The Demon Lords

Chapter 530 39 Treasury_1

Zheng Fan rode out on his horse, with many Barbarian soldiers following close behind. These soldiers could be considered Chief Zheng's most loyal contingent, as they had been indoctrinated by the Blind Man for the longest time.

"Are you alright?" Zheng Fan asked.

A Ming placed his left hand over his chest and bowed respectfully, his demeanor impeccably gentlemanly. He replied, "Thank you for your concern, My lord. I'm feeling quite well now."

A Ming was indeed comfortable. Among the many Devil Kings, Mo Wan was the Lord's favorite, like a true son, and Siniang was the only female. For him to be the third to have his strength enhanced was already quite remarkable.

Now, he could enjoy his "wine" while watching the other four scramble about. This feeling is quite good, he thought.

Zheng Fan nodded. He calmly gestured towards the stockade ahead and ordered, "Any who dare resist—kill without mercy."

Liang Cheng and Xue Three led their teams as a large number of Barbarian soldiers charged into the stockade to begin their sweep.

Zheng Fan dismounted and, accompanied by A Ming, slowly walked into the stockade.

The layout wasn't very complex. There were stone houses, thatched huts, and even dwellings built into caves along the cliff faces. The construction of these dwellings clearly indicated a strict hierarchy within this wild folk stockade.

Perhaps it was A Ming's successful power-up that inadvertently rendered the old man's final "counterattack" less impactful on Zheng Fan. Consequently, Zheng Fan didn't harbor much animosity and refrained from ordering the stockade's complete annihilation.

"Cut down anyone who dares to resist! Tie up the obedient, able-bodied men. Gather the children and adult women. The rest can go!" Xue Three bellowed out the orders.

This was part of the original plan, similar to a custom among the Desert Barbarians during their tribal conquests and annexations: all males taller than a wagon wheel were to be killed. Children could be taken back for assimilation, and women for bearing more children.

Chaos reigned within the stockade, filled with continuous screams and wails, but its fate was already sealed.

War seldom admits absolute justice; one's perspective dictates the outcome. Zheng Fan was not inherently bloodthirsty. However, since the wild folk here had dared to resist his rule and initiated hostilities, he felt no need for pleasantries.

From this day forward, the three wild folk stockades, including this one, would be wiped off the map.

"My lord, this is merely the beginning," A Ming suddenly said.

Zheng Fan smiled. "I'm not that fragile."

After experiencing that night in the conscript camp, any so-called tender sentiments in this world had long since been shredded beyond recognition.

Just then, the sounds of fighting erupted from the southwest of the stockade.

A Ming's gaze sharpened, and he shot off in that direction. Zheng Fan drew his saber and followed close behind.

There, about a dozen Barbarian soldiers were engaged in combat with seven or eight warriors who didn't resemble the wild folk. These warriors were skilled, and three or four of them were clearly ranked martial artists.

Behind these individuals stood a little girl in a red padded jacket.

"My lord, they don't look like wild folk," A Ming observed.

"Subdue them first; we'll talk later."

"As you command."

A Ming charged into the fray. Truth be told, small-scale engagements like this were where the Devil Kings could best leverage their individual might.

With A Ming's intervention and the arrival of more and more Barbarian soldiers, the warriors were quickly cut down. The last one, attempting to break through the encirclement with the little girl, was shot in the back by a Barbarian soldier and collapsed.

The girl was thrown to the ground, wailing loudly.

Zheng Fan walked over to her, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately refrained from touching her.

A Ming approached, pointed at the girl, and suggested, "Shall we give her to Siniang to raise?"

"Let's question her first."

Saying this, Zheng Fan signaled the surrounding Barbarian soldiers to search the corpses' clothing.

"Scare her?" A Ming asked.

"Coax her," Zheng Fan corrected.

A Ming nodded with a hint of resignation, bent down to pick up the girl, but as soon as he lifted her, he quietly set her back down. He then held out his arm; it had been pricked by over twenty needles.

Zheng Fan swung his saber at the girl. She squeezed her eyes shut in terror but remained unharmed. Instead, the outer layer of her padded jacket was sliced open, revealing a silver vest underneath.

Siniang had once woven a Golden Silk Soft Armor for each of the Devil Kings. Clearly, what this girl wore was of even higher quality.

Phew, Zheng Fan breathed a sigh of relief. Indeed, caution always pays. It would be truly foolish not to utilize such a convenient 'instrument' when one was readily available.

Liang Cheng and Xue Three also rushed over at this moment.

A Ming immediately raised his hands towards Liang Cheng. "Check me for poison."

Superficial wounds didn't bother A Ming, but if these needles were poisoned, it would be a major problem. The poison could mix with his blood, which would be very troublesome for him. Ordinary toxins were one thing, but in a world with magic and Battle Qi, would super-grade toxins be surprising?

Before Liang Cheng could inspect him, Xue Three leaped forward, plucked a needle from A Ming's arm, and examined it closely. "Relax, there's no poison on the needle. These needles look like they were added later; they don't have the fine grooves for storing poison."

Xue Three was an expert in hidden weapons, and poisoning blades was his specialty. Since he declared it non-poisonous, A Ming felt relieved and began to casually pull the needles out one by one.

Siniang had once remarked that while others returned from battle with damaged armor and broken weapons, A Ming was unique; he always managed to scrounge useful items to bring home.

Zheng Fan crouched down, observing the girl. The fact that those seven or eight warriors, clearly not wild folk, had been protecting her was enough to indicate her extraordinary identity. Furthermore, the item she wore further attested to her considerable status.

"What's your name?"

The little girl trembled as she looked at Zheng Fan and answered, "My name is... my name is Baozhu..."

"Baozhu?" Zheng Fan frowned slightly and asked again, "What's your surname?"

"My surname... my surname is Helian."

The other two stockades were taken without incident. By afternoon, the three contingents had successively gathered at the military encampment established on a flat col in the mountains.

With most of the able-bodied men either killed in battle or having fled, the remaining people in the wild folk stockades posed almost no threat.

The captives were escorted over and confined to one area, guarded on all sides by armored soldiers wielding crossbows.

A considerable amount of valuables was also brought down. However, Zheng Fan had seen grander scenes; he had ransacked the imperial palace of Jin State. The treasures from these wild folk stockades, though containing gold, silver, and jewels, hardly stirred Chief Zheng anymore. Alas, his desensitization to such sights meant that life had suddenly lost much of its former excitement.

The Blind Man was swamped. He had an overwhelming amount of information to record, and if some data wasn't logged correctly now, it could lead to chaos later. Nevertheless, Zheng Fan summoned him.

"Her?" The Blind Man pointed to the girl before them.

Zheng Fan nodded. "Blind Man, you interrogate her."

The Blind Man licked his lips and chuckled. "My lord, this child is still young. If I use my spiritual force to enter her mind, she'll undoubtedly become an imbecile after the interrogation, or worse, a vegetable."

"Isn't there a gentler way?"

"We could try questioning her through hypnosis."

With that, the Blind Man looked at A Ming and Xue Three. "She isn't the Heavenly Mountain Maiden, is she?"

Both Xue Three and A Ming shook their heads.

"As long as she's not the Heavenly Mountain Maiden, hypnosis will work just fine."

Questioning through hypnosis was certainly not as convenient or accurate as directly "soul-searching" with spiritual force. In fact, if one encountered someone with a strong will or who had practiced similar arts, they could even deceive the hypnotist. However, since this girl was not the Heavenly Mountain Maiden, such complications wouldn't arise.

The Blind Man took a copper coin from his pouch, found a piece of string, and tied the coin to it.

Zheng Fan asked curiously, "I've always found it strange. It's always a pocket watch or a pendulum. Are such things absolutely necessary for it to work?"

It seems that psychologists who practice hypnosis are fond of this sort of gimmick.

The Blind Man shook his head. "Not at all. Its only effect is to make laymen think it's all very mysterious and impressive."

"..." Zheng Fan was speechless.

"Come, little sister, be good. Look here, look at it, look at it. Yes, just keep looking. You'll feel very tired, you feel so sleepy, you're going to sleep. Sleep now, sweetie, go to sleep, Baozhu dear, go to sleep..."

The Blind Man must have employed some auxiliary mental techniques, as the girl's body began to sway slowly, and her eyelids gradually drooped shut.

Fanli, at the side, also began to sway, looking as if he were about to doze off.

Xue Three produced a needle and jabbed Fanli in the thigh, jolting him upright immediately.

"What is your name?"

"Baozhu, Helian Baozhu."

"Who is your father?"

"Helian... Xiongbi."

At the mention of this name, Zheng Fan's gaze instantly sharpened.

Helian Xiongbi was the former patriarch of the Helian Family, once a figure on par with Situ Lei.

According to popular rumor in Yan, Helian Xiongbi, along with his divine beast mount, was slain by the Earl of North Border, Li Liangting, in a single blow.

The truth, however, was that Helian Xiongbi, in a desperate gamble, had led his three thousand most elite Helian Family cavalry in an attempted surprise attack on the Earl of North Border's main encampment—specifically, where the Earl's command banner was located. He was ultimately slain by Qingshuang, who was always stationed by the Earl of North Border's side.

"The older they get, the more vigorous they are, it seems. To have a daughter at such an age?" Xue Three muttered with a degree of admiration. By normal reckoning, she could easily be his great-granddaughter.

Zheng Fan raised his hand, signaling Xue Three to be quiet and not disrupt the Blind Man's hypnosis.

"Why are you here?" the Blind Man continued.

"It was... Uncle Ashan who brought... brought me here..."

"And why did Uncle Ashan bring you into the mountains?"

"Uncle Ashan said... said I am the young heir, and I must... must shoulder... the... hope... of the... family..."

"You're so young. How are you supposed to shoulder that?"

"Uncle Ashan said... said, my father... a long, long time ago... left... left a treasure vault in the mountains... so that... our family... can... can... can rise again."

HISSS...

Including the Blind Man, everyone—Zheng Fan, A Ming, Xue Three, and even Liang Cheng—drew a sharp breath.

Fanli frowned, and, wanting to fit in, also sucked in a breath.

Then,

PFFFT.