Unbeatable Martial Emperor

C27 – A Small Fortune

“I’ll have a proper talk with you when I find the time. For now, head back to your room; I need to visit the Patriarch.”

“Alright.” Youyou reluctantly made her way back to her quarters.

“Someone bring that miscreant to me,” commanded Luoyang, seated in the grand hall.

“At once, sir!”

Soon after, Gong was hauled in front of them.

“Rouse him.”

A guard fetched a bucket of icy water and doused Gong’s head with it.

“Ah!” Gong cried out in pain, jolting awake.

The first sight to greet his eyes was his father’s furious face. It was then that Gong realized he was back at the Jee family estate, surrounded by the family’s elders.

Once he grasped the situation, Gong began to inspect his body. The shock of what he discovered made him pass out—only to be revived once more by another cold bucket of water.

“Ahhh! Zhenkang, you’ve destroyed my ability to cultivate. I, Gong, will be at odds with you for life.”

Gong’s roar of fury echoed throughout the Jee household, revealing to the family that Zhenkang had stripped Gong of his cultivation, reducing him to a powerless cripple.

“Father, you must seek vengeance for me. You must kill Zhenkang. And not just him—you must wipe out everyone from the Min mansion in Whalespell,” Gong pleaded between sobs to Luoyang.

“Silence, you disgrace! If you hadn’t antagonized Zhenkang, would our family be facing such disgrace?”

Luoyang was seething with rage, desperately seeking an outlet. Yet Gong had the audacity to beg for revenge.

Seeing his father’s reaction, Gong clamped his mouth shut, but the loathing in his eyes for Zhenkang only intensified.

“Take this wretch to the celestial prison. He is not to be released without my express command. Defy this, and face the penalty of death!”

“Father, please don’t throw me into the dungeon, I implore you!” Upon hearing his fate, Gong scrambled to Luoyang’s feet, desperately clinging to his legs.

The Jee family’s heavenly prison was far from an ordinary cell; it served as a dire punishment for those within the family who had gravely transgressed. This grim dungeon was teeming with all manner of toxins, and its captives were relentlessly bombarded by both celestial lightning and the scorching heat of subterranean flames.

No one confined within its walls could withstand its tortures for more than ten days. Most were claimed by the lethal poisons within two or three days, their bodies subsequently eradicated by the elemental forces of lightning and fire.

Upon hearing he was to be cast into this hellish prison, Jee Gong knew that given his current state, he wouldn’t last even half an hour before meeting his demise. This grim realization drove him to desperately cling to Jee Luoyang’s legs, unyielding to the kicks and blows that sought to dislodge him.

“Patriarch, though the Second Young Master has erred grievously, consignment to the heavenly prison is too harsh a sentence. I implore you to show mercy and spare his life,” the Great Elder, fully aware of the prison’s horrors, entreated on Jee Gong’s behalf.

In that tense moment, none of the other elders dared utter a word. Only the Great Elder, with his unparalleled stature within the clan, had the authority to address Jee Luoyang directly.

“Father, I beg of you, please don’t send me to the heavenly prison,” Jee Gong pleaded.

As Jee Luoyang remained silent, the Great Elder quickly interjected once more.

“Patriarch, might we consider an alternative form of punishment for the Second Young Master? Perhaps he could be made to ingest Bone Devouring Powder. If he survives, then I beseech you to forgive his transgressions. Should he fail to endure, let it not be said that he bore any ill will towards you.”

“Bone Devouring Powder! Great Elder—” The mere mention of the Bone Devouring Powder snuffed out the flicker of hope that had sparked within Jee Gong. Ingesting it was akin to feeling one’s bones gnawed upon by venomous creatures, and the agony was inescapable. Even attempts to numb oneself to the pain would leave the sufferer acutely aware of the torment inflicted by the powder.

Moreover, employing Profound Qi in an attempt to purge the powder was futile; it would not only fail to alleviate the suffering but would amplify the pain a hundredfold. Such excruciating torment was beyond the threshold of human endurance.

Once he ingested the Bone Devouring Powder, he had no choice but to summon his willpower to withstand the agony, holding on until the drug’s effects wore off.

“Second Young Master, it’s your choice: face the horrors of the Heavenly Prison or endure the excruciating pain of the Bone Devouring Powder,” the Great Elder said, his face devoid of emotion as he regarded Jee Gong.

“Fine, I’ll take the Bone Devouring Powder.” Jee Gong assessed his options. A certain death awaited him in the Heavenly Prison, whereas the Bone Devouring Powder, though potentially fatal, offered a sliver of hope for survival.

Jee Luoyang let out a disdainful snort but added nothing more.

Even a tiger wouldn’t devour its offspring. Despite his disdain for Jee Gong, Jee Luoyang couldn’t deny the bond of father to son.

“Someone fetch a dose of the Bone Devouring Powder,” commanded the Great Elder.

“At once!”

Shortly, a guard delivered a jade bottle containing a dark green pill into the Great Elder’s hands.

“Second Young Master, if you would,” he said, extending the jade bottle to Jee Gong.

Jee Gong instinctively recoiled at the sight of the pill within the bottle, but realizing there was no escape, he shakily took the bottle. His resentment toward Min Zhenkang deepened. Should he outlast this ordeal, he vowed a gruesome end for Min Zhenkang and the eradication of the entire Min family in Whalespell.

With a cry of anguish, Jee Gong swallowed the pill from the jade bottle, and soon his screams of torment echoed throughout the Jee household.

The harrowing sounds persisted for over two hours before coming to an abrupt halt.

……

“Ugh…”

“Zhenkang, you’re finally awake!” Min Qigang, who had been keeping vigil, rushed over upon hearing the sound.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in an inn.”

“I’m alive? The Jee family patriarch didn’t kill me?”

He was baffled that the Jee family patriarch had spared him.

“The Jee family patriarch indeed intended to kill you, but Miss Tang Tian was prepared to wage war against the Jee family to save you, preventing the patriarch from making his move.”

Min Qigang recounted to Min Zhenkang all the events that unfolded after he had passed out.

“You’re pretty fortunate, you know, to have crossed paths with someone as kind as Miss Tang. If not for her, ten lives wouldn’t suffice against the Jee family patriarch’s wrath.”

“I never realized how loyal she was before. How did that slip by me?”

“Has the Jee family made any moves against us?”

“No word from Dad yet, but I doubt it. Miss Tang has warned the Jee family a few times not to mess with Min’s mansion. I bet they wouldn’t dare provoke us just yet.”

“That’s a relief.”

“How long was I out?” Min Zhenkang suddenly remembered something crucial.

“Five days.”

“Good, there’s still time.”

“Time for what?” Min Qigang was confused.

“To wipe out the bandits! How else am I going to secure Castellan Tang’s recommendation letter?”

“Are you still hung up on that? We should be figuring out how to shake off the Jee family’s hit. Sure, we’re safe for now, but in twenty days, we’ll be out of the castellan’s residence’s protection. If the Jee family comes after us then, even the castellan won’t be able to intervene!”

“Once I have the recommendation letter from the castellan, we won’t have to worry. Besides, the Jee family is after me, not you.”

“Sigh… You’re too rash.” Min Qigang was at a loss for words with Min Zhenkang.

“How’s Dad?”

“Your uncle’s recovering next door. He got his meridians damaged by Jee Gong last time. Thank goodness Miss Tang sent over some Healing Pills; otherwise, his recovery would’ve taken much longer.”

“I’m becoming more and more indebted to her,” Min Zhenkang mused.

“Qigang, take these two Healing Pills to Dad. They should have him back on his feet in no time.”

“Okay.” Min Qigang accepted the pills and headed to Min Qi’s room.

Min Zhenkang then took another Healing Pill from his Bag of Heaven and Earth and began to heal his own wounds.

Deep into the night, Min Zhenkang finally concluded his healing session. By now, his injuries had healed by half, a fortunate turn due to the Profound Qi ceasing its outward surge from his dantian while he was unconscious. Meanwhile, the Profound Qi within was gradually mending his damaged meridians.

“In another two days, I should be fully recovered.”

Casually, Min Zhenkang pulled out two Bags of Heaven and Earth from his own. These belonged to the Second-in-command and Jee Gong.

At this point, Min Zhenkang was flat broke. The contents of the bags were meager: a few second-grade Pills and two pieces of paper. One was a Bag of Heaven and Earth Formation Diagram, traded for a Fire Dragon Flower at the Union, and the other was the enigmatic piece of parchment he’d acquired at the auction.

Upon opening Jee Gong’s Bag of Heaven and Earth, Min Zhenkang’s eyes nearly popped out of his head!

Inside were four or five low-level Profound Rank martial arts techniques, including one that topped the low-level Profound Rank category. There were also at least twenty to thirty Yellow Rank martial skill formations.

The Pills were plentiful—dozens ranging from first to third grade. While not the highest quality, their sheer number meant they could fetch a considerable sum of Mysterious Stones if sold.

The bag also held one intermediate-level Profound Rank spiritual weapon, four low-level Profound Rank spiritual weapons, and over a dozen Yellow Rank treasures.

But the real treasure was the mountainous pile of Mysterious Stones, which he estimated to be worth at least several hundred thousand.

In an instant, Min Zhenkang’s fortunes had turned.

For someone who had always been scraping by, the concern for Mysterious Stones was now a thing of the past.

“He really was a spendthrift, carrying around all these martial skills, formations, and weapons as if afraid others wouldn’t know his wealth.”

“But then again, if he hadn’t carried all this, how would I have struck it rich overnight?”

Min Zhenkang was grinning so wide he could hardly close his mouth.

Having transferred everything into his own Bag of Heaven and Earth, he eagerly reached for the second-in-command’s bag.

The contents brought another smile to his face.

Just two low-level Profound Rank martial arts manuals, and a mere six at the Yellow Rank.

The only weapon was a mid-level Yellow Rank treasure artifact.

But the real treasure was the Mysterious Stones—by a rough estimate, there were at least two to three hundred thousand of them.

It seemed the Second Manager had stashed his entire fortune inside.

Once Min Zhenkang moved the items from the Second Head’s bag into his, his own Bag of Heaven and Earth bulged satisfyingly.

“Man, I need to find a way to get a bigger Bag of Heaven and Earth,” he mused.

With a nonchalant flick of his wrist, Min Zhenkang tossed the two bags out the window, making sure to throw with enough force to avoid any trace back to him.

The bags shot off in opposite directions toward Steelgrave, disappearing from sight.

He had considered burning the bags, but with the universe contained within and their complex materials, trying to destroy them with Sun Devouring Demonic Fire was laughable—too much effort for no gain.

One bag, unfortunately, landed smack on a beggar’s head as he passed by.

Stunned by the blow, the beggar’s head buzzed, and he nearly passed out.

Regaining his senses, the beggar scooped up the Bag of Heaven and Earth, thinking his luck had turned, but his hopes plummeted when he found it empty.

With a sigh, he pocketed the bag, hoping it might still fetch some coin in the future.

The other bag landed on a rooftop.

Back in his room, Min Zhenkang sat on the bed, intently checking his body. Profound Qi had surged from his dantian twice now.

The first was during pill refinement, a mere trickle of Profound Qi before his dantian fell quiet again.

Suddenly, a massive surge of Profound Qi erupted within him, catapulting his combat abilities to the point where he could take on opponents beyond his level.

What mysteries lay within his dantian, and from whence did this Profound Qi originate?

Regrettably, Min Zhenkang, currently at the Martial Spirit Stage, couldn’t inspect his dantian directly and had to rely solely on his intuition to make any assessments.

Following this anomaly, Min Zhenkang’s cultivation level astonishingly advanced to the fifth level of the Martial Spirit Stage.

To leap from the first to the fifth level in under ten days was an unprecedented rate of progression!

Should those so-called prodigies catch wind of this, they might be green with envy, perhaps even wishing they could throttle Min Zhenkang themselves. Could this even be considered a humanly possible rate of breakthrough?