Chapter 10

With a broad frame and a sword at his waist, Mo Tie had already arrived atop the high wall. His expression was serious, yet he was not panicked as he called out loudly, “I am Mo Tie, and I apologize for not greeting you from afar. May I ask who you are, distinguished guest?”

As the founder of Black Iron Manor, Mo Tie was someone who had weathered many storms. Facing this group of knights who clearly bore ill will, he remained composed.

The bearded burly man replied, “I am Chen Zhuang, the third in command of the Black Cavalry Gang. I am here on the orders of Gang Leader Shi Zijian to collect the annual fee from Black Iron Manor.”

“The Black Cavalry Gang? What sort of gang is that?”

“Never heard of it… It’s definitely a bunch of robbers, here to collect protection fees!”

Upon hearing this, the people of Black Iron Manor looked at each other and began to whisper among themselves.

The so-called annual fee was, in fact, a protection fee!

Su Changkong stood atop the high wall with a grave expression on his face. The Black Cavalry Gang had clearly done their homework on Black Iron Manor and had come brazenly to collect protection fees. It was obvious they would not leave easily!

Mo Tie understood this, but of course, he wasn’t about to willingly hand over any protection fee, especially to a gang whose name they had never even heard!

Mo Tie furrowed his brows and said, “Villa Owner Chen, we at Black Iron Manor make an honest living and barely scrape by. Where would we find extra money to spare?”

“Manor Lord, don’t bother with these scoundrels. Let them come and see what they’re up against if they dare!”

A man from Black Iron Manor, armed with a sword, spoke out angrily.

Did these robbers think they could just open their mouths and Black Iron Manor would hand over money? It wouldn’t be that easy!

The bearded burly man Chen Zhuang smiled. With many people in Black Iron Manor and swords at their sides, if he wanted to get the money without trouble, he needed to demonstrate strength!

“Neigh-igh-igh!”

Suddenly, the steed beneath Chen Zhuang let out a loud neigh. Chen Zhuang kicked against the stirrups with great force, pressing down so hard that the horse’s limbs bent, nearly causing it to collapse onto the ground.

Villa Owner Chen himself used this force to propel forward, shooting like lightning, covering a distance of six to seven zhang in an instant as he charged towards the firmly shut gates of Black Iron Manor. With a thunderous yell, he swung the iron hammer, the size of a human face, violently towards the gate!

“Bang!”

A deafening crash rang out. Su Changkong felt the bricks beneath his feet tremble as the thick wooden gate of Black Iron Manor shuddered violently under the burly man’s hammer, splitting open with numerous fine cracks.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”

With both hands wielding the hammer and veins protruding like ropes on his arms thick as a common man’s thigh, Chen Zhuang struck the gate over and over again like a human-shaped ferocious beast!

Every blow caused the gate to roar and its frame to tremble.

“Crack!”

Under the shocked and terrified gaze of all onlookers, Chen Zhuang delivered more than a dozen hammer blows. The heavy gate could no longer withstand the punishment and groaned as it caved in, creating a huge dent. The door bolts bent and came loose, and the gate swung open!

The members of Black Iron Manor guarding the entrance felt a chill run down their spines!

Wielding an iron hammer, Chen Zhuang had single-handedly smashed open the gates of Black Iron Manor. He was no ordinary human!

“A martial artist… at least one in the Divine Strength Realm!”

Even Mo Tie felt his pupils contract slightly and a chill rise in his heart.

Martial artists have varying strengths, but the first realm of martial arts is the Body Refinement Realm.

Body Refinement Realm is further divided into Strength Refinement, Internal Strength, Divine Power, and Divine Bravery, four levels!

Among them, in the Strength Refinement Realm, one tempers their vitality, significantly surpassing ordinary people in strength and agility, capable of taking on multiple opponents. Regular people after years or even a decade of practice could reach this level.

The second level of Body Refinement, the Internal Strength Realm, sees a further increase in strength. The internal organs are tempered and strengthened, drastically increasing endurance, comparable to that of oxen and horses!

At the third level, the Divine Strength Realm, strength increases dramatically, shattering common perceptions and reaching two to three times the capacity of an average human being!

The fourth level, the Divine Bravery Stage, represents Body Refinement Great Achievement. The flesh becomes tough, a single arm possessing a thousand jin of Divine Power, capable of wielding objects weighing a hundred jin. A casual strike could break bones, sever muscles, and send flesh flying. With invincible bravery, one would appear as terrifying as a human-shaped ferocious beast in the eyes of ordinary people.

Most people who practice martial arts can’t even reach the Strength Refinement Realm. This Chen Zhuang, wielding an iron hammer, has forcibly smashed open the heavy manor doors; such strength is definitely above the Divine Strength Realm, unfathomable!

Having smashed the doors of Black Iron Manor open, Chen Zhuang grinned and, with an iron hammer on his shoulder, swaggered into Black Iron Manor.

Along the way, the people of Black Iron Manor, armed with swords and other weapons, dared only to surround him without attacking, sweating profusely with fear. Anyone could see that Chen Zhuang was an incredibly fearsome figure, and acting against him would likely result in death at his hands!

“This Chen Zhuang is also a martial artist! I don’t know how I would fare against him, who’s stronger or weaker.”

As Su Changkong witnessed Chen Zhuang forcing his way into Black Iron Manor, he was also quite astonished, facing for the first time a powerhouse who could be called a martial artist.

Moreover, Chen Zhuang belonged to the elite levels among martial artists.

Practicing the Five Animal Frolics and the Iron Cutting Blade Technique, Su Changkong pondered over how he would match up against Chen Zhuang, uncertain of the outcome.

Of course, Su Changkong didn’t have any intention of rashly stepping forward. Not to mention that outside Black Iron Manor, there were several dozen bandits, each incredibly fierce, and according to what Chen Zhuang said earlier, he was the third-in-command of the Black Cavalry Gang.

The men from the Black Cavalry Gang present were far from the gang’s full strength, within which there must be martial artists stronger than Chen Zhuang!

Paying no heed to the others holding swords, Chen Zhuang, with a smile on his face, looked towards Mo Tie descending from the high wall and said, “Villa Owner Mo, tell me your answer. Pay the protection money obediently, and you’ll be safe. Otherwise… heh heh heh!”

Chen Zhuang chuckled coldly, weighing the heavy hammer in his hand, the threat more than evident in his words.

Dozens of knights from the Black Cavalry Gang were also waiting outside. At Chen Zhuang’s command, they would rush into Black Iron Manor and begin a slaughter!

“Manor Lord…” Everyone turned their eyes to Mo Tie, waiting for his decision.

Mo Tie sighed inwardly, looking somewhat aged. He understood that if a conflict truly broke out, Black Iron Manor would surely be awash with blood, perhaps even wiped from history!

“Boss Chen, our Black Iron Manor has no intention of being an enemy to the Black Cavalry Gang. Please spare us,” Mo Tie said, bowing slightly in a gesture of submission.

Mo Tie’s response didn’t surprise Chen Zhuang. Black Iron Manor had over a hundred people to support and didn’t have the courage or ability to clash with the Black Cavalry Gang, so submission was the only option!

“Fair enough! Our Black Cavalry Gang charges protection money per head. Five taels of silver for each person, collected once at the end of each year. Your Black Iron Manor has over a hundred people; we’ll round it to a hundred, so that’s a total of five hundred taels of silver!” Chen Zhuang said with a smile on his face.

“Five taels… per person?”

This stirred anger in everyone’s hearts, yet they dared not express it.

Five taels of silver, many people don’t even earn that in a year!

Mo Tie’s complexion changed, but he knew that only by obediently paying up could he navigate today’s peril, and then he could report to the officials or make other plans!