They exchanged glances but dared not say more, each going about their own tasks. At that moment, as they relaxed, a question arose in their minds simultaneously. Just what level of strength had the Great Chief actually reached? Could those two palm strikes really have been delivered by someone at the Houtian stage? Of course, thinking and curiosity aside, in this time of upheaval within the stronghold, they naturally didn’t dare discuss it aloud, let alone ask Li Daoqiang. No matter where, inquiring about someone’s martial arts was a major taboo. Even more so in a bandit den like this—asking such a question was practically asking for an early death. They could only ponder it in their hearts, all the while growing more fearful of Li Daoqiang. If he had truly reached the Xiantian realm, then…
Leaving aside the thoughts of these men, Li Daoqiang went alone to the outskirts of Heshan Stronghold, where he rendezvoused with Li Si, the Second Squad, the Fourth Squad, and the others. What followed was no surprise—it was almost identical to what had happened at Qingfeng Stronghold. Heshan Stronghold was taken, and the battlefield was cleaned up. That afternoon, back at Black Dragon Stronghold, Li Daoqiang received the full report on the operation. Black Dragon Stronghold itself had suffered twenty-three deaths, and eighteen were severely wounded or disabled. They had captured a total of one hundred seventy-two able-bodied men, plus over thirty servants and cooks—all now part of Black Dragon Stronghold. There were also some jewelry and ornaments, eight martial arts manuals. And finally, the biggest haul: eleven thousand three hundred taels of silver. A smile spread across Li Daoqiang’s face—he was very satisfied. Good, very good. It was worth his resolve to stick with the bandit path. As the saying went, since ancient times, killing and burning brought gold and riches. If you wanted money and power, what was faster or easier than robbery? The sixth level of the Dragon-Elephant Vajra Art was not far off. Pleased, he immediately ordered a grand victory feast to be prepared. The entire stronghold sprang into action, bustling with noise and excitement. Even the hundred-plus new recruits from today felt somewhat relieved. Though their surroundings had changed and their wealth had been stripped away, they were still in the familiar trade of banditry, and more importantly, their lives had been spared. So it was time to enjoy the moment. That was one thing bandits had that ordinary people didn’t—a good mindset. They knew how to seize the day. They never dwelled on their fallen comrades; the dead were the dead. As long as they themselves survived, that was enough.
That evening, twenty or thirty tables were set up, and the scene was lively. After drinking quite a bit with the crowd, Li Daoqiang slipped away first. Xu Zhi was already waiting for him. “Great Chief, congratulations on taking Qingfeng Stronghold and Heshan Stronghold in one go! The Great Chief is mighty!” Xu Zhi greeted him with a flattering smile. Li Daoqiang chuckled lightly and waved his hand. “Just a small matter, nothing worth mentioning.” Xu Zhi smiled along and got down to business. “Great Chief, I’ve gathered all the rumors circulating in the market about the Wang family. Please take a look.” With that, he handed a stack of papers to Li Daoqiang. Li Daoqiang took them, though an invisible layer of true qi separated his hand from the paper. He read through the contents carefully, his expression unchanged until the end. “How much of this do you think is true?” After a few breaths, he asked calmly. Xu Zhi replied seriously, “Great Chief, this was all gathered from outside sources. I can’t be sure how much is true. Please forgive me.” Li Daoqiang glanced at him and gave a slight smile, somewhat satisfied. “At least you’re honest. Not bad.” Xu Zhi breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, not daring to say more. “In these materials, the strength can’t be confirmed. What about their conduct and reputation? And their assets?” Li Daoqiang continued. Xu Zhi immediately spoke with some certainty. “Great Chief, I’m eighty percent sure the conduct and reputation are true. Families like the Wangs, those noble clans, are all cut from the same cloth. Most of their members are domineering bullies who oppress others. As for assets, I can’t be sure, but I’d estimate around fifty thousand taels of silver in family wealth.” Li Daoqiang made no comment. Xu Zhi was, after all, just a bandit with limited vision. Setting that aside, was fifty thousand taels really that much for a family’s assets? For a bandit, it was a fortune—an astronomical number. But for a family like the Wangs, which had existed for over a hundred years and was considered mid-tier in Jingzhou City, it probably wasn’t that much. Of course, that was just Li Daoqiang’s guess. Only they knew the real amount. “There’s a letter here. Deliver it to Ling Tuisi tomorrow morning. Also, keep an eye on the Wang family these next two days—stay hidden.” After a pause, Li Daoqiang pulled a letter from his chest. “Yes.” Xu Zhi responded respectfully. Then, with a thud, he knelt directly. “I have erred. Please punish me, Great Chief.” Li Daoqiang’s gaze shifted, looking at Xu Zhi with interest, but he said nothing. The atmosphere grew heavy, pressing down until Xu Zhi could barely breathe. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his heart was filled with fear. Finally, the voice came, like sweet rain, letting Xu Zhi catch his breath. “Speak.” “Yes.” He quickly responded, not daring to hide anything, and told Li Daoqiang about the two hundred taels Ling Tuisi had given him. Li Daoqiang laughed, stood up, and personally helped Xu Zhi to his feet. With a hearty laugh, he said, “Good, Xu Zhi. You haven’t let down my expectations and trust. Very good.” Xu Zhi was a bit at a loss, but inwardly, he breathed a huge sigh of relief, feeling like he had survived a calamity. “Great Chief, I swear my loyalty to you unto death.” Li Daoqiang nodded repeatedly, patting Xu Zhi on the shoulder with trust. “Good, I believe you. Rest assured, I never mistreat those who are loyal. Keep those two hundred taels—consider them a reward from me.” “Thank you for your generosity, Great Chief.” Xu Zhi said happily. His mind was completely at ease. This time, he had made the right choice. “Alright, go about your work.” Li Daoqiang said with a smile. “Yes.” Xu Zhi withdrew, and Li Daoqiang smiled to himself, unconcerned about the matter. He believed Ling Tuisi wouldn’t care either—at most, it was just a casual pawn.
The next morning. On the square in front of the Assembly Hall, aside from a few, over three hundred able-bodied men had gathered. Even the severely wounded and disabled had come. Li Daoqiang stood before them all, his tiger-like gaze sweeping across. The scene fell utterly silent, solemn and dignified. “Brothers, yesterday our Black Dragon Stronghold won a great victory. I won’t waste words. Now, we begin rewarding merit.” He spoke loudly, then waved his hand. Li Si stepped forward with a ledger. Behind him, several men carried chests. The chests opened, revealing gleaming silver that dazzled the eyes. Everyone’s gaze shifted, and the breathing in the square grew heavier. For bandits, money—shining silver—was the most real thing. Everything else was empty. Even for those ambitious bandits, in the Black Dragon Stronghold with its new martial academy, silver was still the most tangible. Li Si, facing the crowd’s stares, began reading loudly from the ledger: “First Squad Leader Chen Jiang, killed five, including one Houtian Twelve Meridians expert. Total: one hundred forty taels of silver. Additionally, Chen Jiang’s First Squad killed twenty-seven enemies, including two Houtian Twelve Meridians experts. Total: four hundred fifty taels. Chen Jiang receives one-fifth as a reward: ninety taels. Total reward: two hundred thirty taels. Step forward to claim it.” Chen Jiang walked up with a broad smile, accepting the two hundred thirty taels under the envious gazes of many. “First Squad Sub-Leader Wang He, killed two. Reward: twenty taels. Additionally, his squad killed eight enemies total, worth eighty taels. He receives one-fifth: sixteen taels. Total: thirty-six taels of silver.” … … Killing an ordinary able-bodied man earned ten taels; a Houtian Twelve Meridians expert earned one hundred taels. Leaders and sub-leaders could also claim one-fifth of their squad’s total kills. This was the reward system Li Daoqiang had designed. Kill enemies, earn rewards. Li Si called out name after name without any impatience, and the listeners below were equally attentive, not a trace of boredom. Envy, jealousy, longing, greed—all these emotions filled the square. They all wanted money. For the first time, they truly experienced Black Dragon Stronghold’s new rules. And unconsciously, they began to want to uphold them. Why? It was a kind of relative fairness they instinctively sought, even if they didn’t realize it. Kill enemies, earn money. This thought suddenly dominated most people’s minds, including the new recruits. Li Daoqiang watched the shifting emotions with satisfaction. This was what he wanted. Forcing people to fight was far less effective than tempting them to fight willingly. Combined with the pressure that the weak would die in battle—both carrot and stick— this was the path to rapid growth he had forged for Black Dragon Stronghold. Grow stronger, or die. As for the silver he gave out, it meant nothing to Li Daoqiang. Any silver he obtained gave him bandit points, and the silver itself didn’t vanish—he could spend it freely.
Amid the fiery gazes, the kill rewards were distributed. Then, Li Si began reading out the rewards for the dead and severely wounded. An ordinary able-bodied man who died received one hundred taels, given to family if they had any; if not, so be it. The severely wounded received fifty taels and could choose to stay with their original squad or transfer to logistics. After this was read, Li Si stepped down, and Li Daoqiang spoke again, his voice solemn and authoritative. “Brothers, everyone should now be clear on Black Dragon Stronghold’s new rules. Anyone who dares break them will be killed without mercy. Here, I ask you all directly: does anyone feel wronged? Has anyone’s merit been stolen? Step forward. No matter who it is, I will punish them without leniency.” Silence fell. No one stepped forward. Li Daoqiang nodded in satisfaction. “Good. From now on, I hope you all will supervise each other. Whoever dares break the rules, I, Li Daoqiang, will kill them.” “Long live the Great Chief!” “Long live the Great Chief!” … Thunderous cheers erupted in Black Dragon Stronghold.
In Jingzhou City, Ling Tuisi once again listened as Xu Zhi read the letter.