The People of Yunzhou Were So Rude!

Li Xian didn't yet know about the crisis that was about to befall the Cao Gang.

At that moment, he was on the Grand Canal, escorting a shipment of grain to Baihua City in Qingzhou Prefecture.

More than seventy percent of the Grand Canal in the Dagan Dynasty had been claimed by the Cao Gang as its territory.

Naturally, the task of transporting grain along the canal fell to the Cao Gang.

This shipment was being sent from Yunzhou in the southwest to Baihua City in Qingzhou. Once it entered Qingzhou's waters, local disciples would take over the escort.

As the Cao Gang's most prominent new Hall Master of late, Li Xian was someone Cao Xiong wanted to familiarize with the gang's operations. Naturally, he assigned him this task.

Li Xian had no objections as long as there was a task and Merit Points to earn. He brought a few subordinates aboard the grain ship.

A large grain ship plowed through the waves along the Grand Canal.

The canal stretched out in a vast expanse of rippling water. Standing at the bow, Li Xian couldn't even see either riverbank.

He'd heard that this canal had been dug at the beginning of the Dagan Dynasty, entirely by human hands.

Human strength was truly boundless.

"There've been more and more Demonic Evils on the canal lately."

The speaker was the ship's captain. When he learned that Li Xian would be escorting this shipment, he was so delighted he couldn't sleep for two days.

There had been too many incidents of Demonic Evils attacking people on the canal lately. Many grain ships made the journey in constant fear, with one careless mistake ending in wreckage and death.

With a master even stronger than the Deputy Gang Leader at his side, the captain immediately felt much more at ease.

"Hmph, they're only Demonic Evils. With Lord Zhu of the Demon Suppressing Division here, we'll kill as many as come!"

An ill-timed voice cut in.

Li Xian and the others turned around. A group of officers from the Demon Suppressing Division, dressed in Crane Robes embroidered with flying cranes, were walking toward them.

"Oh, it's General Banner Lord Zhu of the Demon Suppressing Division." The captain laughed heartily.

The Cao Gang wouldn't be the only ones escorting the grain ship. The Demon Suppressing Division and the local Prefectural Army would also take part.

The one who'd just spoken was a lieutenant under the Demon Suppressing Division.

A member of the Prefectural Army who'd come from Yunzhou chimed in, "Lord Zhu became a Mid-fourth Grade Martialist at such a young age. He's a rare talent. We've made it this far without a hitch thanks to Lord Zhu stepping in time and again."

Oh, another Mid-fourth Grade?

Li Xian was slightly surprised, and couldn't help looking toward the Lord Zhu they were talking about.

He looked to be around thirty, with a tall build and unremarkable features. After being showered with praise, he couldn't help but look a little smug.

Lord Zhu waved a hand and pretended to be modest. "It's only my duty. Nothing worth making a fuss over."

After sizing him up, Li Xian felt a flicker of doubt.

That's strange. He looks so weak, weaker even than Zhang Yangming.

Could someone like him really be Mid-fourth Grade?

Of course, Martialists at the same level could still vary in strength.

Lord Zhu looked toward Li Xian and smiled. "You gentlemen are from the Cao Gang?"

"That's right."

"Good. I'm pleased you've come, but you'll still have to follow the rules aboard this ship." Lord Zhu clasped his hands behind his back and spoke with an air of superiority.

"Oh..." Li Xian's expression shifted slightly. "What rules, Lord Zhu? Do tell."

Lord Zhu didn't answer. The lieutenant beside him stepped forward instead.

"The rules aboard this ship are simple: you follow every order from Lord Zhu, the General Banner of the Yunzhou Demon Suppressing Division!"

"If Lord Zhu tells you to go west, you go west. If he tells you to jump in the river, then in you go!"

Li Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at the captain beside him. "Is that so?"

The captain nodded with a bitter expression.

This was the Cao Gang's ship, and the captain was Cao Gang too, yet once aboard, they had to take orders from someone else?

The people of Yunzhou were awfully rude.

Brother Xin was indignant and had just opened his mouth to speak, but Li Xian raised a hand and stopped him.

"If that's the case, then we'll follow Lord Zhu's rules."

Li Xian smiled pleasantly.

"Hahaha..."

Lord Zhu burst out laughing.

"Good, very good. It seems this brother from the Cao Gang is easy to get along with."

"The wise man knows how to read the times. This brother from the Cao Gang is a clever one."

Their laughter rang out mockingly.

Brother Xin and Wan Cai were already seething, their fists clenched tight.

Li Xian said unconcernedly, "We won't keep Lord Zhu. We'll head back to our rooms and get some rest."

"Fine. I won't see you off!" Lord Zhu said with a smug grin.

Even after Li Xian and the others had walked away, their laughter still carried from behind.

"I'd heard all about the Cao Gang back in Yunzhou. I thought they were something special, but they're nothing but a bunch of cowards."

"Hahaha, look at that young man. He was probably scared so badly he nearly pissed himself."

"How boring. They backed down just like that. I wanted to see how Lord Zhu would teach them a lesson."

"Too bad we won't get the chance."

"Hahaha..."

Back in their room aboard the grain ship, Brother Xin was so furious he pounded the table again and again.

"Hall Master Li, I don't understand. Why should we be afraid of them?"

"Are we just going to let them walk all over us?"

Li Xian sat down and smiled. "You can't take even this little thing?"

Brother Xin fumed, "I just can't swallow this insult."

Wan Cai was more levelheaded. He asked, "Hall Master Li, do you have a plan?"

Li Xian shook his head. "Not really."

As he caught the damp, fishy smell in the air, he smiled to himself. "It's just that people this rude always end up getting a taste of their own medicine."

Brother Xin and Wan Cai exchanged glances, unable to guess what he was plotting.

But night fell, and the others still hadn't gotten their comeuppance. Instead, they went even further.

"I'm so pissed! They actually told me to scrub the latrine! To hell with them!"

Brother Xin swore furiously.

Just moments earlier, the lieutenant who'd been at Lord Zhu's side had come over again, acting high and mighty as he ordered Brother Xin to scrub Lord Zhu's latrine.

After being insulted again and again, Li Xian felt anger flare in his chest too.

He was just planning how to teach them a lesson when, suddenly, he laughed.

"Perfect timing. Their comeuppance is here."

"What? Hall Master Li, what do you mean?"

Brother Xin and Wan Cai stared at him, baffled.

Li Xian tilted his head, as if listening.

"Listen!"

Then...

A tremendous crash sounded from outside!

The entire grain ship shuddered violently, as if some colossal creature had slammed into its hull.

"What was that...?"

Brother Xin and Wan Cai turned pale as they grabbed the wall to steady themselves.

From the terror in each other's eyes, they both guessed the same dreadful possibility.

"A Demonic Evil!!!"

At that moment, a scream of sheer terror rang out from beyond the cabin.