A cry full of longing rang out like a thunderclap. The people of Black Dragon Village froze for a moment, dazedly staring at the figure. They had never seen such a desperate plea to be captured! It was almost absurd.
But regardless, instinct took over. The blades of Black Dragon Village were drawn and pressed against the figure, who seemed utterly drained of strength. Upon seeing this, the pale, vicious face—practically screaming "I'm the villain"—instead lit up as if encountering something wonderful, breaking into a foolish grin. It was like celebrating the joy of escaping death.
Weakly, he laughed, "That's right, just like that. Take me to your boss. I'm worth a fortune. I'm a top-tier innate master."
The people of Black Dragon Village froze again. A top-tier innate master! The Blood Saber Demon! It was the Blood Saber Demon, but this request was truly bizarre.
Some felt a strange unease, while others began to piece things together. Before they could say anything, figures began to appear in their sight. With them came waves of overwhelmingly powerful auras.
First, four figures, then a dozen, and in an instant, over thirty. It was as if the very air had solidified. The people of Black Dragon Village suddenly found it hard to breathe, an oppressive weight pressing down on them.
"Brothers, quickly summon Chief Li! These people kill without blinking," the Blood Saber Ancestor, who had already thrown his curved blade to the ground, gasped with a sinister grin, his eyes brimming with wariness and murderous intent.
At that moment, more and more figures arrived. Jianghu warriors emerged across the mountains and fields, their gazes fixed on the hundred-plus members of Black Dragon Village. In the forests behind, even more were still coming.
The tension among Black Dragon Village grew. Looking at the Blood Saber Ancestor in their hands, how could they not realize they were holding a hot potato? Seeing the sheer number of people, even the leading chieftain lost his nerve, his mouth dry, his hands and feet trembling. Summoning his courage, he said, "What do you want? This is Black Dragon Village territory. No trespassing allowed."
Then, he found a bit more boldness. This was Black Dragon Village, after all. Their chief was a grandmaster.
The expressions of the crowd in the distance varied—hope mixed with a hint of wariness. The Blood Saber Demon was right before them, powerless to resist. But Black Dragon Village was no pushover; that was a grandmaster!
"Everyone, please hand over the Blood Saber Demon. We've been hunting him for a long time," said Lu Tianshu, the leader of the Falling Flowers and Flowing Water group, clasping his fists with a calm expression. The many Jianghu warriors nodded silently, their wordless gazes pressuring Black Dragon Village. It was as if they would attack immediately if the Blood Saber Demon wasn't handed over.
The leading chieftain of Black Dragon Village was extremely nervous, his resolve wavering. He had no choice. The opposing force was too large. There were already thousands, and the numbers kept growing. Facing such pressure, he lacked the courage to resist.
The Blood Saber Ancestor, a shrewd man, saw this immediately. His expression unchanged, he sneered mockingly, "Old Lu, don't be delusional. I'm already a prisoner of Black Dragon Village. I'll buy my life with money. What right do you have to demand they hand me over? Hah."
His words were bold and arrogant, delivered with a haughty air. This ignited fury and murderous intent among the Jianghu warriors.
"Blood Saber Demon, today is your death day!" "Exactly, at death's door and still so arrogant!" "Bastard! Blood Saber Demon, no one can save you today!" ...
Curses erupted across the mountains, their combined force so fierce that the faces of Black Dragon Village turned pale. But the leading chieftain was jolted awake. Yes, the Blood Saber Demon was now Black Dragon Village's prisoner. That meant silver—at least forty thousand taels for a third-tier innate master, or even eighty thousand for a fourth-tier one. How could he let that go? If he did, wouldn't the chief tear him apart?
At the thought of their chief, he shuddered, his fear slightly abating. His eyes flickered as he mustered his courage and shouted, "The Blood Saber Demon is now a prisoner of Black Dragon Village. We deal fairly, no cheating. We... we can't hand him over."
Hearing this, the Blood Saber Demon's grin widened, his gaze playful as he looked at the opposing crowd. The Jianghu warriors immediately erupted.
"Ridiculous! We were the ones hunting him. Why shouldn't you hand him over?" "Exactly, Black Dragon Village is too domineering!" "No, you have to hand him over!" "Hand over the Blood Saber Demon! Hand over the Blood Saber Demon!" ...
The chaotic shouts gradually merged into a single chant. A tidal wave of sound crashed down on Black Dragon Village, forcing them to instinctively step back, trembling. After all, they were just bandits. Even with their grandmaster chief, they lacked the nerve to stand against such a multitude.
Seeing this, the Jianghu warriors' momentum only grew, with many figures beginning to edge forward. But this made a few among the leaders frown, sensing trouble.
"Brother, something feels off," Hua Tiegan, wielding twin spears, transmitted secretly, a hint of wariness in his tone. Lu Tianshu gave an almost imperceptible nod, feeling trapped. Black Dragon Village's Li Daoqiang was a grandmaster. If they truly offended him, the many Jianghu warriors might be fine—safety in numbers—but the Falling Flowers and Flowing Water four would surely be marked. After all, they seemed to be the leaders and were the strongest present. Being targeted by a grandmaster, especially one from the same region, was a consequence he didn't want to bear.
But unfortunately, the Jianghu warriors clearly weren't considering their plight. The atmosphere was on the verge of exploding into violence. Even his third and fourth brothers probably hadn't thought this through. Only he and his more cautious second brother had.
Glancing at the increasingly agitated crowd, Lu Tianshu knew he couldn't let this continue. Gritting his teeth, he looked around and shouted, "Blood Saber Demon, don't think you can pull off such a scheme!"
His voice boomed, silencing the clamor. The Jianghu warriors gave him some leeway, letting him speak. Lu Tianshu breathed a silent sigh of relief and continued sternly, "You deliberately got captured by Black Dragon Village to shift the blame, hoping to pit the Jianghu heroes against them. Do you think such tricks will work? Ridiculous."
The chieftain's expression shifted. Though he had suspected as much, the urgency of the moment had left no time for deep thought. Hearing it spelled out so clearly made him uneasy. This was too big for him to handle. His anxiety grew. Why wasn't the chief here yet?
Most of the Jianghu warriors also calmed down, knowing Lu Tianshu was right. Black Dragon Village's chief, Li Daoqiang, was a grandmaster. Except for a few with ulterior motives, none dared to oppose a grandmaster.
The Blood Saber Ancestor, however, showed no sign of panic. He sneered coldly, still defiant and arrogant. "Old Lu, what's the use of all your talk? Your ancestor is now a prisoner of Black Dragon Village. What can you do about it? Hahaha!"
His utter disdain for the crowd only stoked their fury. Even the Black Dragon Village members glared at him angrily. His arrogance was insufferable. They wanted to beat him themselves.
"Hand over the Blood Saber Demon! Hand over the Blood Saber Demon!" The unified chant rose again, more powerful and uncontrollable than before. Some even began pushing forward. The masses across the mountains started to move.
Lu Tianshu panicked, sensing the situation spiraling. But with no time to think and no good solution, he looked to Hua Tiegan, who was equally anxious and helpless. In truth, they weren't the elected leaders. If a riot broke out, they couldn't control it.
Suddenly, just as the tension peaked, a voice rang out without warning, like a thunderclap crashing down. "Are you pressuring Black Dragon Village?"
The brief words, each crystal clear, struck like a temple bell, echoing in their ears. In an instant, all shouting ceased, leaving only that voice reverberating through the mountains. It was as if the entire world had been reduced to that single sound.
Many faces turned pale, their expressions shifting, their hearts tightening. Then, countless gazes turned to the sky above Black Dragon Village. A figure in black martial robes with a cape, tall and imposing, descended from the void. In a flash, he stood before them, hands clasped behind his back, facing the Black Dragon Village members.
An indescribable aura radiated from him, as if he alone stood above all, looking down on everyone. The combined momentum of the Jianghu warriors was suppressed by his solitary presence.
Li Daoqiang! At that moment, the name appeared in everyone's mind. Who else could appear at such a time, speak such words, and exude such an aura?
(Thank you for your support.) ...