Chapter 225: Iron Gate Fort or Blood Gate Fort

After lunch, Luo Zhengnan sat on the large terrace of the main hall, listening to the radio and basking in the sun.

Did Puluozhou have radio broadcasts? Indeed, but only a select few could hear them, and it was hard to tell what might be broadcast. Luo Zhengnan was one of those who could hear the broadcasts, and he was a veteran listener.

Today's program was good; the host's voice was sweet and mellow, making Luo Zhengnan very comfortable: "Listeners who frequently commit murder know that poisoning is discreet and not easily detected beforehand, but it leaves clues afterward, making cleanup work very difficult. The poison we're recommending today naturally volatilizes in water within two hours, leaving absolutely no trace. For example, if you wish to dispatch your immediate superior, simply add one to two drops of this product to their water cup. Remember, do not add too much, as it might affect the taste. After your superior drinks this water, they will die within one hour. In the following hour, you only need to provide appropriate cover, preventing poison cultivators or others with investigative abilities from approaching your superior or their water cup. Once the poison has volatilized, no one will be able to find any clues, or even determine the cause of your superior's death. Some listeners might question the product's effectiveness: 'Will a poison that volatilizes in two hours still be potent enough?' On this point, we can responsibly assure you..."

Luo Zhengnan found this poison quite useful. Just as he was getting interested, a ringing sound interrupted his thoughts.

Ring-a-ling.

With the ringing, Luo Zhengnan, the Hall Master of the Medicine King Hall, felt his head vibrate rapidly from side to side.

After several attempts, Xiao Zhenggong finally managed to contact him through other Peeping Cultivators in the sect. Honestly, Xiao Zhenggong wanted to beat Luo Zhengnan black and blue, then dig a pit and bury him alive. However, judging by his tone at that moment, Xiao Zhenggong was very friendly towards Luo Zhengnan: "Old Luo, why have you been so hard to reach lately?"

Luo Zhengnan's voice sounded quite anxious: "Gang Leader, you were looking for me? I really didn't know! For some reason, the phone signal in Medicine King Gully has been consistently poor lately."

"Don't worry, I'm not blaming you. Didn't we talk about that matter before?"

"What matter?" Luo Zhengnan feigned ignorance.

"That thing you mentioned a few days ago." Xiao Zhenggong couldn't be explicit; there were several Peeping Cultivators involved, and they couldn't know the details.

"I discussed many things with you a few days ago. When you put it like that, I can't recall which one..." Luo Zhengnan continued to play dumb.

Xiao Zhenggong was silent for a moment, then said, "Call me back, and we can discuss it in detail."

Luo Zhengnan immediately agreed: "Of course, I'll call you right back. I just hope the signal is good..."

"The signal will definitely be good!" Xiao Zhenggong chuckled, "How could the Vice Gang Leader's signal be bad?"

That sounded more like a human speaking.

Luo Zhengnan called back, and Xiao Zhenggong subtly explained the situation at the Huangtuqiao branch. The situation was that the Huangtuqiao branch no longer existed. Xiao Zhenggong instructed Han Jinwei, the Hall Master of Huangtuqiao, to go to Medicine King Gully and hand over all the branch's seals and tokens to Luo Zhengnan. From then on, the Huangtuqiao branch would belong to Luo Zhengnan. This meant that regardless of whether the mission succeeded or not, Luo Zhengnan would become the Hall Master of two branches. In addition, the personnel from the Heishipo branch were all at Luo Zhengnan's disposal. If the matter was resolved successfully, Luo Zhengnan would immediately be promoted to Vice Gang Leader, managing all affairs of the gang in Puluozhou on Xiao Zhenggong's behalf.

Xiao Zhenggong had shown sufficient sincerity; all promises were written in a contract.

The next day, Han Jinwei arrived at Medicine King Gully, handed the contract and seals to Luo Zhengnan, and stated that he would obey Luo Zhengnan's orders from then on. Luo Zhengnan told him to return to Huangtuqiao, recruit new members, and that he wouldn't be needed for the mission to Tiemenbao. This wasn't politeness towards Han Jinwei; Luo Zhengnan simply didn't think much of him. He made a request to Xiao Zhenggong, selecting ten genuine experts from various branches of the gang, all skilled at their work. One of them was even from his own Medicine King Gully's second branch.

Once the people were chosen, Luo Zhengnan led them to Tiemenbao in separate groups.

Upon arriving at Tiemenbao, for the first three days, these individuals did nothing but stay in the village, learning the local accent and customs from the residents. Although it was in the western third of Puluozhou, Tiemenbao's customs were largely similar to Medicine King Gully's, and their accents were also quite close. However, Luo Zhengnan's demands were very strict: their speech and demeanor had to be indistinguishable from locals.

After three days, these ten people were ready to go to Tiemenbao, but Luo Zhengnan was still not at ease. He sent them to the market to practice for three days, some buying, some selling. Three of the ten showed no issues, but Luo Zhengnan felt the remaining seven still needed more refinement.

After another three days of practice, Luo Zhengnan personally went to Tiemenbao, carrying two baskets of greens. He sold vegetables, and his produce had no sand, no mud, and no rotten leaves mixed in. Such an honest seller was rare in Tiemenbao. The Manor Cultivators flocked to buy from him, and in the blink of an eye, both baskets of vegetables were sold out.

Luo Zhengnan was very pleased with his performance, but the other vegetable vendors were not. They had come to Tiemenbao because money was easy to earn there. Now that someone like him had arrived, earning money wouldn't be so easy.

Several vendors cornered Luo Zhengnan and asked, "When did you get here? Who allowed you to come? Did you ask the Fort Master? Have you paid the rent?"

Luo Zhengnan looked like an honest, simple vegetable farmer, lowering his head and saying, "I'm just selling greens I grew myself. Do I still have to pay rent?"

"If you don't pay rent, what right do you have to sell vegetables here? We all pay rent. If you do business here, you're stealing our livelihood. This matter isn't over." The group pushed and shoved, pressing Luo Zhengnan with questions.

The surrounding Manor Cultivators couldn't stand by and watch, so they stepped forward to defend Luo Zhengnan. The matter reached the Fort Master. Li Banfeng had long wanted to deal with these unscrupulous merchants but hadn't found a good opportunity. Now was a good chance, but Li Banfeng didn't particularly want to meet outsiders, so he had Wu Yongchao handle the matter.

The method of resolution was simple: from now on, vendors doing business in Tiemenbao would no longer pay rent but would have to pay a deposit. If any vendor was found to be selling inferior goods as superior, mixing in sand or dirt, or arbitrarily raising prices, their deposit would be confiscated, and they would be forbidden from stepping foot in Tiemenbao ever again.

Several old vendors protested, clamoring for a market strike. Li Banfeng ignored them; merchants have a profit-seeking nature, and if they left, others would surely come. The next day, these old merchants hadn't left; they couldn't bear to abandon the place. Many new vendors arrived, mostly local farmers who had long wanted to sell goods in Tiemenbao but couldn't afford the rent previously. With competition among them, rice sellers dared not mix in sand, vegetable sellers dared not mix in rotten leaves, and goods were significantly cheaper, while purchase prices also rose slightly.

The Manor Cultivators' lives improved. Li Banfeng walked down the street, watching the coming and going vendors, very satisfied with the situation. Among them were acquaintances, strangers, and even old acquaintances.

Strange, how could there be an old acquaintance?

Li Banfeng stared at a sundry vendor for a while, his brows suddenly furrowing. The man was around sixty years old, holding a water pipe, with graying hair and a perpetually humble smile on his face.

Sun Xiao'an, a trusted confidant from the second branch of the Medicine King Hall of the Jiangxiang Gang! He had entered the fort!

Li Banfeng's heart churned. Someone from the Jiangxiang Gang had actually infiltrated. This person couldn't stay. The key question was, had only he infiltrated, or an entire nest of them? Li Banfeng was about to inform the Manor Cultivators on duty at the boiler room to immediately close the gates and prepare for a fight.

Just then, Wu Yongchao walked over and said to Li Banfeng, "Fort Master, two vegetable vendors are causing trouble. Would you like to go take a look?" Normally, Li Banfeng wouldn't bother with such trivial matters. But now, with someone from the Jiangxiang Gang inside the fort, Li Banfeng had to pay attention to any anomaly.

Upon arriving at the scene, two female vegetable vendors were fighting, their vegetable baskets overturned, their voices hoarse from shouting, and their faces scratched. Li Banfeng saw nothing unusual about these two; he felt they were no different from regular shrewish women. However, on another old vegetable farmer, Li Banfeng noticed something. Rather than "noticed," it was more like the other person deliberately revealed it. That old vegetable farmer was Luo Zhengnan. He smiled at Li Banfeng. If he hadn't deliberately exposed himself, Li Banfeng would have found it difficult to detect anything amiss. Now that he had deliberately revealed himself, it was clear he wanted to speak with Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng lowered his hat brim, nodded slightly at him, and led him to an empty house deep in the valley. This house had been vacated by a moved-out Manor Cultivator, whose Manor Spirit had also been taken away. It was indistinguishable from other Manor Cultivators' residences. Li Banfeng nominally resided there, but actually lived in his Portable Abode.

Li Banfeng usually didn't bring servants, and no tea was prepared in the house. After they sat down, the two went straight to the point.

Luo Zhengnan didn't conceal his identity: "I am Luo Zhengnan, a Hall Master of the Jiangxiang Gang."

Li Banfeng also didn't hide his identity: "I am the Fort Master of Tiemenbao, named Fort Master."

Luo Zhengnan nodded. Had it been anyone else, he would have found it absurd. But here in Tiemenbao, saying that wasn't really a problem. Everyone in Tiemenbao knew they only had one Fort Master, and his name was Fort Master.

Luo Zhengnan said, "Fort Master, I have come to your esteemed place for an item. I believe you already know what it is, even if I don't say."

Li Banfeng shook his head, "If you don't say, I truly don't know."

Luo Zhengnan clarified, "This item looks like a weapon, but it's actually a soul. Have I made myself clear now?"

Li Banfeng shook his head, "I still don't understand." He said that, but Li Banfeng had already thought of something: Old He's Manor Spirit. Manor Spirits could inhabit physical objects. The other party was likely referring to that item.

Luo Zhengnan sighed and said, "Then I'll be even more direct: I'm here for Zhao Xiaowan."

"Who is Zhao Xiaowan?" Li Banfeng's heart churned. So that Manor Spirit was named Zhao Xiaowan.

Luo Zhengnan smiled, "Zhao Xiaowan, a renowned general from a past era. You don't know this person? If you say that, it becomes rather uninteresting. I know this item is very important, and I know you won't part with it easily. I also wouldn't dare to ask for it empty-handed. I came to Tiemenbao to buy it with money."

Li Banfeng's eyebrow twitched: "How much can you offer?"

"I won't lie about the price; I'll give you a precise figure: eight hundred thousand silver dollars," Luo Zhengnan stated the real price outright. "This price could buy out the renowned Paramount nightclub in Waterside City. And I'm not just saying that; when Lu Dongjun sold Paramount to the Chu family, that was the price he paid!"

"Eight hundred thousand silver dollars!" Li Banfeng took a deep breath. "That's money that couldn't be spent in several lifetimes."

Luo Zhengnan nodded, "Just give me the word, and I can have the money brought here tomorrow."

Li Banfeng sat in silence for a moment, then asked, "What if I don't want to sell? Are you going to seize it?"

Luo Zhengnan shook his head, "To be honest with you, I don't have the guts for that."

Li Banfeng scoffed, "You've already infiltrated the village, and you're telling me you don't have the guts?"

Luo Zhengnan composed himself and said, "If I truly had such audacity, I certainly wouldn't have allowed those two female vegetable vendors to cause trouble in your territory. I deliberately let them reveal their identities as a sign of sincerity. I only brought these two subordinates; I didn't bring anyone else. I genuinely want to make this deal happen. If you don't wish to sell it to me, that's fine. I'll simply leave and certainly wouldn't dare to cause you any trouble. But let me warn you: if I can infiltrate Tiemenbao today, others can too. I may not dare to forcibly take your item, but others might. You might look down on the Jiangxiang Gang, but if we leave, there might be the Sanying Sect. If the Sanying Sect leaves, there might be the Qingyun Association. You might scorn these disparate gangs, but when major sects like the Lu family, He family, Ma family, and Chu family arrive, things might not be so easy to handle. You took over Tiemenbao to ensure these Manor Cultivators live good lives, but once this news spreads, Tiemenbao could turn into a Blood Fort. Fort Master, please think carefully."