But thinking about Ding Chunqiu's deeds, it seemed only right to be uneasy. Being planted with the Life-and-Death Talisman was even more理所当然. As they thought this, many felt a bit calmer inside. Of course, no matter what, no one liked the Life-and-Death Talisman. They just didn't dare say it. "Yes." The crowd obediently replied in unison.
Listening to Ding Chunqiu's increasingly shrill screams, most people's gazes toward Wu Xingyun grew subtly more hostile. Wu Xingyun naturally sensed this and felt an urge to bite Li Daoqiang. There was no helping it—in terms of strength, even at her peak, she couldn't beat him, so she had to find another way. That bastard really knew how to shift blame. With her and Ding Chunqiu, he had easily redirected the dissatisfaction and hostility of the Black Dragon Stronghold crowd toward the Life-and-Death Talisman.
And she thought deeper. Maybe that bastard wasn't just shifting blame—he was doing it deliberately. To keep the Carefree Sect from growing too strong within the Black Dragon Stronghold. It was easy to imagine: as long as the Life-and-Death Talisman existed, the mid-to-high ranks of the stronghold would harbor a subtle enmity toward the Carefree Sect, never truly aligning with it. More importantly, this was an open scheme, a fact she couldn't refute, only bear the consequences.
The more she thought, the angrier she got. Even Ding Chunqiu's miserable state couldn't cheer her up. The only thing that made her feel Li Daoqiang hadn't pushed things to the brink was his claim that even she couldn't undo the Life-and-Death Talisman he planted. Otherwise, Wu Xingyun could imagine how the stronghold's mid-to-high ranks would covet her. Given the chance, they wouldn't show her any mercy.
"Hall Master Ding, the punishment of the Life-and-Death Talisman will be added to the stronghold rules, targeting only those at the Xiantian realm and above who make mistakes, and I will personally administer it," Li Daoqiang said calmly. "Yes." Ding Dian replied.
As if finishing his words, Li Daoqiang finally looked at Ding Chunqiu, who was now disheveled, battered, and in agony. With a flick of his finger, he shot a burst of inner energy into Ding Chunqiu's body. Immediately, Ding Chunqiu's screams subsided. This was one of two ways to control the Life-and-Death Talisman. One was to prepare special pills. The other was for the planter to use their power to suppress the talisman in the victim's body. Wu Xingyun naturally wouldn't waste her inner energy on the people of the Thirty-Six Islands and Seventy-Two Caves, so she always used pills. Li Daoqiang didn't plan to use the Life-and-Death Talisman on a large scale, and he didn't want Wu Xingyun to master the pills, so he used his own power to control it.
Ding Chunqiu's screams stopped completely. He gasped heavily, his face still filled with terror. The next moment, he scrambled to his knees, crawling to Li Daoqiang's feet, kowtowing repeatedly, and said in fear, "Chief, I am utterly loyal to you, Chief!" "Alright, alright, I know you've been wronged, but you made mistakes before, and you're loyal to me. So I had to use you as an example for the brothers in the stronghold. As long as you behave, the Life-and-Death Talisman won't act up," Li Daoqiang said, patting his shoulder in comfort.
Ding Chunqiu trembled all over. Half from anger, half from fear. It was clear Li Daoqiang wouldn't remove the Life-and-Death Talisman for him. He gritted his teeth silently for a moment, then, lowering his head, said respectfully, "Yes, I will swear to die for the Chief. I am the Chief's loyal dog. Anyone who dares to be disloyal to the Chief, I will root them out." As he spoke, as if he had come to some realization, a dark aura emanated from Ding Chunqiu. His lowered head cast an icy, venomous glance at the crowd behind him. Like a poisonous snake, everyone who met his gaze felt a chill.
Duan Yanqing's heart sank. Ding Chunqiu was likely turning into a mad dog. He was going to drag others down with him. Especially since Li Daoqiang would never trust him—once caught with evidence, the Life-and-Death Talisman would be planted on him. He would need to be even more cautious in the future. Lost in thought, he lowered his eyelids, trying to minimize his presence. He wasn't the only one; others saw it too. Some were unafraid, others frowned.
Li Daoqiang glanced at Ding Chunqiu, smiled with satisfaction, and said, "Get up. I trust you." "Yes." Ding Chunqiu replied with even more respect than before.
"Now that the Life-and-Death Talisman is settled, the most important thing for the Black Dragon Stronghold is to absorb the Thirty-Six Islands and Seventy-Two Caves. Everyone will follow orders uniformly." Li Daoqiang's expression turned slightly stern, and an authoritative aura rose. "Yes." The crowd replied in unison.
"Alright, all of you may withdraw." Li Daoqiang commanded. Over seventy people filed out of the assembly hall, forming groups of five, seven, or pairs. Subtly, several core groups could be discerned. Ding Dian led one, with Lü Tengkong's family, Di Yun, and others gathered around him. Duan Yanqing led another, with Yue Laosan, Yun Zhonghe, Zhaixingzi, and several evil-path experts. Su Xinghe and the Carefree Sect members formed a group. Wu Xingyun's Lingjiu Palace followers gathered separately, waiting as Wu Xingyun hadn't come out yet. Blood Saber Ancestor led his disciples and a few evil-path figures as another faction. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling formed a duo, along with a few others. And Ding Chunqiu was the only lone figure.
Without a doubt, aside from the Lingjiu Palace members and Ding Chunqiu, everyone was discussing the Life-and-Death Talisman. Some had grim faces, others merely frowned, and a few were calm. But they didn't say much, exchanging a few words before tacitly dispersing. This wasn't the place for discussion.
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling walked slowly, secretly communicating telepathically while observing the crowd's movements. 'How is it? Got a read on them?' Kou Zhong's eyes darted. 'Roughly, but I need more time to confirm,' Xu Ziling said seriously. 'Same here. Once confirmed, we'll get close to Hall Master Ding and the others. This Black Dragon Stronghold is terrifying enough, and now with the Life-and-Death Talisman appearing, if we don't establish ourselves quickly, I'll feel like I'm hanging by a thread, with no safety,' Kou Zhong said helplessly. 'Agreed.' Xu Ziling nodded solemnly.
Inside the assembly hall. Li Daoqiang glanced calmly outside, taking everything in. He had no particular thoughts about it. It was normal. If these subordinates didn't form groups, that would be shocking. He'd start suspecting they were hiding something from him. This was just natural development.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Wu Xingyun. Her small, tense face, delicate as carved jade, was exceptionally cute. But her real age was quite advanced, and she was a genuine top-tier expert. So Li Daoqiang had to show some respect and couldn't casually tease her. He sighed slightly with regret, then smiled, "What's wrong with Child Grandmother? Who made her unhappy?"
Wu Xingyun nearly jumped up to slap the bastard in front of her. Do you think I don't know what's wrong? Shameless enough. She gritted her teeth, her face red with anger, and after a moment of silence, said in a low voice, "Chief, from now on, I need to focus on recovering and teaching Yuyan. I'm afraid I won't be able to cooperate with you at any time." In the end, reason prevailed. She wouldn't waste words on useless things. Without her strength restored, she had no leverage, so she'd rather not look at this bastard. Out of sight, out of mind.
"No problem. Arrange things as you see fit, Child Grandmother." Li Daoqiang said magnanimously with a smile. Wu Xingyun didn't say more, afraid she'd lose control and curse him out. She turned and left the assembly hall.
Li Daoqiang felt a bit regretful. He could tell Wu Xingyun was deliberately avoiding him. Maybe he'd pushed too far. It would be harder to tease the little loli now. But there was no helping it—what had to be done, had to be done.
The next day, under Li Daoqiang's orders, a large group of Black Dragon Stronghold members headed to Tianshan. They officially began the process of absorbing and integrating the people of the Thirty-Six Islands and Seventy-Two Caves, which would take some time.
Over the next few days, Li Daoqiang managed the overall situation while focusing on cultivation. The few master-level martial arts techniques given by Jiumozhi, along with the Tianshan Six Sun Palm and Tianshan Folding Hand, yielded him considerable gains. The Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms showed signs of significant progress.
Five days later. After a short seclusion, Li Daoqiang made great strides in the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, putting him in a good mood. That night, he arrived at Wang Yuyan's courtyard.
Wang Yuyan looked upset, as if wronged, gazing pitifully at Li Daoqiang. Knowing the reason, Li Daoqiang still asked gently, "What's wrong? Who bullied my Yuyan?" "Child Grandmother... she scolded Yuyan again." Wang Yuyan said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, tears falling. Her pitiful look was exceptionally beautiful.
Li Daoqiang suppressed the urge to laugh, pulled her soft, fragrant body into his arms, and comforted her, "Don't cry. Child Grandmother means well for you." "I know. Am I really that useless? Always messing up?" Wang Yuyan looked up at Li Daoqiang with even more grievance. "Who said that? My Yuyan is the best. Train hard, and one day you'll surpass Child Grandmother in martial arts, become a top expert, and leave her with nothing to say. She'll have to bow and call you Sect Leader." Li Daoqiang encouraged her.
Wang Yuyan laughed through her tears, though still a bit unsure, "Can Yuyan really do that?" "Definitely. Your husband believes in you." Li Daoqiang encouraged her firmly, his tone resolute. Wang Yuyan bit her lip, gaining some confidence, and nodded heavily, wrinkling her little nose, "Mm, Yuyan will." "Good girl. Tonight, your husband will make it up to you properly." Li Daoqiang scooped up her soft body horizontally, a flame flickering in his eyes. Wang Yuyan's face flushed bright red. She let out a soft moan and buried her face in his broad chest, refusing to lift it. Li Daoqiang strode toward the embroidered bed.
A fierce battle lasted about half an hour. In the end, Wang Yuyan looked at Li Daoqiang with bright, shy eyes, not too tired. That was the benefit of having strength. The once fragile little lamb could now stand her ground against him in a proper fight. Naturally, after just a dozen breaths, the battle resumed. Finally, Wang Yuyan fell asleep with a smile on her lips.
Li Daoqiang was still highly energized. After a while, his expression suddenly shifted. He glanced at Wang Yuyan, who had reached the master level but still lacked alertness, then silently rose, dressed, and vanished from the room.
(Chapter 1, please subscribe, give me some motivation.) ······