Divine Strike Shows Might

Steward Zhang, along with the Estate Guards, escorted Qi Da, followed by the Tenant Farmers. The group arrived at the threshing ground in a grand procession. The village was small, and news traveled fast. Other villagers, alerted to the situation, had already summoned Old Man Su. By then, all the villagers who hadn't gone out to work had gathered at the threshing ground, and the two sides faced each other.

Since becoming the village chief, Old Man Su's demeanor had changed significantly. Dressed in a clean, unpatched beige tunic, he saw Steward Zhang and sternly demanded, "Zhang, how dare you bring people to destroy my Earth God Temple? Are you trying to kill our entire village? Be careful, I'll report you to the county, and let's see if your master can handle it!"

Steward Zhang smiled faintly, but felt a pang of annoyance. He hadn't expected to be confronted so quickly, which ruined his plans. However, being a seasoned individual, he said, "My master heard that the Earth God in your village is spreading its influence, claiming to grant children, cure illnesses, and ensure bountiful harvests. Our Great Gan has been established for over two hundred years, spanning thousands of miles. In all my travels, I've never heard of any Ancestral Spirit possessing such divine abilities. It must be some kind of Evil Spirit or demon, here to harm you."

"Therefore, he, out of his great compassion, has sent me to dismantle the temple. This is his way of showing care, as my master, being the Township Chief, also has a duty to maintain peace in the region." Old Man Su's face turned red upon hearing this, his neck visibly thickening with anger. "Over a month ago, if not for the Earth God's protection, our Qingyu Village would have been wiped out. How can the Earth God who protects us be an Evil Spirit? It's your master, Master Zhang, who took advantage of the chaos, forcing many people in various villages to sell their land and face Family Ruin. Otherwise, how would your Zhang Family have so much land in Qingyu Village? Look at the fields; they are stained with the blood and tears of our villagers!"

Steward Zhang paused, then sneered, "In any case, some villagers in your village have agreed to dismantle the temple. We are merely acting on occasion. If it comes to the authorities, it will be a messy affair. Once we reach the County Yamen, it will be a battle of connections and wealth. I wonder how you will compete with my master?"

He then turned back and asked, "Qi Da, did you not invite us to dismantle the temple?"

Qi Da's face had turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down his face. Just as he was about to say "no," the Estate Guard holding him tightened his grip, causing Qi Da's arm to ache, almost bringing him to tears. He saw what seemed like murderous intent in the Big Man's eyes. He knew that the countryside was too chaotic right now. If they killed him and disposed of his body while he was out of the village, there would be no witnesses or evidence. The county, in order to meet its assessment targets, would easily attribute the death to a fierce ghost and close the case. Qi Da would have died in vain. Forced by the situation, he could only manage a "mm."

"Haha... Old Man Su, you see? It was someone from your village who invited me. I'm not the one making the decision. Attack!"

Steward Zhang had brought a total of ten Estate Guards, all tall and strong, carrying clubs. These were made of jujube wood, known for their sturdiness. Although the Zhang Family had long swords and iron spears, bringing those out would have a bad reputation.

As they began to act, eight of the Big Men stepped forward, holding their clubs horizontally, effectively blocking the villagers. Old Man Su shouted desperately, but to no avail. At this time, most of the able-bodied men were out working in the fields, leaving only the old, weak, women, and children at home. How could they resist? The leading Estate Guard, holding Qi Da, approached the Earth God Temple, shoved a club into his hands, and said, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get to work!"

Qi Da's face was full of grief. He knew the power of the Earth God and dared not act. Trembling, he picked up the club, then withdrew his hand, dropping it to the ground. He picked it up and dropped it several times, standing there like a block of wood.

The leading Estate Guard grew impatient. He grabbed Wang Er's hand, forced it onto the club, and dragged Qi Da towards the Earth God Temple.

The situation had reached a critical point.

Suddenly, a roar echoed, "Villain, how dare you!"

The leading Estate Guard was about to turn around to see who it was when his face was struck by a heavy punch, sending him to the ground, spitting out several teeth.

Qi Da looked and recognized the man. It was Li Dazhuang from the east end of the village. A few days ago, Li Dazhuang had claimed the Earth God appeared to him in a dream, telling him to become the Temple Keeper. He came to clean the Earth God Temple and arrange the incense and offerings daily, neglecting his own fields. Qi Da had secretly laughed, thinking he was possessed.

The leading Estate Guard got up, spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, and grinned menacingly. "Good! Very good! You all stay put, leave him to me." He then lunged forward.

Seeing the two fighting, Steward Zhang frowned. This sudden appearing brute was very strong, but lacked martial arts skill, attacking straightforwardly with many openings. However, he was sturdy and didn't seem to mind taking a few blows. The leading Estate Guard, on the other hand, was at a disadvantage.

After a while, Li Dazhuang seized an opportunity and landed a punch on the leading Estate Guard's abdomen. The leading Estate Guard collapsed and couldn't get up.

Steward Zhang was furious and shouted, "All of you, attack! Use your clubs!"

Seeing their leader defeated, the other Estate Guards no longer blocked the villagers. They held their clubs and formed a circle, surrounding Li Dazhuang. Exchanging glances, they shouted, "Attack!" and charged forward together.

Li Dazhuang fought valiantly, but human strength has its limits. He had already expended a lot of energy defeating the leading Estate Guard. Now facing so many opponents with clubs, he couldn't hold on and was at a disadvantage. Steward Zhang's face lit up with joy.

He then saw Li Dazhuang take a blow to the face, his cheek swelling up.

At this moment, Li Dazhuang seemed to make a decision. He stomped his foot, formed a hand seal, and chanted in a deep voice, "I invite the power of the Earth God to possess me!"

The Estate Guards paused, thinking the brute had gone mad. After a moment's hesitation, they increased their efforts, swinging their clubs. Just then, Li Dazhuang let out a roar and grabbed one of the clubs. The other clubs hitting his body bounced off as if striking leather.

One of the Estate Guards on the side pulled, but couldn't move Li Dazhuang. Li Dazhuang pulled back, dragging the entire man towards him. The Big Man in front of him looked the same as before, but he felt much taller and fiercer, especially with a faint red glow emanating from his eyes. The scalp tingled.

Li Dazhuang threw a punch, hitting the Estate Guard's chest and sending him flying backward, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones.

The Estate Guards' hearts filled with dread, and they began to retreat. Li Dazhuang then charged into the midst of the Estate Guards like a tiger descending a mountain. Screams and the sounds of breaking bones echoed continuously. Any resistance was met with indifference. In a few moments, all ten Estate Guards lay on the ground, groaning.

Steward Zhang's face changed drastically. Just as he was about to say something, Li Dazhuang stepped forward and slapped him to the ground. He couldn't get up for a long time.

Old Man Su was overjoyed. He stepped forward and patted Li Dazhuang on the shoulder, saying, "Young man from the Li family, I didn't expect you to have this skill. You're truly amazing..." He wanted to say more, but noticed Li Dazhuang's pale face and unsteady steps, realizing that defeating these men had come at a considerable cost.

However, he couldn't show weakness at this moment. He gave a signal to Su Hu, who understood and came forward to support Li Dazhuang, saying, "Brother Li, you have great skill. I'll have to learn from you in the future..." He secretly helped Li Dazhuang.

Old Man Su approached the still-prone Steward Zhang and said condescendingly, with great satisfaction, "Steward Zhang, you see? Most people in our village still disagree with dismantling the temple. As for the land rent, it's fifty percent. Take it or leave it. If you're not satisfied, pick a time and place, and we'll settle it. Report this to your master..."

The Great Gan had always governed according to ancient customs, one of which was "royal authority does not extend to the countryside." This was due to the vastness of the territory and the large population, making it difficult to manage. Therefore, as long as the villages paid their taxes and no major incidents occurred, minor matters were generally decided by the village chiefs and township chiefs themselves.

Village chiefs and township chiefs were often appointed from the most powerful families in the villages, allowing them to suppress the entire village. Village affairs were mostly decided by the village chief. If disputes arose between villages, there was basically only one solution: armed conflict.

During farming season, disputes over water sources for irrigation were common. Fights between villages were considered minor incidents, sometimes even resulting in death. However, the law did not punish the masses, and the county had no good solution other than to let it slide. Of course, there were more people in the townships, and fights were even more intense. Therefore, township chiefs were at the Clerk level, one rank higher than village chiefs, giving them more authority.

In Qingxi Township, Master Zhang kept over a dozen Estate Guards, all fierce and brave, serving as the backbone in fights, undefeated. This intimidated other villages into submission. He was known as the invincible fighter in Qingxi, and naturally, Zhang Huaizheng acted arrogantly, raising land rent at will, with no one daring to resist.

Now, with this incident, the situation was completely different. The tiger's skin of Master Zhang had been torn off. If a real fight were to break out, Old Man Su could unite the four villages under the banner of protecting the Earth God Temple. The number of people would be comparable to that of the township. With Li Dazhuang to deal with the Estate Guards, they might even win. With this, their confidence would soar, and they would stand tall. Even if they were to report to the county, it would be seen as the landlord unreasonably raising rent and forcing resistance.

Steward Zhang grunted, and it took him a long time to get up. He didn't dare to say anything more, not even any harsh words. The group helped each other up and left Qingyu Village in a sorry state.

Fang Ming listened to He Dong's report and sneered without speaking.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Since they've been driven away, there shouldn't be any major issues for the next couple of days. This venerable one has achieved great victory in suppressing bandits in the mountains and has also taken in some wandering souls. You go down first and settle them one by one. I have already appointed the stronger ones as Yin Soldiers, so you don't need to worry about them. First, send the old and weak to the Earth God Law Domain in Qingshan Village to settle down. Haven't you always said you were too busy? You can also recruit a few to help."

Seeing He Dong nod, he then called Guo Sheng and introduced him, saying, "This is Guo Sheng. I have appointed him as a Clerk. He will work with you for now."

Upon seeing Guo Sheng, He Dong's old face bloomed into a smile. "I was worried about not having enough manpower and delaying the Lord's important affairs. With Mr. Guo's assistance now, I am much more at ease." Guo Sheng repeatedly said he dared not, and the two bowed to each other.

He then called Wang Liulang and Xie Jin and instructed them, "You will accompany me into the mountains to suppress bandits. If you achieve merit, you will be rewarded. First, take the Yin Soldiers to rest near the village and tally the number of heads taken. Hmm, this requires a Clerk. Zheng Kuan, you will do this. If you do well, I will promote you one rank. Report back later, and I will naturally reward you according to your merits." The three were overjoyed and bowed before leaving.

He turned to He Yuqing and said, "I request Mr. He to accompany me to the Earth God Law Domain to settle down, so that I may learn from you daily!"

He Yuqing nodded and said, "On the way, I heard about the wonders of the Law Domain and wanted to visit. He Mou is honored."

As they entered the Earth God Law Domain, He Yuqing was greatly astonished and exclaimed, "This... this is almost a small Blessed Land. The faith of a village can create such a Law Domain. The magic of creation is truly astonishing!"

Fang Ming laughed heartily and said, "This is far from a Blessed Land, Mr. He. You flatter me..."

He ordered a small courtyard to be prepared and said to He Yuqing, "My humble abode is simple. Please bear with me for now!"

He then instructed the two young men following He Yuqing, "Since you are Mr. He's people, I will appoint you as Servant Soldiers, responsible for taking care of Mr. He. Do not fail!"

The two young men seemed somewhat unwilling, but they still knelt and bowed.