Chapter 198: Iron Sheep Trio

Goods loaded, ten large carts.

Donkey-head maggots from the new land pull the carts.

Each donkey-head maggot is three meters long, lying flat on the ground, standing one meter and fifty to sixty centimeters high; when the driver shouts, they shriek in unison and rapidly crawl forward, dragging the cargo.

Ma Wu rode the Swallow at the front of the convoy, with Aqin beside him.

Li Banfeng sat in the cart at the rear, with Xianxian and Qiaocui following behind.

As the convoy set out, Zuo Wugang watched from the plot of land, his heart heavy.

Escorting caravans is slang for "pulling a Gua," and this is one of the duties of a Gua.

Trouble had arisen in the new land; logically, such a situation called for the head Gua to intervene personally, but for some reason, Ma Wu did not use Zuo Wugang this time.

Back in the wooden hut, Zuo Wugang collapsed into bed; Cao Zhida and Zhen Jincheng had nothing to do, so they had the cook prepare two dishes and drank gloomy wine together.

"Old Cao, we're still outsiders. We've bled and fought for Fifth Master, yet he still doesn't trust us."

"If anyone treated us well, it was Seventh Master—he's the one who brought us in. I'll never forget that debt."

"But Seventh Master and Fifth Master are true brothers. We're outsiders. If Fifth Master ever turns on us, Seventh Master won't side with us."

The two brothers sighed heavily, drank for over two hours, got thoroughly drunk, and fell asleep.

After sleeping half the day, a subordinate burst into the room shouting: "Brother Cao, Brother Zhen, some people broke in and burned our warehouse!"

Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida woke up and rushed toward the warehouse; before they reached it, a man walked over with a smile.

"You two are going to save the warehouse? Don't bother—it's Ma Wu's cargo, not yours. Dying for it isn't worth it."

Zhen Jincheng narrowed his eyes: "Who the hell are you?"

Cao Zhida gritted his teeth: "Do we even need to ask? It's this bastard who set the fire!"

Both drew their weapons, ready to attack, but the man lowered his palm: "Gentlemen, I'm only looking out for you. Ma Wu treats you as outsiders—he doesn't deserve your lives. Isn't that right?"

"What the hell kind of logic…" Cao Zhida began, then suddenly realized the man's words made perfect sense.

Zhen Jincheng's cultivation was slightly higher than Cao Zhida's; he rubbed his forehead and stared at the man: "You're De…"

"Bitter medicine cures illness; harsh words aid action. My words may be unpleasant, but I speak from genuine concern.

No matter what you do, you must put yourself in others' shoes.

If Ma Wu treated you like true brothers, we'd charge through fire and water without hesitation—but how has Ma Wu treated you? Don't you know?"

Zhen Jincheng shook his head, still resisting: "This is our duty…"

"What duty? You're just earning a living. Stay alive, eat, drink, have women—that's real duty.

If you die, what's left? Cross the bridge to reincarnation, and your life is over. What duty then?"

Cao Zhida and Zhen Jincheng had spent their lives as Gua.

They'd complained before, but they'd never broken their duty.

But today was different. They returned to their rooms, packed their bags, observed the situation, and decided their next move.

If nothing major happened, they'd shout a few times to show they'd contributed.

If something major happened, they'd flee immediately, ensuring they weren't implicated.

How could two well-known Gua behave like this?

Because they'd encountered a fifth-layer Virtue cultivator who lowered their moral Dixian!

First- to third-layer Virtue cultivators excel at crushing others from a moral high ground; this technique is called "See Virtue and Strive to Match It"—imposing a moral standard to trap opponents in self-restraint.

Fourth-layer Virtue cultivators have another method: they lower the opponent's moral Dixian; this technique is called "Alienate Heart and Virtue."

Those affected forget all moral constraints and act purely in self-interest.

This Virtue cultivator roamed the area, persuading every Ma Wu subordinate who tried to resist to turn back; if he met hunters, he had another speech:

"Raid! Quick, raid! Ma Wu's gone, outsiders are attacking—he's finished. In a moment, everything will burn to ash.

What are you waiting for? Do you still plan to do business with Ma Wu?

Ma Wu is dead—he won't live to see it. Raid now! Whoever grabs it, owns it. Whoever's slow loses."

The hunters' moral Dixian sank to its lowest point. They began looting—cargo, money, even each other. The entire plot descended into chaos.

As he walked, the fifth-layer Virtue cultivator encountered Xiao Chuanzi.

Xiao Chuanzi carried a steam engine on his back, its boiler blazing, smoke billowing from the chimney; he gripped a steam hose, ready to fight!

The Virtue cultivator said: "Young brother, don't be reckless. Don't lose your head. Listen to me:

You're just a laborer. Your boss pays you, you work. You owe him no favor, no loyalty. There's no reason to die for him."

Xiao Chuanzi shouted: "Fifth Master has been kind to me!"

The Virtue cultivator laughed loudly: "Young man, saying that proves you're still young. You work, you earn, you eat—what debt do you owe him?"

"Fifth Master treated me differently!"

"How differently? All nonsense. Hahaha…"

Plop!

A sticky mass landed in the Virtue cultivator's mouth.

He'd been laughing loudly, mouth wide open, intending to utterly shatter Xiao Chuanzi's moral Dixian through mockery.

Instead, Xiao Genzi fed him a spoonful—directly shattering his dietary Dixian.

The Virtue cultivator spat a dozen times, then glared at Xiao Genzi, who now stood on the roof: "Brat, you want to die?"

Xiao Genzi held his spoon, face grim: "How can you talk like that? I gave you food, and you curse me?"

Zuo Wugang stood beside Xiao Genzi, looking down at the Virtue cultivator and smiling: "No wonder he's morally bankrupt."

The Virtue cultivator looked up: "Oh? Isn't this Big Gua Zuo? Your boss doesn't want you—he doesn't even use you for escorting. Still here begging to die?"

Zuo Wugang looked at Xiao Genzi: "His name is Wang Qi. He used to be a flower-tongue on Iron Sheep Mountain—morally bankrupt and foul-mouthed.

Genzi, give him another spoonful later—clean that stink out of his mouth."

Genzi actually scooped another spoonful; behind him, a shadow flew toward Genzi.

Zuo Wugang kicked out, striking the man, who crossed his arms to guard his chest, rolled over, and landed beside Wang Qi.

Zuo Wugang chuckled: "This one's Yu Dacheng. He's from the same gang as Wang Qi—a body cultivator. Look at him—jumping around like a toad."

A fifth-layer body cultivator and a fifth-layer Virtue cultivator stood before Zuo Wugang—he showed no fear: "You're the Three Heroes, right? Where's the word cultivator Du Shuping? Bring him too—I'll handle you all at once, save the trouble!"

Fifth-layer Virtue cultivator Wang Qi said: "Attacking with numbers isn't honorable. I'm a man of martial virtue…"

Zuo Wugang laughed: "Genzi, feed him another spoon. Old Wang, if Du Shuping doesn't show, I'm attacking now!"

Before his words ended, Zuo Wugang was already before Wang Qi.

Wang Qi was a Virtue cultivator, one layer weaker—he had no chance against Zuo Wugang. Body cultivator Yu Dacheng leapt, slamming his chest toward Zuo Wugang.

"After all these years, your only useful trick is still that toad technique!" Zuo Wugang kicked Yu Dacheng in the head, sending him flying back.

He stepped forward and kicked again; Yu Dacheng's back sprouted warty bumps, like a toad's, and he slammed into Zuo Wugang again.

These bumps were hard, sharp, and poisonous.

Zuo Wugang still didn't dodge—he kept kicking.

To a Wu Xiu, everything is a weapon.

His shoes were weapons—unbreakable weapons.

He was confident he could kick Yu Dacheng to death without giving him a chance to retaliate—that's the power of a Wu Xiu.

After several kicks, someone shouted: "I've searched high and low!"

Zuo Wugang laughed: "Du Shuping, you're here. Your trick won't work on me."

Riiiip!

Before Zuo Wugang finished speaking, his leather boots shattered into pieces scattered across the ground.

Du Shuping's trick worked—"Tread through iron shoes, yet find nothing"—Zuo Wugang's boots had truly shattered.

The toad's bumps pierced his feet—he was poisoned.

Zuo Wugang hopped back two steps, staring at Du Shuping, who had just appeared: "You're sixth layer?"

Du Shuping smiled: "Old Zuo, didn't expect this, did you? We've suffered enough at your hands—time to settle the score."

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

"Old Zuo has spoken—let's honor him!" Du Shuping called to his brothers: "Come, send Old Zuo on his way."

Du Shuping, sixth-layer word cultivator, was evenly matched with Zuo Wugang.

The other two—a fifth-layer Virtue cultivator and a fifth-layer body cultivator—would overwhelm him quickly.

No need to speak of experience or tactics; all were seasoned veterans, each skilled.

Zuo Wugang knew he'd die here—but he didn't flinch.

He might lack judgment, but in life-or-death, he never backed down!

Zuo Wugang had spent his life as a Gua —failed, lost face—but never lost his duty.

He tore off a strip of cloth, tied his calf tightly, stood straight, and faced the three: "Come on—come all of you!"

The three stepped forward—then someone shouted from the roof: "Old Zuo, good man—I never misjudged you!"

Zuo Wugang heard the voice, looked up: "Seventh Master?"

How had Li Qi returned?

Wasn't he escorting the cargo with Fifth Master?

Li Banfeng had indeed returned—more accurately, he'd never left.

To everyone's eyes, Li Banfeng was a man in a hat with a big beard, hat brim pulled low, face nearly invisible.

Not seeing his face made things easier—because Li Banfeng wasn't good at drawing faces.

He'd drawn a fake man to escort the cargo instead.

Only Ma Wu knew about this—not even those close to him were told outright.

On the chessboard, Li Banfeng moved his horse, signaling Ma Wu to move first.

He did not move his chariot, signaling his intent to stay behind and hold the ground.

Horse moves, chariot stays—that is the tactic!

The reason it couldn't be spoken aloud was that Li Banfeng didn't know where the traitor was; he feared word might leak.

He didn't even dare stay inside the house, fearing the traitor would spot him; he spent most of his time in his Personal Dwelling, emerging every half-hour to check the situation.

He had just stepped out when he ran into these three bandits from Tieyang Mountain.

Li Banfeng looked at the three men and said: "I'm a man of martial virtue—I didn't ambush you.

But I've seen you fight for so long, your strength is clearly drained.

If I strike now, it'd be unsportsmanlike. For fairness, I'll cut myself first!"

Du Shuping was stunned.

Is this guy insane?

He glanced at Dexiu Wang Qi and asked: "Did you use a technique on him?"

Wang Qi shook his head: "No technique—I didn't even notice him until just now…"

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

"Watch closely, friends—I'm wounded too!"

Du Shuping, a Sixth-Level Literary Cultivator, was the first to react: "He's the landowner—run!"

The three bolted, sprinting all the way to the edge of the plot.

A curtain of water descended, sealing off the plot.

When the landowner sheds blood, invaders face punishment from the Land Spirit.

The Physical Cultivator Yu Dacheng gritted his teeth and charged forward; the moment he struck the water curtain, he exploded into a bloody pulp.

The water curtain turned slightly red; Du Shuping and Wang Qi froze in terror.

Shu Yongquan whispered in Li Banfeng's ear: "Do you want them dead or alive?"

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

"Fine. If these frontier settlers sent them, let me know—I'll have to speak with Qiu Daxiang too."

As the words faded, countless water droplets erupted across the curtain, striking Du Shuping and Wang Qi.

Each droplet pierced straight through them, turning both men into sieves.

PS: Our Banfeng practices martial virtue—he can be a Dexiu too.

(End of Chapter)