Deep in the mountains, a hundred li north of Black Dragon Stronghold.
Three monks appeared here.
Xuan Du and Xuan Cheng.
Xuan Cheng's body still radiated a formidable aura, stirring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for dozens of li around.
Before them stood an old monk in plain white robes, his face weathered with age.
The old monk's white eyebrows were long, drooping down and mingling with his equally white beard.
His slightly narrowed eyes were kind and benevolent, instantly inspiring goodwill, and in his hand, he held a goose-feather fan.
He fanned it occasionally, causing the mingled white eyebrows and beard to flutter, looking quite relaxed and at ease.
Yet within his narrowed eyes, a trace of helplessness flickered.
Suddenly, his brows twitched, and his eyes widened slightly as he gazed ahead with a hint of curiosity.
The next breath, a figure approached from afar.
A tall, imposing frame, crossing several strides to stand a few zhang away from the three monks.
It was Li Daoqiang.
Ignoring Xuan Cheng and the other, his gaze fixed on the old monk at the front.
A hint of gravity coiled in his heart.
A peerless expert!
Similarly, the old monk fixed his gaze on Li Daoqiang, studying him with curiosity.
"Haha, a distinguished guest arrives, and I, the stronghold master, failed to welcome you from afar," Li Daoqiang said with a polite and warm laugh after a few glances.
"Amitabha, this old monk intrudes unannounced; I hope the施主 will not take offense," the old monk replied with a cheerful smile, utterly devoid of any airs.
Li Daoqiang's gaze flickered, and a trace of goodwill involuntarily arose in his heart.
"Master, you're too kind. May I ask your Dharma name?" Li Daoqiang inquired curiously, uncertain of the other's identity.
"Hehehe, this old monk has long ceased to appear in the martial world. In the past, it seems no one called me by my monastic title," the old monk said, as if chatting with a friend, without any hostility.
Even with Li Daoqiang's keen perception, he detected no trace of enmity.
Of course, he would not let his guard down.
He was well aware of his own identity and what he did.
For a villain like him, any righteous person would seize the chance to deal with him if given the opportunity.
"This is our master's uncle. In the past, the martial world honored him as the Holy Monk out of respect," Xuan Du said steadily.
"Master, you are the Holy Monk from over eighty years ago, one of the three peerless experts?" Li Daoqiang said with slight surprise.
Over eighty years ago, the martial world of the Song Kingdom boasted three peerless experts.
The Holy Monk of Shaolin, Yi Yun of the Famous Sword Villa, and the Carefree King.
Two righteous, one evil.
They had clashed many times, earning their renown in the martial world.
But over the years, the Holy Monk's fame had faded, and Yi Yun had long since withdrawn from the Famous Sword Villa.
The remaining Carefree King was more famous, having been the first stepping stone for a true martial world legend before later defecting to the northern Yuan court.
Eighty years on, the deeds of the Holy Monk and Yi Yun were rarely spoken of.
No wonder Li Daoqiang couldn't recognize him at first.
"All matters of the past. I didn't expect the施主 to still know of them," the old monk, the Holy Monk, said with a smile.
"Though many years have passed, the Holy Monk's reputation will not be forgotten," Li Daoqiang replied politely with a smile.
The Holy Monk shook his head, unconcerned with such matters, and sighed softly before speaking earnestly: "The purpose of my visit is clear to the施主. The younger generation erred and deserves punishment, but the vast majority of Buddhist monks are innocent. So, I humbly ask the施主 to show mercy."
With that, he pressed his palms together and bowed.
Xuan Cheng and the other's expressions shifted slightly, a hint of shame crossing their faces as they followed suit.
Li Daoqiang raised an eyebrow, sidestepping to avoid the bow, and said calmly: "The Holy Monk jokes. I, Li Daoqiang, am no good man. What happens to the Buddhist sect has nothing to do with me, let alone showing mercy. I'm just here to make a deal."
The Holy Monk straightened up, sighed helplessly as if regretful, and looked at Xuan Du.
Xuan Du understood and said solemnly: "Li施主, fifty million taels of silver, three Shaolin ultimate techniques, and twenty million taels' worth of assets have been brought. This is our sincerity; we ask the施主 to grant our request."
Li Daoqiang frowned, glancing at the large chest behind Xuan Cheng and the other.
Joy and displeasure mingled within him.
Joy, naturally, because a vast plunder was within reach—his if he agreed.
Displeasure, because Shaolin still hadn't given him the full hundred million taels he demanded.
Deploying a peerless expert and bringing a large sum of silver directly—this was both a threat and a gesture of goodwill.
A dual approach, cornering him.
It showed they had read his mind.
They knew he was reckless but not foolish.
He had to admit these old monks were shrewd.
They were almost certain he would agree.
Damn, they read people well.
Cursing inwardly, after a few moments of silence, Li Daoqiang sighed and said with a mix of displeasure and resignation: "Fine, fine. For the sake of the Holy Monk and the Buddhist sect, I, Li Daoqiang, will take this loss."
Xuan Cheng, Xuan Du, and even the Holy Monk's eyelids twitched.
Extorting fifty million taels of silver, three Shaolin ultimate techniques, and twenty million taels' worth of assets for nothing.
Li Daoqiang had given almost nothing in return.
And he called this a loss!
Even the Holy Monk, whose mind had long reached a state of unshakable calm, felt a bit speechless.
Xuan Cheng and the other couldn't help but feel anger rising.
"Amitabha," the Holy Monk intoned a Buddhist chant, shook his head with a wry smile, and said earnestly: "施主, wealth is ultimately an external thing. Don't be too obsessed with it."
"Haha, I appreciate the Holy Monk's kind intentions, but I, Li Daoqiang, am a worldly man. I love wealth and beauty—that's the joy of life," Li Daoqiang said with a carefree, frank smile, his attitude much warmer.
The deal was done; maintaining a good surface relationship was best.
Shaolin was a fat sheep; they might do business again in the future.
The Holy Monk sighed helplessly, truly regretful. After a moment's thought, he couldn't help but admonish: "施主's talent is among the best I've seen in my life, second only to one other. Don't waste it."
Xuan Cheng and the other's expressions shifted again, shock evident.
Li Daoqiang felt a bit odd. What was their relationship now? Everyone knew.
Was the old monk really trying to admonish him?
What was he thinking?
But he wouldn't voice that. Curiously, he asked: "Thank you for the compliment, Holy Monk. Who is this other person?"
The Holy Monk's gaze paused, tinged with nostalgia and complexity, before he slowly said: "Zhang Sanfeng."
Li Daoqiang's eyes flickered.
Xuan Cheng and the other's faces instantly hardened, filled with profound gravity.
They stared deeply at Li Daoqiang.
"Hehe, the Holy Monk flatters me too much. How could I compare to Zhang Zhenren? He's a martial world legend; I'm just a worldly man. No comparison, no comparison," Li Daoqiang said with a casual laugh.
The Holy Monk shook his head, saying no more.
Whether they could compare, he, who had personally encountered both, knew well.
At just over twenty, mastering the tenth or even eleventh layer of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, reaching the level of a peerless expert—such a feat was no less impressive than Zhang Sanfeng defeating the peerless Carefree King at the same age.
Of course, whether Li Daoqiang could match Zhang Sanfeng in the future remained uncertain.
For now, Li Daoqiang was dazzling, but the future was unknown.
And after Zhang Sanfeng defeated the Carefree King, he remained equally brilliant.
No, even more so.
"Alright, Holy Monk, let's first check the silver and assets," Li Daoqiang said, his eyes fixed on the large chest.
The Holy Monk's gaze faltered, a hint of helplessness showing.
Xuan Cheng was slightly displeased, casually waving his hand to send the chest before Li Daoqiang.
Opening it, Li Daoqiang began to inspect.
Inside were large-denomination silver and gold notes, various asset deeds, and three Shaolin ultimate techniques.
He appeared to examine them carefully, but inwardly, he kept an eye on the Great Bandit System.
After a while, the system showed no reaction.
Frowning inwardly, Shaolin shouldn't have given him fakes.
Perhaps the silver wasn't yet his, so it didn't register.
That made sense—if a fight broke out now, he couldn't protect it.
It wasn't secure, so it wasn't his.
After more checking, Li Daoqiang stood and said seriously: "With so many notes and deeds, I can't verify them all at once. How about this: I'll hand over Ye Erniang to you first. In a few hours, I'll give you the child."
Caution was never wrong.
Xuan Cheng and the other looked at the Holy Monk, who nodded in agreement.
Li Daoqiang smiled, turned, and flew back to Black Dragon Stronghold.
Soon, he returned with Ye Erniang, dropping her to the ground.
Picking up the large chest, he said with a laugh: "I'll go check first and give you an answer as soon as possible."
With that, he vanished.
The Holy Monk and the other two turned their gazes to the unconscious Ye Erniang.
The Holy Monk sighed helplessly, while Xuan Cheng and Xuan Du's eyes burned with undisguised killing intent.
On the other side, halfway back, Li Daoqiang, constantly monitoring the Great Bandit System, saw the bandit points change.
They had increased by sixty million.
The total was now over one hundred twenty-one million.
Fifty million from the silver, ten million from the assets.
Assets were calculated at half their market value.
A loss, but Li Daoqiang couldn't care less now.
His breath caught, and barely suppressed joy surged.
Enough.
The eleventh layer of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill was within reach.
Suppressing his excitement, he calmly returned to the stronghold and hid the chest.
After patiently waiting over two hours, he made another trip.
"Holy Monk, both masters, the deal is done. The numbers are correct," Li Daoqiang said, his attitude noticeably warmer and more polite.
The Holy Monk nodded, looking at Li Daoqiang in silence.
Xuan Cheng glared at him, not hiding his displeasure.
(Chapter 1, seeking support.) ······