Chapter 166: Making a Move

Cheng Feng felt slightly dejected and unhappy. He frowned and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Young Master Peng, do you intend to go back on your word?"

Cheng Feng had originally been prepared to let the matter rest, but now the other party clearly did not intend to let it go.

Pengzhang, however, laughed loudly: "Why don't you go outside and ask around? When has Pengzhang ever suffered a loss? Kid, you look like a stranger here; it's best not to provoke those who shouldn't be provoked, as that will better ensure your safety. As long as you give me one hundred taels of silver, I guarantee I will never trouble you again. What do you think?"

Cheng Feng was almost amused into laughing by Pengzhang's shameless attitude. He suppressed his smile and replied, "Are you truly certain that your guard can defeat my guard?"

Pengzhang's expression turned ugly in an instant. Feeling his dignity challenged, he replied stiffly: "What, you still want to try? This young master won't give you another chance to take advantage of me! My guard only needs to hold him off for a moment, and you will fall into my hands. Do you think you still have a chance to escape?"

Cheng Feng did not want to waste any more breath on him. He silently circulated the power of his Qi and Blood, then rushed toward the guard behind Pengzhang with the speed of an arrow released from a bow. He stood still before the guard, stared sharply at him, and asked, "I hear you are quite remarkable?"

The guard clearly had not expected Cheng Feng to close the distance so suddenly and was startled! Before he could react, Cheng Feng's palm was already glowing with a layer of scarlet Blood Qi, and then, like lightning, he struck toward the guard's chest!

The guard felt a force like a collapsing mountain slam into his chest, instantly making it difficult to breathe and causing his chest to swell painfully, to the point where he could not even utter a word.

The next moment, his body was like a light willow catkin, helplessly swiped away by Cheng Feng into the corner of the wall.

With a "Wah," a mouthful of fresh blood gushed out from the guard's mouth, splashing onto the ground to form a shocking flower of blood.

At this very moment, witnessing his most powerful guard being beaten so miserably, the arrogance in Pengzhang's heart vanished without a trace, replaced by endless fear and trembling.

That was a guard his father had specifically equipped for him, a master at the peak of the Skin Refining Realm, only a hair's breadth away from being a Blood Warrior; if he broke through, he could become an Elder-level figure. Yet, he had been beaten into a dead dog so quickly?

Pengzhang's legs went soft, and he couldn't even stand steady. He stammered incoherently: "You... you're done for. He... he is... my father's disciple. If you provoke our Green... Green Bamboo Gang... you're dead!"

Hearing Pengzhang's attempt to borrow power to intimidate him, Cheng Feng was even more disdainful: "The Sect Master of the Green Bamboo Gang is a hero of his generation; how could he have a son like you?"

Although the Hong Sect's current strength was relatively weak and not yet enough to confront the Green Bamboo Gang head-on, if someone dared to bully others and act arrogant in front of Cheng Feng, then his strength in the Bone Refining Realm would have been cultivated in vain. It was quite necessary to appropriately display his strength and give the other party a small deterrent.

These two guards at least had the strength of the Skin Refining Realm, but in Cheng Feng's eyes, they were nothing more than mediocre. Cheng Feng did not deal a lethal blow, which could be considered giving the Green Bamboo Gang enough face.

Afterward, he casually picked up the saber of the guard who had fainted, gripped the hilt tightly, then grabbed the back of the blade and squeezed hard, deeply imprinting his fingerprints onto it: "One hundred taels, and I'll leave you unharmed."

Pengzhang found these words familiar. By now, how could he not know that he had kicked an iron plate? The young man before him was not only an expert but also someone not to be trifled with.

Cheng Feng thought to himself: "Since I have chosen to reveal my strength, I naturally cannot act for nothing. What big shot doesn't charge an appearance fee? Asking for too much would look like extortion; one hundred taels is just right."

Seeing the situation was bad, Pengzhang immediately admitted defeat. Not daring to say another word of nonsense, he took out two fifty-tael silver ingots, respectfully handed them to Cheng Feng, and said with a fawning smile: "Great Hero, this is one hundred taels of silver; please accept it. It was this lowly one who was blind and offended you; I beg you, sir, not to hold a grudge against a small person."

Cheng Feng didn't even glance at it, merely waving his hand to signal for Babai to come over and collect the silver. Babai understood the gesture, hurried forward, took the silver, and tucked it into his robes.

Cheng Feng looked at Pengzhang and said coldly: "I'll let it slide this time. If there is a next time, it won't be so easy to talk about." Having said this, he turned and left, leaving Pengzhang and the two injured guards shivering on the spot.

Just then, the people from the Tooth Agency appeared slowly. Cheng Feng stared at the newcomer, feeling a shock in his heart: this was also a Blood Refining Realm martial artist?

The man wore simple gray clothes, had a stubbly beard, and looked completely unremarkable. But with his Bone Refining Realm insight, Cheng Feng could tell at a glance that this person's Blood Qi was restrained, and his eyes flashed with astonishing light; he was clearly a master of the Martial Dao.

One must know that in Qingxi County, anyone who could reach the Blood Refining Realm was a high-ranking figure, usually dressed elegantly and surrounded by crowds of people. Yet this person before him was dressed simply and acted with low profile. If not for Cheng Feng's unique insight, it would have been hard to tell that he was the guardian of the Tooth Agency.

However, what made Cheng Feng wary was that he could not be sure if there were others hidden behind this gray-clad man.

Just then, the gray-clad man cupped his fists and said: "Young Master Peng, Cheng Sect Master, it seems the two of you have already resolved the dispute between you. I hope such things will not happen in our shop again, so as not to disrupt the rules here."

Cheng Feng responded with an indifferent expression: "All compensation for damages should be sought from him." Having said this, he pointed his finger at Pengzhang, who stood silently to the side.

Afterward, Cheng Feng took the two women he had taken a fancy to, the five people he had carefully selected, and two additional women with excellent culinary skills, and walked out of the Rear Courtyard in a grand manner.

Sitting in the front hall, Cheng Feng calculated: two women for fifty-five taels, five youths with good Root Bone for five taels, two cooks for four taels.

A total of sixty-four taels; there were thirty-six taels remaining from the one hundred taels Pengzhang gave.

Cheng Feng simply spent all thirty-six taels of silver and bought thirty-six more men and women with good Martial Dao Root Bone.

To balance the genders, counting those five seeds, there were twenty male Martial Dao seeds and twenty-one female, so the Cheng Mansion's guards and maids were finally strengthened.