Chapter 16: Displaying Strength

Du Chengfeng was furious after hearing this. He had thought that teaching them a lesson would finally make them give up, but instead, they became even more relentless and started using tricks. It seemed he was still too merciful; a spoiled young master, relying on a bit of power and status, could act with impunity.

Originally, Du Chengfeng didn't want to reveal his army and strength so soon, but it was clear now that he had no choice. With an army at his command and a system base as a heaven-defying golden finger, if he continued to swallow his anger, it would be far too suffocating.

A true man should act with courage and unstoppable force. To not avenge this insult would be unmanly. This time, he was determined to make Zheng Xing regret for life ever provoking him, Du Chengfeng.

Calming his emotions, Du Chengfeng spoke gently to Uncle Dazhu and Aunt Chunhua, "Uncle Dazhu, Aunt Chunhua, today’s trouble was all because of me. I owe you an apology. In a moment, Aunt Chunhua, please go to my room and take a hundred strings of coins. Give them to Uncle Dazhu and the other injured uncles to buy medicine and supplements, take good care of your health. Leave this matter to me—I will resolve it."

Hearing Du Chengfeng’s words, Uncle Dazhu became anxious, sitting up quickly from his bed. In his view, a bunch of villagers like them could never stand up to the young master of the Chang’an city magistrate’s family.

"Chengfeng, maybe we should just let it go. We can’t compete with them," Uncle Dazhu said helplessly, lowering his head.

"Yes, yes, Chengfeng, let it go. It’s only surface wounds," Aunt Chunhua urged from the side.

Du Chengfeng shook his head. "Uncle Dazhu, rest assured, I won’t let you suffer injustice for nothing. Take care and recover—I’ll go check on my brother."

He hurried back to his room and immediately saw his elder brother, Du Wenzheng, using a piece of white linen to wipe the blood from his arm. Both cheeks were bruised and swollen.

Du Chengfeng’s heart ached at the sight. After their grandfather’s death, only he and his brother remained to rely on each other.

To him, his brother was his reverse scale; anyone who dared touch it would pay with blood.

Thinking of this, Du Chengfeng’s anger blazed.

"Big brother, I will make the Zheng family pay in blood!" Du Chengfeng said with absolute determination.

With that, he strode out of the house, gathered his breath, and shouted into the open air, "Du Zhao, bring me a hundred soldiers!"

Hearing Du Chengfeng’s command, Du Zhao quickly revealed himself from his hiding spot, and the hundred clone soldiers hidden around the workshop emerged as well, marching in neat formation toward Du Chengfeng.

The commotion drew Du Wen and Grandfather Du’s family out of their house.

Grandfather Du, Uncle Dazhu, Aunt Chunhua, and the others looked at Du Chengfeng in astonishment, not understanding whom he was calling to. Du Chengfeng stood quietly outside, watching the clone soldiers approach.

Grandfather Du’s house was not far from the workshop; within ten seconds, Du Zhao led the hundred clone soldiers to stand in formation before Du Chengfeng.

"Commander, Du Zhao reporting with a hundred soldiers—awaiting your orders!" Du Zhao stood before Du Chengfeng, snapped to attention, and saluted loudly.

"Little brother, what are you doing? Who are these people?" Du Wen asked, dumbfounded at the sudden appearance of a hundred clone soldiers.

Uncle Dazhu, Aunt Chunhua, and the others looked as if they had seen ghosts, shocked and bewildered.

They didn’t know where this troop had suddenly come from. Not one of them was familiar, their clothing was entirely different, each carrying something like a fire stick, with a gleaming long knife attached.

Hearing them address Du Chengfeng as commander, and with such respect, was even more puzzling.

Du Chengfeng offered no further explanation. Instead, he introduced, "Grandfather Du, big brother, Uncle Dazhu, Aunt Chunhua, don’t be surprised. These are all my subordinates, skilled in martial arts. From now on, I’ll have them protect you and Du Family Village. Don’t worry—they are absolutely loyal to me, completely trustworthy. If you need their help, just give them orders. Uncle Dazhu, when you go to Chang’an to buy old wine, be sure to take them with you. Ten will be enough."

He then called Du Zhao over and instructed, "Du Zhao, select ten men, disguise yourselves, put away your rifles, and protect Uncle Dazhu. Assign another ten to protect my big brother. The rest should spread out and keep watch around the village. If anyone causes trouble or bullies villagers, kill them on the spot without mercy. Any suspicious persons must be captured and reported to me—understood?"

"Understood! We will complete the mission and protect the village!" A hundred voices thundered in unison.

"Big brother, Uncle Dazhu, I’m going to settle the score with that man. Rest well. If a man named Wang Zhuo comes to collect goods, please arrange for him to take as much as he can. Hold onto the money for me."

"Alright, just be careful yourself," Uncle Dazhu said concernedly.

"Little brother, maybe we should just let it go," Du Wen said timidly. Unlike Du Chengfeng, who, though still a teenager, possessed the soul of a modern special forces soldier.

As an honest youth raised in the countryside, his grandfather always taught him not to stir up trouble.

Du Chengfeng patted his brother’s shoulder, speaking with meaning, "Big brother, the kind-hearted are bullied, the gentle horse is ridden. Yielding doesn’t always solve problems—sometimes it only makes others look down on you. A man should be strong, and a true man should possess pride. For me, family and friends are my reverse scale. Anyone who touches them faces only one outcome: death!"

The final words were almost shouted through gritted teeth. He wanted his brother to know that he now had the power to protect him, and to understand that weakness achieved nothing.

Du Chengfeng’s words made Du Wen suddenly realize his little brother had completely changed; he was no longer the dull boy he once knew.

And those hundred subordinates—who knew where they came from—each looked like a god of slaughter. Yet his brother’s words about self-strength stirred his heart deeply.

Having arranged everything, Du Chengfeng gave instructions to the system, dispatching another two hundred disguised men from the base to accompany him into Chang’an for revenge.

“The host doesn’t need to go to such trouble,” the system suddenly advised. “You can use reputation points to open a separate system space, store the clone soldiers there, and release them with your consciousness when needed.”

“What? There’s such a feature? How many reputation points does it require?” Du Chengfeng was overjoyed. This way, he could enter Chang’an unnoticed, without worrying about checks or follow-up—simply perfect.