In my territory, you must follow my rules

The sky was gradually brightening.

A crowd had already gathered at the village entrance. Truong Ha, remembering Tran Mac's instructions, had the patrol team members below holding torches, official sabers, grass forks, hoes, and other tools, standing at the village entrance in a standoff with a group of outsider villagers.

Because Tran Mac had already given orders: villagers not on the registration list were, without exception, not allowed to enter the village.

But these outsider villagers didn't know this. They had only believed Han Vu, who said they could receive shelter in Phuc Trach Village, which was why they had brought their families and traveled all night to get here.

However, after arriving, never mind not even getting a sip of water, they were also blocked by people calling themselves some patrol team. How could their hearts not be filled with anger?

Although they had heard Han Vu say that some Immortal Master Tran was very formidable, they had never seen it with their own eyes. Especially since Han Vu's description was somewhat mystical and god-like, even mentioning immortal reincarnation, they felt Han Vu was exaggerating and were somewhat disbelieving.

Furthermore, Tran Mac was just a seventeen-year-old youth, so in their hearts, they held no reverence for Tran Mac. If they held no reverence for Tran Mac, it was even less likely they would for this patrol team.

Moreover, their numbers at this moment were greater than the patrol team's.

With anger in their hearts, they naturally wanted to vent it.

A middle-aged, sturdy man, whose ancestors for three generations had all been hunters, and who was a towering eight chi tall, because he had some renown in his own village, coupled with several fellow hunters as his underlings, felt rather extraordinary about himself. He thought, "For me to seek refuge with you is your honor, yet not only do you not feel honored, you even block me outside." He immediately led his men to clash with the patrol team.

Han Vu led his men to block them, but he found that he was actually no match for this sturdy man. Instead, he was thrown to the ground by the other's shoulder throw, followed by a kick aimed at his head.

Han Vu quickly raised his hands to cover his head, but after being hit, he was somewhat dazed. After getting up, his body swayed, and he could barely stand firm.

Not only this sturdy man, but even his five underlings were also capable of fighting several opponents at once. With other villagers joining in, the situation immediately became somewhat chaotic.

The middle-aged sturdy man, seeing that Han Vu and the patrol team were only at this level, couldn't help but show a few traces of ridicule at the corner of his mouth. He felt even more strongly that what Han Vu had said before was an exaggeration. With just this bit of strength, he dared to brag about sheltering people.

The middle-aged sturdy man held no expectations for that "Immortal Master Tran." Just as he was preparing to lead his men away.

The patrolmen saw Tran Mac and Truong Ha arrive.

"Immortal Master Tran is here!"

"Brother Mac is here!"

"Immortal Master Tran!"

Tran Mac also nodded lightly, looked at the chaotic crowd, frowned, and shouted sharply, "Stop for me!"

But as his voice fell, apart from the patrol team and the fishing team members who heard and stopped, that group of outsiders was still itching to make a move.

"Hold this."

Tran Mac threw the Tang saber to Truong Ha, then took two steps forward, and suddenly burst out violently, rushing towards the somewhat chaotic crowd.

He was like a god of war, sending one flying with a kick, felling another with a punch. Those villagers who still wanted to make a move only felt a cold chill shoot up their tailbones straight to their brains. They all stopped in their tracks, their eyes filled with terror as they looked at the youth who seemed to possess an invincible bearing, all scared motionless.

The conflict ceased.

"My leg!"

"Hiss, it hurts so much!"

"Brother Phuc Sinh, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

On the patrol team's side, ten were injured. On the fishing team's side, including Han Vu, more than twenty were injured.

When the conflict erupted, Han Vu was the first to lead his men to block it.

"Who was the ringleader?" Tran Mac scanned the injured men, his face ice-cold.

The crowd was silent.

"It was him." Han Vu rubbed his head and pointed to a middle-aged sturdy man carrying a longbow on his back.

A patrolman also pointed at the middle-aged sturdy man and said, "We were talking to them nicely, waiting for you, Immortal Master Tran, to arrive before saying more, asking them to wait. But they wouldn't listen, and then he led his men to start a fight."

Hearing this, Tran Mac no longer hesitated. Without stopping, he walked towards the middle-aged sturdy man.

The middle-aged sturdy man was tall and robust. Although Tran Mac's actions just now had startled him somewhat, he didn't see anything in Tran Mac that matched Han Vu's description—no purple qi protection, no golden light body, nothing.

Therefore, seeing Tran Mac approach, the middle-aged sturdy man wasn't scared into turning and fleeing. Instead, he advanced rather than retreated, colliding head-on.

Then, there was no "then" for him.

Tran Mac felled him with a single punch.

He then retrieved the Tang saber from Truong Ha.

Swish!

Fresh blood surged, and the middle-aged sturdy man's head, filled with terror, was severed from his neck.

Everyone was stunned.

Especially the middle-aged sturdy man's five underlings; their eyes bulged like bronze bells.

In their eyes, the middle-aged sturdy man was capable of hunting wolves, tigers, and leopards. Yet, in just one exchange, he was beheaded. This shattered their courage, and cold sweat trickled down their backs.

Tran Mac flicked the bloodstain off his Tang saber and looked at the crowd: "When you enter my territory, you must follow my rules. Disobeying rules and gathering to cause trouble will lead to this kind of end."

Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.

The middle-aged sturdy man might not have deserved death, but he had challenged Tran Mac's authority. If he wasn't severely punished, how could Tran Mac manage the crowd in the future? How could he give an account to his dozen or so injured brothers?

Only Truong Ha's face was calm.

He had witnessed Brother Mac's ruthlessness before.

This was nothing compared to that.

The incident at the village entrance also awakened the villagers still dreaming in the village. They all gathered around to watch, pointing and whispering.

When all the patrol team members and fishing team members had arrived, they immediately surrounded this group of outsiders.

The middle-aged sturdy man's five underlings quickly begged for mercy.

Tran Mac knew the purpose of intimidation had been achieved. His expression also softened, and he said, "Seeing as you were merely accomplices, and this was your first offense with an intention to repent, I will forgive your crimes. But this cannot be taken as a precedent for next time."

"Still not thanking... Immortal Master Tran?" Han Vu dusted off his clothes and became smug again.

"Thank... Immortal Master Tran," this group of outsiders said sparsely.

Tran Mac threw the Tang saber back to Truong Ha. His gaze swept over everyone, and he nodded with satisfaction, continuing, "Since everyone is here, then I will clearly state the rules to everyone. My rules are very simple: murderers must die; those who injure others or steal must make restitution."

This was the very famous "Three-Article Law" in history, originating from the end of the Qin Dynasty.

It was precisely by relying on the Three-Article Law that Liu Bang gained the support and backing of the common people of Guanzhong, quickly stabilizing the order and peace of that time, while also establishing his own prestige and reputation.

Although the Three-Article Law was formulated based on the circumstances of that time and the harsh laws of the Qin Dynasty.

But in this current world, it was still useful.

At this moment, it was a chaotic era. The yamen didn't manage affairs outside the city, causing the common folk outside the city to receive no guarantee of safety.

And this Three-Article Law could quickly help Tran Mac establish his authority and manage Phuc Trach Village and Vuong Gia Trang...