"Did you hear everything I just said?" Li Daoqiang looked at the two of them.
"Yes, we heard it clearly, heard it clearly." The two quickly nodded, their eyes darting away, not daring to meet Li Daoqiang's gaze.
"After you go back, repeat every word without missing a single one. And don't think that just because you're returning, you're off the hook for the mercy of being spared. Understand?" Li Daoqiang's voice turned slightly cold.
"Yes, of course, of course not. We'll definitely repay it, definitely repay it." The two shook their heads repeatedly.
Li Daoqiang waved his hand, signaling they could leave.
The two didn't dare to show too much haste, their legs trembling as they walked out of the stronghold.
His gaze shifted to Wan Zhenshan and the others. With another wave, he said, "Lock them all up."
"Yes."
Li Si and the others responded, their voices unusually loud, tinged with a hint of pride.
After a moment, in the Assembly Hall, only Li Daoqiang, Lin Yuan, and Li Tong remained.
Li Daoqiang sat with a warm, hearty smile on his face.
Lin Yuan and the other man also sat, but it felt like sitting on pins and needles.
Even now, they hadn't fully adjusted.
Facing Li Daoqiang, they no longer had the same confidence as before, let alone the sense of looking down on him.
Such astonishing strength, even with their backing, couldn't be taken lightly.
Especially since he was so young.
They were self-aware enough to know the gap between them was insurmountable.
There was simply no comparison.
With that realization, they couldn't remain calm.
Li Daoqiang took it all in, smiled lightly, and said heartily, "Brothers, from now on, it'll be up to Brother Ling and the two of you."
Lin Yuan and the other man paused, looking at Li Daoqiang with questioning eyes.
Li Daoqiang was so strong and had deviated from the plan—what came next?
Li Daoqiang understood their confusion and continued with a smile, "Though it's a bit different from the plan, it's nothing major. I believe with my current strength, the factions in Jingzhou City will pay up, and they'll be even more willing to reach a tacit agreement with me. Brother Ling's task will be much easier, don't you think, brothers?"
Lin Yuan and the other man didn't dare to make decisions for Ling Tuisi, but at this point, they could only nod in agreement.
They'd leave it to Ling Tuisi from here.
"Alright then, I'll trouble you two brothers to go tell Brother Ling immediately that he can start the operation." Li Daoqiang said cheerfully.
Lin Yuan and the other man exchanged a glance, obediently stood up, and took their leave.
This time, Li Daoqiang only saw them to the door of the Assembly Hall, and they didn't find it odd.
That was the difference strength made.
Watching them leave quickly, Li Daoqiang smiled.
So far, everything was going smoothly.
Show strength, extort a big sum, reach a tacit agreement with the major factions in Jingzhou City, and gain even greater benefits from them and Ling Tuisi.
That was his plan.
What kind of strength you have determines what kind of benefits you get—that's an eternal rule.
Ling Tuisi's plan was good, and strictly speaking, Li Daoqiang was following it.
The difference was that he had revealed far greater strength.
That changed many things.
Extorting a big sum was just the beginning.
The major factions in Jingzhou City would be even more reluctant to oppose him, inevitably paying a higher price.
The same went for Ling Tuisi—he'd have to make concessions.
That was reality, the importance of strength.
If he had fully followed Ling Tuisi's plan and let Ling Tuisi help him through the crisis, he would have had to make concessions to Ling Tuisi.
That was the rule, the naked rule of power.
From now on, his leverage over Ling Tuisi would greatly increase.
An equal partnership would be more accurate and stable.
As for reaching a tacit agreement with the major factions in Jingzhou City, that was necessary.
If he kept robbing recklessly, even as a grandmaster, he wouldn't hold up.
Rules were rules; even a cornered rabbit will bite.
Grandmasters weren't invincible.
It was just a matter of the cost.
Those who act without restraint never live long.
Next, it was up to his good brother's methods.
As long as his brother wasn't foolish enough to want to lose a partner for no reason and offend a promising young talent, he would act as a middleman to help him and the major factions in Jingzhou City reach a tacit agreement.
...
Jingzhou City.
Lin Yuan and the other man returned to the Ling Mansion first. When they had recounted everything, Ling Tuisi shot up from his chair.
His face was full of disbelief as he stared at the two.
A hint of suspicion even flickered in his eyes.
He suspected the two were deceiving him.
But after calming down, he dismissed that thought.
These two were his long-time confidants, and more importantly, they wouldn't dare lie to him.
They knew well the consequences of deceiving him—death for their entire family.
His mind churned several times before he barely steadied himself, sat back down, and looked at them, asking, "Are you sure Li Daoqiang is really that strong?"
"Sir, he might even be stronger than we described. That aura and skill are likely at the level of a top-tier innate master." Lin Yuan said gravely.
Li Tong nodded repeatedly.
That was their shared assessment and guess.
Though Wan Zhenshan and the other two weren't strong among innate masters, they were still innate masters.
Lin Yuan and the other man, for instance, had little chance of beating them one-on-one.
But Li Daoqiang had knocked them down with a single palm strike, clearly controlling it to injure without killing.
That kind of strength was worlds apart from theirs.
They had seen top-tier innate masters in action before, which led to this guess.
Ling Tuisi trusted his subordinates' judgment, especially regarding innate masters.
But that only made him more shocked and puzzled.
He had thought about bringing Li Daoqiang to a bigger stage once he reached a certain level of strength.
But not now. Having that strength now versus later were completely different scenarios.
A gap of decades made all the difference.
And how could someone from a rough, unrefined background be so strong at such a young age?
Even more baffling, with such strength, why had he endured Lin Sanlong for over two years, only acting a month ago?
There were too many questions.
Frowning, Ling Tuisi pondered.
He knew there was a secret here, likely a big one.
Maybe Li Daoqiang had a hidden master or some lucky encounter.
Otherwise, achieving top-tier innate strength at this age was impossible.
Even finding the right martial arts manuals would be a challenge.
After thinking for a while, he suppressed some greed.
Li Daoqiang's situation was a bit mysterious; it wasn't wise to act rashly without understanding it.
Moreover, Li Daoqiang's strength couldn't be underestimated; offending him lightly wasn't a smart move.
Besides, whether Li Daoqiang had a hidden master or a lucky encounter, it still required exceptional talent to reach his current level.
That wasn't something easily taken.
Most importantly, facing such a strong, promising young master, if you couldn't strike to kill, you shouldn't offend him lightly.
So...
Taking a deep breath, Ling Tuisi regained his composure and said sternly, "Since Li Daoqiang still acknowledges the plan and our relationship, let's proceed. Once those two return and the news spreads, I'll summon the major factions in my capacity as prefect to discuss countermeasures."
As the prefect of Jingzhou, it was only natural for him to step in when such a powerful bandit appeared in his jurisdiction. That made things easier to manage.
"Yes."
...
Before long, the major factions in Jingzhou City were all stirred up.
On the surface, the city seemed unchanged, but beneath it, currents churned, and a tense atmosphere swept through.
Soon, the factions gathered.
Nearly ten third-rate factions with innate masters, along with over twenty unranked ones, their leaders assembled in one place.
Their faces were dark as they stared at the two men in the center.
The two who had felt lucky to escape Black Dragon Stronghold were now trembling again.
They dared not hide anything and recounted the entire process.
The faction leaders also passed around the letters from Wan Zhenshan and the other two.
Their expressions grew even darker, mixed with fear.
Fear that they hadn't stepped forward, or they'd be caught up in it now.
After a long silence, an innate master spoke.
"Everyone, since we're here, let's discuss what to do."
As his voice fell, another chimed in, "We've all seen Brother Yuan's letter. Li Daoqiang's strength is unfathomable, at least on par with the leader of a second-rate faction. It's not wise to make an enemy of him."
"Right, that kind of strength is too terrifying. We shouldn't oppose him." Another immediately agreed.
"But he started it. If he hadn't been robbing us recklessly, we wouldn't have provoked him." One person frowned.
"Regardless, let's get through this crisis first. Even if we find reinforcements, it might be too late. Li Daoqiang clearly said by noon tomorrow." Another spoke, a hint of worry in his voice.
The others felt the same.
They understood the implication: if the money wasn't there by noon tomorrow, Wan Zhenshan and the others would die. While they could bear losing them, it wouldn't bode well for those present.
Unless absolutely necessary, they didn't want to take that risk.
Though thirty thousand taels of silver was a lot, split among so many, it was bearable.
"Thirty thousand taels is one thing, but what if Li Daoqiang keeps robbing us recklessly? We can't just endure it forever, can we?" One person said reluctantly.
"Right, that issue needs solving. But we can stall him first. Then we can decide whether to pay to deal with him or sit down for negotiations." One person mused.
"I agree with that." Another nodded.
"I think we should go to Ling Tuisi. A band of such powerful outlaws appearing in Jingzhou is his responsibility." Suddenly, one person said seriously.
"Exactly. Whether he finds someone to deal with Li Daoqiang or negotiates, it'll be more reliable with him involved."
Soon, the group reached a consensus.
They sent someone to contact Ling Tuisi while starting to divvy up the silver.