"Having spoken of Ling Tuisi's obstruction, there's also the obstacle of the jianghu. Wherever there are people, there is the jianghu. If you want to take Miss Ling far away, the people of the jianghu won't let you go. Even if you say the treasure has been taken by someone else, it's useless—no one will believe you. Even if you evade Ling Tuisi, you cannot escape the jianghu. You might manage, but Miss Ling, a delicate young lady from a wealthy family, can she endure the hardship of being hunted everywhere and constantly on the move? Wandering the world sounds nice, but you know the suffering involved, don't you? One misstep means death. Even if Miss Ling survives by some miracle, can you truly let her endure such hardship? What if you have children by then?"
Li Daoqiang's calm voice echoed in the night. Ding Dian's expression grew darker, each word like a heavy hammer shattering the hopes and desires in his heart. Though he hated to admit it, his years of experience told him those words were true. Setting aside Ling Tuisi, just the Divine Illumination Technique and the Liancheng Treasure alone—he couldn't escape. He couldn't claim the treasure had been taken by Li Daoqiang, as that would not only offend Li Daoqiang to death, but the jianghu crowd wouldn't fully believe it; they'd capture him first. That's human nature. And Shuanghua—her body was so frail, could she truly endure the trials of the jianghu? Because he was in the midst of it, the corners he'd unconsciously ignored before now came to mind. Silently, his breathing grew heavier, his fists clenched audibly, a sign of desperate madness on the verge of despair.
Li Daoqiang watched quietly, not interrupting. Let him think it through as clearly as possible. This world was inherently cruel. Setting aside human nature, even the wandering life of the jianghu was full of brutality. Why hadn't he given up Black Dragon Stronghold to rob alone? Besides the key reason of building power, avoiding the jianghu's hardships was a major factor—sleeping in the open, crossing mountains and rivers, eating irregularly, never having a hot drink or a good night's sleep, filthy and alone. That was the real truth of wandering the jianghu. A rootless wanderer in the jianghu was truly pitiful, both mentally and materially. He was a mundane man and wouldn't endure that suffering. Ding Dian might bear it, but Ling Shuanghua certainly couldn't. Throughout history, how many elopements ended well?
After a long while, Ding Dian slowly steadied his heavy breathing, looked up at Li Daoqiang, and said hoarsely, "What Chief Li says is right. Regardless, Ding thanks you here." "No need to thank me. I said those things because I have an agenda, so you don't need to thank me," Li Daoqiang said bluntly. Ding Dian felt a bit odd at this—this man was truly clear and straightforward. Yet, he didn't dislike it; instead, he felt somewhat relieved. Gritting his teeth, he straightened his expression and looked at Li Daoqiang solemnly. "Since Chief Li is like this, do you have a solution?" He had run out of options. Even a smart man had flaws—once he thought too clearly, he lost the impulse to act recklessly. He'd never considered joining a bandit stronghold, but for Ling Shuanghua, he was willing to lower his head and see if there was a way.
Li Daoqiang smirked openly. "Brother Ding is indeed a smart man; it wasn't in vain that I said so much." Then his face turned serious. "Actually, Brother Ding's problem is easy to solve. The root cause is only one: you're not strong enough, and your influence isn't big enough." His slightly domineering tone made Ding Dian pause, then frown deeply. Li Daoqiang continued, his voice even more forceful and cold. "If Brother Ding were very strong in the Grandmaster realm, backed by a decently powerful faction, do you think Ling Tuisi wouldn't willingly send his daughter to you? As for the so-called Liancheng Treasure, even if many covet it, who would dare come and pressure you?" Ding Dian shuddered, suddenly feeling a sense of clarity.
Li Daoqiang ignored Ding Dian's thoughts, his voice brimming with undisguised ambition echoing in the night. "Not to mention Zhang Sanfeng, Wang Chongyang, and others—if you were Huoyun Xieshen, Shi Zhixuan, or Guan Yutian, what would the Liancheng Treasure matter to you? In the end, this world is one where strength reigns. Being weak is your fault. And Brother Ding, you're not only weak yourself but also alone. With a treasure and divine technique like that, who else would the jianghu target if not you?" Ding Dian lowered his head, his breathing growing heavy again. He understood these truths, but no one had ever explained them so thoroughly, and he'd never thought them through so carefully. Now laid bare, it was exactly so. The Divine Illumination Technique was a peerless martial art. The Liancheng Treasure held immense wealth. But did the famous righteous sects and powerful factions truly fall far short in martial arts and wealth? Why didn't the jianghu crowd rob them? Why did they come after him? For one reason: he was weak. Too weak to protect the Divine Illumination Technique and the Liancheng Treasure. He hadn't pondered this before, hadn't cared. Now, he had to think, had to care. He was no longer the Ding Dian of old; he needed to consider the rest of his and Ling Shuanghua's lives.
After a flurry of thoughts, he looked up at Li Daoqiang seriously. "Does Chief Li mean that if I join Black Dragon Stronghold, these problems can be solved?" His tone carried clear skepticism. For one thing, Black Dragon Stronghold's strength was clearly insufficient to make the jianghu set aside their greed for the Divine Illumination Technique and the Liancheng Treasure. Li Daoqiang smiled calmly. "Brother Ding, first, I'll tell you that I have a transactional relationship with Ling Tuisi. In the Jingzhou area, my Black Dragon Stronghold has transactional ties with all major powers. I'm confident I can persuade Ling Tuisi to turn a blind eye to your and Miss Ling's matter." Ding Dian was startled. Transactional ties with all major powers in Jingzhou! That wasn't a simple statement. Black Dragon Stronghold was a bandit group. But thinking of the jianghu crowd's behavior, he sneered inwardly—it wasn't surprising. Setting that aside, persuading Ling Tuisi to look the other way was useful. He stared at Li Daoqiang, his meaning clear: that wasn't the most important thing; strength was.
"Don't rush. I mentioned Black Dragon Stronghold's ties with Jingzhou's major powers to show that we're now a local power in Jingzhou City. What we truly lack compared to those strong factions are experts—Grandmaster-level experts. And I, Li Daoqiang, am one hundred percent certain of reaching the Grandmaster realm within two months. Brother Ding, you're not far off either," Li Daoqiang said confidently, as if breaking through to Grandmaster wasn't that hard. Ding Dian raised an eyebrow. Two months to Grandmaster! "Then, with two Grandmasters, even if we're just starting out, there won't be many who can threaten us. Plus, we're both young—youth is capital. We're destined to grow stronger, making others more wary and less likely to provoke us," Li Daoqiang asserted. Ding Dian narrowed his eyes. He was tempted. He had to admit Li Daoqiang made sense. He was close to the Grandmaster realm and confident he could break through. With another Grandmaster and Black Dragon Stronghold as a local power in Jingzhou, who would dare come?
Seeing Ding Dian lost in thought, Li Daoqiang grew more confident. Without pausing, he laid it all out. "Brother Ding, if you want to live happily with Miss Ling, then Black Dragon Stronghold is your best choice. After all, I have the divine technique and found the treasure—between us, there's a trust impossible with others or other factions. I can also persuade Ling Tuisi to keep quiet. As for being bandits, I believe you've seen through this world. The righteous sects and noble families aren't necessarily cleaner than bandits. I can guarantee that Black Dragon Stronghold will never target ordinary people or rape women. I, Li Daoqiang, always believe in fair transactions. Alright, I've said all I need to. Now, Brother Ding, you've seen my sincerity. You can choose—deal or no deal?" Li Daoqiang spoke calmly. Ding Dian looked at him, his still-clenched fists betraying his turmoil.
(Thank you for your support.) ······