CHAPTER 130: CHAPTER 108: FIGHTING AT THE DOCK_2

"After the County Magistrate finished speaking that year, a short man emerged from the Fish and Dragon Association. He turned out to be a barber, not highly skilled in Martial Arts. He clenched his fists and drifted towards the furnace, saying, ’I’ll do it’..."

"Then, the Government Official used tongs to take out a pair of red-hot Iron Boots."

"In the eyes of all the guild members, Martial Practitioners, and experts of Baojiao County, the young, short barber, with calm and ease, slipped his feet into the red-hot Iron Boots..."

"At that moment, the smell of burning flesh wafted throughout the entire Baojiao County Yamen compound, filling the streets with a burnt stench. Everyone was dumbstruck. They watched the barber forcefully wear the red-hot Iron Boots. Each step came with a scorching sound, each footfall with a sizzle. The barber took five steps as if in a trance before collapsing in the Baojiao County Yamen hall, valiantly meeting his death for the Fish and Dragon Association."

"At that moment, everyone was profoundly shaken. The ruthless members of the Fish and Dragon Association had subdued everyone with their sheer ferocity, and eventually, the Baojiao Wharf definitively became the territory of the Fish and Dragon Association."

Sui Qingfang sighed lightly. "This is the ’wharf-conquering’ tale of how the Fish and Dragon Association got its start. The Firewood Iron Shop and Medicine King Hall were, to a considerable extent, similar. Back when they weren’t as powerful, it was all about ruthlessness and recklessness. Climbing Blade Mountain meant scaling a hundred-meter Blade Ladder, and Poison Ingestion involved tasting actual Poison."

Yang Xinglong listened intently, chilled to the bone.

Chen Ku was incredulous, staring at Zhao Chuanzu as if he were insane, and said, "Are you here to gamble with your life?"

Zhao Chuanzu calmly said, "Today it’s not just me. There’s also Brother Qu Feng from the Firewood Iron Shop. Add you to the mix, and each of us chooses one of these three challenges to see who can withstand it. Whoever manages their own, and perhaps even another’s, will have truly earned everyone’s respect."

Sui Qingfang frowned. She immediately went to Chen Ku’s side and lowered her voice, "Don’t agree. There’s a trick here, a problem. I understand why Zhao Chuanzu brought Qu Feng. The Firewood Iron Shop has a martial art called ’Iron Cloth Shirt.’ Once mastered, it allows one to disperse Inner Qi across the body’s surface, making one immune to ordinary blades. And that Zhao Chuanzu... he must also have some similar technique. I guess he can’t resist fire, but he’s probably ingested a Pill that neutralizes all poisons. You came unprepared today, armed only with a stick, while they are fully prepared. This competition is already unfair to you; you have reason to refuse."

Zhao Chuanzu saw Sui Qingfang whispering by Chen Ku’s side. He seemed to guess something and smiled faintly. "Brother Chen, are you afraid? I can guess what this young lady is telling you. But don’t forget one thing: I proposed this as a fair method to settle feuds among the three major powers of Baojiao County. Besides, Brother Qu Feng and you, Brother Chen, are both people from the three major powers here today.

"So, you think Brother Qu and I came prepared? But don’t forget, over the years, the Firewood Iron Shop, learning from the bitter lessons of past feuds, has long since developed Ultimate Skills to climb Blade Mountain. The Fish and Dragon Association reportedly also has its ’Chestnuts from the Fire’ technique. Or could it be that Medicine King Hall alone has made no progress?

"You can certainly refuse."

The expressions of all present changed.

Medicine King Hall couldn’t possibly lack detoxification methods.

But everyone could see that Chen Ku had arrived in haste today, completely unprepared, and utterly unaware of what Zhao Chuanzu intended to compete in.

Chai Tiangui whispered to someone next to him, instructing them to quickly retrieve the bait mouse from the mansion, hoping it might still be in time.

But Zhao Chuanzu gave no time. He said to Chen Ku, "Brother Chen, give me your answer. If you don’t agree, today this will be a contest between Brother Qu and me, and you can watch from the sidelines. The outcome, victory or defeat, will naturally be judged by Sect Leader Huang Muxia and Thirteen Young Master Xie. Surely, even if someone dies, when word spreads, it will become a celebrated tale in the Jianghu."

At this moment, Huang Muxia also joined the conversation, saying, "Indeed. Today we are at the Twin Rivers Guild. I affirm in the name of the Twin Rivers Guild that once the competition starts, there will be absolutely no external aids. It will rely solely on personal foundation, Root Bone, and skills. If anyone cheats, I, Huang Muxia, guarantee they won’t get away with it. Thirteen Young Master Xie is here to witness."

Xie Qingfeng nodded lightly. "No external aids, only skill. We are all Jianghu People; that’s the bottom line."

Finally, everyone looked towards Chen Ku.

Chen Ku looked at Zhao Chuanzu and Qu Feng, then said, "It’s not that I can’t agree. However, there’s one thing. I agreed to come and participate in this competition today because you, Brother Zhao Chuanzu, said that if you lost, you would give me an Iron Bank shop in Qiu Dragon Mansion. That’s why I was willing to come."

"But I don’t understand, why should I compete with Brother Qu Feng?"

Qu Feng’s expression turned sour upon hearing this. He instinctively looked towards Zhao Chuanzu; he certainly couldn’t produce a shop from Qiu Dragon Mansion as a stake.

Zhao Chuanzu grimaced internally. He’d never imagined that even after hyping this competition to a life-or-death level, the other party was still fixated on that trivial shop and silver! What a pauper!

He was just about to speak up and add to Qu Feng’s stake when he heard Xie Qingfeng say, "What are your demands? Let’s hear them."

"The Firewood Iron Shop should have good connections with the Iron Bank in Qiu Dragon Mansion, right? How about adding, say, eighteen thousand catties of Exotic Metal, or perhaps Iron Essence..." Chen Ku said with a smirk.

"Exotic Metal is unlikely, but Iron Essence might be possible," Xie Qingfeng said with a light smile. "How much do you need?"

"One hundred thousand catties," Chen Ku boldly declared.

Xie Qingfeng shook his head. "There isn’t that much. At most, I can gather a little more than twenty thousand catties for you."

Chen Ku blinked and said, "The remainder can be made up with silver. After all, Zhao Chuanzu has already staked a shop worth one hundred thousand taels."

Xie Qingfeng said, "That can be done."

Zhao Chuanzu, however, spoke up coldly, asking, "Brother Chen, both our sides have put up stakes. What about you? Aren’t you going to stake anything?"

"Alas, I am a poor man, unlike you two, who are so wealthy and powerful. I have nothing of much value."

Chen Ku first sighed, then slowly regained his composure, his tone gradually becoming firm and unruffled. "If I absolutely must stake something, then I do have one valuable thing: my life. Today, right here, I stake my life on this! I will challenge all three trials at once. If I cannot do it, I will die on the spot, and you all can disperse immediately!"

Upon these words, Zhao Chuanzu was stunned.

Sui Qingfang and many people from all walks of life in Baojiao County let out a resounding cry of support: "Young Hero Chen! You’ve got guts!"

Especially some members of the Fish and Dragon Association present; they were deeply moved, as if they saw that elder, the barber who had so heroically met his death years ago.

Back then, that barber had valiantly met his death for the Baojiao Wharf of the Fish and Dragon Association.

Today...

Facing what they knew was a deliberate provocation, a well-prepared ’setup’ by outsiders challenging the Baojiao People, Chen Ku, in their eyes, was just like that barber elder from the past...

Only someone who had already disregarded life and death could make such a fierce declaration.

"Challenge all three trials at once?"

Huang Muxia’s face twitched, and he said, "Nephew Chen, don’t be reckless."

He just wanted to act as an impartial witness, not to push anyone to their death. Chen Ku was making such a huge scene; if someone really died because of this, then... he would absolutely be hunted down and beaten to death by a furious, raging Yang Luochen!

"I’m not being reckless," Chen Ku said indifferently.

"Let’s begin. Bring out the Iron Boots, the Poison, and the Blade Ladder. Send them to those two as well."