129: The good news is that we're hiring; the bad news is that we've hired our ancestors!

Gunshots echoed through the valley, startling a few birds.

The previously cheerful refugee team instantly fell silent, shrinking back like frightened quails.

The middle-aged woman, whose package had been trampled, hugged her child, trembling with fear, not even daring to cry out.

Zhang Yi's face instantly turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

He turned around, looking at the arrogant bald strongman, grinding his teeth: "Wang Qiang! What do you mean by this? These are Survivors escorted by the Dragon Country's army, not some random vagrants! I approved their entry into the port, do I need to report to you now?"

The bald strongman, called Wang Qiang, completely disregarded Zhang Yi's anger.

He tilted his neck and picked his ear with his pinky finger, his contemptuous posture practically screaming 'punch me' on his forehead.

"Oh, Commander Zhang is angry?"

Wang Qiang chuckled, swaggering over, his triangular eyes greedily scanning the blazing flame's dark armor plates, a hint of undisguised jealousy and greed flashing in his eyes.

"Commander Zhang, that's not right," Wang Qiang said in a mocking tone. "Although Shuangjian Peak is nominally under your command, the rules in Hanwu City are set by our Lingyuan Association. So many Spirit Source Users in our association need to eat; if they don't hand over supplies, are we supposed to drink the northwest wind? Our association brothers fought tooth and nail to secure this safe zone, why should they live here for free?"

He suddenly turned around, pointing at the ragged refugees, his voice abruptly rising: "Listen up! Ten catties of grain per person, or equivalent supplies! If you can't pay up, get out and roll back into the sea!"

"Ten catties of grain?!"

A desperate commotion erupted among the crowd.

They had been drifting at sea for so long, they had almost gnawed through tree bark. Forget ten catties of grain, they couldn't even scrounge together ten grains of rice. This wasn't collecting a toll; this was blatant robbery, pushing people to their deaths.

"Wang Qiang! How dare you!"

Zhang Yi stepped forward, his spirit source fluctuations erupting, sending dust flying around him.

He pointed at Wang Qiang's nose and roared, "Does the Lingyuan Association want to rebel? This is wartime! All supplies are coordinated by the military! You are playing with fire!"

Facing the pressure of a Level 5 expert, Wang Qiang only took half a step back, still wearing that smug, confident sneer on his face.

"Rebel? That's a huge accusation."

Wang Qiang scoffed, patted the shotgun in his hand, and looked at Zhang Yi provocatively: "Commander Zhang, wake up, what era is this now?"

"Dragon Country's army? That's long outdated! On this land, whoever has the biggest fist makes the rules! Our President said that we also contributed to the defense of Shuangjian Peak, so collecting a hard-earned fee is only natural!"

"You..." Zhang Yi trembled with anger, his right hand already on the pistol at his waist.

But he hesitated to draw his gun.

Not because he didn't dare, but because he couldn't.

The Lingyuan Association held immense power in Hanwu City, having absorbed over ninety percent of the wild Spirit Source Users, their strength even surpassing that of the garrison.

If a conflict broke out here, Shuangjian Peak would be drenched in blood before the next Corpse Tide even arrived.

Seeing Zhang Yi's frustrated expression, Wang Qiang became even more smug.

His gaze swept past Zhang Yi, landing on Chen Yan and Lu Sheng, who were standing behind.

These two had an extraordinary demeanor.

Chen Yan was in a general's uniform, spotless, exuding a bloodthirsty Killing Intent.

And that white-clothed youth... he looked quite handsome, and though his true strength was indiscernible, being in the center position meant he was definitely not to be trifled with.

Wang Qiang's eyes darted, and his mind became active.

"These two brothers look new," Wang Qiang said, chewing gum, swaggering over, completely ignoring Zhang Yi, and nudging his chin towards Chen Yan and Lu Sheng. "You're Spirit Source Users too, right? Looking at your physique, have you trained?"

Chen Yan looked at him coldly, as if watching a clown unaware of his impending doom.

Wang Qiang, however, thought the other party was intimidated by his aura, and began to poach them even more brazenly: "I say, you two, what future is there in following these poor soldiers?"

"Lots of rules, and you have to care about the lives of these burdens, aren't you tired?"

"Why not join our Lingyuan Association? Our President is a Level 6 Spirit Source User, he's like the heavens in Hanwu City! As long as you nod, you'll eat well and live lavishly. Women, food, power, status – you can have as much as you want, a hundred times better than being a babysitter here!"

Hearing this, Zhou Hai, who had been silent all this time, finally couldn't hold back.

"Hey!"

Zhou Hai was amused, the flesh on his fat face jiggled, and he turned to Zhao Ze: "Old Zhao, listen to what this grandson is saying? He wants us to be dogs for that damn President?"

Zhao Ze was expressionless, not even lifting an eyelid: "Probably got seawater in his brain, rotted his mind."

"Fuck your mother! You're asking for it!"

Wang Qiang's face changed, revealing a fierce look.

He was used to bullying people in this small territory; when had he ever been cursed like this?

"You're looking for death, aren't you?" Wang Qiang raised his gun, pointing it directly at Zhou Hai's forehead, "Believe it or not, I'll blow your head open right now?"

"Blow my head open?"

The anger in Zhou Hai's eyes instantly ignited. His fists slammed together with a 'boom,' and two clusters of orange-red blazing flame instantly enveloped his fists, the ambient air temperature sharply rising.

"Come on! Shoot right here!" Zhou Hai pointed at his own forehead, grinning menacingly as he stepped forward, "If I don't beat the shit out of you today, I'm not named Zhou!"

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, with both sides on edge, a single spark capable of igniting the entire scene.

Lu Sheng, who had been silent all this time, suddenly moved.

He didn't speak, nor did he release any skills; he simply took one step forward.

A light step.

"Thump."

This footstep didn't sound like it landed on the ground; it felt as if it had directly stepped on Wang Qiang's heart.

An invisible yet terrifying pressure descended without warning.

It was the gaze of a superior predator, the indifference of a Dragon towards an ant.

Dragon's Might.

Wang Qiang's arrogant expression instantly froze on his face.

He felt the surrounding air suddenly become incredibly viscous, like solidified cement, pressing down on him, making his bones creak.

In that instant, he seemed to see a pair of huge golden vertical pupils coldly staring at him from behind the white-clothed youth.

"Ugh..."

Wang Qiang's face turned pale, his knees went weak. The fear etched deep in his genes made him completely unable to control his body, his legs trembling, uncontrollably wanting to kneel down.

Lu Sheng stood with one hand in his pocket, slightly lowering his head, looking at the strongman who had just been yelling.

"You just said..." Lu Sheng's voice was very soft, yet it clearly pierced into everyone's ears, "Whoever has the biggest fist makes the rules?"

He slowly raised his right hand, and in his palm, a dark red rune flickered faintly, the surrounding space beginning to subtly distort.

"Then how about... we compare fists?"

PS: Today's update (3/4).