The door closed behind him. Li Qingshan looked around and did not seem to notice the tense atmosphere in the courtyard at all. He made his way over to caretaker Liu's table by himself. It faced the hall and was set up under the largest elm tree in the centre of the courtyard. It was the main seat, and all the people who sat there were influential figures in the village.
To the left and right of caretaker Liu were village head Li and the witch. They were the three people with the greatest authority in the village. There were also a few old people in the village. The only young people were village head Li's two sons, Li Qingshan and Li Bao. They were both tall and sturdy, and they stared at Li Qingshan covetously.
Caretaker Liu's eyes narrowed slightly. It had only been a dozen or so days, but Li Qingshan seemed to have become a different person. He was unable to describe the exact changes, but in short, he was very different from before. He possessed an additional bearing.
Village head Li's face was dignified, and his gaze was hostile. As for the witch, she was completely filled with resentment.
If ordinary villagers offended any one of the three, they would not be able to continue living in the village. They could only lower their heads and give in. Not to mention that they had offended all three of them at the same time. However, Li Qingshan would never give in.
There were still many rules for eating in the village. From the position to the way they sat, there were many things to pay attention to. Li Qingshan saw how all the other tables were packed, and only this table was relatively free. As a result, he sat down openly and said, "Why aren't you eating? Are you all waiting for me?"
No one answered him. Li Hu and Li Bao squeezed over from the left and right, placing their hands on Li Qingshan's shoulders and pressing down hard.
Li Qingshan was still young, and he stood tall and straight, no less than the two of them. However, he was skinny, nowhere close to their sturdy waists. In the past, just one of them would have been enough to subdue Li Qingshan easily. Even now, Li Qingshan could only handle one of them at a time. It would be difficult to say if there were two.
Li Qingshan frowned and grabbed their wrists, bending them down. At the same time, he used the transformation of "Ox Demon Flexing its Hide", like a large water buffalo stretching its muscles and bones, leaning to the left and right.
Li Hu and Li Bao only felt a sharp pain in their wrists. After being knocked by Li Qingshan, they immediately lost their balance and fell from their chairs.
The two of them flew into a rage out of humiliation. Ignoring the dust all over their bodies, they stood up.
Steward Liu originally wanted to say a few polite words to test Li Qingshan's sincerity and see if he had any intention of giving in. He didn't expect Li Hu and Li Bao to be so impulsive. He couldn't care less about scolding them anymore. He was about to smash the cup in his hand and order the workers to do it.
Clang! A short knife was nailed to the table. The movements of the few people were also nailed. The blade of the knife shone dimly under the mottled sunlight.
Li Hu and Li Bao immediately didn't dare to step forward. They were the sons of the village chief. They were pampered and noble. They could bully good people with their strong bodies, but it wasn't worth it to fight with their lives on the line.
Li Qingshan held the short knife in one hand and stepped on the long chair with the other. He leaned forward and looked at Steward Liu with a chuckle. "Steward Liu, this isn't the way to treat a guest. Even if you have any grudges to settle, you might as well wait until you're full. Don't spoil this table full of food and wine." When he said this, he didn't feel nervous anymore.
Before Steward Liu could speak, the workers at the surrounding tables all agreed. To them, the most important thing was, of course, eating! If they were to fight, who knew how many dishes and wine would be spilled. They didn't believe that the stingy Steward Liu would prepare another table for them.
"That's right, Steward Liu. We haven't eaten this morning. We're so hungry that our chests are sticking to our backs. How can we have the strength to fight? "
"I didn't even eat last night. If I don't eat now, I won't be able to." As he spoke, he gulped down a mouthful of saliva.
The tense atmosphere suddenly became a little strange. Even Li Qingshan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He thought to himself that he was actually afraid of this group of people.
Steward Liu's face was flushed red. He had set up this banquet to intimidate Li Qingshan. Secondly, he was afraid that the workers wouldn't do their best, so he gave them a certain amount of benefits.
He wholeheartedly wanted to imitate what was written in the book, to hide five hundred executioners and use the smashing of cups as a signal to rush out and take down Li Qingshan. However, he forgot that his subordinates weren't death warriors or family warriors, but a group of real farmers.
Li Qingshan looked at Steward Liu with a smile. "What a coincidence. I also didn't eat anything last night, so I won't stand on ceremony now." He grabbed a roasted chicken and started eating.
Ever since he started practicing the "Ox Demon's Fist of Great Strength", his appetite had become extremely shocking. He only took ten days to finish a fifty-kilogram musk deer, and the green ox did not even have the time to catch new prey.
A roasted chicken disappeared into his mouth in the blink of an eye. He took the lead, but the workers didn't care anymore. They all picked up their chopsticks and buried their heads in the food. For a moment, only the sound of eating and chewing could be heard in the courtyard.
Village Chief Li was angry and afraid. His whole body trembled as he glared at Steward Liu. Aren't you very smart? Quickly think of a way.
Steward Liu didn't have any good ideas, so he glared back. If he let the workers do it, and the workers couldn't bear to part with the food in their mouths, what would happen if Li Qingshan pounced on him and stabbed him first? Your two sons usually look fierce, why are they so soft now?
At this table, just Steward Liu and the group of old fellows combined wouldn't even be able to withstand a single kick from Li Qingshan. It was as if they were suddenly thrown onto an isolated island. They had no choice but to face the fierce Li Qingshan alone. All of them were trembling with fear.
When an ordinary man gets angry, blood splatters five steps away.
Li Qingshan acted as if there was no one else around him. He picked up the wine pot and poured himself a drink. The village wine was bland to begin with, so drinking it like this was tasteless. He shouted, "Change to a bigger bowl!"
But no one answered. Li Qingshan was displeased. "Huh?" Steward Liu hurriedly ordered someone to bring a bigger bowl. Li Qingshan filled the bowl and drank it in one gulp. "Satisfying!"
Seeing him drinking so boldly and straightforwardly, the workers also admired his courage; unexpectedly quite a few of them cheered him on.
Li Qingshan had eaten a lot of greasy food these days. When the wine washed over him, he felt extremely refreshed. He didn't stop and drank three bowls in a row.
When the third bowl of wine went down his stomach, the courtyard was filled with loud cheers. It was as if they weren't invited by Steward Liu, but by Li Qingshan.
Li Qingshan burped and cupped his hands. "Everyone, eat and drink well. Don't forget about Steward Liu's kindness. Whatever grievances you have, you can settle them after the meal. Anyway, even if you're on your way to the afterlife, you can't be a hungry ghost. "
Then, he glared at the people at the main table. "Why aren't you eating?" Now that he was drunk, his killing intent rose. If these people kept looking for trouble, Crouching Ox Village wouldn't be safe. He might even fall into their trap at any time. If he killed a few of them and stole some of their belongings, none of the villagers would dare to stop him.
Originally, Li Qingshan had only taken the risk to attend the banquet. He was even bluffing a little. In the end, he saw through Steward Liu and the others' bluffing. In an instant, he turned from guest to host. His thoughts were also very different. He couldn't help but think of Uncle Lei Feng's words: Difficulties are like springs. If you're weak, they'll be strong. He then thought of what Taizu had said: Imperialists are all paper tigers. Yep, the landlord class is also a paper tiger.
Although Steward Liu's schemes were a little clumsy, he had read many people. As soon as he saw Li Qingshan's expression, he knew that he was ready to kill. He could no longer maintain his pretense of shrewdness, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
The old people in the village were terrified. They didn't want to die from hunger either! They hurriedly explained to Li Qingshan that they were only doing it for show. They didn't know the inside story at all. Someone stood up, trembling, and wanted to leave.
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