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

Feng Ping, carrying the head of the Wild Maoshan monk like a dead dog, dragged him to his groaning junior brother and shouted:
"Quickly untie my junior brother!"

The Wild Maoshan monk barely opened his eyes, which were swollen shut, and glanced at the Huode Sect disciple he had placed the Transformation Nail on, but did not immediately dispel the spell.

He knew in his heart that this young man's life was his talisman. If the curse wasn't lifted, as long as this Huode Sect disciple didn't die, these Huode Sect people wouldn't dare to do anything to him. But if the curse was lifted now, he would immediately have to go see the King of Hell!
"Undo the curse?" The Wild Maoshan monk said in a hoarse voice, "I can undo the curse, but only if you spare my life. Otherwise... I'd rather take him down with me than undo the curse!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Ping's anger intensified. He raised his hand to slap him again, but seeing his junior brother's increasingly pale face and the blood constantly flowing from the corner of his mouth, he forcibly held back.

He knew that what the monk from Yemaoshan had just said was not a bluff or a threat, but the truth. The insidious nature of the Transformation Nail lay in this: even if the person under the spell endured the excruciating pain and did not move their body, their internal organs and intestines could not stop peristalsis.

Every tiny movement would be scratched by the sharp nails inside the abdomen, causing continuous internal bleeding. This bleeding was not large, but if it went on for a long time, even if the intestines did not perforate and the abdomen rotted, it would still lead to death from excessive blood loss.

Seeing his junior brother's face growing paler and paler on the ground, Feng Ping suppressed the urge to beat him up. He calmed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Fine! I, Feng Ping, keep my word! As long as you lift the curse on my junior brother, I promise I won't kill you! Now, lift the curse immediately!"

"Do you think I'm stupid? I'm not that easy to fool," the Wild Maoshan monk struggled to say.

"Empty words are no proof! I've heard that your Fire Virtue Sect reveres the Sacred Flame the most! You... you must swear an oath before the Sacred Flame! Otherwise... I won't believe you!"

Although Fengping had a free-spirited personality, he valued his promises very much. He would never go back on his word, even without swearing an oath. But since the other party had brought it up, he didn't hesitate. He raised his right hand, index, middle, and ring fingers raised, while his thumb and little finger were bent, and said solemnly.

“I, Fengping, swear this oath today in the name of the Sacred Flame of the Fire Virtue Sect! As long as you remove the ‘Shape-Changing Nail’ from my junior brother Xiaowu’s body, I, Fengping, will not harm you in the slightest and will let you leave. The Sacred Flame will bear witness. If I break this oath, may my cultivation be completely destroyed.”

His voice was strong and resolute, carrying an unquestionable determination.

Upon hearing this, Master Yemaoshan felt a little more at ease. He knew how much the Huode Sect disciples revered the sacred fire. He might not be entirely comfortable with them swearing an oath on their parents, but he was absolutely at ease with them swearing an oath on the sacred fire.

But soon, he turned his gaze to Yan Yang and the others, and hissed:

"It's not enough for just one person to swear! The way they looked at me just now, they looked like they wanted to tear me apart! You... you all have to swear! Otherwise, I... I still won't feel at ease!"

Yan Yang and his two fellow disciples exchanged glances. Indeed, they had all been planning to cripple the evil Taoist priest once the curse was lifted to avenge their junior brother. But now that the other party had laid it out, they had no choice but to do so in order to save Xiao Wu's life.

Yan Yang spoke first, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable power: "I, Yan Yang, swear in the name of the Holy Flame that as long as you break the curse, I will never make things difficult for you!"

Although the other Huode Sect disciples looked grim, they also took turns making vows before the sacred flame for the sake of their junior brother.

Hearing the four of them swear an oath in the name of the sacred flame, the Wild Maoshan monk finally breathed a sigh of relief, managing a forced, awkward smile on his swollen face.

"Good...good! I believe your Huode Sect will keep its oath!"

He struggled to sit up and gestured for Fengping to let go of his hair.

Feng Ping released his grip, but kept a close eye on him, his Qi subtly flowing around him to prevent him from playing any tricks.

He dared not delay any longer. Enduring the excruciating pain on his face, he struggled to sit up, his hands forming hand seals and his mouth chanting incantations.

As he cast his spell, Xiao Wu, who was curled up on the ground, suddenly trembled, his mouth wide open, and he made a hoarse sound.

Then, to everyone's tense gaze, he vomited out bloody nails, which clattered to the ground.

As he vomited, the Wild Maoshan monk picked them up. These were talisman nails he had blessed with secret methods; making them would require considerable effort, so it would be best to recycle them.

As the last nail was ejected, Xiao Wu's tense body suddenly relaxed. Although the internal wound was still there and he was still weak, the excruciating pain had disappeared. He gasped for breath, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Yan Yang quickly stepped forward, probed Xiao Wu's body with his Qi, and carefully examined him. Only after confirming that the nails had been completely removed did he breathe a sigh of relief, nod to Feng Ping and the others, and then instruct Xiao Wu:

"Don't let your guard down! Quickly sit in meditation and circulate your Qi to stop the bleeding from the wounds inside your body!"

If it's just a minor injury with minimal internal bleeding, an extraordinary person can use their Qi to seal the wound and stop the bleeding. That's why there's the saying about using Qi to heal injuries. Although the nail left many wounds inside his body, fortunately they weren't large, so he was able to block them with his Qi.

"The spell... the spell has been lifted," the Wild Maoshan monk said cautiously. "Gentlemen... can you let me go now?"

Fengping glanced at him with disgust and waved his hand as if shooing away a fly:
"Get lost! I'll spare your life this time, but if we meet again, you won't be so lucky."

The monk from Yemaoshan gave them a deep look, said nothing harsh, and fled the Luo residence in a panic.

Yan Yang glanced at the fake Taoist priest. Although he was unwilling, he couldn't break his oath before the sacred fire. He withdrew his gaze and looked at Feng Ping, a bitter smile on his face.
"Junior Brother Fengping, this time... it's all thanks to you for arriving in time!"

Although he and Fengping are fellow disciples, they do not share the same master.

"Senior Brother Yanyang, I'm late!" Fengping hurriedly asked, "By the way, Senior Brother, what about that senior you mentioned before who wore the nine-tube mask...? Can you still contact him?"

Yan Yang shook his head and said, "I can't get in touch with him, but that... senior said that after I return the money and land that Luo Xinian has forcibly seized over the years to the victims, he will come to collect the remaining money. I should be able to see him again then."

Upon hearing this, Fengping said excitedly, "Then let's quickly distribute the land and money."

Seeing Feng Ping's anxious expression, Yan Yang couldn't help but ask, "Junior Brother Feng, do you know that senior? Who...who is he?!"

Given such strength, he figured the other party was no nobody in the martial arts world.

Feng Ping wasn't one to keep a loose tongue, so he naturally wouldn't speak carelessly. He shook his head and said, "I only have some guesses. I can't be 100% sure until I see the real person." Seeing that Feng Ping was unwilling to say more, Yan Yang didn't press him further. Yan Yang touched his still swollen face. He wasn't stupid; he also had some guesses about the identity of the nine-tube masked man.

Feng Ping was still somewhat anxious and continued, "Let's hurry up and clear out the assets. Although we defeated the police station and the county brigade, the county magistrate has escaped. I reckon he'll come back with the army and its top fighters next time!"

Yan Yang glanced at Feng Ping and said, "It shouldn't be that fast. I've been in Jiudu for a while now, and I know the state of the army here. Most of them have been transferred by Liu Mang, the King of Sichuan and Chongqing, to suppress bandits. The rest are mostly cowards who dare not go to the battlefield. They know that Zhang Mazi is here, so they definitely won't dare to come. We still have enough time to do these things."

At this moment, Master Chu's eldest disciple, Feng Ping's senior brother, spoke up: "Junior Brother Yan, it is indeed a good thing that you want to distribute land to the people, but have you thought about what will happen if the county magistrate comes back, causes trouble for those people, and tries to take the land back?"

Yan Yang and Feng Ping both fell silent.

Yan Yang would never have considered such things before. As a cultivator, he found it difficult to empathize with the tragic experiences of ordinary people. Therefore, he lacked empathy in his previous actions.

But Zhang Zhiwei made him empathize with him, so he was able to see things from the perspective of ordinary people.

In response to his senior brother's question, Yan Yang replied, "A life for a life, a debt for a debt—that's only right and proper. Luo Xinian seized their land, so naturally he has to return it. As for what happens after it's returned..."

He paused, then continued, "That's a matter for the future. Just because there's a possibility of it being robbed again doesn't mean we shouldn't return it. It's like... everyone dies eventually, so we can't stop living now just because we're going to die sooner or later!"

The eldest brother was speechless after hearing these words. He also looked at Yan Yang with surprise. Although he and Yan Yang were not close, he knew Yan Yang's past character. How could he say such a thing?

At this moment, Feng Ping also spoke up, saying, "I think that sometimes you, Senior Brother, think too much when you do things. The more you think about things, the more concerns you have, and the easier it is for you to give up."

"We'll help them this time. If they get robbed again next time, we can only hope that Wang Ermazi or Li Sanmazi will come and help them get it back next time."

To be honest, Fengping wanted to do this as soon as possible simply because he wanted to see the Nine-Tile Senior that Yanyang had mentioned.

As for sharing the burdens of the people... although he is a kind-hearted person who can speak out against injustice and take action when necessary, he is not a person who cares about the country and its people, nor is he a person with a great sense of the big picture.

He always only does what's in front of him; in the end, all he seeks is inner peace.

The senior disciple of Huode Sect nodded: "You are right. We are worrying unnecessarily. We are indeed overthinking things. Let's get started."

Afterwards, the group got busy. First, they used their skills to extinguish the fire at the Luo residence, and then they found the land deeds and took stock of the property.

It is not difficult to distribute the land to the victims, and there is no need to worry about someone impersonating them, because the information is written on the land deeds.

Land deeds generally contain four types of information: first, specific information about the land, such as its location and area.

Secondly, it contains information about the buyer, seller, and intermediary; fingerprints are usually pressed here.

Thirdly, the details of the sale and purchase, which include the specific transaction price, payment method, and instructions for the handover of the original land ownership certificate.

Fourthly, there is the official seal certified by the government. If there is this seal, it is called a red contract; if there is no seal, it is called a white contract or a private contract.

Because Luo Xinian's cousin was the county magistrate, even the land deeds he forcibly seized were official red deeds.

Fengping took the thick stack of land deeds and quickly flipped through them, discovering that the vast majority of them were written in extremely simple terms, and even looked like they were all made from the same mold.

It is obvious that this was forcibly seized, and the land can be returned based on this. Of course, this is on the premise that the party whose land was seized is still alive.

Afterwards, Fengping asked his senior brother, who had better handwriting, to write a notice and walk to the entrance of the Luo residence.

At this moment, the area around Luo's residence was already crowded with people. The commotion that had occurred earlier had naturally been heard by the surrounding people, who had also seen the scattered and disheveled county brigade members fleeing. Hearing that they were beating Zhang Mazi inside, the people were extremely excited, exclaiming that heaven had eyes, and silently cheering for Zhang Mazi.

As Feng Ping walked out, all eyes of the surrounding people fell on him.

Undeterred, he posted the still-wet notice in the most conspicuous spot outside and gestured for everyone to come and see. Some of the bolder ones came closer and saw that it read: "Luo Xinian has been executed and is now presiding over the land redistribution meeting. Neighbors whose land was forcibly seized by Luo Xinian and who owe him debts can come to Luo's residence within three days to claim their land back."

Everyone was shocked and began to ask Feng Ping if he was a hero from Zhang Mazi.

Feng Ping paused, about to say that it was him, but his senior brother covered his mouth.

"You're so reckless! Don't you think about the consequences before you act? Don't you think about the sect? The Zhang Mazi incident has blown up so much. If you admit it, not only will you be dragged down, but the sect will be dragged down with you too. What will you do when all the local tyrants come knocking on our door demanding an explanation?"

The eldest disciple gave Fengping a warning, then looked at the crowd and said loudly:

"Everyone, we are not Zhang Mazi. We just work for Zhang Mazi. Luo Banguan has been taken down by Zhang Mazi. Zhang Mazi felt that Luo Banguan had oppressed the people too much, so he decided to uphold justice for everyone and return your land. We were sent by Zhang Mazi to distribute the land to you."

The eldest brother is more thoughtful than Feng Ping. If Feng Ping had admitted it just now, this matter would have been in big trouble, and he might have even lost his life.

But if they say it this way, it will be much better. Even if someone asks, they can say that they came to protect the Luo family, but Zhang Mazi was too strong, and they were coerced by Zhang Mazi and had no choice but to do so. They are also victims.

This provides more room for maneuver, thus avoiding most of the risks.

When the people heard that the heroes sent by "Zhang Mazi" were going to share the land, the crowd instantly erupted in excitement!
Some people were moved to tears and cried out to the heavens, "Heaven has eyes!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, some people knelt down and kowtowed on the spot, expressing their deepest gratitude to Zhang Mazi for his immense kindness. (End of Chapter)