C23 Seven Days Later

At that moment, Yu Hu noticed the odd look on Zhang Hao's face and pressed on with his questioning.

"Shi Rong, what's this about one hundred gold coins?"

Unfazed by the question, Shi Rong responded candidly.

"I had my sights set on the corpse of the blood-furred wolf, but the Kong family beat me to it."

"Still, I didn't come away empty-handed. I didn't secure the wolf's corpse, but I did unexpectedly come into possession of one hundred gold coins."

Zhang Hao remembered that, indeed, when the Kong family's strongmen departed, they left behind one hundred gold coins for Hillfar Village.

Zhang Hao's fists were clenched tight, his eyes threaded with red as he glared at Shi Rong.

Yu Hu was seething with rage as well. He couldn't shake off the memory of the beating he'd received from Zhang Hao, all thanks to Shi Rong.

It was him all along! That damned Shi Rong, getting me beaten for no good reason!

"Shi Rong, what's the name of the village you visited? Surely, the villagers haven't all..."

Yu Hu didn't get to finish his sentence before Shi Rong, with a dismissive look, casually interjected.

"What do I care about the name of the village? Once they handed over the blood-furred wolf's corpse to the Kong family, I knew I wouldn't let them off the hook."

"Aren't you aware of how Luoke Stockade operates? No one is spared, not the old, the young, the sick, or the disabled. They all..."

Shi Rong's words were cut short as a figure suddenly appeared before him.

With a thunderous boom, the hefty Shi Rong was hurled more than ten meters away, slamming hard against the wall.

Hearing Shi Rong's callous disregard for the lives of the Hillfar villagers, his nonchalant tone was the last straw for Zhang Hao.

The members of Luoke Stockade, over a hundred strong, were still reeling from the shock when they witnessed Shi Rong being flung through the air.

The wall echoed with the impact as Shi Rong's corpulent form punched a hole through it, sending him tumbling outside.

As Shi Rong lay on the ground, his face smeared with blood and motionless, Zhang Hao propelled himself forward with a powerful push from his legs and charged over.

Expressionless, Zhang Hao raised his fists and began to rain down a furious barrage of punches on Shi Rong's face.

Upon witnessing the scene before him, Yu Hu inhaled sharply and bellowed with fury.

"Let no one escape! Slay them all!"

With his roar still echoing, Yu Hu gripped his sword, unleashing his powerful energy as he struck down the members of Luoke Stockade.

Screams erupted from within the stockade, while outside, Shi Rong was pinned to the ground, receiving a relentless barrage of punches to his face.

Moments earlier, Zhang Hao's punch had sent Shi Rong flying into a wall, effectively killing him.

Zhang Hao, in the early stages of Fusion, possessed brute strength that was nothing short of staggering. How could Shi Rong, merely in the middle of his Blessed phase, hope to withstand such force?

Even as Shi Rong lay lifeless, Zhang Hao's onslaught did not cease. His fists, like furious thunder, continued to rain down.

Boom! Boom! The impact was so intense that the very ground began to give way beneath them.

In less than half an hour, the cries and screams from within Luoke Stockade had dwindled to silence.

Yet outside, the dull thuds of Zhang Hao's fists persisted. With an impassive face, he continued his relentless assault.

Yu Hu and his comrades from Red Maple Stronghold had just finished off the stockade's members. Stepping out to the gruesome sight, they were struck with an ashen terror.

Shi Rong, the target of the unyielding pummeling, was barely recognizable, his body almost pulverized to a pulp.

Drenched in blood, Zhang Hao swung his fists without a flicker of emotion, sending a shiver down the spines of Yu Hu and the others.

Yu Hu was inwardly relieved that Red Maple Stronghold hadn't made a move against Hillfar Village; otherwise, he could have been the one reduced to a bloody pulp on the ground.

"Master Hao, he... he's long since stopped breathing..."

Yu Hu had intended to interject, but at Zhang Hao's menacing glare, he recoiled, sweating profusely. He stood aside, respectfully silent, not daring to utter another word.

Zhang Hao paid him no heed, continuing to pummel Shi Rong for a full hour before finally rising to his feet, slowly and deliberately.

Upon seeing Zhang Hao, drenched in blood like a figure from a horror tale, the members of Red Maple Stronghold were petrified, too terrified to utter a single sound.

"Yu Hu."

"Present!"

Startled by the sound of his name, Yu Hu snapped to attention, his response coming out more like a reflexive bark.

"You have seven days to bring all the bandits, brigands, and thieves around Conriston under your control."

Zhang Hao's command left Yu Hu and the others from Red Maple Stronghold with their eyes wide, struggling to believe what they'd just heard.

Yu Hu didn't know what Zhang Hao's endgame was, but his face couldn't hide the frenzied excitement that took hold of him. If he could unite all the local outlaws under one banner, the power they'd wield would be immense. They might even surpass any existing power or family within Conriston!

"What's the matter? Is the time frame too tight?"

In the midst of Yu Hu's fervor, Zhang Hao's voice, devoid of any emotion, cut through the air.

"Master Hao, Yu Hu will not let you down. Seven days will suffice!"

With a roar, Yu Hu, a cultivator in the late Blessed period, voiced his unwavering confidence in accomplishing this monumental task within the given time.

After Yu Hu's declaration, Zhang Hao offered no further words. He leapt forward, vanishing into the forest's edge in the blink of an eye.

Watching Zhang Hao's figure disappear, a Red Maple Stronghold member swallowed hard, voicing his fear.

"Mr. Tiger, what exactly does Master Hao intend to do...?"

"Foolish talk! From this day forward, address me as Mr. Tiger. I wouldn't presume to be Master Hao's equal!"

Upon hearing Yu Hu's command, the dozens of Red Maple Stronghold members quickly bowed in reverence.

"Mr. Tiger."

With the crowd now addressing him as Mr. Tiger, Yu Hu was visibly thrilled.

"There's no need for further discussion. Simply carry out Master Hao's orders!"

Though Yu Hu was clueless about Zhang Hao's plans, he sensed that Conriston was on the cusp of a seismic shift.