Chapter 338: The Story of the Oxen Subduing in Zuojia Village

Chapter 338: The Story of the Oxen Subduing in Zuojia Village

Chapter 338: The Story of the Oxen Subduing in Zuojia Village
At dawn, the sky is just getting bright.

There is no grass on the mountain road, which is full of potholes. It rained last night and the small potholes are filled with dirty water. Mayfly larvae swim freely in the potholes. In another half day, if the water in the potholes has not dried up, they will be able to successfully evolve wings and complete the second half of their life journey.

"This road is not easy to walk on, please be careful, sir."

"Boss Li, please be careful with your address!"

"I spoke out of turn, Manager Zhang...please forgive me."

"Have you met Niutou Zuo Shiqi before? How much do you know about Zuojiazhuang?"

The cow hoof prints were densely packed, like scars on Manggu Ridge. On the road leading to Zuojiazhuang, the three people walked slowly.

"Last year, Sha Dalang's father celebrated his 60th birthday and held a grand banquet. I came to Mangguling to buy beef and saw Zuo Shiqi from afar. Strangely enough, the butcher of Zuojia Village refused to give me the cow's head, saying that the owner of the village had a rule that after each cow was slaughtered, the cow's head must be kept, covered with soil as a grave, and a plaque must be erected as a mark."

The leader, a man in his forties and thin, was the new leader of the Black Sand Gang, Li Zhen. He walked in front tremblingly and spoke very carefully.

Two people followed behind.

A thin man holding an iron knife.

A young man with pockmarks all over his face.

The young man said, "This rule is quite interesting."

"Zuojiazhuang has been open for nearly twenty years, employing more than two hundred butchers and cattlemen, quietly doing the beef cattle business. No one has ever dared to default on their payment for the meat. Even Sha Dalang was very afraid of Zuo Shiqi. He asked me to buy meat just to make friends with him."

After the three of them walked four or five miles, they were not far from Niuzhuang on the hill. They saw deer horns and wooden fences set up at the intersection ahead. There were more than a dozen men standing there. They were wearing small cardigans, all with bulging bellies and sharp boning knives on their waists.

Li Zhen looked at the pockmarked man and said in a trembling voice, "Manager Zhang...Manager Zhang, are we still going over there?"

"You're here to buy beef. Why are you afraid of him?"

"I...I will listen to you. If you take care of me, I will be of great use."

Tian Boguang held the iron knife and said unhappily, "You have already been planted with the life and death talisman. Is there anything more terrifying than the life and death talisman? If you stick your head out, you will be stabbed. If you hide your head, you will be stabbed again. You might as well put down your burden and serve the hall master wholeheartedly."

Zhang Yu nodded gently: "Brother Tian, ​​this understanding is very profound."

"The villain understands."

Li Zhen straightened his chest and walked forward.

The group of butchers had noticed the three people long ago, and when they saw them coming, they all looked at the guest sitting behind the deer antler fence.

"Master Duan Si, someone is coming!"

Hearing the sound, the man opened his dozing eyes, slowly stood up from the bamboo chair, and grasped the pair of judge's pens at his waist.

"What do you do?"

Northern accent.

Zhang Yu looked over and saw a familiar face, a master from Dihu Xiyuan, but he couldn't remember the name.

Li Zhen raised his sleeves and saluted, saying, "I am Li Zhen from the Black Sand Gang, and I am here to pay a visit to Master Zuo."

Duan Dehen asked, "What do you want to see Zuo Shiqi for?"

Li Zhen laughed and said, "Why else would you come to Mangguling to find Master Zuo, other than to buy cattle?"

"Hmph, let's go back. During this period, Zuojiazhuang will not slaughter cattle."

Li Zhen was delighted and wanted to go home, but he felt the handle of a knife pressing against his back.

"Ahem~ I'm here today to pay the deposit. I plan to pick 60 heads and then we can slaughter them one by one later."

He glanced behind him.

Zhang Yu immediately took out a bag of silver from his sleeve and handed it over, with the money rustling.

Li Zhen took the silver bag, weighed it on his palm, and said, "Since Master Zuo doesn't welcome us, shall we go?"

The butchers immediately whispered to each other that Mr. Duan Si was just a customer and they had to make a living by slaughtering cattle. Sixty heads was not a small number and if they could get a share of two or three heads, they wouldn't have to worry about the rest of the six months.

"Master Duan Si, I know this person. He is from the Black Sand Gang and is not far from Hengyang City."

"I'm an old customer. I came here to buy beef last year."

"Yes, let them go see the owner."

Duan Dehen couldn't go against the public opinion. He also felt that since Li Zhen was a local and a regular customer of Zuojiazhuang, there shouldn't be any problem.

He nodded and agreed to let the two butchers take them to see Master Zuo.

Above Mangguling, the terrain is flat, and cattle pens of all sizes are scattered around the manor. The roads are intricate and like a maze. Once you enter, if there is no one to lead the way, even if you see the manor in the middle, it will take a lot of effort to find the way in.

"It stinks!"

“That’s a lot of cow dung!”

When the three of them arrived in front of Zuojiazhuang, they covered their noses at the same time and looked in horror at the mountain of cow dung that was as high as a small hill. Yellow sewage seeped out from the bottom and spread everywhere as if it had fermented.

"Is it that smelly?"

The two butchers from Zuojiazhuang chuckled. They didn't feel that way. After being in the condition for a long time, they instead felt that cow dung had a unique grassy fragrance that was thick, rich and reassuring.

"Please come in, Boss Li."

There were cattle pens closely spaced on both sides. The cows' heads were leaning against the gaps in the fences. Their eyes as big as copper bells were staring at them in unison, and they let out a low "moo" from time to time.

"Boss Li, I haven't asked these two brothers' names yet."

The butcher was smart and wanted to get work for himself, so he took the initiative to get close to the man.

Li Zhen was timid and didn't want to say more. He just said, "His name is Chen Bo, and his name is Zhang Mazi."

In the Hengyang underworld, Zuo Shiqi's status is much higher than Sha Dalangjun, and his reputation is also greater. Even if all the brothers of the Black Sand Gang came with him, he would not dare to provoke them. What's more, there are only a few of them. If a fight breaks out, those with better martial arts skills can still escape, and he can only stay behind to take the blame.

"Chen Bo, Zhang Mazi?"

The butcher looked at the man on the left. His face was full of pits and dents, just like the rugged mountains of Manggu Ridge. He suddenly felt a bit of sympathy.

Another butcher nodded and said, "This name is quite appropriate, but it's hard to find a wife."

"As long as you have enough money, you can find any kind of wife. It's not a big deal if she's ugly, but it's a big deal if she's ugly and has no money..."

The group walked on the middle road, making many turns and twists. As the two butchers chattered, they were almost at the gate when they suddenly heard a few low animal roars, not like those of cows, coming from the corner of the village wall.

"not good!"

"Who the hell let that beast get away without keeping an eye on it?"

Before he could finish his complaint, a big blue bull rushed out from the gate. Its body was several times larger than that of an ordinary bull, and its two curved horns were shaped like full moons, with peaks like blades. It stared at the pedestrians coming towards it with red eyes.

"Run away!"

The two butchers fled to both sides skillfully and climbed up the wooden fence.

Li Zhen's legs went weak and he stood there, unable to move.

"Moo~"

With a loud roar, the blue ox lowered its head, and charged forward with all four hooves as fast as flying. The yellow earth ground was raised with dust wherever it passed, and its momentum was extremely terrifying.

Li Zhen's face turned pale: "Help...Help, help, help..."

At this time, a group of cowherds armed with knives, guns and lassoes also ran out. Seeing this scene, they could only mourn silently for the three people in their hearts.

This big blue bull must weigh at least a thousand pounds and be twelve feet long. Its hide is so thick that even bows and crossbows cannot penetrate it. It was said to be slaughtered three years ago. Before each slaughter, it always finds ways to make the cowherds in the village exhausted.

No one can subdue it except Master Zuo.

"Step aside!"

Zhang Yu raised his hand to push away Li Zhen who was standing in the front, took two steps forward, jumped up, grasped the two bull's horns with both hands, and tried to throw the bull to the ground with all his strength.

"Roar!"

The green guru actually made the sound of a tiger or leopard and raised its head, refusing to surrender.

One man and one cow, they were in a stalemate.

Zhang Yu's arms were bulging with veins, and the leather boots on his left foot were worn out after just a few hits.

The farmhands were even more stunned. The Qinggu charged with at least a thousand pounds of force, but it was stopped by this pockmarked man. Could it be that this man was born with supernatural powers?
"Roar!"

"Roar!"

The wild bull pushed forward three times, but was pushed back by Zhang Yu each time, and its strength gradually faded.

"Roar!"

The bull's head was getting closer and closer to the ground, with one burst of strength, then weaker, and finally exhausted.

"What a beast!"

Zhang Yu gritted his teeth and exerted force again. With a loud bang and a cloud of dust, he finally knocked Qing Gu to the ground.

"Hold it!"

About twenty cowherds, armed with lassoes and sticks, drove the exhausted animals away.

"Your Excellency is very strong!"

Zuo Shiqi appeared at some point and walked over. He observed the pockmarked man. He had an upright figure and a tough temperament, but he was not very strong. There were only five people in the entire Hengyang martial arts world who could subdue this bull. He must have some skills. "Master Zuo, Master Zuo, I am Li Zhen from the Black Sand Gang. I came to buy a bull from you. Do you remember me?"

"Remember, the Black Sand Gang came to buy beef last year, and it was recorded in the account book!"

Li Zhen tried to get close to me and said, "Yes, Master Zuo even invited me to dinner."

There were so many people who came to buy cattle that day that they could not choose all of them during the day. Zuo Shiqi treated them all to a meal. In Li Zhen's words, it seemed that Zuojiazhuang specially treated him. Such materialism and shrewdness were ingrained in his bones.

Zuo Shiqi disagreed in his heart and said casually: "That's what happened!"

Li Zhen laughed and said, "Haha, I told them that I was a regular customer of Zuojiazhuang and knew the owner of Zuozhuang. They didn't believe me at first and even stopped me."

Zuo Shiqi stared at Li Zhen and suddenly asked, "I heard that you became the leader of the Black Sand Gang? Where is Sha Dalang?"

Zhang Yu said coldly from behind: "He's dead!"

Zuo Shiqi smiled and said, "I see."

Li Zhen laughed and took the opportunity to introduce him, "He is my distant cousin. He has had a big appetite since he was young. His family couldn't afford to raise him, so he was sent to Southern Shaolin Temple to be a lay disciple. He carried water for eight years and came back to me not long ago."

Zuo Shiqi nodded. He didn't think much of Li Zhen. Instead, he was interested in the pockmarked man and asked, "What's your name, brother?"

Zhang Yu bowed and said, "No need to mention my surname Zhang. If you know me, just call me Zhang Mazi."

Zuo Shiqi smiled and said, "It's rare for you to have such skills. Boss Li is lucky to have such brothers. It's all thanks to you that the green guru went crazy just now."

Li Zhen said mercenarily, "Master Zuo, can you give us a better price for the cattle this time? Our Black Sand Gang wants a lot, sixty in total. You can pay a deposit first. If it's appropriate, we can have a long-term cooperation."

Zuo Shiqi chuckled and said, "The price is negotiable. Wang Wu, come here. All the cattle will not be sold today. You can let Boss Li choose them."

He arranged for Wang Wu, the manager of Zuojiazhuang, to accompany the three of them to select cattle from large and small cattle pens, while he himself followed the green guru and left. It was obvious that the Black Sand Gang was not important enough for Zuo Shiqi to take seriously.

The cattle in Zuojiazhuang are valued as a whole.

“Choosing cattle is a science.”

"Some cows look huge, but they are just for show. Bones, internal organs and stomachs make up 50% to 60% of the body. The meat yield is low, so you lose money."

"Some cows are too old and have too many tendons, so they are hard to sell. We can only sell them to wonton stalls at a low price to make stuffing."

Manager Wang was walking in front, chattering non-stop.

"Manager Wang, this is just a small gift."

"This... How can this be so embarrassing?"

Li Zhen smiled and said, "Manager Wang, please help us so that we don't lose money."

Wang Wu weighed it for a few times and said with a smile: "Boss Li is very kind to me, come with me."

After the four of them passed twenty large cattle pens, they gradually came to small cattle pens, where strong bulls were kept alone. Their muscles were full and their tendons were firm. Each bull looked very heavy.

"Finally found it!"

Zhang Yu saw that among the small cattle pens, there was a special iron and wooden cowshed with two people imprisoned inside.

The seven people in charge of guarding the surroundings were none other than the Remnant Snake Squad of Dihu Xiyuan.

"Boss Li, I shouldn't have brought you here, but since you have a close relationship with me and think highly of Lao Wang, I can't let you suffer any loss. But remember what I said, don't ask about what's going on over there, don't get involved, and don't talk about it after you get out."

Li Zhen glanced at the pockmarked man and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Manager Wang, we will take care of our eyes and mouths."

Zhang Yu looked away, his eyes were cold, but there was a smile on his lips: "Boss, it's rare that Manager Wang is so kind. There are many cows here, we have to take our time to choose, there's no need to rush."

"Of course. If we don't choose the right cattle, our restaurants in Xifengdu will have a hard time doing business in the second half of the year."

Several people circled the iron and wooden cowshed from a distance and spent most of the day selecting. By dusk, they had finally selected about forty cows, paid the deposit, and branded them.

This is already very good. On normal days, even half a week may not be as smooth as today.

Manager Wang thought of the profit from this business and was so satisfied that he couldn't close his mouth. He smiled and said, "It's getting late. You guys can stay in Zuojia Village until tomorrow, when you have picked the remaining 17 cows, and then sign the contract. Is that okay?"

Li Zhen was reluctant, but he couldn't help himself, so he bowed and said, "Sorry for nagging me."

Ironwood Cowshed.

"Cough cough~"

"Fei Yan?"

"Grandpa, hey, I'm fine."

Qu Feiyan looked haggard as he sat on the hay, wearing Qu Yang's robe. Fearing that his grandfather would worry, he tried hard to hold back his cough, and only coughed quietly a few times when he could no longer hold it in.

"How can it be okay?"

She had been ill since birth. Over the years, Qu Yang took her to seek medical treatment and travel, and her condition was about 70% cured. However, she could not stand the foul smell, and her chest tightness and acute cough, which had stopped for several months, showed signs of recurrence today.

"Oh, it's Grandpa's fault for not taking good care of you."

Qu Yang looked worried. He wanted to hand over the list, but he was worried that after handing it over, Di Baiying would kill him immediately and Fei Yan would have no chance to survive. With the list in hand, he still had room for bargaining.

Qu Feiyan didn't want Qu Yang to worry, so she deliberately changed the subject and asked, "Grandpa, what are the Twenty-Eight Friends of Gong Shang?"

Qu Yang sighed: "That was when Master Ren was in power."

Back then, Ren Woxing was obsessed with practicing the Star-Absorbing Art and entrusted all teaching affairs to the inexperienced Dongfang Bubai.

Dongfang Bubai was unwilling to be a pawn forever, so he took the opportunity to cultivate his own followers, win over people's hearts and steal the power of the church. Gradually, he transformed from Ren Woxing's white glove to suppress the elders of the Divine Religion to a real powerful figure in the church.

Ren Woxing was extremely skilled in scheming and deceit, and he soon realized what was going on. However, something went terribly wrong when he was practicing his Star-Absorbing Art, and if he wasn't careful, all his martial arts skills would be lost, and he would have no energy to deal with Dongfang Bubai himself.

He once again used checks and balances and secretly summoned Qu Yang.

He was given secret orders and secret decrees, and promised a large sum of money and a high position, so that Qu Yang could win over people among Dongfang Bubai's confidants, and wait for the right time to capture Dongfang Bubai.

Qu Yang loved music, had good relationships with people in the sect, and had the support of Sect Leader Ren. He indeed gathered a group of people. They used the name of "Twenty-Eight Friends of Gong Shang" and often met secretly to discuss important matters.

Unexpectedly, Dongfang Bubai acted faster and more ruthlessly, and directly dealt with Ren Woxing. The so-called Twenty-Eight Friends of Palace Business did not play any role at all and disappeared naturally.

"The existence of this list is top secret. It is impossible for the people on the list to reveal it themselves. I really don't know how Di Baiying knew about it."

"Di Baiying forced Grandpa to hand over the list. Is he trying to threaten them and use it for his own benefit?"

Qu Feiyan was born intelligent. At a young age, she had traveled all over the world with Qu Yang. She had extraordinary experience and could see through the real purpose hidden behind Di Baiying's generous words at a glance.

Qu Yang nodded and said, "This man's ambition is immeasurable."

"Grandpa, you must not give this list to Di Baiying!"

This group of people belonged to the Eastern Leader's camp back then, and many of those who are still alive now hold high positions. If this list were to leak out, suspicion would arise among their brothers, and there would be a lot of killing.

“Grandpa, will Zhang Yu come to save us?”

"This time it's different from the Five Mountains Sword Sect. The other party is the Dharma Protector. If Zhang Yu comes, it means he is betraying the Divine Religion. I hope he won't come. Di Baiying has locked us up here. I'm worried... he wants to lure him in."

"Di Baiying is so sinister!"

"He and his master are cut from the same cloth."

Di Baiying had inserted silver needles into eight acupuncture points on Qu Yang's body to block his internal strength. Now he has become a fish at the chopping block, and he doesn't know how long he can endure. Facing such an enemy, there is no other way but to consider himself unlucky.

"Wow!"

The iron chain lock rattled and the gate opened.

A fat woman who looked like a mountain of flesh came in with her back bent. She stared at Grandpa Qu Yang and his grandson and sneered, "Right Envoy Qu, whether it's Hall Master Di or Commander Tang, they said a lot of nice things, but they didn't want to use violence because they thought you were an elder in the sect. They were considerate, but I, Huang Qiao'er, am a girl, so I don't care so much."

Qu Yang asked coldly: "What are you going to do?"

Huang Qiaoer laughed and said, "Aren't you very tough? I will chop your granddaughter into a human pig right in front of you and see if you can still be tough."

"Bring that little girl over here! First chop off her feet, then cut off her ears, and finally dig out her eyes."

A member of the 'Crippled Wolf' team grabbed Qu Feiyan's arm and dragged her out like a chick. Qu Yang stood up to rescue her, but was kicked in the chest by Huang Qiaoer. He immediately fell on the haystack and could not move.

"You...you let Feiyan go..."

When Qu Feiyan saw this, tears welled up in her eyes. She struggled to break free, but the man's hand was like an iron clamp, locking her tightly.

"If you dare to kick my grandpa, I will kill you!"

Huang Qiaoer laughed loudly, her foot still on Qu Yang's chest, feeling extremely happy.

"Your grandfather is a useless man now, and so are you!"

She had no grudges against Qu Yang in the past, nor any hatred in the present, but the hierarchy in the Divine Religion was strict, and for a middle-level believer like her, being able to step on the Right Envoy under his feet was indeed a happy thing.

Qu Feiyan cried and threatened: "Let my grandfather go, or I will let Zhang Yu kill you."

When Zhang Yu's name was mentioned, Huang Qiaoer loosened her feet, walked to Qu Feiyan, raised her palm like a palm-leaf fan, and fanned her hard. With a "pop", several baby teeth flew out of the cowshed, and half of the girl's face swelled up rapidly.

She laughed softly and said, "Deputy Hall Master Zhang, we've been waiting for him to come!"

As soon as Huang Qiaoer finished speaking, she heard a voice.

"Really? You guys really want to see me that much."

The seven crippled wolves looked up and saw the pockmarked-faced man who had come to buy cattle during the day, walking slowly towards them under the moonlight.

(End of this chapter)