Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

The time for the open-field duel had arrived, but Song Jiason was nowhere to be seen, and Song Zhiyi's whereabouts were also unknown.

Sweating profusely with anxiety, Song Zhigang, Song Jiason's eldest son, sat before Ni Ruiliang, his face pleading. "Uncle Shi, please help us out. It's already one o'clock! If our family doesn't send someone to the field soon, in another hour we'll have to concede defeat."

Ni Ruiliang was a Retainer of Song Jiason. They usually addressed each other as brothers. He was the only Fourth Layer Cultivator the Song Family could rely on—a Fourth Layer Body Cultivator.

But being someone the family could rely on didn't mean he was at their beck and call.

Ni Ruiliang, who had come from a poor family, received aid from Song Jiason when he was young. After his cultivation level reached the Fourth Layer, he lived with the Song Family, who provided him with two hundred Ocean Dollars each month for his expenses, plus additional consideration during festivals. Frankly, he was maintained by the Song Family to make an appearance and maintain order at events.

When the Song Family needed him to make a move, Song Jiason had to negotiate with him.

If even Song Jiason couldn't command Ni Ruiliang, let alone his son.

Ni Ruiliang took a sip of tea. "Zhigang," he said, "where exactly have your father and brother gone? With such a critical family matter at hand, how can they be so negligent?"

Song Zhigang replied anxiously, "Uncle Shi, I really don't know where they've gone. Today's duel is crucial for the Song Family's standing in Blue Poplar Village. You can't just stand by and watch."

Ni Ruiliang set down his teacup. "Zhigang," he said, "it's not that I don't want to help, but my involvement would be against the rules. Your father agreed with Ma Junyang just yesterday that your brother would participate in the duel. If I step in now, what would become of the Song Family's prestige?"

"We can't worry about prestige right now, Uncle Shi! I'm begging you, please fight on behalf of our family."

Ni Ruiliang sighed. "Wait a little longer, just a bit longer."

It wasn't that he was unwilling to get involved; he was afraid to.

He had a vague feeling that something had happened to Song Jiason.

It wasn't anyone else's fault but Song Jiason's own for not knowing when to advance or retreat. He could have offended anyone, yet he chose to provoke the Fifth Young Master of the Ma Family.

Despite his decline, Ma Wu was still a Ma Family member. If the Ma Family truly decided to eliminate the Song Family, it would be as simple as crushing an ant.

As for the Liu, Si, and even Lu Families who supposedly backed the Song Family, these clans were quick to collect money, but their willingness to lend a hand was questionable.

Ni Ruiliang's reasoning was sound. It was the Song Family who was slated to duel with Ma Wu. While it was permissible to switch contestants in the Clear Sky Arena, Ma Wu had personally shown up.

If the Song Family called in an outsider to fight for them, wouldn't Ma Wu have the right to switch contestants too? And what caliber of person could Ma Wu bring as a substitute? Did they even know?

As the appointed time approached, Song Zhigang gritted his teeth. "Uncle Shi, fine! Remember this. I won't beg you anymore. I'll go myself!"

As Song Zhigang strode out the door, Ni Ruiliang offered a few insincere words of advice, his concern feigned. "Zhigang, don't be rash! Think things through, think things through!"

…

When Song Zhigang arrived at the open field, Ma Wu was still giving a speech to a crowd of onlookers.

There were too many people today. It had been many years since the Song Family personally engaged in a duel, and everyone in Blue Poplar Village who loved excitement had gathered.

Ma Wu proclaimed, "I've been waiting here for two hours! According to the rules of our Blue Poplar Village, two o'clock is almost here. Two hours have passed. If the opposing family doesn't show, I win by default!

"Today, I ask all you good people to bear witness: I haven't cheated, nor have I reneged! I defeated the Song Family fair and square! Am I wrong?

"Back at my own doorstep, the Song Family Master brought knives and guns! He attacked my brothers, threatening to gouge out eyes and sever thighs—those were his words! He even tried to attack me, but I wasn't afraid of him then, and I'm not afraid of him now! But since I've come for this duel today, shouldn't there be a clear winner and loser?

"What did Song Jiason say back then? All you folks heard him clearly! In the Clear Sky Arena, whoever loses gets out of Blue Poplar Village! A man's word is his bond! He has to stand by it! So, is anyone from the Song Family here? Is this going to be settled or not?"

Originally, the onlookers were afraid of offending the Song Family. Except for Li Banfeng, Xiao Chuan, and a few workers constructing the road, nobody at the scene dared make a sound.

But Ma Wu relentlessly used the Technique of Inspiration to incite the crowd. Combined with the raw, rousing nature of his words, everyone became increasingly agitated, their cheers growing louder with each wave.

Just as two o'clock was about to strike, the cheering came to an abrupt halt.

"The Song Family has arrived!"

"Don't make a sound, everyone, just watch quietly."

Song Zhigang entered the field, followed by more than twenty attendants. "Ma Junyang," he said, "don't be so arrogant. We'll talk after this fight!"

Ma Wu was taken aback. "Song Zhigang, your father said it would be your brother facing the duel. Why the substitution?"

"Zhiyi has urgent business and couldn't get away. I'm a Song Family member, and I'm also a First Layer Martial Cultivator. First Layer against First Layer—I'm not bullying you. Let's begin!"

Song Zhigang was a real man. Despite being injured, he entered the arena.

Didn't the Song Family have anyone else who could fight? Yes, Song Jiason had two Second Layer Cultivators under him.

These two had already arrived, having received orders from Song Jiason the previous afternoon to secure the duel site early in the morning.

They could represent the Song Family in combat, as substitutions were allowed in the Clear Sky Arena.

But these two Second Layer Cultivators were no fools.

The chief steward had gone to find Ma Wu and hadn't returned. The Old Master had gone to intercept Ma Wu but hadn't fought. Now, the Old Master was missing. This Ma Wu was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Even Ni Ruiliang, a Fourth Layer Cultivator, wasn't making a move. How could they dare to step up?

Securing the site was their only job. Once that was done, anything else was not their concern.

Besides, the Old Master had ordered Song Zhiyi to fight Ma Wu. It wouldn't be proper for them to intervene. With this perfect excuse, they ignored Song Zhigang's commands.

This fight could only be between Song Zhigang himself and Ma Wu.

Scanning the arena, Song Zhigang spotted a unique tile and immediately understood its purpose.

Unlike with Song Zhiyi, Song Jiason was very fond of Song Zhigang, sharing many secrets with him.

Most of the time, Song Zhigang practiced Martial Arts at home, and this tile was part of a mechanism left by his father. He had seen such a mechanism before while bearing witness to previous duels with his father.

Knowing his father had made prior arrangements, Song Zhigang felt a surge of confidence. He pointed at Ma Wu and declared, "Enough talk! Let's fight!"

Ma Wu nodded in agreement. "You're quite the man. Let's settle this now."

They stood with their backs to the iron railings, one on each side. At the sound of the drum, the fight began.

As a Martial Cultivator, Song Zhigang rushed towards Ma Wu, engaging in close combat.

Ma Wu's gaze swept over Song Zhigang's eyes. Song Zhigang's heart lurched; Ma Wu seemed extraordinarily handsome today. Such a handsome face—it shouldn't be marred!

He was charmed. He hesitated for a moment, and Ma Wu flung a dagger, hurtling toward his chest.

Song Zhigang hurriedly dodged, the dagger grazing his shoulder and leaving a gash.

By the time he steadied himself to give chase, Ma Wu had retreated five meters away and started to play cat and mouse.

This fighting style was somewhat underhanded, but that's how lower-tier Lust Cultivators battled.

Even more despicable tactics followed. After several minutes of grappling, Song Zhigang suddenly felt waves of numbness—Ma Wu's dagger was poisoned.

"Ma Junyang, you're such a bastard!" Song Zhigang cursed, but that was all he could do. In an open-field duel, there were no rules; any tactic was permissible.

Song Zhigang glanced at the location of the tile, pretending to be exhausted and wanting to retreat.

As Ma Wu moved in pursuit, he stepped right on the tile.

Song Zhigang smirked. He waited for the mechanism to trigger. Once Ma Wu suffered from it, the duel would be over. If Ma Wu didn't concede, he'd beat him until he did.

Who cared if he was some fallen young master? Who cared what powers backed him? Win the duel first, preserve the Song Family's enterprise—that was paramount! First...

Strange, why hasn't the mechanism activated?

Ma Wu had already run past the tile some time ago. Why hadn't it triggered?

Has the mechanism failed? Did I mistake its location? Nothing like this has ever happened before!

Ma Wu was getting closer by the second.

What's there to fear? Him getting closer is a good thing, isn't it? I'm a Martial Cultivator; why would I be afraid of a mere Lust Cultivator?

The two began fighting at close quarters; the more they fought, the more unsettled Song Zhigang became.

Ma Wu's skills are surprisingly good; he's clearly trained in martial arts too.

I'm injured and poisoned. If this close combat drags on, I'm afraid I won't be able to beat him.

But if I don't fight him up close, won't I be even less likely to win?

In fact, Song Zhigang wasn't at a disadvantage in close combat. The reason for all these chaotic thoughts was Ma Wu's special tactics.

Under Ma Wu's gaze, Song Zhigang's thoughts grew increasingly chaotic; he had fallen for Ma Wu's Technique of Confusion.

Everything he did felt wrong. Pushed relentlessly backward by Ma Wu, he suddenly stepped on a stone.

CRACK!

This stone... something's wrong with it!

There was a pitfall underneath, not deep, but deep enough to sink halfway up his leg.

Song Zhigang fell into it and immediately crashed to the ground.

Ma Wu approached and kicked his face, asking, "Do you admit defeat?"

Song Zhigang hadn't come to his senses when Ma Wu delivered another kick. "Stone-Boring Silkworms, a nifty thing used to set traps—did you think only your Song Family had them and I couldn't find any?

"These creatures are available in the New Land; they're just not easy to raise, and I usually can't be bothered to catch them."

Li Banfeng had laid an ambush in the open field the night before. Using the Silk-pulling Earrings to overhear the conversation between Song Jiason and Song Zhiyi, he was naturally aware of the trap.

After killing the two, Li Banfeng had intended to destroy the pitfall, but Ma Wu said he knew how to use it. He went to the New Land overnight, caught a couple of Stone-Boring Silkworms, and modified the trap.

The reason for this was to have a trump card for the open-field duel.

Song Zhigang, ignorant of these events, now knew the outcome.

And the outcome was that the Song Family had lost, utterly and completely.

Even the traps Father was best at setting could be altered... This proved one thing.

The Song Family had been wrong from the very beginning. We chose the wrong opponent.

When dealing with someone like Ma Wu, we never should have confronted him in the first place.

If he wanted to hunt, we should have let him hunt. If he wanted to make money, we should have let him make money. The Song Family isn't short of a few coins. Why did we have to fight him to the bitter end?

What can I do now?

Song Zhigang admitted defeat.

The onlooking villagers of Blue Poplar Village were stunned.

"The Song Family's eldest son admitted defeat?"

"How did it come to this? Is this considered a lost duel?"

"The Song Family Master did say, if his family loses, they would have to pack up and leave."

"What does that mean? Blue Poplar Village won't be led by the Song surname anymore?"

"Could it be that it will bear the Ma surname instead?"

Ma Wu stood before Song Zhigang, sneering. "Keep your word. Go tell your father to get the hell out and move today, right now!"

Song Zhigang led his men back to their estate in a sorry state.

Would he move? Of course not! As long as his father didn't give the order, he absolutely wouldn't move!

He had the guards secure the front and back doors and keep a close watch on all the family members, ready to endure a long standoff with Ma Wu.

By seven o'clock, darkness had completely fallen, yet there was no movement from the Song Family.

Li Banfeng turned to Xiao Chuan and said, "Bro, lend me the road roller again. Brother Ma, bring all those stone-eating bugs with you."

Song Zhigang, you refuse to move, is that it?

I'll go demolish your house!

PS: He's not just talking; he's actually going to do it.