SLAP!
Zhu Youduan slapped the fortune teller across the face. "Get lost. If you don’t take the hint, it’ll be more than just a slap."
The fortune teller covered his face and walked away.
After walking a few miles, he sat down by the side of the road and began to cry, his face etched with grievance.
"What’s this all about? I’m just trying to do business. How am I bothering him? And he hits me..."
After crying for a moment, and making sure the person tailing him had left, the fortune teller touched his Blind man’s cane and used a hook to send a message to He Jiaqing.
"Jiang Xiang Gang has surrounded Iron Gate Fort. Should we strike before they do, or should we wait until they’ve succeeded and then swoop in?"
He Jiaqing smiled. "These bastards want to join the fun too? Who leaked the news?"
"They won’t let merchants through. If they keep up the siege, those Home Cultivators in Iron Gate Fort will starve."
He Jiaqing looked disdainful. "After all these years, Jiang Xiang Gang is still using the same old tricks."
"I wanted to talk to their manager, but they slapped me. They hit pretty hard."
"Old Wan, what’s your cultivation level? What haven’t you experienced? That Bird Person, Lu Dongjun, was so detestable, but didn’t you endure him too? Let’s not stoop to their level. First, go see what their situation is. Don’t rush into action," He Jiaqing advised.
"I’ll follow your orders."
「...」
Han Jinwei, the Hall Master of Loess Bridge, was soundly asleep in the farmhouse.
Jiang Xiang Gang was a mid-tier Gang in Puluo State, much stronger than Flying Eagle Mountain when it came to strength.
Han Jinwei knew Iron Gate Fort was easy to defend but hard to attack, so he didn’t assault the gate; he just blocked the road.
The Home Cultivators of Iron Gate Fort relied on outside merchants for food and daily necessities, and they each made their own purchases.
Home Cultivators didn’t want to trouble others, so if one household ran out of food, they would be too embarrassed to beg from others. With this tactic of stripping the fields bare, in less than a month, he could make Iron Gate Fort surrender without a fight.
Around six in the evening, Han Jinwei became restless.
He seemed to hear some noises.
Having scraped by in Jianghu for many years, Han Jinwei was extremely cautious. He immediately went outside and discovered that the six men who were supposed to be guarding the courtyard were gone.
With the men nowhere in sight and no corpses to be seen, he found some traces of blood on the ground and a torn sack.
The white rice from the sack was spilled on the ground, and in the middle of the rice, there was a piece of paper.
He unfolded the paper and saw two lines written:
For rice, you need to pay,
No money, pay with your life.
Han Jinwei was furious; his nose flared and the tip turned black as he sniffed the scent on the note.
As a Fifth Layer Body Cultivator, his original form was human, but he could transform into a wolf.
Following just this scent, Han Jinwei chased out of the gate, sniffing all the way to the outside of Iron Gate Fort.
The Steam Gate was closed.
Wu Yongchao stood atop the gate, looking at Han Jinwei, and chuckled. "Are you here to pay for the rice? Our Fortress Lord said two bags of rice for six lives. You’ve almost paid enough, so we’ll forget the small change. If the rice isn’t enough, I’ll sell you some more—same old price."
Han Jinwei gnashed his teeth at Wu Yongchao, his eyes emitting a green light.
He didn’t know how Wu Yongchao had managed to kill his six men without him noticing a thing.
Not only did he not know, Wu Yongchao himself was also unaware. He hadn’t killed the men; he was just responsible for delivering the rice.
He didn’t know that Li Banfeng’s key was hidden inside the rice sack.
At this moment, Li Banfeng was standing behind the Steam Gate, waiting for Han Jinwei to attempt a forced entry.
Han Jinwei felt a surge of impulse to gather his men and assault the gate.
But he subdued this anger. He knew Iron Gate Fort was ready, and he was aware of the consequences of attacking the gate.
As someone who could become a Hall Master in Jiang Xiang Gang, Han Jinwei had the patience to endure this provocation. So, he left.
It didn’t matter that he left; Li Banfeng was in the mood to play along with him.
That very night, Han Jinwei ordered his men to be on alert, to kill on sight anyone from Iron Gate Fort, even if it meant keeping their eyes open while sleeping.
Li Banfeng had long since familiarized himself with the nearby paths. After capturing two disciples of Jiang Xiang Gang and interrogating them thoroughly, he had the various branches of the Loess Bridge Hall Entrance clearly mapped out in a single night.
In the following three days, he took several Fourth Layer Home Cultivators to "visit" each branch in turn. After three days, every branch had suffered casualties—some losing five or six members, others two or three.
The fortune teller hid in the shadows, passing the news on to He Jiaqing.
He Jiaqing sneered.
This wasn’t a problem that could be solved by simple caution. The Home Cultivators’ natural talent for being overlooked made them impossible to guard against.
A direct frontal assault would not give them any advantage, and scorched earth tactics were even more futile; Iron Gate Fort simply did not fall for such tricks.
However, the Home Cultivators at Iron Gate Fort had also changed; they weren’t quite the same as before.
「...」
Ten days later, Han Jinwei wanted to leave.
He had no choice. Nearly half of his brothers from the Hall Entrance had been wiped out.
Every day, the Home Cultivators from Iron Gate Fort went out to buy rice and vegetables, and sometimes they would even deliberately parade under Han Jinwei’s watchful eye. Every time Han Jinwei made a move, he could not catch these Home Cultivators, while his side had men being killed every night.
If this continued, the Loess Bridge Hall Entrance would be finished.
Han Jinwei didn’t dare to ask Xiao Zhenggong for instructions. He gathered his remaining men and prepared to retreat to Loess Bridge.
But leaving wouldn’t be so easy.
On their way past Flying Eagle Mountain, Han Jinwei suddenly heard a melodious song:
"Outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road, the grass reaches up to the sky,
The evening breezes brush the willow trees, the flute’s remnant sounds, beyond Gravehead Mountain is another mountain."
Han Jinwei’s cultivation level was high enough, and the song only made him feel irritable.
His subordinates with insufficient cultivation levels—the Third Layer Cultivators—felt dizzy; the Second Layer Cultivators knelt by the roadside vomiting; and the First Layer Cultivators lay on the ground convulsing endlessly.
"Quickly, move!" Han Jinwei realized he’d walked into an ambush and ordered everyone to leave Flying Eagle Mountain immediately.
Li Banfeng often came to Flying Eagle Mountain and was very familiar with the environment there. He could bring his wife’s power out of the home and also knew where to set the ambush.
Over a hundred Home Cultivators burst out from the woods, killing anyone they saw.
They had stuffed their ears in advance and weren’t affected by the song.
With the strong support and cooperation of the bandits at Flying Eagle Mountain, their combat strength was significantly honed, and their moves this time were very steady and accurate.
The Stone People, the Mud People, and the Paper People took the front line.
The Third and Fourth Layer Home Cultivators followed closely as the main force.
The First and Second Layer Home Cultivators weaved back and forth, catching those who slipped through.
Within ten minutes of battle, from the entire Loess Bridge Hall Entrance, only Hall Master Han Jinwei, one Vice Hall Master, and one Helm Master managed to escape. The rest were wiped out.
Li Banfeng stood at the foot of the mountain, continuing to sing. "Beyond Gravehead Mountain is another mountain," the line he sang was fitting for the occasion.
The dead Lost Souls were gathered by Li Banfeng to his side, and when no one was paying attention, he sent them all into the Portable Residence.
"Wife, it’s time for dinner!"
"Oh my dear, you do pamper your Little Servant so; the food today is truly excellent."
"Beloved wife, you should be grateful for Jiang Xiang Gang’s kindness in the future. Whether they sell vegetables or deliver goods, you can’t fault their sincerity."
「...」
The fortune teller sat in a village house, delivering the news to He Jiaqing:
"Iron Gate Fort set an ambush at Flying Eagle Mountain. I’m afraid the Loess Bridge Hall Entrance is gone."
"Iron Gate Fort took the initiative to attack?" He Jiaqing frowned. "This isn’t like them. There’s something fishy about this."
"I also think it’s fishy. It’s best to investigate their fort."
After a moment of thought, He Jiaqing said, "I suspect Jiang Xiang Gang won’t let this go. Old Wan, keep watching the show. Don’t act rashly."
PS: If one day Li Banfeng meets He Jiaqing, I wonder what song he will sing.