Ten Linked Camps

Two lotus leaves sprouted from Xu Han's back as he carried Zhang Wanlong and flew toward the Underground City. He had assumed the Inner State would be guarding against the dandelions, never expecting he had still underestimated Qiao Yi. The Inner State had shifted routes. They hadn't attacked Baishun County; they had struck straight for the Underground City. Yet the crux of the matter was, where did this route come from? High-level cultivators throughout Puluo Province knew the Inner State had a path to Baishun County, but when had they carved a passage through to Huantu Island? Xu Han couldn't find the answer, nor was now the time to ponder it. He had no idea how much longer Qiu Zhiheng could hold out. *** Qiu Zhiheng held a needle and thread, stitching up the wound on his chest himself. The shoreline was strewn with corpses. Many were farmers who had come to the port for soil exchange, and many were boatmen who had not yet set out to sea, but the majority were men under Qiu Zhiheng and Liao Zihui. Zuo Wugang had just dragged Zhen Jincheng out from the pile of dead. Cao Zhida stepped forward to check; he was still breathing. The two of them carried Zhen Jincheng onto a battered boat by the shore, placing a jar of water and a box of biscuits beside him. "Old Zhen, if you can wake up, find a way to stay alive on your own. If you can't survive, find a way to go peacefully on your own." Zuo Wugang drew a dagger, set it beside Zhen Jincheng, and then returned to the shore with Cao Zhida. Qiu Zhiheng had contacted Luo Zhengnan, who was currently rushing toward the shore with the Sinless Army, while Juanzi and the others were also hurrying toward the port with the Royal Guard. Liao Zihui said, "I still have a few Sinless Army commanders under me, and I've summoned them here. Although the Sinless Army doesn't take orders from the Border Defense Bureau, those commanders have combat experience after all. If you don't mind..." Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "Why talk about minding anything at a time like this? So long as we can hold off the enemy, any method works. The Sinless Army can be placed under your command." Banners rose far across the horizon of the sea. That was the outpost signaling that enemy warships were drawing near. Liao Zihui raised his steam spray gun. He had never seen the Bandit Quelling Army in person, but he had read records about them. "Whatever happens, we have to hold our ground. Under no circumstances can we let the enemy reach shore! Once the Bandit Quelling Army gains a foothold on land, their United Thousand-Man Array will be established, and by then, we won't stand a chance." Qiu Zhiheng snapped open his pocket watch. He checked the time, then looked at the photograph inside the lid—a picture of Zhuzi and their child. He gazed at his wife and child for a long moment, then snapped the cover shut. "Old Zuo, how many men do we have left?" Zuo Wugang glanced back. Not many. Only about thirty capable of fighting. Liao Zihui asked as well, "Old Tang, how many men do we have left on our end?" Deputy Inspector-General Tang Huanjie was busy shoveling coal into the boiler and didn't hear Liao Zihui's question. Liao Zihui didn't ask again. If even Tang Huanjie was down to shoveling coal, how many could possibly remain? "I'm almost at retirement," Liao Zihui said, opening the spray gun's valve and resting his finger on the trigger. "I still wanted to go sing in Xiaoyaowu. Old Lin, have you ever heard me sing? I sing beautifully, and I dance well too." Standing by the shore, Lin Fojiao wiped the wound on his face, took a fruit candy from his pocket, and popped it into his mouth. Liao Zihui had never noticed this habit of Lin Fojiao's before, but today he had seen him eat dozens of pieces. "Why are you so fond of candy?" "Eating more sweet things brings sweet dreams." Lin Fojiao closed his eyes, and a warship materialized upon the sea. The ship came from Lin Fojiao's dream. It could fight, but it was hard to say how long it could hold out. A radio transmitter was aboard, tapping out telegrams continuously. The transmitter's signal could only be received within dreams; Lin Fojiao was using it to call for reinforcements. At that very moment, Zhao Lanmeng was hurrying on the road to Santoucha. *** Li Banfeng had also received Qiu Zhiheng's message, and he wished he could rush straight to Santoucha right now. Yet the Peddler stopped him through Yuan Miaoping. "Brother, this is war. Since you chose Suihuang Plain, you must remain on Suihuang Plain. You don't need to concern yourself with matters elsewhere, nor are you permitted to!" The Peddler had dispatched A'yi to reinforce Santoucha. Until A'yi arrived, whether Qiu Zhiheng and the others could hold the line rested entirely on fate. The Rickshaw Man lowered his voice and said to Li Banfeng, "No wonder I felt Santoucha was more perilous than here. Qiao Yi's move was downright underhanded—striking the Underground City out of nowhere. Who could possibly withstand that? "Our situation here is far better. This camp doesn't have many men. We burn their grain, and the moment it's ablaze, we run. There's no way they can catch us." It was no small thing for Che Wushang to say such words. Fully equipped Tufang soldiers were no easy match. The only reason the Rickshaw Man had this confidence was that the Tufang troops were unprepared for battle; most were dressed in civilian clothes, not even wearing armor. Hiding in a snowdrift, Li Banfeng observed the enemy within the camp. This was the first occupied encampment they had discovered. The soldiers of the Tufang State were distinctly different from the people of the Shang State. The forms of Shang State citizens were diverse—beasts, birds, fish, insects, workshop buildings, machinery, and tools... life-forms of every imaginable shape. The people of the Tufang State had relatively uniform forms, mostly resembling terrestrial beasts. This camp held over a thousand soldiers. According to Li Banfeng's estimate, over two hundred looked like deer, over three hundred resembled cattle, and roughly three hundred looked like pigs. The rest had special forms resembling bears or tigers; those with appearances closer to fierce predators held relatively higher status. Those of the highest standing were still the three-headed people, which was identical to the Shang State. The camp had been pitched beside water, next to a frozen lake. Soldiers were hacking openings in the ice to draw water and catch fish. While the Rickshaw Man was still looking for the granary, Yuan Miaoping said, "Just burning the granary is boring. Besides, I'd bet there are plenty of traps and mechanisms in the enemy camp. An important place like a granary is bound to be strictly guarded!" "What's there to fear from mechanisms?" The Rickshaw Man puffed out his chest. "No matter who made them, they definitely won't hurt me." Yuan Miaoping brushed back her bangs. "If you've got that kind of skill, that makes things even easier. Do you see those hundred or so people drawing water?" Li Banfeng took a rough count. It was mealtime across the camps, and there were indeed around a hundred men drawing water. Yuan Miaoping said, "Carry me out onto the lake, and I'll give them something thrilling. I'll need quite a bit of power this time, so give me all the batteries from home—don't be stingy." Li Banfeng carried Yuan Miaoping out onto the lake. Relying on his Dwelling Cultivator talents, the Tufang soldiers on the ice failed to notice the two of them. Yuan Miaoping blinked toward the projector, which cast an illusion that concealed her. Li Banfeng fetched batteries from the companion dwelling and connected them to Yuan Miaoping. From beneath the television set, Yuan Miaoping extended two electrical cords and plunged them beneath the ice. *Gurgle, gurgle—* Bubbles began rising beneath the surface. Worrying that the power wouldn't suffice, Yuan Miaoping unfurled the solar panels on her back, taking advantage of the fine sunlight to charge and discharge at the same time. Beneath the ice, massive swathes of fish turned belly-up from the shock, many floating right toward the holes in the ice. The soldiers drawing water saw the holes filled with fish and hastily scooped them into buckets. Before long, their buckets were full, and they ran back to call others out to gather fish. Where there had originally been about a hundred men drawing water, two to three hundred now came swarming out onto the ice. The soldiers were having a grand time. When they marched here, they hadn't brought rations; the passages were limited and had all been used to transport soldiers and weapons. Their food had all been purchased in Huangtu Town, and having a bowl of fish soup was usually hard to come by. With so many fish today, how could they pass up the chance? Just as everyone was absorbed in catching fish, Yuan Miaoping abruptly unleashed her power. The water temperature spiked, and the ice cracked open violently. With a thunderous boom, every soldier on the ice plunged into the lake. These were the elites of the Tufang State, and they didn't panic in the slightest at such an occurrence. So what if they fell into the water? Just swim up, and that was that. Some soldiers even kept clutching fish while swimming. Yuan Miaoping hovered in midair with the two wires still submerged. She dialed up the current once more, and the soldiers in the lake began convulsing violently, paralyzed on the spot. Seeing the stunned soldiers about to drown in the water, the men left on the shore panicked. Some jumped into the water to rescue them, while others ran back into the camp to spread the word. Before long, another three to four hundred men rushed out of the camp carrying ropes to mount a rescue. Very few people remained inside the camp now. Li Banfeng looked toward the Rickshaw Man, who gritted his teeth, grabbed the wine gourd, and slipped into the encampment amid the chaos. The Rickshaw Man hadn't been boasting. There were indeed numerous mechanisms in the camp, and the Tufang soldiers had heavily fortified the area around the granary. Yet not only did the Rickshaw Man avoid tripping any traps, he didn't let a single guard spot his figure. He ran swiftly and tread steadily, slipping all the way inside the granary. The wine gourd emptied its contents, conjuring a mist of alcohol. The Rickshaw Man struck a match, and flames instantly engulfed the granary. Having set the blaze, the Rickshaw Man bolted. When the Tufang troops saw the granary on fire, complete chaos erupted. Some rushed to save lives while others scrambled to douse the fire, leaving many standing bewildered between the camp and the lake, unsure of which way to go. When people didn't know where to go, they needed someone to point the way. Li Banfeng was more than willing to send them to a good place. He pricked his fingertip, letting blood drop to the ground. A silent Boundary expanded outward from beneath his feet, swiftly encircling the Tufang soldiers. As the Boundary contracted and expanded, swathes of soldiers collapsed from their injuries. Realizing something was wrong, some tried to rush to the armory to equip themselves, but Li Banfeng summoned over a hundred shadows to slaughter everyone in sight. In the blink of an eye, more than two hundred men fell by his hand. The elites of the Tufang State lagged noticeably behind the Totem Army and the Bandit Quelling Army, but their fundamental combat discipline remained intact. A company of about two hundred soldiers managed to form ranks amid the chaos, donning their armor and readying their weapons. Though the Tufang State's armaments were inferior to the Shang State's, they were far superior to ordinary weapons. A full suit of armor covered them tightly right down to their fingertips, making it difficult even for a Tang dao to pierce. Their armor was also fitted with crossbows, shears, and various blades. Crucially, the individual combat strength of the Tufang troops was formidable. While they couldn't compare to the Totem Army, they were far stronger than the Bandit Quelling Army. They understood combat techniques; though they had no clear Daoist lineages, every soldier had one or two formidable skills they could display, allowing them to fight head-on without relying on formations. Since it was a head-on clash, it wasn't suitable for the Rickshaw Man. Yuan Miaoping's electrical energy was essentially spent, so she couldn't help either. The rest came down to how Li Banfeng handled it. Li Banfeng recalled the shadows of the Heavenly Stems. He first used Severing the Path to cut through the enemy's formation, splitting them apart, and then led the shadows of the Earthly Branches to launch hit-and-run assaults among the separated ranks. After going through so many battles lately, Li Banfeng had discovered that the techniques created by Tou Youlu were remarkably deceptive. Many believed techniques like East-to-West Rush and Holding Torches Through the Night were useless, completely unworthy of being called cloud-tier arts. In a duel against a top-tier expert, those two techniques were indeed lacking. But when slaughtering amidst an army, their utility was immense. Li Banfeng used East-to-West Rush repeatedly to knock down vast swathes of enemies without feeling the least bit fatigued. The moment an enemy hit the dirt, the shadows immediately finished them off. The efficiency was no worse than Tread Over Ten Thousand Rivers, and East-to-West Rush activated swiftly, making it hard for the enemy to guard against. Several tiger-like enemies constantly shifted their positions, attempting an ambush. These tigers were the most skilled combatants in the force, specialized in assassinating enemy commanders—one of the Tufang army's favorite tactics. Yet Li Banfeng didn't fall for it. Every soldier with a distinctive appearance or specialized equipment was marked by Li Banfeng using Holding Torches Through the Night. Wherever they went and wherever they stood, Li Banfeng saw them clearly. Whenever the opportunity arose, he wiped them out using his shadows. Before long, the two hundred-odd enemy soldiers were thoroughly dealt with by Li Banfeng, while the scattered remnants were simply run over and crushed by the companion dwelling. Over fifty three-headed men, relying on their special armor, managed to flee from the encampment. Li Banfeng pursued them relentlessly, slaughtering fifty and sparing the few remaining, binding them in a net before sending them into the companion dwelling. The gloves found it curious. "Master, where did you get this net?" Li Banfeng replied, "Didn't you take this from Tu Yinghong? Didn't I use this net back then to bring Lin Dexing home?" Lin Dexing had been Old Yao's mortal enemy. Back then, after Xu Han defeated the Lüshui Beggar, he had severely wounded Lin Dexing along the way, and Li Banfeng had used a fishing net to drag him back home. The gloves certainly remembered that. Yet that net had been thrown away long ago. "Master, do you remember how foul that net smelled? How would I ever dare keep it?" Li Banfeng inspected the net in his hand, and indeed, it wasn't the one he had used back then. This net expanded and shrank at will, and when slapped against his palm, it vanished without a trace. It had to be said, his skill with All Desires Fulfilled had advanced considerably. Returning to the camp, the Rickshaw Man finished off the enemies in the lake who hadn't yet drowned. Yuan Miaoping unfurled her solar panels, seizing the time to recharge. Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling, brought out the captured officers, and interrogated them in turns. After about ten minutes of questioning, the officers confessed everything they knew. Li Banfeng had the Copper Lotus dispose of the bodies, marked the map, and hurried on toward the next camp. According to the officers' confessions, the Tufang State had sent ten camps in total. The largest held over eight thousand men, while the smallest had only five hundred or so. Each camp had distinct responsibilities. They planned to launch a surprise attack within two days, coordinating their roles to crush the Suihuang Iron Cavalry in a single battle and seize the entire Suihuang Plain. Taking out these small camps did little good. Li Banfeng examined the location and troop deployment of the main camp, then conferred with the Rickshaw Man: "We need to call for more help." The Rickshaw Man had thought of that as well. "I'll make a trip back to town to fetch the Old Glutton Cart. Seven, coming to Suihuang Plain was the right call after all! Fighting alongside you, I never come out on the losing end!" Arriving in Huangtu Town, the Rickshaw Man brought out the Old Glutton Cart and gathered the people from the He family, the Ma family, and the Three Heroes Sect, leaving the Lu family, the Chu family, and the Hundred Flowers Sect behind to guard the town. Hong Ying and A'yu rode the Old Glutton Cart to rendezvous with Li Banfeng, and together the group advanced toward the largest Tufang camp. The camp held over eight thousand men, boasting the finest armaments and the stoutest warriors. Surveying the layout of the camp, Hong Ying came up with an ingenious tactic: "Che Wushang, you feign defeat first, then lure the enemy into an ambush." Che Wushang grew anxious on the spot. "Why do I have to be the one feigning defeat? Not only is it dangerous, it's humiliating, and it wins no good reputation!" Hong Ying patiently explained, "When you feign defeat, it looks real. They definitely won't spot any flaws." Li Banfeng brought out the thousand-odd suits of armor collected from the previous camp. The armor was noticeably oversized, so Li Banfeng had the companion dwelling and the Copper Lotus make makeshift alterations. Dressed in the ill-fitting armor, the group prepared to wipe out this largest of camps. *** Jianrengang, Huai'en Village. Inside a peasant cottage, Qiao Yi read the battle report from Santoucha, distinctly dissatisfied with the overall progress. "They still haven't captured the Underground City?" Nian Shangyou explained, "The Mortal Market and Earth Market are putting up stubborn resistance, but the Sea Market has been entirely taken." Qiao Yi gave a slight shake of his head. "Since the naval fleet was deployed, taking the Sea Market was only natural. Yet with the port not yet captured, the Quenching Battalion has nowhere to display its might. "Inform the naval commander that the port must be seized within three days. Inform the commander of the Quenching Battalion that after the port falls, the Underground City must be captured within five days, and Santoucha within ten." Nian Shangyou swiftly drafted the reply, encrypted it with the candlestick, and sent it to the Underground City via candle smoke. "My lord, there is still no word from the Tufang State. The situation on Suihuang Plain remains unclear." Qiao Yi wasn't worried about that. "The Tufang State will inevitably conquer Suihuang Plain. The Demon Lord laid his plans there for a long time; the people's allegiance was decided long ago. For Li Qi to think he can change the situation overnight is pure delusion. "Inform the Third and Fourth Armies that they may strike." Nian Shangyou feared he had misunderstood. "My lord, the two armies you speak of—are they here?" Qiao Yi frowned. "Of course they aren't the troops stationed here. The forces here will hold their positions for now; once the right moment arrives, we shall decide. "The Third Army will head to Moxiang Shop, catching Heroes Mountain between two fires. The Fourth Army will head to the newland, demanding our old debts back with interest, and drive straight into the heart of Puluo Province." This time, Nian Shangyou understood completely. Having drafted the military orders, Nian Shangyou presented the intelligence sent by spies to Qiao Yi. "Word from Wuyouping says that Eighteen Wheels possesses immense prestige in the army. If he moves first, how should we respond?" Qiao Yi chuckled. "If Eighteen Wheels marches first, our army will wait at our leisure to annihilate his entire force. "Shangyou, stop wishing for such fortunate turns. The enemy's movements are all under the Peddler's control; we cannot count on the Peddler making an oversight. If we wish to win this battle, it will depend on how I orchestrate our strategy." Nian Shangyou walked out of the cottage, glancing toward Sage Peak, then toward Wuyouping. Which direction Qiao Yi intended to march remained opaque even to him. *** Murong Gui lay in the loft hall, wrapped in a quilt, staring up at the clouds in the sky. Yesterday, he had received word from Zhou Badou that the enemy might strike Heroes Mountain directly from Sage Peak. If Heroes Mountain fell, Moxiang Shop would be in imminent peril. When that happened, how long could this willow garden hold out? Murong Gui turned his head to look at the Writing Brush Scholar. "Can you still fight?" The Writing Brush Scholar had just covered a sheet of blank paper with writing. He glanced back at Murong Gui and grunted, "Hmph!" Murong Gui flew into a rage. "I'm discussing serious business with you!" Just as the two were about to bicker, they suddenly noticed several fissures appearing on the frozen lake. The Writing Brush Scholar's face drained of color. Beneath the lake lay an entrance; back then, Ge Junma had barged in through that very passage, nearly taking the territory of Moxiang Shop. Later, that entrance had been sealed off by the Peddler. For changes to appear on the lake surface now meant someone had opened the entrance again. Who could possess such immense capability? "Keep writing!" Murong Gui signaled for the scholar not to make any rash moves. He threw off the quilt, picked up the Judge's Brush, walked to the lakeshore, and watched the water in silence. The ice shattered in succession. The lake water churned, carrying floes of ice as waves rippled outward. The waves grew increasingly violent, swiftly forming a whirlpool in the center of the lake. From the center of the vortex rose an island roughly a hundred feet wide, made purely of stone, devoid of a single blade of grass. The Bloodfang Monster stood at the center of the island, baring two sharp fangs as she looked toward Murong Gui with a smile. Behind her stood four men. Their skin was an ashen gray, their clothes were ashen gray, and even their hair was uniformly ashen gray. Sheltered by the floating ice, they stood beside the Bloodfang Monster like four stone statues. Murong Gui was silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "You are the Four Stone Cultivator Prodigies." The Writing Brush Scholar was astonished. To his eyes, these four men who looked like stone possessed no distinguishing features whatsoever, yet Murong Gui had managed to identify them. The Bloodfang Monster nodded. "Good eye. Follow me from now on. On the surface, you will still be the local spirit of Moxiang Shop, and all the human vitality of this territory will belong to you, so long as you don't obstruct my work." "Fine!" Murong Gui actually agreed. "Come closer, and we'll draft a covenant deed." The Bloodfang Monster chuckled, looking at him. "I'm an honest person. Don't go trying to trick me." "No tricks. Come over!" Murong Gui waved to her. The Bloodfang Monster glanced back. One of the stone cultivators tossed a pebble into the air, and it burst apart before her. "You're lying!" The Bloodfang Monster licked her sharp fangs. "I hate being lied to most of all. I could have spared your life." Murong Gui twirled the Judge's Brush in his hand, and the clear lake water suddenly turned as black as ink. In fact, it was ink. This ink was Murong Gui's weapon. This was his territory, and he was still inside his own body—the finest vessel for scholarly cultivation in existence. Even if the Bloodfang Monster truly was Hen Wuyou, Murong Gui had the confidence to fight her today. The ink surged from the lake, weaving together into a downpour of black ink that hurtled toward the Bloodfang Monster. The Bloodfang Monster stood motionless. The Four Stone Cultivator Prodigies leaped into the air beside her, blocking the ink on her behalf. The four ashen-gray men were drenched completely black. Murong Gui tapped the tip of his Judge's Brush, and the ink rapidly seeped into the bodies of the four stone cultivators. He knew stone cultivators were thick-skinned and tough, built to endure blows, but the Four Stone Cultivator Prodigies were long dead; these four had to be puppets. If they were soaked through with ink, Murong Gui would be able to control them instead. *Bang!* The Four Stone Cultivator Prodigies suddenly shattered. Murong Gui was not surprised. This had to be the Bloodfang Monster's doing; she would rather destroy the four puppets than let him manipulate them. Yet what happened next proved his assessment wrong. The Four Stone Cultivator Prodigies were not destroyed. They still stood upright, only slightly smaller in frame. The stone soaked in ink had blown away from their bodies, leaving behind stone that was still pristine and clean. What followed astonished Murong Gui even more: broken stones from the island constantly flew toward the four men, patching them up until their figures were swiftly restored to their original size. These were no puppets. Had the Four Stone Cultivator Prodigies come back to life? Murong Gui's expression turned grave. With a wave of the Bloodfang Monster's hand, the Four Stone Cultivator Prodigies executed a technique, raising a stone bridge. One end rested on the island, while the other reached Murong Gui's feet. "Are you coming over, or should I come across?" The Bloodfang Monster licked her fangs and stepped onto the bridge. *** He Jiaqing walked across the land, inspecting the progress of the land reclamation. He should have gone to Wuyouping long ago, and Granny Ku had urged him several times, but he simply couldn't bear to leave these thirteen parcels of territory. He summoned Shen Rongqing and Zou Guoming, offering them instructions one by one, when he suddenly heard shouting in the distance. That distance was more than a dozen li away; Shen Rongqing and Zou Guoming heard nothing, but He Jiaqing caught every sound. He walked briskly toward the edge of the territory, only to find a mob of reclamation workers surrounding Duan Shuqun. Duan Shuqun shouted, "Whether it's the reputation of the He family or the Brotherhood Alliance, I'm sure you've all heard of it! We would never default on your wages. They will definitely be placed in your hands within three days!" The reclamation workers clamored in response, "We don't trust you!" "Three days this, three days that—how many days has it been in total?" "This is our blood money! We must see hard silver and gold today!" He Jiaqing scanned the crowd. There were a few faces he recognized, who had indeed reclaimed land here, but several looked unfamiliar, and he couldn't tell if they were here to fish in troubled waters. Regardless of the cause, He Jiaqing didn't want the matter to escalate. Cupping his hands toward the crowd, he said, "I give my personal word of honor that your wages will be delivered within three days. Please rest on this land for three days; all expenses for food and lodging during this time will be borne entirely by me." A middle-aged man stepped forward and sneered at He Jiaqing. "You can't even pay our wages, and now you claim you'll cover our food and lodging? Isn't that pure nonsense? "We don't want to hear your rubbish either. How about this: we'll waive the wages, and you give us the covenant deed to this parcel of land to settle the debt." He Jiaqing froze. Duan Shuqun's face darkened. "Friend, watch your tongue. Some jokes shouldn't be made." "Who's joking with you?" The middle-aged man glared at Duan Shuqun and suddenly threw a punch straight at him. Duan Shuqun chuckled inwardly. He Jiaqing had been strapped for cash lately, and he had indeed owed wages to many reclamation workers. In their anger, some workers had tried to take swings at Duan Shuqun before. After following He Jiaqing for so many years, Duan Shuqun's cultivation had reached the eighth tier of the ground level. How could these ordinary workers be a match for him? Yet owing people their wages left them in the wrong after all. Duan Shuqun couldn't strike with lethal force; teaching the man a lesson would suffice. Pivoting on his toes, Duan Shuqun dodged the punch with a dancer's step, turning to push the man to the ground so he would understand the gap in their strength. Unexpectedly, the fist of the man demanding wages abruptly shifted course in midair. Duan Shuqun dodged in the wrong direction, and the punch landed squarely on his cheekbone. With that single blow, Duan Shuqun's cheek caved in, and he collapsed to the ground, motionless. As the worker stepped forward to deliver a follow-up kick, He Jiaqing darted in to rescue Duan Shuqun, casually swiping a hand across the man's arm. The worker dodged swiftly and sneered at He Jiaqing. "Young Master He, were you trying to sever my tendons just now? You're still a step too slow." He Jiaqing glared at the group. "Who on earth are you?" The worker grinned. "We're debt collectors. This territory never belonged to you in the first place. Hand it over." He Jiaqing asked, "May I ask how to address you, Senior?" The worker replied, "My name is He Shengdong. I am your great-grandfather!"