Chapter 2124: Smooth Return
Chapter 2124: Smooth Return
The two sides continued to fight against each other. Then suddenly, they heard Zhao Hai shouting, “Die!” As soon as Zhao Hai said those words, the remaining three Ghosts of Pale Mountain stopped their attacks and immediately used their knives to protect themselves.
But this time, they were mistaken. Zhao Hai didn’t use his throwing knives. He fooled the three to stop their attacks.
After knowing what happened, the three ghosts couldn’t help but turn pale. They looked at Zhao Hai with eyes full of hatred. Then they roared and attacked Zhao Hai and Li Shan.
After fighting for another ten rounds, Zhao Hai shouted once more. The three ghosts protected their bodies once more. And like before, Zhao Hai didn’t do anything. This caused the faces of the three ghosts to turn uglier.
The five fought ten more rounds and Zhao Hai shouted again. This time, the five ghosts only pulled their knives back for a moment before attacking. However, unlike the last two times, the hammer on Zhao Hai’s hand was thrown. Zhao Hai’s target wasn’t the two ghosts who were facing him. Instead, his target was the person that was fighting against Li Shan.
Bu! The hammer hit Li Shan’s opponent on his back. The ghost who fought against Li Shan committed blood and chunks of flesh. Li Shan used this opportunity to smash his opponent’s head, breaking it like a watermelon.
The eyes of the two ghosts who fought against Zhao Hai turned blood red as they shouted, “Second Brother!” Then the two desperately threw themselves towards Zhao Hai. They had completely abandoned their defense. They wanted to perish together with Zhao Hai.
Seeing this, Li Shan couldn’t help but be anxious. He immediately shouted, “You Dare!” Then he used his staff to stop the remaining two ghosts. He saw that Zhao Hai no longer has any weapons in hand. If he faced the two ghosts, he would certainly suffer a loss.
On the other hand, Zhao Hai raised his brows and quickly flew back. Then he took out eight throwing knives. He threw the knives towards the two ghosts.
Now that they have given up on their defense, the two ghosts forgot that Zhao Hai once used a throwing knife to kill one of their brothers. When they saw Zhao Hai’s throwing knives, it was already too late. Their bodies shook as the impact caused their bodies to pounce. Then after they took a few more steps, they fell to the ground. They convulsed a few times before they stopped moving.
Li Shan stared, then he stored his copper staff and looked at the bodies of the Five Ghosts of Pale Mountain. A look of disbelief was seen on his face. He couldn’t believe the five would die under the hands of the Blackwood Group. Was he dreaming?
Zhao Hai also stopped at this time. He stood in place as he gasped for air. Li Shan quickly went to support Zhao Hai, “Brother Zhao, are you alright?”
Naturally, Zhao Hai was just pretending. If he used his true strength, he could deal with the Five Ghosts of Pale Mountain in mere minutes. But if he did that, he would arouse Li Shan’s suspicion. Zhao Hai needs to behave like an ordinary cultivator in the Soul Fusion Stage.
Zhao Hai pretended to be exhausted, then he shook his head and said, “I’m fine. I’m just a bit drained. Let’s take a break.”
Li Shan immediately called two of his brothers to assist Zhao Hai back to the carriage. At the same time, he went to the bodies of the five ghosts and picked up Zhao Hai’s hammers. He also took Zhao Hai’s throwing knives and wiped it clean before returning them, “Brother Zhao, here are your things. I’ll go clean up the battlefield. We need to leave immediately. Otherwise, we’ll miss our stop for the night.”
Zhao Hai nodded and then put his hammers and throwing knives away. Li Shan immediately commanded the other members of the Blackwood Group to search the bodies of the five ghosts and then loaded them into spatial items. After that, they looked for a place to bury the corpses before leaving immediately.
Zhao Hai didn’t ask Li Shan how he dealt with the loot. He knows that there was no need. Li Shan would definitely remember his share. If Li Shan wasn’t honest, the spirit of the Blackwood Group would immediately collapse. By then, the gang would be finished.
Zhao Hai also noticed that after the battle, the way the other members of the gang looked at him had changed. Originally, the other members of the Blackwood Group were treating him as a stranger. But now, they looked at him with intimate worship and awe. This was enough for Zhao Hai.
Needless to say, the drivers of the Full Moon Pavilion were thankful towards Zhao Hai. They were full of respect towards him. Zhao Hai didn’t care about this as he pretended to be drained and controlled his breathing.
When evening arrived, Zhao Hai and the others rested in a small town. The caravan often stayed in the town, so they already had a place to stay. After Li Shan arranged for the night watch, he took Zhao Hai to the restaurant and asked the waiter to serve them dishes and wine.
After pouring Zhao Hai a glass of wine, Li Shan also poured himself a cup. Then he lifted his cup towards Zhao Hai and said, “Brother, I’ll have to thank you for what happened today. Otherwise, we would have been wiped out. Let me show my respects with this cup.”
Zhao Hai also raised his cup and said, “Brother Li is too polite. I’m now a member of the Blackwood Group. Naturally, I have to contribute.”
Li Shan nodded and then raised his head to drink his wine. Zhao Hai also downed the contents of his cup.
Li Shan looked at Zhao Hai and said, “Brother Zhao. This time, our harvest is very big. Don’t worry, I won’t forget about your share.”
Zhao Hai smiled and said, “Brother Li, you’re really treating me as a stranger. Although I have only been in the Blackwood Group for a short time, I already know about the gang’s situation. To be honest, I really admire what Gang Leader Liu is doing. I have also seen groups in the Righteous Dao League, but I haven’t seen anything like the Blackwood Group. I’m also willing to help the younger generation and contribute. My share may make my purse heavier, but it would help those children even more. Use my share to make them eat and dress better.”
Li Shan looked at Zhao Hai and didn’t say anything. Instead, he poured Zhao Hai and himself a cup of wine. Then he lifted his cup towards Zhao Hai and drank the wine.
Zhao Hai also followed Li Shan and drank the wine. After a while, Li Shan said, “Brother Zhao Hai, I have to thank you. For many years, cultivators have been laughing at our gang for being silly. In their opinion, we’re ignoring our progress. In their eyes, we are a group of lunatics.”
Zhao Hai shook his head and said, “I don’t think that you’re crazy. On the contrary, what you’re doing is meaningful. It impacts more than just the children. This is also the reason why I joined the Blackwood Group.”
Li Shan let out a long sigh before giving a hearty laugh. His smile was wide, probably from letting go of the unhappiness in his heart. All the gloominess in his heart has been swept by the wind and clouds.
The two drank until very late at night. Their relationship between the two also improved by a lot. The next morning, everyone set off. Because of the Five Ghosts of Pale Mountain, the caravan was more careful along the way. On the fifth day, they finally arrived at their destination. After handing the goods over, Zhao Hai and the others didn’t return immediately. The Full Moon Pavilion still had some goods to transport back, and they still needed escorts.
The trip back went without anything happening. The Five Ghosts of Pale Mountain has been sighted and was dealt with. Zhao Hai’s elimination of the five ghosts has spread throughout the region. Those who had intentions on the Blackwood Group now had to weigh their options when they heard the news.
After a smooth return to Raging Flames City, the caravan headed towards the courtyard behind Full Moon Pavilion. Li Shan could see a group of people standing at the back courtyard of the shop. When they got closer, he saw that it was Liu Wei and Shopkeeper Chen.
Li Shan hastily got down from the carriage and met with the two people. He cupped his fist towards the two and said, “Gang Leader, Shopkeeper Chen, why are you here?”
Liu Wei laughed and said, “Naturally, I’m waiting for you. Where’s Zhao Ming?”
Hearing Liu Wei, Li Shan immediately knew what he meant. Zhao Hai essentially killed the Five Ghosts of Pale Mountain on his own. Although he used hidden weapons, this was enough to show his strength. Therefore, Liu Wei took the chance to greet them.
Li Shan smiled and said, “Brother Zhao is in the last carriage. Gang Leader can rest assured.” At this time, the ten carriages stopped. Zhao Hai and the rest of the gang members also got out. By this point, the task has been completed, and they can receive money.
Seeing Zhao Hai from afar, Liu Wei moved forward and then cupped his fist as he laughed, “Our hero is back. Brother Zhao Ming, you really hid your skills. I didn’t expect that you would be an expert.”
Hearing Liu Wei, Zhao Hai smiled faintly and said, “Gang Leader is too polite. What expert, I just used the enemy’s weakness against themselves.”
At this time, Storekeeper Chen arrived. He also cupped his fist in respect, “Elder Zhao Ming, I have eyes but didn’t recognize Mount Tai. I hope that you can be patient with me. I have arranged a feast in the Full Moon Abode. I want to invite all the brothers of the Blackwood Group. I hope you can give me face by attending.”
Liu Wei laughed and said, “Old Chen, all of us know that Full Moon Abode is a property of your Full Moon Pavilion. Why are you so polite in inviting us? Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to enjoy your sincerity. Hahaha”
Upon hearing Liu Wei, Shopkeeper Chen also laughed, “Others call me stingy, but if I have a rare guest, I’ll have to make sure that they are satisfied. Just wait to see what food and drinks I’ve prepared.” When the others heard Shopkeeper Chen, they also laughed. Zhao Hai heard that Liu Wei and Shopkeeper Chen had known each other for a long time, and they have a good relationship.
Zhao Hai’s guess wasn’t wrong. Liu Wei and Shopkeeper Chen were indeed old friends. Liu Wei saved Shopkeeper Chen’s life, and they became close from then on. Afterwards, because of his skill in business, Shopkeeper Chen became the shopkeeper of the Full Moon Pavilion. Liu Wei just formed his Blackwood Group at that time. Because of the Full Moon Pavilion’s background, its caravans were rarely robbed by other gangs. And since Liu Wei was a good person, nobody came to provoke the Blackwood Group. The cooperation between the two went smoothly up until this day.
The group arrived at Full Moon Abode. Shopkeeper Chen reserved an entire floor for the Blackwood Group. Shopkeeper Chen’s action didn’t incur any opposition from the Full Moon Pavilion. This was because the Blackwood Group really did a great job this time. The batch of goods escorted by the Blackwood Group was very important for the Full Moon Pavilion. If it was robbed, then the pavilion’s losses would be big. It’s because of this that Shopkeeper Chen rewarded the Blackwood Group with a banquet. Moreover, the Five Ghosts of Pale Mountain was a famous bandit group. With the Blackwood Group dealing with the five ghosts, the Full Moon Pavilion was naturally grateful.
At the same time, the strength that Zhao Hai showed surprised the Full Moon Pavilion. Although the Full Moon Pavilion was a business group, it was also clearly aware of the movements of rivers and mountains. They were aware that the Five Ghosts of Pale Mountain weren’t pushovers. Their Soulseeker Formation was very famous. Zhao Hai’s deed of dealing with the five ghosts made him worth winning over. Even if the Full Moon Pavilion couldn’t poach Zhao Hai, it was good to have a good relationship with him.
Businessmen pay attention to whatever makes them money. For them, offending people wasn’t a cost-effective action. Competition was inevitable, but they couldn’t just offend anyone. On the contrary, businessmen liked to make friends. The more friends they have the more roads they could travel. This was a truth that all businessmen understood.
After drinking in the Full Moon Abode, the people of the Blackwood Group returned to the headquarters. Someone also reported to Lie Wei that several gangs have sent invitations.
Hearing this, he immediately asked someone to fetch the invitations. When he looked at the messages, Liu Wei quickly understood what was going on. These invitations were sent by other small gangs of Roaring Flame City. In the past, the Blackwood Group had no strength to speak of and it had no background to depend on, so the other small gangs disdained getting associated with them. But now, it is different. With Zhao Hai being a guest elder of the gang, the other small gangs were now willing to make friends with the Blackwood Group.
Liu Wei didn’t dislike this development. People making friends with you only means that they see you as an equal. It was also good for the Blackwood Group to gain more friends. There were only benefits and no harm.