Chương 34: Ambushed

Yellow Leaf Town. After a busy night, Song Que returned to the inn, tossed all his worries to the back of his mind, and comfortably rolled into bed to sleep. He didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky, roused by the sound of someone knocking on his door. Using his Domain to check and seeing it was Zhong Hong, he unhurriedly shuffled to the door and opened it:"Brother Hong, morning." Seeing his half-awake appearance, Zhong Hong smiled and called out:"A'Que, that guy Shitou brought the eagle seller!

They're waiting for you downstairs in the lobby. Hurry down and take a look!" Hearing this, Song Que suddenly remembered. His eyes lit up. Telling Zhong Hong to head down first, he hastily washed up and changed clothes before descending to the lobby.

"Brother Song!"...

"Brother Song, good morning!" In the lobby, Brother Hong's gang of friends occupied an entire table. Seeing Song Que approach, they hurriedly stood up to greet him, their attitudes incredibly respectful. Smiling and nodding in return, Song Que's gaze fell upon an unfamiliar young man holding a cage tightly covered with cloth. He smiled and said:"This brother must be the one selling the eaglet."

"Brother... Brother Song, hello," the young man nodded nervously.

"Please, have a seat. No need to stand on ceremony. Brother, could you bring out the eagle so I can take a look?" Song Que had longed to tame an eagle to serve as his 'eyes in the sky'. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to find one in over a year and had to make do with the Mountain Sparrow. Now that he had finally encountered one, he couldn't wait. Hearing his words, the young man hurriedly placed the cage on the table and pulled back the cloth cover.

"Brother Song, please take a look." Inside the cage was a fledgling eagle, only about the size of a chicken. It had a tuft of golden feathers on its head, making it look incredibly majestic. However, one of its legs was injured, and dried blood was visible. Noticing Song Que's gaze, the young man hurriedly explained:"Brother Song, this is a Golden-Crowned Eagle. They don't normally live around here. This one probably strayed and got caught in my trap, which is how I caught it.

But don't worry, its leg is only cut; the bone isn't broken at all."

"Rumor has it that when this breed grows up, its wingspan reaches a full zhang (approx. 3. 3 meters), and it can hunt goats and wolves! It's incredibly terrifying!" The more terrifying, the better! Just from the first glance, Song Que was immensely satisfied with this little creature. The golden feathers on its head looked like a crown, and its eyes were sharp, cold, and untamed. Its appearance and aura were absolutely off the charts! It suited 'Our Majesty's' tastes perfectly.

"I want this eaglet. Brother, state your price."

"This... I... I'll let Brother Song decide," the young man stammered, not daring to quote a price and handing the decision over to Song Que. At this moment, Zhong Hong gave Song Que a wink and spoke up:"I see this eagle isn't bad, but it's a bit too big. Taming it will be difficult. But seeing as you are from the same village as Shitou, I won't fleece you. How does three taels of silver sound?" Hearing this, the man hesitated. He was already moved by the price, but still wanted to haggle for a bit more.

"This... could you perhaps add a little more?"

"Alright, five taels of silver, and this eagle is mine. Brother, you shouldn't have any objections to that, right?" Song Que stepped forward and decisively set the price. Originally, he had been prepared to offer twenty taels! Getting it for this pocket change was more than satisfying.

"Thank you, Brother Song! Thank you, big brothers!" The young man knew his place. Seeing Song Que's straightforwardness, he didn't push his luck by being greedy. Song Que paid the money and asked Shitou to see him off. Only then did the group start cheering excitedly.

"Brother Song, congratulations on getting what you wanted!"

"A'Que, we really only needed to offer three taels."

"Haha, Brother Hong, it doesn't matter. Thank you, everyone. Such a joyous occasion calls for a few drinks!" Song Que smiled, and the group erupted in cheers again. Freeloading meals and drinks off a tycoon every day—they wished every day could be like this! Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. During the meal, Pockmark Luo gleefully bragged:"Brother Song, you probably don't know yet!

Last night, the three men of the Zhu family were bitten to death by a venomous snake! This morning, the whole alley was setting off firecrackers to celebrate! It truly gladdens the hearts of the people!" Hearing this news, Zhong Hong's eyes flickered with deep thought, but he quickly covered it up:"Evil reaps evil. That Zhu family committed countless wicked deeds; they must have been punished by the heavens. Let's not talk carelessly about this, lest we bring trouble upon ourselves." The group hurriedly agreed.

The Black Tiger Gang was going crazy looking for the culprit. If word got out that they had been investigating the Zhu family yesterday, whether they were involved or not, they wouldn't escape interrogation. That would be bringing disaster upon themselves. It was better to stay quiet and pretend nothing happened. Song Que cast a glance at Zhong Hong, feeling a rare sense of appreciation. He knew Brother Hong likely suspected him, which was why he so casually swept the topic aside.

"Ignore them. Today, we celebrate my new pet. Brothers, drink to your hearts' content!"

"Long live Brother Song!" After accompanying Zhong Hong to various pharmacies, Song Que managed to gather a few ginseng roots and some tonics. With this, the trip was considered a complete success. Instructing Zhong Hong to handle the remaining tasks and send someone to find him if anything came up, Song Que happily set off on his journey home. Unbeknownst to him, someone at the city gate was watching him with a cold stare. Waiting until he was out of the city, the person hurriedly ran off.... The Rocky Mounds.

Outside the eastern gates of Yellow Leaf Town. A group of five men were hiding in the bushes, gazing anxiously at the distant road. At this moment, a cold-faced young man dressed in black spoke up from within the group:"Zhao Hu, what the hell is going on? I've been rotting in the wind out here all morning and haven't seen so much as a shadow! Do you think Master Ou has nothing better to do than to be played for a fool by you?!"

"Master Ou, how could I dare?! That kid usually returns to the village the morning after coming to town. I don't know what's wrong today. Maybe he was delayed by something?" Facing this Lord, Lord Hu was like a sick cat, bowing and scraping, terrified of displeasing the great master. He absolutely didn't dare show any temper toward this man. For no other reason than the fact that he was a disciple of Feng Han, the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang—the true overlord of Yellow Leaf Town's underworld!

Ever since witnessing the duel between the two Gang Leaders, it was as if a whole new world had opened up for the Zhao father and son. They revered these martial arts experts like gods, while simultaneously longing for that power. Tossing and turning for several nights, they finally hatched a plan to kill two birds with one stone. The plan was simple: borrow the hands of a martial arts expert to eliminate Song Que, and then extort his martial arts manual.

From then on, no one in Giant Willow Village would ever dare disobey the Zhao family! Furthermore, Lord Hu would have the chance to learn martial arts. Who knows, perhaps becoming an overlord like Feng Han wasn't out of the realm of possibility! Thinking of his father's brilliant scheming, Lord Hu was filled with admiration.

Because of this, upon hearing that Song Que had left the village, the father and son hurriedly brought their number one lackey, Pockmark Guo, and rode their donkeys through the dust into town to find connections. Heaven rewards the diligent. Through a distant relative, Shopkeeper Zhao, they managed to get in touch with Ou Tiande, the disciple of the Gang Leader. After some haggling, he finally agreed to take three hundred taels of silver to deal with Song Que.

Thinking about how Song Que had only practiced martial arts for a few years, while the man before him was a prime-aged adult who had been personally taught by Gang Leader Feng for many years... slaughtering that kid would be a piece of cake. Lord Hu smiled inwardly. You truly get what you pay for!... Ou Tiande was the son of the master of Ou Family Fort. Obsessed with martial arts since childhood, he possessed extraordinary aptitude.

He quickly caught the eye of Black Tiger Gang Leader Feng Han, who took him in as a disciple. From then on, his future was boundless, and the Ou Family Fort rose in status along with him. Within this land surrounding Yellow Leaf Town, they acted arrogantly and domineeringly. The disciples of Ou Family Fort were infamous in the surrounding area for bullying, extortion, and running "zero-cost businesses." Ou Tiande was aware of this, but as someone who mixed in gangs, he didn't consider it a big deal.

Because of his indifference, this wicked trend only grew stronger. Just yesterday, a Ou Family disciple received a tricky hit job and immediately contacted him to step in. Originally, he looked down on dirtying his hands with such things. But the price offered was too hard to refuse, and he happened to be short on cash to buy body-tempering tonics. So he changed his mind and agreed to meet the client.

The matter wasn't complicated: a mountain village kid who knew a bit of family-passed-down martial arts was acting unruly and doing whatever he pleased. The Village Chief harbored a grudge and wanted to hire someone to deal with the brat and maintain his authority. An orphaned kid just over ten years old, living in the countryside with no backing, who had just learned a few punches and kicks? He could be disposed of with a flick of the wrist.

Earning three hundred taels this easily was practically having fat meat shoved right into his mouth. Master Ou accepts! Originally, with his prestige in the Black Tiger Gang, he could have just sent people to capture the kid directly in town. But the employer specifically requested that the kid be captured alive and in secret, and was willing to pay an extra fifty taels for it. For the sake of shining white silver, he agreed. He had heard rumors that the kid could single-handedly fight a giant tiger.

While he didn't quite believe it, just to be safe, Ou Tiande still brought along two Ou Family disciples and a trusted aide from the gang to prevent any mishaps. My master taught me that even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit! So, early in the morning, the group left the town and waited in ambush on the road the target had to take to return home. And so, the five of them had stood in the wind and dew for an entire morning. Because of this, Master Ou was currently very angry.

"I don't give a damn why! My time is precious! If that kid doesn't show up today, you still owe me a hundred taels! And that doesn't count toward the final fee!" Ou Tiande snorted coldly. Hearing this, Lord Hu's face turned as dark as dirt. Those three hundred taels were practically his family's entire life savings! If he had to pay more, he'd probably have to sell his house! But facing this Lord, did he dare say no? He wanted to stand up, point at the man, and accuse him of being a scammer with zero integrity.

But what could he do? The man was too powerful. Whatever. A true hero knows when to yield and when to stand tall! Is he, Lord Hu, not a true hero?

"Bastard kid!" Lord Hu cursed inwardly, annoyed at a certain someone for not arriving on time. But thinking about soon capturing that kid, giving him a thorough beating, interrogating him for his martial arts manual, and conveniently seizing his wealth, Lord Hu's mood improved somewhat. Right at that moment, in the distance, a man riding a donkey sprinted madly toward them.

"Lord Hu! He's coming!"