19: Chapter 19 Good Samaritan, Spare My Life

The stronghold was actually quite large inside, significantly bigger than the Black Wind Stronghold back then.

Refugees were milling about everywhere, with shouts and curses erupting from time to time.

Weaving through the crowd, Su Jiuchuan caught whiffs of sweat and foot odor that made him feel nauseous; he began to understand why so many people preferred to brave the elements outside the stronghold.

"Hehe! Why are you pulling on my hat?"

"What's it to you? I had a hard time coming all the way from Yuzhou; what's wrong with touching your hat?"

"Damn it, you bunch of peasants! Our leader is already doing you a favor by taking you in, what more do you want? If you don't like staying here, then get lost and go eat dirt."

"I'll kill you!"

With that, the two of them started brawling.

...

After watching for a while, Su Jiuchuan finally understood that this was a conflict between the original bandits of the stronghold and the newly arrived refugees.

It was just strange that these refugees, who were supposed to be from Yuzhou due to the natural disasters there, were appearing here now.

You have to realize that there are other cities like Yan Commandery between Yuzhou and Xuzhou; it shouldn't be possible!

"Thud!"

A dark-faced man suddenly rushed over and kicked the few troublemaking refugees away.

"Second-in-Command!" the surrounding bandits shouted happily.

"This is our stronghold! If you want to bully our people, you'll have to ask me, Second-in-Command He, if I agree!"

The dark-faced man bellowed.

Su Jiuchuan actually knew this person; he was the stronghold's Second-in-Command, a 7th Grade Martial Artist.

"Screw your mother! Back in Yuzhou, I've even slaughtered cities, let alone your crappy stronghold. Kill him!"

With that, a few refugees also rushed up.

The result was another few kicks, sending them flying again.

At this, the surrounding refugees became enraged, and more people began to swarm over.

"Scatter! Scatter!"

Several people walked out of a house deep within the stronghold and, seeing the chaos outside, hurriedly shouted.

Among them, the leader appeared gaunt and bald, but his eyes were as fierce as a hawk's; he must be the stronghold leader, Yaksha Ghost.

Behind him followed a beautiful woman wearing a red cloak over black leather armor, looking quite valiant.

However, the crowd was in such disarray at this moment that no one was listening. Second-in-Command He was also furious by now and kicked away a few more refugees who were closing in.

Su Jiuchuan could tell that despite Second-in-Command He's fierce Aura, he wasn't actually trying to kill anyone. Otherwise, as a 6th Grade Martial Artist, he would have killed those refugees long ago.

"You're courting death!"

The woman shouted angrily and rushed out from behind Yaksha Ghost, drew the long whip from her waist, and lashed out several times, sending the bandits blocking her path flying.

Seeing this, Yaksha Ghost was furious and wanted to reach out to stop her, but after raising his hand and tracing a half-circle in the air, he helplessly lowered it. He sighed internally and could only quicken his pace to follow.

Soon, the woman rushed to the center of the crowd and directly whipped the long weapon in her hand toward Second-in-Command He, who was in the middle of attacking the refugees.

"Crack! Crack!"

Second-in-Command He was caught off guard; by the time he heard the whistling sound and tried to dodge, it was already too late, and the two lashes struck him directly across the Face.

When he turned back and saw it was this woman, he became even more furious and shouted, "Damn it, you're pushing me too far!"

Having been somewhat cautious before, he now directly took a nine-ring broadsword from a lackey behind him and slashed over.

"Second Brother, stop!" Seeing the two about to fight, Yaksha Ghost, who had followed behind, hurriedly shouted.

But no one paid him any mind.

The woman channeled her True Qi into the long whip, and it instantly shot forward like a spear.

Second-in-Command He hurriedly tried to block, but his broadsword was knocked aside the moment it touched the whip, and the whip lashed him across the Face again.

"This woman is actually a 6th Grade Martial Artist!"

Su Jiuchuan was also somewhat surprised. He had spent over a hundred years in his simulated life only to reach the 5th Grade, and now, seeing just anyone be a 6th Grade Martial Artist was truly hard to accept.

On the scene, Second-in-Command He fell to the ground with a long whip mark on his Face.

At this moment, Yaksha Ghost had already rushed between the two, holding down the woman's long whip with one hand, and said, "Miss Shen, what are you doing?"

The woman snorted coldly and said, "Leader, a few days ago, General Xiao Guo made it very clear. With big events imminent, we must act carefully. Today, Second-in-Command He is bullying our old brothers from Yuzhou, destabilizing morale. I didn't kill him, which is already giving you Face."

"You..." Yaksha Ghost's expression shifted between cloudy and sunny. After a long while, he finally sighed, turned to Second-in-Command He, and said, "Second Brother, you're still so rash. Go to the back and take a rest!"

"Big Brother!" Second-in-Command He's Face flushed red, but seeing that Yaksha Ghost wouldn't even look at him, and knowing he couldn't beat the woman, he could only turn away indignantly and walk toward the outside of the stronghold.

Yaksha Ghost then surveyed his surroundings and said coldly, "Whoever causes trouble again in the next few days, I will kill them."

With that, he turned and left, and the woman, seeing this, sneered a few times before following behind him as they left.

Seeing this, Su Jiuchuan stroked his chin and followed in the direction Second-in-Command He had left.

In a corner behind the mountain, Second-in-Command He roared and threw several fierce punches at a large tree nearby.

The tree trunk, as thick as a waist, emitted muffled sounds from the impact. A few bored bandits who had been sitting nearby hurriedly fled, fearing that this short-tempered Second-in-Command would take his anger out on them.

After a while, Second-in-Command He was tired from venting and slumped to the ground, panting.

At this moment, seeing that there were no idlers around, Su Jiuchuan walked over unhurriedly.

When he got close, Second-in-Command He suddenly looked up and saw a person dressed as a refugee looking at him with a half-smile.

Instantly enraged, he shouted, "Damn it, even you dare to mock me? I'll kill you."

Second-in-Command He sprang up, his fist, as large as a sand pot, smashing over with full force. This strike was fully infused with the True Qi of a 7th Grade Martial Artist, as if he wanted to vent all his frustration.

"Thud!"

With just one move, Su Jiuchuan knocked him to the ground, grabbed his throat with one hand, and said, "Second-in-Command He, do you want to die or live?"

At this, Second-in-Command He was stunned. Although he was rough by nature, he wasn't someone who didn't know when his life was in danger; otherwise, he wouldn't have run off to sulk here after being whipped by the woman earlier.

Feeling the strength around his throat, a chill ran down his spine, and he said, "You... you dare to kill me? My Big Brother won't agree to this."

Su Jiuchuan couldn't be bothered to say too much to such an idiot and said directly, "Stop talking nonsense. Tell me where the stronghold hides its money, and I'll spare your life; otherwise, I'll kill you right now."

"You're not from Yuzhou?"

Second-in-Command He didn't get an answer, but he felt the hand around his throat tighten, and he immediately found it difficult to breathe.

"Spare me, Good Hero!"

Su Jiuchuan was somewhat speechless. Seeing him throwing a tantrum at the stronghold earlier, he had thought he was a man who would rather break than bend, but he hadn't expected him to blurt out such a classic line.