The corners of Blood Saber Ancestor’s mouth couldn’t help twitching.
He was utterly unwilling—he had no intention of truly spending his life in Black Dragon Village. If an opportunity arose, he would definitely escape. Though it would offend such a powerful figure, he could flee far away and fear nothing. What was wrong with living freely on his own? Why must he be someone else’s dog?
But if he dragged the entire Blood Saber Sect over, escaping would no longer be so easy. The cost would be far too great.
He wanted to find some excuse, but as the words reached his lips, he looked up and saw that face watching him with a faint, knowing smile. Suddenly, he couldn’t speak. A dangerous aura surged toward him, making his whole body tremble.
His heart pounded with terror, and the words changed. He declared loudly and firmly, “Yes, I will summon every member of the Blood Saber Sect to serve the Chief.”
Li Daoqiang smiled in satisfaction again. He stood up, walked over to Blood Saber Ancestor, and patted him on the shoulder twice. Speaking earnestly, he said, “Good. Blood Saber, you’re a smart man. Some things don’t need me, the Village Chief, to spell out. I really think highly of you. Don’t make things difficult for me, understand?”
Blood Saber Ancestor’s body went rigid. He felt as if a primordial beast stood before him, capable of crushing him with a mere gesture. Cold sweat broke out all over him. Without any hesitation, he immediately said, “Yes, I will never disappoint the Chief. I swear my loyalty to the Chief unto death.”
“Mm, I’ll take your word for it. Notify the Blood Saber Sect to come. You don’t need to go yourself—just rest and recover here in the village,” Li Daoqiang said calmly.
“Yes.”
“One more thing. That debt you owe—though we’re all brothers in the village now, it’s not good to let it linger too long,” Li Daoqiang added.
Blood Saber Ancestor instinctively replied firmly, “I understand. I will work hard to repay the debt.”
Li Daoqiang seemed completely satisfied. He waved his hand and said with a smile, “Mm, good. Go rest and heal.”
“I take my leave.”
With a respectful fist salute, Blood Saber Ancestor was about to exit the meeting hall.
“If you truly prove your worth, the realm of Grandmaster may not be out of reach.”
Suddenly, Li Daoqiang’s calm voice sounded again.
Blood Saber Ancestor’s breath grew heavy. He quickly said, “I understand.”
Seeing that Li Daoqiang had nothing more to say, he carefully withdrew from the meeting hall, his face darkening. His eyes held frustration, anger, and a trace of helplessness.
Back in his quarters, he finally couldn’t help spitting and cursing Li Daoqiang under his breath for his ruthlessness. He had already joined Black Dragon Village, and not only was he being forced to bring the entire Blood Saber Sect in, but he was also being pressed to repay his debt. He’d never heard of such a greedy, heartless miser.
Nine hundred and fifteen thousand taels of silver!
Just thinking of that number made him feel terrible. If he really had to repay it, could he even clear it in the rest of his life?
He took a few heavy breaths, and strange thoughts began to stir. He pondered, schemed.
Suddenly, he recalled Li Daoqiang’s faintly smiling face, and a chill ran through him. He shook his head, suppressing the fear, and a cautious mood rose within him. He had to be careful—no rash moves, no haste. He needed to wait for a perfect opportunity.
And then...
Li Daoqiang’s final words surfaced in his mind.
Grandmaster... Was it really possible?
Though he knew it was just a carrot dangled by Li Daoqiang, it still made his heart itch. After all, he considered himself no slouch, and with Li Daoqiang so young yet so powerful, maybe one day he could help him break through to Grandmaster.
Thinking about it, the itch grew stronger.
In the meeting hall.
Li Daoqiang watched Blood Saber Ancestor leave and smiled with amusement. For someone like Blood Saber Ancestor, he valued his strength and intelligence. But he would never trust him. Given half a chance, he’d likely try to escape. So he needed constant pressure, to instill fear deep in his bones—so deep that just mentioning Li Daoqiang’s name made him tremble.
Of course, that wasn’t enough. The key was his own reputation and Black Dragon Village’s strength reaching a level where Blood Saber Ancestor knew that fleeing meant certain death in pursuit. Then, naturally, he wouldn’t dare run.
This mainly depended on Black Dragon Village’s power. After all, everyone knew that if Blood Saber Ancestor fled, Li Daoqiang could hardly chase down a Xiantian expert across the entire world himself. Intelligence was also an issue—the village’s capabilities had to reach a certain threshold.
So everything had to proceed slowly. For now, he’d keep applying pressure, making him afraid, and not giving him a chance to escape.
As for the carrot he’d dangled at the end—Blood Saber Ancestor was old and cunning as a fox. Li Daoqiang didn’t really expect an empty promise to trap him. He’d just thrown it out casually; if it worked, great, and if not, no loss.
Thinking this, Li Daoqiang couldn’t help considering methods to control subordinates. The best forceful control methods he remembered were few.
First was absolute strength as a deterrent, making every subordinate understand that betrayal meant death. Black Dragon Village was still far from that.
Second was the Life-Death Talisman—a sharp tool. The Lingjiu Palace...
Li Daoqiang’s eyes flickered, and his heart itched with desire.
Beyond these, there were poison controls like the Three Corpses Brain God Pills and the Leopard Fetus Yi Jing Pills.
After a moment’s thought, he suppressed his restless ideas. No rush. Everything would come in time. Slowly.
His gaze turned to where Ding Dian was in seclusion. He felt some anticipation. Once Ding Dian broke through, not to mention the bandit points, it would be a huge boost for Black Dragon Village. With two Grandmasters stationed, including himself as a powerful one, the village’s development would surely accelerate.
After a brief contemplation, he looked toward Jingzhou City, a cold sneer curling on his lips. Brother Ling, time to settle the account.
A while later, Xu Zhi took a letter and hurried toward Jingzhou City.
At the Ling residence in Jingzhou City, Ling Tuisi had been anxious and worried all day. When he heard Xu Zhi had arrived, his heart leaped. Suppressing his nerves, he had him invited in.
When Xu Zhi entered, Ling Tuisi even stood up with a smile for the first time. “Brother Xu is here.”
Seeing Ling Tuisi’s warm reception, Xu Zhi was startled. But he quickly realized times had changed. He felt more confident himself, no longer so afraid of this Lord Ling.
With that thought, his boldness grew, and he relaxed, smiling. “Lord Ling, our Chief has a letter for you.”
“Mm.” Ling Tuisi acknowledged, taking the letter. Unlike before, he didn’t ask Xu Zhi to read it.
Opening it, his face changed, his hand trembling slightly, and his breathing grew uneven.
The letter was simple.
‘Brother Ling, this matter—two million taels—ends here.’
Just one clear sentence.
But it made Ling Tuisi break out in cold sweat. He really knew. Then came relief and anger.
Relief that Li Daoqiang didn’t intend to kill him. A top Grandmaster had the right to kill him, as long as it wasn’t too blatant. The court and those behind him wouldn’t pursue it to the death over someone like him. His value and the face he represented weren’t worth a top Grandmaster’s life. That was the reality of this world.
Anger, of course, over the two million taels. Li Daoqiang was too ruthless. His entire fortune was about that much. Damn him, hateful.
His face darkened for a while, but Xu Zhi, seeing it, wasn’t as afraid. He felt a sense of confidence, nothing to fear. It made him want to laugh, proud and honored. He had an incredibly awesome Chief.
After another moment, Ling Tuisi composed himself and forced a smile. “Brother Xu, please tell the Chief that I won’t be short a single coin. Within three days, it will be delivered.”
Xu Zhi didn’t fully understand but naturally didn’t ask. He nodded with a fist salute. “Yes, I’ll pass that on.”
After Xu Zhi left, Ling Tuisi could no longer hold back his rage. After venting, he began raising the money.
Back at Black Dragon Village, hearing Xu Zhi’s report, Li Daoqiang smiled. Brother Ling was still Brother Ling—knew when to bend. That made him a good brother still.
Two million in hand!
His mood improved even more. Calculating in his mind, his anticipation grew.
He dismissed Xu Zhi and couldn’t resist seeking out Qi Fang. On such a joyful occasion, he needed an outlet for his excitement.
Li Daoqiang found Qi Fang, dressed like a young wife in a plain white floral dress, her hair coiled up. She looked even more alluring, her slender figure tempting.
In broad daylight, he scooped her up, drawing a startled cry.
“Chief~!”
Qi Fang couldn’t help resisting lightly.
“Haha, I’m happy—I’ve come to share my joy with you,” Li Daoqiang laughed.
Qi Fang’s face flushed crimson. She whispered pleas for mercy, glancing shyly at the maid.
Li Daoqiang didn’t mind the maid’s presence. In fact, the more Qi Fang begged, the more his interest grew. Like a volcano erupting, unstoppable, his mind set on one thing.
Soon, two voices intertwined, like weeping and murmuring, endlessly melodious.
That night.
Still lying in bed, Li Daoqiang rested with his eyes closed, occasionally exchanging sweet words with Qi Fang, feeling very pleased.
Suddenly, his expression shifted slightly. He rose and dressed in a breath.
“Rest for now.”
Leaving those words, his figure vanished.
Qi Fang, in a thin nightgown, showed worry on her face. Li Daoqiang’s sudden change meant something was wrong. Having accepted her fate and seeing him as her husband, she was naturally concerned. After a moment’s thought, she obeyed and waited quietly.
Elsewhere.
Dozens of meters from Black Dragon Village, in the night, behind a tree, a black-clad figure had appeared unnoticed. His face was masked, leaving only a pair of deep eyes fixed on the village.
He paused, then moved to act.
Suddenly, his body stiffened, his eyes sharp as an eagle’s, staring in one direction.
The next moment, a calm voice rang out.
“You visit my Black Dragon Village late at night—what business do you have?”
(Thank you for your support.) ······