This person was clearly dissatisfied with them, and was currently toying with them.
But since he was refusing to speak, there was nothing Bai Siling could do, either.
------
After two consecutive failures, the duo decided that there no point in trying anymore. After all, no matter how many bandits they slew, it was pointless if they couldn't accomplish their mission.
Soon, after a series of discussion, they turned their eyes back to Wang Chong.
"Brat, come over. It's your turn!"
While Wang Chong was busy resting with his back against a pine tree, Huang Yongtu suddenly walked over, blocking the radiance of the brilliant moon.
"What do you mean, that it is my turn again?" A sharp gleam flashed across Wang Chong's leisurely gaze.
"It is your turn to hunt down the bandits!" Huang Yongtu said coldly.
"I don't think so," Wang Chong replied without any hesitation as he reached out for the bag of beans hanging by his waist and offered a handful of them to Little Shadow by his side.
"What did you say?" Huang Yongtu abruptly bellowed in rage. The fellow before him was actually defying his commands!
"If my memory fails me not, I have already gone once today, haven't I?" Wang Chong replied calmly,
"The rules have changed. It's now twice for everyone," Huang Yongtu replied without any hesitation. He had sorted out the details in his previous discussions with Xu Gan.
"Is that so? I refuse then," Wang Chong rejected the instructions once more without any hesitation.
"You dare?" Huang Yongtu flew into a fit of rage. This was no longer a matter of whether Wang Chong was willing to go or not, what had truly infuriated him was Wang Chong's cold attitude.
"This is a decision we have all agreed on after careful consideration! Whether you like it or not, you'll have to go! Otherwise, don't blame me for getting nasty on you!"
These words had been stifled within Huang Yongtu for too long a time, and finally, he found an opportunity to vocalize them. He had long wanted to teach this fellow a lesson! How could a mere peasant from Kunwu Training Camp act so rude before him, an elite from Shenwei Training Camp?
They might not be as capable as this fellow in dealing with bandits, but in terms of cultivation, they were definitely far in the lead.
If this fellow dared to continue disobeying his commands, there would be no need to use words anymore. Considering his wilful actions in the middle of the mission, not even Zhang Lin would be able to say anything if he were to teach him a lesson!
Chapter 333: Red-Eyed!
Chapter 333: Red-Eyed!
"We are currently on the fourth day of our mission. Counting from the first day, I have already cleared four bandit bands cleanly, and not a single one of them has gotten away under my eye. According to the orders we received, I should have cleared the first stage of the mission already. In other words, unless we receive new orders, I have the right to choose whether I want to continue hunting down the bandits or not.”
Wang Chong raised a middle finger as he said those words calmly.
These bastards were clearly trying to take advantage of him! Whatever! They wouldn't understand the meaning of his gesture anyway!
Huang Yongtu's expression froze after hearing those words. Thinking back, Wang Chong had succeeded in every hunt ever since the first day, and according to the details of their mission, he had already accomplished the requirements for the first stage.
All of the words that Huang Yongtu had prepared beforehand suddenly became meaningless.
"Damn it!" Huang Yongtu clenched his fists in hate.
"If there's nothing else, I would like to ask you to leave this area. I wish to take my rest." Adjusting his posture to rest comfortable against the tree, Wang Chong flicked his hand as if he was chasing away a fly.
Despite his rage, there was not a single thing Huang Yongtu could say under this circumstance. Thus, he could only walk away angrily.
Xu Gan opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated eventually, before closing it. There was no idea he could offer at the moment, either.
------
In the ensuing days, Huang Yongtu, Xu Gan, and Bai Siling continued to struggle to accomplish their mission.
On the other hand, Wang Chong was visibly much more relaxed. If he was in the mood, he might choose to clear away some bandits along the way. Otherwise, he would just take the day off.
Since the royal court hadn't passed down the second part of the mission, Wang Chong was also glad to enjoy the peace he got.
---
In the forest, Ma Song suddenly spoke as he sneaked a glance backward. "Lord, their men are here again!" Within the shadows, one could vaguely see several human silhouettes.
Initially, Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu were still a little hesitant, sending only a man at a time in fear of being noticed. But their reservations gradually faded with time, so the number of men they sent was steadily on the rise.
For example, there were a few who knew that they had been noticed, so they chose to step out from their hiding spots and observe the situation from behind openly.
"This woman!" Wang Chong shook his head helplessly. Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu were still holding onto their pride, so the only one who would possibly have her men observe him so openly could only be Bai Siling.
Chapter 334: Bai Siling's Insight!
Chapter 334: Bai Siling's Insight!
"Ah?" Bai Siling was taken aback. She hadn't expected Xu Gan to ask her about this matter. However, a beautiful smile overflowing with a ravishing charm that few commanded bloomed swiftly in its place, and she replied, "Don't worry, I won't spoil your plans."
"That's good to hear." Xu Gan nodded and fell silent.
------
Often, reality wouldn't turn out as one expected it to.
Despite sending a sizeable team of cavalry to observe how Wang Chong managed to bypass the bandits’ defenses, Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu still continued falling for their traps without fail each time.
It was as if they were destined to never master the skill.
The traps set by the bandits came in all shapes and sizes. Each time, something unexpected would leap out at them, foiling their operation. But for some reason, those traps never sprung for Wang Chong.
This left the two of them so frustrated that they could tear their hair out. After all, which prestigious clan would impart their own offspring the lowly and despicable art of trap-setting? As such, Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu had never come into contact with this sort of thing.
On the contrary, it was commonly the humble hunters and peasants who boasted a greater understanding of such skills. As such, Wang Chong's outstanding performance only further reinforced their notion of his lowly birth, and their resentment toward him deepened further.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason for it. What probably played a much greater part would be the fact that they had attacked six bandit dens consecutively, only to uncover nothing at all.
Their greatest gain turned out to be just eighty silver taels.
And as if to rub salt on their wounds, the two dens that Wang Chong attacked in that period of time added further to his wealth, thus hiking his total gain up to three hundred thousand gold taels!
How could the two of them remain calm before this?
Even Xu Gan, who was calm at the start, was beginning to lose his composure. Every time, after the end of of the operation and everyone gathered together, they would feel Wang Chong's contemptuous and disdainful gaze on them.
Well, even though Wang Chong truly couldn't care less about them.
"Allow me to offer you a word of advice. If you continue to look down on him, thinking that he is a mere peasant-born recruit from Kunwu Training Camp, you will have much more to be humiliated over in the future," a slightly cold and proud feminine voice sounded at this point. Without even turning around, they could tell that those words had come from Bai Siling.
After all, she was the only one
here who could talk to them with such a proud tone.
"Bai Siling, if you like that brat so much, why don't you go to him? Why are you bothering to waste your words on us?" Huang Yongtu mocked her coldly.
That woman's words were jarring to his ears, he disliked hearing them. If not for her outstanding capability and powerful background, he might have gotten physical with her over them.
Bai Siling gently pushed her hair to the back of her ears as she replied coldly, "Hmph. Huang Yongtu, you sure are a fool! I am offering you advice out of kindness, but you choose to trample on my goodwill for your own pride! It's no wonder why you ended up outmatched by your second brother in your clan."
"YOU…!" Huang Yongtu's eyes widened in fury. This woman was going too far! It was normal for competition over the inheritance of the clan to be rife, and this matter had always been a thorn in his heart. Yet, this woman actually dared to bring it out in public to humiliate him!
"Enough!" Just as Huang Yongtu was about to raise his fist, Xu Gan, who was seated by the side all along, suddenly interjected sharply. "Huang Yongtu, surely you won't go to the extent of bickering with a lady?"
Huang Yongtu's expression froze for a moment. He didn't mind falling out with Bai Siling, but with Xu Gan in the picture, he would have to think twice.
Xu Gan glanced at the fair lady before him and asked nonchalantly. "Bai Siling, I doubt that you would come here just to insult us. What's the point you want to make?"
"Not bad, seems like you are far sharper than your friend here. I was debating whether I should point something out to you or not, but with those words of yours, I think I shall offer you some advice after all. After competing with him for so many days, have you really never paid attention to the steed he is riding on?"
Seated on the top of her steed, Bai Siling shot a glance in Wang Chong's direction and asked, "His mount?"
Doubt flashed across Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu's eyes as they turned their gazes in Wang Chong's direction. Beneath the twinkling night sky, they could see Wang Chong's steed munching on a field of lush grass beside a towering banyan tree.
Under the soft glow of the moonlight, the young colt's fur looked exceptionally glossy. Its elegant demeanor brought out an air of nobility, unlike other horses.
"A fine steed!" After so many days, this was the first time Xu Gan had properly evaluated Wang Chong's steed, and it did look exceptionally dashing.
But that seemed to be all to it. Xu Gan was unable to comprehend what Bai Siling was driving at.
"Bai Siling, what are you trying to say? Just spit it all out at once!" Xu Gan was only harboring such thoughts, but Huang Yongtu didn't have the patience to figure out whatever Bai Siling was saying.
"Hmph, you still don't understand even after I have already pointed it out so clearly to you? Your eyes are wasted on you, you truly deserve being toyed with by him. Take a closer look, isn't there something unique about the colt's hooves?" Bai Siling said coldly.
With Bai Siling's reminder, the duo turned their glances over, and it finally dawned on them what Bai Siling had wanted to show them.
Beneath the moonlight, the four hooves of the colt were snowy-white, untainted by the dirt of the world. Somehow, it seemed to create an impression of floating in midair, a mystical sight indeed.
"This is..." Something struck Xu Gan's mind, and his pupils widened in astonishment.
On the other hand, an equally shocked expression surfaced on Huang Yongtu as well. It seemed like the same thought had struck him too.
Taking in the expressions of the duo, Bai Siling heaved a sigh of relief. At least these two fellows aren't too dumb! In the end, as scions of prestigious clans, their eye for such stuff should be decent, at the very least.
"A White-hoofed Shadow, that is a treasured imperial steed of the royal family! Even among influential officials, very few are privileged to be bestowed with one! That guy has been riding it right in front of you for a few days now, but you fools still thought that he was just an ordinary recruit. Aren't you afraid of becoming laughingstocks if this were to be known?" Bai Siling made full use of this opportunity to put them down.
Wang Chong could have never imagined that the reason why Bai Siling had a different opinion of him wasn't just based on her intuition. Rather, she had recognized the White-hoofed Shadow beneath him on the very first day.
She was far more meticulous and astute than Wang Chong thought.
In truth, Bai Siling could have warned the both of them earlier as well, but somehow, the ridiculous rivalry had piqued her interest. But of course, she would never admit this.
"How is that possible? The White-hoofed Shadow should be exclusive to the royal family, and even influential officials would find it hard to obtain one! How could it be bestowed upon a petty brat like him?"
"Bai Siling, stop spouting nonsense, it's just a mere horse with white hooves. You must be too obsessed with him to even entertain such a ridiculous idea!" These last words came from Huang Yongtu.
"Imbeciles!"Those words uttered by Huang Yongtu had Bai Siling's eyebrows knitted together in fury. It was out of pity for them that she disclosed this piece of important information to them, but they simply brushed it away as if it was nothing.
Bai Siling was going to lash out, but a thought struck her then, and she suddenly calmed down.
"Huang Yongtu, you better watch your words. I have already told you what you need to know, it's up to you to believe me or not. In any case, I am not the ones who are going to be humiliated, anyway!"
Leaving behind those words, Bai Siling harrumphed coldly before pulling the reins of her steed and galloping away, leaving a cold back for the duo to stare at.
"That woman...!" Huang Yongtu bellowed in rage. Bai Siling's personality was indeed not a likeable one, but there was nothing he could do about her. She wasn't an easy person to deal with.
Bai Siling swiftly disappeared from view, and for some reason, the duo became extraordinarily calm afterward. Even Huang Yongtu, who had been heavily mocking her just a moment ago, fell completely silent.
As much as they were unwilling to believe it, they could also tell that there was something extraordinary about Wang Chong, Once or twice, they might still be able to put it off as a coincidence. But the fourth, fifth, and sixth times... that would be pushing it too far.
Along the path west, Wang Chong had never failed, not even a single time. In retrospect, the both of them had never succeeded. Considering their background, that was truly unusual.
Not only so, now that they gave the matter some thought, there was clearly something unusual about Wang Chong's colt, too. Despite having yet to mature, its speed, endurance, and the intelligence it had displayed were on par with most top steeds, perhaps even surpassing them.
Ordinary colts couldn't possibly behave in such a manner.
"Brother Xu... Is it possible that Bai Siling is speaking the truth?" Haung Yongtu hesitated for a very long moment before breaking the silence.
Toward his question, Xu Gan sat silently, not saying a word. Or perhaps, the silence could be considered as an answer in itself.
------
The relationship between Wang Chong and Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu didn't improve, but Bai Siling's words weren't completely futile either.
At the very least, Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu weren't as arrogant and condescending as when they faced Wang Chong before. They would try to avoid Wang Chong as much as they could. If one were to peer into their eyes, one might be able to see the unease in their souls.
With this, Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu had finally put down their pride.
After many consecutive failures, they had finally decided to work with one another to clear the bandit dens.
Even though they were still unable to avoid alarming them, with the bolstered forces, their chances at success increased significantly.
"Seems like you did quite a good job here!" Wang Chong's gaze turned from the duo sitting beneath a huge tree to the white-robed lady seated
upon a horse, and he smiled.
The young lady before him had truly impressed him this time.
He had no idea what she said, but she actually succeeded in convincing the proud Xu Gan and Huang Yongtu to work with one another. That was truly an astounding feat.
"I am still far from matching up to you," Bai Siling replied calmly as she glanced at the huge crates placed by the side. Doing a rough estimation, there were probably six to seven hundred thousand gold taels here.
This was far more than those huge clans in the capital earned every year. Indeed, the best way to amass wealth was to engage in illicit activities.
And what left Bai Siling even more speechless was that he had actually done it with the free twenty True Martial realm helpers dispatched by the royal court.
The royal court had always maintained a tight control over their soldiers, and twenty True Martial realm experts was a considerable force even to most prestigious clans.
And here Wang Chong was, having them toil away for him for free.
Chapter 335: Assassin!
Chapter 335: Assassin!
"Say, can't you tell me what kind of sorcery you have cast over them?" Wang Chong suddenly asked with a playful smile.
Flawless white skin, a curvaceous figure, and an exquisite face, paired with an aura of sophistication; even Wang Chong had to admit that she possessed incredible charm. If one were to metaphor her, she would be like a lofty white lotus in the midst of a snowy mountain.
"Sorcery?" Bewilderment flashed momentarily across Bai Siling's eyes before realization struck her, and she smiled, "How about sharing some of your gold with me for this secret?"
Bai Siling raised her hand elegantly and pointed at the crates of gold placed by Wang Chong's side.
Honestly speaking, she had no idea what the fellow before her was thinking of. As per the norm in the military, he could have easily swallowed the several hundred thousand gold taels for himself. Yet, he chose to share it with his men instead.
It was either that the man before her was a fool, or his eyes had already transcended beyond material gains. But regardless of which it was, it had indeed deepened her interest in this man.
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