This also meant that, in the eyes of those below the Grandmaster level, Li Daoqiang didn't seem to move left or right at all—he just kept walking straight toward Yideng.
Effortless, calm, and composed.
Watching this scene, Kurong couldn't remain calm either.
Because the ability Li Daoqiang had displayed was practically the bane of the One Yang Finger.
Compared to the strength Li Daoqiang was showing now, the word "bane" carried even more weight for them.
At this moment, Li Daoqiang was naturally in a good mood.
His guess had been right.
With the Lingbo Weibu in hand, combined with the talent of the Natural War God,
he had directly become the nemesis of finger techniques.
Not just finger techniques—things like the Six Meridian Divine Sword, or even blade, sword, and hidden weapon techniques that focused power intensely—
he was their bane as well.
Originally, those martial arts, especially finger techniques, were to some extent the best way to deal with him.
Just like when he had fought Murong Bo back then.
With his Canhe Finger, Li Daoqiang had struggled to find enough openings.
Lacking sufficient power and speed,
he could only dodge.
He had no way to handle Murong Bo.
Although the main reason was still his lack of power and speed,
if he had possessed Lingbo Weibu back then, the situation would have been different.
Even if he still couldn't have dealt with Murong Bo, the Canhe Finger would have been utterly useless against him.
Just like now.
Yideng's One Yang Finger was at its peak,
even stronger than the Canhe Finger Murong Bo had used.
But Li Daoqiang felt no pressure; he didn't even need to block it head-on.
With the Natural War God, he could sense it before Yideng even fully extended his finger.
Coupled with the marvelous footwork of Lingbo Weibu,
his speed and evasive ability were greatly enhanced.
Even against this kind of dense, unrelenting attack, he moved like a fish in the sea—it simply couldn't touch him.
Step by step, not fast, but steady and unyielding, he closed in on Yideng.
In no time, the distance between Yideng and Li Daoqiang had shrunk to about three zhang.
Yideng's gaze grew more solemn, and his finger strikes became swifter.
The closer they were, the more powerful his finger strikes seemed, and the smaller Li Daoqiang's evasive range became—advantageous for him.
But in reality, the closer the distance, the faster he had to strike, and the power actually decreased.
For a strong fighter like Li Daoqiang, once the power dropped below a certain threshold, it became useless.
In terms of pure hand-to-hand combat, Yideng admitted he was no match for Li Daoqiang.
So Li Daoqiang closing in was not to his advantage.
A flicker of hesitation crossed Yideng's mind.
If it were any other time, he could stop and concede defeat.
But now, with Dali's twenty million taels of silver at stake, he couldn't stop.
He struck out with two fingers and simultaneously retreated.
This was also his first step back, trying to re-establish some distance.
Li Daoqiang showed a faint smile but didn't take the chance to close in, letting Yideng retreat.
The crowd was puzzled.
"Master Yideng, you should be careful too."
Suddenly, Li Daoqiang spoke.
Yideng's heart tightened, knowing Li Daoqiang was about to make his move.
He nodded slightly and said seriously, "Thank you for the reminder, benefactor. Please."
Li Daoqiang dropped his smile and struck out with a palm.
A flash of golden light appeared, and a palm imprint shot through the air toward Yideng.
Yideng raised a finger, and a half-zhang-long finger force met it head-on.
Breaking a palm with a finger was the advantage of finger techniques—he naturally wouldn't dodge.
The finger and palm collided, and a violent boom erupted.
At the same time, Li Daoqiang's figure suddenly surged forward, a golden light enveloping his entire body.
Like a mountain, he charged at Yideng with overwhelming momentum.
The residual shockwaves from the finger-palm clash seemed to have no effect on him.
Yideng was startled and quickly struck out with his finger.
Though Li Daoqiang was fast, Yideng's reaction was swift, and his finger strikes were even quicker as he retreated.
A sharp glint flashed in Li Daoqiang's eyes.
He unleashed a series of palm strikes.
One palm imprint after another shot through the air.
At the same time, he charged straight at Yideng without hesitation.
His fierce momentum was like a great river, sweeping everything before him.
Yideng's expression shifted slightly, and he fired off finger strikes in rapid succession.
"Boom!!!"
Palm imprints and finger forces clashed in the void, their frequency growing faster and faster, golden and yellow light illuminating the entire scene.
The terrifying residual shockwaves spread in all directions.
The flat plaza churned like a dragon turning over the earth, a chaotic mess of constant tremors.
The battle suddenly became intensely fierce, and everyone's eyes were tense.
In the blink of an eye, several breaths passed.
The others were fine, but Kurong let out a faint sigh inwardly.
Another dozen or so breaths passed.
The fierce clash showed no sign of weakening.
Suddenly, a golden palm imprint pierced through the dense web of finger forces and struck the retreating Yideng.
Duan Zhengming and the others were shocked.
Instantly, all the booming sounds ceased.
Li Daoqiang stopped, and Yideng retreated several zhang, blood at the corner of his mouth, his face pale.
"Amitabha, I have lost. Thank you, Benefactor Li, for showing mercy," Yideng said calmly, pressing his palms together.
He sighed inwardly—it seemed it really was...
"Master, you're too kind. You yielded," Li Daoqiang said with a smile.
Then he looked at Kurong.
Kurong lowered his eyelids slightly and said, "Benefactor Li has won. Zhengming."
Duan Zhengming looked resigned and unwilling, but still nodded. "Yes."
Then he said to Li Daoqiang, "Chief Li, you've won. The twenty million taels of silver, please come to the capital to collect them."
"Mm," Li Daoqiang acknowledged with a nod.
Then he looked at Kurong and said with a smile, "Since that's settled, I won't disturb you further. I'll come to learn from you another time."
"Go slowly, Benefactor Li," Kurong said politely, his expression unchanged.
A moment later.
Watching Li Daoqiang leave with Duan Zhengming and the others, and dismissing everyone else, Kurong said slowly to the only one left, Yideng, "Yideng, what do you think?"
"It should be," Yideng replied, a hint of gravity in his eyes, answering in a way that would confuse outsiders.
Kurong was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "That should be some kind of miraculous footwork. Li Daoqiang could have used it to defeat you more easily.
In that case, he wouldn't have needed to reveal more of his strength.
But he didn't. Instead, he took the most violent and forceful path.
He defeated you head-on, letting us almost confirm his strength. What do you think?"
"Showing off his power to intimidate us, to secure the twenty million taels of silver," Yideng said thoughtfully.
Kurong nodded, then shook his head, saying slowly, "Li Daoqiang is young, but he already has the makings of a tyrant.
His deliberate display of strength must have deeper reasons."
Yideng nodded gravely, agreeing with that assessment—he thought so too.
Then he couldn't help but sigh softly.
To have reached that level at such a young age, yet to be a bandit leaning toward the evil path—
he couldn't help but feel a weight on his shoulders.
"Do you think it's aimed at Dali?" Kurong asked seriously.
Yideng thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't think so. If it were aimed at Dali, it probably wouldn't have played out like this."
"I think so too," Kurong nodded, then sighed again. "Well, Dali is ultimately content with its corner. Since Li Daoqiang's actions don't seem to target Dali further,
let others deal with his schemes.
I'll send word of him to the Shaolin Temple in Song."
Yideng frowned but said nothing, nodding.
Dali was a small country, always cautious, never engaging in deadly feuds with any force.
That was how they had managed to stay peaceful in their corner.
For a strong fighter like Li Daoqiang, they absolutely couldn't act against him unless there was no other choice.
On the other side.
Li Daoqiang smoothly obtained the twenty million taels of silver.
Ten million taels in silver notes, five hundred thousand taels in gold notes.
Very considerate.
All easy-to-carry notes, saving him the trouble of transport.
This made him feel a bit more favorable toward the Duan family.
He had to admit, they really knew how to handle people and affairs.
They lost, accepted it, and even considered their enemy's convenience.
After exchanging a few polite words, Li Daoqiang took his leave without hesitation.
Since they were so considerate, he would return the favor.
He didn't linger, so as not to make them wary and annoyed.
He always thought he was pretty good at navigating social interactions.
If you made him comfortable, he didn't mind making you a little comfortable too.
Unfortunately, many people didn't trust him and didn't make him comfortable—like the Yin Queen, Zhu Yuyan.
Before leaving the outskirts of Dali's capital, Li Daoqiang glanced back at Tianlong Temple.
A meaningful look of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
I've deliberately shown my strength—don't hide it too well for me.
He withdrew his gaze and, with his loyal lackey, the Blood Saber Patriarch, headed toward the meeting point agreed upon with Duan Yanqing.
His gains from the Dali Duan family were mostly settled.
Next up was Duan Yanqing.
He glanced at the bandit points, which had increased by twenty million, a flicker of anticipation and heat rising in his heart.
Around sixty-one million bandit points—nearly halfway there.
All hard-earned, and really not easy when he thought about it.
But with a bit more effort, he could reap the sweet rewards.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and the plan in his mind became more certain.
The bold eat, the timid starve.
What if it actually worked?
On the afternoon of the third day.
Li Daoqiang met Duan Yanqing and his three companions, who had been waiting.
Yue Laosan seemed to have recovered, but when he saw Li Daoqiang, he visibly flinched, lowering his head with a face full of fear.
"Heh, sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Duan," Li Daoqiang said with a polite smile.
A smiling tiger.
That thought rose in the minds of Duan Yanqing and the others.
"Not long, just arrived," Duan Yanqing said calmly.
Only his hands, tightly gripping his twin crutches, betrayed his inner turmoil.
"Mm, then let's talk business. You all step back," Li Daoqiang said directly, glancing at the others.
The Blood Saber Patriarch stepped back, and Ye Erniang and the other two looked at Duan Yanqing before walking away.
"Chief Li, you may speak," Duan Yanqing said in a low voice.
"Alright, I'm a straightforward man. The deal is simple: you Four Evils join my Black Dragon Village," Li Daoqiang said bluntly.
Duan Yanqing's eyes narrowed slightly, but he wasn't too surprised—after all, there wasn't much they could trade with Li Daoqiang.
Or rather, only one thing: themselves.
"What do we get?"
(Chapter 2, thanks for the support.)
......