65: Chapter 65 Raid on the Mountain Stronghold

Lin Muchen returned to Black Rock City and turned in the bounty mission.

The Mission Hall manager pushed a bag of Spirit Stones toward him.

“The bounty for exterminating Black Wind Stockade is 1,500 Spirit Stones. Count them.”

Lin Muchen didn't count them; he simply put them into his Storage Pouch.

“System, what's my current point total?”

【Current Point Balance: 6,504 + 1,500 (Bounty Reward) = 8,004 points.】

【Still 1,996 points away from exchanging for Human Refugees (10,000 points).】

Still two thousand short.

Lin Muchen walked out of the Mission Hall and glanced in the direction of Black Wind Valley.

“System, scan Black Wind Stockade again. Confirm how many people are still inside and their current state.”

【Scanning...】

【Remaining Bandits in Black Wind Valley: 23 people.】

【Cultivation Distribution: Qi Refining Stage Three to Six. No Foundation Establishment Stage.】

【Status: Chaotic.】

【Some are rummaging through the warehouse and the leader's secret chamber for valuables, while some are packing their bags to flee. The sentry posts are unmanned, and the defense System has collapsed.】

【Suggestion: Host can return to loot. It is estimated that a large amount of Spirit Stones, Materials, and the wealth accumulated by Black Wind Sha over many years can be obtained.】

Lin Muchen smiled.

“Let's go and pick up the leftovers.”

He left the city and headed toward Black Wind Valley once again.

This time, there was no need for stealth.

With his Foundation Establishment Stage speed fully unleashed, he reached the valley entrance in less than half an hour.

The System continued to scan.

“Are the two hidden sentries at the valley entrance still there?”

【They have evacuated.】

【No one is on guard within the valley.】

Lin Muchen walked in openly.

The wooden gates of the stronghold were wide open, and the inside was a mess.

Several Bandits were running out carrying bundles. They froze when they saw Lin Muchen.

“Who are you?”

Lin Muchen didn't waste words and waved his hand.

A fireball smashed toward them.

Boom!

The Bandit was sent flying along with his bundle, crashing into a wooden wall and falling silent.

The other two Bandits were scared witless.

“En—Enemy attack!”

They turned to run.

Lin Muchen moved his feet and caught up in an instant, the star dagger flashing with a cold light.

Puff! Puff!

The two fell to the ground.

“System, mark the locations of all Bandits and plan an infiltration route. Avoid crowded areas and find the warehouse and the leader's secret chamber first.”

【Marking complete.】

【Remaining Bandits: 20. Scattered in four locations: 5 near the warehouse, 3 near the leader's wooden building, 8 in the dormitory area, and 4 near the valley entrance (currently fleeing).】

【Optimal Route: Scale the wooden fence on the right and move along the shadows to the back of the warehouse.】

【No one is inside the warehouse, but two Bandits are guarding the door.】

【Weak Formation fluctuations detected in the secret chamber on the second floor of the leader's wooden building. Likely the treasure storage.】

“Got it.”

Lin Muchen's body flickered as Water and Wood energy covered his entire body, instantly concealing his presence.

Like a shadow, he flipped over the wooden fence and moved quickly along the shadowed areas.

The warehouse was just ahead.

Two Bandits at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining Stage were leaning against the door, arguing.

“Damn it, this is all the Spirit Stones left in the warehouse? It's not enough to split worth a damn!”

“Stop talking nonsense. Grab what's left and get out. When the people from the Criminal Investigation Department arrive, no one will be able to escape!”

Lin Muchen crept up behind them.

He raised his hand and his blade fell.

Before they could react, they collapsed.

He pushed open the warehouse door.

Inside were many boxes piled up, but they had already been rummaged through and were in disarray.

Some low-tier Spirit Stones and Materials were scattered on the ground.

“System, scan for valuable items.”

【Scanning...】

【Third wooden box on the left: 50 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones hidden in the lower layer.】

【Bottom shelf on the right: One unopened bag of ‘cold iron ore’, approximately 20 catties.】

【Sack in the corner: Contains 30 catties of ‘red copper ore’.】

【Total Value: Approximately equivalent to 800 points.】

Lin Muchen walked over and flipped the box open.

As expected, there was a hidden compartment below, with fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones shining brightly.

He put them all into his Storage Pouch.

cold iron ore, red copper ore—he didn't miss a single thing.

“Let's go to the leader's wooden building.”

He left the warehouse and crept toward the central wooden building.

There were three Bandits near the building, rummaging through things on the second floor.

Lin Muchen climbed in through a back window and went up to the second floor noiselessly.

The three Bandits had their backs to him, smashing at a cabinet.

“Damn it, why won't this cabinet open?”

“Use a blade to hack it!”

Lin Muchen walked over.

The three heard footsteps and turned around.

“You...”

Before they could finish speaking,

The star dagger drew three flashes of cold light.

The three fell to the ground.

Lin Muchen looked at the cabinet.

There was a lock on the cabinet door, but it had been hacked out of shape.

He reached out and pulled.

Crack.

The lock broke.

The cabinet was completely empty.

“System, scan for the location of the secret chamber.”

【Scanning complete.】

【The entrance to the secret chamber is beneath the bedboards, protected by a simple concealment Formation.】

【Cracking Suggestion: Use Metal attribute energy to pierce the Formation nodes.】

Lin Muchen flipped the bed over.

A wooden plank on the floor was a slightly different color.

He crouched down and pressed his finger against it.

Metal attribute energy surged out.

Buzz.

The concealment Formation on the wooden plank broke.

He lifted the plank, revealing a staircase leading downward.

He walked down.

Inside was a small secret chamber.

Several Magical Artifacts hung on the walls, and a few jade boxes were arranged on the shelves.

In the center was a table with an iron chest on it.

Lin Muchen checked the shelves first.

He opened the jade boxes.

The first: Three ‘Hundred-Year Blood Ginsengs’.

The second: A bottle of ‘Foundation Establishment Pills’, five in total.

The third: A Cultivation Technique Secret Manual, the Sha Body Art.

“The Physical Body technique Black Wind Sha practiced?”

He put it away.

Then he looked at the Magical Artifacts on the wall.

A demon head blade (Black Wind Sha's weapon), a Bronze Shield, and a long whip.

They were all Foundation Establishment Stage Magical Artifacts, but their quality was average.

Lin Muchen took them all.

Finally, there was the iron chest.

It wasn't locked.

He opened it.

It was filled with Spirit Stones.

At least two thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones and over a hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

There was also a pile of various miscellaneous Materials.

At the very bottom of the chest, an account book was pressed down.

Lin Muchen took it out and flipped it open.

Inside were dense records of the wealth Black Wind Stockade had plundered over the years.

As well as... a list of bribed officials and the amounts paid.

“Wang Zhen, Deputy Chief of the Black Rock City Criminal Investigation Department, received 5,000 Spirit Stones; provided intelligence on bandit suppression three times.”

“Li Hu, Captain of the Third Squad of the City Guard, received 2,000 Spirit Stones; allowed plundered convoys to pass twice.”

“Manager Zhang, insider at Lius Trading Firm, received 1,000 Spirit Stones; leaked cargo information.”

Lin Muchen raised an eyebrow.

“Good stuff.”

If this account book were handed over, Black Rock City would experience an earthquake.

He put it into his Storage Pouch.

“System, calculate how many points these things are worth.”

【Calculating...】

【Spirit Stones: 2,150 Low-Grade Spirit Stones (2,150 points), 162 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones (1,620 points).】

【Materials: cold iron ore, red copper ore, Blood Ginseng, etc. (800 points).】

【Magical Artifacts: demon head blade, Bronze Shield, Long Whip (600 points).】

【Pills: Five Foundation Establishment Pills (500 points).】

【Cultivation Techniques: Sha Body Art (300 points).】

【Total: 5,970 points.】

【Current Point Balance: 13,974 points.】

It's over ten thousand.

Lin Muchen felt a sense of relief.

Finally enough.

He turned and left the secret chamber.

Just as he walked out of the wooden building, he ran into five Bandits.

The five were carrying large and small bags as they ran out. They froze when they saw Lin Muchen coming out of the leader's wooden building.

“Stop! Who are you? What are you doing coming out of the boss's room?”

Lin Muchen didn't say a word and charged straight at them.

The expressions of the five changed.

“Attack!”

They dropped their bundles and drew their blades.

But they were too slow.

With Lin Muchen's Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, dealing with five Bandits at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining was like cutting melons and vegetables.

The star dagger swept through.

Puff, puff, puff, puff, puff!

The five fell to the ground.

Lin Muchen glanced at the bundles on the ground.

They were just clothes and dry rations—worthless.

He didn't stay any longer and quickly evacuated toward the valley entrance.

He encountered two more groups of Bandits on the way, seven people in total.

He killed them all.

Not a single one was left alive.

When he reached the valley entrance, the System prompted him.

【Remaining Bandits in the valley: Three. They have already fled through the mountain trail.】

【Pursue?】

“No need, I don't think I can catch up.”

Lin Muchen looked back at the stronghold.

“Set a fire and burn it clean.”

He took out two Fireball Talismans from his Storage Pouch and threw them at the wooden building and the warehouse.

Boom! Boom!

Flames shot into the sky.

Black Wind Stockade was reduced to ashes in the blazing fire.

Lin Muchen turned and left.

It was already late at night when he returned to Black Rock City.

He got a room at an inn and closed the door.

“System, bring up the exchange list. Human Refugees.”

【Exchange list expanded.】

【Human Refugees (Group of 100): 10,000 points.】

【Description: Includes a total of one hundred men, women, old, and young. Possess basic survival skills (farming, hunting, construction).】

【No cultivation foundation.】

【Initial loyalty level is ‘Awe’.】

【Exchange?】

Lin Muchen took a deep breath.

“Exchange.”

【Exchange successful.】

【points Consumed: 10,000 points.】

【Current Point Balance: 3,974 points.】

【Human Refugees have been deployed to the designated area on Origin Star (the border between the grasslands and the forest).】

【System Prompt: The spark of civilization on Origin Star has been officially ignited.】

【The refugees will automatically establish a settlement and begin survival and development.】

Lin Muchen's consciousness sank into his Dantian.

Origin Star.

At the border of the grasslands and the forest, a hundred figures suddenly appeared.

They wore coarse cloth clothes, their faces filled with confusion and panic.

But soon, several elders stood up and began to give orders.

The young men went to chop trees, the women went to gather wild fruits, and the children helped with carrying things.

A simple settlement was being quickly constructed.

Watching this scene, Lin Muchen had an indescribable feeling in his heart.

It was like... the seed he had planted had finally sprouted.

He withdrew his consciousness.

Outside the window, the lights of Black Rock City went out one by one.

But Lin Muchen knew that in the world inside him, it was only just dawn.