Chapter 641: Dirty Work

Li Banfeng looked at Lai Baifan's corpse. Though his body was shattered, piecing together the scattered limbs and bones revealed that he still largely resembled a toad.

It must be said, his ever-changing technique was indeed powerful. Li Banfeng said, "He must have combined body cultivation and food cultivation methods to create this unique Star Technique."

The gramophone beside him said, "My dear husband, this servant didn't taste any body cultivation."

Li Banfeng was taken aback: "Does body cultivation have a special taste?"

"Of course! Body cultivators resembling cows have the unique chewiness of beef. Those resembling sheep have the distinct gamey flavor of mutton. And body cultivators resembling scorpions or centipedes have the unique fishy taste of crawling insects. This person had no special taste at all."

Li Banfeng said, "My dear, taste it carefully again. Doesn't his soul have a toad-like taste?"

The gramophone laughed: "My dear husband, you've asked the right person! This servant loves eating toads the most. If this person's soul had a toad-like taste, how could I not detect it?"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment, then asked, "Not a toad, maybe another type of body cultivator?"

The gramophone sighed: "Husband, this servant only eats souls, so I might not have tasted it. Why don't you ask those who eat meat?"

Hong Ying puffed out her chest and declared, "I can't tell the difference!"

The gramophone swung a board and said, "If you can't tell, then just eat! Why so many questions? Little Nine, your tongue is sensitive, did you taste anything?"

Ninth Mistress glanced at Hong Ying triumphantly, then turned to Li Banfeng and said, "Xiaowan was right, this person is definitely not a body cultivator."

He wasn't a body cultivator, yet he impersonated a body cultivation patriarch?

Li Banfeng praised, "That's a clever trick."

His every move resembled a toad, and his appearance was somewhat similar to a toad, yet in reality, he wasn't even a body cultivator. Despite this, he became the legitimate patriarch of body cultivation in Three-Headed Fork.

What was more critical was that before fighting, Li Banfeng had asked Bald Iron and a group of foremen, and none of them knew Lai Baifan's true Dao sect.

Lai Baifan did not cultivate body techniques concurrently, but this did not prevent him from creating techniques.

"My dear, what is the essence of creating a technique?"

Hong Ying shook her head: "My dear Seventh Young Master, why do you want to create a technique? Aren't there enough existing techniques for you to learn?"

Ninth Mistress sneered: "Ah Qi is an excellent young man. His ambitions are beyond the understanding of a blockhead like you."

"Who are you calling a blockhead?" The two were about to fight again when the gramophone sprayed a burst of steam, scalding them both red.

"Husband, to create your own technique, you must understand the essence of the unnameable. Before using a technique, you must grasp its fundamental basis, and after using it, you must comprehend the transformations it can generate.

Simply chopping or kicking are not techniques because they lack a fundamental basis and don't produce significant changes."

Fundamental basis and changes.

Li Banfeng pondered for a long time before leaving his personal residence.

Back in the wooden house, Li Banfeng summoned a group of shadows and convened a meeting.

"Regarding the future prospects of the Five Horses Severing the Body technique, I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts. Please don't hold back; speak freely."

There was two minutes of silence in the meeting room before a shadow spoke first: "I don't think Five Horses Severing the Body is a technique, because it lacks the characteristics of one. It's more like a tactic, similar to our puppet dance tactic.

Speaking of puppet dances, I recently came up with a new set of dance steps. These steps don't involve many changes in footwork, but they significantly enrich the expression of upper body language. As we all know, our body language has always been relatively monotonous..."

Li Banfeng interrupted the shadow: "Comrade Banfeng C, no more dancing. And Comrade Banfeng D, turn off the music. Such a serious occasion is not suitable for music with such a strong beat."

Banfeng C and Banfeng D returned to their seats. They said nothing, but they were inwardly resentful.

Banfeng A had said to speak freely, but his bias was very clear: he hoped Five Horses Severing the Body was a technique.

However, most other Banfengs disagreed:

"Logically, Five Horses Severing the Body cannot be a technique, because there's no Dao sect it belongs to."

"I think it's quite easy to find its Dao sect affiliation. So-called Five Horses Severing the Body is just a bunch of us charging forward together and tearing the enemy into five pieces. To use this technique, you first need to know how to use 'Form and Shadow Hanging Together.' In the end, it's just a house-cultivation tactic."

Li Banfeng was unconvinced: "Then why do I always sense something whenever Five Horses Severing the Body is used?"

"All of us made a move; if you didn't sense anything, would you have a clear conscience?"

Li Banfeng thought again: "Then tell me, why is it always seven of us when Five Horses Severing the Body is used?"

The group of shadows fell silent for a moment, then one by one expressed their opinions.

"Because we are all called Li Qi, and we have a fondness for the number seven!"

"The first time we used the Five Horses Severing the Body tactic, there were seven of us, which clearly created a mental habit."

"Four as main attackers, three as support—such a division of labor is clearly more reasonable."

Everyone had a point, but none of their explanations were the answer Li Banfeng sought.

As the group argued endlessly, Li Banfeng looked at Banfeng B.

Banfeng B had remained silent. He had spent the longest time in Lai Baifan's stomach, repeatedly soaked in stomach acid, suffering some physical and psychological damage.

After a moment of eye contact, Banfeng B spoke. Li Banfeng expected him to complain first, but his very first sentence greatly encouraged Li Banfeng.

"When we used Five Horses Severing the Body, we barely discussed anything, yet our coordination was so perfect. So, I think it is a technique."

Li Banfeng nodded repeatedly. Indeed, there had been no time to discuss tactics then.

Banfeng C disagreed: "This tactic needed discussion? It was such a perfect opportunity then, we should have used Five Horses Severing the Body!"

Banfeng B looked at Banfeng C: "Was that a good opportunity? We weren't around Lai Baifan; we were inside Lai Baifan's stomach, where it was hard to even find a foothold. That was definitely not a good time to use Five Horses Severing the Body.

The reason Five Horses Severing the Body was used then was likely due to sensing Banfeng A's intentions, which has some similarities to the characteristics of a technique."

Everyone pondered the course of the battle and felt that Banfeng B made some sense.

But Banfeng B also pointed out a problem: "If this technique always relies on shadows, then it's a typical House Cultivation technique.

Furthermore, this battle was extremely perilous, even a fluke. Lai Baifan swallowed me right away, immediately putting us in a passive position.

The subsequent fighting was also quite messy. If we hadn't suddenly used Five Horses Severing the Body, the outlook for the battle would not have been optimistic.

Luck is temporary, but problems are lasting. Now, allow me to provide a profound summary of this battle..."

Li Banfeng smacked Banfeng B down: "Is it your turn to make a summary?"

Banfeng B got up from the ground, punched Li Banfeng, and the two wrestled. The other shadows split into two teams, each finding a target and fighting.

Tang Yuan entered the courtyard, came to the door, and knocked.

"Who's there?"

It sounded as if hundreds of people responded simultaneously from inside the house, startling Tang Yuan so much that she almost ran out of the courtyard.

The door opened, revealing only one Li Qi inside.

Where did that sound come from? Had she misheard?

"Seventh Master, the buyer came to pick up goods today. He said it's still according to the old rules, and he won't raise the price by a single cent."

Li Banfeng smiled: "Tell him to get lost. We're not short of buyers."

Tang Yuan lowered her voice: "That person said he's the buyer designated by the Border Control Hall, and he's quite intimidating. Seventh Master, why don't you go see him yourself?"

Li Banfeng didn't even raise his head: "If you're scared, let Lightbulb go. He's seen more situations than you."

This remark spurred Tang Yuan. She bit her lip and bowed her head, saying, "Seventh Master, I'll send him away right now."

Li Banfeng handed Tang Yuan a Golden Yuan Pill and a Blue Leaf Pill: "The rest of the matters are also yours to handle. Manage the quarry well."

Tang Yuan took the pills, feeling very flustered.

She couldn't be blamed. The environment of Three-Headed Fork was too different from her upbringing, and she had no prior experience in business.

Li Banfeng gave no further instructions. Choosing to follow him meant these kinds of issues would be common for Tang Yuan in the future.

As soon as Tang Yuan left, Lightbulb arrived: "Seventh Master, those foremen told the truth. Here at Radish Mountain, besides this quarry, that body cultivation patriarch had two other businesses: one dealing in medicinal herbs, and the other a restaurant."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "From now on, don't call Lai Baifan the body cultivation patriarch. He's not a body cultivator at all."

He also gave Lightbulb a Golden Yuan Pill and a Blue Leaf Pill. Lightbulb understood what it meant: they were going to battle with Seventh Master.

Lai Baifan's businesses around Radish Mountain had all been managed by Bald Iron. Now that Lai Baifan was dead and Bald Iron was also dead, these businesses naturally had to be reclaimed.

Lightbulb took the pills and immediately set off with Li Qi. Upon reaching Anping Pharmacy, Lightbulb called out to a clerk: "Call your manager out."

The clerk glanced at Lightbulb, initially planning to send him away, but seeing how handsome he was, he spoke a few extra words: "Which manager are you looking for? I'm the manager here. Tell me what you need!"

"You're the manager?" Lightbulb smiled. "I'm here to buy medicinal herbs."

"What medicinal herbs do you want to buy?"

"Herbs for accumulating Dao affinity."

Anping Pharmacy was a business under Lai Baifan, and selling herbs for accumulating Dao affinity was their main source of income.

But could this business be easily revealed?

Of course not. This was never a legal trade. Even a stone from Three-Headed Fork could be used to accumulate Dao affinity, so the value of these precious herbs was immense. Without permission from the Border Control Hall, no one had the right to gather herbs, let alone open a shop to sell them.

The clerk shook out his rag: "You've come to the wrong place. We don't have the kind of medicine you're talking about here."

Lightbulb asked, "Where can I find them then?"

The clerk pointed outside the door: "I'll show you a clear path. Go east from here for three li, and you'll see a wealthy household. That family's surname is Zheng.

Master Zheng went to Neizhou two years ago and hasn't been heard from since. Now, the mistress runs the household. That madam especially likes people like you. Go ask her if she's willing to take you in."

Lightbulb was quite serious: "If she takes me in, I'll be able to accumulate Dao affinity?"

"Dao affinity is hard to say, but you'll probably earn a good marriage!" The clerk burst out laughing, and the others in the pharmacy joined in.

Lightbulb also laughed: "You're a smooth talker, kid. You'd make good material for my Dao sect!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the clerk slipped and fell flat on his back.

It was a hard fall; the clerk couldn't get up for a long time.

The other clerks became anxious, grabbing their tools and surrounding Lightbulb.

Lightbulb flicked his hand, and all the clerks slipped and fell to the ground.

Amidst the commotion, the pharmacy manager arrived. He was a man around thirty. Seeing Lightbulb's cultivation, he shook his body, and two antennae sprouted from his forehead. His clothes tore under his arms, revealing fifteen pairs of slender legs with hooked ends that dug into the brick seams, as he slowly crawled towards Lightbulb.

This was a centipede-like creature! He could stand firmly on the slippery ground!

Li Banfeng looked at Lightbulb. Without Tang Yuan's assistance, Lightbulb would have a tough time fighting this type of body cultivator.

The manager crawled toward Lightbulb, his long antennae almost reaching Lightbulb's face.

"Ignorant young punk? Do you know whose business this is? How dare you cause trouble here?"

Lightbulb didn't flinch. Calmly, he said, "Who's truly ignorant between us? Don't you know your family's business has changed hands?"

The manager was a little worried. He had heard that something happened at the quarry, and the head manager went there but never returned. Could it be that he fell into this kid's hands?

Lightbulb's cultivation didn't seem strong enough to defeat the head manager. Even if the head manager had an unexpected mishap, there was still the patriarch to watch over them.

Thinking this, the manager shed his concerns. His lips split open sideways, and a pair of chelicerae emerged from his mouth, snapping towards Lightbulb.

Lightbulb's feet generated oil, allowing him to dodge the centipede-like creature's chelicerae. He then stabbed the creature with a dagger.

The blade broke, but the centipede-like creature's exoskeleton remained intact.

This centipede-like creature was so resilient?

Lightbulb was a little flustered. Li Banfeng threw him a pair of iron rulers.

Although these iron rulers had no spiritual essence, they had been re-refined by the Copper Lotus, making them not only tough and sharp but also highly poisonous.

Holding the strange weapons, Lightbulb momentarily didn't know how to use them.

The centipede-like creature turned its body and lunged at Lightbulb again.

Lightbulb dodged the centipede-like creature's head and forcefully stabbed its body with an iron ruler.

This time, it pierced through.

The centipede-like creature's body twitched, indicating great pain.

Lightbulb kept the iron ruler embedded in the centipede-like creature's body, stirring it continuously. Using the slipperiness beneath his feet, he swayed with the creature's body, preventing it from biting him.

Several clerks nearby struggled out of the oily mess and came to attack Lightbulb. Lightbulb dealt with the centipede-like creature with one hand and the group of clerks with the other, looking somewhat overwhelmed.

Li Banfeng watched silently from the side, never making a move.

After about ten minutes, Lightbulb sat down, panting. The centipede-like creature, paralyzed by the poison, was immobile, and the dozen or so clerks had also been subdued by Lightbulb.

Li Banfeng took out another Golden Yuan Pill and handed it to Lightbulb: "Good job, kid. You handled this task beautifully."

Lightbulb looked at the pill and happily accepted it: "Seventh Master, there's also a restaurant. Let's take that over together."

"Don't rush!" Li Banfeng looked at the pharmacy. "If we just take over shops, who's going to manage them?"

This was a problem.

Li Banfeng gave the manager an antidote pill. Once the poison subsided, the manager also softened, standing before Lightbulb, afraid to even breathe heavily.

Lightbulb asked him, "How many businesses did your patriarch have?"

The manager's surname was Lu, and his name was Lu Kuoda. He was a great-great-granddisciple of Lai Baifan and had some understanding of Lai Baifan's situation. To his knowledge, Lai Baifan had thirteen businesses, eleven of which were related to Three-Headed Fork's local specialties.

Li Banfeng only had two subordinates. No matter how they rotated, they couldn't manage so many businesses.

After settling the pharmacy, Li Banfeng called Ma Wu. Ma Wu was in a dilemma; his new territories needed managing: Green Water City, Seven Autumn City, Soda Kiln, Yesong Bridge, Sleepless Town... a whole host of businesses awaited his attention.

Three-Headed Fork was a special place, not very convenient to access. If Ma Wu came, he'd have to put other businesses aside. But the businesses in Three-Headed Fork were hard-earned by Old Seven, and if he didn't come, Ma Wu would feel a pang of regret.

Li Banfeng understood Ma Wu's difficulty: "Old Five, don't rush. The businesses here aren't ready for proper operation yet. First, arrange for a few people to come over. Let's secure the territory first."

Three days later, a group of people arrived by train.

"Seventh Master, I thought you had forgotten about Old Zuo!" Zuo Wugang was followed by Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida.

"Seventh Young Master, when you turned and left, did you know I was constantly thinking of you?" The Liang Wucai sisters brought Bai Shoulian, Scolding Woman, Peeking Eight Directions, and Eating Six Harmonies.

"Seventh Master, I brought the latest movie projector from Blackrock Slope!" Xiao Chuanzi had improved the projector; it was slightly larger but significantly clearer than before.

"Did you bring the films?"

Xiao Chuanzi scratched his head: "I forgot."

"Then what's the point of bringing the projector?"

"I'll have the brothers from Blackrock Slope ship them over right away!"

"My benefactor, they say the sunlight here is very strong! Will I be okay wearing this?" Xiao Yeci was bundled up so tightly that Li Banfeng wouldn't have recognized her if she hadn't spoken.

"Your clothes won't do," Li Banfeng said, pointing to the back room of the pharmacy. "Come inside with me in a bit; I'll get you a change of clothes!"

"Seventh Master, I've made other arrangements for the area around Slender Chu's Waist, and everything is settled, so you don't need to worry." Juanzi also came to Three-Headed Fork. To be honest, stepping foot here was an immense act of courage for Juanzi, as this place held only nightmare memories for her.

"Old Seven, no one from the four great families has managed to extend their influence into Three-Headed Fork for all these years." Qiu Zhiheng brought Caoye along, so she could broaden her horizons.

"Brother Baisha, who is this girl? She's so beautiful!" Youtao's eyes kept darting towards Tang Yuan, making Tang Yuan's face flush red.

"This is You Xuehan, a friend from outside the state."

"You Xuehan, You Xuetao..." Youtao stared at Tang Yuan for a long time again.

"Seventh Brother, just tell me who to deal with next! Your brother here can fight!" Qin Tianjiu stood beside Qiu Zhiheng. A cold wind blew, making both slender men sway slightly.

Li Banfeng asked Little Fatty, "Brother, how much do you have to eat in a day now?"

Qin Tianjiu thought for a moment: "Before coming here, I made Old Pan cry once from eating. I don't think he was kidding; he really cried."

Li Banfeng felt he had been a bit thoughtless. Food was not abundant in Three-Headed Fork.

Cai Junshan, the Border Control Emissary of Sinner City, arrived at the Border Control Hall and waited for half a day outside Liao Zihui's office.

Liao Zihui was reluctant to see him, but he couldn't stand Cai Junshan's persistence, so reluctantly, Liao Zihui had Ling Sujun call him in.

"Junshan, things must be quite busy lately, but the preparedness work must not be relaxed."

The threat of war from the Demon Lord had not yet been lifted, and Liao Zihui was reminding Cai Junshan that the primary task was preparedness.

It was unclear if Cai Junshan truly didn't understand, but he didn't mention preparedness: "General Emissary, Li Qi went to Three-Headed Fork. Have you heard about this?"

"Is that so?" Liao Zihui paused. "He went to Three-Headed Fork?"

"Yes, he did! Now Three-Headed Fork has been turned upside down by him!"

"Don't put it that way. He has permission to do business in Three-Headed Fork. Can we stop someone from doing business?"

Cai Junshan had been suppressing his frustration for a long time, and now it all poured out: "He's not doing business; he's demolishing properties! In less than half a month, he's taken over more than a dozen businesses. So many honest and decent businesspeople have had their homes and livelihoods ruined by him."

Liao Zihui smiled: "Three-Headed Fork, and honest, decent businesspeople?"

"Yes, there are! They're all doing legitimate business, and he just openly robs them!"

"Openly robbing, really? Is it that serious? Is it so new?" Liao Zihui sighed, "In any part of Pluro Province, there's open robbing every day. I'm afraid we can't manage all these things, can we?"

Cai Junshan raised his head: "General Emissary, Three-Headed Fork is different. It's a strategic location; order cannot be disrupted there!"

Liao Zihui gradually dropped his smile and said to Cai Junshan: "Junshan, we know whether it's truly order you care about, and we're also fully aware of how much benefit you've gained from working in Three-Headed Fork all these years."

"General Emissary, you can't say that. When the assignments were made, few people wanted to go to Three-Headed Fork. I went then without considering personal gains or losses..." Cai Junshan was getting anxious.

Liao Zihui poured him a cup of tea: "Junshan, don't rush. This cup of tea is for you.

You've indeed suffered in Three-Headed Fork these years. If you feel too wronged, I can transfer you to a better place."

Cai Junshan lowered his head: "I wasn't complaining."

Liao Zihui picked up his teacup and scraped off the tea leaves: "As for those honest and decent businesspeople, you should discuss with them. Doing business with Li Qi won't make them suffer losses. But if they insist on tripping Li Qi up, no one can save them."

Cai Junshan still wanted to speak.

Liao Zihui raised his teacup: "Drink the tea I poured for you quickly. Drink it and leave; don't wait for another cup."

Back in Three-Headed Fork, Cai Junshan was furious, but Liao Zihui had already suggested that Cai Junshan and Li Banfeng join forces in business.

It was easy to say, but how much money would he lose?

Previously, each business would make direct offerings. Now, he would have to find a way to partner with Li Qi and even cater to Li Qi's whims.

Cai Junshan still remembered when he chased the Three-Headed people who escaped from Sinner City to Autumn Falling Leaves' territory and Li Qi slapped him twice. Now, he was expected to humble himself and seek business with Li Qi? Unthinkable!

However, someone under him offered an idea. Ji Mingcai, the section chief in charge of business, gave a suggestion: "Emissary Cai, General Emissary Liao indeed has concerns. Li Qi holds a higher rank than the General Emissary, so we can't be tough with him."

"What do you mean?" Cai Junshan frowned. "Not tough, then soft? You want me to beg him?"

"No, that's definitely not it. We won't be soft, nor tough. We'll play dirty with him!"

Cai Junshan thought for a moment: "You mean, tamper with the train to prevent him from shipping goods?"

Ji Mingcai shook his head: "That's even worse. Li Qi has permission to do business in Three-Headed Fork; there are official documents for it.

Furthermore, for transportation, Li Qi only pays basic freight charges, and there are documents for that too. If we try to trip him up here, General Emissary Liao definitely won't approve."

Cai Junshan was confused: "Not this, not that... Then how do we play dirty?"

Ji Mingcai lowered his voice: "Find the dirtiest person and let him play dirty!"

Cai Junshan knew who that person was but was somewhat uneasy: "Can he get things done?"

"We'll see if he succeeds. Li Qi made us sick first, so we should make him sick too!"

Cai Junshan nodded: "You're right."

Zuo Wugang sat in front of the restaurant, waiting for business. Three-Headed Fork was mostly poor families; few people could afford to eat out. Previously, this place operated under the guise of a restaurant while secretly dealing in medicinal herbs. Now that Li Qi had taken over the business, it had truly become a restaurant.

He waited all morning, and only two people came to eat, both ordering plain porridge, pickled vegetables, and clear soup.

At noon, Bai Shoulian steamed two pots of steamed buns and cooked a few dishes, telling Zuo Wugang to have his brothers eat first.

Zuo Wugang saw several travelers, carrying shoulder poles, squatting in front of the restaurant, gnawing on hardtack with sips of cold water.

The hardtack was too tough to bite, and each person only had a small piece. How could that be enough?

These people weren't full and kept gazing longingly into the restaurant, wanting to buy some steamed buns, but they couldn't scrape together enough money for a long time.

Seeing this, Zuo Wugang told Cao Zhida: "Pack a bag of steamed buns and give them to them. We won't finish them anyway."

Cao Zhida delivered the steamed buns. The travelers were profusely grateful and left with the buns.

Not long after, those men returned.

They didn't walk back; they were pushed back on a large cart.

They lay on a flat cart, pale-faced, frothing at the mouth, looking like dead men.

The person pushing the cart was a middle-aged man around fifty. He shoved the cart in front of the restaurant door and shouted inside, "Hey, is anyone breathing in there?"

Zuo Wugang came out of the restaurant, looked at the men on the cart, and immediately understood the situation.

The middle-aged man pushing the cart looked at Zuo Wugang: "Are you the manager of this restaurant?"

Zuo Wugang nodded: "That's me."

The middle-aged man said: "I've been on the road for decades; my friends call me Tan Jinxiao. These friends of mine ate a steamed bun here at your place and suddenly couldn't get up. Why do you think that is?"

Zuo Wugang chuckled: "Why do *you* think?"

Tan Jinxiao frowned: "It's obvious. Are you playing dumb with me?"

Zuo Wugang flexed his wrist: "Just my luck, I do a good deed, and I run into a trickster. Alright, what do you want?"

Tan Jinxiao smiled: "What do I want? Do you think I'm here to extort you? Do you look down on people? I'm telling you, I'm here to have a proper discussion with you!"

As he spoke, many pedestrians gathered to watch the commotion.

"What happened?"

"Can't you see? The food at this restaurant isn't clean; it caused trouble."

"Who's that person?"

"It seems to be Old Tan, right?"

"Hurry and leave, this is not a spectacle to watch."

Zuo Wugang looked at Tan Jinxiao: "Tell me, how do we 'discuss' this?"

*Thud!*

Tan Jinxiao lay down on the ground.

Zuo Wugang looked down: "What does this mean now?"

"Today, we're doing this the civilized way!" Tan Jinxiao said from the ground, looking at Zuo Wugang. "Today, I'll lie here and let you hit me twenty times. You hit me ten times on the front, then I'll turn over, and you hit my back ten more times.

As long as you don't use weapons, you can use your fists and feet as you like. If I beg for mercy or even let out a grunt, then this beating is on me, and I'll never come to your restaurant again in my life. If we happen to meet, I'll bow to you first.

But if I don't beg for mercy today, then I'm sorry, but this shop will be mine. You can still do business here, but you'll have to pay me tribute every month. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Cao Zhida stopped Zuo Wugang: "Master Zuo, we can't fall for this trap. This guy is a complete scoundrel!"

Zuo Wugang had traveled the martial world for many years; had he not seen ruffians before?

He pushed Cao Zhida aside, ready to act.

Zhen Jincheng also came forward to persuade: "Master Zuo, it's not worth getting angry with such a person. Let's just focus on our business."

"What nonsense! Those guys are sitting outside, insisting our food caused trouble. How are we supposed to do business?" Zuo Wugang pushed Zhen Jincheng aside and kicked Tan Jinxiao.

Zuo Wugang had reached the seventh layer of Earth Cultivation. This kick was powerful enough to kill an ordinary person.

Bai Shoulian reminded: "Master Zuo, go easy. I asked Juanzi, and the constables in Three-Headed Fork are quite effective!"

Juanzi had told everyone that the constables here were different from those elsewhere. Three-Headed Fork's constables handled matters outside their domain but not inside.

Inside the restaurant, if Zuo Wugang killed someone, no one would care. But outside the restaurant, killing someone in the street was unacceptable.

Tan Jinxiao looked up and said, "What's wrong? Scared? Don't dare to strike? Afraid you'll kill me?"

Zuo Wugang chuckled: "Don't worry, I'll spare your life!"

Zuo Wugang kicked him repeatedly, a full ten kicks. Tan Jinxiao didn't make a sound. He then rolled over, allowing Zuo Wugang to continue hitting him.

"Come on, kick your dad, don't hold back!"

Zuo Wugang was genuinely a bit scared. Was this person's bones really that tough?

He had dealt with ruffians before. A few punches and kicks would definitely subdue them.

He kicked Tan Jinxiao ten more times on his back, and Tan Jinxiao remained silent.

"I say, that's enough, isn't it?" Tan Jinxiao climbed up from the ground. "Everyone's watching. How do we settle this matter?"

The crowd of onlookers grew larger and larger, and Zuo Wugang dared not go back on his word.

But this business was given to him by Seventh Master; he couldn't just lose it like this.

"Your name is Tan Jinxiao, right?" Zuo Wugang snorted, "Old Tan, I didn't hurt you today, but I'm not convinced by you."

"Not convinced? That's easy. Now you stand here and let me hit you twenty times!" Tan Jinxiao stretched his legs and feet.

Zhen Jincheng stepped in front of Zuo Wugang: "I'll take those twenty hits for Master Zuo."

Zuo Wugang pushed Zhen Jincheng aside: "Move, you're not needed."

Bai Shoulian advised: "Master Zuo, I've already sent someone to find Seventh Master. We've run into trouble; let's stall for time here first."

The few of them continued to argue, while the onlookers discussed and laughed, mocking Zuo Wugang for being gutless.

Tan Jinxiao grew impatient: "Stop hesitating, come on all of you!"

He coughed, spitting out a mouthful of green phlegm.

The phlegm mass grew from small to large, enveloping Zuo Wugang and a few of his subordinates.

Zuo Wugang struggled with all his might, pushing his head out of the phlegm. He was aghast: "You're a Phlegm Cultivator?"

Tan Jinxiao smiled: "That's right! Why else would everyone call me Old Phlegm? I'm telling you, that was just the first move. There are many more tricks waiting."

Old Tan, Old Phlegm...

Zuo Wugang shivered and asked, "Tan Jinxiao, that's not your real name?"

Tan Jinxiao smiled: "Didn't I just say it? Friends on the road call me Tan Jinxiao. It's my nickname."

Bai Shoulian asked, "Then what does 'Jinxiao' mean?"

Tan Jinxiao smiled: "You don't understand? 'Jin' means gold, of course!"

Zuo Wugang smelled a fresh scent.

Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida's faces turned pale with fright.

This person was both a Phlegm Cultivator and a Gold Cultivator!

Tan Jinxiao added, "As for the 'xiao' character, you should understand that too."

Cao Zhida exclaimed in astonishment, "There's also a Laughter Cultivator? You opened three sects?"

Zuo Wugang said, "Shut up! Don't laugh, whatever you do! If you laugh, it'll get into your mouth!"

Within the emerald green phlegm, a golden-yellow liquid appeared.

The phlegm bubbled, and its scent gradually spread. The onlookers around couldn't stand it and all ran away.

Tan Jinxiao moved close to everyone, smiling. "Brothers, take a look! This is 'green with gold,' and our affinity is deeper than the sea. Our acquaintance is fate, so come on, brothers, laugh with me! Come on, just one laugh!"

His tone was comical, and he kept telling jokes right up close to their faces.

"I'm telling you, brothers, don't hold back! You only live once. Laugh if you want to laugh; aim for pure joy!"

"Pfft, pfft, pfft, haha!"

Salar bowed deeply, thanking all the esteemed readers. Salar is asking for your votes; please give Salar another push!