Chapter Two Hundred and Eighteen – Spoils of Victory
The entire battle gradually lost meaning.
Seeing that their own side was at a disadvantage, the leader did not hesitate to find a solution – surrender!
With a rattle, everyone surrendered. Gongsun Cha’s face was shocked but the other xiuzhe looked as if this was completely normal.
What would they do if they didn’t surrender? Escape? In the present Little Mountain jie, unless they were jindan, any xiuzhe would be targeted if they were alone. Fight to the death? Then the group would be crippled. A crippled group either would be killed or swallowed by someone else.
Surrendering was a loss of face, but at least they were not losing their lives.
This leader long knew the importance of this. Moreover, this group clearly did not have many people but were very strong. Rather than being swallowed by another group, it was better to go with this kind of group. Their days would be better. These days, weren’t people just looking for a way to survive in Little Mountain Jie?
This loud and noisy battle ended like this.
———
When Zuo Mo saw Gongsun Cha come back with a large group of captives, he was very shocked. As expected of a crazy battle-maniac. This efficiency was frightening! Before he could be happy, when he saw the thirty something captives, he grimaced inside.
His consciousness would have to bleed greatly again … …
———
Bao De was the head of this group. When he heard the head of the other side was going to set in jinzhi in his body he couldn’t help but shudder. Compared to those with no sect, he had come out of a little sect and knew more things than normal people.
Wasn’t it only jindan that could set down jinzhi? Was there a jindan elder here?
His heart became scared. In Little Mountain Jie, jindan were an invincible existence. Then he became puzzled. If jindan wanted to gather people, then he only needed to stand in the open and people would flock to him. There was no need to engage in fighting; everyone would have already surrendered.
But when Zuo Mo appeared in front of him, he was stunned.
The person putting down the jinzhi was a guy that had just broke through to ningmai first stratum! He was instantly discontent. Jinzhi meant that his little life was on that person’s hands. If he did not comply, the gentlest punishment was his cultivation would decrease, the most serious would be the destruction of his soul.
His little life was grasped within the hands of a guy that just broke through to ningmai?
However, he also knew his present situation. He didn’t understand. Was there someone behind this guy who supported him? Otherwise, why would so many people that were stronger than him obey him? He thought inside but he didn’t dare to show the discontent on his face.
No way about it. The losers could not be brave. Becoming other people’s prisoners, they didn’t dare to have any other thoughts. When he saw that Gongsun Cha who was standing silently by the side with a light and soft smile, he instantly discarded all his thoughts.
———
Zuo Mo was very familiar with jinzhi now. Quickly, all thirty people’s lives were in his hands.
However, after putting down thirty jinzhi, he lost a lot of energy, looking somewhat drooping.
“How many people died?” Zuo Mo asked.
“Twelve, all the zhuji died.” Gongsun Cha’s mood wasn’t good. Even though they had achieved victory, and the primary backbone was not damaged, but he was not satisfied with this result.
Zuo Mo sighed, his mood slightly down.
“At least we won,” Gongsun Cha didn’t have much confidence when he said this.
The mood became slightly heavy. The troubled world was like a copper cauldron, no one could escape. Zuo Mo decided to change the topic.
“Did you find ling grains?”
“No,” Gongsun Cha shook his head.
Zuo Mo almost spat blood. Originally, he wanted this group to use battle to feed battle, to steal ling grains from other people to lighten his load. Who could have thought that they had come back with thirty something people but no ling grains. He had just expended large amounts of consciousness and now had to care of thirty something more mouths.
He had really lost!
“Aren’t there any gains you made?” Zuo Mo was like a tomato after the frost, as he asked weakly.
“We’ve gotten some items. But I don’t really understand their functions, so Shixiong can pick,” Gongsun Cha blinked his plum flower sized eyes that sparkled as he said innocently.
From the numbers, Gongsun Cha had gotten many things. Piled up together, it was a little mountain.
Flying swords, talismans, jade scrolls, and materials. They all dazzled the eyes.
Zuo Mo glanced and was quite surprised. The great majority were not worth anything, but there were some good ones. This had been the collections of ningmai xiuzhe. They had some good items.
Zuo Mo’s eyes were very experienced and acted quickly. After flipping and picking, he divided the little mountain into several piles.
He pointed at a pile of flying swords and talismans, saying, “This batch isn’t bad. Go and divide it among them. Only if they are properly equipped can their battle strength increase.”
Gongsun Cha was full of admiration. Shixiong was really someone who could do great things. He had followed Shixiong for this long, and his eyes were not as experienced as Shixiong; but he could generally detect the quality. The flying swords and talismans in this piles were all pretty good. If they could be sold, that would be an enormous sum of jingshi. He hadn’t expected Shixiong to take it out.
This generosity, this breadth of mind … …
“To get the horse to run, we have to feed the horse grass,” Zuo Mo said meaningfully.
The admiration in Gongsun Cha’s heart reached a peak. It seemed that he was still too new. His level was not enough compared to Shixiong!
“Think of it as wages. They have to put their lives up. It won’t be right if they do not get anything,” Zuo Mo smacked his lips, and rubbed his chin, “In any case, this batch can’t be turned to jingshi and will only take up space.”
When Gongsun Cha heard the last part, all the admiration instantly dissipated.
This was more like Shixiong … …
For some reason, he found he had relaxed; his entire body easing itself of tension.
“Oh, right,” Zuo Mo picked out a jade scroll from the piles of jade scrolls, “There’s not much in this batch of jade scrolls other than this one. This one has some content related to battle generals. You take it to use as reference.”
“A bit of relation to battle generals?” Gongsun Cha instantly became excited and took the jade scroll.
“The materials are useful,” Zuo Mo said to himself as he looked at the little piles in front of him. “The rest can only be given to Lil’ Pagoda. We can store the jade scrolls, open them to all of them for free? Oh, they don’t take up space.”
Speaking of jade scrolls, he suddenly remembered something, “I have a fifth-grade movement method here. I probably won’t have the time to practice it. Give it to someone to use. The stronger they are, the safer we are. As to how to divide it, you can think.”
“Okay!” Gongsun Cha was slightly surprised that Shixiong could take out a fifth-grade movement method but did not hesitate in nodding. He agreed with Shixiong’s words.
After dividing up the spoils, Zuo Mo told Gongsun Cha again to look for yin fiend grounds. Everyone knew that time was tight and didn’t waste words. Gongsun Cha took the pile of talismans and flying swords and left.
———
Zuo Mo summoned Lil’ Pagoda, and pointed at the pile of talismans and flying swords as he took up a jade scroll to read.
This jade scroll was the only thing that he was interested in of this entire batch of spoils. There wasn’t much high level content in the jade scroll. What it was were some basic methods of making puppets. Now that Zuo Mo was somewhat skilled in formations, it was much easier to learn about puppets, and it wasn’t hard to read.
He had never encountered puppets before. Seeing them now, he found them novel. There were several places that were very unique. To his joy, he found that the puppets could solve the problem of his manpower.
Low level puppets did not have intelligence and could only accept the simplest and most basic commands. Those high level puppets were not much different than people. puppets that were forged with secret methods were not breakable, were as fast as the wind, and functioned as the best subordinates.
No wonder so many people liked puppets.
Of course, these subordinate type puppets were very hard to forge. But Zuo Mo did not think of those puppets. His eyes were set on the easily made low level puppets.
These guys didn’t have any great use, but they could barely manage to do some rough and menial labor.
He suddenly thought of an idea. With Little Mountain Jie so chaotic right now, the population drastically decreasing, the mines that had existed before wouldn’t have grown feet! The ling veins would have been corroded, but what about the ore veins?
He became more excited the more he thought, his brain extremely clear. Now that it was this chaotic, there was no one that was willing to spend time mining. If the ore veins were not infected and did not belong to anyone, and he went to mine them, no one would care. As for manpower, he could use puppets!
He suppressed the excitement in his heart and started to calculate.
It was not very hard to make the simplest puppet, and what it consumed were very low level materials. He had the power to make them.
Deep in thought, Zuo Mo did not notice Lil’ Pagoda greedily sucking in talismans and flying swords.
When the last talisman flew inside Lil’ Pagoda’s body, Lil’ Pagoda suddenly stopped moving.
———
“Rewards based on achievements?” Lei Peng thought he had heard it wrong, laughing scornfully. “Don’t dream. Food that’s been swallowed, who would throw it back up? Even more, our group has jinzhi, who wouldn’t listen? Who would be so dumb to spend on us?”
Nian Lu said in a rush, “But it’s true. Happening this afternoon! Supposedly, there is a fifth-grade movement method.”
“Ha ha! You’re killing me!” Lei Peng pointed at Nian Lu and then turned to say to Zong Ru. “Listen! Fifth-grade movement method! My ass! Fifth-grade movement methods are not lettuce, and given easily to us sheep. I say, Old Nian, you should understand the market. A fifth-grade movement method, that’s enough for those f***ers at Clear Sky Sect to let you pass. This kind of good thing, people will give it to you for free?”
Zong Ru said cross legged like an old monk in meditation, dignified. He pretended to not listen. Dhyana xiu were very rare in Little Mountain Jie. They cultivated the body and their abhinna. What Zong Ru cultivated was not some high level dhyana scripture, and so he had not formed an abhinna yet. However, his cultivation was rock solid.
He usually had few words, his personality silent and calm. In battle, he was like a whole other person, abnormally ferocious.
The three of them all had different personalities. Lei Peng was fiery like a fire, similar to a bandit. Nian Lu was of a lively temperament, optimistic and easygoing.
Now that Lei Peng said this, Nian Lu felt disbelieve rise as well. Fifth-grade movement method, it was enough to become the ultimate spell for a little sect. Who would give something like this for free?
Fortunately, time did not pass slowly. It quickly reached noon.
All the people, including the thirty that had just been captured were gathered together.
Everyone knew Lil’ Miss definitely had important things to announce.
Translator Ramblings: Gongsun Cha’s respect for Zuo Mo flew up into the sky and bombed back down.
Bao De represents his fellows in being discontent at being led by someone less powerful in cultivation. However, even if it one on one, Zuo Mo will probably be able to beat him.
I totally mangled the translation but I have no idea what is another way of saying you get rewarded based on how much service you did/ how many people you killed.