Bullying Too Much

The matter was resolved in a single day, unexpectedly smoothly.

The next day, Gu Erniu took Gu Sheng around the city. Besides listening to stories, he also bought some small trinkets for his wife and children.

It was then that Gu Sheng realized.

Canghe County City wasn't as peaceful and prosperous as he had seen when he first entered.

In some remote alleys, there were many sallow-faced common folk. Begging, stealing, and even brawling in the street were not uncommon.

"As expected, the glamour is only one part of it. Every place has its dark side."

Gu Sheng inwardly cautioned himself, knowing that there were many gangs rampant in the city and that the common folk weren't actually living that well.

To avoid trouble, Gu Sheng decided not to go out and instead found a spot in the side courtyard to practice archery.

His proficiency in Archery had now reached about 10%. To break through to perfection as soon as possible, he needed to put in daily hard work.

On the evening of the third day.

Gu Dajiang and his son returned in a hurry. Despite their efforts to conceal it, Gu Sheng could still sense a sense of joy from Gu Xiaojiang.

These past few days.

The father and son had been leaving early and returning late, making Gu Sheng curious about what they had been doing.

However, he suppressed his curiosity well. Some things were better left unasked to avoid causing trouble.

That night.

Gu Renxu announced that the procurement was complete and they would be returning to the village the next day. Many villagers couldn't help but show their reluctance.

Canghe County City was undoubtedly worlds apart from Gu Family Village.

Fortunately, Gu Sheng had a stable mindset. If his own abilities were insufficient, staying in the city would only lead to suffering. He might even be completely devoured.

It was better to develop slowly in Gu Family Village first.

The next day.

At the crack of dawn.

The Gu Family Village convoy slowly departed from Canghe County City. They had arrived with empty carts, but were returning fully loaded, mostly with daily necessities that were not available in the village. This was the focus of every procurement trip.

With the donkey carts and flatbed carts full, Gu Sheng and the other had to walk along.

They had traveled faster on the way there; returning, they would likely reach Gu Family Village only after sunset. The villagers had mixed expressions, but most of them were joyful, sharing their experiences in the city over the past few days.

However, Gu Sheng keenly noticed that several villagers were missing.

He knew.

These people might have intentionally stayed in the city during this opportunity, or perhaps they had been kidnapped.

Gu Renxu's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't wait at the original spot. He was accustomed to it. Such incidents happened every time they entered the city, and he couldn't possibly search for them one by one.

"It seems... a martial artist is also missing?"

Gu Sheng observed very carefully, his intuition telling him that the martial artist's departure was related to what Gu Dajiang had been busy with these past few days.

His heart sank, and he secretly increased his vigilance.

The convoy moved forward.

Everyone's expressions were not particularly tense.

When they encountered bandits on the way, there was a slight hitch only when passing through Mangniu Mountain. Returning, naturally, was smooth sailing.

As the sun gradually rose, the autumn wind, though bleak, couldn't stop the sweat dripping from the porters and villagers.

The convoy passed through Mangniu Mountain.

Everyone walked and discussed in low voices, some still immersed in the afterglow of the city. Especially a few hunters who had visited the brothel, they all had unrestrained expressions and ambiguous smiles, looking somewhat dazed.

Suddenly.

A rough laugh echoed from the forest, startling everyone.

"Brother Gu Dajiang, what a coincidence, we meet again."

Gu Sheng focused his gaze.

He saw a burly man carrying a wolf-tooth club emerge lazily. The bandits behind him, armed with swords and strong bows, all looked at them with amusement.

Gu Dajiang frowned, then forced a smile and cupped his fists:

"So it's Leader Wang Chong. What a coincidence. We apologize for accidentally disturbing you brothers. Our Gu Family Village convoy will pass by shortly."

He said with another apologetic cupped fist, then gestured for everyone to hurry past.

Facing such fierce bandits, to whom even Gu Dajiang had to yield, the villagers of Gu Family Village didn't even dare to lift their heads and immediately quickened their pace.

However.

Wang Chong's wolf-tooth club pressed down, blocking their path.

Gu Dajiang's heart sank, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant, saying:

"Brother Wang Chong, what do you mean by this? We already paid the toll when we came. According to the rules, you should let us pass on our way back."

Wang Chong chuckled. His robes were half-open, revealing his muscular chest and chest hair. As he laughed, his muscles rippled, exuding an indescribable sense of pressure.

"Rules? I don't care what the rules were here before. Since I, Wang Chong, have arrived, then from now on, everything must be done according to my rules!"

"In our Yunzhou, tolls are required for both the outbound and return journeys!"

Gu Xiaojiang's anger flared, and he finally couldn't help but coldly retort:

"Our Canghe County doesn't have this rule. My father showed you respect, so don't push your luck!"

Gu Dajiang's expression shifted slightly, and he quickly pulled Gu Xiaojiang behind him.

Wang Chong glared, his malevolent aura pressing down.

"A brat still wet behind the ears dares to be so presumptuous!"

"My son is ignorant. I apologize to Commander Wang on his behalf."

Gu Dajiang suppressed his anger and said.

"It's just that our Canghe County truly doesn't have this rule."

"So, does that mean Brother Dajiang doesn't want to be friends with me, Wang Chong?"

Wang Chong's eyes gradually narrowed, a dangerous glint appearing. He waved his hand slightly, and the sound of bowstrings being drawn immediately came from behind him.

The martial artists and hunters from Gu Family Village immediately tensed up, gripping their weapons tightly, while the villagers began to hide behind cover.

Gu Sheng, who had been closely observing the situation, had his bowstring drawn into a full moon, an arrow nocked. If the situation turned unfavorable, he could unleash a volley of arrows in an instant.

Gu Dajiang's anger surged.

This man, who usually acted with the steadiness of an old farmer, was now being utterly disrespected and was on the verge of exploding.

But then he thought of the few Blood Strengthening Pills he carried.

His anger immediately dissipated.

"The Blood Strengthening Pills cannot be lost. I'll yield for now. Later, I'll call upon Vajra and gather the martial artists in the village to make this lawless villain pay the price!"

He wasn't confident in a direct fight, and crucially, his son was by his side, making him his weakness.

The atmosphere was heavy, tense, and on the verge of conflict.

The next moment, blades would be drawn, and everyone's nerves were stretched taut.

The villagers were even more terrified, feeling as if the sky was about to fall.

Gu Sheng touched the three arrows coated with Black Blood Powder on his back, feeling a bit more at ease, but he still stared intently at the opposing side, looking for a suitable target.

This oppressive atmosphere enveloped them.

After a long while.

Gu Dajiang finally let out a long breath, his voice heavy and somewhat hoarse.

"Alright! Today, I, Gu Dajiang, will befriend Commander Wang Chong. It's still one hundred taels. Please have a drink with all you heroes."

He didn't utter any threats. Making threats at this moment would be the most unwise course of action, as it could easily enrage the other party. Once he gathered enough manpower, they would see who could laugh last!

Gu Renxu handed over the one hundred taels. Encountering such a troublesome bandit for the first time made him feel a bit uneasy.

Wang Chong's subordinate took the money.

He then raised an eyebrow and sneered.

"One hundred taels was the price for coming. You have so much more cargo, so we'll still collect a toll for the goods, plus another fifty taels!"