Unbeatable Martial Emperor

C30 – Exiting the Mission

“Big brother, hold up a moment.”

As he approached Min Qi, Min Zhenkang called out to the bandit leader with a grin.

“What’s the matter, little bro?” The bandit leader turned, smiling back at Min Zhenkang.

“Check this out.” With that, Min Zhenkang gradually reverted to his true form.

“Aha, it’s you!” The bandit leader wasn’t shocked at the sight of Min Zhenkang’s real face.

The crowd around them stepped back at the sight of Min Zhenkang.

“You saw right through my disguise. I’m curious, why didn’t you seize me or just kill me outright? Are you that confident in your abilities?” Min Zhenkang could tell he had been found out by the look on the bandit leader’s face.

“Indeed. Even though I can’t discern your level of skill, I’m certain it’s less than mine. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have resorted to sneaking into the stronghold like this. Knowing your skill is less, I thought I’d wait and see what kind of game you were playing.”

“And, I’ve been wondering where the second-in-command got to.”

“Oh, really? Then how do you think my skills measure up to yours?” Just then, Min Qi stepped forward.

“Your deputy has already gone ahead to join your other brothers. He’ll be sending you to join them shortly!”

“You…” The sight of Min Qi sent the bandit leader into a panic, though he tried to maintain his composure.

“So, you’ve been plotting this all along. I walked right into your trap as soon as I left the stronghold.”

“Now you’re catching on, but it’s a little too late!” Min Qi declared.

“Brothers, it looks like there’s no peaceful way out of this. We fight them to the end!”

Realizing he had been duped, the bandit leader intended to use his remaining henchmen to stall Min Qi, hoping to gain time to make his escape.

“Attack!”

The henchmen, thinking they were cornered with only one way out and now facing Min Qi, knew their only chance was to fight their way through.

The bandit leader was aware that the night’s ambush was the work of these two, but he had no intention of informing his underlings. If they scattered, who would be left to fend off Min Zhenkang and his companions?

As the underlings charged in, the bandit leader showcased his martial prowess not to fight, but to flee.

“Uncle, let Zhenkang and me handle these underlings. You focus on the bandit leader, and we’ll come to assist you once we’re done here.”

“Alright, stay safe. Make sure to eliminate them all and avenge our brave men from the Min mansion.”

“Understood!”

Min Qi pursued the fleeing bandit leader, while Min Zhenkang and Min Qigang made quick work of the remaining underlings.

In no time, the two had dispatched all the thugs, and the confrontation with Min Qi was nearing its conclusion.

The bandit leader was desperate to escape and avoided engaging Min Qi. He continuously employed evasion techniques to dodge Min Qi’s relentless attacks.

But!

Min Qi was determined not to let him get away.

As the bandit leader desperately sought an escape, he had already been struck several times by Min Qi’s blows, leaving him gravely wounded and without any hope of survival.

“Hahahaha ~ To think you so-called virtuous folks would stoop to such vile tactics to take me down.”

Realizing escape was futile, the grievously injured bandit leader stopped running. He resolved to gamble his life in a deadly duel with Min Qi.

All the while, he edged closer to Min Zhenkang.

The bandit leader figured that if he could capture Min Zhenkang or Min Qigang, Min Qi would hesitate to strike, potentially giving him a slim chance to escape.

“Qigang, stay put. I’m going to help Dad.”

After Min Zhenkang and Min Qigang had finished off the bandit underlings, they were ready to join Min Qi.

“We should go together.” Min Qigang was eager to assist Min Qi but was held back by Min Zhenkang.

“No, your current level of skill could put you at risk if the bandit leader captures and controls you. It could lead to injury, and then Dad and I wouldn’t be able to face Second Uncle.”

“But what about you…” Min Qigang expressed his concern for Min Zhenkang, unaware of his true level of skill.

“Don’t worry, he won’t catch me!” With those words, he charged at the bandit leader.

At that point, the bandit leader and Min Qi were locked in a fierce battle. One fought for survival, the other to avenge the fallen guards of Min’s mansion. Both summoned their Martial Spirits: Min Qi’s was a four-star Camphor Pine, while the bandit leader’s was a three-star Red-eyed Spider.

As Min Zhenkang moved in for the kill, he too called forth his human-form One-star Martial Spirit. To this day, Min Zhenkang remained clueless about the true identity of his Martial Spirit; its face was an enigma to him, no matter how hard he tried to discern it.

“You think you can challenge me with a One-star Martial Spirit? You must have a death wish. I’ll crush your spirit with one swipe of my claw,” the bandit leader sneered upon seeing Min Zhenkang’s audacity to confront him, his anger boiling over from such disrespect.

“Better worry about yourself,” retorted Min Qi, as he unleashed a powerful palm strike.

Min Qi’s palm strike was merciless, freezing space, stirring the Profound Qi, and embodying the invincible spirit of a warrior. The bandit leader, realizing the gravity of Min Zhenkang’s attack, quickly countered with a punch to meet the oncoming palm.

“Meet your end!”

Min Zhenkang executed the second technique of the Shadow Sword Style — the Shattering Sword! Wielding an intermediate yellow-rank treasure artifact, he lunged forward.

“Poisonous Wind Palm!”

The bandit leader spun around to fend off Min Zhenkang’s onslaught. Though he managed to withstand both Min Qi’s palm and Min Zhenkang’s sword, he was no match for Min Zhenkang’s Martial Spirit.

With a resounding bang, the bandit leader was blasted away by the force of Xiao Yan’s Martial Spirit punch.

Thump ~ Thump ~ Thump ~

He tumbled backward, crashing through twenty to thirty towering trees that would take two or three people to encircle, before the momentum of the punch finally dissipated.

Thump!

After crashing through more than thirty towering trees and being hurled hundreds of meters backward, he finally hit the ground, kicking up a whirlwind of dust and leaves.

The Three-star Martial Spirit, the Red-eyed Spider, weakened under the bandit leader’s influence, was retracted back into his dantian by a branch from the Four-star Martial Spirit Pine.

Min Zhenkang and his companion pursued the bandit leader before he even touched the ground.

“Impossible! What kind of One-star Martial Spirit do you possess to wield such immense power?”

The bandit leader was a broken man, his bones shattered, incapable of movement.

Had he known that Min Zhenkang’s Martial Spirit had once clashed with the five-star Inferno Wolf without falling short, he would have preferred to face Min Qi’s palm strike or Min Zhenkang’s sword instead of that devastating punch from a mere One-star Martial Spirit.

Regardless of his choice, the outcome would have been the same.

“You needn’t concern yourself with that. It’s time for you to join your brethren,” Min Qi said, preparing to strike.

“No… please don’t kill me! I’ll give you all my treasures, just spare my life!” The bandit leader, realizing his fate was sealed, dropped to his knees, pleading for mercy.

“Die!” Min Qi was unmoved by the pleas, delivering a crushing blow to the bandit leader’s chest.

The bandit leader’s body slumped to the ground, signaling the completion of their mission.

All that remained was to deliver the bandit leader’s head to the castellan’s residence.

“The mission is done, and I trust Castellan Tang will honor his word. So, I won’t be returning to Steelgrave with you two. I must make haste back to Min’s mansion,” Min Qi declared after they had cleared the battlefield.

Concerned for the safety of Min’s mansion, he decided against going back to Steelgrave, opting instead to head directly to the Min family.

“Alright, uncle, just be careful on your way back. Take the less traveled paths; I worry the Jee family might lay an ambush for you on the road.”

“Mm, I’ll be careful. You two should also stay alert when you head back to Steelgrave.”

“Dad, take this with you. It should help support the Min family for some time.”

Min Zhenkang offered a ring to Min Qi.

“Is this a Storage Ring?” Min Qi was seeing a Storage Ring for the first time, having only heard about them before.

“Yes, this contains the wealth these bandits have hoarded over the years. Bringing it back to Min’s mansion should definitely boost the Min family’s strength.”

“Good.”

The riches within could elevate the Min family’s power substantially. With enough time, surpassing the Guo family wouldn’t be an issue.

“Zhenkang, I’ve heard that Storage Rings are marked with the original owner’s Spiritual Consciousness. It’s unusable by others.”

“And if someone tries to force it open, the ring could be damaged, and its contents lost.”

“There’s no need to worry, Dad. The Storage Ring is currently ownerless. You just need to project your Spiritual Consciousness into it, and it will automatically record your imprint.”

Min Zhenkang had already wiped the previous owner’s Spiritual Consciousness from the ring when he took it from the bandit leader.

“That’s excellent news.”

“Alright, I’m heading back to the Min family now. You two, be careful on your way back.”

“Sure, Dad. Take care as well.”

“Uncle, see you later.”

The trio split up, with Min Qi taking the Storage Ring back to Min’s mansion, while Min Zhenkang and Min Qigang returned to Steelgrave with the bandit leader’s head to complete their mission.

“Qigang, I’d like to run something by you.”

“Zhenkang, there’s no need for formalities between us. What’s on your mind?”

“Well, with the City Lord’s recommendation letter in hand, you should head straight to the Fang Sect for their disciple recruitment, don’t you think?”

“Why? I believe you should be the one to go with the recommendation letter. After all, you’re the beacon of hope for Min’s mansion right now.”

“Qigang, hear me out. You should take this to the Fang Sect. If I decide to join them, I’ll find another way.”

“Besides, I’m not too keen on being tied down, so even if I did join the Fang Sect, I doubt I’d stay long. It’s better if you go.”

Min Zhenkang knew that eventually, Min Qigang would have to leave Whalespell and Steelgrave. The Bacia Dynasty was too small to contain him, so he didn’t press the issue further.

“Alright, I’ll make sure to pass the Fang Sect’s disciple recruitment exam and become an official disciple.”

“Mm, I believe in you!”

They exchanged a knowing glance and shared a smile.

“Halt, who are you here to see?”

“Kindly let them know that Min Zhenkang requests an audience!”

“Just a moment.”

After being stopped by the guards at the castellan’s residence, Min Zhenkang stated his purpose, prompting one of the guards to hurry inside to deliver the message.

“Why are you here at the castellan’s residence instead of resting at the inn?”

Soon after, Tang Tian emerged from inside.

“I’ve finished the mission, so naturally, I’m here to check in!” Min Zhenkang said, giving his Bag of Heaven and Earth a pat.

“That was quick?” Tang Tian was taken aback upon learning that Min Zhenkang had already completed his mission.

He had seen him just a few days ago looking quite unwell, and now, in such a short time, he had managed to wipe out the bandits.

“Follow me.”

Tang Tian then led Min Zhenkang and his companion to his father’s courtyard.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

Tang Tian went inside to report their arrival.

In the meantime, Min Zhenkang and his companion took the opportunity to look around. The castellan’s residence was far from ostentatious; it exuded a sense of tranquility and grandeur.

“Zhenkang, do you think the city lord will give us a recommendation letter?” Min Qigang was still feeling uneasy. Could such an important figure truly take an interest in their affairs?

“Don’t worry, he will,” Min Zhenkang assured him with confidence.

“Oh.” Despite Min Zhenkang’s reassurance, Min Qigang couldn’t shake off his nervousness.

“Come with me.”

Tang Tian emerged from the courtyard, leading the two back inside.

“City Lord, we pay our respects.” Upon seeing Tang Guo, they both bowed in greeting.

“Have you completed your mission?” Tang Guo shifted his attention from the chessboard on the stone table to the pair before him.

Across from the castellan’s residence, a middle-aged man sat fixated on the chess game unfolding on the table.

“Yes.”

Min Zhenkang promptly retrieved a box from the Bag of Heaven and Earth, which held the bandit leader, and opened it to reveal the captive, who glared defiantly ahead.

“Good. Here is a letter of recommendation for you,” Tang Guo said, producing an envelope from his Storage Ring and handing it to Min Zhenkang.

“Keep in mind, this letter alone won’t guarantee your passage through the Fang Sect’s disciple assessment. Before the test, you should give this letter to someone named Bai Yue. He will ensure you’re entered into the examination.”

“Understood, and our thanks to you, City Lord,” Min Qigang responded, accepting the recommendation letter.