Duan Yanqing's hands tightened around his crutches as he asked this question. Perhaps even he hadn't noticed that he was holding his breath, a faint trace of barely concealed tension seeping through.
Li Daoqiang smiled slightly, not exposing him, and said unhurriedly, "First, your lives. You've encountered me twice now, so naturally, your lives are in my hands."
Duan Yanqing's face stiffened, his gaze turning dark. Though he was furious at Li Daoqiang's self-assured demeanor, he couldn't refute it. The man was right—if he wanted his life, it wouldn't be difficult. Their lives were indeed in his grasp. And judging by his attitude, he clearly wouldn't care about Western Xia. So, after a cold glare, Duan Yanqing fell silent, tacitly accepting the fact.
Seeing this, Li Daoqiang, as if everything was under his control, continued with a smile, "Second, I can tell you who the woman was on that night twenty years ago."
Duan Yanqing's entire body stiffened, his already hideous face twisting in agitation, anticipation, and a hint of fear. If he hadn't known he couldn't defeat Li Daoqiang, he would have lunged forward. Gritting his teeth, he paused before asking hoarsely, "Who?"
"This leads to the third point. After that, she became pregnant and gave birth to a son," Li Daoqiang said slowly.
"Boom!"
Duan Yanqing's aura erupted uncontrollably, sending rolling waves of force that devastated everything within several zhang. Ye Erniang and the others sensed it from afar, startled and terrified, thinking their leader had attacked Li Daoqiang—a suicidal move. Only Yue Laosan immediately grabbed his shears and, suppressing his fear, charged forward, shouting through his abdominal voice to bolster his courage, "Boss, I'm coming!"
"Don't come over!" Duan Yanqing snapped back to reality with a cold shout. Yue Laosan froze, halting his steps, while Ye Erniang and the other breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Daoqiang glanced at Yue Laosan with interest, causing the man to quickly drop his shears, his face full of terror.
"Is it... mine?"
Still sealing the sound, Duan Yanqing stared intently at Li Daoqiang, his voice trembling as he spoke. He was even more nervous and expectant than before, his crippled body uncontrollably shaking.
"Yes," Li Daoqiang confirmed.
Duan Yanqing took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he trembled. *I have a son! I have a son!* All his thoughts focused on this one fact. He didn't doubt Li Daoqiang. Given the man's strength and status, he wouldn't lie about something like this, especially when trying to recruit him as a subordinate.
Li Daoqiang didn't disturb him, since Duan Yanqing was about to become his subordinate. He could afford to give some leeway to a grandmaster-level follower.
After a moment, Duan Yanqing opened his eyes, seemingly calmer, and said in a low voice, "Where is my son? I agree to join the Black Dragon Stronghold."
He didn't haggle, agreeing outright. Not only was his life in Li Daoqiang's hands—and he wasn't ready to die yet—but knowing that Li Daoqiang knew about her and his son's identity, he couldn't refuse. If Li Daoqiang wanted to kill two people, there were few in the world he couldn't eliminate.
Li Daoqiang gave Duan Yanqing an approving look—a smart man. Without any concealment, he directly told Duan Yanqing, "That woman is Dao Baifeng, the princess consort of Duan Zhengchun. And your son is Duan Yu, whom you've met."
"Impossible!" Duan Yanqing's eyes widened as he blurted out, his composure shattered again.
Li Daoqiang smiled without speaking, not arguing. Duan Yanqing's eyes flickered, and his body, which had just calmed, trembled even more violently. *How could it be? How could it be? She's Duan Zhengchun's princess consort! Duan Yu is my son! How is that possible?* But Li Daoqiang wouldn't use such a flimsy lie to deceive him.
"Why are you telling me this so easily?" he questioned, staring at Li Daoqiang. If he were in Li Daoqiang's place, he would never reveal it so readily. Using this as leverage to force his loyalty would be the best move.
"Heh, it's simple. First, since you're about to become my subordinate, giving you some benefits is only right. Second, I dare to tell you because I'm not afraid of you disobeying or betraying me." Li Daoqiang said confidently, his tone open and honest. He paused, his smile turning more playful. "Third, even if I tell you their identities, what then? Do you dare to acknowledge Duan Yu?"
Duan Yanqing's face stiffened as he immediately realized the issue.
Li Daoqiang continued leisurely, "In Dali now, Duan Zhengming has no sons of his own. So the next emperor will come from either his elder brother Yideng's line or Duan Zhengchun's. Duan Yu is Duan Zhengchun's only son, meaning he's one of the heirs to the Dali throne. In fact, his chances are the greatest, since Yideng chose not to have his son succeed him when he abdicated. So now, his son's prospects are even slimmer."
He chuckled again, speaking as if to Duan Yanqing or to himself, "But all of this is based on Duan Yu being Duan Zhengchun's son. What would happen if it were revealed that Duan Yu isn't Duan Zhengchun's son? Even if Duan Zhengming and Duan Zhengchun were magnanimous enough to overlook it, with you, Duan Yanqing, as his father—a great villain, even if you were the former crown prince—would Dali choose Duan Yu as emperor?"
With these words, Li Daoqiang fell silent, smiling as he watched Duan Yanqing. He had said enough; there was no need for more. Revealing the truth so easily wasn't out of kindness. It was to bind Duan Yanqing more tightly. As long as Duan Yanqing wanted Duan Yu to become the emperor of Dali, he would have to serve Li Daoqiang. Otherwise, spreading this news would ruin Duan Yu's chances. This wasn't like the original story—Yideng had sons and even grandsons. Of course, Duan Yanqing had another option: kill him. But could he? Hah...
Duan Yanqing's face turned icy, his scarred features growing even more terrifying. He had fully grasped the situation. He and his son Duan Yu now had a fatal weakness in Li Daoqiang's hands. No wonder Li Daoqiang had revealed the truth so easily—this was the real leverage to threaten and control him. And it wasn't just that. If Duan Yu became emperor of Dali, Li Daoqiang could gain even more from it. What a cunning Li Daoqiang! Yet Duan Yanqing couldn't escape. He could forgo becoming emperor himself, but he absolutely couldn't let his son lose that chance. Unless he could kill...
A fierce murderous intent surged within him, but he quickly suppressed it. Under normal circumstances, he couldn't kill Li Daoqiang. So he had to endure. Lowering his gaze, he said hoarsely, "I need to verify this."
"Go ahead. Report to the Black Dragon Stronghold within a month," Li Daoqiang said generously.
Duan Yanqing acquiesced.
"Oh, and I'll take those three with me now." Li Daoqiang glanced at Ye Erniang and the others, his tone more like an unquestionable command than a request.
Duan Yanqing's brow twitched, but he didn't object. Even though he hadn't verified the truth yet, their lives were in Li Daoqiang's hands, so he had no right to refuse.
Soon, under Duan Yanqing's orders, Ye Erniang, Yue Laosan, and the other, who were already submissive to Li Daoqiang, obediently followed him away. Duan Yanqing took one last deep look at Li Daoqiang's back before immediately flying toward the Dali capital.
Li Daoqiang stopped thinking about Duan Yanqing. As long as Duan Yu's secret remained hidden, Duan Yanqing would be nothing more than a blade or a vicious hound in his hand. Now, his mind was on the next plan—a risky one that would provoke the most powerful enemy he had faced so far. Glancing at Ye Erniang out of the corner of his eye, a faint glimmer of anticipation flashed. The core of this plan had to be watched closely; nothing could go wrong.
The journey was silent as the group sped toward the Black Dragon Stronghold.
Days later, back at the stronghold, Li Daoqiang felt a wave of relief. Though his trips were for earning money—and he was happy about that—happiness wasn't the same as comfort. Ignoring other matters, he went straight to Qi Fang's quarters. After a bout of intimacy, he grew even fonder of this gentle, obedient woman. Unlike Huang Xuemei, He Qinghua, or Mu Wanqing, who were more troublesome. Of course, his heart was vast and his tastes varied, so he liked them too. It was like a feast of dishes with different flavors—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy—as long as they were good, Li Daoqiang enjoyed them all, not picky. What "good" meant went without saying.
After thoroughly indulging in the comforts of the boudoir, Li Daoqiang began handling the stronghold's affairs the next day. Nothing major demanded his attention; if there were, he would have known already.
For the next twenty-plus days, Li Daoqiang didn't start his plan. He quietly made preparations while waiting for Duan Yanqing's arrival. As the one-month deadline approached, Duan Yanqing came to the stronghold and formally joined. Li Daoqiang gained five million bandit points, and Ye Erniang and the others brought in 640,000 points.
News of the Four Evils of Western Xia's One-Pin Hall joining the Black Dragon Stronghold spread quickly. With Duan Yanqing being a true grandmaster, and Li Daoqiang already in the spotlight, adding another grandmaster naturally drew attention.
Ignoring the external buzz, Li Daoqiang felt the time was right and began implementing his somewhat risky plan.
(Chapter 3: Delayed due to evening commitments, hence the late update.) ………………