12. Lord is on the way!

Zeng Bo was elated after receiving Lord Middle Finger's card. The display of power from Lord Middle Finger had astounded him beyond belief. If I had merely glimpsed such a powerful being in my past life, I would have boasted about it until my dying day. But now, I possess a lifesaving treasure from such a person. I must live my life with dignity; any scorn would be a disrespect to Lord Middle Finger. With this thought, he overhauled his old shop.

He sold his wife's old jewelry to buy new equipment—some decent chairs, a table, and attractive flower pots. Despite the modest nature of his purchases, he didn't shy away from making them. He had to uphold the Lord's image, after all.

Finally, everything was set. He bought a large banner for his shop featuring a clenched fist unfurling a middle finger, with the shop's name, "Good Old Skewers," displayed prominently.

The only remaining task was relocating. His previous location had been in a secluded area due to his limited funds after last month's recession. Now, he couldn't do business in such a place. He borrowed money from a moneylender at high interest rates and bought a prime spot beside the main road. Everything was ready, and the next day, he started business with a beaming smile.

In the first few hours, some people glanced at his shop and left, but a couple eventually bought his skewers. Many followed suit, and by the end of the day, he had earned a quarter of the amount he had spent. Before closing, he bowed to Lord Middle Finger's card and went home happily.

The next day, as soon as the sun rose, he began his business again. Today, he brought his lovely daughter to show off the new shop. He wanted to bring his wife too, but she was still upset about losing her jewelry. I'll buy her a pretty necklace soon enough, he promised himself.

Business was good for the first hour. Suddenly, a few guards pushed aside his customers and barged through. He recognized the leader as Peng Gen, the eldest son of the Peng family across the street.

Peng Gen worked as a Bush Trimmer for the Cheng family. Being a cultivator, he had a stable and well-paying job. That Peng Father is planning to buy a new house on the outskirts, Zeng Bo thought. Even though Peng Gen was his neighbor, he dared not disrespect a cultivator. As a person of Lord Middle Finger, he addressed Peng Gen respectfully but not servilely:

"Honored Sir, how may I help you?"

Faced with such a direct question, Peng Gen's entourage quickly grew angry. One man with a brown mustache barked, "You scum! Normally, you wouldn't even get the chance to see such esteemed presence as myself. But you're scamming people in broad daylight. I had to do justice, so here I am." He straightened his back slightly.

As this was the main street, a crowd quickly gathered to watch the spectacle. Upon hearing the accusation from a cultivator, they knew the shopkeeper would not come out on top. Many began currying favor with the cultivator by badmouthing Zeng Bo.

If this had been a few days ago, Zeng Bo would have been crying and begging for his life. But now, as a person of Lord Middle Finger, he saw this cultivator as a mere pebble in his Lord's path. He calmly smiled and replied, "Honored Sir, what is my crime?"

The long-mustached cultivator grew a bit concerned. Normally, commoners would be begging at this point, but the person in front of him maintained a strong front. He glanced furtively at Peng Gen, who was supposed to help with this scheme.

Peng Gen's family had planned to start their own skewer business and had resorted to spreading rumors to remove the competition. Despite their efforts, Zeng Bo's business had continued. Peng Gen's family had promised him 30% of the profit from his family's business, so he planned to seize Zeng Bo's shop.

Cultivators held considerable power on the streets, but as a lowly commoner working in a big family, Peng Gen had to find a valid excuse. He knew that Zeng Bo had no support behind him, so as long as he silenced him, no one would question his actions. He continued, "You dare to sell fraudulent goods to honest folks? Your skewers are clearly sea water fish skewers, yet you're selling them as fresh water fish skewers?"

Zeng Bo smiled calmly. Before starting the shop, he had changed the description of his skewers to simply "fish skewers." So, he responded, "Honored Guest, I am selling fish skewers. I never claimed they are fresh water skewers. You can confirm with the customers whether I am telling the truth or not."

A few positive replies came from the crowd, some of whom were discreetly supporting him. They wanted to make the situation more interesting.

The moustached cultivator was embarrassed. As someone who valued his face, he couldn't tolerate being outsmarted by a mere mortal. He scolded, "You previously scammed people, and now you're trying to trick me. I hereby confiscate this shop. I will spare your life, but you must leave behind your right hand for tricking me." With that, he drew his sword.

Peng Gen was now frightened. Initially, he just wanted to use his influence to help his family, but he didn't expect the situation to escalate like this. He tried to restrain the moustached cultivator but was unsuccessful. After a moment of thought, he decided to stay silent, as the outcome would favor him.

Zeng Bo was equally terrified. Despite being a person of Lord Middle Finger, he was still mortal, and facing a sword revealed his true personality—he began trembling. At that moment, someone from behind him charged at the mustached cultivator. It was Zeng Bo's daughter.

Zeng Lifen, only 4 years old, had watched her father receive a warm reception from many people since morning. So many had bought skewers from him. Mommy always kept money hidden because it was very important. But today, everyone gave Papa their money happily. Papa must be very strong! She was proud of her father.

When she saw the mustached uncle threatening her father, she wanted to impress him. She hoped that if she helped Papa defeat the bad guy, Papa would be happy and buy her the toy she wanted from Uncle Wang. She hurriedly ran in front, holding a stick in her hand. I must beat the bad guy before Papa does, hu hu.