A Martial Saint Among Men: From Joining a Martial Arts School

Chapter 197 Fire Dragon Burns the Granary

The fighting continued until late into the night before it stopped.

In the end, the Blood Wolf Bandits were completely wiped out. Although the number of deaths at the fishing grounds was not high, there were quite a few injured.

In fact, the ending was already decided when Chu Xuan returned.

After Chu Xuan killed the three leaders of the Blood Wolf Bandits, what remained was a one-sided massacre.

Next, the injured disciples went back to recuperate, while the uninjured ones began to clean up the battlefield.

Chu Xuan and his three companions then went to the council hall.

"How are the casualties this time?" Chu Xuan asked.

Zhou Huai'an said, "We lost three people in total: two fishermen and one outer disciple. All three of them tried to escape when they first saw the Blood Wolf Bandits, but they were ambushed by the Blood Wolf Bandits who were lying in wait outside. As for the injured, there were more than a dozen, but none of them were seriously injured."

Chu Xuan nodded: "Thank you all for your hard work! Tomorrow, each of you will receive another treasure fish, and each of you will also receive ten contribution points. These will not use up sect resources; I will pay for them personally. As for the sect's rewards, they will be distributed as usual after I report them to the higher authorities."

As for the three of you, they shouldn't be short of that little bit. I won't give it to them.

Zhou Huai'an and the other two exchanged glances and nodded.

They were all once inner disciples, and later served in lucrative positions at this fishing ground for many years, so they certainly don't lack this much.

Ma Chenglu couldn't help but ask, "Manager Chu, I wonder—how is that True Essence expert doing?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Huai'an and Zhao Jingshan both looked at Chu Xuan.

They were also eager to know how Chu Xuan had returned.

It's important to understand that spiritual weapons aren't omnipotent! Moreover, spiritual weapons can only unleash their true power in the hands of a True Essence expert; in the hands of a Gang Jin martial artist, they are merely sharp divine weapons.

However, there is a huge gap between Gang Jin and Zhen Yuan, which cannot be bridged by a spiritual weapon.

Chu Xuan said calmly, "Although I am not as strong as my opponent, I at least have some means of self-preservation. After chasing me for several miles, my opponent gave up and left when he realized he could not do anything to me."

As for Su Jingyang's identity, he did not reveal it.

A single piece of spirit weapon inner armor costs at least two million contribution points, which is far beyond Su Jingyang's means.

Moreover, the claim that Su Jingyang colluded with the Blood Wolf Bandits is also questionable.

Chu Xuan guessed that there were probably other people behind this, perhaps the Song family or the Situ family, or even both of them together.

Therefore, it's best not to expose it at this time.

"You left?"

Zhou Huai'an and the other two were taken aback.

Is it really that simple?

"Ugh————"

Just as the others were about to press for more information, Chu Xuan's face suddenly flushed red.

The next moment, he felt a mouthful of blood well up and spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"Manager Chu————"

"Junior Brother Chu————"

The group was shocked and quickly stepped forward to inquire with concern.

Chu Xuan waved his hand, his face pale, and said, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. I'm afraid we'll need everyone's help to keep an eye on the fishing grounds for the next few days."

"Don't worry, Junior Brother Chu."

The three quickly expressed their agreement, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The fact that Chu Xuan could barely escape from a True Essence expert was already enough to shock them. If he didn't even suffer the slightest injury, that would be too terrifying!

It now appears that Chu Xuan was seriously injured, but he had been putting on a brave face all along.

No wonder Chu Xuan stopped fighting after killing Shi Kui and the other two; it turns out he was about to lose control of his injuries.

The three understood.

That makes perfect sense!

"Since Junior Brother Chu is injured, we won't disturb your recovery any longer."

After exchanging a few words, Zhou Huai'an and the other two saw that Chu Xuan looked exhausted and seemed to be forcing himself to stay, so they immediately took their leave.

"call----"

After the three disappeared, Chu Xuan didn't linger and turned back to his room.

He sensed that no one was watching him before he began to tally his spoils.

"We've struck it rich!"

Chu Xuan's eyes almost lit up.

A single piece of spirit weapon inner armor is worth at least two million contribution points.

The three and a half spirit weapons, although one of them was destroyed by him, are still worth a lot of money, totaling about 400,000 contribution points.

In addition, he also obtained a large number of contribution points from the three leaders of the Blood Wolf Bandits.

These three were all outlaws, and they might be on the run any day, so naturally they carried all their possessions with them.

Chu Xuan did the math and found that he had accumulated over a million contribution points!

"As expected, murder and arson bring wealth and honor!"

Chu Xuan couldn't help but sigh.

The three leaders of the Blood Wolf Bandits are only at the Great Perfection of the Gang Jin realm, but they are probably richer than most of the inner disciples of the Xuan Yang Sect!

Finally, Chu Xuan opened Su Jingyang's money bag.

Besides a few bottles of regular cultivation pills, there was also a secret manual.

"Hmm? The Blazing Heaven Palm?"

Chu Xuan's eyes lit up.

The Blazing Heaven Palm is one of the ultimate techniques of the Blazing Fire Peak.

The cultivation method is also very simple: draw in the original primordial energy of the Fire, merge your own true essence with the Fire primordial energy, condense it in your palms, and when you strike, it's like a volcanic eruption with raging flames.

"nice one!"

Chu Xuan immediately began to watch attentively.

Soon, information appeared on the panel.

【Burning Heaven Palm (0/1000)】

If he could master this martial art, he would undoubtedly have an extra ability to save his life.

After tidying everything up, Chu Xuan couldn't help but take a breath.

This time, we really hit the jackpot!

This is more than all his previous gains combined.

"This matter should have nothing to do with them!" He shook his head inwardly.

Although this matter has nothing to do with Zhou Huai'an and the other two, it doesn't mean that the three of them are without fault.

Chu Xuan revealed his spiritual weapon this time, partly because without it, there would be no way to explain how he escaped from the hands of a True Essence expert. Another purpose was to intimidate the three of them.

In a few days, the Xuan Yang Sect's treasure ship will arrive and transport this batch of fish away!

These next few days are crucial.

His attempt to intimidate them was meant to make the three of them behave themselves and not cause any trouble.

the other side.

After Zhou Huai'an and the other two came out, they began to direct their disciples to clean up the stone stronghold.

The flesh and blood of martial artists contain powerful qi and blood, which are also a great tonic for strange beasts. If they are not eliminated as soon as possible, they may attract powerful strange beasts, or even a group of strange beasts.

After everything was cleaned up, it was almost dawn, and everyone dispersed.

Zhou Huai'an gave Zhao Jingshan a look, and then the two of them subtly slowed down their pace.

After Ma Chenglu returned to his residence, the two went to the warehouse.

After confirming that no one was around, Zhao Jingshan's face immediately turned ugly, and he gritted his teeth and said, "A spiritual weapon! The sect is really generous! Chu Xuan has only been a disciple for a little over a year and is not even an inner disciple yet, but the sect is willing to give him a spiritual weapon!"

"Look at us! We've been working like slaves for the sect for so many years, yet we don't even have a semi-spiritual weapon. We have to buy it ourselves!"

Zhou Huai'an said calmly, "What's so strange about that? For sects, the geniuses on the Ranking List are what they need. As for us—"

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Just a piece of trash whose potential has been exhausted. To the sect, they're just consumables. Their only value is to serve as slaves, earning resources for their genius disciple! So, we still have to rely on ourselves!"

Zhao Jingshan's face was grim as he said, "Then what do we do next? In a few days, the treasure ships from inside the sect will come to transport this batch of fish away. When the accounts are checked, the truth will definitely come out."

Although being in charge of a fish farm is a lucrative position, it only allows them to live comfortably.

It's impossible to obtain more cultivation resources!

Moreover, what they need is not ordinary resources, but rare and precious materials that can help them break through to the True Essence realm.

As the saying goes, those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water.

They also made a lot of extra money, lining their own pockets by secretly selling some of the precious fish from the fishing grounds to some powerful forces in Lingxiao City in exchange for cultivation resources.

In the past, one could easily fabricate an invasion by strange beasts or a water bandit raid to cover up these deficits.

But this time, Chu Xuan arrived far too early!

They didn't have time to cover it up.

At this point, it would be completely useless to have any strange beasts invade or water pirates rob us.

No matter how strong the strange beasts they found were, could they be stronger than the Heart-Eating Water Demon? No matter how powerful the water bandits were, could they be stronger than the Blood Wolf Bandits, plus a True Essence expert?

Therefore, this road is completely blocked!

As for dealing with the previous garrison commander, bribing Chu Xuan was the same method used—

Judging from Chu Xuan's demeanor, they knew he was a man of considerable wealth. Small favors wouldn't sway him at all!

If they really want to impress Chu Xuan, they'll probably have to give up most of the extra money they've earned.

How could they bear to part with it?

Moreover, even if they were willing, they wouldn't be able to afford it.

They've already used up all the benefits; there's no way they'd keep them.

Zhou Huai'an smiled, his eyes narrowing, "Don't worry. I was indeed troubled by this before, but now, hasn't the opportunity arrived?"

"Hmm? What opportunity?" Zhao Jingshan asked.

Zhou Huai'an chuckled and said, "Don't forget that the True Essence expert who attacked us today was also there! We can easily frame them."

"Frame someone? How? Are you trying to impersonate them?" Zhao Jingshan frowned.

Zhou Huai'an calmly uttered four words: "Fire dragon burns the granary!"

"Hiss—"

Zhao Jingshan's pupils suddenly contracted, and he couldn't help but gasp.

Then, he roared angrily, "Are you crazy? This warehouse contains fish worth millions of contribution points! If the sect finds out, we'll be reduced to ashes!"

Zhou Huai'an sneered, "If you steal and sell the treasure fish, won't you die if you're found out? You're going to die anyway, so why not take a chance? Besides, as long as we do it cleanly, we can easily shift the blame to that True Essence expert!"

As for the sect's punishment, it's Chu Xuan, the garrison commander, who failed to protect the catch. What does it have to do with us?

Zhao Jingshan's face was extremely grim as he said, "If we do this, Chu Xuan will be ruined!"

He had no grudge against Chu Xuan, nor did he want to offend this promising young talent on the Wind and Cloud Ranking.

Speaking of which, Chu Xuan had saved him from the Heart-Eating Water Demon before.

But if this succeeds, Chu Xuan will definitely be severely punished. He will also have to bear the compensation of over a million contribution points, which will be enough to crush him!

"What does his life or death have to do with us? What, you really expect him to help us out after he grows up? Now it's either him or us who die! If he has anyone to blame, he can only blame his bad luck. Why did he have to come to this muddy water of Canglan Marsh?" Zhou Huai'an sneered.

Zhao Jingshan's expression changed repeatedly, as if he was still somewhat hesitant.

Zhou Huai'an coldly replied, "No need to consider it! At most three days, the sect will send a treasure ship to transport this catch. If we don't act now, we're both doomed!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jingshan no longer hesitated and gritted his teeth, saying, "Let's do it! So, when do you plan to make your move?"

"There's no time to lose!"

Zhou Huai'an glanced at the already bright sky outside and said, "There's no chance today, let's do it tomorrow night! While Chu Xuan's injuries haven't fully healed, it'll be convenient for us to make our move."

For the rest of the day, Chu Xuan didn't leave his room.

Even the meals were personally delivered to the door by Zhou Huai'an.

When Chu Xuan came out, his face was pale, and it seemed that his injuries had not improved, but had worsened.

Seeing this, Zhou Huai'an asked with concern, "Junior Brother Chu, how is your injury?"

Chu Xuan shook his head and said, "It's nothing serious, I'll be fine after a few days of rest."

Zhou Huai'an saw this and chuckled to himself.

"By the way, how's the treasure fish retrieval going?" Chu Xuan asked.

Zhou Huai'an said, "Junior Brother Chu, don't worry, we'll finish the salvage today and get it all into the warehouse before dark. After this batch of fish is transported away in a few days, we can relax for a while."

Chu Xuan nodded and said, "I'll have to trouble you all for the next few days. Please make sure to increase patrols and ensure that nothing goes wrong before the catch is transported away!"

"Hehe, it's just my duty, nothing to worry about! Junior Brother Chu, just focus on recovering," Zhou Huai'an said.

After he left the stone village, Zhao Jingshan hurriedly came over and asked, "How did it go?"

Zhou Huai'an smiled and said, "Tonight's all set!"

Zhao Jingshan's eyes lit up, and he immediately realized that Chu Xuan's injuries were probably more serious than they had appeared before.

That evening, bonfires were lit again in the stone village, and a banquet was set up to celebrate the bountiful fish harvest, making it even more lively than the welcoming banquet held for Chu Xuan.

This is also a tradition of the fishing grounds.

Zhou Huai'an personally went to invite Chu Xuan, but Chu Xuan declined, citing his need to recuperate from his injuries.

At midnight, Zhou Huai'an and Zhao Jingshan, both dressed in black, arrived at the warehouse door carrying two buckets of kerosene.

"How's it going on your end?" Zhou Huai'an asked.

Zhao Jingshan said, "Don't worry! This 'Thousand-Day Intoxication' was bought with a lot of money. It's colorless and odorless; even strange beasts would be intoxicated by it. When they wake up tomorrow, they'll just think they drank too much, and no problems will be found."

"Let's get started!"

The two worked quickly and soon splashed water all around the warehouse.

This kerosene is also one of the special products of the fishing grounds. It is made primarily from the oil of the fat-scaled fish, combined with the juice of flammable herbs along the water's edge, and refined through multiple distillations.

Its color is a warm amber gold, its texture is smooth and thick, with a faint fish oil fragrance. It is colorless and has no pungent odor, yet it is extremely flammable. A tiny spark can ignite it instantly; it burns spontaneously without wind, and the fire intensifies rapidly when exposed to wind.

In Lingxiao City, only the high-ranking members of powerful and wealthy families can afford it.

After finishing everything, Zhou Huai'an took out a tinderbox and said regretfully, "What a waste of such fine fish oil! This alone is worth over a thousand contribution points!"

"If it's such a waste, why burn it?" a voice rang out from behind.

"Of course it's because—"

Zhou Huai'an answered subconsciously.

He was only halfway through his sentence when he suddenly turned around and saw that Chu Xuan was already standing behind him.

"Chu—Junior Brother Chu—I—you—"

Zhou Huai'an was so frightened that his heart almost jumped out of his chest.

Zhao Jingshan, standing to the side, was deathly pale and barely dared to breathe.

"Junior Brother Chu, you've come too!"

Zhou Huai'an forced a calm expression and said, "Just now, Deacon Zhao and I were on patrol when we noticed some commotion around the warehouse, so we rushed over immediately and found that the area around the warehouse had been poured with kerosene!"

He said with lingering fear, "Luckily we arrived in time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable! It seems that the True Essence expert..."

They didn't leave; instead, they remained lurking nearby, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate!

Chu Xuan asked, "Are you saying that this oil was poured by that True Essence expert?"

Zhou Huai'an nodded solemnly: "It's most likely him!"

"But I killed him last night!"

".——..."