Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

"The landlords may watch, but..."

Zhang Zhiwei changed the subject and was about to speak when Liu Mang spoke first:
"You need to pay more! Right?!"

Zhang Zhiwei smiled and nodded: "General Liu understands me best!"

"I expected this, so I gave them a heads-up beforehand. Tell me, how much do you want to add? But don't add too much. The wealthy folks in Sichuan aren't like those in Jiangsu and Zhejiang; they don't have that much money to be made..."

As Liu Mang was speaking, Zhang Zhiwei raised a finger.

Liu Mang stared at it for a moment, then said, "One million?"

Zhang Zhiwei nodded: "Can you really squeeze that much money out of us?"

Liu Mang paused for a moment. Although the amount was not small, it was still within an acceptable range when divided among the landlords. After all, "witnessing the destruction of their enemy" was of great significance to them. He said, "They should be able to squeeze some money out of them..."

"Then it's settled." Zhang Zhiwei made the decision decisively, without any hesitation, conveying an air of unquestionable resolve.

He wasn't a money-loving person, but he clearly had no need to be polite to these landlords and rich folks; he was going to squeeze them dry.

Liu Mang gave a thumbs up and laughed, "I originally wanted to offer 500,000, but I don't have the same boldness as Little Celestial Master. I'll go and inform them later that if they want to watch the battle, they need to add 1 million first."

Zhang Zhiwei said, “General, if you want to ask them for this money, you can’t just say you’re watching the battle. You have to say it’s to ensure their safety, that watching the battle is risky, that you have to make sure they aren’t accidentally hurt, and that you have to guard against ‘Zhang Mazi’ using them as hostages when he’s desperate. So, this one million is a good deal and very reasonable.”

“Little Celestial Master, putting everything else aside, I, Old Liu, am certain that even without all your skills, you could make a fortune just by using your mouth,” Liu Mang said.

“Actually, I’d like to give it a try. Back then, my master, in order to teach me a lesson, had the idea of ​​letting me go down the mountain to gain experience without resorting to tricks. At that time, I was planning to become a fortune teller,” Zhang Zhiwei said.

Liu Mang discovered the blind spot in Zhang Zhiwei's statement: "The Celestial Master forbids you from using tricks, yet you still want to be a fortune teller? Isn't that just deceiving people?!"

“What, is that not allowed?” Zhang Zhiwei retorted.

"Sure, of course!" Liu Mang chuckled awkwardly. He suddenly realized that the so-called "Operation Zhang Mazi" was also a lie.

Having settled the price increase, Liu Mang remembered a crucial issue and frowned, saying:
"Little Celestial Master, where are we going to find 'Zhang Mazi's' lair, and where are we going to find actors to impersonate 'Zhang Mazi'? We need a proper place and a proper group of people to convince those landlords!"

“Hmm…that is indeed a problem, let me think about it!” Zhang Zhiwei said.

"Should I find some skilled people in the association to impersonate them?" Fan Pengju suggested.

"Forget about your men, they're not up to the task, and they're easy to be discovered," Liu Mang said. "In my opinion, it's better to find the Tang Clan. They're skilled, mysterious, and not easy to be discovered."

“Any acting is easy to be discovered,” Zhang Zhiwei said. “If you don’t want to be discovered, you have to make the act real. I think General Liu’s idea was pretty good.”

"My previous thought?" Liu Mang was taken aback, then realized: "Could it be that the Little Celestial Master also wants to do what I did and go find a group of bandits to kill?"

"That's right!"

“But what kind of bandits are that powerful? If they were, they would have already done what Zhang Mazi did, instead of us pretending to do it,” Liu Mang said.

Zhang Zhiwei didn't answer him, but looked at Wang Ai next to him: "Fatty, in the Sichuan-Chongqing area, are there any mountain bandit dens established by the Quanxing? Like the ones of Liao Huzi in Dawang Mountain."

Wang Ai thought carefully for a moment and said, "There are definitely some, and quite a few. In the northern part of Yucheng, there is a Black Wind Stronghold with about fifty or sixty people. The leader is called 'Black Heart Tiger,' a Quanxing demon who is skilled in using poison and often robs and kills. In the western Green Wolf Gully, the leader, 'One-Eyed Wolf,' is also a Quanxing demon with seventy or eighty skilled men under his command. He is ruthless and has slaughtered several villages. In the south, there is a Quanxing demon nicknamed 'Crossing the River Dragon,' who only has a few men under his command and likes to plunder merchant ships..."

“Alright, they’re the ones I’ve decided on,” Zhang Zhiwei said. “Get them all together and integrate them. I’ll then assign them a temporary ‘leader’ who’s ruthless and has enough influence to keep things under control.” Isn’t that just the ‘Zhang Mazi Gang’?

“Little Celestial Master, you’re talking about this as casually as if you were discussing what to eat for dinner. There are hundreds of people here. I know you’re very skilled, but how do you get so many people together and make them willingly risk their lives for you?” Liu Mang asked, puzzled.

“I have a brilliant plan, so there’s no need for you to worry, General,” Zhang Zhiwei said.

Liu Mang knew that Zhang Zhiwei was incredibly capable, and seeing how confident he was, he didn't ask any more questions.

“Senior Brother Zhang, your idea is not bad, to shift the blame to Quanxing. However, if Bilian finds out, she will definitely call you a cunning villain,” Wang Ai said with a smile.

Zhang Zhiwei said, "Let him say whatever he wants. Doesn't he know what kind of filthy people his Quanxing followers are? Now that his followers are contributing to our 'Zhang Mazi Plan,' that's making the best use of them, and it's doing good deeds!"

“That’s right. Bandits these days are beasts. If the Quanxing demons become bandits, they are the beasts among beasts. We can’t have even the slightest bit of mercy when dealing with such things,” Lu Ci said.

Fan Pengju listened silently to their conversation, inwardly marveling once again. Sure enough, it was the same familiar style of doing things: ruthless, efficient, and unconventional. No wonder he was the head of the underworld. As the leader of the Gelaohui (a secret society), he was still too green in front of him. He needed to observe and learn from him.

At this moment, Liu Mang remembered the previous lesson and quickly reminded him: "Little Celestial Master, when I was suppressing bandits before, I found that many bandits were actually secretly colluding with some local landlords and transferring benefits. Before we take action this time, it would be best to confirm whether these Quanxing bandits are secretly colluding with the landlords below, so as not to make a mistake and end up in a bad situation."

Zhang Zhiwei glanced at him, his tone remaining calm: "You can rest assured about what I do!"

Although Zhang Zhiwei did not specify the method of identification, Liu Mang was relieved to see that he was so confident. After discussing the details, Liu Mang went to report the "latest progress" to the landlords.

……

……

"What?! Another million for just one look?! This...this is just too much!"

"Exactly! It's just for watching the show, why does it cost so much money?"

The landlords were furious, pounding their fists on the table, their faces flushed. They felt like pieces of fat on a chopping board, being cut and shredded repeatedly.

Looking at this group of indignant "fat sheep," Liu Mang chuckled inwardly and said:
"Everyone! Everyone, please calm down! I, Liu, understand how you feel! To be honest, when the Little Celestial Master made this request, I almost flipped the table with him too!"

"but!"

Liu Mang changed the subject: "This million doesn't belong to the Bai family either. Let me tell you, there's a lot more to this than meets the eye!"

"What's the secret?" the landlords asked.

Liu Mang said, “First of all, Zhang Mazi’s battle isn’t so easy to watch. What if a fight breaks out and swords have no eyes and you all get hurt? This million is ‘protective money’! It’s a promise personally made by the Little Celestial Master, guaranteeing your absolute safety while watching the battle!” He paused, then added an even more enticing statement: “Moreover, the Little Celestial Master also said that as long as this money is in place, he’ll take care of ‘after-sales service’!”

"If any bandits escape this time and dare to cause trouble again in the future, he will not hesitate to continue to take action until these damned bastards are completely wiped out. It can be said that by spending this money, we can eliminate future troubles forever."

"After-sales service?"

"Should we hunt down even those who slipped through the net?"

"To prevent future troubles?!"

Upon hearing this, the landlords' commotion immediately subsided.

They were all terrified of Zhang Mazi's antics, and their biggest fear was that if they didn't nip the problem in the bud, it would just spring up again.

With Little Master's promise of "after-sales service," it's like having a lifetime insurance policy!
In comparison, this million seems... not so unacceptable.

After all, as long as the land is still there, money can be earned back, but if you lose your life, then it's truly gone.

The landlords whispered among themselves.

Ultimately, the fear of "Zhang Mazi" and the desire for a "complete solution" prevailed, and they gritted their teeth and accepted the additional fee.

However, he cursed Zhang Mazi and the greedy little Taoist priest to the bone in his heart.

"Then... when does the young master say we should make our move?" Master Zhao asked on behalf of everyone.

Liu Mang waved his hand and said, "It will be soon. Once the Little Celestial Master finds Zhang Mazi's lair, we will notify everyone to set off."

Upon hearing this, the landlords developed new worries.

"Commander Liu, that Zhang Mazi is elusive and hides so well. We sent so many people before, but we couldn't find a single hair on him... Can Little Celestial Master really find him?"

Liu Mang said confidently, "What's there to be afraid of? If even the Little Celestial Master can't find Zhang Mazi, then probably no one in this world can. Instead of worrying about this, let's hurry back and prepare the 'merit money.' I'll notify everyone immediately if there's any news!"

Even so, after sending the landlords away, Liu Mang was still a little uneasy.

With hundreds of "actors," how exactly will the little Taoist priest conjure them up? Let's just hope nothing goes wrong!

While he was feeling apprehensive, Zhang Zhiwei had already begun to take action.

He arrived at the Black Wind Village that Wang Ai had mentioned.

Black Wind Stronghold is located on the edge of Jinyun Mountain in the northern part of Chongqing. The area is characterized by nine continuous peaks, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. The Quanxing demon Black Heart Tiger found a natural cave here to make it his lair.

Black-Hearted Tiger is a man without much ambition. He reads too much Water Margin and likes to imitate the heroes in it. He kills people when he's angry, and if that's not enough, he'll have a heart and liver to accompany his wine.

He also enjoyed drinking and eating large amounts of meat on weekdays, and loved lively gatherings. So he gathered a bunch of followers and started a gang in the mountains. They would enjoy themselves in the village, and when they ran out of money or supplies, they would go down and rob.

At this moment, they are holding a banquet in the gathering hall partitioned off from the cave. The hall is piled high with whole roasted lambs sizzling with oil and stewed pheasants. Wine jars are carelessly thrown on the ground, creating a scene of smoky chaos and a veritable forest of wine and meat.

Blackheart Tiger, true to his name, had a dark complexion and a face full of menacing features. He was currently sitting on a stone chair covered with a tiger skin, holding a charred lamb leg in his hand and tearing it apart with gusto.

The men around him were all fierce-looking thugs, their faces flushed from drinking, loudly playing drinking games and spewing vulgarities.

Including Black Tiger in Lei, each leader had one or two disheveled, expressionless women by their side. They were forced to drink and smile obsequiously, and if they disobeyed even slightly, they would be slapped hard and cursed violently.

The atmosphere in the venue was lively, but at that moment, an enormous figure suddenly appeared next to the whole roasted lamb in the middle of the venue and reached out to tear off a leg of lamb.

In an instant, the entire hall fell silent, and everyone stared in astonishment at the Taoist priest in the center, wondering when he had arrived.

The only sound in the entire venue was the sound of Black Tiger chewing his food.

"Still eating?" Zhang Zhiwei looked at Black Heart Tiger. "I've come to collect your food."

Black-Hearted Tiger, drunk and still chewing on meat, mumbled incoherently:
"Where did this bull-no-man come from? Daring to trespass on your Black Grandpa's mountain stronghold! Brothers, wipe him out!"

The bandits howled and grabbed the weapons at hand, ready to pounce.

However, in the next instant, space seemed to freeze, and an indescribable, invisible pressure, like a mountain, pushed down in front of them. They were immediately unable to breathe and knelt down like whimpering wild dogs.

Blackheart Tiger was dumbfounded, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat, and the slight drunkenness from before vanished in an instant.

A name that struck fear into his heart came to mind: Longhu Mountain, Little Celestial Master.

"I'm doomed, I'm doomed. Why would someone like this target me? I didn't do anything to him..." Black Tiger thought with utter despair.

He wanted to escape, but this was a cave, there was nowhere to escape to, and besides, he couldn't escape in front of the little celestial master.

Begging for mercy? The thought was extinguished as soon as it arose. He knew what he had done; he was certain of death.

Either way, we're going to die!
In this case……

With this thought in mind, evil thoughts arose in his heart. Black Tiger grabbed the machete on the table, his body surging with black energy, and slashed at Zhang Zhiwei's neck!

He was skilled in using poison, and this knife was coated with a deadly poison that would kill on sight. However, Zhang Zhiwei didn't even lift his eyelids in the face of this powerful and heavy blow.

With a crisp clang of metal striking metal, the machete, powerful enough to split rocks, shattered as if it were an egg striking a rock!

Blackheart Tiger stared blankly at the broken hilt of his knife, his mind a complete blank.

At this moment, Zhang Zhiwei stood before Black Heart Tiger, his expression composed. He reached out and placed his hand on Black Heart Tiger's crown, a faint blue light emanating from his palm. (End of Chapter)