Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were speechless, unable to find words.
They truly couldn't think of anyone who could deliver eighty thousand taels of silver to Li Daoqiang.
Their foster mother could have, but she had already passed away.
As for anyone else, there was no one.
Li Daoqiang seemed uninterested in saying more and withdrew his gaze.
Blood Saber Old Ancestor immediately understood and spoke up: "Our Black Dragon Village never extends credit. No money, no leaving. Two choices: one, die; two, join our Black Dragon Village."
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling grew anxious in their hearts—they had no intention of joining the Black Dragon Village yet.
"Chief, if you could give us some time, we'll definitely pay double," Kou Zhong said decisively, his tone full of confidence and conviction.
Xu Ziling nodded solemnly.
Blood Saber Old Ancestor chuckled darkly: "Kid, haven't you heard of our Black Dragon Village's rules? Those are the only two paths. Choose."
As he spoke, he flicked his blood saber, his eyes carrying a blatant threat.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's breath caught, and they exchanged a glance.
They decisively lowered their heads, cupped their fists, and bowed: "We are willing to join the Black Dragon Village. Your subordinates pay respects to the Chief."
Li Daoqiang showed a slight smile, a hint of appreciation in his eyes: "Mm, not bad. Work hard; this village chief has high hopes for you."
"Thank you, Chief," Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling said with bitter hearts, forced to express gratitude.
Li Daoqiang turned his gaze back to Jiumozhi and stepped forward.
Jiumozhi's entire body tensed, on high alert.
Li Daoqiang said with amusement: "You want to fight me?"
"I wouldn't dare, but what does the Chief intend to do?" Jiumozhi asked seriously.
"Seal your meridians and true essence, then we'll talk slowly." Li Daoqiang kept walking, his tone calm.
Jiumozhi's heart wavered in hesitation and struggle, wanting to resist, but he wasn't skilled in light-footed techniques.
If it came to a fight, he had no confidence in escaping.
Li Daoqiang's strength had reached an unfathomable level.
Only a peerless master could stand against him.
That was clear from the palm strike that took down Ding Chunqiu.
A grandmaster of his renown, the infamous Star Devil, had no power to resist—one palm and he was down.
That terrifying power and control over the forces of heaven and earth were beyond the imagination of even the grandmasters present.
If not for that shocking palm strike, they wouldn't have been so cooperative.
None of them had shown any sign of fighting.
The only fleeting thought had come when Li Daoqiang was poisoned.
If he resisted now, there was a nine-out-of-ten chance he'd be severely injured and then have his meridians and acupoints sealed.
His chances of escaping would be even slimmer.
Less than one in ten.
After much hesitation and struggle, recalling Li Daoqiang's words about negotiation, he watched helplessly as Li Daoqiang approached and reached out a hand.
Sweat appeared on his forehead, yet he still didn't resist.
Golden light flickered over Jiumozhi's body for a moment, and then Li Daoqiang withdrew his hand.
He looked at Jiumozhi with satisfaction, a hint of approval in his eyes.
Good, very pragmatic.
Then Jiumozhi regretted it.
Why hadn't he struck?
Even if it was just a pretext to spar or seek advice, it would have been worth it.
He, the esteemed Great Master of Tubo, a top-tier expert, hadn't even made a move before being captured.
If word got out...
The more he thought about it, the more Jiumozhi regretted it, his heart filled with stifling frustration, his expression dark.
"Master Jiumozhi, rest assured. This village chief doesn't like killing, and I especially appreciate pragmatic people like you. As for the price, we'll discuss it slowly. No rush." Li Daoqiang said approvingly, even changing his address.
Jiumozhi's lips twitched as he tried to maintain a dignified smile in response.
But he couldn't manage it, barely forcing a calm tone: "This humble monk still says the same: fifty million taels of silver is absolutely impossible."
Li Daoqiang didn't press the matter for now, glancing in the direction Murong Fu and the others had gone.
Perhaps they'd seen enough excitement and dared not linger any longer.
One by one, they quickly disappeared into the distance.
Ding Chunqiu, who had been silent all along, had now controlled his injuries.
Seeing Li Daoqiang's gaze, his eyes shifted, and with a respectful, loyal expression as if offering advice, he said: "Chief, I believe we should target the Duan family. The Dali Kingdom, like Tubo, is nothing to fear."
As soon as he spoke, everyone's eyes turned to Ding Chunqiu.
Su Xinghe and the others snorted in disdain—he was already so eager to curry favor with his new master.
Duan Yanqing's expression shifted slightly as he looked at Li Daoqiang, genuinely worried he might be tempted.
Li Daoqiang didn't care about Tubo, so why would he care about Dali?
After a moment's hesitation, Duan Yanqing spoke in a calm, unruffled tone: "Ding Chunqiu, are you questioning the Chief's words?"
Ding Chunqiu's face changed, and he glared at Duan Yanqing, unafraid and speaking boldly: "Ridiculous! I'm just trying every way to make money for the Chief. My loyalty to the Chief is as clear as the sun and moon."
At his words, Li Qingluo, Su Xinghe, and the others looked at him with even more contempt.
Even Duan Yanqing was a bit speechless.
Though he'd already witnessed Ding Chunqiu's shamelessness, he felt he might have underestimated him.
Li Daoqiang, however, was amused, smiling as he looked at Ding Chunqiu.
Ding Chunqiu's heart fluttered, and he instinctively avoided direct eye contact, quickly speaking with firm deference: "Chief, I've had a complete epiphany. Your words earlier were absolutely right. All these years, I've been hunted because I lacked a strong backing. Now, I am your most loyal dog, because relying on you makes me stronger. You point me at someone, and I'll bite."
As if completely throwing caution to the wind, Ding Chunqiu's utterly shameless speech made everyone present—except Li Daoqiang, Wang Yuyan, and the group of Zhaixingzi—twitch in discomfort.
He wasn't embarrassed, but they were embarrassed for him.
Blood Saber Old Ancestor's brows twitched violently, utterly speechless.
This Star Devil really did raise disciples just like himself; compared to him, his disciples were nothing.
Then, he couldn't help but look at Li Daoqiang.
His heart itched—maybe he could learn from this.
"Heh heh."
Li Daoqiang wasn't embarrassed; instead, he looked at Ding Chunqiu with even more appreciation.
"Not bad, not bad. A dog should act like a dog. This village chief appreciates that. Rest assured, as long as you show your worth and achieve great merits, I'll make you stronger."
"Thank you, Chief." Ding Chunqiu immediately bowed deeply.
He seemed completely unfazed by the contemptuous looks from others.
Su Xinghe and the others' expressions shifted slightly, wanting to say something but holding back due to deep concerns.
Li Qingluo glanced at her oblivious daughter, then couldn't help turning to Li Daoqiang: "He can endure. People like him, the more they endure, the more dangerous they become."
Ding Chunqiu looked at Li Qingluo but didn't dare speak to her as he had to Duan Yanqing, given her status. He said with feigned grievance: "Teacher... Madam Li, the Chief's divine skills are unmatched. I would never dare harbor any ulterior thoughts."
"Hmph." Li Qingluo snorted coldly, disdainfully: "A dog can't change its nature. Do you think you can fool anyone?"
Su Xinghe and the others from the Carefree Sect nodded in agreement.
It wasn't about anything else, nor did they expect Li Daoqiang to kill Ding Chunqiu now.
They were just worried that Li Daoqiang might let his guard down around Ding Chunqiu.
The problem was that Ding Chunqiu had shown no bottom line, making him untrustworthy.
Duan Yanqing, Kou Zhong, and the others remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
Wang Yuyan didn't care, but seeing her mother speak, she habitually nodded in agreement.
Ding Chunqiu's lips twitched at that, but he didn't dare say more, just putting on a pitiful expression.
Li Daoqiang smiled, speaking gently to Li Qingluo: "Rest assured, Mother-in-law."
With just those six words, he said no more.
Li Qingluo's mind stirred, feeling an overwhelming sense of dominance wash over her.
Her eyes flickered, and she fell silent.
Ding Chunqiu was slightly pleased, knowing Li Daoqiang hadn't heeded Li Qingluo's words. Seizing the moment, he spoke with loyal, sycophantic zeal: "Chief, should we pursue the Duan family? Though I'm injured, I can still fight."
Duan Yanqing's eyes narrowed slightly, a faint, barely perceptible cold gleam flashing as he looked at Ding Chunqiu.
"Having the initiative to make money for this village chief is a good thing."
Li Daoqiang praised him with satisfaction, then paused before continuing: "However, this village chief has always kept his word and values integrity above all. Understand?"
Ding Chunqiu sneered inwardly but nodded without hesitation: "Your subordinate understands."
Li Daoqiang looked at him approvingly.
He sighed inwardly—truly, since ancient times, sycophantic ministers have never been in short supply.
No help for it.
Look, regardless of his motives, Ding Chunqiu sure knew how to speak sweetly.
More importantly, he took the initiative to suggest ways to make money.
Ding Dian wouldn't do that.
That was the difference.
And Duan Yanqing?
He wouldn't either. Well, he wasn't even qualified to be a sycophant.
For no particular reason, Li Daoqiang began to look down on Duan Yanqing even more.
As for loyalty?
Heh, he was a bandit, a villain.
Only a madman would bother with that.
With a slight sigh, he spoke: "Alright, pack up. We return to Black Dragon Village tomorrow."
"Yes." Ding Chunqiu, Blood Saber Old Ancestor, and the others responded.
Li Daoqiang had Su Xinghe arrange the group, then led Wang Yuyan into the place where he'd been resting for the past few days.
As soon as he left, the scene naturally became complicated.
Ding Chunqiu ignored the others, his eyes like a venomous snake, glancing at Su Xinghe a few times before fixing on the trembling Zhaixingzi and his group.
Zhaixingzi and the others dared not look at Ding Chunqiu. In fear, they gritted their teeth, and several leaders ran over to Duan Yanqing, flattering him profusely.
Ding Chunqiu's face twisted with murderous intent.
But he still held back.
Duan Yanqing glanced at Ding Chunqiu, hesitated, and said a few words to Zhaixingzi and the others.
"Ding Chunqiu, you'd better not slip up." Su Xinghe couldn't help but say coldly, his thoughts already shifting.
He was fine with Ding Chunqiu being a slave.
But seeing Ding Chunqiu so willingly play the dog, he wasn't satisfied.
"Hmph." Ding Chunqiu snorted dismissively, but didn't argue.
The situation wasn't clear yet, so it wasn't wise to say too much.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, who had been quietly observing, exchanged glances, filled with helplessness.
"Ling Shao, should we find someone to chat with?" Kou Zhong transmitted mentally.
As newcomers to Black Dragon Village, building connections was a must.
It was the way of survival, and they knew it well.
(Chapter two, just two chapters today.) ·······