Swallowing the Stars: The Wind Sword Master.

Chapter 44 Returning to the Base City to Distribute the Money

Ning Ze looked slightly embarrassed.

"There's a lot of monster materials, which is making it a bit inconvenient for them to move around. We'll go back tonight and let them rest," Ning Ze explained seriously.

He was telling the whole truth. They were all materials from general-level monsters. Even if you removed the head, tail, internal organs, and flesh, leaving only the skin and claws, it was still too heavy. Each person was carrying 4000 kg, which was more than half the strength of Yang Chao and the others.

The combat team couldn't even run fast with all these monster materials on their backs. They couldn't just leave so many materials there unattended. Even when they went to process the materials, someone had to watch over them.

For half a month, day and night alternated, and Ning Ze hunted without interruption except for sleeping three hours a day. Zuo Xingyuan and others also carried materials and followed him. Even construction workers were not used like this.

More importantly, they were chased by a lord-level monster again last night. With Ning Ze's cover, they weren't in too much danger, but the continuous high-intensity combat left everyone exhausted.

Today is a day of rest. Tonight they will carry nearly 30 tons of materials back. This 300-kilometer journey is destined to be a long one, so it is essential to conserve their energy. Zuo Xingyuan and the others are resting, while only Ning Ze is somewhat restless.

"How about what I suggested? How about I give you 100 million worth of materials? Plus the F-rank monster materials, that's equivalent to two high-level beast generals. So, you won't have worked for nothing by following me today."

Ning Ze looked at the members of the martial arts team, and they all turned their gazes toward the kind-looking middle-aged man.

Finally, the kind-looking middle-aged martial artist tentatively asked, "Is it alright?"

"Alright, right? Come on, let's exchange martial artist numbers." Ning Ze began operating the martial artist communication watch.

The honest-looking martial artist was forced to add a bunch of friends, and his eyes were a little dazed.

"All done, Chen Zhen, Explosive Bear Squad, you know my name. You guys go process the materials. Process the Beast General-level monster materials first, I'll call you when I finish the next batch. Message me if anything happens."

After saying that, Ning Ze's figure flashed and rushed towards the southeast.

Chen Zhen's eyes were somewhat glazed. He murmured, "Are we being employed? A hundred million a day? Is there really such a good thing?"

"We heard it too, it should be correct." One of the martial artists was somewhat silent.

"Boss, should we hurry up and process those materials? He killed too fast; if we can't catch him, he'll come after us!"

The martial artist who spoke looked somewhat flustered. Having witnessed Ning Ze's battles, killing monsters with such ease, killing them shouldn't be too difficult for him. The first time they met Ning Ze was when he was chasing martial artists, known as the "Wind-Killing Sword." This title didn't sound like that of a good person, so naturally they were wary and afraid.

Chen Zhen's body trembled, and he quickly said, "Let's go! Let's deal with this first, and we can always hand over our materials to him later."

"Our materials?" A gaunt martial artist opened his shrunken backpack and said with a wry smile, "He probably wouldn't be interested."

"Let's go, time to get to work!"

……

The day passed quickly.

As evening approached, Ning Ze returned to the apartment where the Warfire Squad was hiding.

Upon entering, he threw the four martial arts backpacks on the ground without saying a word.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, Zuo Xingyuan swallowed back the greeting he was about to utter. Looking at the bulging martial artist's backpack, his expression was somewhat blank. "Where did this come from?"

Ning Ze smiled slightly and said, "I ran into the Explosive Bear Squad when I went out this morning."

"They tried to steal your materials, and you killed them all?" Zuo Xingyuan looked mournful. Another group of victims. Why did they even think of robbery? They dared to steal Ning Ze's things?

Ma Yu said in a deep voice, "I've heard of their team. They're tough guys from the Kyoto base city. Their captain, Chen Zhen, has a very volatile temper and is invincible with his heavy sword. But they probably don't have any background. If they dare to steal your materials, they'll just kill them."

Ning Ze's lips twitched slightly as he retorted, "Who said I killed them? This guy..." Then, recalling the burly man waving his hand in front of his chest, he laughed again, "He's not a bad guy. I hired their team to help me process materials today, so it wasn't a wasted effort."

The members of the combat squad had very strange expressions. Xu Liang, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, turned his head and jokingly shouted, "Materials, materials, you really make me both love and hate you!"

Ning Ze was speechless and didn't respond to this. "Is everyone ready? We're leaving now and will leave 003 before dark. We should be able to return to the base city by tomorrow morning."

Zuo Xingyuan's expression was somewhat silent. He looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Don't just stand there, grab your bags, let's go."

Ning Ze looked around the room and asked in surprise, "Where are our materials?"

Zuo Xingyuan walked outside first, saying without turning his head, "It's next door."

Ning Ze followed him out the door and arrived at the door next door.

Zuo Xingyuan kicked the large stone at the doorway, causing the door to collapse. With a thud, five bulging bags of materials rolled out.

Ning Ze glanced into the room, which was completely packed with things. "I'll carry more."

"Everyone needs it, so let's get started. Bundle your own pile together first; that should make it easier to carry."

After packing up in the evening, the combat squad set off under the cover of night.

We traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping frequently along the way, and finally caught sight of the city's outline the following morning.

"Ah, I can't take it anymore!" Xu Liang cried out, squatting down on the grass. His backpack, which was as big as a small mountain, pressed him down, leaving only his head sticking out.

After carrying a 3000kg load and running 300 kilometers for over 11 hours, Xu Liang felt his calves were completely limp.

"Kid, go call the soldiers and tell them to drive over!"

Zuo Xingyuan stretched out his leg and lifted the materials beside Xu Liang. He laughed and scolded, "Stop joking around. There are still two kilometers to go. Once we get to the city, we'll take a car directly to the Extreme Club."

Xu Liang gritted his teeth and stood up helplessly. The small mountain on his back swayed slightly, and he staggered a couple of steps before regaining his balance.

From afar, the group of martial artists in the city saw several small hills moving in their direction.

After the combat squad entered, some martial artists who liked to join in the fun came forward to greet them.

"Barbarian Blades, what are you carrying on your backs?"

"It can't be materials, otherwise how could there be so many? Those G and H-rank monster materials aren't worth much."

Zuo Xingyuan sighed and said, "Stop fooling around. Let us into the city."

The rest of the combat squad remained silent. They were exhausted, utterly worn out. They were so tired that they didn't even want to talk, let alone have the energy to show off.

The martial artists didn't dare to stop them, but they watched the Warfire Squad walk into the city with strange looks. Their eyes were mostly on Ning Ze, who was carrying the most martial artist backpacks. With layers of inner lining stacked up, there must have been at least 13 or 14 of them.

We called two trucks at the supply station.

The group traveled in a limousine to the headquarters of the Extreme Martial Arts Academy.

"Ah! So comfortable~ I don't want to move." Xu Liang slumped in the car seat and completely relaxed.

Yang Chao smiled broadly, "It really feels so relaxing to have all that burden removed."

Just after they left the supply station, a soldier took out a communicator and began sending a message.

The extended version of the Cadillac.

Zuo Xingyuan turned his head and asked seriously, "Xiao Ze, how do you plan to sell these materials? All to the Extreme Martial Arts Academy?"

The car fell silent immediately after these words were spoken.

This is the first time we've discussed selling materials. Rather than saying how to sell them, it's more accurate to say how to divide them.

Yang Chao and the others also looked over at this moment. They had hunted so many monsters, all of which were of the Beast General level. The number of monsters was even greater than the last time, and their value was immeasurable.

Ning Ze was the one fighting amidst the siege of countless monsters; they were merely tidying up the materials.

They knew in their hearts that they definitely couldn't follow the previous rules this time. No matter how much effort they put in, they wouldn't even get 20% of the money they earned.

However, they weren't disappointed. With so many materials, even a small share would amount to hundreds of millions for each person. Even if they distributed them like the Explosive Bear Squad did, at 100 million a day, that would be 15 billion in fifteen days, or 300 million each – that's already a huge profit!

Upon hearing about the assignment, Ning Ze fell silent for a moment.

Fifteen days were spent hunting down terrifying beast-general level monsters, so it was impossible for things to go smoothly.

He was also hunted down by a mid-level lord twice, which means that his movement technique was at a perfect level and he had a certain understanding of the wind, which allowed him to reduce resistance and increase his speed, thus enabling him to escape the pursuit.

There are also 5 low-level lord monsters that are too big for him to handle, even if he can wound them, he can't kill them by hitting their vital points. Two of the monsters can burrow underground, so he can't catch up with them at all. One of the lord-level monsters can fly, so Ning Ze is also helpless. There are also 7 lords in the Huangpu River that can't come ashore, so there's nothing he can do about them.

For the past two weeks, he has faced constant danger every day. He felt somewhat awkward about distributing the remaining 20% ​​to others according to the rules.

After a moment of contemplation, the members of the Warfire Squad waited patiently before Ning Ze slowly spoke, "I plan to sell 200 billion worth of materials at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. I'll lose 100 billion Chinese Yuan, but my contribution points will reach 1000 million. Once I reach four-star contribution level, I can enjoy discounts on manuals and equipment."

Zuo Xingyuan and the others understood; they had considered this beforehand.

"I killed two lord-level monsters this time, and I want to give one of them, the Black-Scaled Crocodile, to my father."

Ning Ze's expression was somewhat serious. He had spent half a day grinding down this monster, and he felt a great sense of accomplishment. He believed that Ning Hua would be proud when he saw it.

"As for the other one, I'll give it to my uncles. I'm going to join the elite training camp, which is also known as the War God Reserve Team. If I sell it and get certified as a combatant, then I won't be able to go."

Xu Liang was overjoyed. The other monster was a three-headed king cobra, which was quite expensive among low-level lords. Even if it didn't sell for 30 billion, it could still fetch 25 billion Chinese yuan. That would mean each of them could get 5 million! That's more than they could earn by hunting in the wilderness for nearly ten years!

Yang Chao gripped the heavy machine gun tightly. This time, he was truly out of ammunition and supplies. He had risked his life to be arrogant in City 003, and just carrying the materials back nearly killed him. A reward of 5 million—it was worth it!

Zhang Chen didn't speak. He was usually quite quiet and preferred to think things through on his own. At this moment, his eyes were filled with joy. They didn't have much potential left. They were close to the level of a War General, but they were still a bit short of being War Generals. They could probably only earn about 7 to 8 million in their lifetime, and even then, they would have to kill monsters for a few more years.

Who in the wilderness dares to say they've survived all this time? Now, with a single windfall of 5 million, their savings could exceed 10 billion! They won't need much money for the rest of their lives unless something major happens.

Zuo Xingyuan opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He had more savings. After becoming a general, he always got the lion's share of the spoils from those who hunted him. It would amount to 1 billion. 500 million in one go was definitely not a small amount. He couldn't bring himself to say no.

Ma Yu didn't speak. He valued relationships the most. Back when Ning Hua was injured, they were still warriors. In order to help his brothers gain a foothold in the wilderness, he crowdfunded 3.6 million yuan to buy gene optimization fluid at the Extreme Martial Arts Academy, raising their strength to the initial stage of warrior and gaining a foothold in the wilderness.

He relentlessly honed his skills to perfection, making the War Squad increasingly renowned. After earning money for less than two years, Zuo Xingyuan's strength also improved. He relinquished his captaincy, and his earning speed slowed considerably; his current savings are probably only slightly more than Xu Liang and Zhang Chen's.

Five hundred million? If Ning Ze gives it to him, he'll take it. Ma Yu is probably the least money-conscious person in the team.

Suddenly, Ning Ze grinned, glanced at the partition in front of the car, looked around at everyone, and said, "Because of my problem this time, I'm afraid you uncles won't be able to stay in the wilderness area anymore, and you'll even have to be more careful at home."

"Putting aside what I just said, how about I give everyone a smaller share this time, and give you 10% of the rest? I also need to go to the elite training camp later, which will definitely cost money."

"I was hampered in my fight against the monster this time, so I'm going to change into a new combat suit. An S-class combat suit would cost 600 billion even at half price, and an SS-class combat suit would cost 60 billion at half price. I plan to buy an SS-class core combat vest, which is half the value of the suit, bringing the total to 330 billion. I'll use the remaining money to buy some secret techniques. The 'Wind Slash' alone will cost 150 billion."

This statement left everyone speechless; it was far too much.

The monsters hunted on the first day were quite valuable; those Death Jackals alone were worth 58 billion, so a day and a half would have yielded 80 billion.

With Ning Ze's killing methods, if they continued downstream along the Huangpu River, even passing through the core area, they could hunt no less than 50 billion beast general-level monsters a day, and 750 billion in 15 days.

Even if the materials worth 30 billion can only be sold for 20 billion at the Limit Martial Arts Academy, there is still 65 billion left. Add the 58 billion from those Death Demon Jackals, and that's 708 billion. Even 10% of that is 7 billion!

Not only are they being given a Lord-level monster, but they're also being given 7 billion Chinese Yuan? That adds up to nearly 10 billion!

One person gets 20 billion!

Zuo Xingyuan held his breath, experiencing the same psychological impact that Yang Chao and the others had just felt.

2 billion, but his total net worth is not even 2 billion. He only earned money for 5 years as a general, which is a net worth of just over 1 billion.

This is twice what he's earned in the last five years!

Xu Liang was even more dizzy; this was four times his total net worth!

I made it all in one go! I've never seen so much money in my entire life!

Ma Yu took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and said, "Xiao Ze, you don't need to give us so much. This is almost 20%." It wasn't easy for him to say this, because even if he didn't value this much, there were other brothers.

Zuo Xingyuan calmed down as well, "You're about to go to the elite training camp. You can spend the money, but we'll just watch. That's not how you do things."

Xu Liang also came to his senses and quickly said, "We'll keep that lord-level monster too. A hundred or two billion will do. Ten percent is too much. As long as we don't go outside, we won't spend any money."

"If you need money, we're open to asking. If you're going to pay, just give us a small fee for our hard work. We'd be secretly thrilled with the kind of compensation the Exploding Bear Squad received," Zhang Chen said calmly.

Yang Chao laughed and cursed, "Yeah, why are you giving us so much money? Will I even be able to ask you for help in the future? Are you planning to kick your Uncle Yang out the door?"

Zuo Xingyuan and the others took turns criticizing him.

Ning Ze was both amused and exasperated, and said aggrievedly, "I didn't mean that. I was just figuring out how much I could spend. You're all overthinking it."

"Okay, I won't give that much. After the sale is complete, each person will receive a 5 million yuan bonus. That shouldn't be too much, right?"

Available tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)