"Boom!!"
In front of Black Dragon Village, countless fireworks exploded, shooting into the sky, painting a beautiful scene.
Wang Yuyan and the others stopped playing mahjong and walked into the courtyard to watch.
Li Daoqiang watched too.
He looked at the fireworks, the scene in the front village, and then at Wang Yuyan and the others.
Suddenly, a strange feeling stirred within him.
A new year, a new beginning.
Last New Year had been quiet and dull, with no festive spirit at all.
This New Year, thousands surrounded him, all stirred by his single thought.
In just one short year, it felt like he had started a new life.
From an unknown nobody, he had become someone the entire world couldn't ignore.
What about the new year?
A faint ambition began to rise.
In his eyes, a dragon's shadow suddenly flickered.
In an instant, his figure vanished.
Huang Xuemei had been quietly watching the fireworks. At that moment, she frowned slightly and looked at where Li Daoqiang had stood.
Recalling the surging aura that had flashed by just now.
Her mind stirred.
He must have gained some insight; he's about to become stronger!
Thinking this, a hint of admiration rose in her heart.
As someone who had also reached the Grandmaster level at a young age, she knew very well how hard it was to advance even one step.
Putting everything else aside, that guy's achievements in martial arts were truly astonishing.
And as for herself...
A cold, bitter hatred flickered through her. It wasn't enough.
Her current strength was far from enough.
Her slender, jade-like hands suddenly clenched.
Before long, the fireworks stopped.
Wang Yuyan and Qi Fang then remembered their husband, but found he was nowhere to be seen.
"Mother, where is my husband?" Wang Yuyan glanced at Huang Xuemei and asked, puzzled.
Li Qingluo also looked at Huang Xuemei first, then shook her head.
With Huang Xuemei here, and Qi Fang too, where could Li Daoqiang have gone?
Just then, Huang Xuemei stood up and walked outside, leaving behind a cold remark: "He's gone into seclusion."
With that, her figure had already vanished.
"Sister Yuyan, I'll head back first," Qi Fang said gently.
Wang Yuyan didn't overthink it and replied with a warm smile, "I'll go back too."
The two left the courtyard together. After they parted ways and returned to their own courtyards, Li Qingluo's face darkened slightly, and she scolded softly, "Yuyan, are you afraid of that Huang Xuemei?"
"No, not at all," Wang Yuyan said, lowering her head, a bit uncertain.
"Not at all? Hmph, do you think I can't tell? I've taught you for nothing. What are you afraid of?" Li Qingluo snapped sharply.
The more she spoke, the more frustrated she became, as if disappointed in her daughter. She said coldly, "You have a full set of skills; once you master them completely, you'll be a top-tier expert. You have the Carefree Sect backing you, with someone as strong as Child Elder supporting you. Outside, you have me and the Wang family. And you are Li Daoqiang's lawfully wedded wife. What are you afraid of? In Black Dragon Village, who has more standing than you?"
Wang Yuyan lowered her head even further, hiding from Li Qingluo's gaze, then pouted slightly, looking adorable, with a hint of defiance.
Her big eyes blinked, and her thoughts drifted to her husband.
Why did he go into seclusion now?
Was something wrong?
And why wasn't Sister Xuemei usually in the village?
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Li Qingluo didn't notice her silly daughter was daydreaming. She let out a heavy snort and said sternly, "For now, it's fine. Huang Xuemei won't be a threat to you. One day, Li Daoqiang will get tired of her, so don't worry about her. But if Li Daoqiang marries another wife in the future, you absolutely cannot be so weak and useless anymore. Do you hear me?"
No response. Wang Yuyan still kept her head down.
Li Qingluo raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to look up at her.
When she saw, her breath caught.
"Yuyan, what are you thinking? Are you even listening to me?" Li Qingluo shouted angrily, realizing her silly daughter had zoned out.
Wang Yuyan was startled, snapped back to reality, and looked at Li Qingluo with a blank expression.
Li Qingluo grew even angrier, her jade-like face cold with fury. "Fine, fine, fine. The more I teach you, the worse you get. You dare to ignore your mother now."
Wang Yuyan quickly shook her head weakly, looking at Li Qingluo timidly.
"Go face the wall in the corner. If I don't punish you today, you'll get bolder and bolder," Li Qingluo snorted.
"Oh!" Wang Yuyan replied pitifully, then walked to the corner to face the wall.
After a while, an old woman who had been waiting outside approached Wang Yuyan and asked a few quiet questions.
Then she looked at Li Qingluo and said expressionlessly, "Madam Li, the Chief has ordered that no one in the village, except the Chief himself, may punish the Lady."
Li Qingluo was stunned, glaring at the old woman in disbelief. "Do you know who you're speaking to?" she snapped coldly.
"Of course, this old servant knows. Please, Madam Li, show some respect. This is Black Dragon Village. The Lady is the mistress; Madam Li is not," the old woman replied, her tone still calm but firmer.
Li Qingluo was truly enraged. A chill gathered around her. If this were in Mantuo Villa, anyone who dared speak to her like this would be chopped up and used as flower fertilizer.
But here...
Reason held back her impulse, though her heaving chest betrayed her fury. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
"Granny Li," Wang Yuyan sensed trouble and tugged at the old woman.
The old woman bowed slightly and said evenly, "This is Black Dragon Village. The Lady is the mistress. No one but the Chief may punish the Lady."
Wang Yuyan was at a loss for words, glancing timidly at Li Qingluo, caught in a dilemma, but secretly feeling a hint of inexplicable joy.
Granny Li was here; Child Elder couldn't punish me anymore. And Mother... it seems she can't punish me either.
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In a secret chamber.
The sound of dragon roars echoed, and faint golden light radiated from Li Daoqiang's body, vaguely forming a golden divine dragon dancing.
A powerful, surging aura spread from him, tightly contained within the chamber.
After more than half an hour.
All the phenomena faded, and a smile appeared on Li Daoqiang's face.
A momentary insight had pushed the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms a huge step forward.
It had saved him at least millions of bandit points.
He could sense that the state of perfection was not far off.
He glanced at the over a hundred million bandit points and suppressed the urge to use them to finish it all at once.
He was at this stage now; there was no rush.
Perhaps in a few months, he could reach perfection on his own, saving tens of millions of bandit points.
He stood up and left the chamber.
Without hesitation, he headed toward Huang Xuemei's courtyard.
She rarely came back and wouldn't stay long, so Li Daoqiang naturally wanted to accompany her.
When he arrived, Huang Xuemei was training.
Her training was one of the things that worried Li Daoqiang the most.
Huang Xuemei practiced the Eight Sounds of the Heavenly Dragon, a martial art tied to the Heavenly Demon Qin.
It was specifically for using the Heavenly Demon Qin, or rather, a path through the qin.
So, aside from light-footed techniques, Li Daoqiang couldn't help much; it all depended on Huang Xuemei herself.
In terms of combat power, Huang Xuemei was already a top-tier expert, but the Great Bandit System only recognized realms.
That created a fivefold difference.
A full hundred million bandit points.
A hundred million bandit points—Li Daoqiang couldn't afford to ignore that.
He waited quietly for a while, but when Huang Xuemei showed no sign of stopping, he couldn't hold back anymore.
He stepped forward, gently embraced her, and said softly, "Xuemei, have you found any trace of Dongfang Bai?"
At these words, Huang Xuemei couldn't remain indifferent. She opened her eyes, stared at Li Daoqiang, and said seriously, "Have you found something?"
"I have some leads, but nothing certain yet," Li Daoqiang said earnestly.
"What leads?" Huang Xuemei's eyes brightened, growing more intense.
"It's too big. With your current strength, you can't get involved," Li Daoqiang said firmly.
Huang Xuemei's face flushed with agitation. She grabbed Li Daoqiang's wrist and said resolutely, "Who is it? I need to know."
"I told you, I'm not sure yet. Just some leads. And your strength isn't enough; I won't let you take risks," Li Daoqiang said, his expression turning serious and unyielding.
"Tell me first. If I'm not sure, I won't take risks," Huang Xuemei said, gripping tighter, struggling to contain her excitement.
From Li Daoqiang's words, she was certain he had found some key clue.
And it likely involved the real mastermind.
"I don't trust you at all in this matter," Li Daoqiang said, holding both of Huang Xuemei's hands together, his tone firm.
Then, looking at her stubborn face, he sighed softly and said gently, "Alright, trust me, okay? As soon as your own strength, without the Heavenly Demon Qin, reaches the top-tier expert level, I'll tell you. For now, it's too early for you. And I'm not ready to make a move yet."
Huang Xuemei opened her mouth to speak again, but Li Daoqiang cut her off firmly, "Xuemei, I'm telling you this now to make you happy. I won't let you take risks, so I won't say another word. Trust me, I will avenge you."
Huang Xuemei fell silent, her hands clenched within Li Daoqiang's grasp.
After a long moment, she finally lowered her head, her stubbornness fading.
In a low voice, she said, "Alright, once my own strength reaches the top-tier expert level, you must tell me."
"Don't worry. I'm still investigating, and my strength is growing fast. By the time you reach that level, we should have enough certainty," Li Daoqiang said confidently.
Huang Xuemei was a genius, but reaching the top-tier expert level on her own would take at least a few more years.
And that was fast.
Don't be fooled by how quickly Li Daoqiang's strength grew; in reality, the gap between an ordinary Grandmaster and a top-tier Grandmaster was huge.
A simple example.
It took Golden Wheel Dharma King sixteen years to go from the ninth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art to the tenth.
Guo Jing and Yang Guo didn't take much less time.
That was the normal pace. Those who cheated didn't count.
By the time a few years passed, Li Daoqiang was certain he could avenge Huang Xuemei.
Hearing this, Huang Xuemei's heart softened a bit.
No matter what, this guy was still...
She lowered her eyes, not wanting to look at the man before her.
Li Daoqiang held her tighter, with little desire in his heart.
Instead, he was thinking about the news Bai Xiaosheng had brought a few days ago.
Huang Xuemei's enemy—their background might indeed be quite significant.
And who exactly was the Twin Dragon Head?
Cooperation~!
(Chapter 2, heading out to work. Novel group: (Xingchen Yu Novel Chat Group), just set up. Feel free to join if interested.)
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