Moreover, after seeing and hearing everything in Black Dragon Stronghold over the past three months, a faint ambition stirred within Sisi.
The world was vast, and now with such a formidable backing, how could she not strive for more? This time, the chieftain had brought him along, precisely to give him an opportunity. If he didn’t earn merit now, when would he?
Glancing sidelong at Duan Yanqing, who showed no intention of speaking, he bowed respectfully and said, “Chieftain, in my humble opinion, Senior Blood Saber’s method is excellent. However, Senior Blood Saber’s reputation is too great; it might alert Gongsun Zhi to his identity, making him hesitate to act. Instead, let me go. I can surely provoke Gongsun Zhi into making a move, leaving him no way to retreat.”
Blood Saber Patriarch narrowed his eyes at Kou Zhong but said nothing, because Kou Zhong’s reasoning held merit. He quietly pondered Kou Zhong’s character.
“Mm, well said,” Li Daoqiang praised, turning to glance at the group. His gaze lingered briefly on Duan Yanqing before he smiled encouragingly at Kou Zhong. “Go ahead, act freely.”
“Yes, I won’t let the chieftain down.” Kou Zhong’s face lit up with joy as he clasped his fists in salute. With that, he headed toward the cluster of buildings in the valley.
Li Daoqiang watched Kou Zhong’s retreating figure with a smile, then suddenly spoke calmly, “Duan Yanqing, don’t you have any thoughts?”
At his words, Ding Chunqiu and Blood Saber Patriarch cast a glance at Duan Yanqing, a flicker of mockery deep in their eyes. Pretending to be aloof? Indeed, over time, they saw Duan Yanqing’s behavior as mere posturing. As a notorious villain steeped in evil, no one knew why he had joined Black Dragon Stronghold, but since entering, he had always carried an air of arrogance. Just like now—they had all offered their ideas, but Duan Yanqing remained silent. Was it because he had none? Hah. More likely, he couldn’t let go of his pride as a grandmaster, unwilling to truly submit to Li Daoqiang. What a fool, putting on airs. It would only lead to his doom.
Yun Zhonghe watched Duan Yanqing with some concern, sensing something amiss, but he had no right to speak and could only stay silent.
Duan Yanqing’s lowered eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of wariness flashing through them. He bowed his head and said, “Chieftain, Blood Saber’s method is excellent. I can’t think of a better plan.”
“Oh, is that so?” Li Daoqiang chuckled, then gradually let his smile fade.
Ding Chunqiu and Blood Saber Patriarch quickly lowered their heads, inwardly gloating. Duan Yanqing’s heart tightened as he replied, “Yes.”
“Let’s move closer and take a look.” Li Daoqiang shifted the topic, not pressing further. He took the lead, stepping toward the buildings. Ding Chunqiu and the others dared not linger and hurriedly followed.
Outside the main hall of the Emotion Valley, Kou Zhong ignored the many disciples of the valley and barged straight in, shouting arrogantly, “Hey, valley master of this so-called Emotion Valley, why aren’t you coming out to greet me?”
His shout echoed far and wide, stirring up half the valley.
“How dare you!” “Who’s this brat, causing trouble in Emotion Valley? Looking for death?” ...
In an instant, more and more Emotion Valley disciples emerged, surrounding Kou Zhong with a barrage of curses. Unfazed, Kou Zhong stood proudly with his treasured blade, releasing his full aura without restraint, which made the disciples hesitate to act immediately.
A few breaths later, a middle-aged man in a blue robe, handsome and poised, arrived with several others. The disciples parted respectfully, bowing. The man frowned, sizing up Kou Zhong.
Kou Zhong studied him in return, then sneered disdainfully, “So you’re the valley master?” He looked down on him as if addressing a servant.
“Ha.” Gongsun Zhi laughed coldly. “Where does this arrogant brat come from, daring to cause trouble in my Emotion Valley?”
“A tiny valley like this—I’m honoring you by coming,” Kou Zhong retorted, even more haughty.
Gongsun Zhi’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of caution rising. Could this brat have a significant background? He thought quickly and said sternly, “Boy, who are you? What business do you have in Emotion Valley?”
Kou Zhong chuckled inwardly. A grandmaster, yet he still hadn’t acted. Truly a cautious old hand, intimidated by him. “Hah, I can’t be bothered with your nonsense. Can’t you see I’m a Xiantian expert? Hurry up, I need to borrow your house for a few days. Clear it out now,” he said dismissively.
The disciples sneered, but Gongsun Zhi paused, then realized: this brat might just be an overconfident fool, thinking this was some backwater place he could take over. Anger surged, but his lingering caution stopped him from acting. He only said coldly, “Boy, who are you really?”
“You talk too much. Do you even know what a Xiantian expert is? Hurry up—I’m honoring you by borrowing your stuff,” Kou Zhong snapped impatiently.
The disciples laughed mockingly. Gongsun Zhi was genuinely amused. He’d never seen such an arrogant Xiantian! He concluded this was just an ignorant brat. With a cold laugh, his face turned icy, murderous intent surfacing. “Such arrogance! Don’t you know where you are? You’re asking for death.”
“Heh.” Kou Zhong laughed too, then said angrily, “Do you know who I am, talking to me like that? Today, I’ll teach you a lesson.” With that, he drew his blade and struck at Gongsun Zhi.
Gongsun Zhi’s eyes sharpened, and he struck out with a palm. A surge of overwhelming power stirred the natural forces for several zhang around, sending Kou Zhong flying with an unstoppable force.
“Pfft!” Kou Zhong spat blood, crashing heavily into the distance.
The disciples burst into louder laughter, full of contempt. What a fool, daring to attack their grandmaster valley master!
“You—you’re a grandmaster!” Kou Zhong lay on the ground, staring in disbelief at Gongsun Zhi.
Gongsun Zhi sneered, losing interest in him. “You’re finished! Do you know who I am?” Kou Zhong suddenly shouted, his voice strained. But to Gongsun Zhi and the others, he looked like a blustering coward.
“Who are you?” Gongsun Zhi asked with a mocking smile.
“I’m from Black Dragon Stronghold. You’re done for—you dared to attack me. When the chieftain finds out, your whole Emotion Valley will die,” Kou Zhong roared.
Gongsun Zhi’s face stiffened, frowning darkly. “Which Black Dragon Stronghold?”
“Scared now? Besides the one in Jingzhou, what other Black Dragon Stronghold is there in the world? It’s too late to be afraid. I’ll tell you, when I return and report to the chieftain, you’re dead,” Kou Zhong said venomously, regaining some confidence.
Gongsun Zhi’s expression turned grim, uncertainty flickering. Was this brat really from Black Dragon Stronghold? The other disciples also lost their smugness, exchanging uneasy glances.
“Boy, you say you’re from Black Dragon Stronghold—prove it. Why are you here alone? Trying to fool me?” Gongsun Zhi questioned.
“Hmph, I’d fool you? Ridiculous. I’ll tell you straight: our stronghold’s experts are nearby. If you’re smart, cut off your own hands, and I might consider sparing you. Otherwise, even as a grandmaster, offending Black Dragon Stronghold means death,” Kou Zhong said confidently, though a flicker of evasion crossed his eyes.
Gongsun Zhi saw it and grew more suspicious, scanning the surroundings warily. In a single breath, murderous intent surged. This brat was likely bluffing, and even if he was from Black Dragon Stronghold, no experts might be nearby. The priority was to kill him, destroy the evidence, and act as if he’d never come.
Decision made, he stepped forward, face cold, killing intent palpable. “What a liar! Still trying to bluff me? You’re asking for death.”
“What are you doing? Dare you kill me?” Kou Zhong feigned fear.
“Heh, even if you’re from Black Dragon Stronghold, so what? You were too arrogant and spoke too late,” Gongsun Zhi sneered, gathering power in his palm. He raised it to strike.
Suddenly, in a flash, a golden light shot through the air, incredibly fast. Even Gongsun Zhi barely reacted in time, raising his palm to defend.
“Bang!” With a soft sound, the golden light exploded, and Gongsun Zhi’s body was flung back like a puppet. He crashed heavily to the ground, ignoring his injuries, staring in disbelief at the direction the light came from.
“How dare you be so bold as to kill someone from my Black Dragon Stronghold! A mere ordinary grandmaster, and I’ve never seen such arrogance. Who gave you the nerve?” A voice like a god or demon descended from above, its invisible pressure like a mountain falling, suffocating almost everyone with primal fear.
Gongsun Zhi was stunned. This was... Li Daoqiang! His body went rigid, staring blankly at the brat still lying there. His eyes bulged with endless frustration. Why didn’t you say so earlier? If you’d said you were from Black Dragon Stronghold, that Li Daoqiang was nearby—damn it!
Kou Zhong sensed Gongsun Zhi’s turmoil and lay there comfortably, a complex feeling rising within him. Though it was all planned, Gongsun Zhi’s reaction still made him feel the power of his backing. That feeling was exhilarating beyond words.
“Whoosh!” A gust of wind blew as several figures descended from the sky, overlooking the scene. It was Li Daoqiang and his group.
(Last chapter of the last day of October, thanks to all the supportive friends.) ...
October Summary, a Chat
October is over, with about 230,000 words updated—not much, and a bit embarrassing. I won’t talk about the results; it’s just shameful. Saying more might make me want to stop writing altogether.
Writing this book to this point is more about giving closure to the many friends who’ve supported me, along with some personal sentiment. Maybe because I’ve dropped or paused it several times, my conscience won’t let me rest, or I’d have started over with a new pen name.
In the end, I can only say it will definitely be completed. The better the results, the longer it’ll go. Since the results haven’t picked up, please forgive me—it won’t be too long.
Book club group, (Xingchenyu Novel Chat Group), is newly established, mainly to have a way to communicate with everyone and let you keep me accountable. That’s all. Thanks for your support.