Martial Arts Crossover: It All Started with Hijacking Li Canghai

Qin Han took in everyone's expressions, his mind clear as a mirror.

What he sought was never gold or silver, but the hearts of the people.

"Qingqing".

Xia Qingqing stepped forward and presented the thick ledger to the table.

"In this battle, we captured 36 Qing army cannons, 1,200 three-eyed muskets, and more than 3,000 pieces of various firearms."

"Six thousand warhorses, twenty thousand sets of armor, countless provisions and supplies, and a total of one million two hundred thousand taels of gold and silver."

Xia Qingqing's clear voice echoed in the hall, and with each number she announced, the breathing of these miserable men became heavier.

Because in their eyes, this is an immense fortune!

Even the powerful Heaven and Earth Society and Red Flower Society had never seen such a rich haul. Many leaders of smaller sects were green with envy. To them, the haul wasn't just numbers, but mountains of gold.

After Xia Qingqing finished reading, Qin Han slowly spoke.

"My righteous comrades, you have made a great victory over the 100,000-strong Manchu army. Your contributions are truly outstanding. I thank you all."

He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the crowd.

Everyone quickly returned the greeting, saying they dared not accept it, but secretly they were all waiting for him to divide the spoils.

Qin Han smiled slightly, and his words froze everyone in the room.

"The Golden Serpent Camp will not take a single penny of the spoils captured this time."

The hall fell silent instantly.

Everyone wondered if they had misheard. No charge whatsoever? Was it a joke?

Ignoring the astonishment of the crowd, Qin Han continued:

"All firearms, warhorses, and armor were distributed according to the merits and casualties of the various rebel armies this time."

"Of the 1.2 million taels of gold and silver, half will be used to compensate the families of the fallen soldiers."

"The other half is given to everyone to support the cause of resisting the Qing Dynasty."

The words exploded in everyone's ears, leaving everyone stunned.

Chen Jinnan stood there stunned, Chen Jialuo was also incredulous, and Mu Jiansheng's mouth was agape for a long time.

They had considered countless ways to distribute the spoils, and even anticipated that they would quarrel over the unequal distribution of the rewards, but they never expected that the Golden Serpent King would give up all the spoils of war!

Such magnanimity and spirit are rarely seen in the world.

Qin Han remained calm. Gold and silver meant nothing to him. His Great Qin had other trade routes, and glass, soap, sugar, and spirits were all sought-after commodities in other countries.

The money earned from one caravan trip was enough to support an army of 100,000 for half a year.

Instead of arguing with allies over money, it's better to go with the flow and win people's hearts. Let all the heroes of the world know that following him, the Golden Serpent King, means having provisions, armor, and a brighter future.

"Your Highness! You mustn't!"

Chen Jinnan was the first to speak up, stepping forward and bowing respectfully.

"This great victory was entirely due to Your Highness's divine might; we were merely providing support from the sidelines. How dare we accept such a great reward?"

The reason he brought the Heaven and Earth Society and the Zheng family's firearms with him this time was mainly to ask for Qin Han's favor, as the Taiwanese Zheng family might need this favor in the future.

"Brother Ye, that's inappropriate! The Golden Serpent Camp suffered countless casualties; the spoils of war should rightfully belong to the Golden Serpent Camp!"

Chen Jialuo and Chen Jinnan shared similar thoughts and also offered their advice.

Qin Han raised his hand, his expression calm:

"My mind is made up. There's no need to persuade me any further. I will reward the soldiers of the Golden Serpent Camp headquarters myself."

"You have all traveled thousands of miles to help us in this time of crisis, your righteousness is boundless. If I, Ye, were to do nothing in return, wouldn't I be ridiculed by all the heroes of the world?"

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"The great cause of resisting the Qing cannot be accomplished by one person or one battalion. Today's victory is just the beginning."

"We will fight side by side again to drive the Manchu barbarians out of the Central Plains!"

These words were spoken with great force, stirring the blood of all the heroes in the hall.

Yang Miaozhen gazed at Qin Han, her admiration mixed with an indescribable emotion. Compared to this man, all the heroes she had met before seemed to have a much smaller scope.

"We thank the Golden Serpent King for his great kindness!"

It is unclear who led the bow, but all the heroes who came to lend their support bowed deeply in unison.

This bow was a sign of heartfelt admiration and gratitude for Qin Han's noble character. From this moment on, Qin Han was no longer just a powerful leader in everyone's hearts, but a mighty ruler worthy of being followed even at the cost of one's life.

Looking at the scene before him, Mu Jiansheng decided to find an opportunity to arrange for Jianping and Fangyi to meet Qin Han by chance and slowly develop feelings for him.

The atmosphere in the hall was at its peak when an old voice slowly broke the noise.

"Your Highness's noble character is truly admirable."

The one who spoke was Elder Mo, the Nine-Bag Elder of the Northern Beggars' Sect, known as "Iron Arm." He slowly stepped out from the crowd and respectfully bowed to Qin Han.

"There is something I don't understand, and I dare to ask Your Highness for your guidance."

Qin Han spoke calmly, "Elder Mo, please speak freely."

Elder Mo asked the question that everyone in the hall had kept hidden in their hearts but dared not say aloud.

"May I ask, Your Highness, what kind of divine skill is that dragon transformation technique you used?"

"I have been wandering the martial world for sixty years and consider myself knowledgeable, but I have never heard of or seen such martial arts before."

As soon as Elder Mo finished speaking, the once noisy Gathering Hall fell silent, and all eyes turned to Qin Han once again.

This matter was the biggest question in the minds of all the heroes.

The scene of a true dragon descending to earth and divine punishment descending upon the mortal realm before the battle had already exceeded the boundaries of ordinary martial arts; it was simply a divine technique from a mythical tale.

Qin Han looked at Elder Mo's face, which showed a mixture of inquiry and awe, and then glanced at the group of people around him who were listening intently for what was to come. His expression remained calm.

The secrets of the Dragon God Technique and the Laws of Heaven and Man must not be revealed to others.

He smiled faintly, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice, "Elder Mo, you flatter me. What 'dragon transformation technique' exists in this world?"

"It's just a domineering and extraordinary skill, not a martial art from the Central Plains. I obtained it by chance on a fairy mountain overseas in my early years."

This statement was half true and half false. While Shuiyue Cave could indeed be called a celestial mountain, it was an exclusive opportunity. Upon hearing this, the crowd was both convinced and skeptical.

Chen Jinnan was meticulous and suspected that the Leigu Mountain, where Qin Han had gone, contained such an opportunity. He immediately cupped his hands and pressed for details.

"A miraculous feat performed overseas? May I ask, Your Highness, does this feat have a name? Why has it never been heard of in the martial arts world?"

"This skill is called 'Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Dragon'."

Qin Han casually picked out a name and slowly continued his story.

"Few people know about it, simply because the conditions for cultivation are too demanding. Only those with exceptional talent and abundant vital energy can cultivate it."

He changed the subject, deliberately revealing a bitter expression.

"Moreover, the backlash from this skill is severe; the more powerful it is, the more damage it inflicts on oneself."

As he said this, he raised his hand to his chest, looking as if he still had lingering fear.

"That attack I just made on the battlefield looked impressive, but it actually exhausted all my strength. As you all probably saw, if I hadn't reached the Celestial Realm, I would have died on the spot from the backlash of that martial art after using that move."

His explanation was reasonable and logical, and everyone finally understood.

"So that's it! No wonder the Prince vomited blood after the battle!"

"I knew such an incredible skill couldn't come without a price!"