way to Malan Mountain, so we've been waiting for you here, but we haven't seen Master Bai."
Alright, alright, you two are putting on a show, aren't you? You're really putting Zhang Tiezhu, you idiot, in a difficult position.
When Hua Feng and his brother Hua Yixuan return, let's see if you can still put on this act.
Anyway, they all saw Bai Shao chasing after Zheng Qian.
"Did Sect Leader Bai go back first?"
"Maybe so. Let's hurry back."
"Chief Escort Zheng, please go first."
The group chatted awkwardly with some laughter, letting Zheng Qian walk at the front.
This young man is quite capable to have survived Bai Shao's encirclement and suppression; he's well-suited to lead the team from the front.
The atmosphere on the way back was inexplicably oppressive. No one was chatting; everyone was riding at full speed. There was a serious atmosphere about the end of the bandit suppression operation and the casualties of their teammates.