plumnovel Chapter 284 A Show of Force
Chapter 284 A Show of Force
(Starting today, I will resume updating twice a day, once around noon and once around 8 pm.)
Inside the Green Forest Village compound, a bustling scene unfolded, interspersed with the boisterous laughter and curses of the bandits.
Meanwhile, Li Daoming, the current leader of the Green Forest Stronghold, was mingling with a group of children, washing the mountain of vegetables in front of him, and occasionally chasing and playing with them. The whole scene was quite heartwarming.
Tian Wu and Sha Laosan led more than ten bandits to neatly arrange wooden tables and chairs in an open space in the village courtyard.
Whenever Tian Wu had a spare moment, she couldn't help but blink her beautiful, bright eyes and look at Du Fan. Her pretty face always carried a smile, and a rare tenderness appeared between her heroic brows.
Du Fan, who possessed divine sense, could clearly see Tian Wu's timid and feminine actions, but he dared not meet her gaze. At this moment, the guilt he had been deliberately ignoring grew stronger in his heart.
"Let's leave tomorrow. For Tian Wu, a short pain is worse than a long one." Du Fan sighed inwardly and made this decision.
"Chief, our bandit leader Guo from the Green Forest branch is here!" A bandit jogged over and shouted to Du Fan.
"Okay, I got it! You little guys, work hard here and don't be naughty." Du Fan replied, then turned to look at the children beside him, smiled and gently pinched the cute cheek of one of the little girls before striding towards the mountain gate.
"Brother Guo, brothers from the branch village, please come in!" Du Fan stood at the village gate, looking at Guo Huaifu not far away and the hundred or so burly men behind him, and spoke loudly.
"Haha, we're all on the same side, brothers, no need to be polite. Come in with me and eat and drink to your heart's content. The Green Forest Chief will provide everything you need!" Guo Huaifu laughed heartily, waved his hand, and led his brothers straight into the Green Forest Stronghold's courtyard.
"Fellow Daoist Li, when do you plan to leave?" When no one was around, Guo Huaifu approached and asked Du Fan in a low voice.
"Tomorrow," Du Fan said without any intention of hiding anything.
"So fast!" Guo Huaifu was somewhat surprised.
"The matter here is settled, and there is no need for me to stay any longer," Du Fan said with a sigh, his mood slightly downcast.
"Fellow Daoist Li, the one you can't let go of the most must be Miss Tian Wu. Although I haven't known you for very long, I know your character very well."
You can kill without blinking an eye when it comes to cultivators, but you can't bear to hurt ordinary people, especially a straightforward and innocent woman like Miss Tian.
I have heard a little about what happened when you kicked down the stronghold, fellow Daoist. You announced in public that you would marry this woman. I wonder what Miss Tian was thinking at the time. But now it seems that she is deeply in love with you. Such a debt of love is the hardest to repay.
However, I would like to remind Fellow Daoist Li that there is a difference between immortals and mortals. Even if you were to fall in love with Miss Tian, there would be no good outcome for you. For Miss Tian, it would be a good thing for you to leave. Therefore, Fellow Daoist Li really has no need to feel guilty.
"After you leave, I will take care of Miss Tian's marriage. I can't guarantee anything else, but anyone who wants to marry Miss Tian must first get past me. In short, I won't let any Tom, Dick, or Harry become the son-in-law of this bandit stronghold." Guo Huaifu looked at Du Fan and spoke slowly, his expression extremely sincere.
"Thanks, Brother Guo." Du Fan was somewhat surprised by Guo Huaifu's words, but he could sense the other party's sincerity. He immediately took a deep breath, patted the other party on the shoulder, and said with a smile.
"Brother Li, I received news a few days ago that after learning about the grand feast held by Green Forest Village, several major gangs in the martial arts world decided to come and add to the festivities, and at the same time, to test the waters. They are already on their way."
"The leaders of those families, if nothing unexpected happens, are all around the third or fourth level of the Qi Refining stage. Brother Li, it would be best if you could intimidate them at the banquet later, so that after you leave, they will have something to think about and dare not covet the Green Forest Stronghold." Guo Huaifu changed the way he addressed the other party and said with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, thank you for the reminder, Brother Guo. I understand the situation." Du Fan nodded, a cold glint in his eyes. Then, as if he had thought of something, he continued, "By the way, do you know who the highest-ranking cultivator is in this mortal world?"
"Actually, there is definitely more than one so-called mortal world on Crescent Island, but in the world we live in, the one with the highest cultivation level... should be Brother Li."
Besides, there is a cultivator at the sixth level of the Qi Refining stage hidden in the Qingyuan Gang, two thousand miles away. It is said that this person began to go into seclusion a year ago, preparing to break through the bottleneck of the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage. I wonder if he will succeed. What do you mean, Brother Li?" Guo Huaifu thought for a moment and then said this. Finally, his expression changed, as if he had guessed something.
"Although Brother Guo's talent for cultivation is astonishing, it will take him at least two years to raise his cultivation to the sixth or seventh level of the Qi Refining stage. During this period, he is a variable, and it would be best to eliminate him." Du Fan said in a cold voice.
"With Brother Li's strength, it shouldn't be difficult for you to do this. So when do you plan to make your move?" Guo Huaifu wasn't too surprised to hear this, and simply asked calmly.
"I'll deal with this matter first after I leave tomorrow... Hmm? It seems that the group you mentioned has arrived. Since we're going to give them a taste of their own medicine, let's do it sooner rather than later, and give them a show of force first, then courtesy!" Du Fan said, his expression suddenly changing, and he smiled as he spoke.
……
Du Fan and Guo Huaifu stood outside the village gate for a moment, and then a group of young men and women dressed in the attire of martial arts practitioners walked in, about twenty people in total.
After scanning the area with his divine sense, Du Fan discovered that eight of them were cultivators, while the others were likely their trusted subordinates. Among the cultivators, three were at the fourth level of the Qi Refining stage, four were at the third level, and one was only at the second level.
"Haha, it is an honor for our humble abode to have you, leaders and chieftains, grace us with your presence. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly." Du Fan laughed heartily and went to greet them with Guo Huaifu, appearing extremely enthusiastic.
"You must be the current leader of Green Forest Stronghold, Chief Li." A burly man wearing an animal skin coat and with an exceptionally strong physique sized up Du Fan, then smiled slightly, stepped forward, and clasped his hands in greeting.
"It is indeed me. Oh, I almost forgot to introduce you. This is our Green Forest Stronghold's deputy chief, Brother Guo Huaifu. I am often away from home, so Brother Guo is the one who manages most of the affairs in the stronghold." Du Fan's eyes flashed almost imperceptibly. He didn't know what he was thinking, but he suddenly pulled Guo Huaifu out and introduced him to the crowd in front of him.
Upon hearing this, the eight cultivators were slightly taken aback, then vaguely guessed what it was. Their eight divine senses instantly spread out, scanning Guo Huaifu's entire body.
Their expressions suddenly changed, becoming uncertain. A cultivator at the second level of the Qi Refining stage was only ranked second in a mortal force? It seemed that Chief Li's cultivation was truly not as simple as just being at the quasi-Qi Refining stage...
"Greetings, Deputy Chief Guo!" The eight men stepped forward, cupped their hands, and smiled.
"No need for formalities, esteemed leaders. By the way, our chieftain has some private matters he wishes to discuss with you all. Why don't you let the other brothers in first? We will certainly treat you to the best wine and meat." Guo Huaifu said politely at first, then his eyes darted around and he smiled broadly.
"No problem, we need to talk to Chief Li about some things. You two go in first." A beautiful woman smiled at Du Fan and his companion, then gave her two subordinates a deep order.
The other seven cultivators' eyes flashed, and they vaguely guessed Du Fan's intentions. However, this was exactly what they wanted. They immediately gave instructions to their subordinates, saying similar words to those of the beautiful woman from before. Then, their subordinates were led into the village courtyard by several bandits from the Green Forest Stronghold.
"Brother Guo, why don't you go in and help Miss Tian entertain the guests? I'm fine here," Du Fan said casually, glancing at Guo Huaifu.
"Alright." Guo Huaifu didn't waste any more words. After gesturing to the eight visiting cultivators, he immediately turned and left.
"Fellow Daoists, please." After there were no more mortals around, Du Fan smiled slightly and spoke slowly. At the same time, he took the lead and walked into a dense bamboo forest in the distance.
The eight cultivators exchanged glances, said nothing, and followed.
……
In less than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, Du Fan and eight other cultivators emerged from the bamboo forest.
At this moment, Du Fan still had a faint smile on his face, but the eight cultivators looked rather ugly. Their eyes were filled with a strong sense of shock, and even a hint of fear.
"Haha, fellow Daoists, please follow me to your seats. I will offer you all a few toasts later. In the future, Green Forest Village will still need your help in this martial world," Du Fan said with a hearty laugh.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you are too kind. If you ever need anything from us in the future, just send someone to let us know, and we will certainly do our duty without hesitation!" The speaker was the burly man wearing an animal skin coat.
This person was at the mid-stage of the fourth level of the Qi Refining stage, making him the most powerful among the eight. However, when facing Du Fan, he subtly revealed a hint of respect. Judging from his appearance, he was not exactly acting as a junior, but it was close enough.