He felt that Li Daoqiang was decent enough, except for his greed, which was a bit excessive. Greed for wealth is nothing unusual—it's normal. But going too far is not good. Aside from that, it could easily become a weakness. So he tactfully brought it up. Li Daoqiang didn't mind; people are different. If another subordinate had said this, he would have rebuked them. But for someone as capable as Ding Dian, he chose to be lenient, smiling casually: "Don't worry, I understand what you mean. But you know, people have different tastes in this world. For example, you—you like Miss Ling. You value her above all else. As for me, besides beautiful women, I only love silver. So don't bring this up again." Ding Dian felt helpless inside. He knew that although Li Daoqiang was smiling, he had made it clear—or rather, warned him. So he couldn't say anything more. He nodded to show he understood. "Alright, since the situation hasn't gotten out of hand, go focus on your cultivation. The sooner you break through, the sooner we'll be safe," Li Daoqiang said lightly, satisfied with Ding Dian's tact. "Mm." Ding Dian acknowledged and turned to leave. Li Daoqiang watched him go, then shifted his attention back to the current situation. He felt a bit frustrated. In truth, from various sources of information, he knew that some innate masters had already arrived in Jingzhou City and entered Fuyun Mountain. But Fuyun Mountain was vast. If they wanted to hide, with the Black Dragon Fort's mere two thousand men, there was no way to find them. The Black Dragon Fort's current strength, aside from him and Ding Dian, could at most handle tracking and capturing those in the acquired realm. What a shame. Innate masters were far more valuable than acquired ones. More importantly, there was a chance to recruit one or two of them. But finding them was the problem. As a grandmaster, he had to stay at the center; he couldn't go searching himself. Expanding the Black Dragon Fort's strength was urgent. Otherwise, good opportunities would slip through his fingers. After thinking for a while, Li Daoqiang ordered someone: "Tell Wang Lin to keep a close watch on those innate masters. The moment they enter Fuyun Mountain, notify me immediately." "Yes." The man hurried out. Li Daoqiang sighed softly. Those innate masters were too cunning; he'd have to take the initiative. He hoped some fool would come—preferably one without money. And preferably one who feared death. After a moment of thought, he calmed down, convinced this was only temporary. Innate masters would come. Once Ding Dian broke through, even if he didn't actively recruit, with the reputation of two grandmasters, innate masters would flock to join. After all, by then, the Black Dragon Fort would be a renowned sanctuary in the martial world. With so many hunted and homeless evil-doers, or those with ulterior motives, they wouldn't pass up such a good place. In the blink of an eye, another five days passed. As more people arrived, the Black Dragon Fort's business boomed. Though they still hadn't caught any innate masters, their gains grew daily. One day, a rumor spread through Jingzhou City. "Have you heard? The Blood Saber Old Ancestor appeared near Jingzhou City and was discovered by the Four Great Heroes of Falling Flowers and Flowing Water. Now they're hunting him down." "Great! With the Four Great Heroes in action, they'll surely cut down that old demon." "Right, that old demon is steeped in evil. Years ago, he dared to cause trouble in Jingzhou and was driven back by the hero Mei Niansheng. This time, he dares to set foot here again—we can't let him go." "That old demon must be after the Liancheng Treasure. Perfect chance to kill him." ... "Everyone, latest news! The Four Great Heroes are chasing the Blood Saber Old Ancestor into Fuyun Mountain." Suddenly, another piece of news spread. Instantly, Jingzhou City buzzed even more. With no grandmasters appearing yet, the Four Great Heroes were the top figures in Jingzhou. Such figures carried immense influence. Especially in the context of hunting the Blood Saber Old Ancestor. And with Fuyun Mountain now seen as a dangerous place, few could stay put. "Let's go to Fuyun Mountain too." "But that's the Black Dragon Fort's territory. If they catch us..." "The Four Great Heroes are hunting the Blood Saber Old Ancestor—how can we miss such a big event? Besides, with so many martial artists going, I doubt the Black Dragon Fort would be so arrogant as to catch us all." "Good point. Let's go and invite more martial brothers to join us." "Yeah, let's go." ... Amid the lively clamor, emotions ran high. Whether naturally or by design, soon, martial artists from Jingzhou City and nearby areas formed a consensus: head to Fuyun Mountain to help the Four Great Heroes kill the Blood Saber Old Ancestor. With this momentum and the growing crowd, many lost their fear and followed the tide toward Fuyun Mountain. On a few horses just arriving in Jingzhou City, three imposing figures watched the crowd from afar. "What's going on? Weren't most people waiting in the city, afraid to enter Fuyun Mountain? What are they doing?" a steady middle-aged man asked. "That direction is Fuyun Mountain. Could it be that some strong fighters have entered, and they're following?" another middle-aged man frowned. Hearing this, the young, elegant man in the middle changed expression slightly. "The young master came to defeat Li Daoqiang, boost his reputation, and surpass Qiao Feng to dominate the younger generation of the Song Kingdom. If other strong fighters get there first, that won't be good. Young master, let's follow and find a chance to act. An opponent like Li Daoqiang is rare," the first middle-aged man urged. The other nodded in agreement. The young man pondered for a moment, then said solemnly: "Mm, we'll follow behind. Don't reveal ourselves. First, gather information." "Well said, young master," the first man praised. At the Black Dragon Fort, Li Daoqiang soon received the news. He raised an eyebrow, displeased. The large-scale entry of martial artists into Fuyun Mountain had come earlier than expected. The Blood Saber Old Ancestor and the Southern Four Heroes. Was this fate? Ideas began forming in his mind. After a moment's thought, Li Daoqiang spoke: "Still no news of any grandmasters?" "Chief, we haven't received any reports yet," Wang Lin replied respectfully. Li Daoqiang nodded but didn't fully believe it. Not that he distrusted Wang Lin, but a grandmaster who truly wanted to hide would be hard to find with ordinary martial artists and the current Black Dragon Fort. "Order the patrols to shrink to within ten li of the fort. Anyone who steps within ten li, arrest them immediately. Also, send out scouts to track the Blood Saber's movements," Li Daoqiang commanded. With so many martial artists entering Fuyun Mountain, he couldn't just arrest everyone like before. That would only escalate things and cause countless deaths—not what he wanted. "Yes," Wang Lin acknowledged and hurried out to relay the orders. Li Daoqiang sat in thought. Now, a flood of martial artists was entering Fuyun Mountain. Most were just watching, but some surely wanted to fish in troubled waters. He had foreseen this scenario. He had thought it would only happen when a grandmaster appeared. He hadn't expected the Blood Saber Old Ancestor incident. This event had both pros and cons. After a moment of contemplation, he waited for news. At the same time, he glanced at the Hundred Battles Physique in the Great Bandit System. His hesitation faded into resolve. You can't catch a big fish without bait. Without sacrifice, how could he lure the big catch? With a thought, he pressed down. A faint golden light spread, gradually enveloping the entire assembly hall. ... Fuyun Mountain. The once-quiet mountain range suddenly saw a massive influx of people. And when they found that the Black Dragon Fort wasn't attacking them, even more poured in. Those who had been waiting in Jingzhou City couldn't resist and swarmed in. Thousands upon thousands of martial artists, in groups, explored the Fuyun Mountains. Some searched for the Blood Saber Old Ancestor, others secretly observed the Black Dragon Fort. Still others had hidden agendas. All kinds of incidents occurred in the mountains. Some even dared to incite others to charge within ten li of the Black Dragon Fort, only to be killed outright. By tacit agreement, the martial artists avoided the ten-li radius around the fort. Anyone who entered was captured. In two days, nearly fifteen thousand people had entered the Fuyun Mountains. Then, one day, a rumor spread quickly: "The Blood Saber Old Ancestor is being chased by the Four Great Heroes toward the south of the Black Dragon Fort." As the news spread, countless martial artists rushed there. (Thanks for your support.) ...