Chapter 41

Xu Dong took the lead and entered the village gate. Behind him, a line of captives from Nangjiao Village hung their heads low, following closely behind like defeated soldiers who were too ashamed to face their fellow villagers. Of course, they couldn't hold their heads high; they used to bully the villagers, but now they were being bullied themselves, naturally feeling humiliated and furious.

As the self-defense team's captives passed by one by one, the last figure in the line, Beijiao Daxiong, and the bayonet finally came into view. Who was the bayonet?

The bayonet was the security officer of Nangjiao Village and the leader of the self-defense team. He was the villain who prevented the villagers from escaping and finding a new life. On ordinary days, he was always high and mighty, issuing orders to beat or imprison people, and everyone dared to be angry but not to speak. Now, seeing this man look as if he had lost his parents and return in such a disgraceful manner, it was truly a great pleasure for everyone!

The villagers along the way put down their work and fixed their gazes on this group. Some couldn't help but laugh, while others openly mocked them loudly. The noisy construction site became even more lively, like boiling oil into which a bucket of cold water had been poured, causing an immediate explosion!

At that moment, the groundwork Xu Dong had laid down that day indeed produced effects beyond his initial expectations. Someone, without realizing it, shouted, "I remember what the white fox said that day, it said..."

This person stopped halfway through his sentence, as if suddenly waking up, but the first half had already been spoken. The people around him quickly associated the words, and everyone's expression changed abruptly. The villagers who knew about the white fox incident began to whisper, and rumors spread like a plague through the crowd at a terrifying speed.

Finally, someone, for no apparent reason, stared at Xu Dong's tall figure with an incredibly eager look and exclaimed, "Could it really be him?!"

Seeing all this, a heavy weight lifted from Xu Dong's heart. The plan was still proceeding firmly according to his design.

Now, public opinion was on his side; the bayonet was captured, and his strength had been demonstrated. Xu Dong was taking steady steps, and his ultimate goal, of course, was to make the village chief of Nangjiao Village, Yang, submit. This was not a conspiracy but a straightforward and open strategy. Once he saw Yang, there would be no choice but to follow the script.

At that moment, Xu Dong casually found a quick-witted villager, smiled gently, and said, "Hello, sir. I am a security officer from Beijiao Village, and my name is Dongzi. I don't know why, but your village's self-defense team came to my village and caused trouble. We caught them, and I want to discuss compensation with the village chief."

The simple villager, without a moment's hesitation, ran barefoot to the house where the village chief lived. This showed how correct Xu Dong's previous groundwork had been in this feudal and superstitious country.

In such a situation, Yang and his group appeared before Xu Dong.

What surprised Xu Dong slightly was that Yang was not alone; he had four men with him. The young man in the lead was not much older than Xu Dong, but Yang seemed to treat him with great respect. As for the other three men who followed the young man, with Xu Dong's awakened senses, he could easily tell they were all first-stage Awakened!

Three whole Awakened! And they were no less powerful than the bayonet!

If Xu Dong's mental fortitude hadn't been strengthened, he might have burst out in curses at that moment. After all, he had thought the last tough nut in this mission was the bayonet. He had finally managed to deal with him and was about to reap the fruits of victory when suddenly three more obstacles appeared! How could Xu Dong not be frustrated?

The young man in the lead first sized up Xu Dong's clothing and appearance, then turned to Yang Shenghua, who was a step behind, and asked in surprise, "Where did this villager come from? He looks so ragged, what kind of person is he?"

If one were to be picky, Xu Dong's clothing and appearance could only be described as ragged. Beijiao Daxiong didn't have many clothes, and Xu Dong had been in life-and-death situations multiple times over the past half-month, causing a high rate of clothing damage. His current outfit was full of small holes, and compared to Yang Shaoting, he looked even worse than a beggar in the city, naturally earning such a comment.

Not to mention Yang Shaoting, the third young master of the Yang family, even his three subordinates were much more impressive in appearance. At the very least, a neat and well-fitting leather armor created a huge difference.

Yang Shenghua bowed slightly, then raised his eyes, quickly scanning Beijiao Daxiong's face, and said with a slight frown, "I recognize one of them. The tall man is the security officer of Beijiao Village. When I was still the village chief of Beijiao Village, I promoted him myself. I never thought he would cause such a farce now, which is quite embarrassing for the third young master."

Yang Shaoting didn't care much about village chiefs or security officers. He had a youthful spirit and sensed something interesting about the newcomer. Since his "official business" was already resolved, he didn't mind having some fun. Blood Helmet City was nice, but living there for a long time could get boring. It was rare to encounter such an event, so he wanted to have some fun.

With this mindset, Yang Shaoting took a step forward. He was well-dressed and handsome, and as the saying goes, "A man is dressed by his clothes, and a Buddha is adorned by his gold." His step forward naturally exuded a heroic aura. He raised his proud head and said arrogantly, "I just heard that you not only captured the self-defense team members of Nangjiao Village but also caught the bayonet. You came to Nangjiao Village to discuss compensation, right?"

Who was this young man? Xu Dong subconsciously asked this question and signaled Daxiong with his eyes. Daxiong, of course, didn't know the details, but he knew who did. He kicked the bayonet's shin, causing the latter to grimace in pain. However, given the situation, and his lack of fondness for the third young master, Yang Shaoting, he didn't hide anything and quickly revealed the other's identity.

Upon hearing the combination of Blood Helmet City and the Yang family, Beijiao Daxiong's face changed dramatically, and he raised his voice in disbelief, "The Yang family of Blood Helmet City?!"

The bayonet sneered coldly, "There is only one Yang family in Blood Helmet City!"

What is the feudal system? One of its major characteristics is that within its structure, a city is like a country. Blood Helmet City is located in a remote corner of the Beihua Province, similar to the southern borderlands of ancient China, far inferior to the major cities of the central plains. Even so, the city's households were divided into different classes. The most common were the ordinary people, followed by the lower-class families, and then the powerful and domineering high-class families.

The business of food, clothing, housing, and transportation in Blood Helmet City was basically monopolized by the high-class families, which gives an idea of how terrifying their power was to Xu Dong at that time. Unfortunately, the Yang family was one of the more prominent high-class families. This showed the vast difference in status and position between Yang Shaoting and Xu Dong.

This news was like a bolt of lightning that struck Xu Dong's head, leaving him stunned. A great man once said, "Struggling against heaven is endlessly joyful, struggling against the earth is endlessly joyful, and struggling against people is endlessly joyful." Xu Dong, a small person, certainly didn't have the broad-mindedness or the vision to find joy in such struggles. He was momentarily at a loss, not knowing how to respond.

Yang Shaoting might be just an uneducated second-generation heir, but the dazzling light around him brought immense pressure and concerns that could ruin all of Xu Dong's plans. This brute-force approach might not be very sophisticated, but it certainly wasn't vulgar.

Hanbi sneered and promptly flattered, "Third young master, your might has already spread across the fields. Look at this villager, he's clearly too scared to speak."

Yang Shaoting, feeling extremely pleased, said arrogantly, "Of course, one day, my name will be sung throughout Blood Helmet City, and the Yang family will shine because of me."

He glanced sideways at Xu Dong, "Little guy, this is my territory, not just anyone can cause trouble here. Don't talk to me about justice or law; I am the justice, I am the law. If you know what's good for you, leave the people and an arm behind. If not, I'll take them back and you'll stay too."

When these words were spoken, even the onlookers from Nangjiao Village were shocked. This young master looked gentle and sunny, but how could he be so cruel and domineering?! Influenced by public opinion, although not everyone saw Xu Dong as a savior, they understood that their fate was tied to him, and some showed a united front.

Huh? Yang Shaoting glanced sideways at a villager with dissatisfaction. This poor villager's face was still filled with deep resentment, unknowingly provoking the third young master.

Yang Shaoting said softly, "This person is of no use in Nangjiao Village, just kill him."

The Awakened on the left, with a round, chubby face, bowed slightly. Without any visible action, he just glared at the villager, and a strange sensation spread in all directions. The next second, a terrifying scene unfolded.

The villager suddenly burst into a shrill scream, as if countless insects were gnawing at his brain. He suddenly clutched his head and rolled around. Soon, dark blood began to flow from his seven orifices, forming writhing blood snakes on his face, creating a chilling and terrifying scene. Within ten seconds, the villager stopped moving, lying motionless in the mud. His family members rushed to the body, wailing in grief.

The sudden turn of events left Xu Dong completely bewildered, a complex mix of emotions brewing in his heart, ready to burst out at any moment.

Killing one person, Yang Shaoting didn't care, as if it was just an ant that had died. He still grinned and looked at Xu Dong, "Are you going to leave those things voluntarily or not? Choose, it's not too difficult, just a simple choice."

Just as Xu Dong was at a loss, a cold and clear voice suddenly rang out from the side, "Third young master, such a simple choice is boring. How about we have a duel instead?"

With this voice, a figure wrapped in a large adventurer's cloak calmly walked between the two sides.

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