Chapter 540: Private Duel

Wang Dagang merely nodded and said to the burly man, "Xiao Wu, go check over there. Tell everyone to keep steady."

The man called "Xiao Wu" nodded and headed over eagerly. Once Xiao Wu had left, the lean middle-aged man who had spoken earlier leaned in and said, "Old Wang, we can't beat them."

"I know we can't beat them, but we still have to fight. If we don't put up a desperate, fight-to-the-death stance, we won't be able to survive here anymore. Everyone pitched in for this big cart to live a little better — a lot of them are still in debt..."

"... Fools, the lot of us. Back then we heard Qingjiangpu was paved with gold, that you'd strike it rich just by coming here. Who could have imagined it would turn out like this."

The lean middle-aged man sighed with emotion, then suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Dagang, have everyone carry iron tools. If it really comes to a fight, at least we won't come out on the losing end."

Wang Dagang smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Brother Zhang, Qingjiangpu doesn't favor people like us. If we fight with these cart shafts, it's one thing as long as no blood is drawn. But the moment we pull out blades and axes..."

Before he could finish, someone shouted: "They're here!"

The shout was loud, but the voice trembled. Everyone looked in that direction and saw several hundred men appear on the eastern side of the open ground, striding toward them rapidly.

The crowd behind Wang Dagang stirred with unrest. Wang Dagang glanced back, raised the wooden club in his hand, and shouted, "Brothers, young and old — we earn our bitter wages here in Qingjiangpu, making a living by our strength and skill. Who have we offended? Who have we gotten in the way of? But these heartless, gutless bastards won't let us be. They beat our men, they burned our carts. Can we take this lying down?!"

The men behind Wang Dagang had been feeling timid and short of breath at the sight of the enemy's superior numbers, but hearing Wang Dagang's words, every one of them roared with fury.

"Brothers, young and old — even a clay figurine has a spark of temper! When have the men of Xuzhou, Fengyang, and Huai'an ever been cowards? Fight them to the death!" Wang Dagang continued to bellow. Everyone shouted wildly and followed Wang Dagang as he advanced to meet the enemy.

Compared to the ragged independent carters, the men coming from the east were far more orderly, their padded coats and leather robes all presentable. The front rows also carried cart shafts and thick clubs — when carters fought, they naturally used whatever was on their carts.

"Aiya, these savages actually have the guts to show up!" someone jeered from the opposite side, and laughter erupted from the crowd.

Another man shouted, "Master Xian opened a path for you — what great kindness is that! And you scum still don't know what's good for you, still want to set a place and fight. Truly ungrateful!"

"Why waste words on these savages? Just beat them and be done with it. We've still got to go home and prepare for the New Year!" another said impatiently.

One remark after another, attitudes varying, but none of them took the hundred-odd independent carters seriously at all. Among the crowd, one could also make out a dozen or so men in tight-buttoned, close-fitting robes — the attire of martial practitioners. Their bearing and movements were clearly different from the rest; these were likely the elite fighters of the Cart Gang.

Wang Dagang drew a deep breath and bellowed, "Zhang Yunxian wants to buy our carts and horses, but he won't pay cash. He says it'll be deducted from our wages — that's making us all work like oxen and horses for him! We came to Qingjiangpu to live better, not to be beasts of burden!"

These words struck a nerve, and the independent carters roared again, quickening their pace. The two sides drew closer and closer. At the front of the Cart Gang coming from the east, a big man spat on the ground and said with utter contempt, "This territory in Qingjiangpu was won by the gang's previous generations through blood and death. You outside savages ought to be oxen and horses!"

"Master Xian said — agree to his terms, and he'll give you a way out today. Otherwise, don't blame us for being merciless!" another man bellowed.

"Fight them to the death!" Wang Dagang's roar answered him.

With that roar, their pace quickened. The hundred-odd independent carters, wielding heavy clubs, charged forward at a run. The Cart Gang side also roared in unison and surged forward with battle cries.

The two groups crashed directly together. Since Wang Dagang's side was outnumbered, they were immediately surrounded. But Wang Dagang clearly had real skill — his club whirled, and two men before him were struck down at once. Quickly, a dozen or so men rallied around him, and they charged forward like that.

The men in tight-buttoned robes immediately moved to intercept them. They too had skill. No matter how fiercely the independent carters charged and swung, once they closed in, they were beaten to the ground in less than two exchanges.

Anyone could see that Wang Dagang was the leader. Several martial practitioners moved to confront him directly, but they hadn't expected Wang Dagang to be quite adept with the staff. The moment they crossed hands, one practitioner was jabbed and toppled outright. Another struck Wang Dagang's shoulder but recoiled clutching his own. A third, hoping to seize an opening, was jabbed squarely in the knee and collapsed to his knees.

Wang Dagang's display of skill greatly boosted the carters' morale. They shouted and rallied around him. Though outnumbered, they seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

The Cart Gang members, who moments ago had been so fierce, suddenly scattered. The independent carters' morale soared — they thought they had won. But their cheers had barely left their mouths when they were drowned out by piercing, wretched screams. They looked over and saw cold-gleaming blades, swords, and axes — and their own comrades lying in pools of blood!

"You used iron weapons! You mean to kill!" Wang Dagang's eyes nearly split with rage as he roared.

Podao, waist swords, short axes — the Cart Gang members charged again, brandishing sharp blades. Someone laughed scornfully and cursed, "Who said we couldn't use these? If you savages don't see blood, how will you know our strength!"

When it was just clubs clashing, the independent carters were already at a disadvantage — after all, the enemy had so many more men. But as long as it was only clubs, their minds were still steady, and they still had the spirit to fight. The moment they saw blades drawn, however, every one of them was afraid.

True, a single club strike could kill or maim a man, but it rarely drew blood and flesh, so their courage could hold. But now they couldn't endure it — the screams and the sight of flesh and blood flying through the air made their hearts quail with terror.

Some turned to flee, but trapped alone amidst heavy encirclement, there was nowhere to escape. Some tried to beg for mercy, but the Cart Gang members showed not the slightest restraint. Clubs came smashing down heavily — those cart shafts were solid, round, thick rods. A blow to the forehead could split a man's skull clean open.

"Wretches! Bastards! You're taking lives — have you no fear of the authorities?!" Wang Dagang roared. The men facing him now no longer held wooden clubs, but several podao.

Wang Dagang held nothing back now. He lunged forward a step, jabbed one man in the lower abdomen with his staff, then flipped it upward and smashed the man's jaw to pieces. He parried left and right, deflecting the pincer attack, and shouted hoarsely, "It's only a dispute over work — why must it come to killing? Stop! Stop this!"

His voice was nearly shouted raw. Directly ahead, a big man thrust at him with a spear. Wang Dagang dodged hastily. That big man was named Shi Biao — the top enforcer of Shandong Cart Gang leader Zhang Yunxian, and highly skilled in martial arts. Shi Biao pulled back his spear and thrust again. Wang Dagang parried to the side and pushed, opening distance between them. Shi Biao revealed a vicious grin and spoke: "Master Xian asked me to pass you a message. Since you're unwilling to work for Master Xian and want to lead these wretches to beg for a living, then go to the Underworld!"

With that, he thrust again. Wang Dagang retreated urgently, using his staff to block a podao chopping from the side, but carelessly let a short axe from the other side graze him. Though it didn't wound him or draw blood, his leather robe was slashed wide open.

"I agree to Master Xian's terms! I agree to Master Xian's terms! Spare these poor, suffering men!" Wang Dagang's voice now carried a sobbing note.

"Too late. Didn't you say back then you wanted to seek justice for these wretches? Master Xian offered you face, and you refused it. Then you can forget your life too!" Shi Biao's spear thrust repeatedly like the wind.

Wang Dagang dodged left and right in dire straits. But the independent carters he led, whether brave or timid, fought desperately before him. Several, seeing him in danger, actually threw themselves forward to shield him. But flesh and blood against sharp blades — how could they possibly block them? One after another, they fell dead or wounded under the swords and spears, blood spraying.

At this moment of despair, someone was heard shouting at the top of their lungs: "The constables are here! The constables are here!"

The voice belonged to that Brother Zhang. Quick-witted, he might have already run out, but he hadn't gone far. His tone was full of shocked delight.

Not just him — even Wang Dagang was filled with shocked delight. He shouted, "The constables are here! You've murdered and taken lives — wait for prison and the execution ground!"

The independent carters all paused, fully expecting the Shandong Cart Gang men to stop as well. They never imagined these men would completely ignore whether the constables were coming or not, their movements not pausing in the slightest.

Shi Biao, who was pursuing Wang Dagang, grinned viciously again. Seizing the moment Wang Dagang's movements halted, he thrust his spear straight at him. Almost simultaneously, a scream rang out from outside — it was Brother Zhang's scream.

At the sound of that scream, Wang Dagang instinctively twisted sideways. The spear pierced through his leather robe, grazing past his ribs. It had already opened a bloody gash, burning with sharp pain.

"You..." Wang Dagang was somewhat stunned. His heavy staff jabbed out fiercely — Shi Biao retreated a step. Wang Dagang swept his wooden staff horizontally, and a blade-wielding martial practitioner was struck, vomiting blood as he fell.

"Wang Dagang of Xuzhou has gathered a mob to cause disorder, with intent to disrupt canal transport. Kill without mercy!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

In that moment, Wang Dagang's heart went completely cold. That tone, that manner of speaking — no one but a constable would shout like that. So now even the authorities wouldn't intervene?

"Master Xian wants you dead, so you die!" Shi Biao roared, thrusting his spear. From both sides, martial practitioners closed in with blades. Wang Dagang, now utterly disheartened, thought death was death — there was no turning the tables anyway.

Just then, a figure suddenly lunged forward, shoving Wang Dagang aside and meeting the spear head-on. This person also held a long staff, charging with the intent to die together. But Shi Biao, after all, possessed martial skill and reacted with extreme speed. With a shake and a thrust of his spear, he drove it straight through the figure's chest. The martial practitioners on both sides, seeing an easy opening, swung their blades down.

"Old Wang, avenge us!" that person roared.

In that instant, Wang Dagang realized — it was Xiao Wu. And in that same instant, his thought of letting death come vanished like smoke. He turned and fled.

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