The casual tone made Ou Jinghao's breath catch, and a surge of anger welled up inside him. It also weighed heavier on the hearts of Jiumozhi and the other two, their faces growing even more grim. Feng Dao of the Sanjue Palace was, after all, a regional overlord and a master-level expert. Yet even in his fury, Ou Jinghao could only feel a stifling frustration, unable to speak. Li Daoqiang indeed seemed to have no need to show any regard for the Sanjue Palace. Su Xinghe opened his mouth, but glancing at Li Daoqiang's face and recalling the scene just moments ago, he wisely shut it. Zhen Zhibing and Yi Jifeng had already left—that was enough. Of the remaining four, only Ou Jinghao had been invited by him. The Sanjue Palace wasn't of the righteous path, so it was... He silently lowered his head.
"This young hero Ou, the martial world is just like this. Don't overthink it—it's not your fault you don't have a strong enough backing," Li Daoqiang said with a natural smile, seeing Ou Jinghao at a loss for words. Ou Jinghao clenched his fists, his face flushed red. Both furious and helpless.
"Chief Li, I am the national preceptor of Tubo, of the Nyingma sect, with the patriarch Padmasambhava as my master," Jiumozhi spoke up at this moment. He clasped his hands together, polite and courteous, his tone neither servile nor arrogant, carrying a certain confidence. Those who didn't understand thought little of it, but those in the know turned their gazes to Jiumozhi. Everyone knew of the Tubo national preceptor, but the patriarch Padmasambhava was no small matter. Xuan Nan and Yi Jifeng both narrowed their eyes. That was a peerless expert and enlightened monk who had been renowned for countless years! Li Daoqiang, however, seemed utterly unconcerned, offering a faint smile. "Tubo national preceptor, this stronghold chief isn't in Tubo. When Tubo manages to march into Jingzhou, then we'll talk about that." Jiumozhi's face stiffened. No one had ever so openly dismissed his status as the Tubo national preceptor. No matter what they thought, they never said it outright. His brow twitched, and he spoke earnestly, "My patriarch is Padmasambhava." "I know that. But Padmasambhava has countless disciples and followers—I can't give face to every single one of them. Besides, Padmasambhava isn't a Han Chinese from the Central Plains, so why should I show him any respect?" Li Daoqiang said with a calm smile. In the silence, an overwhelming dominance grew even more pronounced. Jiumozhi's face went completely rigid, his hands trembling slightly. He wanted to speak in anger but couldn't find the words. It was clear Li Daoqiang wasn't letting him off.
"What about you two? If you have any backing, speak up now, so you don't say later that I didn't show any courtesy," Li Daoqiang said, turning his composed gaze to Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling. The two only felt a bitter taste in their mouths, unable to respond. They had thought to invoke the name of the Yijian Master from far-off Goguryeo as their support. But seeing Jiumozhi's plight, they couldn't bring themselves to say it now. Their hearts grew heavy, barely able to breathe, as they once again deeply understood this world. Without backing, you couldn't take a single step. They had known this all along. And now, Li Daoqiang, a peerless expert who shook the world, had torn away all pretense, giving them a firsthand lesson. Reality was this cruel.
Not far away, Yi Jifeng and the others, along with Su Xinghe and Li Qingluo, heard everything clearly. At that moment, aside from a very few, their faces also darkened, heavy and conflicted. They, too, had been taught a lesson. Like Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, they had understood this principle beforehand. But having a figure of Li Daoqiang's stature, who shook the world, deliver this lesson made it stick far more deeply and hit home harder. Yi Jifeng and the others, their expressions complex, silently quickened their pace to leave. They had nothing to say about the remaining four. One was the Sanjue Palace, neither wholly righteous nor evil. One was a Tubo monk. Two were insignificant nobodies. They themselves had barely escaped the tiger's den—what could they say? Even Duan Yu, who felt a pang of pity, dared not speak, and with his retainers' urging, obediently walked away.
In the bitter, powerless silence, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and said nothing. Their intense resentment was buried deep within, not a trace showing. Having come from the streets, they knew better how to endure, how to bend and stretch.
"Amitabha, Chief, may I ask what you intend to do?" Jiumozhi, having barely steadied his emotions, still faced reality and bowed his head. "Don't worry. I, Li Daoqiang, have always been fair and just, true to my word. I won't cheat you," Li Daoqiang said with a warm, magnanimous smile. Of course, no one believed him. Jiumozhi and the other three felt even more aggrieved. A bandit robbing them was talking about fairness, justice, and honesty, claiming he wouldn't cheat them. But might made right, and they endured it.
"Jiumozhi, you're a top-tier expert. For someone at your level, my Black Dragon Stronghold has a set price of five hundred thousand taels of silver. Of course, since you're a foreigner, it's a bit more—ten times that. So, fifty million taels of silver. Pay up, and you can leave immediately," Li Daoqiang said with a faint smile. Before his words faded, many faces changed color. Jiumozhi clenched his hands, unable to suppress the anger that had been building. "Chief Li, are you joking? Fifty million taels of silver—even if you killed me, I could never produce that much," he said in a low voice. Even Yi Jifeng and the others, now some distance away, couldn't help but pause. Fifty million taels of silver! Li Daoqiang really dared to ask for it.
"Oh? The national preceptor of a great nation is worth so little?" Li Daoqiang frowned slightly, as if a bit surprised. Jiumozhi's face twitched, his frustration mounting. Gritting his teeth, he lifted his chin firmly. "No matter what you want, Chief, fifty million taels—neither I nor Tubo can possibly produce it." "No rush. Let's talk slowly." Li Daoqiang looked at Jiumozhi with a smile, his gaze meaningful. Jiumozhi frowned deeply, about to speak, when Li Daoqiang suddenly turned his attention to Ou Jinghao.
"Ou Jinghao, you haven't broken through to the master realm yet, roughly at the fourth level of the innate stage. Your price is cheap—eighty thousand taels of silver will do," Li Daoqiang said flatly. Though still humiliated, Ou Jinghao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. That was a price he could afford. Clasping his hands, he said, "I don't have that much silver on me now. I can write a letter to have it sent as soon as possible." "Fine. Once the silver arrives, you can go." Li Daoqiang nodded slightly, speaking briskly. Suddenly, he looked at Ou Jinghao with a hint of interest. "Ou Jinghao, I see you as a talent. Would you like to join my Black Dragon Stronghold?"
Ou Jinghao was taken aback, his face turning solemn and serious. Before he could think it over, Li Daoqiang continued casually, "I've always valued talent. Of course, since you have silver and no grudge with me, I won't force you to join. But I have a few words of advice for you." Ou Jinghao listened intently, his focus sharp. Though he had no intention of joining the Black Dragon Stronghold, no one could ignore the words of a peerless expert.
"You're talented, with great potential. Breaking through to the master realm is only a matter of time. But can the Sanjue Palace and Feng Dao support your path beyond that? For most in this world, reaching the master realm is the ultimate dream. For someone like you, though, it's just a starting point. The road ahead is longer and farther. You'll need suitable techniques, backing, experience, and more. Without enough support, how will you keep going?" "There are many talents in this world, but most only reach the master realm at best—like your grandfather, Feng Dao. It's because they lack the support to move forward. You're the same. Think about Jiumozhi and those who left. Can you compare to them?"
Li Daoqiang spoke slowly, his tone unhurried. His words were like a blade, cutting through the veil to reveal the raw truth. Ou Jinghao's brows were tightly knit, his eyes full of gravity. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were similarly silent, deep in thought. Even Yi Jifeng and Jiumozhi were the same. Ding Chunqiu and the Blood Saber Old Ancestor nodded in fervent agreement. Ding Chunqiu couldn't help but glare at Su Xinghe, his hatred burning. If that old man had taught him the sect's true divine arts back then, would he have had to resort to poison techniques? Over the years, without support, his strength had barely progressed. Otherwise, would his power be so limited now?
"So, if you want to go further on the path of mastery, to become stronger, the Sanjue Palace and Feng Dao won't be enough. But if you join the Black Dragon Stronghold, none of that will be a problem. As long as you have enough value and potential, and don't betray me, I'll support you all the way. You can walk steadily forward, and something like today will never happen to you again," Li Daoqiang said unhurriedly, full of confidence and conviction.
Ou Jinghao's eyes flickered, his heart pounding fiercely. But the sense of justice within him firmly suppressed that temptation. Lowering his head, he clasped his hands respectfully. "Thank you for your regard, Chief. But I owe a great debt to the Sanjue Palace and my grandfather, and I cannot switch allegiances. Please forgive me." "No matter. I said I wouldn't force you, and I won't. It's up to you. But you'd better pray that everyone you meet from now on is as reluctant to kill as I am." Li Daoqiang waved it off, turning his gaze to Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.
Ou Jinghao's heart sank, lost in thought, and he fell silent with a slight bow. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling took a light breath, tense. It was their turn.
"You two are at the third level of the innate stage. Forty thousand taels each, eighty thousand total," Li Daoqiang said, glancing at them before speaking flatly. Facing this peerless expert directly, their nervousness only grew. "Chief, we don't have that much silver on us either. Could you give us some time? We'll definitely come up with it," Kou Zhong said with a bow, his tone earnest. Li Daoqiang raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, you have no relatives or friends to send the money?"
(Chapter 1, had important matters today, got delayed. I'm twenty-five now, everyone understand.) ......