Chapter 875 - Fierce Local Culture
Having learned from their experience in Pigpen Town, the four entered Maple City without incident.
Maple City was far more prosperous than Pigpen Town, and its martial culture was much stronger. The moment they walked through the gates, they witnessed something unique to the city: old men ramming trees.
Giant maple trees lined both sides of the street. Nearly every tree had one or two old men beside it, gathering their strength before repeatedly slamming their shoulders or heads into the trunks.
The sight left them stunned. If only one old man had been doing it, they could have dismissed it as an eccentric habit. When more than a hundred old men were doing it together, however, it had practically become an art form. Meanwhile, this was only the tip of the iceberg.
Han Wu went to purchase supplies, picking up beef jerky, steamed buns, and similar provisions. Just as he was about to pay, two robbers burst in with knives drawn.
“This is a robbery! Hand over everything valuable!”
Han Wu looked outside. It was broad daylight, and people were strolling up and down the street, yet nobody paid the slightest attention. It seemed like this was just another ordinary day in Maple City.
Han Wu’s group was about to intervene when the shopkeeper pulled a long spear from behind the counter. With a single leap, he vaulted over the counter and beat the two robbers senseless. He only stopped when both robbers were covered in blood. He then stripped them of their valuables and tossed them out the front door.
The passersby didn’t even spare the robbers a glance. The message was clear: one couldn’t run a shop in Maple City without some skill.
When it was their turn to pay, the shopkeeper examined their purchases, identified them as outsiders, and helpfully multiplied the price by ten.
Han Wu was stunned. Is this another expression of Maple City’s fierce local culture?
He refused to pay the markup prices, and the shopkeeper grabbed his spear again. “Kid, aren’t you curious why someone with my skill runs a shop instead of robbing people for a living?”
“Why?” Jia Gui asked, playing along perfectly.
“Because running a shop makes more money than robbing people!” The shopkeeper vaulted over the counter and blocked the doorway. “Today, you’re buying whether you want to or not.”
“This is a scam shop!” Jia Gui protested.
The shopkeeper chuckled. “Scam shop, so what? Leave your money, and I’ll let you live!”
Han Wu laughed. “How nice. The first shop we walk into turns out to be a scam. Truly wonderful. You may not know who we are, but I can tell you this. What we do best is rob robbers.”
The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes and swung his spear, unleashing a barrage of thrusts that sealed off every escape route. His Willow Spear Technique was impressive. Had he been in Pigpen Town, he could easily have become the Axe Gang’s leader.
Han Wu showed no mercy. Xun’s tail shot up from the floor and pierced straight through the shopkeeper’s torso. The man suffered a heavy injury from a single strike.
“Take everything valuable,” Han Wu ordered.
Jia Gui hurried off and stuffed anything worth a significant amount into Shadow Xun’s space. He even walked over to the fallen shopkeeper and pried the spear from his hands. “Nice spear, old man. Clearly well-maintained. It’s mine now.”
Han Wu asked, “Do you even know how to use a spear? You need a proper spear manual to bring out its full power.”
Jia Gui slapped his forehead. “You’re right.”
He crouched down, grabbed the shopkeeper by the collar, and threatened, “Hand over the spear manual, or I’ll skin you alive.”
The shopkeeper was already half-dead from the chest wound. Jia Gui’s shaking drained what little strength he had left. With a trembling hand, he pointed toward a painting on the wall.
Jia Gui took the painting down and found a hidden compartment behind it. He pulled it open and shouted, “Han Wu, we hit the jackpot!”
Inside were a spear manual, ten large gold ingots, and a set of internal cultivation techniques. It was the shopkeeper’s last secret stash. He had no choice. To survive, he had to give up everything and hope they would spare his life.
Jia Gui cleaned out the compartment, then strutted back to the shopkeeper with a smug grin. “Not bad, not bad. Since you’re so cooperative, I’ll spare your life. Keep running this scam shop, though. Stock up on more treasure. Next time we’re back to Maple City, we’re robbing you again!”
The shopkeeper looked like he wanted to cry but had no tears left.
The group didn’t linger and left. Less than half a day later, they spotted a squad of uniformed officials posting wanted posters.
Han Wu took a closer look and cursed under his breath. All four of them had been declared wanted in Maple City. The charges were robbery and assault. The bounty was a hundred silver coins.
Han Wu shook his head in disbelief. One hundred silver coins for the four of them? He tipped waiters two silver coins just for bringing his food! Were Maple City’s officials out of their minds?
Three hours later, Han Wu realized he had been utterly wrong.
One hundred silver coins was pocket change to him, but to the natives, it was a fortune. As the wanted posters spread, the streets filled with armed people scanning every face they passed in hopes of finding Han Wu’s group and claiming the reward.
The four of them were hiding in an inn, staring out the window at the scene below with growing alarm. If it were just eight or ten people, they could handle it. An entire city looking for them was a different matter.
There was no guarantee the inn was safe, either. The innkeeper could’ve already tipped off the authorities.
“What do we do now?” He Xu was at a loss for once. He had traveled through countless civilizations and completed countless missions, but he had never felt this helpless.
Han Wu took a deep breath. “We wait until dark, then figure out how to get out of the city.”
Qin Shuang nodded in agreement as she watched the armed people on the street below with unease. Maple City’s fierce culture had truly opened her eyes.
Jia Gui volunteered, “I’ll go have a chat with the innkeeper. If he’s been talking to the authorities, I’ll gut him.”
They waited until nightfall. No officials came to the inn, and the streets had grown fairly quiet. Han Wu decided it was time to leave.
