Chapter 226: Iron Gate Fortress or Blood Gate Fortress?

After lunch, Luo Zhengnan sat on the large open terrace of the main hall, listening to the radio while soaking in the sun.

Does Pulu Province have radio broadcasts?

Yes.

But only certain people can hear them, and even then, you never know what you'll hear.

Luo Zhengnan was one of those who could hear the broadcasts—and a seasoned listener at that.

Today's program was good; the host's voice was sweet and soft, and her tone put Luo Zhengnan at ease:

"Listeners who've killed before know that poisoning is stealthy—hard to detect before the act, but leaves traces afterward, making cleanup extremely difficult.

Today we recommend this poison: it naturally evaporates within two hours in water, leaving not a single trace.

For example, if you wish to send off your superior, simply add one or two drops of this product into his cup—remember, don't overdo it, or it'll ruin the taste.

Within one hour after he drinks it, he'll be dead.

In the following hour, just do some light cover-up—keep poison cultivators or anyone with detection abilities away from your superior and his cup.

Once the poison has fully evaporated, no one can find any trace, not even determine the cause of death.

Some listeners may question the product's efficacy: if it evaporates in two hours, won't its toxicity be compromised?

We can responsibly tell you…"

Luo Zhengnan thought this poison sounded useful. He was enjoying the broadcast when a ringing sound interrupted his thoughts.

Ding ling ling~~

Accompanied by the ringing, Luo Zhengnan's head, head of the Medicine King Hall, vibrated rapidly from side to side.

After much effort, Xiao Zhenggong had finally contacted him through other Peeping Cultivators in the organization.

In his heart, Xiao Zhenggong wanted to beat Luo Zhengnan senseless, then dig a hole and bury him alive.

But his tone now was unusually friendly: "Lao Luo, why have you suddenly disappeared lately?"

Luo Zhengnan sounded frantic: "Boss, you're looking for me? I had no idea! Lately, the Medicine King Gully's phone signal has been terrible."

"Don't worry, I'm not blaming you. Didn't we talk about that matter a while back?"

"What matter?" Luo Zhengnan feigned ignorance.

"That thing you mentioned a few days ago." Xiao Zhenggong couldn't be direct—several Peeping Cultivators were in between, and the matter couldn't reach them.

"I told you many things a few days ago. Now you mention it, I can't recall which one…" Luo Zhengnan continued feigning ignorance.

Xiao Zhenggong fell silent for a moment, then said: "Call me back. We'll talk in detail."

Luo Zhengnan immediately agreed: "Of course. I'll call right back—just not sure if the signal'll hold up…"

"The signal will be fine!" Xiao Zhenggong chuckled. "Do you think the Deputy Boss's signal could be bad?"

That sounded almost human.

Luo Zhengnan called back. Xiao Zhenggong delicately described the situation at the Yellow Earth Bridge branch.

The situation was this: there was no longer a Yellow Earth Bridge branch.

Xiao Zhenggong had ordered Han Jinwei, the Yellow Earth Bridge branch master, to deliver the branch's seal and tokens to Luo Zhengnan in the Medicine King Gully. From now on, the Yellow Earth Bridge branch belonged to Luo Zhengnan.

Meaning, regardless of whether the mission succeeded, Luo Zhengnan would become master of two branches.

Additionally, all personnel from the Black Rock Slope branch would answer to Luo Zhengnan.

If the mission succeeded, Luo Zhengnan would be immediately promoted to Deputy Boss, replacing Xiao Zhenggong to manage all affairs of the organization in Pulu Province.

Xiao Zhenggong had shown full sincerity—all promises were written into contracts.

The next day, Han Jinwei arrived at the Medicine King Gully, handed over the contract and seal, and declared his allegiance to Luo Zhengnan from then on.

Luo Zhengnan told him to return to Yellow Earth Bridge, recruit new men, and not bother with the Iron Gate Fortress mission.

This wasn't politeness—it was because Luo Zhengnan didn't think much of the man at all.

He'd requested from Xiao Zhenggong ten men, selected from across the branches—ten true professionals who knew how to get things done. One of them was even from his own Medicine King Gully Second Division.

Once assembled, Luo Zhengnan led them in separate groups to Iron Gate Fortress.

Upon arrival, for the first three days, they did nothing but stay in the village, learning local accents and customs.

Though Pulu Province was the backwater, Iron Gate Fortress's customs were nearly identical to those of the Medicine King Gully, and the dialects were very similar.

But Luo Zhengnan demanded strictness—every word and gesture had to be indistinguishable from a native's.

After three days, the ten men prepared to enter Iron Gate Fortress, but Luo Zhengnan still wasn't satisfied.

He sent them to the market for three more days—some buying, some selling. Three passed inspection; the other seven, he felt, needed more training.

After another three days of practice, Luo Zhengnan himself took to the market, carrying two baskets of vegetables to Iron Gate Fortress.

He sold vegetables—no sand, no mud, no rotten leaves mixed in.

Such an honest vendor was rare in Iron Gate Fortress. The cultivation sect members flocked to him, and in no time, both baskets were sold out.

Luo Zhengnan was pleased with his performance—but the other vegetable sellers were not.

They came to Iron Gate Fortress because it was profitable. Now this man had shown up, and their profits were threatened.

Several sellers blocked Luo Zhengnan and demanded: "When did you arrive? Who sent you? Did you ask the Fortress Master? Have you paid your rent?"

Luo Zhengnan looked like a humble farmer, head bowed: "I just sell vegetables I grew myself. Do I have to pay rent?"

"If you don't pay rent, why are you selling here?

We all paid. You come in and take our business—that's stealing our livelihood. This won't go unanswered."

The crowd pushed and shoved, pressing him with questions.

Nearby cultivation sect members couldn't stand it—they stepped forward to defend Luo Zhengnan.

The dispute reached the Fortress Master. Li Banfeng had long wanted to deal with these unscrupulous merchants but never found the right chance.

Now the chance was perfect—but Li Banfeng didn't want to meet outsiders. He sent Wu Yongchao to handle it.

The solution was simple: from now on, vendors in Iron Gate Fortress would pay no rent, but must pay a deposit.

Any vendor caught selling substandard goods, mixing in sand or dirt, or inflating prices would forfeit their deposit and be banned from Iron Gate Fortress forever.

The old merchants protested, threatening to shut down the market. Li Banfeng ignored them. Merchants are profit-driven—they'd leave, and others would come.

By the next day, the old merchants hadn't left—they couldn't bear to give up the place.

New vendors arrived, mostly local farmers who'd long wanted to sell goods in Iron Gate Fortress but couldn't afford the rent.

With competition, rice sellers stopped mixing in sand, vegetable sellers stopped adding rotten leaves, prices dropped, and purchase prices rose.

The cultivation sect members' lives improved. Li Banfeng walked the streets, watching the bustling vendors, deeply satisfied.

Among them were familiar faces, strangers, and old acquaintances.

Strange—how could there be old acquaintances?

Li Banfeng stared at a vendor of miscellaneous goods for a long while, then suddenly frowned.

He was around sixty, holding a water pipe, his hair and beard streaked white, always wearing a humble smile.

Sun Xiaoan—trusted confidant of the Medicine King Hall's Second Division of the Jiangxiang Gang!

He'd entered the fortress!

Li Banfeng's heart churned—Jiangxiang Gang members had infiltrated.

This man couldn't be allowed to live.

But was he alone—or was he part of a whole nest?

Li Banfeng prepared to alert the cultivation sect members stationed at the boiler room to lock down the fortress and prepare to hunt.

Just then, Wu Yongchao approached and said: "Fortress Master, two vegetable sellers are causing trouble. Want to go take a look?"

Normally, Li Banfeng wouldn't care about such trivial matters.

But now, with Jiangxiang Gang members inside, any anomaly demanded attention.

At the scene, two female vegetable sellers were fighting, overturned baskets, voices hoarse, faces scratched.

Li Banfeng saw nothing unusual about them—they seemed like ordinary shrews.

But on another elderly vegetable seller, Li Banfeng noticed something.

It wasn't so much that he noticed it—he suspected the man had deliberately revealed it.

That elderly seller was Luo Zhengnan.

He smiled at Li Banfeng.

Had he not revealed himself, Li Banfeng would have had great difficulty spotting anything wrong.

Now that he had revealed himself, he wanted to speak to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng lowered his hat brim and gave a slight nod, leading him to an empty house deep in the valley.

The house had been vacated by a former cultivation sect member; its spirit had been taken away. It was no different from other cultivation sect member residences. Li Banfeng nominally lived here, but actually resided in his portable dwelling.

Li Banfeng never kept servants, and the house had no tea prepared. After sitting down, they got straight to the point.

Luo Zhengnan didn't hide his identity: "I'm the master of the Jiangxiang Gang's Medicine King Hall. My name is Luo Zhengnan."

Li Banfeng didn't conceal his either: "I'm the Fortress Master of Iron Gate Fortress. My name is Fortress Master."

Luo Zhengnan nodded.

To anyone else, this would sound absurd.

But here in Iron Gate Fortress, it made perfect sense.

Everyone in Iron Gate Fortress knew they had only one Fortress Master—and his name was Fortress Master.

Luo Zhengnan said: "Fortress Master, I've come to your esteemed place for one thing. I don't need to say it—you know what it is."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "If you don't say it, I truly don't know."

Luo Zhengnan explained more plainly: "The thing looks like a weapon, but it's actually a soul. Have I made myself clear now?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "I still don't understand."

That may be true, but Li Banfeng had just thought of something—he remembered Lao He's home spirit.

A home spirit can possess physical objects.

The person he meant must be referring to this item.

Luo Zhengnan sighed and said, "Then let me be blunt—I'm here for Zhao Xiaowan."

"Who is Zhao Xiaowan?" Li Banfeng's heart churned—the home spirit's name was Zhao Xiaowan.

Luo Zhengnan smiled and said, "The famed general Zhao Xiaowan—you don't know her? If you don't, this conversation is pointless."

"I know this item is important, and I know you won't part with it easily. I wouldn't dare ask for it with empty words. I came to Tiemenbao to buy it—with money."

Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow. "How much are you offering?"

"I won't lie to you—I'll give you a firm number: eight hundred thousand silver dollars," Luo Zhengnan said outright. "That's enough to buy the flagship Baiyuemen in Lüshuicheng."

"I'm not making this up—when Lu Dongjun sold Baiyuemen to the Chu family, that was the exact price he got!"

"Eight hundred thousand silver dollars!" Li Banfeng drew a deep breath. "That's more money than you could spend in several lifetimes."

Luo Zhengnan nodded. "I just need your word. I can have the money here by tomorrow."

Li Banfeng sat in silence for a moment, then asked, "What if I don't want to sell? Will you take it by force?"

Luo Zhengnan shook his head. "To be honest with you, I don't have the courage."

Li Banfeng sneered. "You've already entered the village, and now you tell me you lack courage?"

Luo Zhengnan grew serious. "If I truly had that courage, I wouldn't have let those two vegetable sellers cause trouble on your land.

I deliberately let them reveal their identities to show sincerity—I brought only these two subordinates, no one else. I genuinely want to make this deal.

If you don't want to sell to me, fine—I'll leave. I won't dare cause you any trouble.

But let me warn you: today I slipped into Tiemenbao, but others can too. I won't dare take your item, but others might not hesitate.

You may look down on the Jiangxiang Gang, but when they're gone, there's the Three Heroes Gate; when they're gone, there's the Qingyun Society.

You may despise all these scattered gangs, but when the big clans—the Lu family, the He family, the Ma family, the Chu family—come, things won't be so easy to handle.

You took over Tiemenbao to give these home cultivators a better life, but if this news spreads, Tiemenbao will become a Blood Gate.

Master, think carefully."

PS: Luo Zhengnan is shrewd, but in this situation, he's right.

(End of Chapter)