CHAPTER 604: CHAPTER 604: A NEW PROBLEM

Inside the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Zhang Erfa couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the returning Zhang Dafa.

"Big... Brother, am I seeing things? Is that really you?"

Ouyang Chenchen teased from the side.

"Second Brother Zhang, you should change how you address him. From now on, you should call Brother Zhang, Soldier King Zhang."

"What soldier, Soldier King Zhang?"

Zhang Erfa was confused. He had only been laid up for a few days, and somehow his big brother had become Soldier King Zhang.

Zhang Dafa couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

"Chenchen, you and Feng San stop teasing me. How I became ’Soldier King’ is well known to everyone but me. I owe it to Feng San’s wine and this divine dagger. Without them, I might not have survived."

Thinking back, Zhang Dafa felt as if killing Yue Shan was like a dream.

Once the alcohol wore off, he felt the vigorous power within him fade away too.

Had Yue Shan not underestimated his enemy and had he not had the divine weapon to assist him, it would have been impossible for him to kill Yue Shan.

"Brother Zhang, you don’t need to be modest. It wasn’t just because of me that you were able to kill Yue Shan. Without the courage, you could not have become the Soldier King. But now that you have become the Soldier King, things will be much easier in Qinghe City from here on out."

Feng Bailing said with a smile.

Now that Zhang Dafa had become the new Soldier King, Qinghe City had come under his influence, and the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce had gained support.

She used Zhang Dafa to teach the Underworld Market a lesson, but this was just the beginning of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce’s war against the Underworld Market.

Although Changsun Rou left Qinghe City in disgrace, she would certainly not take this lying down. She would definitely find a way to retaliate against the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, and the road ahead for the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce was still long.

"Feng San, do I really have to take up the mantle of Soldier King? I’m afraid the other Soldier Kings might not be satisfied. Yue Shan was an old mercenary, and he became a Soldier King step by step. I’m not well-known, and my reputation in the mercenary world wasn’t even that good."

Zhang Dafa felt unworthy of the title of Soldier King.

"Brother Zhang, it’s only that you lack some strength compared to Yue Shan. But now you have the divine weapon and the set of moves you learned from the Underground Maze. As long as you diligently practice, you can become a true Soldier King sooner or later. Besides, you’re not alone; you have Brother Erfa to help you."

Feng Bailing already had a plan in mind to fully support the Zhang Brothers in making a name for themselves in the mercenary world.

Their Phoenix Mercenary Corps originally consisted of just a few people, but now, with the addition of Qinghe City Soldier Inn, the Phoenix Mercenary Corps suddenly had much more confidence. Feng Bailing planned to recruit more soldiers and use Qinghe City as a base, to firmly establish the Phoenix Mercenary Corps’ footing in the mercenary world.

With the backing of the Phoenix Mercenary Corps, the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce could go much further. The Red Scorpion was also something Feng Bailing realized after carefully researching the Underworld Market.

Originally, the Underworld Market was just a small chamber of commerce. It grew not only because Changsun Rou’s father, Zhangsun Sheng, had exceptional foresight, but also because of his significant cultivation.

Rumors had it that three years ago, Zhangsun Sheng was already a Wuji Fire Seal-level expert, and about a year ago, he went into seclusion, supposedly to attempt advancing to the Wuji Golden Seal. It was Zhangsun Sheng’s formidable strength that allowed the Underworld Market to hold its current status in the industry.

Now that Zhangsun Sheng had yet to come out of seclusion, once he truly forms the Wuji Golden Seal, Changsun Rou will surely seek revenge. The Phoenix Chamber of Commerce doesn’t have much time.

Fortunately, Feng Bailing wasn’t afraid of the Underworld Market. She now also had a trump card for defeating the enemy.

Ouyang Chenchen curiously examined the dagger that Zhang Dafa held.

"Bai Ling, is this the dagger you found in the Underground Maze? It’s so powerful, it can even cut through a Mid-grade Heavenly Weapon."

Ouyang Chenchen, who was usually well-informed, was amazed by the dagger Feng Bailing brought out of the Underground Maze. She had tried it herself, and before this dagger, even Heavenly Iron was like mud.

She was certain that there was no such metal on the continent.

"This is Chromium Metal. If I am not mistaken, it must be something left by Tian Jizi. With it, the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce no longer has to fear any Heavenly Weapons from the Underworld Market."

Feng Bailing explained.

"But after Brother Zhang killed Yue Shan, the news that he has a divine weapon can hardly be kept secret. I’ve noticed that the leaders from the other countries are all eagerly eyeing it."

Ouyang Chenchen was genuinely worried.

Zhang Dafa quickly nodded in agreement.

"Chenchen is right. The Phoenix Chamber of Commerce hasn’t even started reorganizing, yet more than one leader has already inquired about it."

Those leaders, who used to consider themselves above others, had never deigned to interact with Zhang Dafa before, but now they were fawning over him, wishing to forge connections, all because they wanted to buy the divine weapon he possessed.

"These types of divine weapons—we only have a handful in our possession, and I’m not planning to sell them."

Feng Bailing shook her head lightly.

Chromium Metal is not native to this world, and its appearance has disrupted the world’s balance, which may not be a good thing. It demands cautious handling.

Feng Bailing didn’t know how Tian Jizi came to possess it but was sure that the person must be like her, someone who either time-traveled or was reborn. The other party might also have something special like a first aid kit, which is why they had Chromium Metal.

In this world, chromium is clearly not something that can be widely distributed, yet the attitude of the leaders of the Ten Countries has already revealed everything. The fact that the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce has such weapons is well-known.

The concerns of Zhang Dafa were reasonable.

"For the time being, the Ten Countries will not act rashly. After all, they still fear the presence of the Medical Buddha. You just need to stonewall them for now."

Feng Bailing could only bring up "Medical Buddha" again.

Zhang Dafa still had to face the leaders of the Ten Countries that afternoon at the Soldier Inn, where Feng Bailing had secretly disposed of the Red Scorpion Queen’s body.

"I’ve already thought of a way to deal with the divine weapon issue. I plan to melt down most of the divine weapons. Besides being used to forge and enhance the strength and hardness of weapons, this chromite ore has another use. It can be used as a coating. By using it to coat weapons, their durability can be greatly increased. However, melting them down will require a great deal of effort."

Feng Bailing knew well that at this point in time, the difficulty of secondary refining Chromium Metal would be even greater than refining Heavenly Iron, which requires the volcanic lava from Wei Mountain. The batch of divine weapons left by Tian Jizi would prove to be even more troublesome to handle.

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Chenchen was unconcerned.

"That’s not a problem. I’ll go back and inform my master. He has the Fire Holy Seal, and he should be able to help us with the smelting."

Ouyang Chenchen confidently assured.