The duel was about to begin again!
The salt smugglers naturally joined Miss Xing’s cheer squad, while the villagers of Gaojia Village instinctively formed Gao Chuwu’s cheer squad.
A portion of Gao Chuwu’s cheer squad clearly defected, switching over to Miss Xing’s side instead.
One salt smuggler felt something odd and looked back. Standing beside him, cheering for their leader, was actually a woman from Gaojia Village, holding a child by the hand.
The salt smuggler was baffled: “Sister, you’re from Gaojia Village, right? Why are you supporting our boss instead of Gao Chuwu?”
The woman was Gao San Niang, holding her child Gao Sanwa. Though both were among Gaojia Village’s original forty-two members, mother and son defected without hesitation.
Gao San Niang chuckled. “Miss Xing isn’t an outsider anymore. I see her as one of us now. When two family members fight, I naturally cheer for the one I like more!”
Then she raised her voice and shouted: “Miss Xing, fight! Beat that oaf Gao Chuwu into submission! Let him learn who really runs the household from now on!”
The male villagers teased Gao Chuwu too: “Gao Chuwu, don’t disgrace the men! Make sure you beat your wife into submission!”
Xing Honglang was furious: “Who’s his wife?!”
Everyone hastily covered their mouths.
Madam Bai and Young Master Bai arrived at the edge of the circle. Just as the young master moved toward Gao Chuwu’s side, Madam Bai pulled his sleeve. “We’re cheering for Miss Xing.”
Young Master Bai: “Huh? But I wanted to cheer for Brother Chuwu!”
Whap! Madam Bai gave him a hard pinch on the ear. “Ungrateful son! Opposing your own mother?”
Young Master Bai considered this seriously. Suddenly, whap! He gave himself a hard pinch. “Mother, you’re right. I am unfilial and need a wake-up call!”
Whap! He gave himself another hard pinch. “But after waking up, I still want to support Brother Chuwu… So I’ll let Mother pinch me again instead! Forgive me, Mother. I’m going!”
He quickly ducked into Gao Chuwu’s cheer squad.
Madam Bai: “Huh? Wha—?! Sons grow up and forget their mothers! Ahhhhh!”
Within thick layers of surrounding spectators…
Xing Honglang attacked first as always. Using the thirty-six strikes of Jin Hong Fist, her opening was ferocious. But Gao Chuwu was no longer the unskilled fool he’d once been. Executing Shaanxi’s Guanzhong Hong Fist thirty-six strikes—though still somewhat awkward—his sheer strength and agility made his movements convincing.
The two styles of Hong Fist were quite similar, differing only in minor details.
The fight resembled a senior sister sparring with a junior brother from the same school—a truly pleasing spectacle.
Experience ultimately prevailed. After twenty-something exchanges, Gao Chuwu’s rhythm faltered while Xing Honglang remained rock steady. Not the slightest hint of disorder showed in her fists. Seizing his opening, she darted forward with a dizzying barrage of rapid strikes, each punch landing on Gao Chuwu’s vulnerable spots.
The figures suddenly separated. Gao Chuwu’s bear-like frame slowly crumpled once more. Thud! Dust billowed as he hit the ground. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel⁂fire.net
Xing Honglang brushed her hands together, took the thick-bladed large knife from an underling, and threw it beside Gao Chuwu: “Hmph! Take it!”
Everyone applauded: “Well fought, Miss Xing!”
The Gaojia villagers, who moments before had cheered for Gao Chuwu, instantly defected: “Hahaha! Chuwu got floored again! Hahaha! Too funny! Can’t hold his head up at home anymore! Getting beaten by his wife daily! Hahahaha!”
Zheng Daniu squeezed through the crowd and helped Gao Chuwu up.
Ground Rabbit picked up the thick-bladed large knife, and the three quickly retreated.
Hearing the villagers’ warm laughter, Xing Honglang truly felt she was seen as “one of them” here. A small smile touched her lips, and she waved to her subordinates: “Go! Open a jar of five-grain liquor! We celebrate today!”
Amid the lively uproar, a villager suddenly charged down the hillside, shouting: “Bad news! Bad news! Come help! Someone’s hurt!”
Li Daoxuan also uttered a surprised “Huh?”
The villager looked frantic: “Zhang Laowu fell down the mountain gully! Come quickly!”
Hearing this, the crowd rushed toward the other side of the hill.
The messenger ran ahead, explaining as he went.
While the villagers watched Gao Chuwu and Xing Honglang duel, another group hadn’t been idle. They were still working on the northwest hillside, building a cement road toward Zhangjia Village.
Ten li from Gaojia Village, Zhangjia Village was another village within Li Daoxuan’s observation sphere. Rain had been sent there too.
The Zhangjia villagers were hard at work constructing the cement road to their village.
But a man named Zhang Laowu slipped and stumbled while opening the path by digging rocks beside a ravine, toppling over the edge. The drop wasn’t huge, only ten-some meters, but tumbling down that hillside severely injured him. He had no strength left to climb back up.
Only a few villagers were working nearby at the time. The remaining men lacked the means to rescue him and had to rush back for help.
Hearing this, Li Daoxuan quickly tapped the “Northwest” button outside the box…
Scanning along the road to Zhangjia Village, his view soon reached the ravine. Above, a group of villagers were shouting toward the bottom. Peering downward, he saw a middle-aged villager lying injured at the gully’s base.
Immediately, Li Daoxuan’s hand reached down toward the box, ready to pluck Zhang Laowu up like a tiny insect—a delicate task. Too much pressure would crush him.
His hand was halfway down when sudden commotion erupted. A man slid agilely down the slope, clearly skilled. He reached the bottom instantly, helped Zhang Laowu up, and slung him over his back. Then he looked up toward the ravine rim.
Looking skyward, Li Daoxuan saw his face and recognized him. This was one of the labor offenders named Zhong Gaoliang—a very distinctive name Li Daoxuan remembered clearly.
Using one hand to brace Zhang Laowu, Zhong Gaoliang used the other to grip vines and wooden stakes on the slope, hauling them both upward with immense effort.
Li Daoxuan positioned a hand silently behind Zhong Gaoliang, ready to catch both men if they slid back.
But Zhong Gaoliang was surprisingly adept. Carrying Zhang Laowu steadily, he climbed back to the top before long. Handing Zhang Laowu to the Zhangjia villagers, he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.