[Ding! Congratulations, host! You drew the 'Broken Spatial Ring'!] [Broken Spatial Ring: A spatial backpack similar to the Buddha's Kingdom in the Palm, capable of storing a vast quantity of items. Unfortunately, it is incomplete.]
As the system notification sounded in his mind, an entirely black ring of antique design appeared on Ning Que's finger.
The occasional gleam across its surface hinted that this ring was anything but ordinary.
"A treasure like a spatial storage ring..."
Ning Que stroked the ring and murmured.
This was good stuff.
As the saying went, before an army marched, its provisions went ahead.
Sufficient provisions meant stockpiling and transporting enormous quantities.
Long journeys, combined with uncontrollable factors such as the weather and terrain, inevitably left provisions, weapons, and other supplies damp or damaged.
They also made conspicuous targets.
Once the enemy discovered the supply shipments following the army and destroyed its provisions, cutting off its supplies...
The battle was practically ninety-five percent lost.
But with this ring, things were different. He could put provisions and weapons inside and carry them with him.
He could also take them out whenever needed.
Ning Que closed his eyes and willed it.
His consciousness entered the Spatial Ring.
He discovered that the space inside was extraordinarily vast!
"The Broken Spatial Ring? Does that mean it can be repaired and upgraded?"
Ning Que clicked his tongue in wonder.
Even 'broken,' it has this much space. How big would the interior be once it was fully repaired?
[Ding! As this draw was free, the host's Karma Points remain unchanged. Would you like to draw again?]
Just then, another system notification sounded in his mind.
Ning Que opened the draw panel and discovered that the prize pools were divided into tiers.
The low-tier, mid-tier, high-tier, and supreme prize pools cost 200/1,000/10,000/50,000 points respectively.
With his current Karma Points, he could only draw from the low-tier prize pool.
"Continue."
The wheel spun.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You spent 200 Karma Points and drew Gold-Backed Broadsword ×50, Serrated Spear ×50, and Rosewood Bow ×50!] [They have been deposited in the Spatial Ring.]
Ning Que: "..."
Did I just draw a whole pile of weapons?
Ning Que examined them carefully. The weapons he had drawn were superbly crafted, all of the finest quality.
He had no use for them himself.
But if he had a force of elite soldiers under him, these would be a tremendous addition!
Through these two draws, Ning Que gained a rough idea of what the different prize pools contained.
Judging by their Karma Point costs, the low-tier prize pool most likely contained practical items.
The mid-tier prize pool would contain somewhat more advanced items.
As for the high-tier and supreme prize pools, their costs each added a whole zero compared with the previous two tiers.
The things inside those pools surely would be extraordinary!
Ning Que rubbed his hands together.
Perhaps his gambler's instincts were acting up, but he was itching to see what the high-tier and supreme prize pools contained.
"I still need to save up Karma Points..."
Ning Que sighed.
Unfortunately, right now there were only two of them: him and Yin Jiuyou.
No matter how well they fought, never mind facing cavalry-even against more than a hundred well-trained soldiers, they would struggle to break out of an encirclement!
"Men. I need more men!"
While thoughts raced through Ning Que's mind, Yin Jiuyou stood by the window, seemingly waiting for something.
Before long, a black crow flew over.
A small tube was tied to one of its legs.
Yin Jiuyou removed it and took a look, his brows immediately knitting tightly.
"What is it?"
Ning Que asked.
"The brothers from the Qingzhou Branch can meet up with us today, but they've run into a problem..."
Yin Jiuyou's voice was low. "They encountered flooding on the road, and quite a few weapons and pieces of equipment were washed away. If we're going to act, we have to solve this problem!"
Ning Que considered it. "Let's get the men here first. We can work out the weapons later. There'll be a way."
He did not immediately mention the weapons.
Yin Jiuyou studied Ning Que for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Juzi."
"To meet up with the brothers from the Qingzhou Branch, we'll have to pass through Black Kui Ridge..."
Black Kui Stronghold.
It stood in the winding Black Kui Ridge, more than twenty li north of Lotus Town.
Originally, the ridge had not borne that name. It had been nameless.
But after Qian Kuidou settled there and made himself king of the mountain, he had named the whole ridge "Black Kui" while he was at it.
No matter who you were, whether a merchant association or an armed escort...
If you passed through Black Kui Ridge, you had to pay a toll.
The moon was dark, and the wind was high.
Not long after Ning Que and Yin Jiuyou entered Black Kui Ridge, a band of mountain bandits surrounded them.
Every one of them held a cleaver and looked like a savage demon.
Their leader was tall and burly, wielding two broad axes. A long scar, like a centipede, ran across his face and straight through one eye.
He stared viciously at Ning Que and Yin Jiuyou and gave a sinister chuckle. "Brats, trying to cross Black Kui Ridge without paying a toll? You must think nothing of our Black Kui Stronghold..."
Squish!
Before he could finish his threat, however, Yin Jiuyou slashed his throat.
[Ding! Flowing Sand member Yin Jiuyou killed a mountain bandit leader. Karma Points +10.]
Even in death, the bandit leader never realized that he had run into an iron-hard opponent today.
"Big brother!!"
"Boss!!"
The other bandits were stunned at the sight.
The next moment, they charged like madmen with no regard for their lives.
Naturally, they were slaughtered as well.
[Ding! Flowing Sand member Yin Jiuyou killed mountain bandits ×18. Karma Points +90.]
"Hmm... Not bad. Ten Karma Points for a bandit leader, five for each of the others."
Ning Que was very satisfied.
Since leaving Lotus Town, the people they killed had grown either more important or stronger.
The Karma Points they earned rose like boats lifted by a rising tide.
Ning Que patted the head of the sole survivor. "'I opened this mountain,' was it? 'I planted these trees,' right? Tell your stronghold chief to come see me!"
Beside him, Yin Jiuyou suddenly slapped his forehead. "Juzi, I forgot! We didn't need to fight just now. Simply announcing the name 'Gathering and Scattering Quicksand' would have scared ordinary bandits to their knees!"
According to Yin Jiuyou, Gathering and Scattering Quicksand was currently the greatest underground organization in Great Li. Even divided as it was now, ordinary mountain bandits could not hope to challenge it.
Of course, there were also people in remote rural areas who had never heard the name "Flowing Sand."
Ning Que said, "Let's just fight. If we can avoid talking, we will."
"Understood!"
Inside Black Kui Stronghold, not far away.
Lights blazed, festivities filled the air, and the fragrance of wine drifted everywhere.
The tables were laden with fine wines and delicious dishes. The leaders of Black Kui Stronghold gathered together, devouring meat in great mouthfuls and drinking wine by the bowl.
After downing a large bowl of fine wine, the stronghold chief, Qian Kuidou, gave three hearty laughs. "Brothers, life is looking up for us! Who would've thought that magistrate father of mine would someday come asking me for help?"
"An official asking bandits for help? Hahahaha... What a laughingstock!"
"Doesn't that mean our chief can sit on the magistrate's head and order him around?"
The bandits roared with fawning laughter.
"Chief, the portraits County Magistrate Qian sent of the two murderers have arrived!"
Just then, a bandit brought in two pictures.
As it turned out, County Magistrate Qian had already had rough likenesses of Ning Que and Yin Jiuyou drawn based on accounts from the townspeople who had witnessed the scene.
Qian Kuidou glanced at them casually and was about to speak.
Suddenly, a bandit covered in blood rushed in, utterly panic-stricken, and cried, "Chief! S-something's happened!"
"The boss... The boss and the others have all been killed!!"
"What?!"
Hearing this, Qian Kuidou flew into a rage, his face dark as stagnant water. "Who has that much nerve? They even dared to kill men from my Black Kui Stronghold!!"
Since he had claimed the mountain as his kingdom, nothing like this had ever happened!
Qian Kuidou was furious.
He immediately led a great crowd of men toward Black Kui Ridge.
From a distance, he saw two figures standing there, seemingly waiting for someone.
A lackey behind Qian Kuidou immediately pointed at them and exclaimed, "Chief, aren't those the two men in the portraits?"
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