Chapter 238: Exploiting the Bug: Controlling the Town

In the town...

This avatar of Lu Zhigang is currently being controlled by Zhou You.

The pool of blood at his feet is the trace left from dragging Cheng Xiaohe and throwing him into the backyard just now.

He does not want to finish this guy off just yet.

Because Zhou You checked the panel just now, and after killing Jin Heshan, the Trial Project has still not entered the settlement phase.

Thinking back to how this mission was evaluated as a multi-person battle...

Hmm, the indicator for the mission's completion should be the deaths of both Jin Heshan and his 4 Disciples.

Cheng Xiaohe is still alive, and even if he only has one breath left, this mission cannot be considered finished.

A flash of inspiration strikes Zhou You, and he finds a way to exploit the bug.

This town can be called a land of good fortune; its liquid wealth is but a drop in the ocean, but its value in other aspects is a hundred times greater.

It is inconvenient for Zhou You's true identity to remain here, but Du Yan Lu Zhigang can!

Right now, he needs to project his avatar into two places, switching back and forth to facilitate his work, so the project cannot be finished yet.

Zhou You intends to stay here for a period of time to accomplish a few things.

Through the markets and channels in the town, he will offload the stolen goods he has accumulated and convert them into hard currency that is easy to circulate.

Then, following Li Chonghe's memories, he will dig out the more hidden wealth of the Heming Fist lineage.

And also...

On the tabletop behind Zhou You lies a severed arm; it is the one blown off Jin Heshan, along with the Martial Master Skin gauntlet.

Martial Master Skin is a material for crafting Qi-Blood Divine Weapons.

But for Zhou You, it has another special use.

After the Tianfu Decipher Confusion talent was upgraded, it could be attached to specific containers to be used as an enchanted item; he had tried many types, but they all failed due to the inherent inadequacy of the materials.

What if he replaced them with a pouch made of Martial Master Skin?

This experiment is inconvenient to conduct at home, but it is very easy in the town.

Nowadays, it is rumored throughout the town that Jin Heshan's entire household has been wiped out, and a Poison Dragon that crossed the river has occupied the magpie's nest, using even more ruthless methods.

"Lu, Master Lu, the merchants and prominent gentry in the city are all outside the door requesting an audience, wanting to ask you to set the rules."

"Whether it is to follow the usual practice of taking a cut, or if there are new rules."

"Everyone wants to talk it over and discuss it!"

The servants of the villa are trembling with fear, standing before Zhou You without daring to even breathe loudly.

When Zhou You broke in, he killed with a Poison Palm from a distance, having already slaughtered all of Jin Heshan's confidants.

The scene at that time served to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, and those who survived do not even have the courage to look at him.

"Why go to such trouble? Everything will follow the precedent; whatever Jin Heshan collected, I will collect."

Zhou You waves his palm, the rainbow-like Poison Mark in his palm twisting, and large swaths of poison mist drift out as gently as a gauze curtain.

The poison mist breaks through the door and lands on the villa's perimeter wall, not dissipating but instead seeping into it.

In an instant, the geckos crawling on the wall, along with the old vines, lose all their luster and color and fall to the ground with a *pat*.

The crowd of heads gathered at the entrance falls silent; seeing such a terrifying sight, their faces turn deathly pale in a flash.

They originally still harbored little thoughts, wondering if they could bargain.

Jin Heshan was a Martial Master with the ability to suppress the scene and control the board, so it was understandable that his cut was a bit harsh.

But Lu Zhigang is only at the Qi-Blood realm; is it not... to collect money according to the standard of a Martial Master?

A wall of poison stands grimly around the villa; birds and butterflies stiffen and fall to the ground as soon as they get close, and insects and ants constantly crawl out of the ground, struggling a few times before turning over and stopping all movement.

As time passes, the number of 'corpses' around increases.

Just thinking that the air around them, and even the town's well water, could potentially be poisoned by the other party!

"Fine, I agree; let it be as it was before, thirty percent is thirty percent."

One merchant cannot hold back and gives in; what follows is a chain reaction, and they all agree one after another before fleeing in a sorry state. Zhou You chuckles twice and calls over a servant, telling him to pass on a message.

"I'm newly opened for business today and in a great mood, so I'm having a grand opening promotion."

"From now on, the first business to move into the town will be tax-exempt, with the thirty percent cut waived; it just depends on who is lucky enough."

"Only this one, and there will be no more discounts after this; pay as usual."

After saying this, he laughs heartily, "Be careful when you go out; don't touch anything randomly, or you might get poisoned to death."

This attitude of his, capricious and treating human life like grass, soon spreads throughout the town.

The consequence of this is...

Hmm, the order in the town remains as usual, completely unaffected.

Du Yan Lu Zhigang, although not as powerful as Jin Heshan, is even worse and more vicious than him, so no one has any complaints anymore.

In this day and age, one doesn't fear that you are morally corrupt or have done all kinds of evil; one only fears that you cannot suppress the scene or control the order.

Many people are also curious about who the lucky one is who can be the first to visit after Lu Zhigang moves in.

Xu Ying keeps his hands tucked in his sleeves, muttering "Heaven bless us" over and over in his heart.

The carriage bumps incessantly, but the turmoil in his heart is even more violent; he wishes he could shake out his internal organs.

Driving the carriage in front is his son, the Qi-Blood warrior Xu Ying.

Xu Ying's current appearance is that of a short-haired, burly man covered in scars, his gaze indifferent yet carrying a hint of determination.

"Father, don't worry. Since Zhou You said there is an opportunity, why don't we give it a try?"

Just a moment ago, Zhou You passed by the mountain stronghold and told them a piece of news: Jin Heshan is dead.

The town is about to change hands, and it is best to take this opportunity to move in; perhaps they can save some costs.

However, it is said that after Jin Heshan died, Lu Zhigang took his place.

Compared to a normal martial artist, Lu Zhigang, who practices Poison Palm, does not look like a normal person at all; I fear he is very difficult to deal with.

After hearing this, Xu Ying volunteered to escort his elderly father to the small town.

I do not know how much time passed, but the jolting stopped; they had arrived at the place.

"I trouble you to report to the master of this place: the Shen Family Trading Firm requests to move in here; how much must we pay in tribute..."

Manager Xu had just opened his mouth when a thunderous roar erupted from the streets on both sides, as if it would flip the roofs over.

Among them, there was even a gambling den opening a betting pool: "Is there anyone who bet on this trading firm? Come and collect your money!"

What is going on? Manager Xu looked at his son to Decipher Confusion, and Xu Ying also shook his head; this situation looked extremely strange no matter how one viewed it.

A moment later, the two of them knew that their family had hit the jackpot.

"As the first firm to move into this town, the commission cut is waived; this is the grace of Lu Da Ye."

Manager Xu felt that happiness had come too quickly; he staggered backward and was caught by his son, Xu Ying.

Fortunately, they also knew the gravity of the situation and hurried to the villa to pay their respects and thank 'Lu Zhigang' for the favorable treatment.

Separated by a wall of poison, they did not see the person himself; it was a servant who replied.

"There is no need for thanks; it is just that you have good luck. Also, give my regards to the two little tigers."

Two little tigers? Who could that be? In their joy, the two drove back to Gongliang City overnight to tell Master Shen this good news.

After moving to the small town, the transportation and logistics costs dropped by half; the rope around their necks was gone, and they could finally catch their breath.

It was not until a few days later that the Shen family received internal news: the two little tigers who had joined Lu Zhigang to surround and kill Jin Heshan were, one, the Blood Tiger Jiang Hua, and the other was an old acquaintance.

Zhou You!

Now, the Shen family owed Zhou You a massive favor.

(End of this chapter)