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Chapter 48: Striking It Rich
Chapter 48: Striking It Rich
September 25, 2017
As Lu Hai Kong was about to be pierced by Zhang Li's spear, Zhang Li smiled, a smile filled with joy, happiness, and pride.
These insignificant bandits dared to target the Zhang family; they were seeking their own demise. With a few swift moves, Zhang Li could easily take care of these petty thieves.
The thought of eliminating these bandits and possibly receiving a reward upon returning home made Zhang Li's heart swell with excitement. He hadn't indulged in some pleasure with a woman for several days, and now, with the prospect of a reward, he was contemplating which lady he should visit—Little Red or Little Lan?
Before Zhang Li's spear could even strike Lu Hai Kong, his mind had already wandered off, imagining the possibilities. But before he could decide on which lady to visit with his reward, Lu Hai Kong's face had already formed a 'harmonious,' 'kind,' and 'righteous' smile. Unbeknownst to Zhang Li, Lu Hai Kong had already grabbed the axe from his back.
Suddenly, Zhang Li felt an overwhelming force transmit through his spear, causing his grip to explode. The spear was sent flying by Lu Hai Kong's axe, and before Zhang Li could react, Lu Hai Kong struck again with another powerful blow. The man who had just been fantasizing about his reward was now split in two. Zhang Li, even in his final moments, couldn't comprehend how he had gone from being the victor to being slain so suddenly.
As Lu Hai Kong finished off his opponent, Wang Chao and Ma Han were already engaged in a fierce battle. The two of them were not significantly stronger than the escorts, and with four of the escorts still alive, they were at a disadvantage.
However, Wang Chao and Ma Han held their ground admirably, despite being outnumbered. They fought valiantly, preventing the escorts from interfering with Lu Hai Kong's battle. It seemed like they could hold on for another five or six minutes, and in this intense fight, their skill proficiency was rapidly increasing, as if riding a rocket.
Although Lu Hai Kong and his group were robbing on the official road, where passersby could appear at any moment, creating unpredictable variables, they didn't intend to let Wang Chao and Ma Han take advantage of the situation to gain experience. Instead, Lu Hai Kong swiftly moved in, and with one axe swing per person, they dispatched the four escorts, bringing an abrupt end to the robbery.
From the moment Lu Hai Kong and his group took action to the moment they completely eliminated the escort team, only a few minutes had passed. A sizable caravan was reduced to just ten cargo vehicles, and the drivers had long since disappeared without a trace.
Lu Hai Kong had no intention of pursuing the fleeing drivers; it wasn't worth the effort. Instead, he turned his attention to collecting the spoils of war.
With such a large amount of cargo, it was impossible for Lu Hai Kong and his group to carry it all. Even if it were just the three of them, they could move stealthily and cover their tracks with ease. But with ten cargo vehicles, they would be as good as dead, easily tracked down by anyone.
So, Lu Hai Kong and his group opened each of the ten vehicles and found that they were all filled with salt, a commodity that was indeed quite valuable, worth several times the price of grain per pound. However, it was of no use to Lu Hai Kong, as he lacked the connections to sell it.
Lu Hai Kong was frustrated. After a rare robbery, they had ended up with something they couldn't carry away. Fortunately, in the last vehicle, he discovered a small, exquisitely carved box. Upon opening it, he was dazzled by the sight of gold bars filling the entire container.
Damn, this heist was worth it! Just this small box of gold bars alone is worth over a thousand gold coins.
After a moment of intoxication, Lu Hai Kong immediately grabbed the box and gathered all ten vehicles together. He set them ablaze, burning the entire ten carts of salt. Of course, salt doesn't burn completely, but there would still be significant losses.
After finishing up, Lu Hai Kong left with Wang Chao and Ma Han, not forgetting to take all the items dropped by the ten escorts he had killed.
Compared to the small box Lu Hai Kong had already taken, the items dropped by the escorts were somewhat insignificant. However, the copy of the Thunderbolt Gunsmanship manual obtained from Zhang Li was quite valuable, at least on par with the Gale Blade Technique. Previously, Lu Hai Kong had given Ma Han a copy of the Gale Blade Technique, and Wang Chao had been eyeing it enviously. Although he didn't ask for it directly, he would always gaze longingly at Lu Hai Kong whenever Ma Han practiced his blade skills, making Lu Hai Kong feel rather awkward. Now, with one manual each, it was only fair.
As Lu Hai Kong left with his loot, the owner of the goods, the Zhang family, was furious. They were the local tyrants of Shanwu County, and for many years, no one had dared to openly challenge their authority, except for the occasional foreign tribesmen.
Not only had their caravan been robbed, but their escorts had been killed, and ten entire carts of refined salt had been burned. The person in charge of this shipment from the Zhang family was heartbroken, even more so than when he learned that Lu Hai Kong had taken a box of gold bars.
This was tens of thousands of pounds of the finest snowflake salt, and in this era, there were no modern production methods. Each pound of this pure white salt was worth at least a thousand copper coins, and even in the north, it could be sold to the Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes for a gold coin per pound. It was a fortune, and the box Lu Hai Kong had taken was just the leftover payment for the salt.
Lu Hai Kong had burned it all, and the Zhang family's representative was going mad. As soon as he heard the news, he mobilized all available resources, sending out a large number of men to track down Lu Hai Kong and his group. They even involved the county soldiers of Shanwu County.
If Lu Hai Kong were caught by the Zhang family now, he wouldn't get away with just dying once; he would likely be subjected to the most brutal of tortures.
However, tracking down Lu Hai Kong was no easy task. By the time the Zhang family received the news and reacted, Lu Hai Kong and his group had already returned to their mountain stronghold. There was no way the Zhang family could find them, let alone follow any traces to their hideout.
Lu Hai Kong had prepared meticulously before taking action, even going as far as to retreat towards Qiangyin County before circling back to their stronghold, leaving almost no clues in their wake.
The Zhang family's men searched the crime scene for a day or two, but in the end, they had no choice but to give up. However, they did take note of the deliberately leaked name, 'Black Wind Fort'.
(End of Chapter)
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