Chapter 52: Fighting with Cao Long
Chapter 52: Fighting with Cao Long
"My father presented Cao Village Chief with eight hundred taels of silver, half a pig, two fat sheep, and eighty rolls of silk and satin."
These properties are worth at least 1,500 taels.
In recent years, Dongliu Villa has relied on the Shennong Gang to monopolize the medicinal gardens and tea gardens around Yunwu Mountain, exploiting tenants and squeezing farmhands, charging low fees and paying high incomes, making a fortune every day. It has become a well-known wealthy family in the southern part of Pingyang Prefecture, and has been generous to the Taisui Heifeng Village in the area.
Cao Long was so happy that he took back most of the money he had given to Master Tang just for this one thing: "Great! My father is really thoughtful!"
Huang Fugui hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Actually, this is not unusual. There is another thing that was given to my father by Gang Leader Sikong. My father said that this is a gift from heaven, and people with little luck will not be able to enjoy it. After thinking about it, it is most appropriate to give it to Village Leader Cao."
Cao Long became interested and asked, "What is it?"
Huang Fugui looked at the long wooden box held by the black-clad attendant behind him and said slowly, "Nine-leaf ginseng."
"Nine-leaf ginseng, is there such a rare thing?"
Except for the table of the Fuwei Escort Agency, all the guests in the hall were surprised.
"Nine-leaf ginseng is said to be able to prolong life and replenish blood and strengthen qi."
"It strengthens the body and strengthens the internal strength. This thing is incredible, incredible!"
"Why would the Shenlong Gang give such a treasure to Huang Batian?"
"Huang Batian gave his little daughter, who was not even sixteen years old, to Sikong Huan as a concubine. With the influence of his pillow, it would not be strange for him to give half of his family property to Dongliu Villa, let alone the Nine-Leaf Ginseng."
Someone concluded: "Bai Ju-Tian once said in a poem that having a daughter is better than raising a son, and sons are just money-losing goods!"
Cao Long was overjoyed and said, "This...this..., my father is really thoughtful. My dear nephew, quickly present the nine-leaf ginseng."
"This is a gift from heaven. To prevent the medicinal power from escaping, it needs to be tightly sealed in a wooden box."
Huang Fugui turned to the black-clad attendant and said, "Send the nine-leaf ginseng forward and let Cao Village Master take a closer look."
"Yes!"
The black-clad attendant took the order, holding the wooden box, and walked towards Cao Long step by step.
"Open it quickly and take a look!"
The others tilted their heads upwards, all wanting to see what the nine-leaf ginseng looked like.
The man in black robe walked up to Cao Long and slowly opened the wooden box. There was no ginseng that could prolong life inside, but a dagger as dark as the abyss lying quietly.
He could even clearly see the two small words engraved on the handle.
Cold Abyss!
assassin!
Cao Long looked up at the man in black, his face filled with horror. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late.
"I wish that Village Master Cao will live forever!"
The man's eyes were cold. He grasped the dagger and stabbed it into Cao Long's chest three times in a row. It was like a golden knife cutting mud without any hindrance. The first two stabs did not even splash a trace of blood.
"There are assassins!"
"Protect the village chief."
The bright red plum blossoms blossomed on his chest. When Cao Long fell to the ground along the chair, apart from the guests' exclamations, the only thing he remembered was a line from an opera he had heard in Bailuo County many years ago.
"When the picture was finished, the dagger appeared. He grabbed the sleeve of the King of Qin with his left hand and stabbed him with the dagger in his right hand..."
"What was the ending?"
Before he could figure it out, his consciousness fell into complete darkness.
The hall was in chaos. The man in black robe had strange movements and used a dagger to cut the throats of two Black Wind Village leaders who were rushing forward with their swords drawn. In the midst of the chaos, a tall and graceful woman and a short and sturdy man led more than 40 people into the Juyi Building and blocked the door.
The guests who came to celebrate the birthday hid in the corner, holding knives to protect themselves. Zhao Xia swung the Xuanhua axe and opened the skull of a leader who wanted to slip away in the chaos.
"Put down your weapons and you will be spared! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy."
It didn't take much effort before the sound of weapons falling to the ground could be heard in the hall. With someone taking the lead, everyone in the Juyi Hall put down their weapons, and all the leaders of the Black Wind Village were controlled.
Huang Fugui had already held his head and crawled under the table, shitting and pissing all over the place.
The man in black robe jumped onto the wooden table and shouted, "I am Zhang Yu. I heard that Cao Long of Black Wind Village does not follow the code of conduct and only bullies men and women. Today, I will enforce justice on behalf of heaven and execute only the ringleader. Those who surrender will be spared!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a man dressed in white who looked like a scholar knelt on the ground.
"I am willing to surrender. I am willing to surrender. Cao Long has committed crimes and deserves death. I am willing to serve Zhang Yingxiong as the leader of the Black Wind Village."
Chen Xiulun is a weak man, but he has managed to survive in the Black Wind Village full of jackals and wolves. His special skill is to adapt to the changing circumstances.
After Cao Long's death, all the leaders in the village gathered in the Juyi Hall, where knives were put to their necks.
Most of the minions outside the building were drunk, and without a leader, nothing could be accomplished.
In this case, he can only help these people gain control of the Black Wind Village. A scholar like him, living in a bandit's den, can only feel a little safe under the order established by the strong.
Seeing that he was tactful, Zhang Yu saved himself a lot of trouble and said with a smile: "What's your name? What's your position in Black Wind Village?"
The man smiled apologetically and said, "I am Chen Xiulun, the financial advisor of Black Wind Village!"
"Okay! You hold Cao Long's head and go out to command the bandits. Tell them that those who obey orders will do so as before, and those who want to resist can just come and die! Anyone who wants to leave, go down the mountain immediately, and I will not stop you."
"This……"
Chen Xiu Lun groaned, those minions might not be very loyal, but among the old brothers, there were still many confidants of Cao Long. He was powerless and would be torn to pieces if he went out.
Zhang Yu ordered Liu Dachui, who was holding an iron-ringed broadsword, "Take 20 of your brothers with you to escort him out and persuade the people to obey. Anyone who disobeys will be killed immediately!"
Liu Dachui swung his sword, and the iron rings clanged: "Yes, sir!"
Zhang Yu looked at the messengers who came to celebrate his birthday and chuckled, "Dear guests, the host has had a small accident, so please go down the mountain first. I will invite you all to the banquet after I clean up the mountain village. I apologize for my rudeness today."
........................
Heavy snow fell and the mountain roads were blocked.
The flag of the Fuwei Escort Agency was covered with ice and snow, and it was wilted and could not flutter. From time to time, ice chips fell from the flag and hit Wu Sihai's shoulder.
The group found the horses tied at the foot of the mountain and rode towards Bailuo County.
The young man, riding on his horse, asked, "Cao Long is dead, so why don't we return to Shuntian Prefecture?"
Wu Sihai laughed and said, "If we go back now, the gift will really be thrown into the water."
The young man asked again, "Uncle Wu, do you want to get in touch with the Sun Moon Sect?"
"Listening to what the young escort leader said and seeing what he did today, that Zhang Yu is a young man with both wisdom and courage. Such a person will never be inferior to others for long. He will definitely have a place in the future martial arts world."
Wu Sihai took out the seal, turned around and said to the porter, "Wang Wu, Yang Chun, you two go to Pingyang Prefecture immediately, find the merchant who is on good terms with the Fuwei Escort Agency, withdraw a thousand taels of silver, buy new gifts, and then rush to Bailuo County to meet us."
The young man asked in confusion: "Uncle Wu, why is there another gift?"
"Young Escort Chief, in the martial arts world, it is better to keep a cold stove burning than to heat one up, especially when you know that this cold stove will become popular sooner or later, so it is more worth keeping a cold stove burning!"
The business of Fuwei Escort Agency spreads across ten provinces. The eighty-four chief escorts all have their own tricks, some are good at reading people's expressions, some are good at networking, some are worldly-wise, and some are good at dealing with people. They all follow the concept of 'first blessing, then power'.
However, there are few escort leaders who become famous in the underworld with their men's skills. When one day the remaining prestige of their ancestors is no longer enough to intimidate the young, they have to guard their huge family business and dance in the underworld where jackals and wolves run rampant. They don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse.
(End of this chapter)