Chapter 13: Opening the Treasure Chest! The Divine Martial Cannon Has Arrived!

After that episode where the enemy feigned death, the logistics troops became much more cautious while clearing the battlefield, fearful that any negligence might cause a few pretending enemies to suddenly spring up. Therefore, whether it was the main combat troops or the logistics corps, they all used weapons to deliver finishing blows when clearing bodies. Although somewhat cruel, if the enemy was pretending to be dead, death would be their own fate.

“Brother Zheng.”

“You’re going to get rich, huh?”

“I just heard the enemy general you killed was the commander of Tongzhou City.”

“You’re definitely going to be promoted.”

Nearby, Luo Hua looked at Zhu Zheng with admiration.

“Killed a general, huh?”

“Brother Zheng’s luck is incredible,” another subordinate chimed in.

“That’s not luck. Didn’t you see how powerful Brother Zheng was? He dealt with those enemies in just a few moves.”

“How come we never noticed Brother Zheng’s prowess before?”

“Could Brother Zheng be one of those heroes from the Three Kingdoms era, the kind no one could match?”

Several subordinates laughed together, filled with respect for Zhu Zheng.

“Enough.”

“Even if there’s a promotion, we still have to wait.”

“Let’s finish clearing the battlefield first.”

Zhu Zheng replied, somewhat irritable but focused and urgent in gathering spoils. Now that the main troops had joined the clearing, if he didn’t hurry, he might miss out on gaining more attributes.

Time passed swiftly.

By nightfall, inside Tongzhou City’s military camp, it was rest time. Except for the patrolling combat troops, the logistics soldiers had returned to camp.

“Brother Zheng.”

“Do you know how many people died in the city today?”

Luo Hua leaned close to Zhu Zheng, his expression serious and solemn.

“How many?”

Zhu Zheng asked. Despite collecting spoils, he truly didn’t know the total casualties.

“Over three thousand.”

Luo Hua solemnly held up three fingers, worry clouding his face. “Just one simple battle and more than three thousand died. Although we are logistics troops, we are still soldiers. If we face the enemy in earnest someday, what if…”

Hearing this, Luo Hua’s fear and anxiety were clear. This was not just his own concern; many felt the same. They had been ordinary clerks before, suddenly restructured into logistics soldiers, and after witnessing such a brutal battlefield firsthand, it was impossible for them not to be anxious.

“Now we can only take it step by step.”

“The Prince of Yan is cleansing the court, it’s the inevitable trend, and none can resist.”

Zhu Zheng could only say this. After all, he had his own backing, and with his attributes far beyond those of ordinary men, he could survive on the battlefield. But others had no such advantage.

“Ah.”

“Hopefully, we’ll make it through.”

Luo Hua sighed.

At that moment, footsteps approached.

Looking up, Zhu Gao Xu was seen walking slowly toward Zhu Zheng.

“Greetings, Deputy Qianhu.”

Upon his arrival, Zhu Zheng and his men all stood and bowed.

“No need for formalities,” Zhu Gao Xu waved his hand and stepped before Zhu Zheng, gratitude evident in his face. “Brother Zhu Zheng, may I call you that?”

“Today, I owe you my life.”

“Otherwise, I truly would have died under the enemy’s sword.”

Speaking of which, Zhu Gao Xu still showed signs of lingering fear. That sword had come so close.

“No need for thanks, Deputy Qianhu.”

“As comrades in arms, I could not stand by and watch you die.”

“Besides, this marks a battlefield achievement.”

Zhu Zheng smiled in reply.

Others might not know the identity of the man before them, but Zhu Zheng was well aware that Zhu Gao Xu was the second son of Zhu Di. Being saved by him was a great favor.

“In any case,” Zhu Gao Xu said earnestly to Zhu Zheng, “I will never forget this life-saving grace.”

“If ever you need anything, Brother Zhu Zheng, I shall not hesitate.”

Zhu Zheng smiled and said no more.

Night had deepened.

Zhu Zheng lay upon a cot in the camp.

“Attribute panel,” he called inwardly.

Host: Zhu Zheng
Age: 24
Strength: 688 points
Agility: 436 points
Spirit: 423 points
Stamina: 415 points
Lifespan: 82 years plus 1,786 days
Treasure chests: 3 common chests, 4 first-tier chests
Martial skills: Charged Slash [Beginner], Eight Extremes Smash [Beginner]
Storage space: Four cubic meters

“After two battles, my overall attributes have reached such a level.”

“Especially strength—nearly seven hundred pounds. My goodness, who can withstand a punch from me?”

“Other attributes have also surpassed four hundred points; five hundred is within reach.”

Looking at his full attributes, Zhu Zheng couldn’t hide his joy. This was the true measure of his strength—a testament to survival and prominence on the battlefield.

With his current attributes, he wasn’t just some hero who could stand against ten thousand men.

If equipped with armor and wielding a fine steel blade, he could likely slay a hundred foes.

A single strike, nearly unstoppable.

“Seven treasure chests.”

“Time to test my luck.”

Zhu Zheng eagerly looked at the seven treasure chests he had gained—some from gathering spoils, others from killing enemies and generals, and from attribute enhancements.

“Open all the chests.”

He ordered immediately.

“Opening three common chests.”

“Obtained: Composite Bow blueprint.”

“Obtained: Ten bottles of Fasting Elixir.”

“Obtained: Five bottles of Premium Healing Ointment.”

“Opening four first-tier chests.”

“Obtained: Yellow-tier lower-grade ‘Rapid Volley Archery Technique’.”

“Obtained: Blueprint for Divine Martial Cannon Trap.”

“Obtained: Yellow-tier mid-grade ‘Body Refinement Technique’.”

“Obtained: Yellow-tier lower-grade ‘Protective Golden Thread Armor’.”

The panel displayed the results as all seven chests were opened.

“Composite Bow blueprint? Divine Martial Cannon blueprint?”

Zhu Zheng’s gaze landed on these two blueprints with a hint of helplessness.

“These things are useless to me right now.”

“Should I offer them to Zhu Di?”

“Forget it.”

“These are definitely game-changing weapons of this era, and they’re certainly not easy to produce.”

“Besides,”

“giving them away would be less beneficial than keeping them for myself.”

“It’s just that I can’t use them at the moment.”

Zhu Zheng thought with a wry smile.

With memories from the future, Zhu Zheng knew well that neither the composite bow nor the divine martial cannon belonged to this era. No craftsman of this time could simply make them.

But would he give them away?

Zhu Zheng was not a fool.

Right now, he was strengthening himself by relying on Zhu Di’s rebellion. As for the future—this world was vast, and Zhu Zheng had no intention of being a mere subject forever.

With such a powerful advantage, why remain a vassal?

Unless Zhu Zheng was truly crazy.

After all, not only could Zhu Zheng increase his strength by gathering attributes, but he could also extend his lifespan, destined for longevity beyond measure.