"You! Just you wait!"
With his disguise as a deity exposed, he could only endure his grievances alone for now.
With the situation having escalated to this point, he had no face left to stay here.
After uttering a fierce parting threat, Wang Daolu turned his horse and galloped away.
The remaining Taoist priests, seeing that even Wang Daolu had gained no advantage, could only pick themselves up dejectedly, mount their horses, and flee.
"Alright, no more idling. Get to work! Break open half of this riverbank for me!"
Han Mo said, stretching his back with a yawn before settling back into his lounge chair.
With Wang Daolu dealt with, the rest of the matters would be much easier.
Once the riverbank was broken, he wasn't afraid that those stingy fellows wouldn't come up with the money.
"Steward Ma, your stratagem is truly brilliant! I reckon that fellow surnamed Han must be tearing his hair out right now. He never dreamed that the owner behind such an unremarkable river flat would be the immortal Wang!"
"Indeed, indeed! If it weren't for Steward Ma's foresight, all of us would likely have been made fools of by now!"
In the refectory of the Shenxiao Wanshou Palace, a group of gentry gathered, feasting and showering Ma Wengui with praise.
"You are all too kind. I merely offered a suggestion, and it does not warrant such commendation! This Neihuang is our territory, and it is not up to that fellow surnamed Han to call the shots! He is merely a county magistrate, a petty official of little consequence. If he were willing to negotiate amicably, we might grant him some respect. But if he intends to play rough with us, we shall see whose methods are tougher!"
"Precisely, Steward Ma is right. If he had discussed this with us politely, we might have helped him out and thrown him a bone. But since he is so ungrateful, we cannot be blamed for not showing him face!"
Seeing that these people were showing him so much deference, Ma Wengui truly felt a surge of pride.
"Bad news, bad news!"
Just as Ma Wengui, with his belly bulging, was about to say more, a young attendant from the Ma household rushed in.
"What's the rush? Have you no manners!"
Seeing him covered in sweat, Ma Wengui was immediately displeased.
"My Lord, Immortal Wang has been beaten!"
"What did you say?"
The attendant's words sent a shiver through Ma Wengui. How was this possible? This was Neihuang County!
Even if that fellow surnamed Han had the guts, he wouldn't dare to directly lay hands on Wang Daolu.
After all, he was the abbot of Shenxiao Wanshou Palace, and also a registered disciple of Master Yuan Miao.
To strike him would be to slap Master Yuan Miao in the face!
"Immortal Wang led his men to the riverbank just now, and for some reason, several burly men suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started beating them. They beat Immortal Wang and all the more than ten Taoist priests he brought with him! The old immortal is probably half dead by now..."
Seeing the disbelief on Ma Wengui's face, the attendant quickly recounted what he had witnessed. After he finished speaking, the entire refectory fell silent.
This was no laughing matter!
If even Wang Daolu had been beaten, what would become of their plans?
"Then, what's the situation at the riverbank?"
Ma Wengui swallowed hard and asked again.
"What else could it be? They are digging right now, working with great enthusiasm. At this rate, the riverbank will likely be broken open in two days at the most!"
After hearing the attendant's words, everyone's hearts sank.
Last night, they had shown Han Mo no respect at all. Now, even if they wanted to compromise, it probably wouldn't be that easy...
"Steward Ma, you must quickly come up with a plan! The flood season is fast approaching. If the heavens are unkind and it rains a few days early, all our fields will be ruined!"
The wheat in the fields was already close to harvest.
If it were washed away by floodwaters at this time, their entire year's income would be gone.
Any one of them, when picked at random, owned land measured in thousands of mu.
If their entire year's income vanished, even with their vast fortunes, it would be a severe blow in these times!
After all, grain was now truly valuable but scarce.
"Come up with a plan? What plan is there?"
Ma Wengui spoke while grabbing the teapot on the table and smashing it heavily onto the floor.
This was no trivial matter!
He had initially thought that this brat Han Mo, no matter how capable, couldn't contend with Wang Daolu.
But who knew that this brat would play so unpredictably!
"Why don't we go to Dameng Prefecture right now and report him? I refuse to believe that there is no place for justice in this world!"
One of the gentry slammed his fist heavily on the table and said fiercely.
"There is less than a month until the flood season. Even if you win the lawsuit, what good will it do then? He'll be dismissed and investigated, but will the flood miraculously bypass your lands?"
As soon as the man finished speaking, Ma Wengui said with a cold laugh.
"This..."
Hearing his words, everyone was dumbfounded again.
As he had said, the situation had reached this point and could not be resolved in a short time.
Even if they were to report him first, following the court's procedures, at least half a month would have passed.
By the time the court dismissed and investigated him, and the new magistrate took office, it would likely be too late.
"Then what do we do? We can't just be made fools of like this!"
"What else can we do but be made fools of? What a clever plan, truly cunning!"
Although Ma Wengui's lungs were about to explode with anger, the circumstances were beyond his control.
Under the threat of the flood, no matter how unwilling they were, they could only cooperate with this reckless fellow Han Mo at this moment.
"Damn it!"
In the entire refectory, everyone was furious but utterly helpless against Han Mo.
"You all are quite punctual today!"
Just as they were all wishing they could flay Han Mo alive, Lu Ying walked in with a smile.