Chapter 72

"Shameless!"

Han Xiumei angrily scolded, "If you want to fight over the land, just say it! Although you, Shi Fatso, have always been a scoundrel, you were still straightforward. The two villages have fought over the land many times, so why do you have to resort to such underhanded tactics? It's truly despicable!"

Shi Jiutong's face turned red, but Qian Chunlai beside him sneered, "Madam Yang, you are mistaken. How can this be about fighting over the land? I am here to represent the town and supervise the clarification of the land boundaries. I trust both village heads. As long as Village Head Yang speaks with Village Head Shi, the boundaries will be clear!"

Xu Sanlang also sneered, "Mr. Qian, you keep saying that Village Head Yang should come forward. Did you not inquire whether Village Head Yang is even in the village when you came to Tushizhuang?"

Qian Chunlai was taken aback, "Why would I need to inquire? Is Village Head Yang not in the village?"

Han Xiumei laughed in anger, "I don't believe you would dare come if our master were in the village!"

Qian Chunlai was displeased, "Madam Yang, what are you saying? Whether Yang Tiangang is here or not, I am here. If Village Head Yang does not come forward, it doesn't matter. The town still trusts the village heads. So, let Village Head Shi speak!"

Zhang Tiesmith shouted, "How can you just listen to one side? If Village Head Yang does not come forward, are you going to let this fatso Shi talk nonsense alone?"

Qian Chunlai's face turned cold, "Why should the town not trust its own village heads but believe in the words of a wild man like you? Are you saying the town is unfair, and that Magistrate Liu is not impartial?"

Shi Jiutong stepped forward and shouted at Zhang Tiesmith, "Zhang Heizi, this is a matter between the two villages. If you are not satisfied, come at me, Shi. How dare you show disrespect to Magistrate Liu?"

"I am saying Qian Chunlai is unfair, not Magistrate Liu. Don't put words in my mouth, Shi Fatso!"

Shi Jiutong shouted, "Ridiculous! Qian Deputy Magistrate represents the town. By saying Qian Deputy Magistrate is unfair, you are saying the town is unfair, and that Magistrate Liu is not impartial. Come, I hear you, Zhang Heizi, have improved recently. Let me see what you've got to show such disrespect to Magistrate Liu!"

"Fight, then! I'm not afraid of you!"

Zhang Tiesmith raised his mid-grade magical artifact, the iron hammer, which transformed into a massive shadow in the air, with a head as large as three feet, and it smashed down on Shi Jiutong.

"Good move!" Shi Jiutong shouted, raising his magical artifact, the Zi Wu Cold Iron Staff, which transformed into a huge hammer and clashed with Zhang Tiesmith's artifact.

The commoners behind them quickly retreated, leaving only the martial realm cultivators from both villages standing their ground, ready for a fight.

A loud boom echoed in the air, making everyone's ears ring. Two black winds rose and collided again, scattering mud and stones in all directions, forcing the martial realm cultivators to dodge.

Zhang Tiesmith and Shi Jiutong, who had old grudges, were now even more enraged. They both used their full strength from the start, and the battle quickly became intense.

At this moment, a voice from the crowd of Tushizhuang's cultivators shouted, "Fellow villagers, with Qian Deputy Magistrate here, let's drive the scoundrels from Tushizhuang back first, and then we can settle the land boundaries!"

"Fight! Fight! Drive them back!"

"Charge! Charge!"

Han Xiumei realized something was wrong and quickly stretched out her hand, creating a line of water that swept between the two groups, stopping them in their tracks. She shouted, "No fighting!"

The voice in the crowd incited, "Don't listen to her. Tushizhuang has plenty of spirit grains and still wants to occupy this fertile land. This is the greatest injustice. Let's settle the land boundaries today!"

"Who!" Han Xiumei shouted, "Who is inciting the crowd? Step forward and speak!"

A figure stepped forward, blocking Han Xiumei, and said, "What, Madam Yang, are you going to bully the weak? You have to get past me, Shi Nansheng!"

Han Xiumei cursed, "A pack of scoundrels, shameless!"

Shi Nansheng sighed, "I am not good at arguing with women. Let's settle this with our skills!"

Han Xiumei quickly fell into a disadvantage against Shi Nansheng. She had only recently advanced to the martial realm and did not have her own magical artifact, making her no match for Shi Nansheng. If not for Shi Nansheng's hesitation, Han Xiumei would have been injured several times.

Xu Sanlang was also fighting another martial realm cultivator from Tushizhuang. With the three martial realm cultivators from Tushizhuang all engaged, the spirit cultivators from Tushizhuang charged at the spirit cultivators from Tushizhuang.

The spirit cultivators from Tushizhuang did not back down, and soon a large-scale melee broke out upstream of the Qishui River. Many people were injured, and some were knocked unconscious and trampled, nearly leading to fatalities.

At this moment, Qian Chunlai shook his head and sighed, "Why go to such lengths? Even if you fight to the death, it won't change anything. I only need the testimony of the village heads!"

He took a few steps forward, pulled out a three-foot-long, one-foot-wide land boundary marker, and asked Shi Jiutong, who was already overwhelming Zhang Tiesmith, "Since Village Head Yang is not here, may I ask Village Head Shi, where is the land boundary marker?"

Shi Jiutong laughed, "Of course, it's where Zhang Heizi broke the previous marker. Zhang Heizi is so unreasonable, daring to break the boundary marker set by the town, and still claims he is not showing disrespect to Magistrate Liu!"

"Rubbish!" Zhang Tiesmith's face turned red, but he could only manage to say these two words under Shi Jiutong's continuous magical attacks.

"Good, I will follow Village Head Shi's words. As the head of a village, his moral integrity is trustworthy. Qian can report back to Magistrate Liu!" Qian Chunlai said, and then produced three land deeds. He wrote his name on them with a talisman pen and said, "There are three copies of the land deed, to be kept by the town, Tushizhuang, and Tushizhuang. I have signed it. Now it's up to Village Head Shi. As for Village Head Yang, we can have him sign later when he returns to the village!"

Shi Jiutong smashed Zhang Tiesmith's iron hammer away, forcing him to retreat to avoid the powerful spiritual energy from his magical artifact. He laughed, "Thank you, Qian Deputy Magistrate. Once I deal with this blacksmith, I will sign the deed. Please set the boundary marker first."

"Easy, easy!" Qian Chunlai smiled and gently pushed the boundary marker, which fell towards the spot where the previous marker had been broken by Zhang Tiesmith.

Just then, Han Xiumei lunged towards the boundary marker. Shi Nansheng, who was behind her, had a chance to severely injure her but hesitated and let her go.

"Nansheng, what are you doing!"

Shi Jiutong was about to defeat Zhang Tiesmith, and Tushizhuang was about to win, but Shi Nansheng's hesitation infuriated him.

As the boundary marker was about to be destroyed again by Han Xiumei, Qian Chunlai suddenly coldly snorted, "How dare you desecrate the boundary marker given by the town! Don't blame me for being ruthless!"

He raised his magical artifact and charged towards Han Xiumei.

Seeing Han Xiumei about to be hit, even Qian Chunlai felt uneasy. His actions were clearly suspicious, and he had chosen a time when Yang Tiangang was not in the village. If he struck now, Han Xiumei would be severely injured or even killed, leading to a bitter feud with Yang Tiangang.

But then Qian Chunlai remembered the humiliation he suffered when a teenager shot him in the buttocks with a three-stone bow, which had made him a laughingstock in Mengyu County. His anger flared, and he and the Yang family were already in a bitter feud!

With this thought, Qian Chunlai's resolve hardened, and his magical artifact moved even faster.

Just as Han Xiumei was about to be struck by Qian Chunlai, a thunderous roar echoed from the sky, and a wave of murderous intent surged towards the Qishui River: "Qian Chunlai, you are courting death!"

Clang!

Sparks flew as Qian Chunlai's magical artifact was struck by a pipe that suddenly appeared, sending a powerful force through it. His spiritual energy was instantly weakened, and his magical artifact was thrown away, and he was pushed into the water.

"It's Village Head Yang, Village Head Yang is back!"

The spirit cultivators from Tushizhuang cheered, and their morale soared. They quickly gained the upper hand and drove back the spirit cultivators from Tushizhuang.

Amidst the chaos, no one noticed a faint bowstring sound from the rain.

Splash! The boundary marker thrown by Qian Chunlai was shattered by Han Xiumei before it hit the ground.

"Murderous intent, this is a sign of reaching the third level of the martial realm. You, you have broken through to the third level of the martial realm!" The martial realm cultivators from Tushizhuang were shocked and retreated.

A piercing scream suddenly came from behind the crowd. Qian Chunlai, who had been temporarily weakened by Yang Tiangang's attack, was hit again in the buttocks by an arrow. This time, the bow was much stronger than the previous three-stone bow, and the arrow was a talisman arrow.