Translator: AnubisTL
"I really don't get you. What's the point of crafting two hundred Mortal Grade nets? They're only good for fishing in the lake..."Chu Youhuan couldn't help but complain as she looked at Gu Feng, who was beaming with joy."
Mortal Grade weapons are only suitable for cultivators below the Postnatal Realm. Those above the Postnatal Realm, wielding Spirit Artifacts, can easily shatter them with a single strike. They're utterly useless against smugglers.
"These Mortal Grade nets are meant to be shattered!" Gu Feng chuckled.
Hearing this, Chu Youhuan rolled her eyes.
Soon, the two returned to the swamp, where Wu Qi and the others quickly gathered around.
"We thought it would take you a few days to come back. Are the military Artifact Refiners that amazing? Crafting a Superior-grade Spiritual Weapon in less than a day?"
Gu Feng glanced slightly and then flung out a large net, hanging it on a nearby vine.
The net was three meters square, entirely black, half-submerged in the swamp, blending perfectly with the swamp's color, making it indistinguishable to the naked eye.
Just as Gu Feng was about to speak, A Fei's honest voice came from beside him, "Is this the net we'll use to catch smugglers?" Let me test its strength!"
Before Gu Feng could stop him, there was a loud bang. The net hanging on the vine was pierced by A Fei's spear, leaving a hole.
All seven Runes on it exploded, and the entire net cracked like a spiderweb, shattering the next moment.
A Fei was dumbfounded, and the other cultivators were equally stunned. Chu Youhuan beside him gently stroked her forehead, utterly speechless.
"A Fei, what are you doing!" Gu Feng shouted. In this financially precarious situation, every Spirit Stone was precious, and this fool had just destroyed a Mortal Grade weapon he bought for fifty thousand Spirit Stones.
"I... I just wanted to test the net's strength. Who knew it was so trash!" A Fei pouted.
"This is a Superior-grade Mortal Grade weapon. Could it withstand your full strike? Brains are a good thing, you know!
Unauthorized damage to military property—these fifty thousand Spirit Stones are on you."
Helplessly, Gu Feng flung out another net. "You must be wondering, what's the use of such garbage nets? "Without waiting for their response, Gu Feng continued, "Used alone, these are indeed garbage nets." But when combined with other items, they become the ultimate Mystic Artifact for catching smugglers!"
"Yan Xixi, Bao Shaoqiong!"
The two women stepped forward at his call.
"Research whether you can craft a powdered drug with the following functions: no noticeable odor or one that blends with the swamp's smell; it should adhere to the human body upon contact and last for at least an hour; preferably, it should have a distinct color that we can track..."
Gu Feng expected the two women to take a long time to come up with an answer. To his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, Yan Xixi promptly replied, "Yes!"
"Huh?"
Gu Feng was taken aback and then asked in surprise, "Did you already know my plan?"
Yan Xixi smiled faintly, shook her head, and then pulled Qi Tingting out from the crowd. The latter hung her head, as if too embarrassed to show her face.
"This morning, I asked Tingting to help me catch a few 'Black Blood Toads' living in the swamp. I wanted to see if I could extract something useful from these Demon Beasts for pill refining, and it turned out like this!"
As they spoke, Yan Xixi gently lifted Qi Tingting's head, and Gu Feng almost burst out laughing when he saw it.
Qi Tingting's once smooth face was now covered in black specks, resembling sesame seeds, making her look particularly funny.
"Is this the work of the 'Black Blood Toad'?" Gu Feng asked with a twitch of his lips.
"To be precise, the black spots on Tingting's face are caused by a liquid secreted from the skin of the 'Black Toad.' It's not highly toxic, but once it gets on you, it will take at least twelve hours to fade," Yan Xixi explained with a light laugh.
"That's amazing! Perfect timing, just when I needed it most!" Gu Feng grinned, feeling like this was exactly what he needed at the moment.
"Brothers and sisters, I have a plan..."
Gu Feng's plan was simple: use a large net as a trap, set up in the swamp, similar to the method previously used by the officers.
The only difference was that he intended to coat the net with a layer of powder.
If any smugglers were caught in this superior-grade mortal net, whether it was themselves or their companions, their first instinct would be to break the net.
After all, it would be too easy, just a single strike.
Once the net burst, the special powder would scatter and cling to the cultivators' bodies, allowing them to track their targets.
Everyone's eyes lit up upon hearing this.
"Great idea! If it were a superior-grade spiritual weapon, the smugglers might not bother breaking it, but with a superior-grade mortal weapon, it's a different story," Wu Qi clapped his hands and laughed.
"If the smugglers get covered in the powder, they'll be like a beacon in the dark. As long as their strength isn't too overwhelming, we'll definitely be able to surround them," another cultivator nodded in agreement.
"Maybe we should add something to the powder that's easily identifiable in the swamp."
"Something that glows would be best!"
"..."
At this point, all problems were no longer problems. Adding something like fluorescent stone powder to the mixture would be too easy.
"Next, does everyone know what to do?"
"Capture the 'Black Blood Toads'!" everyone shouted in unison.
"Then let's get moving!!!"
The 'Black Blood Toads' had a strong reproductive ability, with each spawn producing hundreds of offspring. They were highly adaptable to the swamp environment and had low combat power, making them easy to capture.
"Everyone, pay attention! When you catch a 'Black Blood Toad,' aim for its head when killing it. It's best to let it struggle for three breaths so that it secretes more liquid before it dies!" Yan Xixi loudly reminded everyone.
Gu Feng sat on a vine, sipping Spirit Wine, watching the busy crowd with a grin on his face.
Chu Youhuan, sitting nearby, pouted because the cushion under Gu Feng's butt was her exclusive weapon—the silver broadsword.
According to Gu Feng, the black whip he carried wasn't comfortable to sit on, but the broadsword was just right.
"What if this plan fails? What then?" Chu Youhuan walked over and sat on the broadsword as well, asking softly.
"Fail? That's impossible!" Gu Feng replied with a confident smile, his eyes gleaming with determination.
...
On the third day, Yan Xixi and a few other Alchemists had prepared the special powder needed for twenty large nets.
After a quick test, they began setting up the traps.
"Everyone, remember the locations of the traps and avoid stepping on them."
Gu Feng led the group to carefully select several spots between the border and the mainland, where they set up twenty large nets.
This position was just right—once the smugglers stepped into the traps, they would be caught in a dilemma, unable to retreat or advance, giving the team ample time to capture them.
To ensure they could detect any movement in the traps immediately, Gu Feng also placed bells within the nets!
"Senior Sister Chu, take a team and wait in the center of the swamp. Wherever there's movement, charge there!" Chu Youhuan, being the only Innate Realm cultivator present, held an absolute advantage in combat strength, making her the perfect candidate to guard the center.
"Senior Sister Meng, you also lead a team and guard the area closest to the mainland, mainly to prevent the smugglers from retreating!"
"Senior Brother Bai, since you're familiar with this group of passionate youths, I'll have you lead a team and guard the border to prevent the smugglers from forcing their way through!"
"..."
Gu Feng arranged everything in an orderly manner. The Senior Sister Meng and Senior Brother Bai he mentioned were both peak Postnatal Realm experts. With them guarding the two ends of the swamp and Chu Youhuan sweeping through the center, it would be difficult for any marked smugglers to escape this net.
Of course, the main issue remained unresolved—there was no guarantee that the smugglers wouldn't throw their Storage Rings into the swamp.
This was also a headache for Gu Feng, but there was no other way. He had no Spirit Stones left either.
He was gambling, betting on the smugglers' momentary hesitation. Not everyone could decisively abandon their Storage Rings.
After all, they still had employers behind them. Even if they escaped his punishment, they might not escape their employers' retribution.
"Gu Feng, I added a bit of mind-affecting drug to the powder. It should help, though it won't have much effect on higher-level cultivators." Yan Xixi, aware of the importance of this matter, used her skills to assist as much as she could.
"Mm, don't worry. My luck isn't that bad. Maybe we'll catch a big fish on the first day!" Gu Feng laughed lightly.
Time passed, and before they knew it, several hours had gone by. Just as Gu Feng thought they would have no harvest for the day, a jingling sound perked up his spirits!
"They're here!"
In the mist, scattered footsteps and the sounds of fighting could be heard. These sounds lasted only about a quarter of an incense stick's time before abruptly stopping.
"How was it? Any success?"
Looking at Chu Youhuan as she walked over, Gu Feng asked in a low voice.
"Look at my sorry state..." Chu Youhuan frowned, signaling Gu Feng to look at her appearance.
At this moment, Chu Youhuan was covered in swamp mud from her feet up to her waist, with even her face splattered with some, making it look like she had fallen into the swamp.
"Sigh—it's fine. We'll try again next time. You've worked hard!" Gu Feng forced a bitter smile. Had they failed?
"Do you think I'd be this disheveled if I hadn't caught anything?" Chu Youhuan smiled faintly, opening her palm to reveal a Storage Ring, her expression brimming with pride.
"This... we succeeded?" Gu Feng was overjoyed.
"The smuggler, realizing he was no match, tried to throw the storage ring into the swamp. Senior Sister Chu swiftly ended him with a single strike, then leaped out of the swamp and managed to retrieve the storage ring just before it disappeared!" a female cultivator exclaimed loudly.
Gu Feng looked at the mud-covered storage ring with a serious expression, his tone carrying a hint of reproach: "In the future, seize the storage ring first, then kill! Otherwise, if word gets out, it could easily be used against you, and you might be charged!"
In a way, the border was similar to the outer sect of the Sunset Glow Sect, with strict regulations. If you caught a smuggler with solid evidence, you could execute them on the spot. But if you killed someone without first securing the storage ring and proving they were a smuggler, it could lead to accusations of indiscriminate killing. Military law was merciless, and Gu Feng didn't want such a thing to happen.
"Yes, I understand," Chu Youhuan replied softly, her eyes flickering. Unlike her usual self, she didn't retort but instead lowered her head and responded quietly.
"Come, come, let's see what we've got this time!" Gu Feng pulled everyone together. After Chu Youhuan erased the mark on the storage ring, she opened it directly.
Inside, they were greeted by a mountain of alchemy materials and some unidentifiable artifact crafting materials.
"This purple crystal is a crafting material called 'Violet Zenith Sand,' abundant in the southern regions of Chu. It's specifically used to forge superior-grade spiritual weapons."
"This yellow, root-like spirit herb is called 'Yellow Su Bamboo.' It's rare even within Chu and can be used to refine mid-grade recovery spirit pills."
"This..."
"Hahaha, we've struck gold! The items in this storage ring could easily sell for millions!"
"To think we've gained so much from just one net cast—what could the future hold?"
"My heavens, I've struggled all my life and never seen such wealth."
"We've come to the right place—the swamp is a paradise!"
"..."
After identifying some of the items, everyone erupted in excited shouts.
Though Gu Feng didn't shout, he clenched his fists and swung them a few times in triumph. A good start was half the battle—this was definitely going to be a success!
Beside him, Chu Youhuan's flawless face blossomed into a smile. At that moment, it felt as if sunlight had pierced through the foggy swamp.
"Our first bucket of gold is here—let's keep going!"
"Yes!!"
(End of the Chapter)
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