Chapter 171: Which grandson came up with such a vicious plot, causing me to cannibalize my own men?
At this moment, the Prince in Northern Hebei was already furious in madness.
“F*ck! Damn court, daring to offer a reward for my men, allowing fellow martial artists to come and kill them! Do they really think I’m a paper tiger that can be bullied at will?”
“Your Highness, please calm down!” Mr. Zhuge behind him trembled and said.
The Prince of Northern Hebei became even angrier: “How can I calm down? I’ve worked so hard to train these soldiers, and more than a thousand of them have been killed! I haven’t made much money, and a third of my men are dead! If this continues, in less than half a month, everyone will be dead! Are you going to compensate me for all my efforts?”
Mr. Zhuge was scolded to the point of being speechless. He lowered his head and said, “Your Highness, since we have already been discovered by the court and suffered heavy casualties, we might as well recall them!”
“Absolutely not! If we recall them, our mansion will have no money. What will we eat and drink? Can you solve these problems?”
The prince arrogantly said, “Moreover, if we recall them now, wouldn’t it mean that I, the king, am afraid of the court? Afraid of the niece sitting on the Nine-Five Seat? Therefore, I must confront the court head-on!”
“But, Your Highness, the casualties will be enormous…” Mr. Zhuge said earnestly.
“You don’t have to say any more. I have made up my mind!” The Prince of Northern Hebei said in a fit of rage.
Just then, a servant came to report.
The Prince of Northern Hebei tidied himself up, adjusted his mood and expression, and became affable and friendly, saying, “Let them come in!”
A group of martial arts heroes walked in, and they all greeted in unison, “Greetings, Your Highness!”
The Prince of Northern Hebei greeted them with a hearty laugh, “Haha! My dear friends from the martial arts world, I was just thinking about you and preparing to invite you for tea and chat, but I didn’t expect you to come first. Isn’t this a wonderful coincidence?”
“It is!” The group of martial arts heroes laughed.
“Haha!” The prince laughed again, and his laughter filled the room, making everyone’s mood pleasant.
“My friends, you all came together. Is there something you need?”
“Report to Your Highness, we have come to bid farewell to you!”
“Farewell?” The Prince of Northern Hebei immediately asked with concern,
“Did I not entertain you well?”
They quickly waved their hands, “Your Highness, you misunderstood! We have been living well here, enjoying ourselves so much that we have forgotten our homes! If it weren’t for a major event happening, we wouldn’t want to leave!”
“Oh? What major event is it? Tell me, and perhaps I can help you solve it!” the prince said considerately.
“Your Highness, it’s not actually a major event!” one of the righteous heroes, with a righteous appearance, smiled and said, “The court has issued a wanted list, calling for everyone to kill bandits! Killing the bandits not only earns money but also gains fame! This action truly suits my taste. Although I’m not happy with the court, they have indeed done a good thing! I thought there was nothing to do recently, so I also went to kill bandits. By doing so, I can eliminate harm for the people and gain the reputation of a bandit-slaying hero. Isn’t it wonderful?”
The prince’s smile gradually froze, “You’re going to kill the bandits?”
“Yes, we are all going to kill the bandits! I had the intention before, and then I found out that everyone else had the same idea, so we decided to go together and kill the bandits, haha!”
“Not only can we earn some pocket money, but we can also gain fame and help the people. It’s a win-win situation!”
“I know many martial artists who have participated and become heroes in killing bandits, their reputation spreading throughout the world! I can’t stand it, their strength is not even comparable to mine, so why should their reputation surpass mine? So I will kill a few bandits, brush up my own reputation and surpass them!”
“Let’s take over all the top ranks on the Hero List, won’t that become a legendary tale?”
“That’s a great idea! But I think the top hero position belongs to Hero Mohe River!”
“Modesty, modesty, haha!”
…
The more they talked, the more excited they became, as if they had already reached the top of the Hero List.
However, the prince’s face became darker and his mood worsened.
Is it considered self-cannibalization to let these heroes kill the bandits?
Using the heroes he had recruited with great difficulty to kill the soldiers he had painstakingly trained?
And if they acted, would his soldiers have any chance of survival?
The prince’s heart was filled with anxiety and he said anxiously, “Heroes, there’s no need to trouble yourselves with such trivial matters, you don’t have to go, right?”
However, the intention of the martial arts heroes to go had already been decided.
“Rest assured, Your Highness, we are just going for the fun!”
“It will only be 10 days to half a month at most, and even if it’s slow, we will be back within a month. It won’t delay any major matters!”
“Moreover, it’s very close to the mansion. We can come back in two or three days!”
“Take care, Your Highness. We’ll see you again!”
“We’ll be going!”
…
They bid farewell and left, leaving behind a confused prince and a bitter military advisor.
Mr. Zhuge forced himself to speak, “Your Highness, recall them! If they don’t return, there will only be a dead-end, and they will die at the hands of their own people! Can you endure this humiliation?”
“Ah!” The prince went into a frenzy, smashing things around.
“Damn it! Which cunning grandson came up with such a rotten idea?”
“Causing me to cannibalize my own men, this is absurd!”
“I can’t coexist with you anymore!”
Mr. Zhuge tried to speak, “Your Highness…”
“Quickly summon them all back! If it’s too late, you’ll be responsible!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
However, the bandits had already dispersed and couldn’t be recalled just by wanting to.
In the Northern Hebei region and its surrounding areas, numerous martial artists had gathered, guarding various checkpoints, waiting for the bandits. As soon as they detected them, they would attack and kill them to gain credit and fame.
These bandits, who were once arrogant and rampant, are now pathetic and miserable.
They are running around like rats being chased by people.
Sometimes, in order to avoid being hunted, they even hide in the deep mountains and forests, starving and feeding on mosquitoes for days.
And the Hero List is almost being refreshed every day.
The top-ranked hero for killing bandits has already surpassed 200 heads!
Even the heroes at the bottom have a high number of bandit kills. Even the lowest ranked 10th place has surpassed 100!
The difference between them is not significant, and the competition is fierce!
Almost every day, a group of people would be waiting at the government’s office gate.
“Look, that’s Hero Mohe River! He has only been here for two days, but he has already killed over 80 bandits with incredible efficiency! He will probably make it onto the Hero List today!”
“And there’s Hero Jin, his strength is also very strong. He has been dominating the list for four consecutive days, very powerful!”
“And there’s Hero Wandao, his sword is very fast! It is said that he once single-handedly faced a group of forty to fifty bandits and killed them all with just two or three strikes, very remarkable!”
“Look! That’s Niu Mowang (Bull Demon King)!”
…
Everyone turned their heads and saw a tall, masked man walking in.
Niu Mowang can be said to be a legendary figure on the Hero List.
Since he climbed onto the Hero List, he has never come down.
His strength is formidable, so everyone admires him.
In addition to his tall stature, mask-wearing appearance, cold expression, and the title of Niu Mowang, he stands out and has gained numerous fans and admirers…
So when he came, he immediately attracted the attention of many people.
Niu Mowang had long been accustomed to all of this.
Ignoring the worshipful gazes of the crowd, he carried a bag full of bloody palms and entered the government’s office.
“I’ve come to report!”
“I’ve got a total of 31 bandits. The harvest is not bad this time! Congratulations, Hero Niu Mowang, I have a feeling that you might make it to the top 3 on the Hero List this time! Well done!” an Six Doors official welcomed him with a smile.
“Thank you!” Niu Mowang’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
He glanced at the Hero List, his gaze determined, and clenched his fist!
He not only wanted to rank in the top 3, but also wanted to reach the top and become the great hero of bandit extermination!
“This is 310 taels, keep it!”
“Thank you!”
Niu Mowang took the money and turned to leave.
He wanted to continue killing bandits and increase his kill count to become number one!
In less than a week, over 2000 bandits had already been eliminated.
The remaining bandits dared not commit crimes and could only hide to avoid being killed.
As time went on, more and more people from the martial world joined, but the number of bandits being killed decreased, causing everyone’s killing speed to slow down.
The rankings on the Hero List gradually stabilized.
However, to everyone’s shock, there was still one person steadily rising.
That person was Niu Mowang. Every day, he would consistently bring back several bandits’ palms, constantly updating his accomplishments.
Although it was much less compared to before, it was still much better than everyone else.
Someone asked him, how did he find those bandits?
Niu Mowang fell silent for a moment and said, “Perhaps it is my talent!”
He grew up in the jungle, so his facial features and instincts were trained to be as sensitive as beasts, and he could even understand the language of animals.
So, relying on this special skill, he found one nest of bandits after another in the deep mountains and forests, eliminating them all and turning it into his own accomplishments.
After three more days, no bandits could be found, not even by Niu Mowang himself.
Thus, the imperial court solemnly announced: the grand bandit extermination operation was over!
The people on the Hero List could all be called heroes who exterminated bandits, and the court would post a notice to spread their glorious names throughout the world!
Among them, Niu Mowang, with his formidable feat of being the number one in enemy kills, ranked at the top of the Hero List and was hailed as the great hero of bandit extermination, his name admired by all.
“Congratulations, Hero Niu Mowang!”
The officials collectively congratulated him, “From the moment we saw you for the first time, we knew you were extraordinary! I didn’t expect you to not only become a hero who exterminated bandits but also ascend to become a great hero. This is truly remarkable!”
“Thank you all! Thank you!” Niu Mowang was extremely excited, trembling all over.
Clasping his hands tightly, his goal had finally been achieved!
So, could he…
An official smiled, “Hero Niu Mowang, our court promises that as long as you become a great hero who exterminated bandits, our court can fulfill one not too excessive condition for you! Please tell me, what is your request, and I will report it to the empress! The empress is wise, and she will definitely fulfill your wish!”
“Thank you!” Niu Mowang took off his hat and tore off the face cloth on his face, revealing his true identity.
Everyone was shocked when they saw his face, “You, you, you are…”
“As you can see! My wish is…”
