Even if there were Ling Tuisi's men in the stronghold, what could they do? The most important thing was to teach him a lesson. He hadn't thought about killing him, but this place wasn't one where you could come and go as you pleased. At most, he'd spare the man's life out of respect for Ling Tuisi; as for the rest, there was no need to hold back. "Interrogate him further—find out everything about his money, martial arts, and his master Ling Tuisi's situation. Tell me tomorrow," Li Daoqiang said after a moment's thought, sounding casual. "Yes, I understand." Li Si paused, as if pondering the name Ling Tuisi, but quickly responded. Seeing Li Daoqiang wave his hand, he understood and withdrew.
The room fell silent, and Li Daoqiang calculated inwardly. For any two parties to cooperate, they needed bargaining chips—in other words, there couldn't be a huge gap in strength between them. So it was inevitable that Ling Tuisi would send someone to test him. If he failed this test, there was nothing more to say; Ling Tuisi would simply take back control of Black Dragon Stronghold. Now that he had passed, many things would be easier to discuss. After all, there was still common ground between them. As long as that common interest existed and was substantial enough, given Ling Tuisi's nature, a mere Eight Meridian Realm subordinate wouldn't matter to him.
After a moment of quiet contemplation, he resumed his cultivation. The night passed, and early the next morning, as Li Daoqiang was practicing boxing in the courtyard to loosen his muscles, Li Si arrived. Bowing, he said with some delight, "Chief, that scoundrel has confessed everything. There's over 1,300 taels of silver hidden in Jingzhou City, along with one internal cultivation technique and four martial arts manuals—all copied down." Li Daoqiang finished his set of punches unhurriedly and said with satisfaction, "Not bad." Li Si smiled respectfully, waiting for the next order. "Have Xu Zhi come here," Li Daoqiang commanded toward the door. "Yes."
After giving Li Si some instructions, Xu Zhi soon came running over, full of eagerness. Before he could even steady himself, he bowed reverently. "Greetings, Chief." "Brother Xu, no need for formalities. We're brothers here—no need to be so polite," Li Daoqiang said warmly with a smile. "Thank you, Chief." Xu Zhi's demeanor grew even more respectful; he naturally didn't take the "brothers" remark seriously. Sincerely, he said, "Chief, may I ask what important task you have for me? I would go through fire and water without hesitation." Li Daoqiang's gaze toward Xu Zhi held a bit more approval. He dropped some of his casual tone and said slowly, "There's something I need you to handle. Go with Li Si to Jingzhou City, and you'll need to visit Lord Ling again." With that, he handed a letter to Xu Zhi.
Xu Zhi took it, feeling relieved this time instead of the previous dread, and even somewhat invigorated. Last time, he'd feared Ling Tuisi would take his anger out on him, but nothing happened. This time, going again should be fine. Moreover, the more Li Daoqiang used him and the less polite he was, the more at ease Xu Zhi felt—it meant he was needed and wouldn't be killed. Quickly catching on, he said, "Yes, I'll assist Brother Li in getting things done properly." Li Daoqiang smiled without adding more, and Li Si nodded to Xu Zhi. "Alright, go early and return early," Li Daoqiang ordered. "Yes." The two responded and respectfully withdrew.
Soon, they set off for Jingzhou City with a few men and the severely injured captive. "Brother Li, I'll be counting on your guidance from now on," Xu Zhi said with a friendly smile as they traveled. "Brother Xu, you're too kind. It should be me relying on you," Li Si replied politely, though inwardly he felt smug. Once, how could he have been spoken to like this by Xu Zhi, a trusted lieutenant of Lin Sanlong? Now, their roles had reversed. "Haha, Brother Li, you're deeply trusted by the Chief—how could I dare presume?" Xu Zhi said, lowering his posture further to appear more familiar. Li Si exchanged a few pleasantries before getting down to business. Xu Zhi's expression grew more serious, nodding occasionally as if fully obedient, with a hint of unease.
When they reached Jingzhou City, they retrieved the silver with the captive, and then Xu Zhi led him to Ling Mansion. "Greetings, Lord," Xu Zhi said respectfully to Ling Tuisi, his face showing some anxiety. Beside him, the black-clad man from yesterday lay unconscious on the ground. Ling Tuisi's expression was impassive. He glanced at the man, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, then turned back to Xu Zhi and said flatly, "Rise." "Thank you, Lord." Xu Zhi responded nervously, not daring to look up at Ling Tuisi. He quickly said, tense, "Lord, Chief Li sent me to bring this man to you. He said this person had no regard for the law, broke into private property at night, and intended mischief, so he's handing him over to the authorities. There's also... a letter for you." As he spoke, he pulled out the letter, his heart pounding, head bowed low, body trembling, and a sense of absurdity washing over him. When had Black Dragon Stronghold ever cared about the law? Saying this in front of Ling Tuisi felt like mocking him—how could he not be afraid? But fear was useless. From the moment Li Si told him what he had to do, he had no other choice but to comply.
Unseen by him, Ling Tuisi's eyes had turned icy cold, a thread of killing intent swirling like a venomous snake ready to strike. For a moment, the room seemed to chill, making Xu Zhi shiver in terror. But after a few breaths, Ling Tuisi reined in his emotions and said calmly, "I've received Chief Li's goodwill. Read the letter." "Y-yes." Stammering, he tore open the envelope with trembling hands and read haltingly: "To Lord Ling: Lord Ling is indeed generous and loyal. Since you think highly of us, from today onward, we are brothers. Whatever orders Lord Ling gives, if Black Dragon Stronghold can fulfill them, we will not refuse." Ling Tuisi narrowed his eyes, then suddenly let out a light laugh and said amiably, "Chief Li is truly a straightforward man. Xu Zhi, go back and convey my regards to Chief Li. From today, Chief Li is my good brother." Xu Zhi let out a heavy sigh of relief and quickly acknowledged.
After Xu Zhi left, Ling Tuisi's smile vanished, replaced by a dark scowl. A figure silently entered from outside. "Take him to get treated and question him thoroughly." After a long pause, Ling Tuisi spoke coldly, not sparing another glance at the man on the ground. "Yes."
Not long after, the figure returned and reported everything. "Bang!" "Useless." Ling Tuisi slammed his hand on the table, killing intent flaring. The man below lowered his head further, daring not to speak. After a few moments, Ling Tuisi composed himself, squinting coldly. "It seems Lin Sanlong and Liu Si's deaths at Li Daoqiang's hands weren't coincidental. This Li Daoqiang does have some skill." "You're right, my lord. Li Daoqiang's strength has likely reached the Six Meridians Realm—not something Lin Sanlong could handle," the man quickly agreed, then added gravely, "And it seems Li Daoqiang could have dealt with Lin Sanlong long ago but held back until now. At his age, he's not to be underestimated." "Of course not. He even wants to call me 'brother,'" Ling Tuisi said with a cold laugh, his tone dark. The man sneered disdainfully. "Just an arrogant fool who thinks he can stand on his own with a bit of strength. My lord, should we teach him a lesson?" Ling Tuisi pondered for a moment, then said lightly with a smile, "Forget it. Young people are prone to pride—it's normal. For now, he seems sensible enough, knowing to befriend me. Let's see. If he doesn't know his place later, we can deal with him then." "You're wise, my lord," the man praised earnestly. "Li Daoqiang is somewhat talented, far better than Lin Sanlong, and extremely greedy. He even had Li Tong's silver taken—shows he's obsessed with wealth. With this weakness, with some tempering, he could become an obedient and sharp blade in your hands." Ling Tuisi's smile grew a bit more, pleased with the words. His gaze turned cold and distant as he said slowly, "Young people are always so naive. Plan it out—start the tempering soon." "Yes, I understand," the man replied respectfully. ······