Chapter 36. Even if you touch my family

While the leader, Li Wanye, and Feng Yanchao were discussing the 'extra hundred taels' issue at the front, the atmosphere at the back was different.

Xiaoshaibai, the youngest of the Ten Heroes of Wufeng, glanced at the executioner Luoyangzhen and whispered,

"Brother Lian, look at the man next to the one with the axe. Doesn't his face look like a dumpling that a rat has gnawed on?"

Lian Jieha, who had been looking ahead, replied,

"Not that bad, more like a moldy dumpling?"

"Ha! A moldy dumpling?"

Xiaoshaibai, though he had never seen a moldy dumpling, found it hilarious just thinking about it.

"Hmph."

"Ha."

"Phew."

Several of the Ten Heroes of Wufeng chuckled at the mention of a moldy dumpling. Lian Jieha's description of Luoyangzhen's face as a moldy dumpling made it even funnier.

In the midst of the tense Phoenix Escort Agency, the relaxed appearance of the Ten Heroes of Wufeng stood out.

Luoyangzhen glared at the Ten Heroes of Wufeng with a displeased look.

How dare they chatter in the back when a fight could break out at any moment?

Some of them even smiled when their eyes met his.

'Those crazy brats, they dare to die.'

Initially, he had planned to extort more money, but now his mind had changed.

Grinding his teeth, Luoyangzhen pointed at a young-looking boy and a woman and said,

"Why are you two brats and a woman grinning like that? Did you see a sparrow's penis flying by? It's better to behave before I pluck your eyes out."

Lian Jieha and the two women looked at the moldy dumpling face with a wry expression.

If it had ended there, things might have passed without incident, but Luoyangzhen, intoxicated by his own words, added,

"A brat who can't even control his bladder. I wonder which prostitute gave birth to a brat like you... Gah!"

Luoyangzhen fell backward before he could finish his sentence.

The sudden commotion interrupted the discussion about the 'extra hundred taels.'

The gazes of Helian Hou, Li Wanye, and Feng Yanchao all turned to Luoyangzhen.

The three of them didn't know why Luoyangzhen had fallen, but they could tell something had happened to him from his sudden scream.

Fortunately, Luoyangzhen didn't die and quickly got up.

However, the three of them had different reactions upon seeing his face. For example, Helian Hou was surprised, Li Wanye was stunned, and Feng Yanchao looked like he had expected it.

"Ouch! My head. What just happened?"

As Luoyangzhen muttered and looked around, his gaze met Helian Hou's.

In an instant, Helian Hou approached and removed the one-cash coin embedded in Luoyangzhen's forehead.

"Tsk! Old Lu, you were lucky."

If the coin had been embedded vertically, it would have pierced through to the bone and killed him instantly.

Realizing his situation, Luoyangzhen frantically looked around, still in shock.

Taking over for the flustered creditor, Helian Hou shouted,

"Who is it? If our Red Silk Gang has done something wrong, come out and give us a lesson!"

Lian Jieha stepped forward, jingling the one-cash coin in his hand.

"Was it you?"

Not knowing what had happened but thinking he had been wronged, Luoyangzhen roared and lunged forward.

However, he was thrown back even faster than he had moved forward.

Thud.

Luoyangzhen, who had fallen backward, struggled to get up.

Blood was flowing from both of his shoulders.

Helian Hou approached the limp-armed Luoyangzhen cautiously.

Upon tearing his torn clothes to check the wounds, he found the one-cash coin embedded in the flesh.

No matter how many times he looked, it was the same coin the young man had held.

Someone had subdued the Green Forest expert, Executioner Luoyangzhen, with a coin!

Luoyangzhen had been taken down without even drawing his famous sword.

Helian Hou shuddered involuntarily.

The shock was even greater because he had missed seeing the young man's move.

'Damn, this is a headache.'

He wanted to cover it up, but doing so would lose face in front of his subordinates.

After some deliberation, Helian Hou slowly turned to face Lian Jieha.

"Brat, was it you?"

"Even if you touch my family."

His words were short.

Helian Hou seethed but held back. He wanted to swing his axe immediately, but the coin was too intimidating.

"He is the creditor of the Red Silk Gang. You don't think you can get away with touching a creditor, do you?"

A strange smile appeared on Lian Jieha's face.

"I didn't know he was a creditor. If the creditor was wrong, how far should I hold him accountable?"

Lian Jieha flicked his finger.

Swish.

One of the bandits next to Helian Hou flew backward with a 'uh' sound.

Lian Jieha's finger didn't stop.

All seven coins in his hand disappeared.

Seven bandits around Helian Hou fell backward. They all had coins embedded in their foreheads. Those hit by the flat side of the coin seemed to be only slightly injured, but those hit vertically looked quite serious.

"You, you, you dare to...!"

Helian Hou trembled, unable to finish his sentence.

Seeing his subordinates fall one by one with each flick of his finger was maddening.

Lian Jieha slowly drew his saber.

"Tell me, how far should I hold you accountable?"

Helian Hou's heart sank at the young man's indifferent gaze.

'What is it?'

Does this brat not see the Red Silk Gang bandits surrounding him?

Eight creditors have already been taken down.

There are fifty-two left.

If a full-scale fight breaks out, the escort agents will definitely join in. The agents might be able to put up a fight, but this brat is a concern.

The axe in his hand felt unusually heavy today.

A full-scale battle would cause too much damage, so it's best to resolve it on his own terms.

"Brat! I am the leader of the Red Silk Gang, ask me."

Helian Hou, having made up his mind, stepped forward with his axe in hand.

For a moment, a flash of light appeared in Lian Jieha's eyes, and the saber sliced through the air.

Crack.

The broken axe handle fell to the ground in three pieces.

At the same time, the broad side of the saber struck Helian Hou's cheek.

With a 'snap' sound, Helian Hou's head turned to the side.

Helian Hou, who had staggered, straightened his upper body.

However, his eyes no longer held any fighting spirit. Being taken down without a chance to swing his axe like the creditors was understandable.

***

As the evening sun turned red, the Phoenix Escort Agency and the Ten Heroes of Wufeng left Mount Balong. However, with no nearby village, they had to camp outdoors.

The escort agency people built a fire on a field slightly off the main road and bustled about. The sight of a pot hanging over the fire suggested they were preparing dinner.

After a while, Guo Zhi and a few escort agents brought food to the Ten Heroes of Wufeng.

After eating for a while, Han Chaiyan suddenly said,

"Big brother, will everything be alright?"

Of course, she was referring to the Green Forest Assembly.

Feng Yanchao replied with a slightly uncertain look.

"Of course. We're not even escort agents; we just happened to travel together for a while."

Zhuo Gao Ming chuckled and added,

"Brother, don't worry too much. No one can say anything about what we do. What's so great about the Green Forest? We just do what we feel like at the moment."

"True, is there a law that thieves can only steal? They can do anything that makes money."

Feng Yanchao's unease seemed to have dissipated.

***

In Kaifeng, Henan Province, at the Bai Shangfang headquarters.

Two people were seated facing each other in the office. The head of Bai Shangfang, Li Shichang, and the owner of Walong Hall, Bai Mijiu. Both had smiles on their faces.

"Hehe, lately, the stories of Walong Hall have reached Kaifeng. They say Walong Hall might even venture into Kaifeng?"

"That would only be possible if things go well with Bai Shangfang. You're not still considering Changhai Martial Hall, are you?"

"Ah! Don't even mention Changhai Martial Hall in front of me. The losses I suffered last year due to them were significant."

Li Shichang shook his head.

Changhai Martial Hall was one of the minor martial halls in Kaifeng. Li Shichang had hired their warriors, only to be ridiculed by other merchant guilds.

The warriors couldn't even properly resist the bandits, handed over the goods, and rumors spread that they had embezzled the inflated transit fees.

"Mother, why are you delaying the contract with us? Could it be that you think Walong Hall's warriors are inferior to others?"

"Of course not. It's just that there's some internal debate about whether to entrust the task to Walong Hall, which lacks experience in escorting goods."

Li Shichang, a seasoned businessman, was stalling to try to lower the price.

Bai Mijiu's smile deepened.

She knew Li Shichang was trying to get a good deal. If Walong Hall held out, he would eventually beg for a contract.

However, Walong Hall couldn't afford to wait. They were receiving financial support from the Lian family, but it was like peeing on a burning foot. Walong Hall's situation was so dire that they needed to secure a contract quickly.

'What a despicable old man. Knowing our situation so well...'

Bai Mijiu gritted her teeth but didn't show it. She knew that if she showed impatience, Li Shichang would just drag things out.

"Ha! You businessmen are different. I give up. Tell me your price."

Li Shichang's face broke into a warm smile.

"Hehe, I'm a businessman, but I don't strip my opponents to the bone. Such relationships don't last. I can assure you that the terms will be good for both Bai Shangfang and Walong Hall."

"Then what's the price?"

"One hundred and fifty cash coins per person per month. I think that's a reasonable amount for Walong Hall, which lacks experience in escorting goods."

"..."

Bai Mijiu's smile faded.

The average monthly salary for warriors from minor martial halls was two silver taels. Since one silver tael was a thousand cash coins, this was five hundred cash coins less.

But it didn't end there.

Just as Bai Mijiu was about to argue that it was too low, Li Shichang continued,

"Since Walong Hall hasn't yet established credit, five hundred cash coins will be paid upon completion of the escort. If any goods are lost during the escort, the five hundred cash coins will not be paid. If you agree to these terms, we can sign the contract immediately. We need fifty bodyguards, and we can pay fifty silver taels right now. What do you say?"

Li Shichang, knowing Walong Hall's financial situation, tried to drive the hardest bargain and then tempted them with cash.

Bai Mijiu, knowing his tactics, couldn't stand up and leave. Accepting his offer would mean getting fifty silver taels.

Li Shichang added more bait.

"If Walong Hall establishes trust, we can raise the salary to two silver taels. If the loss rate is lower than other guilds, we can even offer three silver taels."

"Ha! When will that trust be established?"

Bai Mijiu finally conceded to Li Shichang.

In fact, Li Shichang also urgently needed bodyguards, but Bai Mijiu didn't realize this. A lifetime of staying at home made Bai Mijiu no match for the experienced merchant Li Shichang.

"We'll see in six months."

In other words, he would use the warriors for six months at one and a half silver taels each. This was a very low price for young warriors' lives.

Bai Mijiu, with a dazed look, signed the contract Li Shichang offered. Thus, Walong Hall signed a contract with Bai Shangfang and entered the world of martial arts.