Chapter 402: Contesting the Water Source

Huobu Quli took his one or two thousand men and headed straight for the scene of the conflict.

Liu Zheng, Qin Zhangfeng, and Pei Yanran followed behind him.

Although Qin Zhangfeng was by his side this time, Liu Zheng still habitually brought his "personal guard" Pei Qianyun. The four of them rode horses, following behind this Small Trouser Leg Tribe.

Liangshan.

It was indeed a place very close to nature. These brave men of the Small Trouser Leg Tribe all went out carrying curved sabers, bows and arrows, and javelins... In Liangshan, the javelin was a primary weapon. This was because the javelin was originally intended for the wild beasts in the mountains, such as wolves or wild boars. Especially with something like a wild boar, once it went on a rampage, only a javelin could hold it in check.

This made the javelin an indispensable weapon in the Liangshan region since ancient times.

Looking at them, Liu Zheng could already imagine the combat scenes of these "Liangshan primitives."

A howl would ring out in the mountains, and a javelin would be thrown over.

Then came the bows and arrows, and people would begin close-quarters combat.

The place where the conflict occurred this time was called Wagu River, bordering Zhaojue to the north. It was the boundary between the territories of the Medium Trouser Leg and the Small Trouser Leg. Strictly speaking, it still belonged to the Small Trouser Leg.

After all, the Medium Trouser Leg had already seized the largest water source in the Liangshan region, Lugu Lake.

Compared to Lugu Lake, this Wagu River was merely a tiny tributary. The entire Small Trouser Leg's crops relied on this Wagu River for irrigation.

Unexpectedly, because their power was growing stronger, the Medium Trouser Leg began to occupy the water sources of the Large Trouser Leg and the Small Trouser Leg everywhere, engaging in all sorts of extortion.

The Large Trouser Leg was no match for the Medium Trouser Leg at all and had long since surrendered to Shama Zhuoyi of the Medium Trouser Leg.

But the Small Trouser Leg would not...

Huobu Quli also had a fiery temper, and because of the matter regarding the previous Zimo, he had never gotten along with Shama Zhuoyi. Therefore, for a long time, even though the Small Trouser Leg was slightly inferior in combat power, his stance was one word: fight!

Two words: dare to fight!

At this moment, the scene at Wagu River was in complete chaos. The two sides were already in a standoff. Several people lay on the ground, blood flowing everywhere.

On this side, the tribesmen of the Small Trouser Leg, men and women, young and old, were all filled with righteous indignation; many had run out carrying the javelins and farm tools from their homes.

On that side, the people of the Medium Trouser Leg were all tall and sturdy, looking incomparably arrogant.

"Aduerjia, are you not leaving us Inuo people any way to survive?"

A man from the Small Trouser Leg side roared in anger.

The big man riding on horseback, looking incomparably arrogant, looked up to the sky and laughed: "Ancuoyuri, our Headman has already said it: acknowledge our status as the Great Bimo early, and never mind this Wagu River, even if you give us the Zhaojue River of the Large Trouser Leg, what of it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the people around him also burst into wild laughter.

"Bullshit!"

Ancuoyuri spat: "Your Great Bimo is just a dog of your Headman! How can he represent the gods? Our Small Trouser Leg's Son of the Black Dragon is the true messenger of the ancestral gods of Liangshan!"

"Crack!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the long horse whip in Aduerjia's hand had already landed on his face.

A shocking, eye-catching scar appeared instantly.

At this, the people on the Small Trouser Leg side were enraged once again.

"Fight them!"

"Kill these wolves!"

Men and women, young and old, all joined in.

Aduerjia gave a cold laugh, as if he had been waiting for this very moment, and waved his hand at the brave men behind him. The Medium Trouser Leg of today was just that aggressive; as long as anyone dared to start a war, they would fight!

"All of you, stop!"

At this moment, Huobu Quli finally arrived.

"Headman!"

"The Headman is here!"

"Headman, these people are truly unreasonable..."

Aduerjia also gave a chuckle: "Oh, Huobu Quli, you've finally come? I thought you would bring a great army, but it's just these few?"

He looked at Liu Zheng and the others with mockery.

Huobu Quli took a deep breath, his eyes sharp: "Aduerjia, the Wagu River has been our Inuo people's since ancient times..."

Before he could finish, Aduerjia interrupted him, laughing as he said: "Headman Huobu, that's not right. When has our Liangshan people ever not prioritized force? Don't talk to me about 'since ancient times.' Our Headman said that since the Zimo family is gone, there is no such thing as 'since ancient times' in Liangshan anymore!"

"This is the weight that decides everything!"

He waved the horse whip in his hand and then asked: "Brothers, isn't that right?"

The gang of big men from the Medium Trouser Leg struck their weapons in unison, the sound shaking the heavens; the formation was astonishing.

"I..."

Ancuoyuri was so angry he was about to rush forward, but he was stopped by Huobu Quli.

Because he knew that these Medium Trouser Leg people were here specifically to provoke. Looking at the two or three thousand people behind Aduerjia, in reality, there might be others lying in ambush in the back. Once a large-scale conflict broke out, they could send troops at any time—Aduerjia was right; in Liangshan, there was never any such thing as "since ancient times" or established laws; force was the King's Way.

Force could conquer everything.

The current Small Trouser Leg could not afford to provoke them.

Huobu Quli did not want to start a war at all; that would undoubtedly be throwing their lives away.

With a gloomy gaze, he looked at Aduerjia and said: "It seems Aduerjia came prepared today?"

Aduerjia laughed loudly: "What, Headman Huobu, do you want to have a duel?"

"Duel, duel!"

"Fight!"

The Yi people of Liangshan were always warlike. Generally, the simplest method for seizing water sources was a duel between villages. Being warlike, fierce, and having a short temper was the impression the Liangshan Yi gave to the world. If you wanted to determine who was superior, then you fought!

But...

These people of the Medium Trouser Leg were notoriously ruthless.

Although he had known that this was Aduerjia's goal, Huobu Quli still hesitated a little.

Losing men is not something to fear, but if the control of this Wagu River is lost, the people of the Small Trouser-Legs will find it difficult to survive.

Liu Zheng, standing to the side, whispered, "You can try it out; it would also be a good way to probe their strength."

Upon hearing this, Huobu Quli sighed.

"Fine! Then today, let us follow the tradition of our Yi people and have a three-person duel! The winner shall possess the control of this Wagu River!"

He gritted his teeth; at worst, he would enter the fray himself!

"Good!"

"That's how it should be!"

"Hahahaha, as expected of Huobu Headman, truly overbearing!"

With this, Aduerjia's gang finally got their way and burst into laughter. Their weapons continued to strike, and the group of men began to sing and dance... Liu Zheng really could not understand why this ethnic group was always singing and dancing at the drop of a hat.

Very quickly.

The two sides formed a large circle.

The space in the center of the large circle was used for the duel between the Warriors sent by both sides.

"I'll go!"

Ancuoyuri, who had just taken a whip lash, volunteered.

Huobu Quli nodded; Ancuoyuri was considered a famous Warrior among the Small Trouser-Legs, skilled in unarmed combat, and once had the feat of fighting a wild boar alone for two hours, eventually exhausting the beast to death.

On the opposite side, they also sent out a sturdy, dark-skinned man.

Before entering the arena, the dark-skinned man took a fierce gulp of strong liquor and walked out, baring his teeth and grinning.

The people on both sides began to cheer and root for their own.

Liu Zheng, however, watched quietly.

"Something is not right..."

His eyes suddenly lit up.