The dozen or so people were clad in thick, long robes, their heads adorned with large leather hats, and their faces hidden behind ferocious-looking masks. They carried a large wooden box—one ter tall, one ter wide, and over two ters long—as they arrived at the entrance to the mountain valley.
Sui Donglan quickly burrowed into the bushes, covering her mouth. Tears stread down her face as a warm, yellow liquid gushed down her trouser legs.
These are the bandits from Flying Eagle Mountain!
Damn that Peddler for making wait here, and now I’ve run into them!
CLANG!
A few burly n set the large wooden box on the ground. They opened the lid, turned a crank, and a Big Horn, eighty centiters in diater, rose from inside the box.
What is this thing?
The burly n glanced around, apparently checking if anyone else was nearby.
Sui Donglan bit her lip, remaining silent.
"Fortress Lord Zhou, are you at ho?" Luo Dagui was calling out.
Suddenly, a voice bood from the Big Horn, the vibrations making Sui Donglan’s chest ache.
So that’s what they used to shout! No wonder the voice was so loud.
Sui Donglan recalled the massacres committed by Flying Eagle Mountain; the sound had always been this loud, enough to scare people to death.
She had always thought it was a technique of high-level Cultivators, never imagining the sound ca from a device like this.
The gushing stopped.
Sui Donglan realized she wasn’t quite as frightened anymore.
"Fortress Lord Zhou, yesterday you discussed extending the paynt deadline with , and I agreed. I haven’t killed any of your people today!
But we need to be clear. You said you wanted to delay—how exactly do you propose to do that? You can’t produce ten thousand Ocean Dollars, but surely you have three thousand, right? Let take three thousand today!"
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the Ho Cultivators inside the fortress lit up.
There’s a reprieve!
The Fortress Lord really is formidable; he managed to negotiate!
Three thousand Ocean Dollars should be manageable; ten from each household will be enough.
Just as everyone was rejoicing, they heard a shout from outside the gate: "Fortress Lord Zhou, still no answer? Then I won’t be so polite!"
Why isn’t Fortress Lord Zhou answering?
Doesn’t he want to give even three thousand Ocean Dollars?
When Luo Dagui says he won’t be polite, is he going to throw stones again?
The Ho Cultivators inside were terrified. Yet, no matter how scared, they remained in their houses, preferring to be crushed to death by falling rocks rather than abandon their hos.
Ma Dingfu stood silently in the middle of the road, waiting. He knew stones would be falling soon.
These Ho Cultivators, they just need a rude awakening.
After a long wait, no stones fell.
Ma Dingfu was puzzled, and so was Luo Dagui standing outside the gate.
What’s wrong with these damn pests? Didn’t they hear clearly?
"I’m really not going to be polite now!" he bellowed again. Soone behind him turned the crank on the box, and the sound beca much louder than before.
After a long ti, still, no stones ca.
Luo Dagui began to panic, realizing sothing might have gone wrong.
"Enough, Fortress Lord Zhou! I don’t want to spoil the harmony today. Three thousand Ocean Dollars—I’ll co for them tomorrow. In a few more days, I’ll co for another three thousand. If you keep stalling and refuse to pay, then we’ll revert to the old rules: one head from you people each day!"
Fortress Lord Zhou finally spoke, his voice amplified: "Cannon Head Luo, you’re vicious! I, Zhou, am afraid of you. Tomorrow, I will have the three thousand Ocean Dollars delivered to you."
The Ho Cultivators inside the fortress were dumbfounded.
What does that an?
How is he ’vicious’?
No stones fell from the cliffs, and no one in the fort died, so how is that ’vicious’?
Sui Donglan was also puzzled. She had always assud Fortress Lord Zhou negotiated with Luo Dagui face-to-face, but she hadn’t seen Fortress Lord Zhou anywhere; she had only heard his voice.
Was Fortress Lord Zhou shouting from inside the fort?
Is he too scared to co out?
That really makes him look pathetic.
Luo Dagui waved his hand, signaling for his n to leave quickly.
Sui Donglan breathed a long sigh of relief, thinking this disaster had passed.
CLATTER-CLANG, CLATTER-CLANG!
Hearing the clattering, Sui Donglan wet herself again.
Damn it all, why is *he* here now?!
Li Banfeng arrived before them, a sack on his back, shaking a rattle-drum.
"Don’t be in such a hurry to leave," Li Banfeng said, earnestly trying to negotiate. "Let’s discuss this further. One head a day is too many. How about one every two days?"
Luo Dagui was startled and shouted, "Who are you?"
"A Peddler!" Li Banfeng replied with a smile. "I see the people in Iron Gate Fort are honest folk, not very good at negotiating. I’ll bargain on their behalf. One head every two days—what do you think?"
Luo Dagui said nothing, but the dozen or so burly n beside him all drew their Weapons.
Li Banfeng grinned. "Since you’re not saying anything, I’ll take that as a ’yes’. Go on, count them. See how many days these heads will cover!"
He tossed the sack to the ground, and eleven human heads spilled out.
Li Banfeng added, "One every two days, that covers twenty-two days. Cannon Head Luo, my accounting is correct, isn’t it?"
Luo Dagui shouted, "Get him!"
The dozen or so burly n charged at Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng swung his Sickle at one man’s face. The man leaned back sharply to dodge.
Li Banfeng twisted his wrist, and the Sickle swept out horizontally, slitting the man’s throat.
To dodge that first strike, he must have so cultivation level.
It looked like the others also had so cultivation level.
Li Banfeng called out loudly, "Open the gate! Let’s fight them!"
He was close to the Big Horn, which was still amplifying sound. Everyone inside the fort heard Li Banfeng clearly: he was calling for them to open the gate.
He’s calling for the gate to be opened!
Wu Yongchao heard it clearly from inside his house.
The House Spirit said, "When he first said he’d call for the gate to be opened, I thought he ant our house gate! Who knew he ant the fort’s main gate? What should we do?"
I have to open the gate for him! That was the stubborn conviction of a Ho Cultivator.
"No! Don’t be rash! Watch out for your Fortress Lord!"
"I have to open the gate for him!" Wu Yongchao declared, then rushed outside, heading straight for the boiler room.
Ma Dingfu was startled and yelled, "What do you think you’re doing?"
"Open the gate! Fight the bandits!"
"No! I’m telling you, this is wrong! Without the Fortress Lord’s command, no one is allowed to—" Ma Dingfu trailed off, quietly following Wu Yongchao, a dagger clutched in his hand.
User Comments
0 comments from readers