Black Dragon Stronghold.
In just one month, the Black Dragon Stronghold had undergone a dramatic transformation. Nestled against the mountains and rivers, eaves overlapped, though the buildings still appeared somewhat crude. Yet, with the orderly flow of people and the fierce aura exuding from the burly men, the stronghold now exuded an air of power.
In the secret chamber, Li Daoqiang bathed in golden light, which radiated a sense of strength, as if forged from metal and stone. Even more astonishing were the faint sounds of dragon roars and elephant trumpets echoing from ancient times, though not loud, they carried a thunderous, masculine force, as if to suppress everything. These remarkable phenomena accentuated the imposing figure within, seemingly brimming with unmatched power.
After a long while, the golden light receded, and Li Daoqiang opened his eyes. In that instant, it was as if a primordial beast had awakened, its terrifying aura causing the chamber to tremble. The ground where he sat was now marked with large cracks. He glanced at them indifferently, knowing it was just a slight leakage of energy from his recent breakthrough. However, the chamber needed to be replaced with sturdier materials; otherwise, it wouldn't be long before it couldn't even withstand the energy from his cultivation.
Feeling the surge in his power, he nodded inwardly. It had increased significantly, though not as dramatically as a major leap, it was still not to be underestimated. Glancing at the bandit points that had returned to zero, Li Daoqiang couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. Gone again. He still needed nearly three hundred thousand more to reach three hundred and twenty thousand.
Indeed, over the past month, Li Daoqiang had led the Black Dragon Stronghold without rest. They were either annexing other strongholds or robbing convoys from wealthy families in Jingzhou City. In the rare moments of free time, they were busy building the new stronghold. This month had been nonstop, with Li Daoqiang working hard to earn over one hundred thousand taels of silver. He had mastered the seventh layer of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, greatly increasing his strength. But the eighth layer dashed his hopes—it still required four times the effort. A full three hundred and twenty thousand bandit points, equivalent to three hundred and twenty thousand taels of silver—a number that would drive countless people to despair. Even Li Daoqiang could only feel the weight of the task ahead; he was too poor.
Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. No matter, as long as he worked hard, he would succeed soon enough. Rising, he left the chamber to handle some affairs.
"Chief, we've confirmed with Lord Ling. The Yan family's goods will be handed over tomorrow evening, thirty miles south of the city," Xu Zhi reported respectfully as he had just returned. Due to the frequent crimes in such a short time, the handovers had become increasingly critical and required caution. After all, the major forces in Jingzhou City weren't fools. They knew that bandits would try to sell their loot and would keep watch. Even with Ling Tuisi's influence, they couldn't act openly.
"Mm, handle the handover tomorrow. Be careful," Li Daoqiang instructed.
"Yes." Xu Zhi wasn't surprised; the chief had stopped personally handling these matters, delegating them to him or Wang Lin.
"Dismissed."
As Xu Zhi left, Li Daoqiang summoned Wang Lin.
"Chief." Wang Lin bowed.
Li Daoqiang got straight to the point: "After tomorrow's handover, continue tracking to see if it's still being transported toward Lin'an."
"Understood." Wang Lin's expression grew more serious; this wasn't his first time, and he knew its importance.
Afterward, Li Daoqiang listened to Wang Lin's report on intelligence gathered from Jingzhou City, focusing mainly on city affairs, with some information from elsewhere. After hearing it, Li Daoqiang realized that these easy, pleasant days might not last much longer. Smiling faintly, he dismissed Wang Lin and then listened to reports from Li Si and other leaders about internal stronghold matters.
The Black Dragon Stronghold was no longer what it had been a month ago. After annexing five more strongholds, its size had grown significantly, with over a thousand members, including nine hundred able-bodied men. To manage this, Li Daoqiang had added another layer above the squads. Four squads formed a company of two hundred men, led by a head. Currently, he had established four companies, with heads chosen through combat according to the rules. However, they weren't fully staffed, as the personal guard and intelligence units also needed personnel. The guard had grown to fifty, and the intelligence unit to about a hundred. With over a thousand members, the Black Dragon Stronghold was now the largest in Fuyun Mountain, earning Li Daoqiang over four thousand bandit points.
After spending some time on these matters, he was pondering alone when Xu Zhi requested an audience. Curious, he allowed him in.
"Chief, Ling Tuisi has sent someone," Xu Zhi said quickly while bowing.
Li Daoqiang raised an eyebrow, thoughtful. Finally.
"Who is it?"
Xu Zhi replied seriously, "I don't know him. I've only seen him once at Ling's residence, and his identity has been verified through other means. No issues."
"Invite him in." Li Daoqiang paused, then said solemnly.
"Yes." Xu Zhi acknowledged and left.
Li Daoqiang mentally recalculated, preparing himself. If nothing unexpected happened, he was about to formally face this world. The thought stirred a hint of excitement. Then he silently mocked himself—how old was he, still acting like a reckless youth? Steadying his mind, he worked to suppress his aura, cutting off most of his connection to the world's spiritual energy. In the innate realm, when not fighting, many could gauge one's strength by their connection to spiritual energy.
Soon, Xu Zhi led the way, with a man following behind. Of medium build and ordinary appearance, the man moved with a faint, fierce aura. More importantly, the spiritual energy around him marked him as an innate expert—not someone to be trifled with.
Li Daoqiang quickly assessed him, then put on a friendly smile, rising and cupping his hands: "Brother, your visit to my Black Dragon Stronghold is an honor. I apologize for not welcoming you properly. Please forgive me."
The man studied Li Daoqiang seriously, a hint of recognition in his eyes, as if affirming his strength. He cupped his hands calmly: "I am Lin Yuan. It's an honor to meet you, Chief Li. You live up to your reputation. My lord sends his regards."
"Haha, Brother Ling is too kind." Li Daoqiang laughed heartily, gesturing for him to sit. "Please, have a seat. Tea."
Once seated, Li Daoqiang spoke first, cutting to the chase: "Brother Lin, what brings you here today?"
Lin Yuan's expression remained calm as he looked at Li Daoqiang seriously: "I am here on my lord's orders to warn you of a disaster."
Xu Zhi, standing nearby, paled. Li Daoqiang's expression also shifted, frowning: "Brother Lin, what do you mean?"
"Chief, do you know that the major forces in Jingzhou City have united, and their target is you?" Lin Yuan didn't beat around the bush, a fierce look appearing on his face.
Li Daoqiang's frown deepened, his face darkening as he stared at Lin Yuan, his tone clearly displeased: "Because of those we robbed?"
"Exactly, and some forces in Fuyun Mountain," Lin Yuan hinted. Clearly, many in Jingzhou City didn't want the Black Dragon Stronghold to continue annexing other strongholds.
Taking a deep breath, Li Daoqiang said grimly: "According to our agreement, this should be Lord Ling's concern."
"And that's why I'm here," Lin Yuan said, emphasizing each word.
Li Daoqiang's expression eased slightly, but he continued to stare at him, waiting for an explanation.
Lin Yuan wasn't surprised and spoke calmly: "The court and the martial world don't interfere with each other. Though my lord holds a high position, some matters are beyond his reach. This time, he can only ensure the court won't act. But if those forces use martial world methods, he cannot stop them."
Pausing, seeing that Li Daoqiang remained composed and listening, Lin Yuan nodded inwardly. The lord had chosen a good blade—an innate expert with solid qualities. At his age, he might even be recommended to... Shaking off the thought, he continued: "My lord has learned that this time, the major forces in Jingzhou City are worried about your actions and have united to eliminate you. They will send experts to kill you. Likely, three innate experts and ten masters of the extraordinary meridians realm."
He stopped, watching Li Daoqiang.
Li Daoqiang's face darkened again as he looked at Lin Yuan, frowning: "Three innate experts—quite a force. Does Brother Ling have a plan to counter this?"
Seeing Li Daoqiang take the initiative to ask, Lin Yuan continued: "My lord has prepared a response for this and the future. If you can handle this, repelling the three innate experts and showing the major forces your strength, my lord can then work behind the scenes to establish an understanding between you and them. After that, such incidents won't happen again."
Li Daoqiang's eyes widened: "An understanding? Does that mean we can't rob those forces anymore?"
Lin Yuan sneered inwardly. Even now, you're still thinking about robbing—greedy indeed. The past month of unchecked robberies was only possible because my lord saw you as an innate expert and accelerated the plan. Otherwise, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
"Chief, the Black Dragon Stronghold is in Jingzhou territory. You can't keep robbing here indefinitely. That would lead to an irreconcilable conflict with the major forces. In the end, no one could protect you."
Lin Yuan's tone grew heavier, carrying a hint of coldness.
Li Daoqiang fell silent, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan softened his tone, persuading: "Why limit your sights to Jingzhou? Even a rabbit doesn't eat grass near its own burrow. With my lord's support, you won't lack opportunities. And once you reach an understanding with the major forces, you'll naturally get your share."