I run a Taoist temple in a bizarre world.

Chapter 101 The River God Appeared?

Bishui Martial Arts School is located in Heliu Town, relatively close to the town center.

The market that Zhao Zhu and others brought to participate in was located on the outskirts of the center of Heliu Town.

In terms of straight-line distance, these two places are not far apart.

However, in Heliu Town, which has thousands of permanent residents, the houses are generally built relatively close together because of the large number of residents and the small land area.

This leads to the desire to get from Biyue Martial Arts School to the location of the market.

The only way to get around is through winding, interconnected alleyways and lanes.

This will take some time.

On their way there, Chen Fang and Zhao De first expressed their gratitude to Chi Le, who was following behind them.

After all, Zhao Zhu was surrounded, and having one more person would give him even more momentum.

"Brother Xun, won't your meddling in our affairs affect things on your end—"

Chen Fang didn't finish speaking, but it was clear.

The unspoken question he posed was whether it would affect Chi Le, a disciple of Qingshan Temple, and the real business he intended to conduct in Heliu Town.

Chi Le thought for a moment and said, "It's nothing."

He remembered Zhao Zhu.

A dark-skinned, not-so-tall, rough-looking man typical of rural families.

He also presided over the sacrificial ceremonies held to provide the villagers with "spirit lamp oil".

The small bag of "tea-selling" money that Chi Le had just given to the old man who was examining his bones came from a "gift" sent by Cui Shui Village.

Some of them were carried up from the foot of the mountain with the help of Zhao Zhu.

Not to mention, he also offered incense frequently.

Zhao Zhu being surrounded = being frightened = possibly not coming to Qingshan Temple to offer incense = reduced incense offerings = becoming an enemy of my Qingshan Temple.

With the logic working, Chi Le's speed increased.

"Don't delay."

"Ah—Oh!"

Chen Fang was somewhat puzzled.

Why did this disciple of Qingshan Temple suddenly quicken his pace?

But his body still obediently followed.

He quickly realized what was happening.

Could it be that Brother Xun is a very kind-hearted person?

[Like those chivalrous heroes in novels and storybooks who draw their swords to help those in need?]

Or is this at the behest of the Abbot of Qingshan Temple? — Qingshan Temple, you really... I'm devastated!

No one knows how many thoughts were churning in Chen Fang's mind.

Zhao De only saw Chen Fang with tears glistening in his eyes.

he thought.

[Is Brother Zhao Zhu usually this nice to Chen Fang?]

[They were so worried they almost cried when they heard that Brother Zhao Zhu might be in danger?]

The man leading the way thought to himself as he sensed that the other three had quickened their pace and he was now struggling to keep up.

Why are they all so anxious when they hear that the villagers are in trouble?!

【You guys really————】

The four of them were completely immersed in their own world, gritting their teeth and walking quickly toward the location of the market in Heliu Town without saying a word.

On the way, Chi Le also briefly inquired about Zhao Zhu's situation from the person who had informed them.

"—We didn't know either. We were selling them quite well, and the people from the Biyue Martial Arts School who came early this morning also bought most of our spirit herbs."

"The remaining common medicinal herbs have also been mostly sold out, almost gone."

"Once Brother Zhao Zhu sells that azure-blue spirit herb, we'll pack up and head back."

"Those two guys who were muttering about bringing back some good stuff on the way here have also gone out to sell things on the street."

"Just then, a group of people arrived, saying they wanted to sell Brother Zhao Zhu's last spiritual herb," ​​but he had mentioned beforehand that the price wouldn't be high.

"Brother Zhao Zhu and I both agreed. The price doesn't have to be high. We just want to sell it as soon as possible so we can get back to the village sooner."

"But that person offered an extremely low price."

"Brother Zhao Zhu naturally disagreed, and the man was also unhappy. He shouted that he wouldn't leave until he sold it to him, and he even called a few people to surround Brother Zhao Zhu."

"When I saw that something was wrong, I wanted to run and call the two people who went to buy things back, but Heliu Town is so big, who knows where they went to sell things, and how could I find them?"

"After thinking it over, I realized that the Biyue Martial Arts School was the most eye-catching, so I came to find you."

After listening to the man's description, Chi Le understood the whole story.

It's likely that someone coveted the "spiritual herb" in Zhao Zhu's possession but didn't want to spend a large sum of money to buy it.

They resorted to such despicable tactics, attempting to force a sale.

Normally, dealing with this situation would be quite simple.

However, in public, it's best to just scare them a little and not go too far.

Having devised a more restrained plan in his mind, Chi Le nodded to himself.

Soon, the group of four arrived at the market.

They easily found Zhao Zhu in the densest part of the market crowd.

At this moment, Zhao Zhu was surrounded by five men who looked like they would be difficult to deal with and who exuded a roguish air.

Further away, a man dressed in a fitted outfit watched the situation with a smile.

Standing in front of Zhao Zhu was a man with a stubble beard and a sharp tongue.

Despite being some distance away, Chi Le and the others still heard the man's high-pitched voice.

"—Haven't you thought it through yet?"

"You've thought about it for so long, shouldn't you have made up your mind by now?"

"Three ounces for a fixed price! Don't hoard a rotten weed like it's some precious gem!"

"Believe it or not, today in Heliu Town, besides us brothers, no one else dares to take your worthless weeds."

"Think it through. You don't have anything to lock in the medicinal properties of this stuff. If you leave it for another two days, it'll really be rotten grass—"

As the man finished speaking, he stretched out his foot and kicked Zhao Zhu's bamboo basket containing ordinary medicinal herbs twice.

His face was full of provocation.

But Zhao Zhu remained unmoved, still holding a bamboo basket to protect a light blue "spiritual herb" with broad leaves and slender stems inside.

Zhao Zhu knew that the other side had a large number of people, and they were unreasonable street thugs, two of whom looked rather unwell.

Given the current situation, staying away is the best solution.

However, it seems that these people have no intention of letting him leave easily.

Now I can only pin my hopes on the guy who went out to call for help, hoping he can call back the two people who went out to buy things and come home.

Or perhaps Chen Fang and Zhao De, who had just finished their tests at the Biyue Martial Arts Academy and were planning to join him, came looking for him.

In this way, they would have a numerical advantage, and at least the situation wouldn't be too disadvantageous.

For now, the best course of action is to remain still and wait for more people to arrive.

Perhaps before he could receive help from other villagers in Changxi Village, officials from the Heliu Town government arrived first.

If I make a move now, then these people will have a real reason to act.

Soon they would start pushing and shoving each other, which would then escalate into a chaotic brawl.

Even if the authorities do come then.

Faced with this chaotic scene, the officials in charge of the yamen might even punish each other equally.

Zhao Zhu had no doubt that the officials and constables of Heliu Town could do this.

Don't end up losing the "spiritual herb" and getting beaten up twice.

"What are you all doing! Come at me if you dare!"

Zhao Zhu, who was desperately protecting the bamboo basket beneath him, finally heard his familiar voice after a long and agonizing wait.

Zhao Zhu looked up and saw the figure who had squeezed out of the crowd and was scolding the man in front of him.

It was Chen Fang.

Behind him followed Zhao De and the man who had gone out to deliver the message.

as well as----

Why are the disciples of Qingshan Temple here too?

I saw a handsome face that didn't squeeze out of the crowd with Chen Fang and the others, but instead blended into the crowd.

Zhao Zhu's expression froze, and his mind went blank.

The person with the high-pitched voice saw someone stepping out of the crowd, seemingly wanting to step forward.

He went to meet him, stood on tiptoe, pressed his forehead against Chen Fang's forehead, and said with a smile in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Say it again?"

As if it were some strange habit of his, he suddenly repeated it loudly, almost shouting.

"Say it again!"

Faced with such a thin man.

Having just passed the martial arts school's test and received his official martial arts student badge from Biyue Martial Arts School, Chen Fang was naturally not afraid.

He pushed his head back and said.

"I told you not to move around."

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Before he could finish speaking, the man with the high-pitched voice suddenly pushed Chen Fang.

But who exactly is Chen Fang?

Such force, aside from causing the man who pushed him to stumble a few times, had absolutely no effect on Chen Fang.

Seeing that something was wrong, the four people behind the thin man surrounded him.

They wanted to gather a group of people and give Chen Fang a small, shocking beating.

At this moment, Zhao De and the person who had tipped them off also stood next to Chen Fang.

Seeing the way the three of them were protecting Zhao Zhu behind them.

The thin man glanced at the brothers standing beside him a few times.

He shrugged and smiled.

"This is difficult—then let's not do any of them!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly reached out and flipped a bamboo basket over in front of Chen Fang.

The bamboo basket and the medicinal herbs inside it suddenly scattered in mid-air.

Caught off guard, Chen Fang's view was blocked.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, a fist was thrust towards Chen Fang's eye socket.

Having succeeded in his attack, the slender man chose to press his advantage.

But Chen Fang caught the other fist that was just thrown out.

"You son of a bitch!"

Having taken a solid bite, Chen Fang's anger flared up, and he immediately threw a punch at the slender man.

The thin man, whose fist was firmly gripped, had nowhere to go but to turn his head as far as he could, trying to dodge the blow.

But what he didn't expect was that Chen Fang didn't aim for his head.

Instead, he aimed for the chest area.

A punch landed squarely on his chest.

The thin man felt his heart skip two beats.

Then came a violent cough and a feeling of blood rushing back to the head.

A few street thugs, they're not too bad dealing with ordinary people.

Facing martial arts students whose physical condition is far superior to that of ordinary people, they naturally fall at a disadvantage.

Before long, only the thin man was still standing; the others had all been beaten down by Zhao De and Chen Fang.

"Are you still going to buy it or not?"

Chen Fang raised his fist, brought it close to the thin man's face, and asked threateningly.

The slender man didn't answer, but instead looked at a man not far away, dressed in a fitted outfit, who had been watching the show the whole time.

"Big brother!"

The thin-skinned man shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Stop yelling, it's so annoying."

As if disturbed from his sleep, the person got up from the ground, stretched, and walked towards Chen Fang.

"Hey, my older brother is a martial artist!"

"Martial artists, do you even understand?!"

"You're all doomed~"

The thin man laughed wildly, completely disregarding the bruises on his body.

"Hiss—there's also the matter of martial artists—"

Chen Fang and Zhao De were both speechless, as they were about to join the Biyue Martial Arts School and become two of its martial arts students.

Naturally, they understood what a martial artist represented.

They have made initial contact with the extraordinary and possess power that is difficult for ordinary people to resist.

They might not even be able to hold their own against someone else's two hands.

Chen Fang suddenly felt a sense of unease, and he stepped forward with a stiff upper lip.

"Senior martial artist, I am a martial arts student from the Biyue Martial Arts Academy—"

The martial artist in the tight-fitting clothes raised his hand, interrupting Chen Fang.

He then walked straight toward Zhao Zhu.

"Give me the things, or else—I remember you're from Changxi Village."

The martial artist in the martial arts uniform spoke very softly, so softly that Zhao Zhu could hardly hear him.

But he also clearly heard the threat in the martial artist's words.

Looking at the empty palm the person was holding out.

"Here, I'll give it to you."

Without much thought, Zhao Zhu opened the bamboo basket in his arms and took out the light blue "spiritual herb".

If what happened just now was merely a minor squabble between ordinary people, the authorities could have resolved it.

Now that martial artists are involved, the level of the incident is different.

The affairs of martial artists are generally not handled by the government or local authorities, and are difficult to manage; they are usually handled by the Bureau of Purification and Defilement.

If the Bureau of Purification is involved, then the problem becomes complicated.

A single "spiritual herb" is considered a way to ward off misfortune by spending money.

"Don't----"

Chen Fang reached out to stop him, but instead bumped into a fist.

"Well----"

Chen Fang covered his left cheek, blood mixed with a broken tooth flowing from his mouth.

"You're noisy too."

The martial artist in the tight-fitting clothes withdrew his fist and said with disdain.

Seeing this, Zhao Zhu quickly handed over the "spiritual herb" in his hand.

The "spiritual herb" has not yet reached the hands of the martial artist in the martial arts uniform.

Chen Fang's indistinct voice came again.

"Don't give it to me—"

"I'm telling you, you're really annoying!"

With a hint of anger, the martial artist in the martial arts uniform stopped taking the "spiritual herb," ​​clenched his fist, and was about to smash it hard into Chen Fang's face.

Just then, a figure as tall as two people, clad in brass armor, appeared in front of Chen Fang.

The punch from the martial artist in his martial arts uniform was easily blocked.

Before the martial artist in the tight-fitting clothes could react, a crisp cracking sound came from his arm.

His fist, which he had just thrown, was snapped off by this tall figure!

Click!

With another sharp crack, the other arm also met the same fate, breaking off.

"what!"

Only then did the martial artist in the martial arts uniform belatedly scream in pain and collapse to the ground.

He wanted to prop himself up and change his position.

His current position was pressing down on one of his broken arms, and the stinging pain was relentlessly attacking his nerves.

But the broken hand was completely useless.

Not only that, it will also bring him a constant stream of pain.

He could only maintain a strange posture, constantly crying out in pain.

The situation on the field changed too quickly.

First, people from other villages were bullied.

His accomplice gave up the job.

The warriors make their appearance.

Now, another being has appeared who can completely overwhelm this martial artist.

The people around stared wide-eyed, astonished by the rapidly changing situation.

After a brief moment of surprise, people gradually began to reflect on the figure that had suddenly appeared and then vanished.

"River God?"

Someone shouted.

The people around instantly erupted in excitement.

"Now that you mention it, it really does look like it!"

"The river god has appeared!"

"The river god has appeared!"

"You deserve it! Even the river god can't stand your actions!"

, "

Zhao Zhu and the others opened their mouths, their faces filled with disbelief.

The river god, who has been worshipped in Heliu Town for generations, has manifested his power today?

Did the spirit appear to punish some street thugs?

Of course, they also had another idea in their minds that would shock everyone present if they were to say it.

The river god appeared to stand up for them!

But this idea is too exaggerated; no one would say it like that, they would just think about it silently in their hearts.

As for Zhao Zhu, his shock was not only greater than that of Chen Fang and the others, but it was on a completely different level.

He still remembers the appearance of the local earth god of their Changxi Village.

If I remember correctly, the local earth god at that time descended to Cuishui Village from the gate of Qingshan Temple, right?

Zhao Zhu's mind cleared instantly!

Door!

His eyes quickly searched around.

Unfortunately, apart from a bunch of divine interventions, the faces of devout worshippers, and the most ordinary-looking buildings, there was nothing else to see.

He couldn't find a single trace of the existence of that unique door of Qingshan Temple.

"Could it be—no, it must be Qingshan Temple that's helping us!"

The slight hesitation that arose was instantly extinguished by Zhao Zhu.

He decided to make offering incense at Qingshan Temple every day a daily must-do.

Meanwhile, Chi Le, who was in the crowd, was very satisfied with the strength shown by [Water Divider and River Determiner].

He raised an eyebrow as he watched the martial artist in martial arts attire struggling and writhing on the ground.

"Was that a small threat?"