Chapter 84: Chapter 84: On My Turf, You Follow My Rules
The sky was gradually getting brighter.
A crowd had already gathered at the village entrance. Zhang River, mindful of Chen Mo’s instructions, stood with the Patrol Team holding torches and equipped with Official Sabers, grass forks, hoes, and other tools, confronting a group of outsiders.
Chen Mo had instructed that villagers not registered were not allowed to enter the village.
But this group of outsiders didn’t know this; they had only come because they trusted Han Wu’s words that Fu Ze Village offered protection, so they had brought their families here overnight.
Instead of even a sip of water, they were stopped by people calling themselves the Patrol Team, and they couldn’t help but feel upset.
Although they had heard from Han Wu how powerful Immortal Master Chen was, having never seen him in person, and with Han Wu’s tales sounding somewhat exaggerated, claiming even an Immortal God Reincarnation was present, they found it hard to believe.
Moreover, Chen Mo was just a seventeen-year-old boy, so they had no sense of awe for him, let alone for the Patrol Team.
And at that moment, they outnumbered the Patrol Team.
Anger naturally demanded an outlet.
A middle-aged robust man, whose family had been hunters for three generations and who stood eight feet tall, had some fame in his village. Accompanied by a few fellow hunter subordinates, he felt boastful, believing that coming to seek refuge with them was their honor. Yet, instead of feeling honored, they were stopped outside, leading to a conflict with the Patrol Team.
Han Wu tried to intervene, but found himself no match for the robust man; he was thrown to the ground with an over-the-shoulder toss and was almost kicked in the head.
Han Wu quickly protected his head with his hands, but after being hit, he was dazed and couldn’t stand steadily even after getting up.
Not only the robust man, but his five subordinates, too, could take on several people each, and with other villagers joining in, the situation quickly became chaotic.
The robust man, seeing Han Wu and the Patrol Team underwhelming, couldn’t help but sneer, feeling increasingly that Han Wu’s previous claims were exaggerated, daring to boast about offering protection with such paltry strength.
The robust man lost hope in that so-called Immortal Master Chen and was about to leave with his men when Chen Mo and Zhang River appeared.
"Immortal Master Chen is here."
"Brother Mo is here."
"Immortal Master Chen."
Chen Mo nodded, looking at the chaotic crowd, frowning and shouting sternly, "Stop it, all of you."
But after he spoke, only the Patrol Team and Fishing Team stopped, while the outsiders remained restless.
"Take it,"
Chen Mo tossed the Tang Blade to Zhang River, then took two steps forward and suddenly charged into the chaotic crowd.
He was like a War God, kicking one person flying, punching another down, making those who were about to act feel a chill run from their tailbone to their brain. They stopped in their tracks, terrified at the seemingly invincible youth, too scared to move.
The conflict stopped.
"My leg."
"Hiss, it hurts."
"Brother Fusheng, are you okay?"
"No, I’m fine."
On the Patrol Team’s side, over a dozen were injured, and on the Fishing Team’s side, including Han Wu, over twenty were injured.
When the conflict broke out, Han Wu was the first to try to stop it.
"Who started it?" Chen Mo scanned the wounded, his face cold.
The crowd fell silent.
"It was him." Han Wu rubbed his head, pointing to the middle-aged robust man with a longbow.
The patrol members also pointed to the robust man, saying, "We politely told them to wait for Immortal Master Chen to arrive, but they wouldn’t listen, and then he started the fight."
Upon hearing this, Chen Mo didn’t hesitate, striding toward the middle-aged robust man.
The robust man, broad and burly, was a bit startled by Chen Mo’s earlier moves, but he didn’t see any of the divine protection lore Han Wu had described.
So, seeing Chen Mo approaching, the robust man didn’t run away in fear. Instead, he advanced, intending to face him head-on.
Then, there was nothing further.
Chen Mo knocked him to the ground with one punch.
Turned around and drew the Tang Blade held by Zhang River.
Swish!
Blood spurted, and the robust man’s terrified head separated from his neck.
The crowd was dumbfounded.
Especially the robust man’s five subordinates, whose eyes were wide like copper bells.
In their eyes, the robust man could hunt wolves, tigers, and leopards, but had been beheaded with one blow. Their courage shattered, and cold sweat ran down their backs.
Chen Mo flicked the blood off the Tang Blade and looked at the crowd: "On my territory, you follow my rules. Those who disobey, gather and disturb, meet such an end."
Killing the chicken to scare the monkey.
The robust man’s crime might not have warranted death, but he had challenged his authority. Without severe punishment, how would Chen Mo govern the people and explain it to the injured dozens?
Only Zhang River’s face remained calm.
He had seen Brother Mo’s ruthlessness before.
This was nothing compared to that.
The commotion at the village entrance awoke the villagers still dreaming, gathering them to see, point, and comment.
Once all the Patrol Team and Fishing Team members arrived, they surrounded the group of outsiders.
The robust man’s five subordinates quickly pleaded for mercy.
Chen Mo, knowing the deterrent effect had been achieved, softened his expression and said, "Seeing as you’re mere accomplices, show remorse, and this is your first offense here, I’ll spare you this time. But don’t let it happen again."
"You better thank... Immortal Master Chen," Han Wu dusted off his clothes, regaining his swagger.
"Thank you... Immortal Master Chen," the outsiders said sparsely.
Chen Mo handed the Tang Blade back to Zhang River, swept his gaze across the crowd, nodded in satisfaction, and continued, "Since everyone is here, let me clearly explain the rules. My rules are simple: killers die, those who injure or steal will compensate."
This is a very famous historical regulation, stemming from the late Qin era.
Indeed, Liu Bang gained the support and endorsement of the Guanzhong people, swiftly stabilizing the order and security of the time, and established his authority and reputation with it.
Although these rules were formulated in response to the harshness of Qin Law at that time.
But in this current world, they still work.
Now, amid chaos, with the Government Office ignoring matters outside the city, the people outside have no security guarantee.
And this rule can quickly help Chen Mo establish authority and govern Fu Ze Village and Wang Family Manor.