Chapter 341: Raising Bandits
Below the price list, many detailed rules were written in small characters.
For example, the deeper one delves into the underground mine, the more spirit stones are required, and the time limit also shortens.
Also, any ores excavated by cultivators cannot be privately stored; they must be handed over in full upon leaving the mine for inspection. The town of Jade Steel will take fifty percent, leaving the cultivator with the remaining fifty percent.
“Ah Zhuo, look here, just as you expected,” Sun Lingtong sent a voice transmission to Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo stopped studying the price list and turned his head to see the wanted notice regarding the demonic Black Tiger.
On the notice, the Black Tiger bared its fangs, with thick blood dripping from between its teeth. The artist's skill was quite impressive, capturing the unique aura of the demonic beast.
“Black Wind Tiger Demon,” Ning Zhuo muttered, softly reciting the name from the wanted list.
Apart from it, there were several other demon cultivators, also looking quite familiar to Ning Zhuo.
After careful recognition, he realized they were members of the group of demon cultivators he had seen in the valley. They were strong and domineering when fighting for blood food and were the subordinates of the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
“There’s also that human cultivator,” Sun Lingtong added, his observation skills surpassing those of Ning Zhuo.
In the Shanxi Valley, there was only one human cultivator, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, being used as a servant by the Tiger Demon.
Following Sun Lingtong’s gaze, Ning Zhuo unexpectedly found that this human cultivator was not on the wanted list, but was instead part of a missing persons notice.
The human cultivator was named Shi Sui, skilled in Earth element spells, and was the son of the previous town mayor. After the Black Wind Tiger Demon led its forces to attack the mountain town, killing the former mayor and many other cultivators, Shi Sui had gone missing after the battle and had not been found since.
Sun Lingtong said, “That Tiger Demon is strong enough to assault the mountain town. Shi Sui must have been captured in that battle and has been imprisoned in the Shanxi Valley since, serving as a slave instead of being killed.”
“We plan to poison the Tiger Demon next. Shi Sui might serve as our inside man. After all, his father died at the hands of the Tiger Demon! I thought he might be a traitor to the humans.”
Sun Lingtong looked at Ning Zhuo and laughed, “In that case, after we kill the Black Wind Tiger Demon, we can even collect a bounty. Not bad, not bad. Should we take the notice now?”
Ning Zhuo stopped him, “Boss, no rush, let’s investigate more once we’re in town.”
“Hmm, fine, I’ll follow your lead,” Sun Lingtong replied.
Ever since the Lava Immortal Palace incident, Sun Lingtong had fully witnessed Ning Zhuo’s cunning. He had a clear sense of self-awareness and knew that in terms of strategy and schemes, the younger brother he had raised was both crafty and deceitful, far surpassing him.
The two disguised themselves as rogue cultivators mining for ore, each paying fifty spirit stones to enter the small town.
The streets of the small town were broad, with massive mechanical carts moving about.
On either side of the street stood simple stone houses. Under the sunlight, the houses glistened with a jade-like light, clearly built from materials sourced locally by the cultivators.
The town bustled with activity, as the shouts of vendors mingled with the laughter of miners.
Many of the cultivators walked about with their chests bared, muscles bulging, their voices coarse and their demeanor bold, clearly body cultivators.
Aside from them, most were either metal or earth element cultivators.
These three types of cultivators were the most suitable for working as miners.
Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong first found a tea house, ordered some jade rhinoceros meat and three ounces of jade dew wine, and while eating and drinking, listened to the conversations of the other cultivators.
When the waiter brought the food, Ning Zhuo also took out a spirit stone and gave it to him as a reward for answering some questions.
After some inquiries, the two gathered plenty of information about the mountain town.
For example, the former mayor, surnamed Shi, was harsh and petty, punishing any cultivator caught trying to smuggle something, without ever showing leniency.
On the other hand, the current mayor, named Meng Zizhong, came from the prestigious Meng family of the Southern Dou Country.
After Meng Zizhong took office, he was bold and lenient, with lax supervision. He often trained his soldiers and had a fondness for martial strength. He frequently led cultivators out of the town to sweep the surrounding areas of Jade Steel Mountain, clearing out any dangerous beasts or demon cultivators, fulfilling his duties with diligence.
His strong martial prowess also provided the townspeople with a great sense of security. In terms of reputation, he was far better than the previous mayor.
Sun Lingtong said, “Meng Zizhong comes from the Meng family, where martial strength thrives. Judging from the fact that he posted a wanted notice and is actively searching for the Black Wind Tiger Demon, once we take the bounty and seek him out, he will definitely be eager to provide us with detailed information about the demon.”
Ning Zhuo pondered for a moment before shaking his head slightly, “No rush, Boss, since we’re already here, let’s take a look at the mines.”
Sun Lingtong exclaimed, “Just for a mere hundred low-grade crystals... do you really care about such trifles?”
Ning Zhuo smiled, “I’ve never mined before.”
Sun Lingtong rested his hands behind his head, “You’re still too young. What’s so fun about mining!”
Not long after.
The two were mining in the first layer of the mine.
“Look, look! Guess what I’ve found! Such a large piece of jade-hued mystic steel,” Sun Lingtong bragged.
“Impressive, Boss,” Ning Zhuo smiled faintly.
“See this? I had a feeling something was off here. So, after chipping away the jade steel, guess what? I found this!” Sun Lingtong proudly displayed an accompanying ore.
It was a Bi Luo stone, the rock’s texture resembling wax, dull and gray. It was a classic raw material used for colored ink in the painting arts of the cultivation world.
Ning Zhuo gave him a thumbs-up.
Sun Lingtong grinned, rubbed his hands together, and eagerly dove back into the mining bed.
His face was nearly pressed against the stone surface, his eyes gleaming with spiritual light. He had activated his gifted spirit eyes, allowing him to analyze more precisely, see deeper, and discover higher-quality ores.
Sun Lingtong dug and dug, completely immersed.
Ning Zhuo practically had to drag him out, but Sun Lingtong was still reluctant to leave, “We haven’t even used up our time yet. Each of us paid fifty spirit stones, we should at least dig enough to break even.”
“Boss, you’ve already made back more than enough,” Ning Zhuo transmitted his voice as he approached the supervisor and presented the ores he had excavated.
The supervisor selected some of the ores and then used a magical device to scan Ning Zhuo’s entire body. After waving him off, he allowed Ning Zhuo to leave.
Sun Lingtong had hidden many precious accompanying ores and only turned in a few pieces of jade-hued mystic steel.
The magical device couldn’t detect the hidden ores, so the supervisor waved Sun Lingtong off as well.
The two of them walked down the street together.
Ning Zhuo sent a voice transmission, sighing, “Jade Steel Mountain is truly blessed. It contains such rich deposits of jade-hued mystic steel. If one person were to seize control of it, they could grow and thrive solely from this mountain, establishing a large and prosperous cultivation family.”
Sun Lingtong shrugged, “Jade Steel Mountain is good, but it’s far inferior to Huoshi Immortal City. This place can only support a small mountain town, while the resources in Huoshi Mountain could sustain an entire immortal city.”
“The resources within Huoshi Mountain are endless and renewable. But every time Jade Steel Mountain is mined, its foundation decreases, making it unsustainable.”
Ning Zhuo shook his head slightly, “Boss, you still don’t get what I mean. Let me be blunt. I am the patriarch of the Ning clan’s branch family. Sadly, my branch family is newly established, and everything is in need of attention. Having a minor position in the Lava Immortal Palace amounts to nothing.”
“We lack a reliable family foundation.”
“So, what do you think of Jade Steel Mountain?”
Sun Lingtong froze, not understanding why Ning Zhuo suddenly brought this up.
“We weren’t here to collect your mother’s relics?”
“As a result, we discovered the Black Wind Tiger Demon. Only by eliminating him can we possibly obtain what we want.”
“So now you’ve set your sights on Jade Steel Mountain? What’s this about?”
Ning Zhuo's smile deepened, “It’s all connected.”
Seeing Ning Zhuo was serious, Sun Lingtong started thinking for him, pondering for a while, but came up with no solution and felt rather frustrated, “This town is guarded by Meng Zizhong, and he has a solid background. How do you plan to bring him down? And how will your branch family get involved?”
Ning Zhuo’s eyes were deep, “How about this? We fabricate some evidence to show that Meng Zizhong has secret ties to the Black Wind Tiger Demon.”
Sun Lingtong said, “You want to frame him? That’s quite difficult and won’t be easy to pull off.”
“Don’t forget about the Trace Back Art from the Detective Division.”
Ning Zhuo laughed softly, “Boss, I want to give it a try.”
Sun Lingtong became excited, “I already feel like this will be both interesting and thrilling.”
So, the two left the mountain town and used the Wanli Dragon to return to Mist Hidden Mountain.
The mechanical dragon dove deep into the valley and found the human cultivator, Shi Sui, in a corner.
Sun Lingtong struck, knocking him unconscious and stuffing him into the Wanli Dragon.
The two returned to Jade Steel Mountain and released Shi Sui.
Ning Zhuo used the Divine Ability—Life Hanging by a Thread to place a spell on Shi Sui.
When Shi Sui woke up, he found himself unexpectedly free, utterly shocked.
Ning Zhuo seized the opportunity to send a message, posing as a reclusive master, telling Shi Sui that it was he who had saved him, but fearing trouble, he did not wish to disrupt his secluded life. Therefore, he brought Shi Sui to Jade Steel Mountain and instructed him to report to Meng Zizhong.
Shi Sui was overjoyed, kowtowing several times on the spot before rushing to Meng Zizhong’s residence.
Ignoring the gatekeepers' attempts to stop him, he barged into the courtyard, shouting loudly.
This commotion alarmed Meng Zizhong.
Meng Zizhong led Shi Sui into the study for a thorough inquiry.
Shi Sui, with great excitement, left nothing unsaid.
Meng Zizhong asked, “Did you really escape on your own?”
Shi Sui, following the instructions of the "reclusive master," didn’t reveal his identity and nodded firmly, claiming that he had been preparing for years. He finally seized the opportunity a few days ago and made a desperate run for it, fleeing all the way to Jade Steel Mountain to seek justice from the Southern Dou Nation and avenge his grievances.
“Meng Sir, when will you send troops?” Shi Sui asked, full of anticipation.
Thud.
A blade pierced through Shi Sui’s chest.
Shi Sui was utterly horrified, staring at the hand on the hilt of the blade, then following the arm upward, he saw Meng Zizhong’s face.
“You, you…”
The next moment, Shi Sui breathed his last.
Inside the Wanli Dragon, this scene was recorded exactly as it happened.
Sun Lingtong was shocked beyond belief, “What’s going on? Meng Zizhong really does have a problem?!”
He quickly turned his head to Ning Zhuo, “Little brother, how did you know?”
“We were both acting together the whole time.”
(End of the chapter)