Iron Rod Gang Pursues, Lin Feng Strikes Back

The shopkeeper looked at the smashed counter with a pained expression.

"Don't go smashing things! I'll pay the protection fee, all right?"

Only after the shopkeeper paid the protection fee did the two Iron Rod Gang members leave.

Only then did the shopkeeper have time to attend to Lin Feng and Lin Hu.

"My apologies for keeping you two honored guests waiting."

"You both saw what happened. I truly had no time just now. Business is hard these days."

Lin Feng figured the Iron Rod Gang might become his enemy in the future, so he asked about them.

"Shopkeeper, what's the background of this Iron Rod Gang?"

"What background could they have? Just a pack of bandits who found themselves a good daddy.

For them to be this arrogant, they must have someone backing them in official circles.

Some time ago, the City Guards wiped out the former Small Knife Gang, and the Iron Rod Gang rose to take its place right after."

"Oh? Could the old Small Knife Gang have held its ground without any backing?"

"The Small Knife Gang definitely had someone behind them too. It was just that their patron fell from power.

Haven't you heard? The City Guards general in the County Town was replaced.

Sigh, no matter what gang comes along, they still collect protection fees. The ones who suffer are ordinary people like us.

My shop may look big, but I can barely scrape out a living.

Enough of that. What would you two like?"

Lin Feng said, "We'd like to buy some clothes here, then go elsewhere for bedding."

The shopkeeper's face broke into a smile when he heard there was business.

"What a coincidence—I sell bedding too. If you buy everything here, I'll give you a twenty-percent discount. It'll definitely be cheaper than buying elsewhere."

The shopkeeper promptly quoted them the prices.

Lin Feng and Lin Hu had just asked about bedding prices at another shop, and the prices here really were lower.

So Lin Feng bought clothes and bedding from this shop.

Five sets of children's clothes, in the same style as the Village Chief's children wore.

If he brought these back, who knew how happy little Erbabao would be.

Lin Feng also bought his wife a set of clothes. He did not choose anything garishly red or purple; in his memories, his wife preferred more understated clothing.

He got his mother an outfit of durable coarse cloth.

Lin Feng then looked over at Lin Hu.

A grown young man at the age to find a wife was dressed far too shabbily, and there was even a hole in the crotch of his trousers.

Lin Feng bought himself and Lin Hu a set each of coarse linen clothes.

Everything came to five taels of silver.

The shopkeeper also threw in two pieces of worn cloth. Lin Feng wrapped the clothes and bedding in them and tied them into two large bundles.

The two brothers slung one bundle each over their backs and left the shop cheerfully.

Having made a sale, the shopkeeper smiled as he saw them out.

"Come by whenever you need anything, honored guests. I'll give you a discount here."

The two brothers looked rather conspicuous walking down the street with large bundles on their backs.

Afraid of inviting trouble, Lin Feng bought some date paste pastries for the children and stuffed them into the bundles before leading Lin Hu out of town.

Just as they were about to leave town, two men carrying iron rods blocked their way.

"You two, what are you carrying on your backs?"

"Nothing valuable. Just some clothes and bedding."

A disheveled Iron Rod Gang minor leader said, "This lord's household happens to be short on clothes and bedding. Leave your things behind, and you can go."

Lin Feng's expression turned cold. He ignored the two Iron Rod Gang men and led Lin Hu onward.

It was not that Lin Feng feared the two of them.

The town was Iron Rod Gang territory.

If a fight broke out, more people would surely come.

When that happened, he himself might be able to leave.

Lin Hu might not.

Since he had brought Lin Hu out, he had to bring him safely back.

Seeing Lin Feng ignore him, the Iron Rod Gang minor leader felt a surge of vicious anger rise in his chest.

He chased after them and swung an iron rod at Lin Feng's back.

Smack.

Lin Feng turned, caught the incoming iron rod in one hand, and glared coldly at the Iron Rod Gang minor leader who had struck first.

"What are you trying to do?"

That one glare from Lin Feng made the Iron Rod Gang minor leader feel as though a tiger had fixed its eyes on him. His heart trembled with fear.

"Ahem, ahem." At that moment, the City Guards stationed at the town gate coughed twice.

The meaning was clear: telling that Iron Rod Gang man not to make trouble and cause him less bother.

Lin Feng understood the City Guards' meaning as well.

Although a big shot within the City Guards sheltered the Iron Rod Gang,

these Iron Rod Gang members could not go too far.

Lin Feng shoved the iron rod away, sending the minor leader stumbling back several steps.

Feeling humiliated, he pointed his iron rod at Lin Feng.

"You brat, just you wait."

Then the Iron Rod Gang man ran back toward town, apparently to fetch reinforcements.

Lin Hu's face had gone a little pale. "Big Brother, will they chase after us?"

"They'll most likely come out of town after us. Let's move faster. Once we leave town, we'll enter the woods.

The forest is so vast that they definitely won't be able to find us."

The brothers quickened their pace and slipped into a forest not far outside town.

After walking for over half an hour,

they heard voices behind them.

"We've chased them this far. We probably won't catch them."

Lin Feng quickly led Lin Hu behind a slope to hide.

There happened to be an abandoned hunting trap behind the slope.

The brothers lay on the far side of the slope and tossed their bundles into the trap.

Those people continued chasing forward for a while.

One man said between gasps, "I'm telling you, Wu Lao'er, isn't it not worth chasing this hard over some clothes and bedding?"

The disheveled Iron Rod Gang minor leader said, "They're carrying all that stuff, so they can't have gone far. They should be nearby. Split up and search."

Hearing that they were going to split up, Lin Feng was delighted. They were hard to deal with together, but once separated, not one of them would be leaving.

He had only just reincarnated into this world and already run into so much nonsense. Lin Feng was getting a little fed up. If he endured humiliation like an ordinary commoner and let others knead him like dough, then nothing would happen.

But Lin Feng had come to this world to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts and enjoy a good life, not to swallow his anger.

Lin Feng said to Lin Hu, "Stay here and don't move. I'll go take a look."

After speaking, Lin Feng crouched and ran out like a leopard.

To Lin Feng, the mountain forest was no different from his own backyard.

Lin Feng predicted one Iron Rod Gang member's route, hid behind a large tree first, and perched on a branch more than a man's height above the ground.

When the Iron Rod Gang member passed beneath the tree, Lin Feng hooked his legs around the branch and swung himself down, hanging upside down like a golden hook. He struck both palms at the man's ears, using Bear Paw Crushing Melon.

Bang! The Iron Rod Gang member's eyeballs bulged outward, nearly shooting from their sockets. His brain was shaken into mush, and he died without even a groan.

Lin Feng hid in the grass again. When another Iron Rod Gang member passed by, he pounced from behind.

While covering the man's mouth, he twisted his neck in one smooth motion.

In a short while, Lin Feng silently killed seven Iron Rod Gang members without anyone noticing.

The Iron Rod Gang minor leader who had tried to steal Lin Feng's clothes and bedding clearly sensed that something was wrong. It was too quiet around him, and his underlings seemed to have all gone far away.

At last, Lin Feng appeared behind the Iron Rod Gang minor leader, patted him on the shoulder, and said calmly, "Are you looking for me?"

The Iron Rod Gang minor leader nearly pissed himself. He took two steps back, clamped his legs together, fought the urge to urinate, and forced out an ugly smile. "I'm not looking for you. I came out to clear my head. Yes, clear my head. Heh heh, wh-what a coincidence."

A mocking smile appeared on Lin Feng's face. "Coincidences are all Heaven's arrangements. If the King of Hell wants you dead by the third watch, who would dare keep you alive until the fifth?"

The moment the Iron Rod Gang minor leader heard that, he could no longer hold himself together. With a thud, he dropped to his knees. His trousers darkened with wetness as he kowtowed and pleaded, "Spare me, sir! Spare me! It's not worth taking a life over a few pieces of clothing!"

Lin Feng stepped forward two paces. "Not worth it? Then why did you bring so many people to chase me for so long?"

Hearing that, the man knew his brothers were surely doomed.

He lost all courage to resist. Even snot bubbles came out as he cried, "Sir, spare my life! I was only confused for a moment."

Seeing his pathetic appearance, Lin Feng felt a sudden, inexplicable disgust. He kicked the man in the temple and sent him west.

Lin Feng searched the bodies and found some scattered silver, then went back for Lin Hu.

The Lin brothers took out their bundles and continued on their way.

Lin Hu was somewhat indignant. "Those little thugs were far too overbearing. They dared to rob people in broad daylight.

This world is getting worse and worse. Honest, law-abiding people can barely survive."

Lin Feng felt some emotion as well. He had only crossed over a few days ago, yet he ran into trouble every day.

This world truly was unusually chaotic.

Lin Feng patted Lin Hu on the shoulder. "Young man, why so many sighs? Has this terrible world stopped you from taking a wife?"

Lin Hu shook his head at that. "Brother Feng, I won't take a wife until I make something of myself.

If I have no ability, marrying a wife would only bring another person home to suffer.

Life was still peaceful two years ago, but these past two years have been far worse.

I feel like the realm is about to fall into chaos."

Lin Feng had not expected Lin Hu to have such a good head on his shoulders.

What he said was indeed right.

"Huzi is right. Your brother supports you.

You're still young. Just follow me and focus on martial arts. Once you've made something of my Beast Hunting Fist, we'll go to the County Town and learn some profound martial arts.

Who knows? Maybe our Huzi is a martial arts prodigy."

At the mention of martial arts, Lin Hu immediately perked up.

"Mm-hm, Brother, they say poor scholars and rich warriors. Rich people practicing martial arts eat meat every meal, but we don't have those conditions.

How long do you think it'll take before I can make something of myself?"

"That depends on your talent.

You don't need to worry about food.

Follow me into the mountains to hunt and down to the river to catch River Critters. There will always be enough to eat."

They had lost quite a bit of time today.

Before they reached Xiaohe Village, night had already fallen.

Mother Lin and Zhou Chunlan stood at the courtyard gate with the five little children, waiting anxiously for Lin Feng to return.

The whole family was terribly worried.

Little Erbabao's mouth twisted, and he began to cry.

He looked up at Zhou Chunlan and said, "Mother, I don't want clothes anymore. I want Daddy, waaah..."

"Erbabao, don't cry. Daddy can't bear to leave you all behind. He'll definitely come back."