Chapter 10: The Small Tripod
"What! This injury was inflicted by you yourselves! Instead of capturing that country bumpkin, you are fighting among yourselves! Stop trying to deceive me with nonsense. To be honest, I originally intended for the twenty-five taels of gold to be divided equally among the three of us. Each of you could get seven or eight hundred taels of silver, what more could you possibly be dissatisfied with? You even want to take away my share! Let me tell you, if you know what’s good for you, hand over the gold obediently. Otherwise, if I find any clues, you will regret it!"
Xuanyuan City is less than 2,000 kilometers from Luancheng, and the entire route is almost a flat road. According to the estimation from Zhao's territory, if one travels during the day and rests at night, it is possible to cover 200 to 300 kilometers a day, which means it could be reached in about 7 to 8 days. During these days, he has been resting with his eyes closed, hardly leaving the carriage.
Zhao waved his hand, interrupting Manager Luo, who was feeling parched, and said, "Go to Luancheng," before getting into the carriage, leaving Manager Luo behind.
... ...
Five taels of gold, that amounts to five hundred taels of silver. A top-quality steed is worth at most fifty taels of silver, and the entire post station earns no more than one hundred taels in a month.
Since he has been encountered by him, he cannot escape either
Not long after Zhao Di left Xuanyuan City by carriage, the Poly Pawnshop on Chang'an Street erupted in chaos
Bao Dazhu let out a cold snort; the type of wealthy young master was what he despised the most. Even when facing death, he remained so calm. Did he not know how to write the word 'death'? He shot a glance at the nearest thin, dark-skinned mountain bandit, who immediately shouted, "You can leave, but leave your life behind!" At the same time, he wildly brandished the broadsword in his hand, charging towards Zhao's territory.
Seven or eight bandits are robbing a carriage, and he just happens to be passing by. It is unclear whether this is Zhao's bad luck or the misfortune of these robbers
"Set an ambush at Luofengkou. Once the signal is given, act immediately and do so swiftly." Bao Dazhu promptly issued the orders.
The origin of our Xuanyuan City is quite remarkable. It was personally planned and constructed by Emperor Xuanyuan tens of thousands of years ago. The name of Emperor Xuanyuan is likely familiar to you, as he was a legendary monarch who nearly unified more than a dozen countries in the eastern part of the Tianyuan Continent by his own strength. Although the Daxia Empire he established had a relatively short history, lasting only about a thousand years, its influence was profoundly far-reaching. In his later years, Emperor Xuanyuan withdrew from political affairs and specifically built Xuanyuan City as a palace for his travels, ultimately passing away in this city. There are even legends that the tomb of Emperor Xuanyuan, which supposedly contains immense treasures, is located within Xuanyuan City, attracting many seekers over the millennia, yet no one has ever found it. Another theory suggests that Emperor Xuanyuan did not have a tomb at all. This legendary monarch was known for his peculiar ways, and it is possible that he did not engage in lavish burial practices. Emperor Xuanyuan was born into poverty, yet he possessed extraordinary talent. It is said that he had no parents, yet he could read and write at the age of one, practiced martial arts at two, and by three, his reasoning was more profound than that of adults. At five, he was recognized by the local magistrate for his quick wit and was appointed as an advisor. By six, his exceptional talent astonished the entire nation, and by ten, he was commanding the local government, becoming the leader of a state.
Manager Luo is quite capable, as he quickly dispatched the staff to buy food, drinks, and clothing, and arranged for a carriage and driver, sparing Zhao Di any further concern
Young Master, your appearance is striking and your demeanor is extraordinary; it is evident that you are a person of exceptional talent. Anyone who sees you would likely find it unforgettable for a lifetime. However, I, a humble person, feel that your face is unfamiliar, suggesting that I have never encountered you before. This must be your first visit to Xuanyuan City, correct? It is a pity that you have hired a carriage, which clearly indicates that you will soon be leaving this place. If you have time, I could take you to visit several famous historical sites in Xuanyuan City. Unfortunately, you have hired a carriage, which clearly indicates that you will soon be leaving this place. If you have time, I could take you to visit several famous historical sites in Xuanyuan City. I have lived in this city since childhood and am very familiar with everything here. Seeing that Zhao did not speak and was merely savoring his tea, but showed no signs of impatience in his eyes, rather a hint of curiosity, the shopkeeper Luo continued.
As Bao Dazhu was about to end the life of the car owner who was kneeling on the ground and pleading desperately, he noticed a richly dressed young master leisurely stepping out from the back of a carriage. With a languid tone, he said: "I haven't seen anything, and I won't say a word. You might as well let me pass. From now on, we each go our own way, and no one will interfere with anyone else." Although his words seemed to be begging for mercy, there was not a trace of fear in his tone.
This is no ordinary country boy; he is practically his own provider, a benefactor akin to a second birth
Zhao Di watched these bandits escape without any intention of pursuing them. He had no interest in administering justice against this group of mortals. Moreover, he was merely passing through this area and would soon be heading to the distant Liuyunfang Market, so he was not concerned about any potential risks from these people recognizing his face. Cultivators and mortals originally did not inhabit the same world.
What is this? Zhao Di discovered a strange small tripod beside the dilapidated cart, amidst a scattered array of gold, silver, and jade artifacts. This small tripod has three legs and two ears, along with a lid. Both the lid and the round body of the tripod are adorned with peculiar rune patterns, which, upon closer inspection, appear to be vividly lifelike, almost as if they are living beings. It resembles a magical tool used by cultivators, yet there is no sign of any spiritual light emanating from it. What truly astonished Zhao Di was that he had clearly seen this type of small tripod somewhere before; it felt extremely familiar to him, but he could not recall where at that moment. It resembles a magical tool used by cultivators, yet there is no sign of any spiritual light emanating from it. What truly astonished Zhao Di was that he had clearly seen this type of small tripod somewhere before; it felt extremely familiar to him, but he could not recall where at that moment.
In an instant, Zhao Di finally recalled when he had seen this tripod before
"Don't run!" This phrase comes from both the mountain bandits and those from Zhao. However, no one pursued them; the two drivers vanished in the blink of an eye, their speed in that moment seemingly rivaling that of the several fine horses they had trained.
The innkeeper was taken aback, grabbing the gold ingot to examine it closely; it was indeed a gold ingot weighing five taels
The wealthy young man sighed. The lean mountain bandit thought to himself, "Isn't it too late to sigh at this moment?" This was his last thought in the world.
On this day, as "Wind and Fire Leopard" Bao Dazhu was, as usual, monitoring the pedestrians and vehicles on the official road from a concealed spot on the mountain, he received a report from his scouts at the front line, stating that there were two horse-drawn carriages "with goods." Although these two carriages appeared somewhat worn, they were pulled by two horses, and there was only one driver. From the imprints on the compressed road surface, it was evident that the cargo inside the carriage was certainly not light. The scout also mentioned that if they were to take action, they needed to be swift, as not far behind was a carriage pulled by four horses, which would likely catch up soon. Although these two carriages appeared somewhat worn, they were pulled by two horses, and there was only one driver. From the imprints on the compressed road surface, it was evident that the cargo inside the carriage was certainly not light. The scout also mentioned that if they were to take action, they needed to be swift, as not far behind was a carriage pulled by four horses, which would likely catch up soon.
The few workers were also quite efficient; in less than half an hour, while Manager Luo was still enthusiastically recounting the legendary deeds of Emperor Xuanyuan, they had already prepared everything needed for Zhao Di.
Stop pretending, kneeling won't help. If you hand over the gold, I will kneel to both of you!
"Fenghuobao" Bao Dazhu is a minor bandit leader in the Sheyu Mountains. More than a decade ago, a female relative of his was insulted by a wealthy young man, and in her shame and anger, she nearly jumped into the river to end her life. After being rescued, she went to the authorities to accuse the wealthy young man, but somehow ended up being imprisoned in the county office for disturbing the peace. Bao Dazhu, who was robust and bold since childhood, possessed incredible strength and had a fiery temper. Upon hearing of this incident, he went to confront the wealthy young man for justice, only to be beaten to a pulp by the young man's bodyguards. In a fit of rage, Bao Dazhu set fire to the young man's entire family on a dark and windy night, and then fled to become a bandit near Luancheng, several thousand miles away.
"Scatter!" A bandit with a quick wit shouted this phrase, prompting all the bandits, including Bao Dazhu, to drop their heavy weapons and rush into the thickets on either side of the road
Manager Luo quickly thought of many adjectives to express his gratitude to the inconspicuous young man before him. He then hurriedly invited Zhao Di to take a seat in the main position of the shop and personally served him a cup of fine tea. Afterwards, he stood beside Zhao Di, instructing his assistants one by one to attend to the young master's needs. His demeanor was entirely that of a capable steward who had been accompanying this young master for many years.
The carriage came to a slow stop, and Zhao Di stepped out from the station. Before exiting the carriage, he scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense and was already aware of what had transpired
Manager Luo was not at all concerned; instead, he believed that the young masters of wealthy families should behave in such a manner, further reinforcing his judgment of Zhao's status in his mind
What! That kid is missing? What do you mean missing? Don't tell me that the injuries on both of you were inflicted by him. That kid clearly doesn't have the skills to fight; how could the two of you possibly lose to him? You two aren't trying to keep the twenty-five taels of gold for yourselves, using this ploy to deceive me, are you? Hmph, let me tell you, I was using this trick when you were still in your split-crotch pants
Zhao only cast a fireball spell when the bandit charged at him, instantly turning him to ashes. The other bandits were momentarily stunned by such a bizarre scene.
He picked up the small tripod and studied it carefully, discovering that there seemed to be inscriptions on the bottom. Upon closer inspection, Zhao Di gasped in astonishment, exclaiming: "Heaven and Earth! This is actually the term 'Heaven and Earth' from ancient script of a previous era!"
"There are strong men, run!" While Zhao was resting with his eyes closed in the carriage, he suddenly heard a startled shout from two coachmen. These two coachmen seemed to have rehearsed this many times, as they jumped off the carriage from both sides before it had even come to a complete stop, rolled a few times, and then took off running.