The Nine Cauldrons

“Ah! This meat is sure tasty.” Tian Dan threw a piece of meat in his mouth with a flick of his hand, and chewed twice before swallowing it. He then drank a sip of liquor, making him feel as if he was in heaven.

“That Hu Tong sure knows how to curry favor.” Teng Qingshan said with a smile.

As a centurion, the meals were indeed better than what others ate, but it was still impossible to eat various specialities. All these dishes were brought by Hu Tong. He’d assigned some men to bring them from Huafeng City.

“We’re already at the halfway point of our stationary period! One more month, and we can return to Jiangning City. However once we go back, we have to busily prepare for the centurion competition where the worst two of each troop are to be decided. We need to be ready to welcome the new recruits on the twelfth of June!” Tian Dan said with a smile, “Brother Qingshan, you don’t even need to be worried.”

Among the four troops of the Black Armored Army, each must elect the two weakest centurions.

“Brother Tian Dan, within our first troop, your strength can be considered good. There are many who are weaker than you.” Teng Qingshan suddenly stopped midsentence, and looked into the distance, “Hey, look over there.”

“Hm?” Tian Dan also looked puzzled.

Through the green and dense wilderness, they saw a person’s shadow vaguely in the distance.

“Bai Qi?” Tian Dan said in surprise, “Why is he descending the mountain? Today, the hard laborers will descend the mountain.....as a lieutenant, what is he doing at the bottom of the mountain?” Tian Dan was unable to understand his action.

“There is something unusual going on.” Teng Qingshan frowned and immediately turned his head to look at Tian Dan, before saying with a smile, “Brother Tian Dan, why don’t we go take a look and find out?”

“Yes, let’s go.” Tian Dan was also interested.

While holding their weapons, they followed behind.

......

“My Lord!”

“My Lord!”

While walking on the mountain road, Bai Qi descended the mountain and when the soldiers below saw him, they immediately respectfully saluted.

Bai Qi frowned and stared at the middle-aged man in the distance who was more than 20 Zhang (60m) away, “There are so many soldiers on this mountain road, if I acted here, they would probably all see it. Especially since I would have to seize the Purple Gold from that middle-aged man, it would be bad if they saw it and the news spread.”

Bai Qi held back his impatience and continued to follow.

This mountain road had the most people.

Because at the foot of the mountain, there was a group of soldiers specially guarding it and taking care the warhorses. The soldiers at the foot and top of the mountain would often change shifts, deliver food and therefore, soldiers could be seen frequently on this mountain road.

......

The youngster, Old Li San and the other hard labourers descended the mountain and nothing out of ordinary happened.

“Hey, Old Li San? With one breath, you worked for a half year and your salary probably is not small. Once you go back home, that young wife you married will definitely prepare food, wine, and a warm bed for you.”

“Me? If my wife would be this good, I wouldn’t have wanted to leave home!” Old Li San snorted and casually looked back. When he noticed a distant figure on the road, his heart felt a surprise, “That Lord of the Black Armored Army already stared at me for a long time before, why is he following me now?”

While having a guilty conscience, of course his suspicion grew bigger and bigger.

“No, it’s impossible. He can’t possibly know.” Old Li San couldn’t think of any way in which he would have been exposed.

“Ah, Boss Dong is at the foot of this mountain and once I meet him, then everything will be all right. Once I completed this important matter, I can enjoy a lifetime of riches in the future!” Old Li San suppressed his anxiety and pretended to continue his casual conversation with the surrounding hard labourers while walking downhill.

Bai Qi coldly stared at that middle-aged man. In his eyes, killing this kind of vulgar man was nothing worth mentioning. Right now, the thing he needed to consider was – how to kill this guy without being seen by the soldiers and get back the Purple Gold without anyone noticing.

“I will let you live for a while longer.” Bai Qi continued to follow him and didn’t fear of losing the opposite party.

Old Li San and Bai Qi continued to descend the mountain one after each other.

Of course, Teng Qingshan and Tian Dan were quietly tracking them.

......

Bai Qi’s pupils suddenly shrank. “Finally arrived at the foot of the mountain!” Bai Qi suddenly accelerated and saw that Old Li San separated from the other hard laborers, before vanishing around a nearby curve that was outside of his field of vision. In several breaths, Bai Qi rushed towards the foot of the mountain and looked at the direction of the major road.

“Boss Dong!” Old Li San saw a person’s shadow sitting on a warhorse in the distance and immediately dashed forward.

“A helper?”

Bai Qi’s face revealed a fierce color, “You will die together!” In the surroundings there were only a few hard labourers and no soldiers. Moreover, the opposite party had a warhorse therefore Bai Qi couldn’t wait any longer.

“Whew!” “Whew!”

While displaying his Qing Gong, Bai Qi closed in on Old Li San like a gust of wind.

The moment Old Li San turned his head to take a look, he was immediately panic-stricken, “Boss Dong, help!” At this moment, his two legs desperately stomped on the ground, but that bag with the Purple Gold inside it was too heavy and he couldn’t run very fast.

“Who are you?!” A tall, big build fat fellow armed himself with a sturdy black iron mace and shouted in anger.

“Stop.”

Bai Qi laughed loudly. What was his status? Would he care about some small thief?

“Go die.” Bai Qi revealed a disdainful smile and the long spear in his hand instantaneously stabbed at Old Li San. Full of panic, Old Li San called out, “Help!!!” However, Dong Yan and the others were too far and didn’t have the time to save him. With a “puchi”, they could only listen as that spearhead pierced Old San’s throat from behind.

Old Li San’s eyes widened into perfectly round circles.

Originally....

He almost obtained big riches. However, in the final moment, he died!

Dong Yan’s complexion sank and shouted from the distance, “Kill him!”

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Da Pang held a pair of iron maces and Er Pang was armed with a pair of copper hammers. As for the silver haired middle-aged man, he held a double edged sword as they rushed over. As for Dong Yan, he followed from behind and took two flying knives into his hands.

(TLN: Pang means fat. Instead of calling them Big Fatty and Second Fatty, we decided to go with Da Pang and Er Pang for obvious reasons...)

“Humph.” Bai Qi kicked Old Li San’s corpse to the side and with one stroke, his long spear slashed past his right leg. His pants were immediately cuts apart and a bag could be vaguely seen tied on Old Li San’s calf. The bag was already ripped open, and small pieces of Purple Gold fell out. The purple light could move people’s heart and soul.

Bai Qi’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Little thief!” Da Pang who was running at the front saw that Purple Gold and roared. The iron mace in his hands pounded towards his opponent.

“Give it up!” Bai Qi sneered and the long spear in his hand flung towards the side.

Hu!

“Clang!” The long spear smashed on the iron maces and Da Pang’s hands trembled from the impact. His whole body couldn’t help but continuously retreat three steps. Bai Qi also felt his hand growing numb and looked at that huge fat fellow with a surprised look. “An astonishing strength!” With only one exchange, Bai Qi could already determine that the opposite party was a First Rated Warrior!

“Big Bro, the opponent is strong!” Da Pang screamed.

“Let’s attack together.” Dong Yan ordered and rushed forward.

That silver haired man grasped his long sword and with two swings, the sword’s shadow flew towards Lieutenant Bai Qi.

Bai Qi’s complexion turned cold and with a swing of the spear shaft, the spear in his hand instantaneously danced in a full circle. With a loud impact noise, that sword’s shadow was swung away. “Where did these experts come from, it’s another First Rated Warrior!” Bai Qi’s heartfelt even more anxious now, since he hadn’t thought that there would be so many powerful experts here.

......

Both Teng Qingshan and Tian Dan hid in the thick patch of bushes while staring at the scene. Because the distance was too far, they didn’t see the Purple Gold.

“Qingshan, what do we do?” Tian Dan said in a low voice.

“Brother Tian, seeing such an interesting thing, why don’t we look at it for a while?” Teng Qingshan said with a faint smile.

Tian Dan nodded and laughed: “Bai Qi killed that hard laborer, moreover he provoked these fierce experts. It seems like this matter is complicated. This trouble was caused by him, let him solve it. Seen Bai Qi admit defeat is also a very interesting thing.”

Teng Qingshan carefully observed the battle. “Hm, among the four people, that guy holding the flying knives stood at the side and didn’t dare to join close combat. Only the other three were truly fighting. The two fat fellows have huge strengths, but their hammer art and mace art are nothing special. Only that silver haired man could be considered an expert. However, compared to Bai Qi, he is still no match.”

“Ah, that fat guy with the pair of hammers got stabbed by the spear. It seems like the opposite party formed by these three men don’t have a chance against Bai Qi. What a pity. I also wanted to see Bai Qi losing face by admitting defeat,” Tian Dan helplessly said.

Bai Qi’s Nine Spears facing the Morning Sun technique was only a bit weaker than Yue Song’s technique.

During the competition against Teng Qingshan, Bai Qi suffered such a miserable defeat only because Qingshang used 50,000 Jin worth of strength.

Bai Qi’s real strength was quite strong.

Without having some means, how could one hold the post of lieutenant?

......

“Er Pang, retreat!” Dong Yan shouted anxiously.

“Want to run away?” Bai Qi laughed wildly once and flicked the long spear in his hand. That Er Pang only felt a bright light shining in front of him, as if the sun appeared.

“Xiu!”

Dong Yan immediately anxiously aimed at Bai Qi and threw the flying knives.

With a shock, Bai Qi knocked away the fly knives with his spear and simultaneously stabbed forward, puff! He instantly stabbed Er Pang’s chest and rapidly pulled it out!

Puff!

Blood splashed everywhere.

A terrifyingly big hole appeared on Er Pang’s stomach and blood fell down in streams. He looked at Dong Yan in the distance and wanted to say something, but in the end his head drooped and his whole body smashed onto the ground.

“Er Pang!” Dong Yan’s complexion sank.

“Little bro!” Da Pang also roared madly.

“A Yan, you guys are to leave!” That silver haired middle-aged man roared and a cold air simultaneously appeared on his face. Holding the long sword in his hand, his speed suddenly sharply increased.

“No, I must revenge my little bro!” Da Pang’s eyes reddened and he seemed to become insane.

“Haha, going all out?” Bai Qi laughed, “Today, none of you are leaving this place alive!” Just when Bai Qi managed to achieve Nine Spears facing the Morning Sun, he didn’t even have time to celebrate and was already defeated by Teng Qingshan. Bai Qi was unwilling to accept that, but now, meeting this group of people, he could finally let out his frustration and was extremely happy.

Chi!

Da Pang’s belly was cut by the spear and blood started to fly.

“Clang!”That silver haired middle-aged man blocked, attacked, and simultaneously kicked away Da Pang with his foot.

“A Yan, you take Da Pang and run away first!” the silver haired middle-aged man anxiously said.

Dong Yan stared at Er Pang’s corpse and his whole body slightly trembled. Suddenly turning his head, he stared at Bai Qi and his eyes changed to a light red color. In a low and deep voice, he said, “Uncle, you take Da Pang and leave!” After saying this sentence, his whole body unexpectedly shot towards Bai Qi. Holding his flying knives, Dong Yan who initially hid in the distance closed in with rapid speed!