No other reason.
Li Daoqiang simply couldn't bring himself to do certain things—like forcibly taking a woman. He could engage in fair trade, use sweet words and clever talk. But forcibly taking a woman? He couldn't do it. He didn't consider himself a good person, but he still considered himself human. If he didn't take by force, then this path became troublesome. Making money was the most straightforward and practical route. The path of women could only be supplementary—if he encountered an opportunity, he'd take it. That was more in line with reality.
Of course, he had to admit, the path of women was incredibly tempting. It could be said to be a feast that lasts three years. If he obtained a woman of the first rank at the Grandmaster level... Just thinking about it made Li Daoqiang feel a surge of excitement. That would surely be an overnight fortune.
"Cough, cough!"
He cleared his throat lightly, suppressing those unrealistic fantasies. Over the past two years, he had deeply understood one thing: a person must stay grounded and never indulge in fantasies. Never think too highly of oneself. He never craved love, nor did he long for an outstanding woman to fall for him. He just needed to possess them. Like Qi Fang.
He knew well that Qi Fang loved Di Yun, and that would be hard to change in the future. But so what? Qi Fang was still his woman, spending her life with him, bearing his children. Perhaps this was his selfishness—because he was too selfish to easily fall in love with others or give everything for them. So he never expected others to love him or give everything for him. That was just how it was.
Thinking about it, this wasn't so different from how Ling Tuisi harmed Ding Dian in some ways. Both judged others by themselves. Only, one was called ruthless and merciless, while the other was called self-aware, suspicious, and untrusting.
Having pondered this path, he temporarily set aside a worry. Next, it depended on Ding Dian. He wondered how many bandit points a peak Xiantian expert could give him. No, it wouldn't be long before he believed Ding Dian could reach the Grandmaster level. That was what he looked forward to even more.
"Someone, summon Xu Zhi to see me." Li Daoqiang's voice deepened as he gave the order.
"Yes."
A respectful voice responded from outside.
Before long, Xu Zhi arrived. Li Daoqiang gave some instructions and wrote a letter for him. Xu Zhi showed no curiosity, took the letter, and left.
A faint, slightly tender smile appeared on Li Daoqiang's face as he walked toward that room.
In the room with a faint, peculiar smell, Qi Fang was already asleep on the bed. She had barely slept the night before, and after suffering a heavy blow and exhaustion, she had fallen asleep as soon as it was over. Li Daoqiang had left earlier, partly to think carefully about the path of women, but more importantly, to arrange matters concerning Di Yun. Fair trade meant he had to do his best. He prided himself on being trustworthy. Now that it was done, he had returned.
Looking at her charming, spring-like face, he took a light breath to suppress himself, took off his clothes, and got into bed. He closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep too. It had been a long, long time since he had truly slept; before, it was just rest. Sleeping with a woman was real sleep. Enjoying the moment, it wasn't long before Li Daoqiang drifted off.
It wasn't until the afternoon that Qi Fang woke up in his arms, her clear eyes groggy. She was startled at first. When she realized what had happened, she felt shy. She wanted to resist but didn't dare, so she stiffened, not moving. After a while, she dared to glance secretly at his face. It was sharp as a knife, carrying a hint of coldness. This was the man she would spend her life with~ Qi Fang suddenly thought of that sentence, her heart full of complexity. After a long silence, she sighed softly, adjusted her position slightly, and lay more comfortably in his warm embrace.
Li Daoqiang silently opened his eyes, waited a moment, and said softly, "Slept well?"
Qi Fang, lost in thought and feeling complicated, was startled. She didn't dare look at him and softly replied, "Mm."
"Mm, since you've slept well, let's get up. Time to go home." Li Daoqiang said gently.
Qi Fang was momentarily stunned. Home~! She bit her lip and responded again.
After enjoying the sight of her shy beauty for a while, Li Daoqiang led Qi Fang toward Black Dragon Stronghold. Along the way, he told her some things about the stronghold and its rules.
Back at Black Dragon Stronghold, curious gazes immediately fell on Qi Fang. Ignoring them, Li Daoqiang arranged for Qi Fang to stay in his courtyard first, then ordered Li Si to purchase another batch of wine and meat.
At the same time.
Xu Zhi had also met with Ling Tuisi.
Soon after, Xu Zhi withdrew.
Ling Tuisi frowned, a hint of curiosity on his face. "A country bumpkin, what does Li Daoqiang want with him?"
Below him, Gao Yuan shook his head and mused, "That kid is connected to the Wan family. I heard something minor happened at the Wan family yesterday. Could it be related?"
Ling Tuisi thought for a moment, then waved dismissively. "Forget it. Just the Wan family and a fool, no need to overthink it."
"Could it be related to Ding Dian? That kid shared a cell with Ding Dian," Gao Yuan said cautiously.
"Heh, that kid knows nothing. What connection could there be? Not giving him might backfire." Ling Tuisi chuckled, very confident.
Seeing this, Gao Yuan didn't press further. Falling out with Li Daoqiang over a country bumpkin wasn't worth it.
"Enough of that. The recruitment of small and medium merchant forces must continue. Those who bypass Floating Cloud Mountain—do they think they can ignore the rules?" Ling Tuisi shifted the topic, his tone turning dark.
"Yes," Gao Yuan immediately replied.
"Speed it up as much as possible. Those third-rate forces aren't pushovers, but we have our advantages too. Start with the easy ones. Once the easy ones are mostly recruited, don't bother with the stubborn ones—that's Li Daoqiang's problem," Ling Tuisi instructed.
"Understood."
...
Meanwhile.
Jingzhou Prison.
In Ding Dian's cell, two jailers approached cautiously, casting wary glances at Ding Dian before looking at the other person.
"Di Yun, come out. Someone's here to take you away."
The man was stunned, his honest face full of confusion, but then he was overjoyed. Leave! He could finally leave this place. Without asking too many questions, he shot a resentful glare at Ding Dian, who often beat him, and hurried out.
Ding Dian glanced at him, sneering coldly. Couldn't hold back already. Sure enough, he was sent to cause trouble. Unconcerned, he continued his meditation.
Outside, after some formalities, only Xu Zhi, the two men behind him, and Di Yun remained. Xu Zhi sized him up and said with a friendly smile, "Brother Di, let's go."
"Where to?" Di Yun was still happy but utterly confused.
"You'll know when we get there. Anyway, you've met your benefactor," Xu Zhi said warmly.
Di Yun felt uneasy. He wanted to find his junior sister, but he knew these people were the reason he was out. He didn't dare ask more and just nodded.
The journey was silent as Xu Zhi and the others brought Di Yun to Black Dragon Stronghold. Di Yun looked at the stronghold; though he wasn't worldly, he knew it wasn't a proper place, making him even more anxious. But he had no choice but to follow along.
After washing up, changing clothes, and having his injuries treated, he fell asleep, still uneasy.
On the other side, Li Daoqiang finished his cultivation and went to sleep holding Qi Fang. He didn't do anything else, just enjoyed the comfort of touch and sensation. After all, it was Qi Fang's first time, and even though she was a martial artist, Li Daoqiang wasn't that impatient. He was just savoring the novelty of having a woman who belonged to him, wanting to indulge a little.
The next morning, the two got up.
"Your senior brother is already at Black Dragon Stronghold. Go see him and say what I told you," Li Daoqiang said calmly after breakfast.
Qi Fang was startled, her expression shifting. She shot a grateful look at Li Daoqiang and nodded. After a moment's hesitation, she said softly but firmly, "From now on, I am yours."
(Thank you for your support.)
...