In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

Zhang Jing looked at the bronze cauldron in the center, which resembled an alchemy furnace, and immediately felt curious and wanted to open it.

Previously, in the Murong family, such a pill cauldron contained many miraculous pills that could increase one's cultivation level.

As the bronze cauldron opened, a flash of golden light shot out and hurtled towards Zhang Jing's face.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Jing was terrified, her face turning pale.

However, the ferocious venomous snake, with its mouth wide open, stopped just three inches from Zhang Jing's face.

The one who caught the venomous snake was a slender, jade-like hand, which belonged to Hongxiao, the seemingly charming guest from before. Her jade hand had already grasped the snake's neck.

"Are you trying to die?!"

This is a Bosochorda snake, and a specially fed medicinal snake at that, with venom several times stronger than that of a regular Bosochorda snake.

With your martial arts skills, if you were bitten, you would die from the poison within a moment!

Murong Jiu took the Bodhi Snake and carefully placed it back into the cauldron.

He glared at Zhang Jing at the same time!

Although this venomous snake had only been raised for two months, the amount of ginseng and lingzhi it consumed was unknown.

Only the Zhang family has the financial resources to keep such medicinal snakes in captivity.

Otherwise, the Ginseng Immortal wouldn't have needed to spend twenty years collecting medicinal herbs in Changbai Mountain.

The title of "Old Monster of Ginseng Immortal" was not given lightly.

Moreover, the snakes raised by the Zhang family are Bosqu snakes, which have even stronger medicinal properties. Once the medicine is made, the snake gallbladders will be like a golden elixir.

One snake gallbladder swallowed can take you straight to the top!

"Ninth Sister, why are you raising poisonous snakes here? And such poisonous snakes at that?"

Patting her still wildly beating heart, Zhang Jing didn't have time to thank Hongxiao before glaring angrily at Murong Jiu.

I really escaped death just now.

"What's it to you? If you hadn't moved around, this snake wouldn't have bitten you!"

"you···"

Murong Jiu would never reveal the matter of the medicinal snake, nor would the Murong family.

A snake gall bladder that can lead directly to the pinnacle of power and even strengthen the body's internal energy and blood is enough to cause a bloodbath in the martial arts world.

"And you, get out!"

Suddenly, Murong Jiu looked at the white fox hiding in the corner, who was also a creature with ill intentions.

This fox was also a taboo that Zhang Xiaoshan had mentioned, especially after she fed the Bosqu snake, she knew that the little fox had been spying on the Bosqu snake.

Delicious spicy snacks, and super nutritious!

This fox is definitely a spirit.

Chapter 172 Wholesale of Divine Weapons: Zhang Jing's Test

"Young master, the total amount of gold obtained is 28,839,000 taels!"

The total transaction amount after all the funerary artifacts and antiques were sold was shockingly high.

Nearly 30 million taels of gold—that's more than the entire silver treasury of the Song Dynasty, let alone gold.

Although the Song Dynasty's annual tax revenue was nearly five million taels of gold, the operation of this massive empire also required enormous funds.

At least a million taels of gold for military pay, silver for officials from top to bottom, and regular allowances for numerous princes and nobles...

If it weren't for the grain, silk, and brocade being distributed along with it, even ten million taels of gold wouldn't be enough.

If we add the three more gold mountains, the Tianji Tower will contain at least seventy to eighty million taels of gold, not counting its previous collections.

"What a huge fortune!"

Zhang Xiaoshan looked somewhat solemn. Holding such a huge amount of gold in his hands was a bit of a burden, even for someone as accustomed to extravagance in the Zhang family.

This is not just tens of thousands of taels of gold, but tens of millions of taels of gold.

"Taken from the people, used for the people."

These are not legitimately acquired riches, so let's donate them all in the name of the Zhang family and the Golden-Faced Buddha.

Of the 8,839,000 taels of gold, 1,839,000 taels were used to build a private school; the remaining 20 million taels were used to reinforce the dikes of the Longjiang and Longhe rivers, and to expedite the dredging of the waterways to alleviate the upcoming spring floods!

It's already almost March, and the spring floods are likely to arrive in just two or three months.

When the spring floods begin, people along the middle reaches of the Longjiang and Longhe rivers are in danger, and there will be major floods every 19 years and every 100 years.

"Young master, please have mercy!"

The demon Yama was deeply moved and filled with admiration.

This was such a huge fortune, and Zhang Xiaoshan, after only a moment's thought, donated it all.

Such boldness is enough to shake the entire land.

"But this matter must be done perfectly. Don't let the money disappear as soon as it arrives at the destination, or just give me a few thatched huts and a mud dam to get by."

"Your subordinate will certainly handle this matter severely!"

Even the Ghost King Yama knew that such a thing was very likely to happen, so he was extremely serious.

Otherwise, even if we doubled the amount of gold, it would still be a waste of money.

Human greed is insatiable.

"By the way, what about those weapons?"

"Everything is ready, young master, please follow me!"

The two arrived at a somewhat empty, secret room, which contained baskets of discarded items wrapped in oil paper.

The superior weapons forged from Wootz steel were produced in two batches.

One batch consisted of two hundred goose-feather sabers, each a precious blade so sharp it could cut a hair in two.

The batch consisted of 236 Tang straight swords. Compared to the 100% success rate of the goose feather sword, the scrap rate of the Tang straight swords was extremely high.

Because the Tang straight sword was forged using the sandwich steel method, which combines Wootz steel with a high-strength refined steel, the Tang straight sword was a level higher than the goose feather sword, capable of cutting through iron like mud, equivalent to the previous Vakis sword.

After all, truly good things shouldn't be shown off. Even the Wild Goose Feather Blade is a top-quality weapon, enough to give the emperor a pleasant surprise.

But ultimately, you have to keep your true trump card to yourself.

choke!

The long sword was drawn from its sheath; the blade, adorned with dazzling patterns, gleamed with a chilling light that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Good knife!"

The three-and-a-half-foot length was extremely convenient for Zhang Xiaoshan to handle.

Its weight, sharpness, and design make it a perfect killing weapon.

"I will take the Goose Feather Blade out later, and Jin Bu'er will take the rest of the Tang Straight Blade, which will be considered the weapon of the Blood Droplet."

"Yes, son."

After speaking, Zhang Xiaoshan's gaze fell upon the several weapons that had been deliberately prepared—

The heavy, ten-foot-long black iron spear, the ferocious and domineering cold snake staff, the golden Zen staff with twelve golden rings, the nine-foot-long daylily double axes, and finally the inconspicuous blood-dripping guillotine.

These are the weapons Zhang Xiaoshan prepared for the four warriors.

"Try it!"

Zhang Xiaoshan's unnecessary words prompted three bronze-armored zombie warriors and one black-clad zombie warrior to step forward and draw their weapons.

The spear, as long as a dragon, weighing at least a hundred pounds of iron, was wielded with effortless ease by Gui Yi, as if it had no weight.

Not to mention Ghost Two and Ghost Three.

He wielded the weapons with the lightness of a feather, and if one did not know the materials of those things, one would probably think they were props for sitting on foam.

The last two Xuanhua axes, weighing a combined 500 jin (approximately 250 kg), were so heavy that they were unstoppable.

There were also extremely insidious flying guillotines, buzzing and swirling with terrifying killing intent.

"Go down!"

Armed with terrifying killing weapons, the four warriors disappeared into the darkness.

Finally, there was a sandalwood box, inside which were two samurai swords.

A three-and-a-half-foot-long broadsword and a short, dagger-like knife.

This is the divine weapon that Zhang Xiaoshan prepared for Liu Sheng Piaoxu.

Huang Rong has the Canghai Jade Flute, and Hongxiao and Jiangxue also have two daggers and short swords that can cut through iron like mud to protect themselves, as well as Master Mingchen's Sacred Flame Token.

Therefore, when forging the Tang straight swords, Zhang Xiaoshan had the forging master use the steel-wrapping method, with black iron and meteoric iron as materials, to create these two divine weapons that are absolutely unparalleled in Japan.

Not only can it cut through iron like mud, but the hidden sharpness of its blade is enough to elevate Yagyu Hyōshū's strength to a new level.

"Uncle Gui, I'll arrange for the Murong family to cooperate with you on the rest!"

The Murong family is considered a pillar of the righteous path in the martial arts world, and all eight of their sons-in-law are upright and chivalrous. This is a good opportunity to test them.

If that's true, I wouldn't mind giving them a little something in return.

"My subordinate understands!"

After driving away from the Ghost Street Tianji Tower, the things hidden behind the black cloth aroused the curiosity of many martial arts practitioners.

Could it be gold?

But the weight is wrong; it's at most a thousand pounds.

Especially if it's gold, it would require the great benefactor Zhang Xiaoshan to personally drive the car; it would only take a few gold notes.

Turning onto the central avenue and heading straight for the palace, Zhang Xiaoshan handed over the items from the car to Tong Guan, who had emerged from the vehicle, in full view of everyone.

"Young Master Zhang is indeed a trustworthy person."

His Majesty is pleased this time and will surely reward the Zhang family handsomely once again!

He randomly picked up a few goose-feather sabers, each one sharp and menacing.

Ding!

Tong Guan grabbed a guard's sword from the nearest hand, and the two swords clashed. In an instant, the guard's sword was split in two.

"What a fine sword! I've long heard that Wootz steel from ancient India and Persia is excellent for forging precious swords, and seeing it today, I can confirm that it truly lives up to its reputation!"

Wootz steel is scarce, meaning military personnel will spend a lot of money to buy it and forge weapons.

These things are just for novelty.

Besides, it was Zhang Xiaoshan who funded the imperial guards with his precious sword. As long as it wasn't for military pay, it was all a contribution.

"In that case, I'll take my leave!"

"Take care, Young Master Zhang!"

Tong Guan waved his hand, ordering his men to remove all the weapons from the basket.

···

"Be careful, son!"

As soon as Fang returned to the new villa, a long whip whistled through the air and lashed out at Zhang Xiaoshan.

However, in the instant the blade flashed and the light shone brightly under the blazing sun, a terrifying blade aura instantly snapped the long whip into more than a dozen pieces, and Zhang Jing, who was holding the long whip, was covered in cold sweat.

On her slender, jade-like neck, a samurai sword could easily separate her head from her body with just a slight incline.

"Young Master Zhang, please show mercy. This is Miss Jiu's cousin. There was no intention to offend her!"

Murong Zhengde's eldest son-in-law could only manage a wry smile; both of his daughters were easygoing people.

Even he hadn't reacted to Liu Sheng Piaoxu's attack just now.

Even his father-in-law, Murong Zhengde, might not be a match for that young girl!

"It's alright, but there won't be a next time!"