Come, let me feed you.

[This chapter has been revised and harmonized due to excessive gore, and the chapter title has been changed]
......
"My dear mother, if I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have brought you out!"
Ming Tian clutched his face, feeling completely doomed.
An Luo possessed such an overwhelming sense of justice that he simply could not stand by and watch such atrocities, charging forward with blazing fury.

First, Ming Tian held no deep emotional attachment to this town, making intervention completely unnecessary.
Second, this town would inevitably fall victim to the collapse of the Southern Qi dynasty sooner or later, much like Wuxing Commandery. Could you save them for a moment, or could you save them for a lifetime?
Third, they still needed to figure out a way to make Meng Lang leave promptly. Now that you've offended his subordinates, how are we supposed to proceed?
Wouldn't sticking your neck out just bring unnecessary trouble?

Ming Tian analyzed the situation with utmost clarity, weighing everything in the interest of himself and his own people. But an impulsive blockhead like An Luo acted solely on instinct and hot temper, never considering the broader picture.

"Return the cow to them!"
Aggressive and imposing, An Luo stepped up and issued a stern warning without a moment's hesitation.
The woman and child on the ground stared blankly at the burly giant who had suddenly appeared from nowhere, momentarily failing to comprehend the situation.

The bearded ruffian looked back, licked his lips, and smiled defiantly. "Well, well. There actually are people in this town who don't fear death and dare to provoke Grandpa Ma Fu."
Facing An Luo, whose physique was even sturdier than his own, the bearded ruffian named Ma Fu showed no fear whatsoever, appearing instead somewhat surprised.
Clearly, no one had ever dared to challenge him before.

This must be my fate. Who asked me to have such a stubborn blockhead for a companion?
Driven to this point, Ming Tian had no choice but to step forward.
That idiot An Luo—I'll have to thoroughly lecture him later on what it means to keep the bigger picture in mind. But for now, since the offense has already been given...
We certainly cannot afford to lose!

The trouble was caused by An Luo, but An Luo was his brother. Ming Tian would never abandon a comrade just to save his own skin simply because the former had caused trouble.
"My buddy said, put that cow down. Are you deaf? Or is your head full of so much earwax that you need me to slap some sense into you?"
Stepping forward, Ming Tian walked alongside An Luo and calmly hurled insults.

"Brother Ming Tian." Seeing Ming Tian approach, An Luo looked deeply relieved.
Ming Tian merely rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Shut up! I'll deal with you and settle accounts after I handle this idiot!"
This remark left An Luo completely baffled, still entirely unaware of what he had done wrong.

Upon noticing Ming Tian, Ma Fu looked him up and down before laughing with utter disdain. "Hmph, the big dummy beside you is one thing, but what? Even a scrawny weakling like you dares to challenge me? Do you even know who I am?"
Ma Fu swaggered arrogantly, rattling the saber at his waist. "Let me tell you, if you know what's good for you, get lost. I could hack you to death in the middle of the street today, and not a single soul would dare say a word."

Ming Tian had no desire to court trouble, but that did not mean he found this thug pleasing to the eye.
Provoked by the man's arrogant roar, Ming Tian's temper flared as well.
"Hack me to death? Oh really? I'm so terrified. And who might you be?" Ming Tian asked with a sarcastic, mocking smile.

Ma Fu sneered coldly. "I am Lord Meng Lang's left bodyguard. Lord Meng Lang has come to your Sumen Town, so what of it if he requisitions one of your cows for a meal? If you know what's good for you, get out of my sight immediately!"
"Eating beef is illegal!" An Luo interjected, refusing to back down.
Ma Fu laughed even more hysterically, mocking An Luo's ignorance. "Does a lowly peasant like you have any right to care about what Lord Meng Lang wishes to eat?"
"You..." An Luo was never eloquent, and such a simple retort left him completely speechless.

Feeling somewhat anxious over his brother's lack of eloquence, Ming Tian helplessly took a step forward.
Verbal sparring? That was his specialty!

"Uhm, Lord Left Bodyguard, is it?" Ming Tian asked, putting on a flattering, sycophantic smile.
"What is it?" Assuming Ming Tian had suddenly grown submissive out of fear, Ma Fu haughtily raised his chin.
"Nothing much."
Ming Tian laughed heartily. "I just think you look remarkably like a pile of shit."

As soon as these words left his mouth, Ma Fu froze for a second before flying into a rage. "What did you say?! You're comparing me to shit?"
"That's right. Did I say something wrong?"
Ming Tian feigned an innocent expression and pointed at the beard coiled around the man's neck.
"Look at you—your beard is tied into such thick ropes and wrapped around your neck for so many circles. Coupled with that pitch-black head of yours stuck right on top, it makes your entire cranium stand out precisely like a piece of excrement. I'm genuinely curious, can your Lord Meng Lang even keep his food down when he looks at your head?"
"You..."

Ming Tian spoke at lightning speed, driving the blood straight to Ma Fu's face.
Before the guard could retaliate, Ming Tian pointed at the scar on his forehead.
"And what on earth is that cross-shaped scar on your forehead?"
"This?" Ma Fu pointed to his own forehead, seemingly resentful that his verbal skills fell short of Ming Tian's. Suppressing his anger, he proudly lifted his head.
"This is a wound bestowed upon me by Lord Meng Lang! It signifies my absolute willingness to shed blood and sacrifice my life for Lord Meng Lang! Because the scar is cross-shaped, Lord Meng Lang even granted me an imposing alias: the Death-Cross Thousand-Man Commander!"

"Pfft..."
The moment this title was uttered, Ming Tian could no longer hold back his laughter.
This chuckle instantly caused Ma Fu's expression to stiffen. "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm sorry, I genuinely couldn't help myself."
Ming Tian tried desperately to suppress his mirth, but failed utterly. After lasting a mere two seconds, he burst into laughter once again.
"Death-Cross Thousand-Man Commander? An Luo, did you hear that? Death-Cross, how utterly badass! You know, you actually look a bit like a barbecued pork pastry! Did Meng Lang give you a backup name? If not, let me coin one for you right now: how about the Dog-Shit-Faced Thousand-Man Commander? Because your head looks entirely too much like a pile of dung!"

"Hahahaha..."
The moment the phrase "Dog-Shit-Faced Thousand-Man Commander" was spoken, the child of the weeping woman burst into giggles, laughing so hard that he instantly forgot how miserable his crying had been just moments before.
Even An Luo covered his mouth, barely managing to hold back his laughter.
"You..."

These words caused Ma Fu's complexion to alternate between shades of green and purple!
Having previously followed Meng Lang across various jurisdictions as a trusted confidant, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
Especially the moniker "Dog-Shit-Faced Thousand-Man Commander"—as soon as it left the lips of the scrawny man before him, he felt a pitiful sense of absolute accuracy.
For he realized that the combination of his head and the beard wrapped around his neck truly resembled a pile of excrement.

"Very well! Very well! Very well!"
Repeating the phrase three times, Ma Fu gnashed his teeth in fury and drew his saber. "If I don't go on a killing spree today, you bumpkins will never learn how to spell the word 'death'!"
With that, Ma Fu took a step forward, his killing intent surging as he prepared to sever Ming Tian's head with a single stroke!

However, An Luo was standing right beside Ming Tian!
Not only was An Luo massive in stature, but he was also possessed of superhuman strength. Even when facing opponents of similar build, An Luo's power and speed far exceeded theirs.
Coupled with the recovery treatment he received at the Wei Lai Bathhouse, An Luo's body had returned to peak condition, making his combat prowess at least twice as formidable as when Ming Tian had first met him.
How could someone like Ma Fu possibly defeat An Luo?

Seeing Ma Fu charge forward, An Luo's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward and instantly...
Boom!!!
A heavy elbow smashed brutally into Ma Fu's abdomen, the displaced air howling with a ferocity resembling the shockwave of a jet breaking the sound barrier.

"Ugh..."
An Iron Mountain Lean! Ma Fu was struck so hard he vomited yellowish bile on the spot. His entire body contorted into a ninety-degree U-shape as he flew backward through the air, crashing straight into an animal pen.
With a resounding crash, the gate of the animal enclosure was shattered into splinters!

Good grief, An Luo, you are far too fierce! You settled the matter in a single move?
Ming Tian knew he was unsuited for direct combat, so whenever he had spare time, he taught An Luo various fighting techniques; this Iron Mountain Lean was one of them.
The Iron Mountain Lean was exceptionally effective against opponents wielding large sabers, but Ming Tian never anticipated that executing this technique through An Luo's hands would possess such monstrous power, directly sending a burly man weighing over one hundred and eighty pounds flying nearly ten meters!
And keep in mind, An Luo was completely unarmed!

Facing an armed opponent with bare hands, and one who evidently possessed martial training, Ming Tian had expected at least a brief exchange of blows, not a sheer one-hit knockout.
"Ugh... cough, cough..." Amidst the splintered wood, Ma Fu attempted to rise, but a series of coughs forced a mouthful of blood up his throat, leaving him utterly unable to stand.
How had he ever encountered someone so terrifying?
Ma Fu was one of the fiercest combatants in Xiao Feng's vanguard camp; when had he ever met such a predicament?

"You... you bastards have some nerve! When I return to report this to Lord Meng Lang, I will have your entire clan executed to the last man!!"
Gritting his teeth, Ma Fu barely propped himself up.
Ming Tian's expression darkened slightly.
Stepping forward instantly, he kicked the saber out of Ma Fu's hand and planted his knee directly onto the man's chest.

A searing pain flared from the chest that had just been battered viciously by An Luo, instantly suppressing Ma Fu's breath and causing him to gasp wide-mouthed in near-suffocation.
"You see, I personally dislike killing, and I certainly won't commit murder in broad daylight. However, I firmly believe that acting arrogantly comes with a price, and letting you walk away unscathed is simply not my style."

As he spoke, Ming Tian looked around the vicinity. Conveniently, because this was an animal pen—specifically one raising meat dogs—there was an abundance of canine feces.
Right beside them lay a sizable pile of dog dung!
Picking up the excrement, a mischievous, playful smile spread across Ming Tian's face.

Ma Fu instantly grasped what the scrawny man intended to do, but with a knee pressing heavily against his chest, the suffocating pressure prevented him from keeping his mouth shut.
Ming Tian smiled, beaming like the morning sun, radiating warmth and kindness... except for the pile of dog feces clutched in his hand.
At this moment, Ma Fu was truly terrified!

"Wh-what do you want?"
"Nothing much. Just be a good boy, listen closely, and say: Ah!"
"Ah! No... don't! Ah!! Ahhhhhh... Mm... Mmph!!!"
With a single slap, Ming Tian shoved the excrement directly into Ma Fu's wide-open mouth.
Lifting the man's chin, a couple of gulping sounds echoed as the gagged Ma Fu was forced to swallow the massive lump of dung.

Ming Tian smiled.
"There you go. You said no with your mouth, but your body was remarkably honest. How does it taste?"
......