As for those several dozen great monks from Sindhu, he wasn't worried about them at all.
For a second, Black Dragon Zhao's eyes shone with the vigorous flames of ambition.
"Move out!"
It was only for a moment. Black Dragon Zhao waved his hand and all of the Dragon Bandits set off, majestically thundering through the sea of sand and toward the convoy transporting the Hyderabad ore.
……
"What? The convoy transporting the Hyderabad ore was robbed!"
Several days later, on the spirit vein mountain, Wang Chong exclaimed, his face covered in shock.
He almost didn't believe his ears.
"How is this possible?"
The matter of the Sindhi High Priest sending him a thousand jun of Hyderabad ore had been kept extremely secret. In the entire capital, the number of people besides him who knew of it was extremely small.
Just a few days ago, he had been waiting for the one thousand jun of Hyderabad ore to be smoothly delivered to the capital. He hadn't expected that this shipment would be stolen a few days later.
This abrupt news threw Wang Chong's mind into chaos.
This shipment of ore was extremely important to him and he could not allow a single mishap.
It was not something so simple as wealth!
"Young Master, I've already confirmed this matter. It's beyond doubt!"
Old Eagle also had a glum expression. He currently had a very important mission. While Wang Chong was cultivating in the spirit vein, he had entrusted practically all his affairs to Old Eagle, whether they regarded the Wang Clan, the training camp, or the Hyderabad ore.
All the channels of the Wang Clan were available for him to use.
Several days ago, when Arloja and Ablonodan's letter arrived, Old Eagle almost immediately took action. He not only sent people to receive them, but also sent out his fastest falcons to the Western Regions to keep a close watch.
"Who did this?"
Wang Chong's right hand clenched into a fist and he took a deep breath. The robbery had already happened, so the priority now was to take the ore back.
"It was the Dragon Bandits of Qixi!" Old Eagle declared, his answer surprisingly straightforward. Even Wang Chong was surprised. He had originally believed that this matter would be very difficult to investigate.
"These fellows never even think about hiding their tracks, swaggering around as they plunder. They even leave the symbol of their bandit group behind once they're done."
"What's the origin of these Dragon Bandits?" Wang Chong asked.
In his last life, he simply didn't pay attention to such things, so he had never heard about any Dragon Bandits of Qixi.
Old Eagle spoke without hesitation, immediately informing Wang Chong of everything he knew. As a former official of the Bureau of Punishments, he knew much more than Wang Chong in this field.
Wang Chong instantly fell silent.
A king of bandits who ruled from Longxi to Qixi and on to the Western Regions… this truly had surpassed Wang Chong's expectations.
"…However, even now, we can't find out why the Dragon Bandits did this. The Dragon Bandits had never robbed ore before. Normally, only gold and treasure can attract their attention. Of course, we can't deny that they might know the value of Wootz Steel and so robbed this shipment of Hyderabad ore to extort and blackmail us," Old Eagle conjectured.
"No! They're definitely not thinking about extorting or blackmailing us!"
A pensive look on his face, Wang Chong immediately rejected the notion with a wave of his hand.
"Oh? How can Young Master be so sure?"
Old Eagle was somewhat surprised.
"A tiger won't steal food from stray dogs and a lion won't associate with hyenas. Other brigands might engage in blackmail and extortion, but never a bandit like Black Dragon Zhao. He must have a deeper meaning in this action."
These words caused Old Eagle to widen his eyes as an ill omen emerged in his heart.
"Young Master, you aren't saying that…"
"Correct! This matter definitely involves the Yao Clan and King Qi!" Wang Chong firmly declared.
"But the time is too short. Their reaction couldn't be this fast, could it?"
Old Eagle didn't dare believe it.
Although he had also suspected the Yao Clan and King Qi, their relationship with the Wang Clan being as hostile as it was, Old Eagle still did not think that their reaction would be so fast.
"Hmph, there's always an evildoer behind the abnormal. As you said, the Dragon Bandits treat plundering as second nature, but their boss Black Dragon Zhao rarely takes part himself. Moreover, he has so many bandits paying him tribute each year. Why does he want to steal our Hyderabad ore? When did bandits begin to forge swords? If no one was commanding him, he would never do such a thing!"
Wang Chong said with a grim smile, "If we want to know if this was the work of the Yao Clan and King Qi, I have a very simple method. Old Eagle, send someone to see what the Yao Clan and the King Qi Residence have been up to these last few days. If the Yao Clan and the King Qi Residence have been just as busy as usual, then it's probably not them. But if they're unusually quiet, then there's no need to ask. It was definitely them."
Old Eagle moved quickly. A black falcon flew out.
An hour later, someone in the capital completed Wang Chong's test.
Bang!
Wang Chong smashed his fist down, pulverizing a stone.
"It really was them!"
Wang Chong's complexion was ashen.
Old Eagle's complexion was not doing much better.
Wang Chong's conjecture had been correct. The ever-busy and overbearing Yao Residence and King Qi Residence had been abnormally calm these last few days. Something strange was clearly going on.
"Young Master, what should we do next?" Old Eagle asked.
Whether the Yao Clan and King Qi had done this was not important right now. What was important was taking back the Hyderabad ore.
A thousand jun of Hyderabad ore was no small amount. Even though Old Eagle didn't much understand Wootz Steel swords, he still knew that the value of this ore was an astronomical sum.
Even the great clans of the capital could not fathom such a number.
With one order, the Yao Clan and King Qi had dealt Wang Chong a heavy blow! This time, they had struck Wang Chong's weak spot.
Wang Chong said nothing, his complexion still dark.
He had never once been in such a situation.
Based on the reports from Old Eagle's falcons, the Dragon Bandits were numerous and had more than a thousand experts.
And their boss, Black Dragon Zhao, was a high-tier Profound Martial realm expert.
Even if Wang Chong fought to the end, he wouldn't be able to deal with such a character.
Moreover, Qixi was the territory of Protector-General Fumeng Lingcha, his mortal foe. In the Regional Commanders incident, Fumeng Lingcha had been the one who had most desired Wang Chong's death.
Wang Chong could not let him know that he had lost a thousand jun of Hyderabad ore in his territory, or else he would be in even more trouble.
As for the Yao Clan and King Qi…
He had been ambushed by them while returning from the training camp mission and had teetered on the verge of death. If anyone from the Wang Clan dared to leave the capital, Wang Chong could be sure that they would be assassinated in the middle of the journey.
Moreover, when they had been dealing with him, the Yao Clan and King Qi had been overcautious, but if he sent out just the experts of the Wang Clan, these two factions would have free rein and act without fear.
At the moment, a wolf waited in front of Wang Chong while a tiger lurked behind him!
The Yao Clan and King Qi were definitely waiting for him to strike, and in Qixi, an abyss was waiting for him!
Chapter 404: Wang Chong's Counterattack!
Chapter 404: Wang Chong's Counterattack!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The spirit vein gradually fell quiet. Old Eagle stared at Wang Chong, his brows tightly furrowed.
He was only skilled in taming eagles and other birds, but this had interfered with his cultivation on the martial path. With his True Martial realm Tier 9 cultivation, even if he was only half a step from the Profound Martial realm, he was still no match for Black Dragon Zhao.
And Black Dragon Zhao still had many bandits and brigands under his command.
These problems caused Old Eagle's brow to furrow in thought.
"It would be fine if Brother Ma and the others were here!"
Old Eagle had begun to think of Ma Yinlong. After finishing off King Sosurim, Ma Yinlong had left. Solitary Wolf had been dispatched to Jiannan while Steel Arms had been sent on a secret mission by Wang Chong. None of them would be able to return in the short term.
If the three of them were here, although they would still be no match for the Profound Martial Tier 7 expert that was Black Dragon Zhao, they would at least have some methods of response and wouldn't be so powerless.
"…It seems that I can only call him!"
Wang Chong gave a long sigh.
"Who is Young Master speaking of?"
Old Eagle suddenly began to shiver all over. At this moment, he truly couldn't think of anyone who could resolve the current situation.
Wang Chong only laughed in reply.
……
Eight hours later, the travel-stained Li Siye arrived from the Deflecting Blade Manor to appear in front of Wang Chong.
As he gazed at the over-two-meter-tall giant that was Li Siye, even burlier than a bear and bursting with explosive strength and an oppressive aura, Wang Chong couldn't help but internally sigh. He was truly somewhat reluctant.
Wang Chong had originally intended to think of a way to keep Li Siye until the start of next year, perhaps even until the war broke out in the south.
But in the current situation, with fire at his doorstep, he could no longer care about such plans.
This one thousand jun of Hyderabad ore was the most important component of Wang Chong's plan. Without this ore to forge Wootz Steel swords, when the time came, he would not be able to fully utilize his abilities.
All the thought and time he had put in beforehand would be useless.
And as the future Invincible Great General, a valiant existence who could singlehandedly change the tides of battle, Li Siye was Wang Chong's only candidate.
"You better have thought this over. You only get one opportunity!"
Li Siye towered over him, a faint smile on his face. His voice rumbled like thunder.
After he had waited for so long, Wang Chong had finally come to ask him for help. As long as he finished this mission, he could truly and openly return to the Western Regions.
"Of course!" Wang Chong said without hesitation.
Surveying those around him, Wang Chong had to admit that probably only Li Siye had the ability to pull off this mission.
"Good! That's exactly what I've been waiting for!"
Li Siye looked up to the sky and roared with laughter. Without another word, he turned around to leave. What Black Dragon Zhao, what Dragon Bandits? His goal was to subjugate the Western Regions and pacify all the kingdoms.
How could a trifling bandit block his path?
"Wait a moment!" Wang Chong suddenly shouted.
"What? Youngster, are you going back on your word?"
Li Siye turned around like a quaking mountain, his eyes fixed on Wang Chong.
"You've got the wrong idea. Give me three days. I feel that you're still missing a suitable weapon!" Wang Chong earnestly said.
"Oh?"
Li Siye hesitated for a moment. He had originally planned to refuse, but after thinking some more, he still nodded, even though he didn't need any special tricks to deal with some group of bandits.
However, lacking a weapon suitable for his physique truly was his weakness. Ever since he had become an officer, he had never found a suitable weapon.
"Fine!"
Li Siye finally nodded.
Leaving the mountain, Wang Chong went home. It had been a long time since Wang Chong had diligently and personally forged a weapon.
Wang Chong took up a ruler and personally measured Li Siye's height, the width of his palms, the proportions of his upper body and lower body, and the thickness of his shoulders. He then spent another day drawing blueprints, after which he entered his cave.
Unlike any other time, Wang Chong entered the cave this time with four pieces of Hyderabad ore.
This scale surpassed that of his previous forgings. Even the previously unconcerned Li Siye's interest was piqued.
Though how could he not care about his first weapon?
Dingdang! Dingdang!
The cave echoed with the constant hammering of metal. Sparks sprayed while thick smoke poured out from within.
From night to dawn and from dawn to night, Wang Chong worked without rest, putting all his energy into the process. This mission involved all his plans and failure could not be permitted.
So Wang Chong treated it with unprecedented importance!
"Take out a million taels of gold and find me the best inscription masters in the capital, the strongest! In one day, I want this sword to be covered in sharpness, toughness, and dexterity inscriptions until it can't take anymore!"
After two days, Wang Chong had finally walked out of the cave, his face exhausted and blackened from smoke.
"One million taels?!"
Old Eagle's face was covered in shock and even Li Siye couldn't help but blink.
"There's no time. This matter has to be resolved as quickly as possible. The situation could change at any time. The more we delay, the worse it will get," Wang Chong tiredly said.
Although a million taels was a massive sum, a thousand jun of Hyderabad ore was worth even more. Abnormal times called for abnormal measures, as it would be too late otherwise.
Moreover, a million taels of gold spent would result in something worth a million taels of gold.
This sword was forged from four pieces of Hyderabad ore, even more than the amount he had used to forge 'Death's Abyss'.
Solely in terms of weight, this sword already weighed more than 130, bordering on 140 jin!
Even a True Martial realm expert would find it difficult to use this sword.
Being able to raise it did not mean that one could freely use it.
This sword had been forged by Wang Chong specifically for Li Siye. In short, it was unique. Even spending a million taels of gold on it would only increase its value, not lower it.
Wang Chong could be sure that the strength of this sword would surpass any that he had forged before.
"Understood!"
Hearing the resolve in Wang Chong's voice, Old Eagle immediately walked in. In the cave was an incredibly heavy bundle wrapped in black cloth.
Old Eagle took the bundle and left.
One day later, Old Eagle finally returned with the bundle.
"Young Master, it's all finished. Three inscription masters in total attached various kinds and sizes of inscriptions—seventy-two in total. No more can be added," Old Eagle sternly said.
A million taels of gold had not been spent in vain. The number of inscriptions on this weapon left all others in the dust.
Wang Chong said nothing, only rapped on the anvil in the cave.
"Yes!"
Old Eagle nodded and swiftly retreated. He even released ten-some eagles, falcons, and nightingales to keep watch on the surroundings.
No one had ever been allowed to observe the last few steps of Wang Chong's forging process, and this naturally included Old Eagle.
This was a secret only Wang Chong was allowed to know, the greatest and most expensive secret in the entire Wang Clan.
The cave was frighteningly quiet. Only at dawn did the sound of hammering begin to come from the cave, each blow like a peal of thunder.
&nb
sp; "It's enough!"
When the sun was three poles high1, Wang Chong finally walked out of the cave. He carried with him a giant longsword, two meters long, wrapped in shark skin.
The black sheath was not embedded with jewels. It was pitch-black with a few simple lines of gold filigree.
Though it had not been extravagantly decorated, it seemed to exude an extreme magnificence!
"Don't lightly open this sword. Only open it when you truly need it!" Wang Chong advised as he placed the sword in Li Siye's hands.
Li Siye had been standing guard at the entrance of the cave. He did not immediately take the sword, instead looking at Wang Chong with a rather strange look.
"Okay!"
Solemnly taking the sword from Wang Chong, Li Siye weighed it in his hands. A hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. He then turned around, waiting no longer, and strode away.
His heroic figure swiftly vanished into the distance.
"Old Eagle, help me send a message to Big Uncle to have him and King Song mobilize as many troops as possible. In the name of suppression, transfer troops from Beiting, Qixi, and Longxi and, in a joint operation, have them head toward where the Dragon Bandits are located. Also… do as much as possible to avoid alarming Fumeng Lingcha!" Wang Chong ordered.
The Dragon Bandits did not consist of Black Dragon Zhao alone. He also had several thousand powerful bandits at his side. Wang Chong would not place his hopes solely on Li Siye.
One person's strength could not possibly deal with several thousand men and horses! But things were different with the army of the Imperial Court.
The only problem was that Qixi was Fumeng Lingcha's territory. If things were done improperly, it would attract his notice.
"Also, go to the King Song Residence and find the old butler. Although it should be very difficult to borrow peak Profound Martial experts, borrowing Profound Martial Tier 1, 2, or 3 experts shouldn't be a problem. Have them go and help Li Siye.
"In addition, you should go as well. I need to know what's happening at all times. Use carrier pigeons and falcons to keep in touch," Wang Chong ordered.
"Yes, Young Master!" Old Eagle immediately answered. Although he wasn't very strong, as his strength was still paused at the peak of the True Martial realm, his skill in taming eagles and other birds allowed him to send information as quickly as possible.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 287
