Whether it was Li Daoqiang or Ding Dian, both had been groping their way in martial arts alone, without a master to guide them step by step. Now that they had the chance to freely exchange insights, they were naturally delighted. After a while, they even agreed that once Ding Dian had familiarized himself with his newfound strength in a couple of days, they would find a place for a practical sparring match. Both were looking forward to it. Li Daoqiang’s main aim was to offer Ding Dian some guidance while also showcasing his own prowess, serving as a warning to the newly ascended grandmaster. Ding Dian, of course, wanted to experience firsthand just how strong Li Daoqiang truly was. He also wanted to know how far he still lagged behind the top-tier grandmasters.
After settling all matters, Ding Dian went off to attend to his duties. Li Daoqiang, meanwhile, gave orders: first, to hold a grand feast tonight to celebrate Ding Dian’s breakthrough to grandmaster status. Second, to spread the news of Ding Dian’s breakthrough as quickly as possible. Over the past couple of days, thanks to his own reputation, some people had already joined the Black Dragon Stronghold. This was just the beginning. Once word of Ding Dian’s breakthrough spread, even more would surely join.
After a moment’s thought, he went to see Murong Fu. “Brother Murong, I’ve come to see you,” Li Daoqiang said with a hearty laugh. Murong Fu forced a smile in response, cupping his hands in greeting. “Thank you, Brother Li.” “No need for formalities,” Li Daoqiang replied politely, then shifted the topic with curiosity. “Brother Murong, does the Murong family have any close ties with a particularly powerful expert?” Murong Fu’s brow furrowed slightly. Which noble family didn’t have strong connections? Li Daoqiang’s question was clearly abrupt. But why would he ask so suddenly? Had something happened? With a puzzled expression, he asked, “What does Brother Li mean?” “Heh.” Li Daoqiang smiled, not hiding anything, and said seriously, “Last night, a top-tier expert arrived, no weaker than me. He didn’t say much, but he clearly admitted he came for you, claiming you were the son of an old friend. I could tell he cares about you deeply. Because of that, I sparred with him, and we ended in a draw. I’m genuinely curious about who such a strong expert could be. Would Brother Murong care to enlighten me?” Li Daoqiang’s demeanor was open and honest, with no hint of concealment or ill intent. Murong Fu, however, fell into thought. Coming for him, willing to fight Li Daoqiang over it, strength on par with Li Daoqiang. An old friend’s son! Did the Murong family have such a powerful, well-connected old friend? He couldn’t think of one, yet he couldn’t help feeling a glimmer of anticipation. As for whether Li Daoqiang was lying—he didn’t suspect it. There was no reason for Li Daoqiang to fabricate a top-tier expert just to deceive him. After a moment’s contemplation, he said with hidden hope, “Brother Li, could you be more specific? The Murong family has many old acquaintances; I can’t recall who it might be offhand.” Li Daoqiang sneered inwardly. How many old acquaintances in this world would risk offending a grandmaster to save a friend’s son? But he didn’t call out Murong Fu’s little scheme. Instead, he said earnestly, “He was dressed in black with a masked face, probably in his fifties. He used several martial arts, but the ones that stood out most were a palm technique and a finger technique. The palm technique carried a watery aura, while the finger technique was exquisitely refined and devastatingly powerful.” Murong Fu thought hard. Suddenly, a figure came to mind. Back when he wasn’t yet a grandmaster, the Murong family’s great reputation had naturally attracted its share of trouble. There had indeed been an expert who once helped the Murong family. He had even given Murong Fu some guidance. But Murong Fu didn’t know the man’s identity, which was why he hadn’t thought of him earlier. It was Li Daoqiang’s mention of the black clothes and masked face that jogged his memory. That senior had dressed the same way back then, refusing to reveal his face. Such behavior from a strong expert was rare and peculiar, which was why Murong Fu connected the two. With that thought, he felt more certain, but he still shook his head with a wry smile. “To be honest, Brother Li, the Murong family has many old acquaintances, so I’m not sure who it is.” Li Daoqiang didn’t care what Murong Fu was thinking. He only needed to achieve his own goal. Smiling pleasantly, he said cheerfully, “No matter. This is a good thing. Think about it, Brother Murong—if such a strong expert is willing to fight me for your sake, he must be keeping a close eye on you. That means that silver should be quite safe, don’t you think?” Murong Fu’s brow shot up. “Brother Li, what do you mean?” “Simple. That expert will surely ensure the gold and silver reaches the Black Dragon Stronghold safely. We don’t need to worry; we can just wait patiently. Oh, and please write a letter home to reassure Brother Deng and the others to come without concern,” Li Daoqiang said with a smile. Murong Fu’s brow furrowed deeply in disagreement. “Brother Li, that expert’s intentions are uncertain. How can you pin your hopes on someone we know nothing about? Didn’t you say this matter was in your hands?” This concerned his chance to leave the Black Dragon Stronghold, so he couldn’t be careless. He didn’t even know that expert well—how could he trust him? Li Daoqiang laughed dismissively. “It’s fine. I trust him. I’ll leave this matter to that expert. It’s settled.” As he spoke, his face still wore a smile, but his eyes held no trace of mirth as he stared at Murong Fu. Murong Fu was startled and immediately understood. Li Daoqiang was worried. Originally, Li Daoqiang would have gone to Yanzhi Wu himself to retrieve the silver. But with such a powerful expert lurking in the shadows, how could Li Daoqiang feel safe leaving the stronghold? And if he did leave, whether he took Murong Fu or not, the presence of that expert would introduce too many variables and uncertainties. Li Daoqiang wouldn’t take that risk. Saying he didn’t want to offend the Black Dragon Stronghold to death and would cooperate to deliver the silver for the Murong family’s reputation? No, Li Daoqiang wouldn’t believe it. In his place, Murong Fu wouldn’t believe it either. More importantly, even if he did, he might not gamble on it. But Murong Fu truly didn’t know if that expert would escort the silver to the stronghold. He didn’t dare gamble either. For a moment, he felt helpless. He knew Li Daoqiang had made up his mind and couldn’t be swayed. As for that expert, he knew nothing—couldn’t confirm anything, couldn’t communicate. Gritting his teeth, he still voiced his clear disagreement. “Brother Li, if the silver gets robbed, what then?” “Haha, Brother Murong, rest assured. I trust him,” Li Daoqiang said with full confidence. Murong Fu was furious. You keep saying you trust him, but why won’t you say what happens if the silver is robbed? Clearly, Li Daoqiang was leaving the door open to demand more money if the silver was lost. The thought made him seethe with anger. “Alright, Brother Murong, write the letter quickly. I’ll have someone deliver it to Yanzhi Wu,” Li Daoqiang said, then turned and strode away. After he left, Murong Fu couldn’t help but slam his hand hard on the table. It took him a while to calm down. Though Li Daoqiang’s actions infuriated him, he could understand them. It was pure anger. It wasn’t yet time to fall out. For now, he could only trust that mysterious expert.
On the other side, Li Daoqiang left in good spirits. He had originally considered going to Yanzhi Wu himself, having promised to handle the transport. But then Murong Bo had appeared and fought him directly. With such an excuse at hand, how could he not seize it? It was much better to wait comfortably at the Black Dragon Stronghold for the silver to arrive. If he went out, especially with Murong Fu in tow, there would be too many variables. Avoiding variables was always the best course. Murong Bo, so eager to fight him, would surely keep a close eye on this matter. Li Daoqiang no longer worried that Murong Bo might get sidetracked and let the silver be stolen. He trusted Murong Bo to handle it well. Besides, Murong Bo had come to fight him directly—he had to give him a warning, or else he’d seem like a pushover. Now, all he had to do was wait patiently. With that thought, his mood improved even more. Just a little more waiting, and the tenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art would be his.
During Li Daoqiang’s wait, news of Ding Dian’s breakthrough began to spread rapidly. The emergence of a new grandmaster was always a headline-grabbing event. Now, tied to the already buzzing Li Daoqiang and the Black Dragon Stronghold, it became even more sensational. The stronghold’s reputation swelled invisibly. Countless people grew more respectful, awed, or fearful. Ling Tuisi was one of the fearful ones, so he sped up his fundraising efforts. On the third day of his promise, he urgently delivered two million taels of silver to the Black Dragon Stronghold—one million in banknotes, one million in cash. Li Daoqiang was quite satisfied. Not bad. To comfort this good big brother, he even wrote a personal letter to reassure him. Though in his eyes, this sheep’s wool was starting to thin out. But even a little was still something. Shearing it every so often was still a gain, not to be dismissed. Besides, he was already mentally prepared that after reaching the tenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, he would have to live a life of steady accumulation, gathering small amounts into larger ones. So he didn’t look down on small gains at all.
At Yanzhi Wu, Murong Fu’s letter arrived on the third night after it was written. Deng Baichuan and Gongye Qian read it, their anger flaring. They silently cursed Li Daoqiang for breaking his word. “What expert? Li Daoqiang is clearly forcing the young master’s hand,” Gongye Qian fumed. A flicker of understanding passed deep in Deng Baichuan’s eyes, though he kept up an angry front. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Regardless, we can’t stop raising funds. Keep going. We also need to prepare for transport. Let me think it over further.” Gongye Qian didn’t dwell on it and nodded.
Late at night. Deng Baichuan bowed respectfully before a gray-clad figure. “Master.” “Mm. Though Li Daoqiang doesn’t know my identity, he’s grown wary and won’t easily leave the stronghold to avoid complications. Fine, we’ll handle the transport ourselves. Use this money to build a good relationship with him. A man so fond of wealth will always be useful someday,” the gray-clad figure said solemnly. He was, of course, Murong Bo. Years ago, he had faked his death, leaving young Murong Fu to hold the family together. Naturally, there had to be someone within the family who knew he was alive to facilitate communication. Deng Baichuan, the head of the four family stewards, was that person.
(Thank you for your support.) ······