Martial Arts Awakening, Bloodfire Fist Master

Upon hearing Zhang Youcai's words...

The burly men opposite him all stared at Zhang Qingshan.

Zhang Qingshan, of course, wouldn't be modest at this moment. He crossed his arms, his gaze indifferent, and his expression calm: "Drink your water and then leave."

The burly man in the lead stared intently at Zhang Qingshan, his gaze sweeping up and down as if assessing something.

Then he laughed.

"Gentlemen, you're overthinking it. We really just want some water and a rest. You're not rich, so why would we have any bad intentions? Since you don't welcome us, we'll leave now."

After saying that, he turned and left with the others.

"The reputation of Qingshan Martial Arts School is still the most prestigious."

"Da Gui, you have a good son."

"Hehe, aren't these people supposed to be fierce? Look, they're scared off as soon as they hear the name of the martial arts school."

Zhang Dagui's face was full of pride, and his eyes were fixed on his son with satisfaction.

My son's shoulders have really broadened, and he's grown taller. He can hold up the sky. The more I look at him, the more satisfied I am. His proud gaze seems to say, "This is my son, Zhang Dagui's child. Isn't he amazing?"

A flicker of jealousy crossed Zhang Youcai's eyes, and his desire to send his son to a martial arts school grew stronger. He figured he might as well spend the money.

Then she started smiling again.

"Yes, we owe it all to Aoyama this time. Daiki, you are blessed to be able to teach children."

Hearing the village's prominent figures speak like this, Zhang Dagui puffed out his chest even more, and a thought flashed through his mind: "I didn't teach him much, so how come the child suddenly became so promising?"

After Zhang Youcai finished speaking, he said, seemingly casually, "Hehe, actually the influence of the Mountain Forest Gang is still working. Just don't secretly curse me for collecting protection money for the Mountain Forest Gang anymore."

"Hehe, village, we know who cursed him and you even took him to pay the money."

"Yes, village chief, your children are all big shots in the mountain gang, how dare we disobey?"

"Neighbors, my son got injured this time because of you all. We should give him an explanation, and the other boys should also be treated to a few good meals to help them recover."

Zhang Qingshan ignored the social niceties and hypocrisy of the people in Zhangjia Village.

Instead, he looked through the crowd at the group that was leaving.

After walking a distance, the leader turned back and gave a cold look, it was unclear whether he was looking at himself or at Zhangjia Village.

After watching for a while, he frowned. Those people weren't heading towards Xiaoqing Township Market or even Qingshui City, but rather veering towards a corner of Xiaoqing Mountain.

Normally, regardless of what they are doing, strangers, except for hunters, herb gatherers, etc., should go to densely populated and open areas.

I remember there was a dilapidated mountain god temple on a hillside not far from the foot of the mountain.

......

"Brother, are we really going to leave like this?"

"With so many brothers like us, the other side is just a bunch of peasants. What are we afraid of! Big brother, you are a level two martial artist with a strength of 500 jin. Monkey and I are also level one martial artists. We'll take care of them."

"Damn, those bastards are so noisy, I almost couldn't hold back."

"Damn it, I originally wanted to sneak in first to check out the terrain, houses and people in the village, and then start working as soon as it got dark. It's all those scoundrels' fault that they made these stupid villagers wary."

"Hehe, that fat old man leading the group is really fat."

The leader glanced back at the chattering, happy villagers behind him, and through the crowd, he seemed to see a pair of indifferent, sharp eyes.

He then glanced at his brother, who looked resentful.

"The stronghold has been breached, and several leaders have either disappeared or been seriously injured. We have moved to the depths of Daqingshan Mountain. The brothers from all sides have not yet fully gathered. This time, we are ordered to go down the mountain, and we must prioritize stability."

"I never expected that this small village would have people from the mountain gang and martial arts disciples. We must not be careless. If we are caught off guard and fall into a trap, it would be a small matter, but if someone discovers our stronghold, it would be a huge crime."

After turning around several hills, the group of people from Zhangjia Village could no longer be seen.

The leader then stared at one of them and said, "Monkey, your legwork is fast. Go and catch a tongue and see what's going on."

He sneered, "If he's truly a master, then we'll give him face and back down. But if he's just a bully pretending to be powerful, then we'll sneak in tonight."

"Brother, what if something goes wrong tonight? There are only a few of us, and we're not familiar with the area."

"What are you afraid of? Those farmers have worse eyesight than us at night. Let's just go for the best houses. By the way, brother, if that kid is a lamb, we must repay him properly. That bastard's arrogant look just now was really annoying."

The older brother laughed, his expression equally ferocious, his eyes cold and cruel.

"Hmph, this is not enough. Aren't those foreigners buying young bodies at high prices? We'll just collect some interest this time. Once the stronghold is established, we'll wipe out all these young peasants and make these pigs and dogs contribute to our stronghold."

"Hehe, big brother, I think we can also suggest that the leaders keep some young men and women. The women can be our horses, and the men can be our oxen, clearing land, farming, building houses and fortresses. Hahaha."

One by one, the burly men began spewing vulgarities. They had been feeling too stifled these past few days, and had finally managed to escape the pursuit and find a place to stay. Now, they were simply reverting to their old ways.

A while later, inside the mountain god temple, a group of people were chewing on dried meat, glaring fiercely at the person in the middle.

"Damn, that stinks! Are you trying to disgust us on purpose?"

The person in the middle fell to the ground, curled up in fear.

His eyes were filled with despair and fear, his nose and eyes were running with snot and tears, and he had a small bamboo basket on his back containing some medicinal herbs and fruits, which were now scattered all over the ground.

There was a damp patch spreading on the grayish trousers between his legs; he had lost control of his bladder from fright.

A terrifying sound echoed in his ears:

"You mean those martial arts school people were laborers at the Qingshui Wharf just a month ago? And those mountain gang members, they haven't even started practicing martial arts yet?"

"Sir, sir, spare me! Your Majesties, please have mercy on me! I really mean it, I wouldn't dare to deceive you..."

Zhang Dashu was filled with fear. As a mere farmer and herb gatherer, he had no intention of hiding anything, nor did he care about the consequences. He only hoped that these vicious people would spare his worthless life after he answered their questions.

Hearing the other person's question, he squeezed his legs together, feeling the urge to urinate again.

"Your Majesties, I will answer whatever you wish to ask. If I lie, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."

Then, as if remembering something else, he cried out, "Your Majesty, please let me go! I have to pay taxes to the leaders of the Mountain Forest Gang for gathering herbs. If you let me go, I promise I won't tell them..."

"Bang!"

A thick, powerful foot slammed into his curled-up body, folding it as if it were split in two. Fragments of his internal organs spilled from his mouth and nose before he flew away.

It crashed into the rubble wall of the lower part of the mountain god temple, raising a cloud of dust that fell silently to the ground.

"Damn it, you slut, you've filthed my territory and you still want to live? You ant-like creature dare to threaten us with the Mountain Forest Gang."

His angry eyes were slightly bloodshot as he turned to look at his other accomplices.

"And those few bastards from Zhangjia Village, they're really asking for trouble. Fatty's son is a handyman, and that dog, just a month ago he was a lowly laborer, and today he dares to act like an expert. What a disgrace!"

"Tonight, I'll sneak in, not only to get that fatso's door open, but also to find that damn expert. I'm going to crush his bones inch by inch!"

.....

"Second brother, didn't you see it today? Qingshan was so impressive! Just his reputation made those burly men back down. And that Zhang Youcai, who used to be so arrogant, is praising me, Zhang Dagui, today."

Hearing Zhang Dagui's words, Zhang Ergui also laughed. His mother and second sister also looked proud, and his younger sister stared at her brother with nothing but admiration and pride.

After smiling, Zhang Qingshan's expression turned serious again.

"Second Uncle, why don't you stay at my place today? I have a feeling those people aren't simple, and I'm worried about what might happen..."

As they were talking, a sound suddenly came from the village entrance at dusk.

"Big tree, big tree."

"Dad, Dad, dinner's ready."

"Hmm, that's Sister Pear Blossom's voice. What's wrong? Big Tree hasn't come back yet. The mountains are very dangerous at night. He's an old herb gatherer, he can't possibly not know that."

Nestled against Xiaoqingshan Mountain, everyone in the village knows that it's best for ordinary people not to venture too far, whether for hunting or gathering herbs. The tigers and leopards there are as cunning as humans, and humans can be just as ruthless. For safety, everyone must descend the mountain before sunset each day.

"Perhaps he was slightly delayed. I know the places he frequents; there aren't any dangerous wild animals there. Even if there were a powerful figure in the mountains, he wouldn't rob a poor herb gatherer like him," Uncle Er commented.

The family continued eating.

After a while, the shouts from Zhang Dashu's family at the village entrance grew louder and more worried.

Zhang Qingshan's family also became worried upon hearing this.

Zhang Qingshan thought for a moment and said, "I'll go take a look."