Chapter 169: Chapter 166: IQ Tax Paid, I’m Taking It All—The Men and The Loot

「At the cave entrance on the surface.」

The scar-faced brute glanced at the tactical watch on his wrist.

A savage grin he couldn’t suppress spread across his face.

"Twenty minutes."

"Even if those two kids were a Tier Two Demon Beast, after inhaling this much Mind-Bending Smoke, they should be as soft as a pile of mud by now."

The skinny man next to him had a fawning expression, his voice trembling with excitement.

"You’re brilliant, Boss! We’ll take them without a fight. We’re just going down there to pick up free money!"

"Cut the crap!"

The brute pulled a gas mask from his bag and roughly strapped it to his face. His voice came out muffled.

"Everyone, get your masks on tight! That stuff has a nasty kick. Don’t fucking get yourselves caught in it!"

"Understood!"

The five mercenaries swiftly put on their full-face gas masks.

Only their eyes were visible, bloodshot and burning with greed.

"Let’s go. Time to collect the bodies!"

The brute waved his hand, raised his long saber, and was the first to duck into the pitch-black entrance.

The group descended the stone steps in single file.

The dull HISS of the gas masks’ breathing valves sounded exceptionally clear in the dead-silent passage.

When they reached the end of the stairs, they saw the corridor ahead completely filled with a yellowish-brown smoke.

The last trace of caution vanished from the brute’s eyes.

’Smoke this thick... forget a person, even an iron rat would drop dead in here.’

"Once we’re inside, don’t be in a hurry to loot the bodies."

The brute ordered in his muffled voice.

"Cut the kid’s tendons first, both arms and legs. Don’t want him playing dead!"

"Don’t worry, Boss!"

The men stepped into the smoke without a care.

One step.

Two steps.

The gas masks did indeed perfectly filter out the neurotoxin they were so proud of.

But in all their scheming, they had overlooked one crucial detail.

The defense mechanism here was never poison.

It was illusion.

The mind-interfering particles of the Enchanting Array worked directly on the cerebral cortex.

It had absolutely nothing to do with whether your lungs were inhaling or not.

The moment the third mercenary stepped into the corridor...

...the brute at the very front stopped dead in his tracks.

He stared intently into the empty smoke ahead, his eyes first going vacant, then being replaced by a look of absolute ecstasy.

"Dragon Bone... It’s the Dragon Bone of a Tier Five Frost Giant Dragon..."

The brute muttered to himself.

His long saber fell to the ground with a CLANG, but he didn’t even notice.

He reached out with trembling hands, clawing and grasping at the empty air, embracing it.

It was as if he were surrounded by a pile of peerless treasures that could let him ascend to the heavens in a single step.

The skinny man behind him, however, looked as if he had just witnessed the most terrifying sight in the world.

He curled into a ball on the ground, shaking like a leaf, and instantly wet himself.

"Don’t kill me... Don’t kill me..."

The remaining three weren’t faring any better.

One was giggling foolishly at a wall, dancing and flailing his arms.

Another was ramming his head into the hard stone wall like a madman, producing dull THUDS.

In less than half a minute.

This squad of mercenaries, once so menacing and confident in their role as the predator lying in wait...

...was silently and utterly wiped out in the very "poison gas corridor" they had so carefully reinforced.

At the entrance to the stone chamber.

Han Feng watched the chaotic scene of writhing madmen and shook his head.

’With brains like that, they should’ve retired from the murder-for-profit business long ago.’

He held his breath as the Sword Essence within him circulated in an instant, sealing all the pores on his body and entering a state of internal respiration, like an unborn fetus.

Then, he strode into the smoke.

He walked up to the brute who was still lovingly embracing the empty air.

There wasn’t a single ripple of emotion in Han Feng’s eyes.

The man had a tactical chest pack and a hiking backpack, both bulging at the seams.

’Judging by how heavy they look, he was a pretty capable "porter" on this trip.’

With a thought, Han Feng acted.

An invisible ripple of spatial energy emanated from his palm and swept gently over the man.

The brute’s backpack and chest pack vanished instantly.

Next was the skinny man, then the third...

Han Feng strolled around as casually as if he were taking items off a supermarket shelf.

In an instant, the five mercenaries were stripped clean, left with nothing but their tattered combat fatigues.

After finishing his collection, Han Feng looked at the men in their gas masks and found them a bit of an eyesore.

’Since you like the air here so much, why not take a few more deep breaths?’

He reached out and ripped the gas mask off the brute’s face.

GASP—

The brute instinctively took a deep breath of the thick, yellowish-brown smoke.

His body, previously just in a mental trance, suddenly arched violently.

He began to convulse like a shrimp thrown onto dry land, foam spewing from his mouth as he collapsed limply to the ground.

Han Feng repeated the process, tearing off the masks of the other four men.

He left them to properly enjoy their final dreams in a state of double bliss, courtesy of the illusions and the neurotoxin.

Having done all this, Han Feng turned and went back into the stone chamber.

He took a spare gas mask from his backpack and put it on.

Then he took out another and secured it on the unconscious Wang Meng.

"Let’s go, Brother Meng."

Han Feng hoisted Wang Meng, who was like a dead weight, onto his shoulder and strode through the smoke-filled corridor.

The Enchanting Array was ineffective against him, and the gas mask blocked the poisonous smoke, so the two of them returned to the surface unimpeded.

Han Feng only let out a sigh of relief when a warm ray of sunlight once again touched his face.

He dropped Wang Meng on the grass, then walked over to the massive Lying Bull Stone.

He put his strength into his hands and unleashed his Sword Essence!

BOOM!

With a deep rumble, the multi-ton Lying Bull Stone, pushed by his Sword Essence, slid perfectly back into place.

The surrounding dry grass was kicked up in a cloud of dust, which then slowly settled, perfectly concealing the last trace of disturbance.

Unless someone got on their hands and knees with a magnifying glass, no one would ever know this place had been disturbed.

’As for those five unlucky bastards down below?’

’Since they loved that "Treasure Land" so much, they can sleep there for eternity.’

Han Feng dusted off his hands and didn’t rush to wake Wang Meng.

He found a grassy slope sheltered from the wind, sat down, and after confirming the area was secure, began to take stock of his haul.

With a thought, he took the invisible Void Stone from his clothes.

THUMP!

A small mountain composed of five large bags instantly appeared on the grass.

Han Feng didn’t touch the bags at first. Instead, he took out the cyan Jade Scroll he had found in the secret chamber below and placed it on his lap.

Looking at the pile of items before him, Han Feng’s thoughts were clearer than ever.

’This Jade Scroll is priceless, but it’s also a hot potato.’

’Its innate Spiritual Power fluctuations can’t be hidden from a true master.’

’Rather than hiding it away, I’m better off using it as a ladder to climb higher.’

’Get a new aircraft...’

The thought flashed through Han Feng’s mind.

His current "Hunting Falcon" was just a beat-up old jalopy that couldn’t bring out the true power of his Sword Control Technique.

If he could trade up to a standard-issue military Tier Three Fighter, his combat power would at least triple!

And this Jade Scroll was the perfect key to open that door.

If he handed it over to the Council, the merits and resources he’d receive in return would be enough for a massive upgrade.

Besides, in this world fraught with danger, every bit of strength humanity gained meant another bit of security for himself.

’But I can’t just hand it over for nothing.’

A sharp glint flashed in Han Feng’s eyes.

’This Jade Scroll is sealed with a Divine Sense Lock. Whatever’s inside must be a top-tier legacy.’

’If I can just unlock it first...’

’That’s what you call killing two birds with one stone.’

’Learn the skills, get the gear, and earn a reputation for being selfless.’

’This deal is a huge win!’

Having figured this out, Han Feng’s mood brightened, and he felt his Control Power over the newly-formed strand of Sword Essence within him had even improved slightly.

He casually tucked the Jade Scroll into the side pocket of his backpack, no longer trying to conceal it.

As for the transparent Void Stone, that was his real ace in the hole. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The thing was stealthy and practical, a perfect private warehouse. While valuable, it wasn’t enough to change the tide of a battle on its own.

He could keep it for himself with a clear conscience.

Tucking the Void Stone securely against his body, Han Feng stood up and walked over to Wang Meng, who was still fast asleep.

The guy was sleeping like a log, drooling a small river onto the ground.

He was even smacking his lips, probably eating something delicious in his dreams.

"Wake up! Stop sleeping! Time to split the loot!"

Han Feng gave Wang Meng’s butt a solid, but not too hard, kick.

"Who! Who’s stealing my money!"

Wang Meng shot up from the ground, his hand instinctively reaching for the axe at his side. His bull-like eyes were wide and round, his face filled with murderous intent.

But when he saw it was Han Feng standing in front of him, his ferocity instantly dissipated.

"Feng... Fengzi?"

Looking utterly baffled, Wang Meng scratched the back of his head. The back of his neck felt sore and achy.

"What happened to me? Weren’t we just underground? I remember I found a mountain of gold..."

"You were under an Illusion Technique," Han Feng said irritably.

"You were hugging a stupid rock like it was your wife, drooling all over the place."

"Huh?"

Wang Meng’s face flushed, and he stubbornly craned his neck.

"No way, my Will is pretty strong..."

"Strong my ass."

Han Feng pointed to the small mountain of spoils on the ground next to them.

"Take a look at that."

Wang Meng followed his finger.

When he saw the five familiar tactical backpacks and the pile of Spiritual Materials glowing with an alluring luster, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

He dove over and grabbed a heavy piece of Fire Copper Ore.

Then he looked at the backpack stamped with the Blazing Fire Mercenary Corps’ logo.

"Fuck! Aren’t these the bags of those bastards who tried to screw us over?"

Wang Meng’s voice trembled with excitement.

"Fengzi, you killed them all?"

"Didn’t kill them. Just let them reap what they sowed."

Han Feng briefly explained what happened, omitting the details about the Void Stone, of course.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Wang Meng’s face lit up as he listened, and he slapped his thigh.

"Those sons of bitches tried to smoke us out with poison gas, and ended up getting themselves killed instead! It’s like they say, what goes around comes around. Karma’s a bitch!"

He excitedly rummaged through the pile of spoils, making clicking sounds of admiration.

"We’re rich, we’re rich... We’re really rich this time! Just these materials alone can be exchanged for at least five or six thousand Spirit Coins!"

Han Feng smiled at Wang Meng’s money-grubbing expression.

He took the cyan Jade Scroll out of his pocket and weighed it in his hand.

"Brother Meng, there’s one more thing."

Han Feng said calmly, holding the Jade Scroll out to Wang Meng.

"I also found this in that secret chamber underground. Besides this, there was nothing else."

This was a test.

Although he had already decided to hide the existence of the Void Stone, this Jade Scroll was also priceless.

’Faced with such immense profit, how will Wang Meng react?’