Chapter 1491: A Team Assembled

The ear-splitting gong momentarily drowned out the clamor, shaking dust from the rafters.

The tavern finally fell silent as the man spoke:

“We have gathered here specifically to elect a leader who will guide us in rooting out evil and punishing corruption! My name is Bo Shili, I hail from Pangcheng, and I am a disciple of Elder Shanbai from Taizhou. Today, I offer myself as a candidate, hoping for your support!”

Voices from around the tavern quickly chimed in: “Boss Bo is benevolent and acts with prudence; he is the most suitable candidate.”

“Our Boss Bo even fought alongside the Great Emperor Jiuyou…”

It was clear these were Bo Shili’s subordinates.

Before he could finish, someone from the back interrupted: “Fought alongside the Great Emperor Jiuyou? When was this?”

Everyone turned to see two strangers, burly men with dark complexions, who had appeared at the entrance.

The existing patrons looked tough, but these two newcomers looked even tougher.

“Who are you?”

The first burly man pointed to himself: “Weng Su, from Tonglin Manor.”

Then he pointed to the second man: “Weng Xing, from Tonglin Manor.”

Someone in the tavern recognized their names: “So, it’s the Weng Twin Fiends from Tujia Village!”

“Legend has it, there’s no fight they can’t win.”

Weng Xing puffed out his chest upon hearing this and asked Bo Shili a second time: “When did you fight alongside the Great Emperor Jiuyou? Tell us about it!”

“Thirty days ago, in the birch forest of Zhangshan,” Bo Shili replied smoothly. “The Black Armored Army was hunting down that wicked county magistrate of Zhangshan. We helped them intercept the fleeing magistrate and even fought a battle against the county troops, losing one of our brothers!”

“And?” Weng Xing scoffed. “You call that ‘fighting alongside’? Fighting alongside means brothers standing back-to-back, sharing life and death! At best, you merely provided a bit of assistance.”

In the burning hall of Xiaotao Mountain Villa, *they* were the ones who truly stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Great Emperor Jiuyou. That man named Bo, the Black Armored Army probably doesn't even know who he is, right?

Before Bo Shili could respond, his subordinates became indignant: “What about you, then? You probably haven’t even met the Great Emperor Jiuyou, have you? How dare you mock others, what gives you the right?”

“Who says I haven’t met the Great Emperor Jiuyou?” Weng Xing straightened his back. “My brother and I were in…”

Before he could finish, an elbow from his brother jabbed him in the side, almost making him cry out.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Weng Su whispered through gritted teeth in his ear. “That matter can’t be spoken of, it simply cannot!”

They had teamed up with the Great Emperor Jiuyou to kill Xue Zongwu, a high-ranking general of the Yao Kingdom!

But the matter was too significant; the Yao Kingdom was searching everywhere for the culprits, and they couldn’t let a single word slip.

“If it gets out, it’s just our two worthless lives, but we absolutely cannot implicate the Great Emperor Jiuyou!”

“Alright, alright,” Weng Xing grumbled, annoyed. *Ugh, he had done something so amazing, yet couldn't let anyone know!* It was like performing great deeds in secret, or having a pearl hidden in darkness!

“Where?” Bo Shili’s subordinate pressed them. “Go on, tell us! Or are you trying to make something up on the spot?”

That scoundrel truly deserved a beating! Weng Xing’s knuckles cracked as he clenched his fist, but he had to change his story: “Shizhou Tou! We helped him capture the man-eating demon king Zhao Guangzhi!”

“Then why didn’t I see you?” another person stood up. “I was in Shizhou Tou at the time.”

Weng Su pushed his younger brother back, thinking, *He doesn’t even know how to come up with a simple lie!*

“What were you doing in Shizhou Tou? Were you supposed to be Zhao Guangzhi’s provisions?”

At his words, some people in the audience laughed.

“Is that funny?” The man stared coldly at them. Only when the smiles sheepishly faded from everyone’s faces did he continue, “Zhao Guangzhi ate people, and his army ate people too! But he didn’t use them as provisions, because he preferred to kill and eat them fresh!”

The tavern fell silent.

“When it happened, I was under Captain Yang in Shizhou Tou, assigned to guard the city gate!” the man continued. “That night, we defeated the county magistrate who had returned to reclaim the city. But while Captain Yang pursued that corrupt official outside the city, Zhao Guangzhi launched a sneak attack on Shizhou Tou! All the soldiers guarding the city with me died in battle; only I miraculously survived!”

As he spoke, he lifted his shirt, revealing a long, deep, diagonal scar stretching from his ribs to his side abdomen. It must have cut into his belly, and there were several smaller scars nearby.

It looked like the wound was caused by a halberd or a trident-like weapon.

The injury was severe; he had truly cheated death.

“The healing medicine was also given by the Black Armored Army, otherwise the grass on my grave would be tall by now! After that battle, I truly understood how extraordinary the Great Emperor Jiuyou is—he eradicates evil, punishes villains, and saves countless lives!”

Weng Su said solemnly: “Brother, what is your name?”

“Luo Heng.”

Someone else asked him: “Why didn’t you stay in Shizhou Tou?”

Luo Heng pointed to his scar: “I faced death and returned to life, reborn! After this injury healed, my heart became restless. I didn’t want to stay in Shizhou Tou as a city guard! The world outside is vast; what can’t I do to make a living?”

These words resonated deeply with everyone, who all exclaimed: “Exactly, that’s the spirit!”

If they were content and submissive people, why wouldn’t they simply stay home and farm?

“I thought, if the Great Emperor Jiuyou could come and save me, then I can save others! He is a god, I am a man; of course, I don’t have his abilities, but I can certainly help those poor souls vent their frustrations!”

A round of applause filled the tavern.

Weng Xing asked him: “Do you have any family left?”

“None.”

Bo Shili cleared his throat: “Brother Luo spoke well, but we are powerless alone. Even a divine figure like the Great Emperor Jiuyou has a Black Armored Army under him! We must unite and form a team to deal with those shameless scoundrels!”

Luo Heng nodded: “If Boss Bo is the leader, I am willing to join.”

Inspired by him, many others quickly echoed their agreement.

Weng Su, meanwhile, studied Bo Shili, wondering what made him so good, and why others would accept him as their leader.

He certainly couldn’t compare to the Great Emperor Jiuyou, but the two brothers needed to find a capable team within the next few months. As Bo Shili said, fighting alone was too exhausting.

And it required too much mental effort.

Bo Shili then turned to them: “Weng brothers, what do you think?”

These two wandering swordsmen possessed formidable combat prowess, precisely the kind of muscle this motley group needed most right now.

Weng Xing immediately asked: “What abilities do you have that would make us follow you?”

“I’ve managed mines, established merchant guilds, served as a quartermaster, fought victorious battles, suppressed fierce bandits, and even killed two corrupt officials and their henchmen! In terms of cultivation, some here are stronger than me; but when it comes to raising a team, I believe I have some experience.” Bo Shili said calmly, “If anyone here has more experience in this regard than I do, feel free to stand up, and we can discuss it.”

His experience was indeed extensive. Everyone looked at each other, but no one stood up; even the Weng brothers rubbed their noses.

This seemed to be their weakness.

Oh, not just theirs, but seemingly everyone else’s weakness too.

Not just anyone possessed the potential to be a leader.