Chapter 197: The Three Heroes of Iron Goat

The cargo was ready at last. Ten enormous wagons stood in a row.

These wagons were dragged by creatures found only in the New Land, the infamous donkey-headed maggots.

Each one was three meters long. When they sprawled on the ground, they were one and a half meters high. The moment the driver shouted, the beasts let out a chorus of shrill brays and began wriggling forward, hauling the heavy wagons along with astonishing speed.

At the very front of the convoy rode Ma Wu, perched on Swallowie like a general leading his army. Qin rode beside him.

At the very back sat Li Banfeng in the last wagon. Xianxian and Qiaocui followed close behind. As the convoy rolled out of the territory, Zuo Wugang stood watching. And inside his chest, a rather sour feeling began to spread.

In the slang of the underworld, escorting a caravan was called "pulling the hook," and it was exactly the sort of job a support hook was supposed to handle.

Yet something strange happened in the New Land lately. In a situation like this, the senior support hook should have been the one leading the operation. But for some reason, Ma Wu had not used Zuo Wugang this time.

After standing there for a long time, Zuo Wugang finally returned to the wooden house, flopped onto his bed, and fell asleep almost immediately.

Cao Zhigang and Zhen Jincheng, on the other hand, had nothing to do. They ordered the cook to fry up a couple of dishes and sat down to drink together, both wearing long, gloomy faces.

After a while, Cao Zhigang grumbled, "Old Cao... in the end we are still outsiders. We risk our lives following Master Wu, but he still doesn't trust us."

Zhen Jincheng let out a heavy breath. "If anyone treated us well, it was Master Qi. He was the one who brought us in back then. I will never forget that kindness."

"But Master Qi and Master Wu are real brothers," Cao Zhigang said gloomily. "We are still outsiders after all. If Master Wu ever turns against us, Master Qi won't be able to side with us."

The two men sighed and sighed again. Then they drank. And drank. And drank some more.

They drank for more than two hours and were completely drunk. Before long both of them collapsed onto the table and fell fast asleep.

They slept for most of the day. Suddenly, the door flew open. A subordinate rushed inside, panting and shouting, "Brother Cao! Brother Zhen! Several people have broken into the territory and set fire to our warehouse!"

Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhigang jolted awake at once. Still half-dizzy from the wine, they scrambled to their feet and rushed toward the warehouse. But before they could reach it, a man walked toward them.

"You two are heading to save the warehouse, aren't you?" the man said pleasantly. "Don't bother. Those goods belong to Ma Wu, not to you. Losing your lives for them would hardly be worth it."

Zhen Jincheng narrowed his eyes and said, "Who the hell are you?"

Cao Zhigang gritted his teeth. "Do you even need to ask? It's this birdbrain who came here to torch the joint![1]"

The two men drew their weapons and were just about to strike when the stranger calmly pressed his palm downward. "I am saying this for your own good. Ma Wu treats you like outsiders. He isn't worth risking your lives for. Don't you think that makes sense?"

"What kind of bullshit logic is tha-" Cao Zhigang stopped halfway through his sentence. Suddenly, he felt that what the man said actually made a lot of sense.

Zhen Jincheng's cultivation was slightly higher than Cao Zhigang's. He rubbed his forehead and stared hard at the man. "You're a Moral-"

"Good medicine may taste bitter, but it cures illness; honest advice may sound harsh, but it guides a person toward wise action. My words may not sound pleasant, but I truly mean well for you.

"If Ma Wu truly treated you like brothers, you wouldn't hesitate to brave fire and water for him. But how has he treated you? Don't you know that yourselves? Whatever we do, we should always try to put ourselves in the other person's place. If Ma Wu truly treated you like brothers, we would gladly charge through fire and water for him. But think about it. How has he treated you?"

Zhen Jincheng shook his head, still trying to hold on to his resolve. "This... this is our duty..."

"Duty?" The man let out a soft laugh. "What duty are you talking about? Isn't it just about making money and getting by? As long as you are alive, you can eat, drink, and enjoy women. That's what life is for.

"But if you lose your life, what then? Once you cross the bridge to the next world, this one is finished. Tell me, what duty will you still be talking about then?"

Cao Zhigang and Zhen Jincheng had spent their entire lives working as support hooks. They had complained plenty over the years, but they had never once done anything that went against their duty.

However, today was a special case. After talking to the guy, the two men returned to their rooms, quietly packed their belongings, and decided to watch how things unfolded before making their next move.

They figured that if nothing serious happened in the territory, they would step out, shout a few times, and put on a show of helping. That way, no one could say they had done nothing. But if things turned bad, they would run for their lives at once and make sure they were nowhere near the trouble.

How could two fairly well-known support hooks behave like this? Because they had run into a level-five Moralism Cultivator, a man who could lower a person's moral standards.

Level-one to level-three Moralism Cultivators specialized in standing on the moral high ground and pressuring others with it. This ability was called Seeing Virtue and Aligning With It. By setting a moral standard, they forced their opponents to restrain themselves.

A level-four Moralism Cultivator possessed another ability. He could lower a person's moral standards. This technique was called Turning Hearts Away from Virtue. Anyone affected by it would forget all moral restraints and act purely in their own self-interest.

As the Moralism Cultivator walked along, he shouted loudly. Whenever Ma Wu's men came out to resist, he talked them into going back. If he ran into hunters, he used a different kind of persuasion.

"Loot! Hurry up and loot! Ma Wu isn't here. Outsiders have already broken in. This domain is finished. Once the fires start, everything will burn to the ground.

"If you don't grab things now, what are you waiting for? Do you still think you will be doing business with Ma Wu later? Ma Wu is finished. He won't live that long. Take whatever you can now. Whoever grabs it keeps it. Whoever hesitates gets nothing."

The hunters' moral standards dropped to their lowest point. They began looting, grabbing goods and money. Some even robbed their own companions. Soon, the entire territory descended into chaos.

As he continued walking, the level-five Moralism Cultivator ran into Little Chuan.

Little Chuan had a steam engine strapped to his back. The boiler burned fiercely, and thick smoke poured from the chimney. He gripped a steam pipe in his hand, ready to charge forward and fight to the death.

The Moralism Cultivator raised a hand and said, "Young man, don't be reckless. Don't let your emotions take over. Listen to my advice.

"You're just a worker. The boss pays you, and you do the job. You don't owe him affection or loyalty. There's no reason to risk your life for him."

Little Chuan shouted, "Master Wu has shown me kindness!"

The Moralism Cultivator burst out laughing. "Kid, the fact that you say that only shows how young you are. You work, you earn money, and you eat. What kindness do you owe him?"

"Master Wu treats me differently!"

"What's different about it? It's all nonsense. Hahaha..."

Smack!

A sticky lump flew straight into the Moralism Cultivator's mouth. He had been laughing loudly, his mouth wide open. He had meant to use mockery to completely crush Little Chuan's moral resolve.

It was totally unexpected. Little Gen delivered him a spoonful of something that instantly ruined his appetite. The Moralism Cultivator spat again and again, more than a dozen times in a row. Then he looked up and saw Little Gen standing on the rooftop. He roared, "You little bastard, are you tired of living?"

Little Gen held the spoon and said with a serious face, "What kind of manners are those? I give you a bite to eat, and you still curse at me?"

Zuo Wugang stood beside him on the rooftop and looked down at the Moralism Cultivator with a smile. "See? That's exactly why I say this fellow has no virtue."

The Moralism Cultivator looked up and said, "Well, well, isn't this Big Support Hook Zuo? Your boss doesn't even think much of you anymore. He doesn't even let you escort caravans, yet here you are risking your life anyway?"

Zuo Wugang looked at Little Gen and said, "His name is Wang Qi. He used to be the slick-tongued instigator up on Iron Goat Mountain. Not only is he lacking in virtue, his mouth is filthy too."

"Little Gen, give him another spoonful later. Maybe it'll wash the taste out of his mouth."

Little Gen actually scooped up another spoonful. At that moment, a figure shot toward him from behind.

Zuo Wugang lifted his foot and kicked at the man. The man crossed his arms in front of his chest, flipped through the air, and landed beside Wang Qi.

Zuo Wugang smiled and said, "That one's Yu Dacheng. Same gang as Wang Qi. He's a Physique Cultivator. Look at him hopping around like that, just like a toad."

A level-five Physique Cultivator and a level-five Moralism Cultivator now stood before him, yet Zuo Wugang showed not the slightest fear.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Aren't you the Three Heroes?" he said with a grin. "Where's that Mouth Cultivator, Du Shuping? Tell him to come out too. I will deal with all of you at once and save myself the trouble."

The level-five Moralism Cultivator, Wang Qi, said, "Ganging up on one man would be an unfair victory. I am a man who believes in honor in combat..."

Zuo Wugang laughed. "Gen, give him another bite later. I'm telling you, Old Wang, if Du Shuping doesn't show up, I'm starting the fight."

Before the words had even left his mouth, Zuo Wugang was already standing right in front of Wang Qi.

Wang Qi was a Moralism Cultivator and one level lower in cultivation, so he was no match for Zuo Wugang. The Physique Cultivator Yu Dacheng leaped into the air and slammed his head straight toward Zuo Wugang's chest like a battering ram.

"So many years have passed, and that toad trick is still the only move you have got!" Zuo Wugang kicked Yu Dacheng in the head and sent him flying backward.

Zuo Wugang stepped forward and kicked again. A layer of warty bumps suddenly spread across Yu Dacheng's back, just like a toad's skin, and he charged at Zuo Wugang once more.

The bumps were hard, sharp, and poisonous. Zuo Wugang did not dodge. He simply kept kicking.

In the hands of a Martial Cultivator, anything could become a weapon. Even the pair of shoes on his feet were weapons, and incredibly sturdy ones at that.

He was confident he could kick Yu Dacheng to death without giving him a single chance to fight back. That was the terrifying strength of a Martial Cultivator.

After several more kicks landed on Yu Dacheng, a voice suddenly shouted, "You wear out iron shoes searching everywhere but find nothing!"

Zuo Wugang laughed. "Du Shuping, so you have come. That trick won't work on me."

Rip!

Before he could finish speaking, the leather shoes on his feet suddenly burst apart, fragments scattering across the ground.

Du Shuping's move had worked. "Search far and wide in iron shoes and find nothing..."

Zuo Wugang's shoes shattered. The toad-like spikes pierced his feet, and venom spread through his body.

Zuo Wugang rose onto his toes and staggered back two steps. Staring at the newly arrived Du Shuping, he asked in shock, "You have reached level six?"

Du Shuping smiled. "Old Zuo, didn't expect that, did you? My brothers and I have taken plenty of losses at your hands. It's time we collect that debt."

Zuo Wugang gritted his teeth and nodded. "Enough talk. All of you come at me together."

"Lord Zuo has spoken. Let's grant his wish!" Du Shuping called to his two companions. "Come on. Let's send Lord Zuo on his way."

Du Shuping was a level-six Literary Cultivator, roughly equal to Zuo Wugang.

The other two were a level-five Moralism Cultivator and a level-five Physique Cultivator. With the three of them attacking together, Zuo Wugang wouldn't last long.

All three were experienced fighters of the jianghu with powerful abilities. None of them lacked experience or skill.

Zuo Wugang knew he would likely die here this time, but he did not flinch. He was never very good at making clever decisions. But when it came to staking his life on something, he had never once stepped back.

All his life, he had been a support hook. He had stumbled. He had lost face more than once. But abandoning his duty? That had never crossed his mind.

With a quick tug, he tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve and wrapped it tightly around his wounded calf. Then he straightened up, squared his shoulders, and looked the three men in the eye.

"Come then," he shouted. "All of you!"

Just as the three men were about to advance, a voice suddenly rang out from the rooftop. "Old Zuo, well done. I knew I wasn't wrong about you!"

The moment Zuo Wugang heard the voice, he looked up. "Master Qi?"

Why is Li Qi back? Didn't he leave with Master Wu to escort the goods?

Li Banfeng had indeed returned. Or rather, he had never left in the first place.

To everyone present, he looked like a man in a fedora with a thick beard, the brim pulled so low that his face was nearly impossible to see. That actually made things easier, because Li Banfeng was not very good at drawing faces.

He had drawn a dummy to escort the goods in his place. No one knew about this except Ma Wu, and he didn't even reveal the entire truth to Ma Wu.

On the chessboard, Li Banfeng moved a knight, telling Ma Wu to go first. He left the rook untouched, meaning he would stay behind to guard the home.

The knight goes, the rook stays. This was the tactic! He couldn't say it openly. He didn't know where the mole was, and if word leaked, the whole plan would collapse.

He did not even dare stay inside the house. Afraid that the mole might discover him, he spent most of his time inside his pocket dwelling, coming out every half an hour to check on the situation.

He had just stepped out when he encountered the three bandits from Iron Goat Mountain.

Li Banfeng looked at them and said, "I am a man who fights with honor. I didn't ambush you. But you've been fighting for quite a while now. You must have used up a lot of your strength. If I strike now, it wouldn't be a fair victory. So to make things fair... I'll stab myself first!"

Du Shuping was stunned.

Is this man mad?

He glanced at Wang Qi. "Did you use your ability on him?"

Wang Qi shook his head. "No. I didn't even notice him just now..."

Li Banfeng took out a knife, sliced open his palm, and let the blood drip onto the ground.

"Everyone, take a good look," he said. "I'm injured."

Du Shuping, the level-six Literary Cultivator, was the first to react. "He's the landowner! Run!"

The three of them immediately bolted, sprinting toward the edge of the territory.

A towering wall of water crashed down, sealing the territory. When the landowner spilled blood, intruders had to face the punishment of the land deity.

Yu Dacheng gritted his teeth and charged forward. The moment he struck the wall of water, his body burst apart into a cloud of flesh and blood.

The wall of water rippled and turned faintly red. Du Shuping and Wang Qi froze in terror.

Shui Yongquan's voice sounded beside Li Banfeng's ear. "Do you want them dead, or alive?"

"Alive. I need to find out who sent them."

"Fine. If they were sent by those land activators, let me know as well. I will have to discuss it with Elephant Qiu."

The moment he finished speaking, thousands of droplets burst from the wall of water and streaked toward Du Shuping and Wang Qi.

Each droplet pierced straight through their bodies, riddling them like sieves.

Author's Note:

P.S. Our Banfeng values honor and virtue in fighting. If he wanted to, he could be a Moralism Cultivator too.

1. This is gang slang for set on fire. ☜