When Liang Shu appeared at the edge of the open space with that group of burly, arrogant Northern Barbarian warriors.

The people of the desolate mountain who had been waiting there suddenly erupted in a thunderous shout.

"How dare they blaspheme the Mountain Goddess! Let's teach them a lesson!"

"Let them know how powerful we believers in the desolate mountains are!"

Before the words were even finished, someone started it, and the "weapons" that had been prepared beforehand rained down on them.

Rotten vegetable leaves, and even a few pieces of meat with a sour smell, flew towards the northern barbarian warriors.

An indescribable sour and foul smell immediately filled the air.

The northern barbarian warriors had never been treated like this before; they were all smashed until they were covered in dust and looked utterly disheveled.

The Northern Barbarian general's face turned bright red, veins bulging on his forehead, and he almost drew his sword.

But remembering the bet they had made and the purpose of his trip, he forced himself to swallow his anger and roared, "Stop! Is this how you Liang people treat your guests?!"

A warrior standing next to him, his face covered in rotten vegetable leaves, suddenly brightened up, wiped his face, leaned close to the general's ear, and whispered something.

"General, look! They're throwing meat at us!"

Another one chimed in, eyes gleaming: "Yes, General, is this desolate mountain truly so rich? They can even waste meat so carelessly!"

"My goodness, how much grain would it take to feed so many livestock!"

"Once our Witch God unifies this place, all this meat will be ours! We can eat it however we want then!"

The warriors became more and more excited as they talked, as if they could already see a bright future with cattle and sheep everywhere and meat at every meal.

The Northern Barbarian General was so angry by his subordinates' unhelpful remarks that his temples throbbed, and he wished he could slap each of them.

"Utterly useless!" he hissed angrily. "A bunch of idiots! All they can see is food!"

Liang Shu frowned slightly and raised her hand.

Her clear voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly: "Everyone, please be quiet."

The crowd, which had been furious, gradually quieted down upon hearing Liang Shu's voice, though they still glared angrily at the group of northern barbarians.

Liang Shu turned to the Northern Barbarian general, her expression calm and composed: "General, tell me, how do you intend to compete? What will you be competing in?"

The Northern Barbarian General took a deep breath, suppressing his anger and speechless frustration at his foolish subordinates.

One of the most impatient barbarian warriors behind him immediately jumped out and shouted in a gruff voice, "Of course, it's a contest of strength!"

As he spoke, he patted his arm, which was thicker than a normal person's thigh, his muscles bulging and full of explosive power.

Another burly man next to him, with a face full of scars, chimed in, "That's right! Let's compare strength! We can even have a little sparring to see whose fist is harder and whose fight is more impressive!"

Upon hearing this, the local people in the desolate mountains and the workers in the factories were first taken aback, then their faces showed strange expressions, and they began to whisper among themselves.

"Have these people gone mad?"

"Don't they know of Madam An's reputation?"

A burly man working in the factory couldn't help but sneer: "Tsk tsk, ignorance is bliss, daring to compete with Madam An in strength."

Another tall, thin man chimed in, "That's right, if Madam An were to punch them, she'd probably smash their bones to pieces!"

"I've seen Lady An lift a millstone weighing several thousand pounds with one hand! These barbarians must have never seen anything like it!"

Although the discussions were quiet, the barbarian warriors were all sharp-eared and sharp-eyed, and they heard some of it.

Seeing the crowd on this side of the desolate mountain whispering among themselves, with expressions of anticipation on their faces.

Those northern barbarian warriors were even more smug, puffing out their chests and raising their chins high.

"What?" The barbarian warrior who had led the clamor glared at the group from the desolate mountain with his large, copper-bell-shaped eyes, looking defiantly at them. "Scared? Don't dare to compete?"

"If you're scared, kneel down and kowtow now, venerate our Witch God, and we'll be able to go back sooner!"

They had already taken the crowd's reaction as fear and guilt.