Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 382 Who is withholding the money?

There are many hills near Denglaishan Village.

Some hilltops were simply bare of trees.

On some hilltops, even half of the mountain itself has been excavated.

This place is a quarry, and the ground is covered with grayish-white stones.

The quarries in Denglaishan Village are almost all under the management of the Xiao family.

The remaining mountainside, resembling a steep stone slope, provides some shade from the scorching sun every morning.

But in the afternoon, the hillside blocked the cool breeze, and the sun continued to shine here, making the temperature even higher.

The air seemed to be steaming, and the people working here felt their straw sandals burning hot on the stones, their bodies covered in sweat, their skin turning red and black.

They used hammers and chisels to drill a row of holes in the boulder, then replaced the chisels with wooden wedges and inserted them into the holes, and poured water on the wood.

As moisture seeps into the wood, the wood gradually expands, and all the pores work together to crack the boulder.

Smaller stones were transported out using baskets and mule carts.

Quarrying stone by hand is probably the most arduous kind of labor.

The manager built a shed and pavilion on the edge of the quarry, where there was more soil than stone and a few small weeds.

The shaded area was a place for the laborers to rest at noon and in the evening.

The pavilion was where the supervisors and managers sat.

"Stop! Stop!"

The group of overseers walked into the quarry, banging gongs. "The foreman is giving everyone a half-day off today. You can all go home now."

The laborers looked up, wiped away their sweat, and showed no joy.

Until the foremen said, "You'll still get paid for this half-day."

The laborers felt as if they had been suddenly struck by a great surprise. They all put in extra effort, hurriedly packed up their tools, shouted their thanks to the pavilion, and rushed home.

Judging from their expressions, they were afraid that the person in charge would change their mind again.

The steward of the Xiao family was a slightly plump middle-aged man. He wore a gauze crown and a brass-colored silk robe. He sat in the pavilion, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan.

"As you instructed, they have all been sent home."

The person in charge secretly glanced at the young man in the wide-sleeved cloth robe sitting opposite him, but dared not look him in the eye.

Chu Tianshu poured some cold tea into his cup, gulped it down, and laughed, "Don't make me sound like some kind of villain. It's a good thing that everyone is going home."

"By the way, I heard that the wages for all the properties under your Xiao family's name have been decreasing year by year?"

Shen Minglai's power exists in the form of a classic gang. After defining a territory in the hundreds of miles-long area of ​​Denglaishanji, he collects money from all shops, brothels, and taverns within that territory every month.

Although their gangs also control a number of land deeds and property deeds, they don't have many people directly involved in their operations. Instead, they mainly demonstrate their gang's presence by guarding the premises and patrolling.

Not only Shen Minglai, but also the previous representative of the Hou family faction here had a similar style.

When the Xiao family first arrived in Denglaishan Village, they took control of the local shipyard.

They ordered the relocation of a large number of craftsmen and their families, bringing with them more advanced shipbuilding techniques.

The business of inspecting and repairing foreign ships quickly fell to them.

Then, the construction of ships extended to building houses, various mansions, palaces, temples and pavilions.

Their craftsmen even participated in the repair and paving of roads and bridges.

More locals were drawn to the opportunity to send their children and grandchildren to these craftsmen as apprentices, thus unknowingly becoming appendages of the Xiao family.

When Chu Tianshu attacked Shen Minglai, he also killed some high-ranking members and important figures in the gang.

Because such fierce and brutal gang forces rise and fall suddenly, and there is little need to manage them afterward. As long as the Hou family, their backer, has not sent a new leader, the gang will naturally be broken down and devoured.

As for the Xiao family's influence in the area.

Chu Tianshu did not use any particularly brutal methods.

He carried a pot of cold tea and walked from the logging camp and shipyard to the quarry, stopping and starting as if he were just looking around.

They stopped at the quarry.

The head steward of the Xiao family had also been among the crowd on the street that day and had seen Chu Tianshu. He then told all the stewards about it when he got back.

The quarry manager, caught red-handed by this scoundrel, naturally fawned over him and dared not show the slightest disrespect.

"I only manage a quarry; I have no say in wages."

Chu Tianshu didn't make things difficult for him, and just looked into the distance.

"Among the three of you, there should be one member of the Xiao family, right? A person who has attained enlightenment would not say that he is of low rank and insignificant position. Could you please enlighten me?"

The quarry manager was startled and stared intently.

At the top of the rocky slope, three figures appeared, calm and composed, gracefully descending the steep slope.

The reason behind this is simple.

Xiao Shexin said calmly, "Every year, too many people flock to the Xiao family's businesses to work."

"With more people sharing the money, less will actually get a share."

Chu Tianshu chuckled.

"The way you're saying this makes it sound like the total amount of wages they should receive has never changed."

"But in reality, the more people work, the more money your Xiao family earns. It's one thing not to raise their wages, but how can it be that their wages are decreasing year by year?"

Xiao Shexin frowned slightly.

They're just a bunch of laborers; he wouldn't normally care about that.

I was just giving a casual answer. I vaguely remember it being something one of the stewards used to reprimand the servants. I'd forgotten about that obvious flaw.

"The increase in the number of artisans is like the increase in the number of enlightened beings."

Chu Tianshu poured himself another cup of cold tea. The brown tea, like a thin stream of water, poured into the cup.

The sound of water droplets splashing was continuous, not exactly pleasant to hear, but it had a comforting, gurgling quality.

"Those who attain enlightenment early in life are more likely to receive generous rewards, occupy prestigious positions, and grow extremely powerful."

"For example, Qingsheng Temple was originally just a heretical sect that broke away from the Buddhist sects in the north and was suppressed by the major Buddhist sects at the time."

"Since the monk Qingsheng attained enlightenment and was appointed as the national preceptor, his power has increased year by year, and now he can be called the number one sect in the world."

"Looking at the Huangshan Patriarch, he attained enlightenment decades later than the Qingsheng Monk, and was thus subject to various attempts and restrictions from all sides of the Southern Dynasty."

"Aside from some honorary titles and rewards, the Huangshan Sect has only about three hundred disciples and followers to date."

Xiao Shexin was originally quite wary of Chu Tianshu's powerful aura.

However, now that the three enlightened beings have gathered here, there is nothing to fear.

"What do you want to say?"

Xiao Shexin's tone was somewhat forceful, "How can an enlightened person be compared to a mere craftsman?"

"In this life, people seek profit and compete for it. The Huangshan Patriarch considered himself noble but was not good at business and did not compete for much. He can only blame himself. Who else can he blame?"

Upon hearing this, Song Zixian agreed, saying, "That's right. Back then, I also thought that I was unable to realize my ambitions and talents because I was trapped by the times."

"But since joining the Hou family, I now have far more disciples and followers than I did back then."

"It is clear that the situation was not problematic; it was just that I was young back then and lacked the insight to see it clearly."

His words already carried a hint of invitation.

Chu Tianshu just smiled.

"The appearance of enlightened beings clearly marks the beginning of a new chapter, and the overall scale of the era will undergo tremendous changes."

He said softly, “If you continue to do things with your old perspectives, you will never catch up with things that are more outdated than you.”

Fa Wendao's eyes flickered slightly: "Does Your Excellency perhaps intend to persuade us to help you take control of Denglai Mountain Village, so that we can unite and create a new situation?"

Xiao She's mind suddenly stopped.

Song Zixian's expression also changed.

Upon closer examination, it turns out that there were actually four enlightened beings present.

If these four could truly unite and seize Denglai Mountain Village, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them a newly emerging behemoth in the world today.

But upon further reflection, Song Zixian rejected the idea.

He had known Hou Tianyuan for many years, and their interests were intertwined countless times. They had finally managed to get along quite well. Could he really ensure that joining a new force would bring him more benefits than before?

Even he is like this, so it is even less likely that Xiao Shexin will betray the Xiao family.

Even if the Huangshan Patriarch were here, how could he have severed all ties with the various factions of the Southern Dynasties over the years, or simply changed his appearance?
"Haha, it seems you were tempted for a moment."

Chu Tianshu said, "I didn't originally intend to put this explanation into words for you."

"Now, let's test it on you guys, and the results are quite good."

Song Zixian felt that he was being looked down upon and was secretly angry. He sneered, "As long as you withdraw from Denglai Mountain Gathering, you can use this excuse to tell whoever you want."

That's naive. I don't believe that any major power would be willing to gamble their future on you, all by yourself.

I'm afraid that if they make a fuss for too long, they won't even be able to establish their own sect, and they'll have to rely on a powerful force.

"I won't leave."

Chu Tianshu spoke frankly and drank the cup of tea he had just poured in one gulp.

He looked at the intense sunlight in the sky, which made all the rocks on the ground look white and shiny. The heat of the sunlight penetrated into the ground, and even the soil was hot to the touch.

"That depends on your capabilities!"

As soon as Song Zixian finished speaking, the three of them simultaneously reached out their left hands.

They were all experienced individuals, and even though they were outnumbered three to one and felt confident of victory, they did not truly underestimate their opponents.

When each person makes a move, they should use half their strength, and reserve the other half for contingencies.

Even so, the combined strength of the three was equivalent to that of an enlightened being, who exerted fifteen percent of his power from a distance.

The essence of heaven and earth was drawn and driven by their power.

It was as if a colorless giant wave had risen from the ground, surging forward from where the three of them stood.

By the time they got close to the pavilion, the height of the giant wave had exceeded three times that of the pavilion, and its width was more than five zhang (approximately 10 meters).

A sturdy pavilion made of wood and stone, under this giant wave, is like a small earthen nest built by ants, and will be destroyed at the slightest touch.

Despite the immense power, the three sensed something was amiss.

Because the giant wave was too slow, the palm strike of a master could be faster than sound.

This giant wave, however, seemed to be only one-third the speed of sound.

Moreover, the energy of heaven and earth gathered was not as abundant as expected.

It was as if something was interfering with or restricting their gathering of the energy of heaven and earth.

What is it that has suppressed their immense power?!

"Don't you think there's anything wrong with the old rules?"

"Then don't forget, I was here first!"

(End of this chapter)