Three-day deadline

  A group of sturdy and tall men blocked the entrance of the Wuji Ironwork Shop.

  A dozen or so dark-skinned, bare-chested blacksmiths rushed out of the smithy, still steaming with sweat, and confronted each other, their eyes blazing with anger, the atmosphere tense.

  Pedestrians on the roadside all retreated far away, standing 100 meters away and watching these people.

  "Let Wei Chigong speak!"

  "Is our master someone who can be seen just because you want to see him? What are you people?"

  "What did you say?!"

  "Can't understand human language?"

  Pei Qiantong pushed away the crowd, walked to the front of the craftsmen at Yu Chai's blacksmith shop, and shouted: "Yu Chai Rende, get Pei Qiantong out here for me!"

  His voice was like a bronze bell, and people hundreds of meters away could hear it clearly.

  "It's the Salt Gang leader!"

  "Have you finally fallen out with the mining gang?"

  "You haven't heard yet, have you? Pei Qiantong's younger brother Pei Qian was beaten into a cripple the other day and probably won't be able to get out of bed for the rest of his life. I'm guessing this has something to do with the Mining Gang."

  Just as the people around were discussing, Wei Rui came out of the store and shouted at Pei Qiantong: "Pei Qiantong, do you think this is your salt shop? Who are you yelling at?"

  "Wei Chi Jing De, I'm asking you, what's the grudge between my brother and your mining gang that you'd treat him so ruthlessly?! If you don't give me a clear explanation today, I'll tear down your blacksmith shop!"

  Wei Chi Jing De let out a cold laugh: "If I didn't know you were Pei Qiantong, I would have thought some foolish little brat was following me to cause trouble. Whether your brother is dead or alive has nothing to do with me! If you just want to pick a fight, then bring it on!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Qian Tong had already kicked open the several mining disciples blocking his way and rushed to Yu Zhi Rong's face like lightning. He jumped high and turned one hand into a knife, slashing down at Yu Zhi Rong's Tian Ling Gai.

  Crack!

  Wei Chi Jing De single-handedly held up, but the floor under his feet was shaken by Pei Qian Tong's fierce and violent force, causing several blocks to deeply sink in.

  Before everyone could see what was happening, Pei Qiantong kicked Yu Zhongjie and sent him flying backward, crashing through the thick wall of the ironwork shop and landing inside.

  A loud crashing sound came from inside the house, with tables and chairs being smashed to pieces.

  Bai Zongtong's ferocity was something that only his subordinates had seen before, and everyone else was shocked and terrified.

  At this time, a burst of applause came from the store, and a tall and majestic man with an air of dignity walked out of the ironwork shop without haste.

  "Good martial arts skills! You live up to your reputation as the most famous champion of the Wukong Academy since its founding, Master Pei. Although I don't know what made you so angry, from what I know, the Salt Guild and the Mining Guild have always coexisted peacefully, like well water not invading river water. Master Pei, why do you think your brother was injured by someone from the Mining Guild?"

  Pei Qiantong was about to rush into the store when he saw someone coming out. His expression suddenly changed: "Liu Wuzhou!"

  "Hmph, I said you miners had eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard. It turns out that you have the support of the Rongqi Riding Commander behind your back. However, even if it's you, Liu Wuzhou, if you don't give me an explanation today, I will definitely demolish this ironwork shop."

  Wei Chi Jingde stormed out of the shop, his body covered in a thick layer of dust, but without a single hair out of place. Earlier, he had been caught off guard by Pei Qiantong's sudden attack and was still seething with anger, intending to go back and reclaim the upper hand, when Liu Wuzhou reached out and held him back.

  "Easy, don't be impulsive."

  "Big brother! You're driving me crazy!"

  Liu Wuzhou turned his head, smiling at Pei Qiantong and said: "If Master Pei has evidence to prove that it was someone from the mine gang who hurt your younger brother, my mine gang will not cover for him. We will personally tie him up and take him to the authorities, letting Master Pei deal with him as he sees fit. What does Master Pei think? However, if Master Pei cannot produce evidence, Liu would like to remind Master Pei that when two tigers fight, they will both end up injured. Master Pei must not fall for someone else's scheme to drive a wedge between us and harm the harmony between our two gangs, allowing some people with ulterior motives to secretly watch and laugh."

  Liu Wuzhou's words were reasonable, and Pei Qiantong's anger slightly subsided. He waved his hand at his subordinates, who parted the crowd and brought forward a man who had been beaten to the brink of death, throwing him in front of Liu Wuzhou.

  "This man is called Lü Mázi, his words can prove that it was your mining gang who laid hands on my brother!"

  Liu Wuzhou squatted down, looking at Lü Mazi, and asked lightly: "Tell me, which person from our mine hurt Lord Pei's younger brother? Did you see it with your own eyes?"

  Lü Ma's one remaining eye, which could still see, stared at him as he nodded his head, blood foam flowing from his mouth. He stuttered out that on the day before, he had gone to the City Guardian Temple to find someone and had been beaten up by a group of brothers. Later, he had seen Zhen Mingshu come out of the ironwork shop with Zhu Zi at the door. After inquiring, he found out that Zhen Mingshu was actually the new craftsman who had recently joined the Yuchi Ironwork Shop.

  Lü Ma Zi had just finished speaking when Pei Qian Tong impatiently asked Liu Wu Zhou, "What do you have to say for yourself this time?"

  Liu Wuzhou smiled and said: "Zhen Mingku and Zhu Zhi are indeed good people from the Miner's Guild, but I didn't quite understand. He beat up Lv Mazi to find a woman who was kidnapped by you, what does it have to do with your brother being beaten? Everyone in Luoyang knows about the things done by the Luohe Branch, if you had kidnapped his woman first, how can you blame him for beating up your people?"

  "I, Yan Bang, do things by the rules. That woman signed a contract to sell herself, even if she went to the government office, my Yan Bang still has the right to dispose of her at will! That Zhennan is so lawless and reckless, he forcibly robbed my Yan Bang's goods, anyone can guess that he did it out of spite, injured my younger brother, and killed dozens of people from my Luohu branch. This blood debt, no matter what, he cannot shirk! Where is he now? Let him come out and confront me face to face!"

  Liu Wuzhou's eyebrows furrowed deeply, and beside him, Wei Rang shouted: "Guess your mother's guess, no evidence, just relying on the words of this untrustworthy little rascal, can you swallow us?"

  "Go ahead and try!" Pei Qiantong sneered coldly.

  Wei Chi Jing De rolled up his sleeves and was about to charge forward: "Bring it on! You think I'm afraid of you?"

  "Halt! Hold your tongue!" Liu Wuzhou's face sank, and he turned his head to glance at the master craftsmen of the ironwork shops behind him, asking: "Where are Zhen Mingshu and Zhuozi?"

  A craftsman replied: "Yesterday, two people sent a stove with a pillar and haven't returned to the ironwork shop since."

  Liu Wuzhou turned around and said to Pei Qiantong, "You also heard that Zhen Mingsu is not in the blacksmith's shop now. How about this? I'll have someone bring him over to your mansion to confront you face-to-face. If it was indeed him who did it, the miners will absolutely not cover for him!"

  Pei Qiantong snorted coldly: "I'll give you the face of Liu Wuzhou, three days' time, if you don't hand over the person, you'll bear the consequences yourself. Let's go!"

  After finishing speaking, he left with a group of people in an imposing manner.