Once this identity was confirmed, countless gazes shifted dramatically in an instant.
Shock, fear, awe, dread, envy, defiance—these emotions surged within countless hearts.
Standing at the forefront of the martial world's crowd, the Four Fallen Flowers and Flowing Water men showed a trace of complexity and longing in their eyes.
A Grandmaster!
That was the lifelong pursuit of their kind.
Yet they never expected that in the Jingzhou region, someone had broken through—and a young bandit at that.
No one knew the tangled emotions they felt upon learning this news.
Now, seeing the man in person, it was even more so.
Beyond complexity, there was wariness.
Truly worthy of a Grandmaster—this aura alone was beyond their ability to resist.
Among them, Hua Tiegan's eyes flickered with a particularly intense, hidden jealousy and longing.
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On a distant large tree.
Through the dense forest, three figures stared intently at the scene.
Two expressions were grave, one brimming with excitement and anticipation.
"What a Li Daoqiang, truly extraordinary. Young master, you must not take him lightly," one middle-aged man transmitted secretly.
The other middle-aged man nodded in agreement.
The young man also gave a slight nod, calm and utterly confident, saying, "I won't lose."
The two middle-aged men had no doubts; they nodded firmly, showing their trust.
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In one part of the crowd, Wan Zhenshan pulled his son Wan Gui aside and cautiously transmitted, "Li Daoqiang is here. Gui'er, remember—never act rashly."
"Yes, Father, I understand."
·····
Elsewhere, several figures melted deeper into the crowd.
Eyes like venomous snakes burned with hatred, brimming with killing intent.
·····
Across the mountains and fields, countless people could not remain calm.
Li Daoqiang!
A name unheard of in the martial world just months ago had suddenly become that of a Grandmaster, renowned across the land.
Becoming a Grandmaster in one's twenties was a sensational event anywhere.
So even though he was a bandit, the title of Grandmaster was enough to overshadow the flaw of his identity.
Even now, with so many martial artists gathered and the matter of the Blood Saber Old Demon, no one dared to openly propose wiping out the Black Dragon Stronghold.
A Grandmaster in his twenties!
Truly, it carried immense influence.
Few could remain composed facing such a status.
In fact, at that moment, few could meet the sweeping gaze.
A gaze full of authority swept across, and wherever it passed, all but a handful yielded.
No one dared to step forward and answer the words that had just pressed down upon them.
Even figures like the Four Fallen Flowers and Flowing Water, with their own concerns, fell silent.
For a moment, the gathering of over ten thousand people was eerily quiet.
Faced with this scene, Li Daoqiang was not surprised—this was the deterrent power of a Grandmaster.
Below the Grandmaster level, there was no qualification to challenge.
That was why he had been able to sit securely, like a fisherman on a steady boat.
What did numbers matter?
Even if he couldn't actually kill so many people alone.
But would these people dare to act?
Those who acted would surely die.
Especially with his identity as a bandit, it only heightened their wariness.
However—!
His gaze swept over a direction without any abnormality, a hint of amusement rising in his heart.
The right big fish had finally arrived.
The next moment, his cold expression unchanged, he ignored the martial world crowd and turned to face the Blood Saber Old Demon.
The Blood Saber Old Demon, who had just been arrogant and unruly, tensed up, a trace of fear rising in his heart.
A Grandmaster was, after all, a Grandmaster.
Under the authority built by many Grandmasters over the years, even he had to feel fear, averting his eyes slightly.
"You are Blood Saber."
Li Daoqiang's cold voice rang out.
Feeling looked down upon by this lofty tone and gaze, the Blood Saber Old Demon felt uncomfortable but dared not resist. He let out a sly laugh and, unusually obediently, said, "Indeed, Blood Saber old—Blood Saber greets Chief Li."
A hint of amusement curled at the corner of Li Daoqiang's mouth as he said calmly, "You're quite bold, using my Black Dragon Stronghold to save your life."
The Blood Saber Old Demon shrank his neck, his mind racing, and said bluntly, "I'm just trying to survive. Besides, the Chief set those rules to make deals. I've heard the Chief likes fair trades, no cheating—so this counts as one, doesn't it?"
"Hahaha." Li Daoqiang suddenly burst into laughter, showing even more interest. "Not bad, not bad. You know my Black Dragon Stronghold's rules well and chose to trust them. Bold and meticulous—no wonder you've lived so long."
This was a rare opportunity, with so many martial artists present. Li Daoqiang certainly wouldn't miss the chance to advertise.
Even if this ad would worsen his reputation in mainstream orthodox circles, he didn't care.
What did a bandit need with a good reputation in mainstream opinion?
Being praised by a younger man, the Blood Saber Old Demon felt a bit uncomfortable inside but, considering the other's Grandmaster status and the current situation, he let it go, laughing obsequiously, "Thank you for the praise, Chief."
He also felt more at ease—it seemed Li Daoqiang was willing to make this deal. That was good.
Eighty thousand taels was a lot, but compared to his life, it was nothing.
With that thought, his eyes couldn't help but turn provocative and arrogant as he looked at the martial artists across from him.
He wouldn't dare act arrogantly toward Li Daoqiang, but these martial artists—he had no fear of them.
Especially now that he was more at ease.
Seeing this, many martial artists grew furious, and some grew anxious.
Was Li Daoqiang really going to protect the Blood Saber Old Demon?
Many were indignant but dared not speak, only looking at the group of innate masters standing at the front.
Especially the Four Fallen Flowers and Flowing Water.
And those innate masters, naturally unwilling to offend a Grandmaster, subtly directed their gazes toward the four.
After all, individually, they were top innate experts, and together, they carried the most weight among the gathered martial artists.
The Four Fallen Flowers and Flowing Water felt these looks. Liu Chengfeng and Shui Dai were still fine, glaring angrily at the Blood Saber Old Demon.
But Lu Tianshu and Hua Tiegan felt bitter inside, caught in a dilemma.
They exchanged a glance, deciding to endure for now and see how things played out.
This was truly not something to force.
Li Daoqiang paid no attention to the thoughts of the martial world crowd. Looking at the Blood Saber Old Demon, he said with a light laugh, "Since you know my Black Dragon Stronghold's rules so well, I trust you're prepared."
"Rest assured, Chief. I'll have my disciples deliver eighty thousand taels of silver right away," the Blood Saber Old Demon quickly assured.
Li Daoqiang nodded approvingly and said unhurriedly, "Good attitude. I like doing business with people like you."
The Blood Saber Old Demon was overjoyed—it was done.
Many martial artists couldn't hold back anymore, and neither could the Four Fallen Flowers and Flowing Water.
Suddenly, Li Daoqiang's tone shifted. "But the price isn't right."
The Blood Saber Old Demon's eyes flickered, and the martial artists held back again, listening closely. Many were curious.
Few had the chance to interact with a Grandmaster.
Almost everyone was curious about such a powerful figure.
"What does the Chief mean?" the Blood Saber Old Demon asked cautiously, a bad feeling rising.
Li Daoqiang, completely unconcerned with the feelings of the Blood Saber Old Demon or the martial artists, said calmly, "My Black Dragon Stronghold divides innate masters into four levels, valued at ten thousand, twenty thousand, forty thousand, and eighty thousand taels respectively.
You, Blood Saber, are a fourth-level expert, so indeed eighty thousand taels.
But that's under normal circumstances. These are not normal circumstances."
Hearing this, many martial artists found it oddly amusing.
A Grandmaster openly pricing innate masters—how absurd.
He was too greedy for money!
Many thought this, feeling it somewhat diminished the Grandmaster's status.
Especially the innate masters present, whose faces stiffened—they didn't like being priced like goods.
But some couldn't help wondering which level they fell into.
And if they fell into the Black Dragon Stronghold's hands, at least they wouldn't have to fight to the death.
On the distant tree.
One of the three middle-aged men couldn't help but say in exasperation, "A Grandmaster so fond of money, and saying it out loud—this is a first."
"Typical bandit," the other middle-aged man remarked, then his eyes lit up as if struck by an idea, quickly adding, "Young master, if Li Daoqiang loves money so much, he could be used for your purposes in the future."
The young man's spirits lifted, immediately grasping the meaning, and smiled, nodding, "Right, Brother Deng is spot on. I know what to do next."
The Blood Saber Old Demon had no time for that. His unease grew stronger as he looked warily at Li Daoqiang and said unsteadily, "Under these unusual circumstances, how much does the Chief want?"
Li Daoqiang was amused inside—this Blood Saber was quite cooperative.
Scanning the martial artists, he said calmly, "You were captured by my stronghold; your life is worth eighty thousand taels. Pay that, and you can leave.
But now it's more than that—you're in danger. In other words, my stronghold is saving you.
Protecting you from your enemies.
In this case, the price depends on how strong those enemies are."
Hearing this, the sharp-minded Blood Saber Old Demon was startled, looking at the sea of martial artists, his eyes widening.
No, it couldn't be!
Li Daoqiang swept his gaze over the martial artists again, this time more carefully, as if calculating, while saying, "You have quite a few enemies this time.
Dozens of innate masters, over ten thousand acquired realm fighters.
Too many to calculate easily.
Alright, since you trust my stronghold's reputation so much, I'll give you a discount and round it up."
"Each innate master counts as fifteen thousand taels, each acquired realm as seven hundred taels.
Fifty innate masters make seven hundred fifty thousand taels.
Twelve thousand acquired realm fighters make eight million four hundred thousand taels.
Total: nine million one hundred fifty thousand taels. My Black Dragon Stronghold deals fairly, no cheating.
Not a tael more, not a tael less—no rounding down.
So, nine million one hundred fifty thousand taels. How about it?"
(Thanks for your support.) ······