139: Chapter 139 Exploring the Village Topography

"No problem."

Facing Shen Lingfu's invitation, Chen Shanzhi readily agreed.

Are you kidding? Who wouldn't be happy to go shopping with a wealthy woman?

With the Young Pavilion Master of Treasure Pavilion footing the bill, even if he went to empty out half the shops in the Capital City, this little green tea girl probably wouldn't even blink.

Beside them, Jiang Feiyu was desperately chewing on a crab roe bun. Hearing their conversation, her clear yet foolish big eyes suddenly lit up.

She struggled to swallow the food in her mouth, nearly choking herself.

"So you can actually make an appointment so many days in advance?"

As if she had discovered a new world, Jiang Feiyu rushed over to Chen Shanzhi in a few quick steps.

With her hands on her slender waist, she tilted her pretty face up and announced loudly and confidently:

"Chen Shanzhi, then I want to make an appointment too!"

"I want to book you for... um... the next, next, next rest day!"

Jiang Feiyu counted on her fingers and, with great precision, scheduled her time after Shen Lingfu's.

Chen Shanzhi was stunned by her sudden action.

"Sure, an appointment is no problem."

Chen Shanzhi crossed his arms, looked down slightly at those big, expectant eyes, and asked seriously:

"But, what do you plan to do with a whole day of my time?"

"Huh?"

Now it was Jiang Feiyu's turn to be stunned.

What to do?

Right, what was she going to do?

She had been so focused on grabbing a slot that she hadn't given this profound question a single thought.

Jiang Feiyu bit her lip, her beautiful eyebrows knitting together as she began a frantic brainstorming session.

Go to a brothel to listen to music? That was a man's hobby.

Go shopping for clothes? Too tiring, and you can't eat clothes.

Go for a fight? Fighting on a rest day would be too unlucky.

After thinking for a full five or six seconds, Jiang Feiyu's furrowed brows finally relaxed, as if she had solved a problem of the century.

She suddenly looked up, her gaze incredibly determined, as if she were taking a solemn oath, and spoke five words with conviction:

"Go eat delicious food!"

"..."

Speechless, Chen Shanzhi raised his hand and massaged his forehead.

This woman is truly beyond help.

"Eldest Miss Jiang, is it really necessary to book a slot with me over ten days in advance just for a good meal?"

Chen Shanzhi rolled his eyes in annoyance and blurted out:

"If you want to eat delicious food, can't you just come to our Zhenguo Marquis Mansion?

I'll have the kitchen prepare a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast just for you. All you can eat!"

"Oh! Right!"

Jiang Feiyu had an epiphany and nodded vigorously, a brilliant smile instantly blooming on her face.

The food at the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion was one of the Capital City's finest!

Word was that the mansion even employed several old master chefs who had retired from the Imperial Kitchen!

What a bargain!

Seeing Jiang Feiyu's easily satisfied foodie nature, Shen Lingfu snorted disdainfully in her heart.

A fool is a fool, satisfied by just a single meal.

Chen Shanzhi ignored Jiang Feiyu and quickly scanned the area.

This time, their group had brought a total of six guards at the Xuanguan Peak!

And according to the red mission data from that adult game...

The top combat power within Shi Village consisted of only three Martial Artists at the Twelve Mysterious Apertures Peak and six at the Xuanguan Eleven Apertures.

The other Martial Artists were not worth worrying about.

"This time, we should be safe."

Chen Shanzhi thought to himself.

According to the map distribution recorded in the game guide, these experts from the God-Invoking Sect were not gathered together.

Some were patrolling the village entrance, while others were guarding the dungeon.

And Chen Shanzhi knew this information like the back of his hand.

"As long as we use the information gap to defeat them one by one..."

A smile played at the corners of Chen Shanzhi's mouth; wouldn't the points be easy to get?

"Now that everyone is here, let's not just stand around like door gods."

Chen Shanzhi pushed aside his thoughts and gave the order to set out with a decisive wave of his hand: "Let's go, time to get to work!"

...

The group didn't head straight out of the city; instead, they first went to the Refugee Area.

After all, the three peripheral members responsible for trafficking refugees were still in that abandoned courtyard.

For these six experts at the Xuanguan Peak, these few peripheral lackeys, who were at most at the Xuanguan Seven Apertures, were easier to deal with than crushing ants.

Chen Shanzhi and the others didn't even need to lift a finger.

The bearded man from the Murong Manor simply threw a casual palm strike from a distance.

The three men in the courtyard, who were drinking and bragging together, didn't even have time to scream before they were knocked unconscious by the overbearing Protective Aura.

Chen Shanzhi stepped forward with practiced ease and searched the three men one by one.

"Brother Chen, what should we do with these pieces of trash? Just kill them?" Murong Yun asked, eagerly drawing the sword at his waist.

"Killing them would only dirty our hands."

Chen Shanzhi expertly pulled three sets of Fine steel shackles, emitting a faint dark glow, from his Waist Token.

"Clink."

In no time at all, he efficiently locked the three unconscious men up tight.

These Fine steel shackles were no ordinary items.

These were Yellow Rank High Grade Treasure Artifacts specially issued by the Jiantian Division to Bronze-rank constables for capturing major criminals of the Martial Forest.

Once your hands were locked by these, no matter how many Xuanguan apertures you had opened,

the true essence in your body would instantly become as stagnant as mud, turning you into a completely powerless ordinary person.

The Jiantian Division's equipment was indeed useful.

"I woke one of them up just now, and according to his testimony,

because the number of people they've caught lately is small, Zhang Qing said he won't come back to the Refugee Area to collect people for another two days."

Chen Shanzhi dusted off his hands and said:

"Tie these three pieces of trash in the woodshed for now. Once we've taken down Shi Village, we'll come back for them and take them to the Jiantian Division to exchange for points."

After efficiently dealing with these small fry, he untied the sack full of people in the woodshed and settled the drugged refugees.

Chen Shanzhi didn't delay for a second, and the group followed the route toward Shi Village.

...

It was noon, and the blazing sun hung high in the sky.

In the wilderness about forty or fifty miles outside the Capital City.

Chen Shanzhi's party of ten galloped along the dirt road.

Finally, on the horizon ahead, the silhouette of Shi Village appeared in their sight once again.

Looking from a distance,

the weathered giant stone tablet at the village entrance, despite the scorching sun, didn't feel warm at all. Instead, it emitted a chilling, eerie aura.

The two bold characters for [Shi Village] looked as if they had been cast in blood.

"Everyone, stop."

Chen Shanzhi decisively raised his hand, signaling the team to stop.

The group lay low on a hidden high slope several hundred meters away from the village entrance.

Chen Shanzhi narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the village before him.

"Chen Shanzhi, how are we going to attack? Do we just charge in and steamroll them?"

Ouyang Wanqing silently crept up to his side and asked in a low voice.

Although they had brought six people at the Xuanguan Peak, her innate caution kept her from being blindly optimistic when facing a secret base of an unknown power.

"Steamroll? Do you think we're just going to the market to buy groceries?"

Chen Shanzhi rolled his eyes and calmly pointed to several hidden positions at the village entrance.

"See those two large willow trees at the village entrance? There are sentries hidden in the canopy. And that dilapidated thatched hut at the entrance—there should be sentries hidden under the roof tiles as well."

"If we charge in brazenly, those Demon People will sound the alarm immediately before we even reach the edge of the village!"

Chen Shanzhi's gaze was sharp, and the game map in his mind was frantically cross-referencing:

"Once the alarm is sounded, the Martial Artists in the village will immediately lead everyone out to surround us!

When that happens, even if we have six at the Xuanguan Peak, we'll definitely suffer a huge loss against a crowd of Martial Artists!"

Hearing Chen Shanzhi's analysis,

not only Ouyang Wanqing and the others, but even the six guards at the Xuanguan Peak following behind them, exchanged shocked glances.

How did the Heir of the Marquis of Zhenguo know the defenses of Shi Village so well?

He even knew about the sentries hidden in the trees and on the roofs?

"Then Brother Chen, how should we do this? Give the order; we'll all follow your lead!"

Murong Yun swallowed hard.

Chen Shanzhi expertly picked up a twig from the ground and quickly sketched out several key points in the dirt.

"These locations are what I scouted last night using the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion's intelligence network—the places where the village's sentries are located.

We'll split up first, avoid these spots, and scout the terrain around the village.

Then, once night falls, we'll sneak in and take out the sentries.

Then we'll capture someone to interrogate them about where the refugees are being held."

Everyone nodded, then set off with their respective guards to scout the terrain around the village.

Since Jiang Feiyu didn't have a guard, Shen Lingfu sent one of hers to accompany her.