Chapter 351: Chapter 204: Intercept and Repel

As Xiao Bing rescued the gang members, he launched a counterattack, pursuing the other Liu Family squads.

When the group of over thirty Liu Family Martial Artists were all captured and brought to the gang’s headquarters, they didn’t run into He Shujun.

Li Lu, who had been guarding the headquarters, was also having his men search everywhere for him. But they didn’t know that at this very moment, He Shujun was in an alley, his eyes locked on Cheng Zongyang. His face was ashen, and he was trapped, unable to advance or retreat!

Three or four meters in front of Cheng Zongyang, three men stood frozen in place, their faces displaying a bizarre range of expressions—some laughing, some crying, some terrified.

Those three were his He Family’s Guard Team captains, all at the Peak of Eighth Grade and just a step away from the Seventh Grade.

He had run into Cheng Zongyang on his way to the Celestial Break Gang—or rather, he had been intercepted by him.

Cheng Zongyang had then led him into this alley. The moment his men charged, they ended up in this state before they even got close.

"...Article four of our agreement states you cannot attack me. Otherwise, your ’Soul Returns to the Wilderness.’ A man is nothing without his word. I’ve told you this many times. What happened to them is just a lesson. If you make a move, I’m afraid you’ll be the one to die," Cheng Zongyang said, his expression full of mockery.

He Shujun’s face darkened. "What kind of trick did you just use?"

He didn’t dare to attack. The scene just now had been too bizarre—his men were bewitched before they could even land a blow. They hadn’t even touched Cheng Zongyang.

Cheng Zongyang had stopped him precisely to get information. He ignored He Shujun’s question and spoke. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Answer a few of my questions, and you can leave. Otherwise, I’ll kill these three and then force you to attack me. It wouldn’t be difficult."

With that, Cheng Zongyang began asking his questions directly, not waiting for He Shujun’s consent.

"First, since you’ve become a Sixth Grade Martial Artist, what did Li Mingxin say when you reported it?"

As he spoke, he started walking toward him.

He Shujun saw this and instinctively backed away.

The unknown was what truly inspired fear. ’He’s making me think back to that agreement he forced me to sign, and all that talk of curses.’ This apprehension left him with no choice but to retreat.

But in the next moment, Cheng Zongyang executed his Body Technique and rapidly closed the distance.

"Damn it!" He Shujun could only use his own Body Technique to retreat. The more brazen Cheng Zongyang acted, the more hesitant He Shujun became.

"Your speed is no match for mine. Answer my questions, and I’ll let you go. The agreement is only for seven days. You can just wait for it to end, can’t you?"

But He Shujun continued to ignore him, seemingly searching for other members of the He Family.

Seeing He Shujun’s escape route, Cheng Zongyang guessed his intention. He tailed him from a short distance, neither too close nor too far, and called out with a laugh,

"You can stop looking. By now, all your men from the He Family should have been captured."

He Shujun refused to believe it. He had brought over a hundred men. Although most were just ordinary guards, a team of three or four could briefly hold their own against a Ninth Grade Martial Artist.

A short while later, after a prolonged game of cat and mouse, He Shujun was forced to admit that his Body Technique was slower than Cheng Zongyang’s!

The main reason was that he had spotted the corpses of ordinary He Family guards in several locations, but not a single body belonging to a Martial Artist.

He had no choice but to believe what Cheng Zongyang said—the He Family’s Martial Artists had all been captured!

"Fine!" Unwilling to take the risk, He Shujun finally relented through gritted teeth. But he added a condition, "You have to answer a few of my questions, too!"

He’d been suppressed by Cheng Zongyang as a Seventh Grade. Now that he was a Sixth Grade, he thought he could finally deal with him, only to find he was still being completely overpowered!

The frustration was so intense he almost coughed up blood, yet he still didn’t dare to initiate an attack on Cheng Zongyang.

"A fair exchange. I can agree to that," Cheng Zongyang replied readily.

"Li Mingxin said..."

Seeing this, He Shujun composed himself and answered Cheng Zongyang’s earlier question. Then, he asked one in return.

They took turns, exchanging questions and answers.

While asking several related questions, Cheng Zongyang also repeated one. Seeing that He Shujun’s answers were consistent, he became reasonably certain that the man wasn’t lying.

After the questions were finished, Cheng Zongyang’s eyes narrowed into a smile. "The Liu Family... Looks like the Cheng Family is about to get a bit richer."

Then, Cheng Zongyang looked at He Shujun and smiled. "See? Wouldn’t it have been better to get this over with sooner? Why waste all this time? Also, remember to deliver those ten thousand taels of silver. If you fail to do so before the agreement expires, you die!"

With that, he turned and left.

’I’d love to kill him right now,’ Cheng Zongyang thought, ’but I still need him to handle the cleanup in the northern district.’

BANG!!

After Cheng Zongyang left, He Shujun could no longer suppress his rage and smashed his palm straight through the wall of a nearby house.

"I’ll be fucking waiting for this agreement to end!!"

After another low roar and venting his fury a few more times, he finally left.

Cheng Zongyang’s expression was no longer calm; it was now one of confusion.

’Li Lu already delivered the letter, but why would Li Mingxin turn a blind eye to the matter of the Poison Physician? Are they not interested? Or is there some other motive?’

’To become a Middle Third Grade Family, the tribute increases to five times the basic amount, which is no small sum. Originally, a Seventh Grade Family’s tribute was 12,000 catties of grain, 12,000 silver taels, and 1,200 catties of Medicinal Materials. But the new tribute set by Li Mingxin has increased that fivefold. That comes to sixty thousand catties of grain, sixty thousand taels of silver, and six thousand catties of Medicinal Materials per year—a considerable amount. If an ordinary family from the Lower Three Grades lacked the strength to seize enough territory to earn that tribute, they would be in serious trouble. After all, the money and grain they earn must also support their own family members. Only the surplus can be used for the tribute.’