If Lü Tengkong could produce a million taels of silver, Black Dragon Stronghold would step in directly. Then, everyone coming to seize the Heavenly Demon Qin would be nothing but money. But since he couldn't come up with it, Li Daoqiang wouldn't break the rules for such a small gain or lower Black Dragon Stronghold's fee standards. Blood Saber Old Ancestor carefully watched Li Daoqiang's expression and said cautiously, "Chief, the Heavenly Demon Qin is a supreme treasure of the world. How about we just make a move and snatch it to take a look?" Li Daoqiang chuckled, not even glancing at Blood Saber Old Ancestor, and said flatly, "What do you know?" Blood Saber Old Ancestor grumbled inwardly but dared not argue, putting on an obedient and docile look. "What would I do with the Heavenly Demon Qin? I can't play it. What I want is the profit it generates." Li Daoqiang's voice drifted out faintly. Blood Saber Old Ancestor seemed to ponder, then nodded seriously, saying, "The Chief is far-sighted; I am far inferior." Li Daoqiang ignored him, shifting the topic as if a new interest had sparked: "Do you think Lü Tengkong really has the Heavenly Demon Qin?" Blood Saber Old Ancestor thought for a moment and answered honestly, "I believe there must be a scheme behind this, so it's highly likely Lü Tengkong doesn't have the Heavenly Demon Qin. But whether he does or not, we'd still need to snatch it to be sure." "Haha, yes, many people share your thinking." Li Daoqiang laughed. Blood Saber Old Ancestor chuckled along without a word, cursing inwardly. Damn it, what exactly is the Chief thinking? Troublesome. "Alright, you don't need to worry about this anymore. Keep guarding the checkpoint and don't let anyone slip through." Li Daoqiang said casually. "Yes." Blood Saber Old Ancestor responded with a smile, always enjoying such tasks. Sometimes he couldn't help but marvel—bullying others with power felt damn good. Li Daoqiang didn't linger. He had seen what Lü Tengkong and his wife looked like, and he had basically confirmed that Lü Tengkong didn't have the Heavenly Demon Qin. If he truly did, Li Daoqiang believed his innate intuition wouldn't be fooled. After all, a treasure like that wouldn't just be an ordinary qin; it would carry a unique aura. Having achieved these two goals, it was worth the trip himself. Returning to Black Dragon Stronghold, Li Daoqiang ordered continued surveillance and waited for more news. Now wasn't the time for him to act. On the other side, after leaving the checkpoint, Lü Tengkong and his group breathed a sigh of relief. "I didn't expect Black Dragon Stronghold to have no designs on the Heavenly Demon Qin." Ximen Yiniang secretly transmitted to Lü Tengkong. Lü Tengkong paused thoughtfully, then said gravely, "Don't let your guard down. Not making a direct move doesn't mean they won't scheme in the shadows." "You mean?" Ximen Yiniang was startled. "I'm just saying it's possible. Before anything happens, anything can happen." Lü Tengkong said solemnly. Ximen Yiniang nodded, her expression tense. "But don't worry too much. Black Dragon Stronghold is greedy, but their reputation is decent. As long as you pay, they never kill proactively." Lü Tengkong added. Ximen Yiniang seemed to recall something and said indignantly, "That's not greed—it's an obsession with money. I've never seen such a black-hearted bunch. They took over ten thousand taels at once, wiping out years of income." The more she spoke, the more resentful and frustrated she felt. Lü Tengkong smiled, having come to terms with it, and comforted her, "Money is never more important than safety. And without Black Dragon Stronghold, the Floating Cloud Mountains wouldn't be this peaceful. Now we're safe, and it's bought us and Lin'er time. That money was worth it." Ximen Yiniang pursed her lips and said no more. "Alright, let's hurry and meet up with Lin'er." Lü Tengkong said. Ximen Yiniang shifted her focus and nodded firmly. As the group left the Floating Cloud Mountains, the tracking, probing, ambushes, and plundering resumed. A day or so later, Li Daoqiang received news. Finally, a grandmaster made a move. Fire Palace's Fire Old Ancestor struck, injuring Lü Tengkong and his wife, only to find the qin was fake—no Heavenly Demon Qin at all. And in a moment of carelessness, Lü Tengkong and his wife escaped. Many eyes remained fixed on Lü Tengkong and his wife, but just as many turned toward Fire Old Ancestor. Who knew if Fire Old Ancestor was telling the truth? Maybe he had seized the Heavenly Demon Qin, claimed it was fake, and let them go to divert attention. Suddenly, the Jingzhou region grew even more chaotic. People were everywhere, searching for Lü Tengkong and his wife, as well as Fire Old Ancestor. After receiving the news, Li Daoqiang pondered briefly. Perhaps it was time to make a move and see if he could reap some benefits. Deciding on action, he summoned Ding Dian, gave a few instructions, and temporarily placed Black Dragon Stronghold under his command. Then, taking Blood Saber Old Ancestor and two other innate masters, Li Daoqiang left Black Dragon Stronghold for Han Xun's mansion. Of the three he brought, the weakest was an innate master, so they didn't bother with horses and used light-footed travel instead, faster that way. Though this method would tire the innate masters, they could rest at night, so there was no worry about exhaustion or encountering enemies. Li Daoqiang, however, wouldn't shortchange himself. Even if he could travel for days without tiring, he still took breaks when not in a hurry. Eating, washing up, changing clothes—these weren't necessities for him, but he'd do them when conditions allowed. It was just a habit. And whenever possible, he used the best. In his view, having money and comfort but not enjoying it was asking for trouble. Since he wasn't in a rush, he took it slow. Along the way, he hoped to run into some experts—either to collect fees or recruit them into Black Dragon Stronghold. Unfortunately, without actively seeking them out, he encountered none. Two days later, they left Jingzhou and entered Suzhou, where Han Xun resided. Li Daoqiang had Blood Saber Old Ancestor and the others keep watch on Han Xun's mansion, waiting for Lü Tengkong and his wife to arrive. He had already received word that many martial artists had gathered here, targeting Han Xun's mansion. These were just the ones uncovered by Black Dragon Stronghold's intelligence network; countless more remained hidden. And they were stronger. Li Daoqiang was patient, waiting in the inn for news, watching events unfold. Midnight. As he was cultivating, his eyes suddenly snapped open, looking in a certain direction. A glint of interest flashed in his gaze. So a grandmaster had made a move! Profit seemed to be coming! His figure flickered, vanishing from the room. Toward the southern city gate, two figures darted past in quick succession. The one in front was a middle-aged man, pale-faced, with a hint of lechery in his eyes. The one behind was slender, wielding a long whip, her stunning face bearing a ruthless edge. Her gaze at the figure ahead was filled with intense killing intent. "Heh heh, beauty, we're almost out of the city. Still chasing?" The middle-aged man suddenly laughed wickedly. "Hmph, today I'll tear you to pieces." The figure behind snorted coldly, her tone icy and vicious. "I haven't even done anything yet. Aren't you being a bit petty?" The middle-aged man leered, as if provoking her. The woman's face turned frosty, and without a word, she followed him out of the city. After dozens of li, the figure ahead suddenly stopped. His pale face looked even more sinister under the moonlight. Turning around, he scrutinized the woman chasing him, growing more satisfied, his eyes full of greed. "Courting death." The woman arrived, whipping her long lash like a dragon emerging from the sea, aimed at the middle-aged man. The man smirked disdainfully, reaching out to grab it. In the next instant, he caught the whip, which seemed to carry immense force, with ease. As if it were effortless. The woman's face changed, her eyes widening in shock. "Grandmaster?" "Hahaha, beauty, you only just noticed?" The middle-aged man laughed triumphantly. "Who are you? Why did you lure me here?" The woman grew wary, scanning her surroundings as she barked. "Heh heh, you'll know soon enough. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never have guessed the Poison Hand Raksha, He Qinghua, was so stunning. If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have let you stay alone all these years." The middle-aged man's eyes gleamed as he laughed. The woman's fury deepened. Even though he was a grandmaster, it couldn't quell her killing intent. "Enough." Suddenly, a clear, ethereal voice rang out. (Thank you for your support.) ······