Li Daoqiang thought briefly and didn't pay it much mind.
He had altered Duan Yu's experiences, so it was only natural that Jiumozhi wouldn't bring him to the Murong residence. Of course, it was also possible that they simply hadn't arrived yet. The Black Dragon Stronghold's intelligence network was still somewhat lacking.
Either way, it didn't affect him much. If they came, good; if not, he'd just lose out on a bit of profit.
"Keep watching, especially the Beggars' Sect's movements," Li Daoqiang ordered calmly.
"Yes." Blood Saber Old Ancestor acknowledged, then hesitated. "Chief, about Ma Dayuan's widow—should we keep looking for her?"
Li Daoqiang paused, then said flatly, "No need."
He'd originally planned to use that woman for something, but now that his scheme was fully fleshed out over the past few days, he deemed it unnecessary.
Blood Saber Old Ancestor acknowledged and, seeing no further orders, hurried away.
After a moment's thought, Li Daoqiang returned to the Manor of Mandala. There was still time before events unfolded; there was no need to stand guard personally. Staying at the Manor of Mandala was far more comfortable than anywhere else.
He chatted briefly with his mother-in-law, saw the gentle and lovely little girl Yuyan, and spent the rest of his time cultivating. His main focus was on the Lingbo Weibu technique. Soon, he would master it to perfection.
In the blink of an eye, a few more days passed.
Intelligence arrived: Gusu City was growing increasingly unsettled. Even the Swallow Villa's Canhe Manor was affected. The reason was that many martial artists had died by their own signature techniques, so they came to Murong Fu for answers.
Li Daoqiang paid them no mind. They were small fry; Murong Fu's few retainers could handle them. It wouldn't harm A'zhu or A'bi.
Two days later, the moment he'd been waiting for finally arrived. He led Duan Yanqing and the others to a spot not far from the Apricot Grove outside Gusu City.
They watched from several li away. The weakest among them was at the Xiantian realm, so a few li wasn't far—if the noise was loud enough, they could hear everything.
Soon, a grand drama began.
First, two of Murong Fu's retainers appeared. After a brief scuffle with the Beggars' Sect members, they were quickly subdued—since Duan Yu wasn't there, Wang Yuyan, A'zhu, and A'bi naturally hadn't come either.
Then, Qiao Feng appeared.
His burly frame exuded an innate, unparalleled heroism, a commanding aura of boldness. The moment he stepped forward, he stunned everyone with his absolute strength.
Watching from afar, Li Daoqiang couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration.
A true man.
Perhaps those four words truly suited Qiao Feng best. Even after all these years and all that had happened, Li Daoqiang still felt a faint trace of nostalgia and longing.
"Qiao Feng has grown much stronger."
Beside him, Duan Yanqing couldn't help but speak, his tone tinged with gravity and a barely perceptible envy. He envied the man's youth and how much he'd improved in such a short time. As for himself, he'd reached his limit.
Li Daoqiang smirked. Indeed.
If before, when Duan Yanqing had fought Qiao Feng, the gap between them wasn't too large and they could still contend, now the difference was truly significant—and still widening.
In the original story, Qiao Feng started strong and kept growing, never stopping. But his growth wasn't as obvious as the other two, and since he never lost, it seemed like he was maxed out from the start.
That wasn't the case.
One of Qiao Feng's true strengths was his unwavering determination to grow stronger, much like his boundless heroism, as if it had no limit.
At this moment, Qiao Feng's combat prowess felt like it had reached the top tier.
Truly a remarkable talent.
Li Daoqiang praised inwardly, then a thought he'd never had before surfaced. After a breath, he suppressed it. Too difficult, not worth the time. He'd wait for a suitable opportunity.
Then, events similar to the original unfolded.
Qiao Feng stabbed himself several times on behalf of others. His soaring heroism nearly silenced everyone. Even Duan Yanqing's eyes showed a hint of respect.
One thing after another happened, much like the original.
Qiao Feng was forced to leave the Beggars' Sect.
"Heh, I didn't expect that with Hong Qi gone, the Beggars' Sect would become like this. I wonder if Hong Qi knows?" Duan Yanqing sneered, a trace of mockery in his tone.
"Heh, the Beggars' Sect was never a clean organization. Maybe Hong Qigong and Qiao Feng were obstacles for many people," Blood Saber Old Ancestor said with a disdainful smirk, his tone meaningful.
Li Daoqiang raised an eyebrow, glancing at Blood Saber Old Ancestor.
Blood Saber Old Ancestor gave an awkward smile and quickly added, "Chief, I know a lot about the lower ranks. I've seen plenty of the Beggars' Sect's dirty dealings. Hong Qigong has a great reputation, and Qiao Feng doesn't seem like that kind of person either. With two chiefs like that, yet the sect still has such filth inside—clearly, they were blocking a lot of people's paths. Qiao Feng was forced out so easily; besides his background, those people must have pushed hard."
Li Daoqiang recalled what he knew of those matters and had no interest in elaborating.
Duan Yanqing and the others frowned, lost in thought.
"Duan Yanqing, follow Qiao Feng. In an hour or two, invite him back here. Not earlier," Li Daoqiang said, glancing in a direction with a faint smile before giving the order.
Duan Yanqing gave Li Daoqiang a deep look and left silently.
Not long after he left, a large force surrounded the Beggars' Sect members.
"Chief, it's the Western Xia people," Blood Saber Old Ancestor said gravely.
"It's the Western Xia First Class Hall. The leader is Helian Tieshu, the hall master and a Grandmaster-level expert," Yun Zhonghe added, his expression wary. After all, he'd originally been part of the Western Xia First Class Hall; joining the Black Dragon Stronghold counted as defection. But with Li Daoqiang here, he wasn't afraid—in fact, he was a bit excited.
Barring surprises, these people were about to be in trouble.
Li Daoqiang watched them, the smile in his eyes deepening.
These people were all points for plunder.
Soon, the Beggars' Sect members were all felled by the First Class Hall's Beisu Qingfeng poison and captured.
"Hahaha, what Beggars' Sect? Now they're all my prisoners."
Helian Tieshu laughed triumphantly, never expecting things to go so smoothly. The only pity was that Qiao Feng was nowhere to be found.
"Heh, this Beisu Qingfeng isn't bad."
Suddenly, a cheerful laugh came from not far away.
Helian Tieshu's face changed, and he glared fiercely in the direction. "Who?"
The First Class Hall members all wore cold expressions, except for one—a man with a thick beard whose face turned grim. He subtly began to retreat.
The Beggars' Sect members, meanwhile, looked hopeful.
Under countless gazes, three figures—one in front, two behind—approached unhurriedly, as if the First Class Hall didn't exist.
"Yun Zhonghe!"
Helian Tieshu's eyes widened, murderous intent flashing as he stared at one of the figures in the back. He barked coldly, "You dare show yourself before me? Where's Duan Yanqing?"
At the same time, his gaze flickered with wariness as he studied the leader.
The others did the same.
"Heh, General Helian, we meet again. As for Duan Yanqing, you'll see him soon enough," Yun Zhonghe sneered, his tone smug and unafraid.
"You've got some nerve, speaking to me like that." Helian Tieshu's face grew colder. He fixed his eyes on the leader and asked cautiously, "Who are you, sir? What's your connection to the Black Dragon Stronghold?"
He knew Duan Yanqing and the Four Villains had joined the Black Dragon Stronghold, so naturally, he suspected this man was from there.
"Heh, I am Li Daoqiang, current chief of the Black Dragon Stronghold. General Helian, a pleasure to meet you," Li Daoqiang said warmly, a smile on his face.
The moment the words fell, the scene erupted.
"Li Daoqiang!"
"Li Daoqiang of the Black Dragon Stronghold!"
"What's he doing here?"
The Beggars' Sect members buzzed with varied expressions, none joyful—only solemn. In their eyes, the First Class Hall were wolves, and Li Daoqiang was no different from a tiger.
Helian Tieshu's face shifted, his pupils contracting sharply.
The First Class Hall members visibly tensed.
Even in far-off Western Xia, they knew what that name meant. After all, their mission was to deal with foreign experts—how could they not know the world's strong?
Yun Zhonghe and Blood Saber Old Ancestor straightened their backs, looking down on the crowd with pride and arrogance.
This was their chief's reputation!
"Hahaha!"
Suddenly, Helian Tieshu burst into laughter, clasping his fists in a show of boldness. "So it's Chief Li! I've been blind—my apologies, my apologies."
"General Helian, no need for formalities. I'm about to cause you some trouble. I hope you won't mind," Li Daoqiang said with a faint smile.
Helian Tieshu's smile froze. His hands clenched and then relaxed. Forcing a grin, he said, "Is Chief Li here to save these Beggars' Sect folks? For your sake, I can release them."
At that, the Beggars' Sect members couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Though they disliked Li Daoqiang, being saved by him was still better than the alternative.
Blood Saber Old Ancestor and Yun Zhonghe exchanged amused smirks.
"Heh, General Helian, you misunderstand." Li Daoqiang chuckled, then said seriously, "I'm not here to save them. Rather, all of you are now my prisoners."
Helian Tieshu's face twitched, a flash of anger in his eyes. "What do you mean by that, Chief Li?"
Li Daoqiang swept his gaze over the First Class Hall members and sighed lightly. "It seems I'll have to do this myself."
As his words fell, an overwhelming golden light burst from his body.
"Boom!"
Like a surging river, an unstoppable, immense force radiated outward in a circular wave.
"Ah!"
"Bang!"
Screams and collisions erupted everywhere. Wherever the golden light passed, all the First Class Hall members were sent flying, crashing to the ground. Only Helian Tieshu and a bearded warrior held out for two breaths before they, too, spat blood and were thrown back.
In just three breaths, Li Daoqiang withdrew his power, and the golden light vanished.
Nearly two hundred First Class Hall members lay on the ground, groaning in pain.
(Chapter 2, requesting full subscription. Starting today, with 500 average subscriptions as the baseline, for every additional 100, I'll add an extra chapter. Normally, three chapters per day.)