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

The news that the Liu family manor had been robbed and that even the Liu family had been driven mad by the villains spread like wildfire.

Upon hearing this news, countless landlords and gentry were filled with disbelief.

"What?! Master Liu... is in trouble?! His house has been robbed clean?! And he's gone mad?! How is that possible? Master Liu has three thousand guards under his command, a strong and well-equipped army. Which bandit would dare to cause him trouble?!"

In a large mansion in Chengdu, a wealthy landlord dressed in silk robes, his face ashen, repeatedly questioned the servant who had brought the news in disbelief.

"It's absolutely true, sir! The Liu family manor has been completely emptied out. All the gold and silver treasures are gone. Master Liu and his household staff have all become mentally impaired and can't even recognize people anymore!" The servant was also filled with panic.

"Who...who did it?" the landlord asked again. "Liu Sangzi? Or Rat Spirit? Pan Yaozi? Crystal Monkey? Old Wang Luan? Granny Sun?"

The long list of names he mentioned were all nicknames of major warlords in Sichuan. He didn't even consider the possibility of them being bandits. In his view, the only ones who could possibly capture Liu Cai were these warlords who held considerable military power.

"Neither... it was bandits!" the servant said in a low voice. "It was a gang of bandits called Zhang Mazi. They even left bloody words in Master Liu's courtyard, saying that poor people have little to no profit and nothing to rob, while landlords are the ones who can make money. They also said that other landlords should be smart and prepare their money so that they can come and collect it. If they don't have any or refuse to pay, Master Liu will be the example!"

“A role model?! I’m going to make an example of that damn pretzel!” the landlord roared. “He’s clearly making an example of someone.”

It should be "killing the monkey to scare the chicken"... The servant said, "Master is wise."

"You son of a bitch, hurry up and tell me exactly what happened!" the landlord asked, cursing.

The servant reported, "This bandit group is called Zhang Mazi. They suddenly appeared here. I heard they're very strange. Even with so many guards and a full complement of guns and cannons, Master Liu couldn't stop them. The bandits they killed weren't alive; they were all red-mouthed paper figures, the kind you burn for the dead. Outsiders say it's Master Liu's karma for all the bad things he did..."

"Retribution? Retribution my foot!" The landlord slammed his fist on the table, both shocked and furious. "There's no such thing as retribution in this world! This is clearly the work of some supernatural being! This is a warning to others, to show us that even someone with such powerful backing, such high walls, and so many guns like Liu Cai ended up like this... So what about us... us..."

The more he spoke, the more chilled he became; cold sweat trickled down his neck. He looked around frantically and said:
"Go, hurry up and turn on all the searchlights on the watchtowers! Double the number of guards! No, double the number! Lock all the gates!"

“Master, even Liu Wuye’s high wall has been breached. Even if all of us stay up all night and keep watch, it won’t make a difference!” the servant said.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" the landlord roared. "We can't just do nothing and hand over the money with both hands, can we?!"

The servant said, "Even Master Liu couldn't stop them, which shows how ruthless these bandits are. Master, do you remember how General Liu has been asking us for money to suppress bandits these past two years? Now the bandits are here, aren't they?"

"Moreover, this time even Master Liu has been driven mad. Everyone says that you have to consider the owner before beating a dog. No matter what conflicts exist between Master Liu and Commander Liu, they are still relatives and outsiders cannot interfere. I suppose Commander Liu will take action."

Upon hearing this, the landlord said, "He's like a monster, always trying to plunder every feather that passes by. Going after him will probably cost us a fortune!"

"That's better than being robbed!"

“You’re right. Although Liu Sangzi is ruthless, at least he still has a way to survive. If he falls into the hands of those Zhang Mazi, he might not even have a way to survive!”

……

……

Similar scenes played out in the mansions of countless landlords and gentry.

Liu Cai's experience was like a heavy hammer blow, striking their hearts hard.

While they stepped up their defenses, they began to report to the authorities, hoping to ask Liu Mang to take action to suppress the bandits. Of course, some landlords also took a chance, thinking that they were far from Chengdu and not within the range of Zhang Mazi's activities.

But this bit of luck was quickly and ruthlessly shattered. Zhang Mazi and his gang struck again, and within a few days, they broke into the mansions of several large landlords and looted a large amount of their goods.

Most importantly, these landlords were not located around Chengdu, and were quite far apart from each other.

It was obvious that this bandit group called Zhang Mazi was targeting all the landlords in Sichuan. Now, all the landlords in Sichuan had no chance of escaping and united like never before to wipe out this group of unruly "bandits".

Some of them even went to the Tang Clan, asking them to send assassins to suppress bandits, but the Tang Clan refused.

The reason for their refusal was that they had no information about the bandits—the names of the people they were to kill, how many there were, where their stronghold was… They knew nothing about any of these things; how could they kill them? They were assassins, not detectives.

The landlords, returning disappointed from the Tang Clan, went to other places in Sichuan, such as the Qingcheng Sect, the Yuanhuang Sect, and the Huode Sect, but were all refused.

These sects aren't fools. They managed to break through even someone as tough as Liu Cai. This group of bandits named Zhang Mazi are clearly not ordinary people. They wouldn't fight to the death for a bunch of landlords if there were no personal grudges between them.

Moreover, don't you see that the Little Celestial Master is still in Chongqing?

Some of the more shrewd individuals even speculated whether Zhang Mazi was related to the Little Celestial Master, since they only appeared after the Little Celestial Master arrived.

But such speculation was just something to think about; no one dared to actually bring it up, partly out of fear of Zhang Zhiwei's power, and partly because they genuinely lacked evidence.

After all, while Zhang Mazi and his gang were on their way, Little Celestial Master was chatting with his fellow gangsters at the construction site, so he had an alibi.

The last person to smear and slander the Little Celestial Master was Yuan Jingui; the grass on his grave is already very tall.

Having repeatedly met with setbacks, the landlords now only had one option left: to go and find Liu Mang.

In stark contrast to the landlords' panic was the long-suppressed, almost unbelievable ecstasy of the common people.

On the edge of the field, an old farmer's cloudy eyes gleamed with excitement. He lowered his voice and said to his companion who was resting nearby:
"Have you heard? Liu Laohu... has collapsed!"

"Which Liu the Tiger?!"

"Who else? That skinflint Liu from Anrenchang, the Fifth Master Liu who eats people without spitting out the bones!"

"Holy crap, really? You're kidding me! He's so fierce, who could possibly handle him?"

"It's true! The house was robbed clean, and the whole family was driven crazy! They say a group of heroes called Zhang Mazi acted on behalf of Heaven. The key thing is, these heroes only rob landlords, not the poor!" The old farmer's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

The companion next to him couldn't help but get excited: "If it really is that guy, then God... has opened his eyes!"

"They say good deeds bring good rewards and evil deeds bring evil consequences. Now they've finally gotten their comeuppance. When I get back, I'm definitely going to set off a couple of firecrackers that we only set off during the Lunar New Year!"

"We should set off a few firecrackers to celebrate!"

...The news spread wider and wider, became more and more detailed, and became more and more fantastical, with countless people excitedly discussing it.

"He's got bad luck! Let him exploit the people! Let him drive people to their deaths! Zhang Mazi did a good job!"

Some women around Anren, who had been oppressed by Liu Cai's forces, even composed a lullaby and sang it softly to their sleepless children:
"Sweetie, go to sleep, don't be afraid... The man-eating tiger... has been killed..."

The landlords were terrified.

The farmers were celebrating quietly.

A silent, immense joy, like a surging undercurrent, stirred within the hearts of these oppressed farmers, planting a seed that would sprout at some point in the future.

The name "Zhang Mazi" has become a legend in the Sichuan and Chongqing area, passed down by word of mouth among the people, becoming more and more legendary with each retelling.

Meanwhile, at the Grand Marshal's Mansion in Chongqing.

Liu Mang took the initiative and sent someone to bring Liu Cai's family to Yucheng. When he saw that the once shrewd Fifth Uncle had become crooked-eyed and unable to speak a complete sentence, and thinking of their past interactions, he couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

But then he remembered the two million dollars his fifth uncle had given him, and all the pity he felt vanished instantly.

"Fifth Uncle, if you were alright this time, with your shrewdness, you would definitely have guessed that it was me who did it."

"Given your personality, this matter will definitely not be left like this; you'll definitely fight me to the death."

"When the time comes, I definitely won't let you off the hook. It might not be such a bad thing that you've become like this!"

"From now on, your family can live out the rest of their lives here with me. Just for the two million dollars you brought me, I will definitely take care of you in your old age!"

Liu Mang thought to himself, then strode over and shouted, "Fifth Uncle, Fifth Uncle, who did this to you? I will avenge you and make sure those bandits get away with it!"

After an impromptu performance, Liu Mang proposed to suppress the bandits, to suppress them severely, and to mobilize the entire province of Sichuan for a massive crackdown.

Given that this bandit group was extraordinary, he proposed to call on all the landlords, gentry, and capitalists in Sichuan to contribute funds to purchase military equipment and hire skilled fighters to wipe out this bandit group called Zhang Mazi in one fell swoop, thereby protecting everyone's property and preventing them from following in the footsteps of his fifth uncle.

At his command, every prominent landlord in his jurisdiction came to Chongqing to discuss the details of the bandit suppression campaign.

In the past, many landlords resisted his actions, but this time, they were very enthusiastic.

During the time Liu Mang released the information, several more landlords were robbed. The methods were still brutal; all the valuables in their homes were looted, and the people were driven insane.

With their lives and property threatened, they had no choice but to act proactively; they were even mentally prepared to be ripped off.

As they expected, Liu Mang made an outrageous demand, declaring at the first meeting that he would take the lead in donating one-third of his family fortune to support the anti-bandit campaign.

Not only him, but also some landlords around Chongqing City have invested heavily in supporting this bandit suppression campaign.

With these people leading the way, even knowing that the outcome would be that Liu Mang and the major landlords would have all their money returned and their own money divided up, the landlords could only grit their teeth and accept their fate.

Soon, Liu Mang raised another ten million silver dollars and launched a vigorous campaign to suppress bandits.

Liu Mang was a cunning fellow. In this operation, he not only schemed against the major landlords, but also against Zhang Zhiwei.

Beforehand, he and Zhang Zhiwei had agreed that the money earned this time, apart from Liu Cai's share, would be split 50/50, including the funds raised from the landlords to suppress the bandits.

However, the money had to be divided later, so Liu Mang wanted to make a fuss about it.

Of course, he wouldn't resort to underhanded tactics like Zhang Zhiwei defaulting on his debts or falsifying accounts.

Underhanded methods are used on those who are not fit for the table, such as landlords and gentry.

To deal with someone like Zhang Zhiwei, you have to use a straightforward, open strategy, so that he suffers a loss and can't even utter a word of complaint.

So... Liu Mang really started suppressing the bandits. His idea was that since the money would eventually be divided, he might as well spend it himself before that.

The Sichuan-Chongqing region is mountainous, and there are quite a few bandits hiding there. They have always been a major threat, causing a huge impact on local security and business environment. However, these bandits are hiding in the mountains and don't have much money. Eradicating them is a thankless and unprofitable business, so he used to be too lazy to bother with them.

Now that we're going to split the money anyway, we might as well spend it in advance and use it to suppress bandits and improve public security and the business environment.

In that case, rounding it off, wouldn't it be equivalent to the Little Celestial Master paying for his bandit suppression?!
He made a killing!
After seeing through Liu Mang's plan, Zhang Zhiwei laughed and exclaimed that the guy was simply a genius.

Suppressing bandits is a good thing. He was not angry at all. Instead, he instructed Wang Ai and the Tang Clan to cooperate with Liu Mang's actions as much as possible.

Subsequently, Liu Mang began a series of bizarre actions, such as pointing at a group of bandits and calling them Zhang Mazi, and then sending people to wipe them out.

After wiping them out, they discovered it wasn't them, and then they said the intelligence was wrong, that Zhang Mazi and his gang were too cunning and had misled them.

Then, he pointed to another group of bandits and said, "This is Zhang Mazi. Continue to suppress him."

If, after the bandits are wiped out, it turns out they are a bunch of poor bastards, then it's said that Zhang Mazi was cunning, misled, and made a mistake in eliminating them.

If this bandit gang is very wealthy, with a lot of gold and silver in their stronghold, they would say it's a branch stronghold of Zhang Mazi, and that he recovered some of everyone's money.

The recovered portion could not be returned to the landlords; it had to be added to the funds for suppressing bandits.

Moreover, because the funds spent on suppressing bandits were enormous, Liu Mang had to frequently seek reinvestment from landlords.

During Liu Mang's campaign to suppress bandits, Zhang Mazi and his gang continued to commit crimes, robbing several more landlords and wealthy households to put pressure on them to increase their investment in the campaign.

Of course, Liu Mang's bandit-suppression troops didn't completely avoid contact with Zhang Mazi's gang; after all, they couldn't treat the landlords like fools, could they?
In order to deliver the spoils to the landlords, Wang Ai and Liu Mang discussed that if they encountered some bandits that were difficult to wipe out, they would work together, one in the open and one in the shadows, to take down the mountain stronghold.

They'd stage another fight, killing a bunch of paper figures to create the illusion of a direct confrontation with Zhang Mazi. Afterwards, they'd take some corpses back and claim it as the spoils of war. (End of Chapter)