HCB Chapter 171 The Competition 4
Chapter 171 The Competition 4
After Wang Dachui left, Tian Xiaodao wandered through the woods. Just then, his gaze was drawn to a rather large flag. The flag swayed gently in the breeze, as if beckoning to him.
Tian Xiaodao cautiously glanced around, and after confirming that no one else was nearby, he tiptoed to the flag. He carefully reached out and grasped the edge of the flag, beginning to slowly pull it down from the pole. Each time he pulled it a little further, he would stop and observe his surroundings to make sure his actions didn't attract anyone's attention.
After some effort, Tian Xiaodao finally managed to pull the flag completely off the pole. Looking at the enormous flag in his hands, he thought to himself: [The princess only told us to retrieve the flag, not the flagpole! This flag is so big; if we just carry it away like this, it will definitely attract a lot of people fighting over it, causing a lot of unnecessary trouble. Hmm… it's safer to take the flag off the pole, fold it into small pieces, and hide it on my person.]
Having made up his mind, Tian Xiaodao deftly took the flag from the flagpole, quickly folded it into several small pieces, and then stuffed them into his clothes. After doing all this, he clapped his hands and left the spot as if nothing had happened.
Not long after Tian Xiaodao left, Zheng Tieshan arrived at the place. When he saw the bare flagpole, he instantly understood what had happened—someone must have found the flag before him and taken it from the flagpole.
Zheng Tieshan frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Hmph, finding a flag is too troublesome! Instead of wasting time and effort searching, it would be much easier and faster to just rob it!" With that thought, Zheng Tieshan turned and strode out of the mountain.
He hurried along and soon arrived at the mountainside. From there, he could clearly see the road leading in and out of the mountain. Zheng Tieshan chose a spot with a clear view and waited quietly. Not long after, he saw a figure slowly descending the mountain path.
Zheng Tieshan's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, he rushed forward, blocking the man's path. He shouted fiercely, "Stop! Hand over the flag!"
The moment the man saw Zheng Tieshan, whose face was full of scars and who looked like a fierce demon, his heart skipped a beat, and a chill instantly shot from his spine to his head. He didn't have time to think and instinctively turned and ran, looking even more disheveled than a frightened rabbit.
However, how could he possibly outrun Zheng Tieshan, who was as strong and powerful as a bull? In just a short while, Zheng Tieshan pounced on him like a hungry tiger, pinning him to the ground. The poor man, despite struggling with all his might, was like an ant trying to shake a tree, utterly powerless to break free.
Immediately afterward, Zheng Tieshan easily snatched the flag from the man's hand, a smug smile spreading across his face. At that moment, he felt an immense surge of power, as if the entire mountain was beneath his feet. He didn't even bother to glance at the pitiful wretch he had knocked to the ground, and strode off down the mountain.
The man, his face bruised and swollen, was filled with resentment: "Why can he steal my flag? Can't I steal someone else's?" With that thought, he simply sat down on the spot, staring intently at every passerby coming down the mountain, waiting for his chance to strike.
Before long, a group of burly, broad-shouldered men descended the mountain. Each of them was muscular and powerfully built; their mere presence was enough to inspire fear. The man who had been beaten saw this clearly and inwardly groaned: "Oh my god! With my small frame, fighting them is like throwing an egg against a rock. I'd better just wait for the other easier targets..."
Time passed slowly, and the man being attacked still hadn't found a suitable target. Just as he was about to lose patience, he suddenly saw a small, thin figure slowly approaching in the distance. This person also carried a brightly colored flag on their shoulder, which stood out conspicuously in the sunlight.
The man who had been hit immediately brightened up upon seeing this, thinking to himself with delight, "Hehe, that's him! This guy looks so skinny, he'll be easy to deal with!" In the blink of an eye, he leaped up from the ground and charged towards the short man like an arrow.
Despite his small stature and slender build, this man was incredibly agile. Facing the sudden attack, he calmly sidestepped, easily dodging the snatch. Then, he launched a powerful kick, striking the man squarely in the chest. The kick was so forceful that the man staggered back several steps, nearly collapsing to the ground.
Enraged, the man who had been hit lunged at the smaller man again, brandishing his claws. The two exchanged blows, neither gaining the upper hand for a time. Despite his desperate efforts to grab the flag, the smaller man was simply too agile, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't succeed.
After a fierce struggle, the shorter man ultimately prevailed. Seizing his opportunity, he delivered a punch to the man's face, causing him to see stars and bleed profusely from his nose. Simultaneously, the shorter man forcefully swung his arm, shoving his opponent aside.
The man, dazed and confused from the beating, lay on the ground panting heavily, his mind filled with doubt and bewilderment: "What on earth happened? How can someone who looks so small and thin be so strong? This is truly bizarre!"
Now that things had come to this, he knew he had completely failed. With no other choice, he could only stagger to his feet, rubbing his swollen cheek, and sheepishly continue his search for a new target. As luck would have it, not long after, he actually found one.
This time, however, things weren't going well. When the man saw him from afar, he turned and ran without a word, deliberately taking a long detour, as if afraid of a direct confrontation. Watching his retreating figure, the man who had been beaten was on the verge of tears, inwardly lamenting, "Oh God! Why am I so unlucky..." He had no choice but to give up. Finally, the people descending the mountain were all in groups, and he dared not make a move. Helpless, he could only go back into the mountain to see if he could find a survivor.
In the camp, figures carrying flags returned one after another. At first, not many people returned, but as time went on, more than 160 flags had gathered there. However, the number of people returning with flags gradually decreased, as if there were very few flags left.
As Zheng Tieshan slowly approached, carrying a small flag, Sun Daniu and Zhao Dage, who were standing in the crowd, instantly felt an ominous aura emanating from them. Their hearts tightened, and they hurriedly hid deeper into the crowd, trying to conceal themselves. But how could all this escape Zheng Tieshan's sharp eyes? He merely glanced at them and easily spotted them. However, he wasn't in a hurry to settle scores with them. After all, there would be plenty of time in the future; he could deal with them later.