Chapter 49: Bandit Chief's Occupation Certificate
Chapter 49: Bandit Chief's Occupation Certificate
2017-09-25
Since the day of the robbery, Lu Hai Kong had not left the bandit camp. However, he was aware of the Zhang family's actions following the incident, as he had two pairs of eyes keeping watch outside.
The Zhang family's reaction was intense, which somewhat surprised Lu Hai Kong. But when he learned that the batch of salt he burned was worth several tens of thousands of gold, Lu Hai Kong instantly understood. Of course, along with this understanding came a twinge of regret. He muttered to himself that if he had known the salt was so valuable, he would have secretly kept some for himself.
Of course, these were just words. If given the chance to do it again, Lu Hai Kong would never take a single bag of salt. He still had some basic rationality; he knew which was more important, his life or the money.
Since they had already made such a big move, Lu Hai Kong, who was initially itching to pull off a few more heists, decided to lie low. After all, he had achieved his goal in this operation, obtaining not only 2000 gold in gold bars but also successfully infuriating the Zhang family.
The Zhang family, having lost several tens of thousands of gold, acted like madmen. They directly pointed their accusations at 'Dark Wind Fort', demanding compensation for their losses.
Of course, Dark Wind Fort's activities in Shanwu County were relatively minimal. They had a few strongholds, but these were mostly small and temporary. The Zhang family had swiftly uprooted all of them, but this didn't cause significant damage to Dark Wind Fort. Still, this sudden pot-stirring left them feeling dizzy.
"We didn't do this! How can you blame us?" Dark Wind Fort felt wronged.
Dark Wind Fort expressed their innocence, but the Zhang family refused to engage in any dialogue, let alone listen to explanations. Their message was clear: Dark Wind Fort must compensate the Zhang family for their losses, a total of 100,000 gold, or they would be considered enemies of the noble families.
In truth, the Zhang family was aware that this incident might not have been the doing of Dark Wind Fort. The reasons were simple. Firstly, the Zhang family had no prior conflict with Dark Wind Fort, and Dark Wind Fort usually behaved well and wouldn't provoke the noble families.
Secondly, if Dark Wind Fort had intended to take action, the only reason would be the value of that batch of salt. In that case, they wouldn't have burned it; they would have taken only the 2,000 gold. They would have carried away the salt and wouldn't have waited until the caravan entered Shanwu County's territory to make their move.
These two points alone indicated that Dark Wind Fort was likely framed. But so what if they didn't do it? Why blame them instead of others? It was clear that the Zhang family had a grudge against someone else, and Dark Wind Fort was taking the fall. Since they couldn't catch the robbers and even if they did, the loss might not be recoverable, it was better to cause trouble for Dark Wind Fort directly.
"I'll blame it on you, Dark Wind Fort! See what you'll do! Pay up or face the consequences!" This was the Zhang family's logic, a true display of the noble families' arrogance.
This incident revealed how bandits and raiders were seen as formidable by commoners but as mere brutes by the noble families. They were slightly stronger than the peasants they exploited but were still just slightly larger ants.
At this point, both sides were likely in a stalemate, and Lu Hai Kong had no interest in witnessing a dogfight. He was too busy rejoicing.
What made Lu Hai Kong so happy was, of course, the spoils of his robbery. The chest of gold bars he obtained was worth 2000 gold, an enormous sum!
In that moment, Lu Hai Kong truly understood the meaning of "Golden Belt of Murder and Fire." A single robbery had brought him unprecedented wealth. With this money, Lu Hai Kong felt like he had boarded a rocket, ready to soar to new heights.
Of course, money is only valuable when it's spent, so upon returning to the bandit camp, Lu Hai Kong went straight to find Wang LaoTou. He slammed a box of gold bars down on the ground in front of Wang, the sound echoing through the air.
In Lu Hai Kong's eyes, Wang LaoTou was the most mysterious figure in the entire camp. He appeared to be a typical greedy and seedy old man, and in reality, well, he was indeed a greedy and seedy old man. However, despite his unappealing demeanor, the goods he sold were incredibly diverse.
From occupation certificates to broken copper and iron, as long as it was related to martial arts, weapons, or professions, this old man had it all. In the past, Lu Hai Kong could only afford the ordinary items, while the premium goods were always out of his reach, leaving him with nothing but envy.
For instance, Ma Han's "Gale Blade Technique" and Dynasty's "Thunderbolt Gunsmanship" were also available from the old man, each book priced at 50 gold coins. It was a straightforward transaction—cash for goods, no bargaining allowed!
Despite the old man's fawning behavior whenever he saw Lu Hai Kong with money, he always stuck to his principles. He would never, under any circumstances, allow Lu Hai Kong to bargain. The prices were set, and not a single copper coin would be discounted. However, if Lu Hai Kong wanted to pay more, the old man would gladly accept it.
"Old man, three copies of the Bandit Leader Certification, bring them to me, this young master has the money!" Lu Hai Kong threw three gold bars worth a hundred gold coins each at Wang LaoTou. His arrogant and wealthy demeanor was on full display, and at this moment, Lu Hai Kong felt as if he had transcended, understanding that a man should always have the audacity to spend money freely.
Wang LaoTou stared at the three gold bars, stunned for a moment. Then, he quickly snapped out of his daze, rushed forward, picked up the gold bars, and shoved them into his mouth, biting down hard to confirm their authenticity. Satisfied, he broke into a wide grin, rummaged in his pocket, and produced three copies of the Bandit Leader Certification, offering them to Lu Hai Kong with a fawning smile.
"Alright, Lu XiaoGe, you're truly a hero. You're spending 300 gold coins without batting an eye. That's what I call a heroic spirit! By the way, I also have a few martial arts manuals here, like this 'Wind-Riding Wave Blade Technique,' which is quite good. It's only 500 gold coins, XiaoGe, why don't you buy it and give it a try? After all, with your talent, you can master the prerequisite fundamental blade technique within a few days."
"What? You're not satisfied? No problem, no problem. I also have this one..."
The old man's eyes gleamed as he gazed at Lu Hai Kong's small wooden box filled with gold bars. He estimated that there were at least another 100 gold coins inside. The old man seemed determined to make Lu Hai Kong spend all his money.
However, Lu Hai Kong ignored him. He had been exploited by this old man too many times in the past. The money he earned from hunting monsters was mostly spent on this old man, purchasing equipment, occupation certificates, and other essentials. Even the archery targets at the facial training ground were a source of income for the old man.
So, with a mischievous intent, Lu Hai Kong decided to show off all his money, letting the old man get excited and impatient as he tried to sell his goods. Lu Hai Kong waited until the old man was almost ready to give up before showing any interest in buying something. At that moment, Lu Hai Kong picked up his box and left, leaving the old man standing there, frozen in surprise.
(End of Chapter)
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