The lively banquet hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked towards the entrance in surprise.
A burly, rugged-looking man, wearing a brown overcoat on a hot day, swaggered into the hall.
The man was covered in thick hair, especially his temples, which were particularly lush and brown. At first glance, one might mistake him for a wild man who had stumbled in.
The guests, not recognizing the man, all frowned. Some even couldn't help but call for security.
Old Master Liu's expression turned grim. The fact that this man could enter the hall meant that the security guards outside had already been dealt with by him.
It wasn't the middle of the month, so why would he show up today?
Liu Zong also knitted his brows, and he and Old Master Liu both looked at Yan Shouyi.
Perhaps Yan Shouyi could help resolve this trouble?
Yan Shouyi sat quietly, observing Zhu Shanzao with curiosity, showing no fear.
"What's all the fuss about? I'm just here to get a meal and then I'll leave!" Zhu Shanzao impatiently shouted at the people around him. He even spat out a thick glob of phlegm, which flew several meters and landed on Sun Zhipeng's face.
Sun Zhipeng looked innocent and shocked. He hadn't said a word, so why was he being targeted for no reason?
All the resentment he felt from being humiliated by Yan Shouyi earlier surged into his heart. Sun Zhipeng slammed his hand on the table and pointed at Zhu Shanzao, shouting:
"Who the hell do you think you are, daring to cause trouble in Drunken Flower!"
Zhu Shanzao squinted at Sun Zhipeng, his gaze like that of a predator sizing up its prey, making Sun Zhipeng's heart pound.
"You, what the hell are you looking at?" Sun Zhipeng blustered, trying to summon his courage.
Zhu Shanzao sneered, "It's just that my temper is better now. If it were a few years ago, I would have broken one of your legs and taken it home to boil for soup! Be smart and get lost, don't get in my way!"
Facing Zhu Shanzao's repeated humiliation, Sun Zhipeng could no longer tolerate it. He directly threw a wine glass from the table at Zhu Shanzao.
Zhu Shanzao caught the wine glass with his hand, then with a slight exertion of force, the glass shattered with a bang.
Even more terrifyingly, Zhu Shanzao rubbed the glass fragments between his hands. In a short while, the fragments were ground into powder, flowing out from between his fingers.
Seeing this, Sun Zhipeng was completely stunned.
Could this wild man have practiced Iron Palm?
Sun Hao also felt that something was wrong. He quickly stood up, pulled Sun Zhipeng, and said to Old Master Liu, "Old Master Liu, I just remembered I have something urgent at home, so I'll be taking my son and leaving first."
Without waiting for Old Master Liu's reply, Sun Hao dragged Sun Zhipeng towards the exit, deliberately taking a detour around Zhu Shanzao.
However, Zhu Shanzao moved his mountain-like body and blocked their path.
Sun Zhipeng stammered, "It's a society governed by law now. Private fights will lead to detention..."
"Ptooey!"
Zhu Shanzao disdained, reached out, and directly grabbed Sun Zhipeng's head, lifting him into the air.
Sun Zhipeng's head felt like a small rubber ball in Zhu Shanzao's hand. Despite Sun Zhipeng's frantic struggles, it was useless. Moreover, recalling how Zhu Shanzao had easily crushed the wine glass into powder just moments ago, Sun Zhipeng had no doubt that Zhu Shanzao could crush his head!
"Help, help me!" Sun Zhipeng screamed, "Dad! Save me, save me!"
Sun Hao was also extremely nervous, regretting not bringing bodyguards. Relying on himself alone, he couldn't possibly defeat this wild man!
At this critical moment, Old Master Liu spoke, "Young Master Zhu, if you have something against someone, come at me. Spare the guests!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Shanzao chuckled and casually tossed the terrified and drained Sun Zhipeng out of the banquet hall.
Sun Hao quickly followed, pulling his son out and running away. They were likely rushing back to find a doctor, or perhaps to bring people back for revenge.
After this commotion, the guests' faces were all pale. They wanted to leave but dared not.
After all, Zhu Shanzao was too terrifying, like a man-eating beast!
Zhu Shanzao strode towards Old Master Liu, snatched the wine glass Old Master Liu had just drunk from, and downed it in one gulp.
"When is this month's tribute due?" Zhu Shanzao asked.
Liu Zong couldn't help but say, "We already submitted the tribute this month."
"Oh? Why haven't I received it?" Zhu Shanzao asked with a fake smile.
"How could you not have received it? I personally watched you drag those cattle and sheep into the cave..."
Bang!
Zhu Shanzao stomped his foot, and the marble table was split in two by his kick:
"If I say I didn't receive it, then I didn't receive it! Don't you understand?"
Liu Zong's face turned ashen. Not wanting to argue with Zhu Shanzao, he called for Uncle Zhong to prepare twenty live cattle and sheep.
Just then, Zhu Shanzao said again, "The rules have changed now. I want forty live cattle and sheep. Forty live cattle, and forty live sheep!"
Old Master Liu gritted his teeth, "Zhu Shanzao, don't go too far. These cattle and sheep are not much to our Liu family, but you can't go back on your word and bully us like this!"
"Oh? If I understand you correctly, you're not going to agree?"
Zhu Shanzao squinted again, his eyes seeming to want to devour Old Master Liu.
Suddenly, Zhu Shanzao's gaze shifted to Liu Yiren, who was beside Old Master Liu.
In full view of everyone, he actually drooled a large puddle: "Liu Mingzhi, your daughter is quite spirited. Why don't you let her come back to my cave to get married and become a mountain goddess? I won't want those cattle and sheep from you anymore. We'll be in-laws, and if anything happens in Guling Mountain, I'll protect you! Hahahaha!"
Saying this, Zhu Shanzao reached out to embrace Liu Yiren's waist.
Liu Yiren was so frightened that her face lost all color, and she quickly hid behind Yan Shouyi.
At this moment, Yan Shouyi suddenly extended his hand, grasped Zhu Shanzao's wrist, and said softly, "The country stipulated last year that animals after the founding of the People's Republic of China are not allowed to become spirits."
Zhu Shanzao froze, lowered his head, and looked down at Yan Shouyi sitting in the chair: "Who do you think you are?"
"A wild boar spirit is a wild boar spirit. Why do you call yourself a mountain god? Do you really think there are no capable people in this world?"
Yan Shouyi slowly stood up, his hand still holding Zhu Shanzao.
As if sensing the threat emanating from Yan Shouyi, Zhu Shanzao gritted his teeth and tried to pull his hand back.
Who would have thought that Yan Shouyi's strength would be beyond his imagination? Zhu Shanzao exerted force several times, but Yan Shouyi's hand remained unmoving!
"You..."
"Get lost!"
Yan Shouyi suddenly took a step forward, stomped on Zhu Shanzao's foot, and then used his right shoulder to strike Zhu Shanzao's chest.
Zhu Shanzao lost his balance and stumbled forward. Just as he was about to fall, Yan Shouyi pulled him back and, with sheer force, threw the over two-meter-tall Zhu Shanzao over his shoulder, smashing him heavily into the center of the banquet hall!
Bang!
Zhu Shanzao's massive body even created a large pit in the wooden floor!
He scrambled up in a daze and asked in fear, "Who, who are you?!"
"I dare say it, but you might not dare to listen."
Yan Shouyi calmly turned his head and asked Old Master Liu, "Old Master, who is he?"
Old Master Liu quickly replied, "His name is Zhu Shanzao. He claims to be the mountain god of Guling Mountain. Ever since our Liu family moved to Guling Mountain, he's come over periodically to demand favors. If we don't comply, he'll smash things and injure people."
"Isn't that just a bandit?" Yan Shouyi frowned. "Doesn't your ancestor do anything about it?"
Since the Liu family, like the Bai family, were ancient clans, Old Master Liu should have a ghost king ancestor behind him, just like the Bai family.
If the ghost king ancestor intervened, even with ten times the courage, Zhu Shanzao wouldn't dare to cause trouble.
Old Master Liu sighed, "Our lineage is just a branch of the Liu family. The ancestor is not very involved. Moreover, Zhu Shanzao seems to have some backing. The ancestor has told us to turn a blind eye to him, and as long as he doesn't go too far, we should try to meet his demands."
"Has backing?"
Yan Shouyi raised an eyebrow, slowly walked to the center of the banquet hall, and asked Zhu Shanzao, "Tell me, what backing do you have?"
Zhu Shanzao pouted and said arrogantly, "I'm afraid I'll scare you to death if I tell you, I..."
Slap!
Yan Shouyi directly slapped Zhu Shanzao, the force so great that it knocked out two of his teeth, "Speak properly."
Zhu Shanzao was furious, "I am the godson of the mountain god!"
The backing that the Liu family ancestor mentioned was indeed this. Zhu Shanzao was the godson of the mountain god, and he wasn't lying about this.
But even if he was telling the truth, it couldn't intimidate Yan Shouyi at all.
Yan Shouyi smiled calmly, "Even if the real mountain god came, he would have to show me some respect. What are you, a mere godson?"
Zhu Shanzao couldn't believe what Yan Shouyi was saying. He felt that this guy was even stronger and better at bragging than himself.
"You, you dare to insult my godfather like this! If you have the guts, don't run, I'll call my godfather right now!" Zhu Shanzao shouted.
Saying this, he stood up and tried to run out of the banquet hall.
"Trying to leave?"
Yan Shouyi sneered, took out a long wooden nail from his bag, and drove it into the back of Zhu Shanzao's neck!
This strike was no small matter. Zhu Shanzao cried out in pain and writhed on the ground. What was even more terrifying was that his facial skin began to peel off, his fur split open, and a pair of tusks grew from his mouth!
By the time the guests regained their senses, Zhu Shanzao had transformed into a brown-skinned wild boar weighing over three hundred pounds!
"A wild boar spirit, dare to call yourself a mountain god? Instead of cultivating properly, you run around robbing people. Even your mountain god godfather, if he knew, would beat you back into your original form!"
Yan Shouyi held up the wooden nail and said, "I will take care of you today. If your mountain god godfather wants to protect you, he can come and beg me himself!"
Zhu Shanzao let out terrified squeals and charged wildly around the banquet hall, scaring the guests into scattering.
Yan Shouyi seized an opportunity, leaped up, and landed on Zhu Shanzao's back. He pulled out black ink threads from his bag and directly wrapped them around Zhu Shanzao's large boar hooves. Zhu Shanzao lost his footing and crashed violently into the wall. While he was disoriented, Yan Shouyi had already tied him up securely!
Seeing Zhu Shanzao bound by the ink threads, Liu Zong couldn't help but say, "Second brother, your thread is so thin, can it hold him?"
"Big brother, you don't know, this is Ink Ruler Thread. It's extremely yang and extremely hard. Demonic creatures and evil spirits fear these things the most."
Yan Shouyi kicked Zhu Shanzao, making him squeal in anger.
Although Zhu Shanzao was a wild boar, he was not stupid at all. He quietly changed his form, from a large wild boar to a palm-sized miniature pig. He thought he could escape this way, but to his surprise, the Ink Ruler Thread tightened accordingly. Even more terrifyingly, due to the tightening of the Ink Ruler Thread, Zhu Shanzao could no longer transform back into his previous 300-pound form!
This left Zhu Shanzao completely dumbfounded, regretting his actions deeply.
Seeing Zhu Shanzao transformed into a miniature pig, the Liu family and the guests were no longer as terrified. They all gathered around and pointed at Zhu Shanzao.
This was their first time seeing a monster, and while still recovering from the shock, they were also immensely curious, almost reaching for their phones to take pictures.
Being stared at by so many people, Zhu Shanzao felt deeply ashamed and wished he could commit suicide on the spot.
Yan Shouyi picked up Zhu Shanzao and said to Old Master Liu, "Find a pigsty and keep him there. Feeding him some swill for three meals a day is enough."
The Liu family members dared not take Zhu Shanzao. Old Master Liu also worried, "Shouyi, what if the mountain god really comes looking for us?"
"Mountain gods have too many things to do to bother with such a small pig demon. He might not even remember he has a godson," Yan Shouyi pondered for a moment, then added, "How about this, I'll leave you a warding plaque. If the mountain god comes, you can give the warding plaque to the mountain god to look at, and have him come find me."
Saying this, Yan Shouyi took out a small wooden plaque from his bag. The plaque was inscribed with characters on both sides. The front read "镇宅" (Ward off evil), and the back read "鲁班" (Lu Ban).
Zhu Shanzao also reacted and said in horror, "You are a descendant of Lu Ban?!"
Yan Shouyi punched Zhu Shanzao, "You only realize that now? It's a bit late."
Zhu Shanzao's heart sank into despair, and his small body trembled with fear.
No wonder Yan Shouyi said earlier that even a mountain god would have to show him some respect. After all, mountain gods and Lu Ban are both intimately related to "wood." In essence, they are from the same lineage. Mountain gods nurture the land, while Lu Ban protects the common people. The two have always maintained mutual respect, minding their own business.
Furthermore, mountain gods are confined to the mountains, while descendants of Lu Ban roam the world and have connections that even mountain gods cannot match. If they angered a descendant of Lu Ban, at best, their feng shui would be altered, and their divine power weakened. At worst, their mountain would be burned down with a single fire, destroying their feng shui, and perhaps even the mountain god himself would perish!
Therefore, Zhu Shanzao was so terrified at this moment.
This time, he had truly kicked a steel plate!