Chapter 124: The Song Family's Domain and Li Banfeng's Rules

Song Jiasen returned to his mansion and gave Song Zhiyi two pills. "These pills will increase your strength. Take them and then go to bed immediately."

Song Zhiyi replied, "Father, this is my first time in a showdown. I want to stretch my limbs and practice a bit."

Song Jiasen frowned, "The fight starts tomorrow. Why would you practice now?"

Song Zhiyi scratched his scalp, "Father, my master always said, 'Sharpening your spear before battle, even if it's not perfect, still helps.'"

He had studied outside since childhood, spending more time with his master than with his father. Thus, he constantly began his sentences with "my master always said."

Song Jiasen loathed this habit. "Stop spouting that useless nonsense! I told you to sleep, so go to sleep!"

Song Zhiyi dared not disobey. After lunch, he took the pills and went to bed early.

The pills were potent. Song Zhiyi slept soundly until 1 AM, when Song Jiasen woke him.

After getting up, Song Zhiyi felt an inexhaustible surge of strength. "Father, what kind of pill is this? Why haven't I ever taken it before?"

Song Jiasen grunted, "I was reluctant to even take these pills myself. If you weren't fighting tomorrow, I wouldn't have brought them out."

Hearing this, Song Zhiyi's spirits lifted considerably.

Indeed, Song Jiasen was truly reluctant to take these pills.

It wasn't that he was reluctant to part with the pills, but rather, he was reluctant to risk himself.

These were Marrow Venom Pills. After consumption, they could temporarily boost one's combat power by an entire level. Song Zhiyi was a first-level martial cultivator, meaning his combat strength could temporarily match a second-level martial cultivator for the next two days.

However, this came at a price.

After the pills wore off, Song Zhiyi would lose two full years of cultivation. Given his already limited talent, this would make advancing to the second level even more distant and uncertain.

"Get ready and follow me." Song Jiasen led Song Zhiyi out. They took no retinue and avoided the main entrance. The father and son discreetly left the residence through the back gate.

Song Zhiyi was puzzled. "Father, where are we going?"

"Don't talk, just follow."

They took a small path that led them to the north side of the village. Hearing the roaring of a road roller still working on the road, Song Jiasen deliberately took a detour and entered a ruined area across the road.

Xiao Chuanzi added a shovel of coal to the road roller and licked a wound on his lip.

Deep inside the ruins, Song Jiasen looked around to ensure no one was present before turning to Song Zhiyi. "Look carefully. This is the venue I've chosen for you. I've already arranged for people to seal off the area first thing tomorrow morning. Before the sealing, no one will know that you and Ma Wu are having your showdown here."

The area was full of broken bricks and tiles, and many walls hadn't been completely demolished. Song Zhiyi wasn't entirely pleased with this fighting environment:

"Father, why choose this place? I'm a martial cultivator, and Ma Wu is a joy cultivator. I have an advantage in close combat. This place being so messy, it'll be difficult for me to get close. If he 'kites' me, I'll be at a disadvantage."

"Nonsense! Do you think I'd let you suffer a loss?" Song Jiasen pulled out a silkworm cocoon from his robe and placed it on a broken tile.

A white silkworm emerged from the cocoon.

The silkworm spun silk on the broken tile, with Song Jiasen watching.

Estimating that enough silk had been spun, Song Jiasen moved the white silkworm to a pile of wood next to the broken tile.

This pile consisted of dozens of wooden beams salvaged from a building, somewhat messily stacked, so a collapse would not seem unusual.

The white silkworm chewed a hole in one of the wooden beams, then crawled inside and began devouring the wood voraciously.

Song Jiasen waited for nearly two hours until the most crucial wooden beam was hollowed out. Only then did he retrieve the plump silkworm, put it in a sack, and carry it on his back.

"Listen carefully," Song Jiasen instructed. "Tomorrow, when the fight starts, lure Ma Wu onto this broken tile. As soon as he steps on it, the pile of wood next to it will collapse towards the tile. Even if the wood doesn't hit him, he'll have to dodge. While he's dodging, you beat him severely. Don't kill him, just leave him enough breath to surrender. Beat him until he begs for mercy."

Song Zhiyi was stunned for a moment. Although he hadn't spent much time at home, he had always thought his father was a reputable and respectable man in Lanyang Village. He never expected him to resort to such underhanded tactics for a showdown. "Father, you're going to use dirty tricks against him? This isn't right. What if others find out..."

Song Jiasen slapped Song Zhiyi. "Why the hell do you think I brought you out alone at this late hour? Isn't it precisely so no one finds out?"

He hadn't even brought bodyguards. This matter absolutely could not be known by anyone.

Song Zhiyi, covering his face, said, "Father, I've taken the pills. I'm a first-level martial cultivator, and I've been at this level for several years. Dealing with Ma Wu, who is a first-level joy cultivator, should be no problem. We don't need to use such methods. A true man acts honorably..."

Song Jiasen turned and slapped him again. "You've been studying outside and become an idiot! Do you even know what 'acting honorably' means? Do you think you're the only one with pills? What's Ma Wu's background? He's the fifth young master of the Ma family. Do you really think he has fewer pills than you? Do you think just because you reached this level a few years before him, you can beat him? You really think too highly of yourself! Tang Tianjin went to intercept him on the road this morning and still hasn't returned. I sent people to search the entire village, but there's no sign of him, alive or dead. Do you know how much experience Ma Wu has? Do you know how many things he's been through, how many people he's met? You've never even left Greenwater Bay in your life. How can you compare yourself to him?"

Song Jiasen made sure Song Zhiyi remembered the location well, then they walked back the way they came.

On the way, Song Zhiyi still couldn't help but complain, "Father, if I can beat Ma Wu with my true skill tomorrow, we won't need this trap. If people find out, it'll be a loss of face for our family."

"Why would you let people see it?" Song Jiasen retorted angrily. "You talk about true skill. Do you know what true skill is? Do you think fighting prowess is true skill?"

Song Zhiyi said in surprise, "Isn't a wild showdown about fighting skills?"

"That's why I say you're dense, and nowhere near as good as your brother. Your father here has been guarding Lanyang Village for over twenty years. In all those years, whether it was a clear-sky showdown or a murky-sky showdown, which one relied on fighting skills? Can't you see the truth for yourself?"

This wasn't Song Zhiyi's fault; he had spent years studying away from home and had barely witnessed any showdowns.

Song Jiasen knew Song Zhiyi lacked experience and patiently explained, "Do you think Old Wei could have won that fight against Yu Mazi? If he hadn't given me a thousand silver dollars beforehand, how could Yu Mazi have tripped on a rock halfway through the fight? The big black man hired by Huaxuan Inn, wasn't he strong? How did he lose during that showdown? Why did the wall just collapse? Their inn hired a few girls for 'Ku Guo' (a special profession), doing private work, not showing it on their books, and not paying me my share of the money. How the hell could I tolerate that? Could I let him win? In a wild showdown, who wins and who loses is decided by your old man, me. It doesn't matter if it's fair or foul. If you win, you stand; if you lose, you lie down. Those are my rules. The Song family's domain was built this way. This domain will eventually be handed over to you two brothers. If you can't even learn these damn rules, how will you manage the household?"

Song Zhiyi lowered his head. "But what if we're exposed? Where would my face go? I'm also the Song family's second young master..."

Song Jiasen was furious. For so many years, there were things he had never wanted to tell this kid precisely because he was so stubborn.

"You just don't understand things, you're far inferior to your brother. If you, goddammit, tomorrow..." Song Jiasen suddenly froze. One foot was on the ground and he couldn't lift it.

"Sticky mud!" Song Jiasen exclaimed in alarm. "Someone laid an ambush!"

"What's wrong, Father? Who's ambushing us?" Song Zhiyi truly was stubborn. Seeing Song Jiasen unable to lift his foot, he still came closer.

"Don't come over, you idiot!"

Song Jiasen spoke too late. Song Zhiyi was already standing beside him, his foot also stuck.

"Father, what's happening?"

"You useless fool, why the hell did you follow me? If your brother wasn't injured, you wouldn't even be here for this! Take off your shoes. Once they're off, don't let your bare feet touch the ground. Step on your shoes and jump elsewhere. Don't use your hands to brace yourself, and don't let your other foot touch the ground either."

Song Jiasen was experienced. He wiggled his foot inside his shoe and quickly pulled one foot free.

The other foot was harder to free. While Song Jiasen was still struggling, he suddenly heard a rumbling sound in the distance.

*Chug! Chug!*

What was coming?

Song Jiasen looked up and saw a massive object, spewing smoke, rushing towards them.

Li Banfeng arrived, driving the road roller.

He had sent Xiao Chuanzi to work specifically to monitor Song Jiasen's movements.

As soon as he saw Song Jiasen and his son, Xiao Chuanzi immediately sent a message to Li Banfeng.

In the dead of night, the wild field was silent. Li Banfeng, a third-level house cultivator, was easily overlooked. Using the 'wind-following ears' ability from his silken earrings, he tracked the sounds to Song Jiasen and his son. He then went back, picked up Xiao Chuanzi, and set up an ambush on the road beforehand.

Having witnessed two inn showdowns previously, Li Banfeng had already understood the underlying tactics.

Wild showdowns weren't about martial prowess; they were about rhetoric, schemes, and cunning.

The middle-aged man hired by Pomegranate Garden Inn said a lot of eloquent words and ultimately won the showdown. A win was a win; no one cared how he won. People thought he was in the right, so he deserved to win.

As for why the brick wall suddenly collapsed, or why it happened to coincidentally fall on the big black man, no one questioned these details.

Even if someone did question it, what good would it do?

Yu Mazi died in the murky-sky arena. Even if he wanted to complain, he couldn't speak.

Huaxuan Inn had offended Song Jiasen; whether they could even continue operating was uncertain. How could they dare to dispute anything about the showdown?

Would the spectators bother to question it?

They were satisfied after watching the spectacle; they couldn't be bothered with anything else!

Song Jiasen's thinking was correct: it didn't matter if the methods were overt or covert, as long as one won. On this point, Li Banfeng's views were largely consistent with his.

However, there were some subtle differences between the two.

Song Jiasen had never intended a fair competition.

Li Banfeng had never intended a competition at all.

Compete for what?

To dispute victory or defeat, must one always enter the ring?

Who said anything about entering a ring with you?

Even with the father and son trapped in the sticky mud, Li Banfeng didn't plan a direct confrontation. The mud didn't stick to iron, making the road roller's iron wheels perfectly suited for the task.

As the road roller charged toward Song Jiasen, he drew a dagger and hurled it at Li Banfeng's face.

A third-level martial cultivator, his throw was incredibly accurate.

But Li Banfeng, a third-level house cultivator and second-level travel cultivator, simply lowered his head and dodged it.

Song Jiasen wanted to reach for another weapon, but it was too late.

The massive iron wheel of the road roller rolled directly over Song Zhiyi. Everything from his knees down was caught beneath the wheel, and his screams were ear-splitting.

Song Jiasen, having freed one foot from his shoe, used the opportunity to step back, exerting all his strength to desperately brace against the wheel.

A third-level martial cultivator truly possessed immense strength; he actually managed to force the road roller to a halt.

Li Banfeng opened the throttle to maximum and calmly watched Song Jiasen.

Song Jiasen's face was purple. He looked up at Li Banfeng and stammered, "You bastard, you... you ambushed me!"

Li Banfeng chuckled, "I quite liked those two phrases you said earlier: 'If you win, you stand; if you lose, you lie down.' Let me add one more for you: 'If you're dead, shut up.'"

After speaking, Li Banfeng asked Xiao Chuan, "Didn't he want to break your leg?"

"Yes!" Xiao Chuan, standing behind him, nodded through gritted teeth.

Li Banfeng drew his Tang Blade and handed it to Xiao Chuan.

"Brother, it's time to work. Dismember Master Song's leg."

Xiao Chuan took the blade, dismounted the road roller, and raised the blade, chopping down on Song Jiasen's right leg.

He didn't even need to exert much force. With one strike, Song Jiasen's right leg was severed at the root.

This time, Song Jiasen could no longer support himself. The road roller drove directly over both father and son.

When the vehicle stopped, Li Banfeng noted that the ground would be difficult to deal with.

Xiao Chuan said, "Seventh Master, don't worry about this. I'll cover it with some asphalt and flatten it out later. You go on with your business."

This brother was sensible!

Li Banfeng smiled, pulled down the brim of his hat, and left the wild field.

The next day, at 12:30 PM.

The Song family's people, tasked with sealing off the venue, arrived early, but Song Jiasen and Song Zhiyi did not show up.

Ma Wu, who had been waiting for half an hour in the field, shouted to the spectators:

"Although I, Ma Junyang, may have fallen on hard times, by standing here, I prove myself a true hero! Song Jiasen said he wanted a wild showdown, and I came. I didn't send anyone else; I came myself! It's nothing more than risking my life here, but I, Ma Junyang, will not back down! I will wait here all day. I'd like to see if Song Jiasen and his son dare to show up!"

Li Banfeng watched with a smile, while Xiao Chuanzi led the cheers from the crowd.

Indeed, this goes to show that wild showdowns are truly a contest of rhetoric!