Chapter 39: Bountiful Harvest (Seeking Collection)
Chapter 39: Bountiful Harvest (Seeking Collection)
September 25, 2017
With thanks to 'One Word Mistake' for the reward support.
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"Brave sir, what brings you here?"
The old man, with his malevolent aura and weapons adorning his body, looked at Lu Hai Kong with a furrowed brow. He was well aware that this person was either a mountain bandit or some sort of wandering hero, the kind that they would rather not associate with, let alone provoke.
"Nothing much, just passing by and saw that your village seems to have a few plump chickens. I'm feeling peckish and would like to have one to eat."
Lu Hai Kong had previously interacted with Zhangjia Village, especially with Zhang, the village chief, from whom he learned about the unique qualities of the villagers. He understood that it was basically impossible for him to enter the village, so he spoke straightforwardly.
Lu Hai Kong didn't expect his words to immediately cause a stir. To him, it wasn't a big deal, but to the villagers, it was like he was robbing them. So, one by one, the robust villagers wanted to teach Lu Hai Kong a lesson.
These chickens were very valuable to the village, each worth several hundred copper coins, and they could lay eggs, each worth ten or more copper coins. The ten or so chickens in the village were precious, having been carefully raised, and they laid golden eggs. How could they possibly give one to Lu Hai Kong just because he asked for it?
However, as the villagers grew more agitated, the old village chief remained calm. He stopped the villagers who wanted to teach Lu Hai Kong a lesson and ordered someone to slaughter a chicken.
Although the villagers were unhappy with the chief's order, they obediently followed it, indicating that the old chief still held considerable authority.
Seeing someone going to slaughter a chicken, Lu Hai Kong's eyes lit up. He instructed, "While you're at it, make me a stew, prepare a couple of side dishes, and cook some rice. I'll come back in about half an hour to eat."
Lu Hai Kong's words made the villagers even angrier. "You want a chicken, and we'll slaughter it for you, but you're still not satisfied. You even want us to cook for you? Do you want a punch to the face?" They wanted to teach Lu Hai Kong a lesson for his blatant robbery, but the old village chief, relying on his status and prestige, restrained them from acting rashly.
Lu Hai Kong, who was about to leave, suddenly realized he had forgotten something when he saw the villagers' commotion. He took out a gold coin from his pocket, tore off a strip of cloth from his body, tied the gold to an arrow, drew his bow, and shot it towards the villagers.
With a 'whoosh,' the arrow precisely struck the door frame of the village chief's house, its immense force piercing the thick door frame. The entire door shook from the impact.
This sudden arrow was startling and intimidating. The villagers, who had been eager to teach Lu Hai Kong a lesson, turned pale when they saw the arrow. If it had hit one of them, the consequences would have been dire.
However, the villagers then noticed the gold coin attached to the arrow. They were momentarily stunned, not reacting immediately.
"This is for the meal," Lu Hai Kong said, putting away his bow and arrow. "I think it should be enough, right?"
Without another word, Lu Hai Kong ignored the villagers and left, heading towards the sixth 'Refugee Camp.' He had spent 1 gold coin for a meal, and he still felt a bit stingy, wanting to earn it back before eating.
In reality, given the situation, Lu Hai Kong knew he could have eaten a sumptuous meal without paying. He could have simply displayed his strength to intimidate the villagers and enjoyed a free feast.
From a certain perspective, this would have been more in line with the behavior of a mountain bandit. However, Lu Hai Kong didn't do that, perhaps indicating that he didn't truly consider himself a genuine mountain bandit.
As Lu Haikong made his way to the sixth refugee camp, he devoured a meat bun to appease his hunger, eagerly anticipating the feast he was about to indulge in. Despite his empty stomach, he felt energized and soon arrived at his destination.
The sixth refugee camp was relatively large, housing nearly two hundred refugees. In combat mode, Lu Haikong would have meticulously planned his approach to minimize casualties. However, acting alone, he was more carefree. With over two hundred refugees, using an axe would be impractical, especially on an empty stomach. So, brandishing his longsword, he charged in without hesitation.
Lu Haikong was a prodigy, effortlessly mastering various martial arts techniques, regardless of their complexity. While other outsiders struggled to specialize in a single basic martial skill, reaching level 5 or below, Lu Haikong had mastered four to five advanced skills in a short time. Judging by his frequent use of the Fundamental Sword Skill, it seemed he would soon master another level 10 basic martial skill.
The sixth refugee camp was easily cleared by Lu Haikong. Perhaps it was the anticipation of the upcoming feast, but his luck was extraordinary. Among the three refugee leaders, he acquired 5 gold, two copies of the Fundamental Inner Strength manual, and one copy of the Basic Fist Technique manual.
Adding up his earnings, Lu Haikong had accumulated 20 gold, three copies of the Fundamental Inner Strength manual, and over ten copies of the Basic Fist Technique manual. It was a bountiful day, but his excitement waned as he remembered the 5,000 gold quest he had considered abandoning and the 100 gold he needed to purchase the Bandit Chief's profession certificate.
His soaring spirits suddenly plummeted.
(End of Chapter)
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