"Hahaha, who do you think you are? Get lost while you still can, or don't blame us for being rude," one of them said with a sneer, full of disdain.
The others joined in with mocking laughter.
The young man grew even angrier, his face flushing red. *What an ungrateful bunch. They're asking for death.*
"My father is Wan Zhenshan. I am Wan Gui, the eldest son of the Wan family. Be sensible and apologize to my junior sister right now, or else—hmph." Wan Gui's eyes flickered with killing intent.
These men were clearly low-tier thugs, yet they dared to provoke him. If not for his junior sister being present, he would have struck them down already.
"Hahaha, and here I thought it was someone important. Turns out it's just a pretty boy relying on his family. Get lost now, or we'll teach you a lesson you won't forget," the leader laughed again, still dripping with contempt.
Wan Gui couldn't hold back any longer.
"You're asking for death."
With murderous intent flashing in his eyes, he struck directly. In an instant, the fight began. Seeing this, the young girl bit her lip and had no choice but to join in.
Since they were out for leisure, Wan Gui and the girl hadn't brought swords, so they fought bare-handed. But as Wan Zhenshan's own son, Wan Gui had already reached the Eight Extraordinary Meridians realm.
Though these men carried weapons, their martial arts were weak, and they seemed reluctant to harm the girl. As soon as the fight started, they fell into a disadvantage. One of them was even injured by Wan Gui's hand.
Hidden nearby in the shadows, Li Daoqiang watched and shook his head inwardly. *Too weak. So weak they can't even pull off being proper thugs.*
Wang Lin, standing beside him, looked grim. "Master, this is my fault."
Li Daoqiang didn't blame him. The entire Black Dragon Stronghold was like this—no real experts. Wang Lin's men were no exception. Still, he didn't bother to offer any comfort.
With a thought, he began gathering the surrounding spiritual energy. A dozen yards away, Wan Gui was feeling pleased with himself.
Suddenly, his whole body tensed up, frozen in place. Before he could react, a blade and a kick landed on him. Panic surged—*These men really intend to kill me!*
"Ah!"
With a scream, he was slashed across the abdomen and knocked to the ground. The thugs, though unsure why this happened, were thrilled and began kicking and punching him.
"Senior Brother Wan!"
The girl cried out in alarm, but two men seized the chance to press their blades against her fair, delicate neck.
Fortunately, they remembered their mission and stopped. One of them held a knife to Wan Gui's throat, sneering coldly. "Pretty boy, who's the one looking good now?"
"Scram," one of them scoffed.
Wan Gui was in agony, his face twisted in pain. But with the girl watching and his contempt for these men, he stubbornly refused to yield.
The leader glanced at the girl, whose face was full of worry, then hardened his expression. Pressing the blade closer, he growled, "Say it. If you don't, I'll kill you right now."
Fear flickered in Wan Gui's eyes. Torn between pain and terror, he trembled and gritted out, "I'm Wan Zhenshan's son. My father is a Xiantian expert. If you kill me, he—he won't let you go. If you let us go, I swear I'll forget this ever happened."
The leader's expression shifted, showing some wariness at the mention of a Xiantian expert. But then his face twisted into cruelty again. "Kid, I didn't expect your dad to be a Xiantian. Fine, for his sake, we'll let you off today. But the girl stays with us. To avoid trouble, how about you give her to us now?"
Wan Gui's face went pale. The girl's expression mirrored his, her delicate features flushed with anger as she glared at the man. But her stunning beauty and innocent demeanor made her look anything but threatening.
"Brother, this is my junior sister. Please, show some mercy," Wan Gui said through gritted teeth.
The man grew impatient. "I'll ask you one more time. Yes or no? I don't have all day."
Wan Gui couldn't speak. He didn't want to agree, but faced with the man's vicious demeanor, he dared not refuse outright.
"Senior Brother Wan, don't—don't worry about me," the girl suddenly said, her face resolute.
Hearing this, the man raised his blade. "Fine, you pretty boy. Since you won't play along, I'll kill you first. So what if your dad's a Xiantian? The world's big—can he find us?"
With that, he swung the knife down.
In that instant, terror overwhelmed Wan Gui, crushing every other emotion. He screamed, "I agree! I agree!"
The blade stopped. The leader and his men burst into laughter.
The girl froze. Though she understood Wan Gui had no choice, seeing him actually agree still stung with disappointment. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back stubbornly.
In the distance, Li Daoqiang nodded slightly. *Weak martial arts, but decent acting. Not bad.*
"Good, you know how to play along. Say it again—you're giving us your junior sister willingly." The man pressed the knife against Wan Gui's neck.
Having already lost his resolve, Wan Gui couldn't refuse. Too ashamed to meet the girl's gaze, he muttered, "I'm giving her to you willingly."
"Good. Now get lost." Satisfied, the man kicked Wan Gui.
Clutching his wound, Wan Gui stumbled away without a single glance back at the girl.
The leader turned to the girl with a lecherous grin. "Hear that, sweetheart? Your senior brother gave you to us willingly."
"Hmph!" She snorted in anger. "You threatened Senior Brother Wan, and—and—"
Her lips parted, but she couldn't finish. She wanted to say that Wan Gui had no right to give her away, but the words stuck in her throat.
"And what? Whatever it is, you're ours now." The man laughed arrogantly.
Fear gripped her, and despair set in. Yet, strangely, she also felt a sense of relief. *Father is missing. Senior Brother did that thing and went to jail. I have nowhere to go anyway. Maybe death is best.*
With that thought, her resolve hardened. She prepared to find a chance to end it all.
Just as the idea took root, a figure in black martial attire with a cape appeared beside her. A strong build, a back straight as a spear, and a slightly cold expression. An imposing aura radiated from him.
"Scram."
A single, domineering word, accompanied by a flash of golden light. The light spread, and the thugs were thrown to the ground. Terrified, they scrambled away without a word.
The girl stared blankly at the scene, still processing what had happened. Her big, dazed eyes and round, delicate face gave her an adorably naive look.
Li Daoqiang felt a stir in his heart. *Truly beautiful.* He had to admit, the women in this world were blessed by heaven. Their skin was so soft it was almost unbelievable. He wanted to take a bite.
Without any pretense or shame, he acknowledged it: he wanted this woman. That was just how this world worked. That was just how men were.
Perhaps his gaze was too intense, because the girl snapped out of her daze. She quickly bowed and said gratefully, "Thank you, hero, for saving me. I am deeply indebted."
"And how will you repay me?" Li Daoqiang asked bluntly, without a hint of modesty.
"Ah!"
She froze, her eyes widening even more, as if caught off guard by something far beyond her expectations. Flustered, she didn't know what to do.
"I value integrity and fair deals above all. Do you see anything wrong with that?" he continued, his tone calm and slightly cool.
"I—" She shook her head, her face flushing. She didn't see anything wrong, but she had nothing to offer as repayment. Embarrassed and at a loss, she couldn't find the words.
On top of her recent ordeal and Wan Gui's betrayal, a wave of委屈 washed over her. A sense of loneliness and helplessness surged. She had nothing left.
Tears began to fall as she lowered her head.
Li Daoqiang blinked. *She's crying?* He had only asked for compensation. And he hadn't even meant it—he was just talking. The real deal hadn't even started yet. But her tear-streaked face was undeniably beautiful.
A strange feeling crept over him.
"I'm—I'm sorry. I don't have anything to repay you. I—I have nothing left," she sobbed softly, her small, jade-like hands clenched tightly. Despair and helplessness radiated from her voice.
Li Daoqiang fell silent for a moment. He thought back to over two years ago, when he first arrived in this world. Back then, he had felt the same as this girl. The world was vast, but there was no place for him. He had nothing, and living felt pointless. If not for the system as his anchor, he might not have held on.
His gaze grew distant for a moment, then he silently mocked himself. *Haven't you cried enough? No time for nostalgia.* That was why he had to live better now. And this woman—he was determined to have her.
Calming himself, he looked at her again, a hint of pity stirring. He couldn't help it—she was too beautiful. He admitted he was lustful. There was no shame in that. Men being lustful was only natural. A man who wasn't was surely flawed. It was part of who he was, and he wouldn't deny it.
"Forget it," he said, his tone unchanged.
"Huh?"
She looked up through her tears, confused.
Li Daoqiang said calmly, "Let's call it even. I acted on my own to save you without asking. Since it was my choice, you don't owe me anything."
Hearing this, she stopped crying and tried to process his words. Embarrassment deepened. She shook her head earnestly. "No, no, I should repay you, hero. Even if—even if I have nothing left, I'll work hard. I can do anything. I'll repay you."
...