Bizarre Cultivation: Starting from Being Beaten Up by Reality

Chapter 153 Cut

The caravan camped by a small river. The caravan's manager and most of the crew went to town, leaving behind only menial laborers or those like Lin Fan who had paid to accompany them. The guards left behind by the caravan were bodyguards hired by a security company.

At that moment, in the bushes not far from the caravan, the lead镖师 (bodyguard/escort) was busy unbuckling his belt.

Two bodyguards were holding down a woman.

"Brother, this woman's hands feel so strange to the touch, like they're made of wood."

"Wow, this little vixen is incredibly strong! Big brother, hurry up!"

The two men were holding down Sun Ruolan, who was struggling and pleading, "Brothers, please let me go. I am already married and pregnant. Please let me go. I will do anything else you want."

Upon hearing that the child was in trouble, the lead镖师 (bodyguard/escort)'s lips curled up even more. "Have you guys not eaten? Hold her tight, she'll behave in a bit. After I tame this wild horse, it'll be your turn. Hey, this knot is really tight, it's so hard to untie."

Just as the lead bodyguard was about to draw his knife and cut his own belt, he felt a heavy kick from behind, and rolled several times on the ground. He barely managed to castrate himself with the knife in his hand.

After Lin Fan kicked away the leader, Niu Dadan, who had transformed into the Bull Demon King, punched away the two bodyguards who were holding Sun Ruolan, and then pulled his disheveled wife into his arms.

After throwing away the bamboo basket, Lin Fan went to a nearby place to call Chen Ergou to inform Doctor Lei, and then he and Niu Dadan went to find Sun Ruolan first.

Fortunately, these bodyguards were not far from their carriage with the escort agency's flag, so they found them quickly. In fact, if the lead bodyguard hadn't had his belt caught, the situation would have been completely different when they arrived.

These bodyguards were all first or second-level martial artists. Although they were knocked away for a moment, they quickly got up, formed a formation, and unleashed their swords.

The leader spat on the ground. "These two don't seem like ordinary people, but since they're hiding in this caravan, they probably aren't exactly clean. It's not worth offending us brothers for a woman. Put her down, and we'll return her to you when we're done. Don't worry, she won't be missing any limbs."

Niu Dadan glared angrily, but couldn't speak for a moment. He knew he had a weakness that the other party had. It was one thing for the two of them to be safe, but this matter would implicate Brother Fan.

Lin Fan stepped forward and said in a firm tone, "If you all have nowhere to vent your frustrations, you can go to town to find some fun. This is my brother's wife, not a prostitute."

"Heh." The lead镖师 sneered, "What clean woman is there in a caravan? Your brother's? Probably you're sharing her, aren't you? Hey, what? You're unwilling to share yours with outsiders? Fine, fine, we'll pay you, one tael each, how about that? You guys can't earn this much even if you weave bamboo baskets for the shopkeeper until your hands are blistered, right? She just has to lie there, spread her legs, and she can earn you that much."

Before Lin Fan and his companions could speak, the bodyguard beside them asked, "Boss, isn't one tael too much?"

The leader glanced at him. "What do you know? Look at that young woman's face and figure. Can those things you find in brothels compare? Besides, even if she's not from a respectable family, she's still much cleaner than those filthy women in the gutter. If you can't afford it, just watch from the sidelines!"

The leader then turned to Lin Fan, "Brother, we're all in this together. You'll be the one collecting the money, and you can't touch anything that hasn't been paid for. Isn't that generous enough?"

To be honest, Lin Fan was stunned by what he said. This guy really was reasonable when he was talking.

Lin Fan didn't understand for a moment what made these bodyguards reason with him. It wasn't anything else, but his kick, the wooden sword in his hand, Niu Dadan's appearance, and the big iron sword in his hand.

Niu Dadan looked at Lin Fan with his pitiful bull-like eyes, tightening his grip on him. If Lin Fan nodded at this moment, he would have no choice but to pick up Sun Ruolan and run away, having to walk on foot with his wife from now on.

Lin Fan naturally refused; there was no room for negotiation with him, and reasoning wouldn't work.

"You!" The leading镖师 (bodyguard/escort) was a little annoyed, glaring at Lin Fan, but he suppressed his anger. "Brother, why don't we settle our differences first? If we're on the same side, then this matter can be left at that. Brother, did you come by water or land?"

Based on what he had just said, Lin Fan immediately misunderstood and was about to yell back in anger when Chen Ergou, who had rushed over, stopped him. "Brother Fan, he's using slang. If you don't agree, he'll just think you're a clueless greenhorn."

Lin Fan turned to look at him, "You can?"

Chen Ergou nodded quickly.

Lin Fan didn't want to get into fights for no reason, so he pulled Chen Ergou to the front and said, "You'll have to go."

Chen Ergou declared loudly, "I'll come by land and by water."

The bodyguard asked, "How many bends are there on the land route, and how many stops are there on the water route?"

Chen Ergou replied, "The clouds and mist obscure the bend, and the rising steam obscures the beach."

The bodyguard laughed and said, "Second Master, pay homage to loyalty and righteousness before the hall!"

Chen Ergou replied, "Let's light some incense at the Lao Jun Temple!"

The bodyguard chuckled, brandishing his sword: "The flood washed away the Dragon King's temple; it turns out it was the Celestial Master himself!"

Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that this thing was surprisingly useful and that he should ask Chen Ergou to teach him about it another day.

Just as Chen Ergou was about to finish his sentence, the leading bodyguard asked, "Do any of you have ordination certificates?"

Lin Fan glanced at Chen Ergou, who lowered his voice and said, "Brother Fan, if I had that kind of money, would we still need to travel with the caravan?"

The lead镖师 on the other side was immediately enraged, "A few charlatans are spouting nonsense in front of me!"

As he spoke, he struck a pose, but then gestured to the people next to him.

Two men drew their swords and stepped forward, while the other two pulled out crossbows from behind and began loading them.

These bodyguards were used to fighting people. Although Niu Dadan looked intimidating, they had seen this kind of thing before. If they couldn't get through to him verbally, they were prepared to fight directly.

The lead镖师 (bodyguard/escort) quickly assigned several men with a few hand gestures. He and one other man held off the large man with knives, while two others used crossbows to shoot him. The remaining man was left to deal with the one with the wooden sword.

As for the others, just ignore them.

Before the man could attack Lin Fan, Lin Fan decisively swallowed a greenish-blue spider egg. He stretched out his hand, and invisible sticky threads clung to the man opposite him.

The person wasn't a tree, and the two flew towards each other at incredible speed.

Lin Fan had anticipated this attack, and before the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) could react, his knife was flashing wildly in the air, and a wooden sword was hurtling towards his face at lightning speed.

Bang! Struck on the forehead by a sword, the镖师 (bodyguard/escort) flew backward, collapsing to the ground unconscious, his eyes and mouth distorted.

Lin Fan wanted to use the same trick to kill the two archers who had already nocked their arrows, but a wave of nausea rose up and he calmed down after a few breaths.

It was already late, and several arrows whizzed towards Niu Dadan. He was already fighting two opponents, and he was also carrying someone in his arms, so he couldn't afford to be distracted, let alone dodge the arrows.

Sun Ruolan broke free from his grasp and stood up.

Dengdengdeng.

Except for one arrow that grazed Niu Dadan's cheek, the rest of the arrows struck Sun Ruolan's back, making a sound like wood being struck.

Niu Dadan was startled. He swung his greatsword heavily, forcing back the two men in front of him. He gently handed Sun Ruolan, whom he was holding, to Doctor Lei, and then turned back to kill them.

Lin Fan had recovered by this time. After knocking a crossbow-wielding bodyguard's skull flat, he successfully attracted the attention of another crossbow-wielding bodyguard.

With a whoosh, two crossbow bolts were fired, about to hit Lin Fan, when he suddenly disappeared from his spot.

After landing, Lin Fan finally couldn't hold it in any longer and vomited. Fortunately, the Soul-Suppressing Pearl hidden in his pants glowed slightly, which quickly relieved his dizziness.

After half a stick of incense.

All five bodyguards lay on the ground. Lin Fan shook the blood-stained wooden sword in his hand. Ever since he obtained the spider eggs, he had drawn a line for himself: he would not use the power pill unless he faced a life-or-death crisis. After all, Lin Fan had recently truly felt the terror of consuming lifespan.

And if you want to survive and continue to advance your [Clone] level, you can no longer use the black knife and scythe indiscriminately.

Therefore, this attack relied entirely on the Soul-Suppressing Pearl to suppress the side effects of the spider eggs, along with the wooden sword. The actual effect was quite satisfactory.

Lin Fan, holding his bloodstained sword, looked at Chen Ergou and said, "What's the use of a cut? In the end, you still have to take action."

Although he cursed Chen Ergou, Lin Fan was also mocking his own naivety. These bodyguards had seen through his dirty background from the beginning. If he couldn't shut them up forever, how could they stop?

Lin Fan walked to the edge of the bushes and asked Doctor Lei, "Doctor, is Miss Sun alright?"

Doctor Lei wiped the blood off his hands. "It's nothing. Most of the arrowhead was hidden by the wood behind it. Only a trace of blood was visible. I don't need to do it. Er Gou can fix it for Miss Sun later."

Lin Fan seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this, frowning slightly, but didn't say anything more.

Before the group could leave, the caravan manager arrived with a group of his own guards.

He glanced at Doctor Lei, whom he knew well, then at Lin Fan and Niu Dadan, whose bodies and swords were stained with blood, and then at the five bodyguards lying on the ground who seemed beyond saving.

He raised his hand and then lowered it, his face flushed red and then turned green, and after holding it in for a long time, he finally managed to utter, "How could you do this!"

Doctor Lei quickly stepped forward to explain that the matter was simple: these bodyguards had tried to sexually harass their family members in front of them, and neither side would back down, so that's how it ended.

The shopkeeper's plump hand gripped Doctor Lei's and shook it repeatedly. "What do you mean, 'that's it'? They are the renowned镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) of the Sihai镖局 (Four Seas Escort Agency). Even if they don't respect me, they should at least show some respect. How am I supposed to explain this? I kindly let you travel with the caravan, how could you do this to me!"

Lin Fan and Chen Ergou had already begun searching the bodyguard's body and the contents of the carriage.

The shopkeeper shouted again, "How could you do this?" After that, Lin Fan and Chen Ergou began to display their spoils.

A bag of blood-stained silver, five steel knives, four crossbows, and a pile of clothes, dry food, and miscellaneous items.

Apart from the silver and weapons, everything else was worthless; there was even a woman's undergarment carefully hidden in the package.

Lin Fan smiled and said to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, it's really nothing. You just need a few bodyguards, right? Look, we're better than them. Just give us the silver, and we'll be your bodyguards, isn't that enough?"

Chen Ergou, standing to the side, glanced at Lin Fan. Sure enough, only Brother Fan could say such a nonchalant thing as if nothing was wrong.

If someone else had said something like that, Chen Ergou would have thought he was being unreasonable, but Fan Ge might genuinely mean it.

The shopkeeper was taken aback, but immediately realized that the man with a large scar on his face, who was old and strong, and looked like a combination of a blue-faced beast and the Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains, was obviously the leader of this group, and that he was obviously trying to extort money from him.

It's important to understand that the caravan didn't hire bodyguards for the fighting prowess of these five men; the caravan already had its own guards and didn't need these five. The caravan was after the "Sihai Escort Agency" flag on the wagon.

This man pretended not to know anything, like someone with nothing to lose, and directly threatened him. Unlike the innkeeper and the bodyguards, the innkeeper had a family and a caravan of carriages. If he pushed these people, who were already exiles, to the edge, who knew what they might do?

Most importantly, they proved their martial prowess, which was far superior to those five bodyguards combined. They had more guards, so why risk their lives for a few dozen taels of silver?

Lin Fan, who was in the center of attention, was genuinely unaware of these complexities. In his previous life, he hadn't even attended university, so he had no idea about such intricacies of human relationships. He only knew that bodyguards could also do the work of bodyguards. Furthermore, the influence of some novels and TV dramas led him to believe that being a bodyguard was simply a matter of receiving money and providing protection.

So Lin Fan asked again, "Manager, how much are these bodyguards paid per month?"

The shopkeeper was frantically weighing the pros and cons in his mind when asked this question, and subconsciously replied, "Ten taels per person per month."

Lin Fan held up the silver in his hand. "This is exactly thirty-five taels. The first day of the month will be in a few days. I won't charge you for October. You can pay us fifteen taels on the first day of the month."

The shopkeeper hadn't even figured out what was going on before, and now he was completely caught off guard. Wait, I have to pay you? No, it's one thing for you and that burly man, but what about the other three elderly women?

Why don't you just include the baby in the pregnant woman's belly too, and make it a family of the elderly, weak, women and children?

The shopkeeper pondered for a long time.

The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) were already dead, so they were simply left to their fate. It was common for them to be killed by bandits. The Sihai镖局 (Four Seas Escort Agency) wouldn't investigate the cause of death. However, according to the agreement, for each镖师 who died, the caravan had to pay the Sihai镖局 a compensation payment, which was a considerable expense.

On the contrary, fifteen taels next month, and fifty taels every month thereafter, are actually small change.

Having witnessed the methods of these people, the shopkeeper dared not drive them away or report them to the authorities. He could only blame himself for misjudging them; he had tried to earn the doctor's travel expenses but ended up losing a lot of money himself.

After some thought, the shopkeeper agreed to all of Lin Fan's suggestions and even gave Lin Fan and his companions all the carriages from the escort agency.

On a small hill not far from the caravan, the two men rode their horses and gazed at the "Sihai Escort Agency" flag.

One of them said, "Ninth Brother, those are guards protected by the Sihai Escort Agency. They have an agreement with us, so we shouldn't touch them."

Upon hearing this, Ninth Brother waved his hand, "That's all in the past. We are no longer bandits. Third Brother is here to support Eldest Brother's uprising. We are now a righteous army and need to temporarily borrow the wealth of rich merchants to replenish our military supplies. Go ahead and make the arrangements."