Without horses, the group used lightness skills to hurry back to Black Dragon Stockade.
In truth, Li Daoqiang had considered leaving Blood Saber Ancestor and the others behind, taking Huang Xuemei back first. Then, at the fastest speed, he could do what needed to be done—turn raw rice into cooked rice, so to speak—before dealing with the matter between He Qinghua and Huang Xuemei. By then, he would have more confidence and leverage.
But in the end, he chose to bring them along. Not to mention Lü Lin, even Blood Saber Ancestor and the others were subordinates he had found with great difficulty. He couldn't afford to lose them easily. Letting them travel alone at a time like this might mean they'd be lost. Some of the newly recruited subordinates might even just walk away. So after hesitating, he decided to take them along. That way, even if it slowed them down, as long as he planned well, it wouldn't delay his main business.
As they traveled, Li Daoqiang silently refined his plan. Huang Xuemei remained in his arms, carried by him, quietly recovering. Though being so intimate under many gazes was still very uncomfortable, seeing Xiao Lin and waiting for the幕后黑手 to come seeking revenge—that was her spiritual support now. It allowed her to prioritize the bigger picture, endure forcibly, and with some already-habitual psychology, she remained indifferent, pretending not to care.
Blood Saber Ancestor and the others were naturally quite curious about Huang Xuemei, but none dared to ask anything, not even daring to glance at her. They traveled in silence.
During brief rests, Li Daoqiang sent some commands back. Even though they hurried along with little rest, their speed couldn't compare to the uninterrupted transmission speed of carrier pigeons and such. Perhaps because this world had spiritual energy, many animals were far more capable than those on Mercury. Carrier pigeons, as very useful communication tools, were treated with great seriousness. Through continuous breeding, they grew even more impressive. The carrier pigeons used by Black Dragon Stockade now could fly about two thousand kilometers—roughly four thousand li—a day. By switching pigeons midway, information could be transmitted even faster. Barring accidents, Li Daoqiang's orders would reach Black Dragon Stockade in about a day or so.
While Li Daoqiang's group traveled, the events at Six Finger Manor began spreading rapidly everywhere, stirring up storms. Let's set aside the Ming Kingdom for now. In the Song Kingdom, most discussions had been about the already-spread news of the Yuan Kingdom's princess and the capture of large numbers from the Ming Kingdom's six major sects, with a small part about the possible emergence of the Demon Zither. Now, wherever the news reached, it immediately turned to talk about the Six Finger Manor incident. After all, what happened at Six Finger Manor occurred within Song Kingdom territory. And the topics for discussion were no less compelling than the capture of many from the Ming Kingdom's six major sects.
Li Daoqiang's strength. The matter of striking and injuring Zhu Yuyan with one palm. The matter of proposing to Huang Xuemei before tens of thousands of heroes. The matter of seventy million taels of silver. And so on—all were highly legendary and endlessly fascinating topics. No matter how much they talked, it remained interesting and curious. Wherever the news passed, voices about this matter were everywhere. In countless people's minds, Li Daoqiang's impression became deeply rooted. Powerful, unfathomable. And utterly greedy and lecherous. It seemed like for money and women, he would do anything. Some observant people had already firmly noted this.
At Swallow's Nest, Murong Fu received the news. Reading it word by word, his expression shifted between shock and uncertainty, looking very unpleasant. Faintly, there was even an incredible jealousy. After a long silence, he looked at Deng Baichuan, who had brought the news, and said gravely, "Is it all true?"
"Not a single word exaggerated." Deng Baichuan's expression was also very serious.
"How could he be this strong?" Murong Fu seemed to be asking Deng Baichuan, or perhaps himself, with a hint of despair rising in his eyes. There was no way to avenge his defeat!
Deng Baichuan paused, carefully observing his master's expression, and said solemnly, "Master, this is a good thing for us. From now on, no one will dwell too much on your defeat at Black Dragon Stockade. Besides, we are ultimately connected to Li Daoqiang. He only cares about money and beauty—that's something we can exploit."
Zhu Yuyan had been struck and injured with one palm. Many grandmaster-level experts dared not act. Murong Fu's defeat at Li Daoqiang's hands and capture would have much less impact. In a word, it wasn't that Murong Fu was weak, but that Li Daoqiang was too strong—incredibly strong. The stronger Li Daoqiang appeared, the less people would look down on Murong Fu. Moreover, facing such a powerful figure, maintaining a relationship was the right move, no matter what.
Murong Fu's expression shifted slightly. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, as if struggling. After a while, he opened his eyes, let out a breath, and seemed to have figured something out. He said earnestly, "Brother Deng, you're right. Personal humiliation means nothing. Such a powerful ally should be courted."
"Master is wise." Deng Baichuan was pleased and said with relief.
Murong Fu shook his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Since we're courting him, send a congratulatory gift for his new wife, but don't make it public."
"Understood." Deng Baichuan nodded.
Although someone as powerful as Li Daoqiang wasn't from the evil or demonic paths, to some extent, he had shed the world's prejudice against the greenwood path. Even reputable orthodox sects, without huge interests, wouldn't say much and would turn a blind eye. But no one knew what Li Daoqiang might do in the future, and his strength hadn't been definitively confirmed as reaching the supreme expert level. So the Murong family shouldn't openly associate with him. After responding, Deng Baichuan's eyes showed a flicker of hesitation. He lowered his head and said with a sigh, "Master, I think we should invest more in cultivating A'Zhu and A'Bi."
Murong Fu was slightly stunned, looking at Deng Baichuan with confusion. Deng Baichuan didn't raise his head, continuing as if explaining, "Regardless, the stronger a woman is, generally speaking, the more outstanding she is."
Murong Fu paused, instinctively looking at the intelligence in his hand. Suddenly, it dawned on him. He frowned, but then his eyes lit up. He nodded seriously, "Yes, that's right. Perhaps there will come a day when it's useful."
Hearing this, Deng Baichuan sighed inwardly, also feeling somewhat helpless. The master's orders, and now the young master saying the same. He just hoped that day never came. Oh well, he might as well teach those two girls more. Being stronger was ultimately a good thing. Sigh!
"I'll handle this matter." Murong Fu said, thinking of his cousin. Entrusting them to her would surely yield some results.
...
At a mysterious location.
"What a Li Daoqiang! He's surprised us several times."
A figure seated in the main seat finished reading the intelligence and chuckled softly, the laughter carrying a note of seriousness and gravity. As the laughter faded, he looked at the figure below, "Can you determine his true strength?"
Below, Bai Xiaosheng gently waved his feather fan, his expression also serious. He mused, "He's still acted too little. Based solely on his brief exchange with Zhu Yuyan, we can't yet confirm him as a supreme expert. However, from his two encounters with Murong Fu and Zhu Yuyan, the biggest speculation now is that Li Daoqiang is extremely skilled in combat, with an ability to instantly see through an opponent's weaknesses. So currently, we have a fifty percent chance he's reached the supreme expert level. The other fifty percent is uncertain."
"Fifty percent..." The figure above murmured softly, his gaze steadying, "That's enough. From now on, go all out to court Li Daoqiang."
Bai Xiaosheng hesitated, "Directly at the level of Dragon Head?"
"Yes." The figure above nodded, showing a hint of a smile, "But whether he ultimately becomes Dragon Head depends on his own strength."
"Understood." Bai Xiaosheng also showed a faint smile.
"Investigate the matter of the Demon Zither from back then. I want to know what really happened," the figure above added.
"Yes."
...
Lin'an City.
Jia Mansion.
Still that study.
The middle-aged man looked at the detailed intelligence, a strange light flickering in his eyes. The smile on his face grew thicker and thicker.
"Truly unexpected. Li Daoqiang, the surprises keep getting bigger. Good, very good."
"The Demon Zither, Huang Xuemei, the orphan of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, hehehe, even better."
Suddenly, another voice sounded in the room, calm and flat, "This is a powerful helper. Best to stir up some commotion to divert attention. We still need a few more years to prepare."
"I know that well. But it won't divert attention for long. The best method is still to keep him from returning for a few years," the middle-aged man mused.
"Hmm."
The voice responded, then faded away, as if it had withdrawn.
...
After nearly three days, Li Daoqiang, knowing someone would surely be after him, led his group close to the Floating Cloud Mountain Range.
At a manor over a hundred li away, Li Daoqiang met Ding Dian, who was waiting there. After a brief exchange, he had Ding Dian treat Huang Xuemei's injuries. As for why not return directly to Black Dragon Stockade for treatment? Li Daoqiang didn't elaborate, and Ding Dian didn't ask. Huang Xuemei seemed thoughtful but had no objections.
The treatment began, and the power of the Divine Illumination Sutra showed itself once more. Even when healing others, the effect was excellent. After a few hours, Huang Xuemei's injuries were mostly healed. But the rest would require her own slow recovery, as the Divine Illumination Sutra wasn't a miracle cure. Still, it no longer affected her normal activities.
Li Daoqiang began his formal actions.
(Thank you for your support.)
...