Chapter 70: Off to Battle, Send Off
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
As Zhou Shu watched Xiao Zongshui’s corpse fall to the ground, his heart didn’t waver much.
Xiao Zongshui was not the first person he killed, nor would he be the last.
Actually, killing Xiao Zongshui now was not a good choice.
But Zhou Shu hadn’t hesitated at all.
His principles never changed. If someone wanted to harm him, he would strike first and gain the upper hand without any hesitation or mercy!
From the moment Xiao Zongshui and Zhen Cai decided to kidnap him, their fates were already decided.
Moreover, after Xiao Zongshui saw his strength, it was naturally even more impossible for him to survive.
Although Zhou Shu didn’t manage to obtain the information he wanted from him, this was not the main point.
From the beginning, Zhou Shu didn’t really care about Zhu Chuanfeng’s goal.
He just needed to know that Zhu Chuanfeng was up to no good!
Furthermore, even though Xiao Zongshui had died, there was still Zhen Cai.
Compared to a wily old fox like Xiao Zongshui, although Zhen Cai’s cultivation was higher, he was not as shrewd.
Zhou Shu clearly remembered that he had been able to anger Zhen Cai with just a few words. If it was Xiao Zongshui, how could this be possible?
Xiao Zongshui was the kind of person who would only stab you in the back if you scolded him face to face.
After throwing Xiao Zongshui’s corpse to the side, Zhou Shu used the same trick again, using the Visualization of the Five Mountains’ True Form to awaken Zhen Cai.
“You ambushed me?!” Zhen Cai shouted as soon as he opened his eyes.
He didn’t even see who the person in front of him was before he jumped up and grabbed forward with his hands at lightning speed.
The reaction of a ninth-rank martial artist was indeed faster than that of an unranked martial artist. This grab was as fast as lightning. Even a martial artist of the same level could only temporarily avoid this move.
But Zhou Shu was not a ninth-rank martial artist. Zhen Cai was fast, but Zhou Shu was even faster.
Slap!
While Zhen Cai was extending his arms forward, a huge force twisted his head to the side, and his entire body fell heavily to the ground.
Five clear finger marks appeared on Zhen Cai’s right face.
He was stunned.
Ever since he became a ranked martial artist, although he had been defeated in battle before, they were still glorious defeats. When had he ever been slapped?
A man could be killed but not humiliated!
Zhen Cai was furious.
Bang!
Just as he was about to leap up, a foot descended from above and stomped on his chest.
Zhen Cai felt as though a mountain was pressing down on his body, and the strength from his body was forcefully dispersed. He struggled with all his might, but the foot didn’t move at all.
“Zhen Cai, I have a question. Why is Zhu Chuanfeng going to this extent to make me his disciple?” Zhou Shu asked coldly.
“It’s you?!” At this moment, Zhen Cai saw that the person stepping on his chest was actually Zhou Shu!
“You’re a ranked martial artist?” Zhen Cai’s eyes were wide open in an expression of disbelief.
“I’m asking you. It’s not your turn to ask questions!” Zhou Shu said coldly.
“What’s so strange about it? Master wants the reward from the military parade, and taking you in as his disciple is the easiest way,” Zhen Cai said without any hesitation. “Why are you a ranked martial artist? Master didn’t say anything!”
To Zhen Cai, the first sentence was not a secret at all. On the contrary, the second sentence was more important to him.
He wants the reward from the military parade? Taking me in as his disciple is the easiest way? Zhou Shu frowned. What does this mean?
Zhen Cai was really not that smart.
“Tell me what the reward for the military parade means first. Then I’ll tell you why I’m a ranked martial artist,” Zhou Shu said.
“What do you mean?” Zhen Cai said. “His Majesty allowed you to participate in the military parade. Master said that you might receive a reward. The reward is useful to him. If you become his disciple, you will have to give that reward to him.”
Zhen Cai spoke for a while, and Zhou Shu asked a few more questions. But Zhen Cai didn’t care much about this matter, so he wasn’t clear about the details.
In the end, Zhen Cai became impatient.
“Are you done yet?! If my master wants to take you in as a disciple, you should thank your ancestors for your good fortune! Don’t be ungrateful!
“Also, aren’t you a Forging Apprentice? Why did you suddenly become a ranked martial artist?”
Zhen Cai was persistent. He really cared more about this.
“Do you know why?” Zhou Shu said. “Because I’m a genius!”
Zhou Shu didn’t waste any more words. He used the Visualization of the Five Mountains’ True Form technique again, and an enormous amount of spiritual power suddenly surged into Zhen Cai’s sea of consciousness.
Zhen Cai’s eyes suddenly widened and then started to lose focus.
Zhou Shu frowned deeply. The only useful information he had obtained from these two was that Zhu Chuanfeng wanted to make him his disciple because of the military parade.
The emperor allowed me to participate in the military parade? Zhou Shu was somewhat puzzled. Is this for real?
He had never heard of a Forging Apprentice participating in the military parade.
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But Zhen Cai didn’t look like someone who would lie.
Even if the emperor allowed him to participate in the military parade, what was the reward?
There was too little information, and Zhou Shu could not analyze anything.
In the end, he decided not to think too much about it. He picked up Xiao Zongshui and Zhen Cai’s corpses and left the woodshed. He quickly disappeared into the night while avoiding the gazes of the people in the brothel.
…
When the first ray of sunlight rose, a maid was walking along the corridor with a basin of water. Suddenly, a door creaked open in front of her, and a man carefully walked out.
The maid blushed when she saw the man’s face.
In this brothel, although she saw many men every day, there were not many who were so handsome.
The handsome man put his index finger to his lips and shushed her.
Before the maid could react, the handsome man had already walked out.
The servant girl looked at the room where the handsome man walked out. There was no movement in the room. Miss Hongxiu must have been so happy last night…
Zhou Shu walked out of the brothel. Cheng Yong and the others were nowhere to be seen. He didn’t know if they had stayed here last night or if they had gone home.
After dumping the corpses last night, Zhou Shu had returned to the brothel to avoid suspicion. The main reason was that if he didn’t come here, he wouldn’t have anywhere else to go.
But after returning to the brothel, he naturally engaged in another battle.
Not every man could remain calm.
Moreover, last night was no longer a matter of being calm and composed. Who could resist the temptation of a peerless beauty lying there?
In any case, Zhou Shu almost couldn’t take it anymore. He had spent the entire night practicing the Visualization of the Five Mountains’ True Form. Otherwise, he would really transform into a wolf—
Although it didn’t matter what he did since this place was…
Facing the unconscious woman, he really couldn’t bear to do it.
After leaving the brothel, Zhou Shu walked out of the city gates. Just as he was about to return to the 0th Workshop, he suddenly thought of something. After pondering for a moment, he changed directions and strode in a certain direction.
…
“Everyone, listen up! We are going to set off!” Meng Bai rode on his horse, and his expression was calm as he shouted in a voice that wasn’t that loud and clear.
“Understood!” A sound resembling a thunderclap resounded as all the generals urged their horses back to their respective camps. The great army was about to set out!
The endless army of soldiers slowly moved forward. Sun Gongping blended in with the group. He had the Spring Embroidered Saber on his waist and wore golden armor, looking very eye-catching in the group.
Not far away, Emperor Yuan Feng and his court ministers were standing side by side. They were here to send off the army.
Clang!
Suddenly, the sound of a zither rang out on a hill beside the path.
Swish!
Almost as soon as the zither sounded, within the great army, countless longbows were drawn at the same time and aimed at the hill.
Several figures flew into the sky and charged toward the hill.
“Stop!” Mi Ziwen’s voice rang out in time to stop everyone.
On the hill, Zhou Shu was already drenched in cold sweat.
How careless!
If I was killed as an assassin, it would be an unjust death!
He visualized the Five Mountains’ True Form and tried his best to calm himself down. He placed his hands on the zither and played.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In his previous life, Zhou Shu had only learned how to play the zither in a university club. He was just a dabbler.
But in this current situation, there was an endless army slowly advancing at the foot of the hill. In the distance, the emperor and important ministers were even looking over.
Zhou Shu sat at the top of the hill, his clothes fluttering in the wind. He played the zither with both hands. To put it in simpler terms, he was extremely dashing!
Mi Ziwen smiled and stole a glance at his teacher.
Meng Bai sat on his horse, slightly surprised. But Mi Ziwen still noticed a flash of special charm in his eyes.
If Mi Ziwen had to interpret it, it would be, “This child is very thoughtful.”
Mi Ziwen nodded slightly and mumbled, “Thank you, Second Brother!”
He held his head high and puffed out his chest. A heroic spirit rose in his chest. Second Brother, don’t worry. We will definitely return triumphantly!
In the distance, when Emperor Yuan Feng heard the sound of the zither, he was also a bit surprised. “Did you arrange this?”
The court ministers shook their heads, denying that they had arranged it.
“So, is this a spontaneous action of the civilians?” Emperor Yuan Feng nodded. “The military and civilian relationship of Great Xia is still very harmonious.”
“Father, I seem to know that person. He’s not a civilian but an official of the Imperial Court of Great Xia…” Yin Wuyou whispered in Emperor Yuan Feng’s ear.
Emperor Yuan Feng was startled. “An official? How come I’ve never seen him before?”
“His official position is too low, so he doesn’t have the qualifications to meet you, Father,” Yin Wuyou said. A workshop superintendent is a ninth-rank official, so he can also be considered an official. Urm, an official the size of a sesame seed is also an official. That’s right!
“He is the superintendent of a workshop in my Forging Division. His name is Zhou Shu.”
“Zhou Shu? That Zhou Shu?” Emperor Yuan Feng was a little surprised, but then he nodded. “He’s quite considerate. Great General Meng spared no effort in recommending him, and he specially came to send the army out to battle. He seems to be someone who knows how to repay kindness…”
Before Emperor Yuan Feng could finish his sentence, a song suddenly rang out from the hill in the distance. The song was a bit strange, but when combined with the impassioned zither music, it unexpectedly made people’s blood boil.
“Vigorous when facing the beatings of ten thousand heavy waves,
“Ardent just like the rays of the red sun.
“Having courage like forge iron and bones as hard as refined steel,
“Having lofty aspirations and excellent foresight.”
For a moment, even Emperor Yuan Feng forgot to continue speaking.. He listened to the song seriously and clenched his fists.
