Under the cover of night, his voice gradually turned cold and commanding, exuding an overwhelming dominance.
He Qinghua’s heart trembled, but she gritted her teeth and stubbornly retorted, “Who’s your woman?”
“Don’t waste words. You know it well in your heart. Denying it won’t change the truth. The woman I, Li Daoqiang, have set my sights on can’t escape.” Li Daoqiang spoke calmly, his tone growing more solemn and serious. “As for the warning I just gave you, you must remember it firmly and act on it. Because I, Li Daoqiang, am destined not to be ordinary, destined to stir up endless storms across the world. As my woman, you too are destined not to be ordinary.”
These even more forceful words left He Qinghua silent, finding herself unable to refute them. Even the thought of death no longer seemed so resolute. Realizing this, she felt both anger and frustration.
Li Daoqiang, keeping his eyes fixed on He Qinghua, saw that his words were taking effect and smiled inwardly. Dealing with a strong-willed woman like He Qinghua required this kind of domineering, almost theatrical arrogance—it worked wonders. If she thought herself exceptional and proud, he would be even more so.
His expression softened, and he leaned down to kiss her pristine forehead. He Qinghua turned her head away in defiance. Ignoring her resistance, Li Daoqiang used his hands to hold her steady and kissed her firmly, whispering, “Qinghua, I’ve said all that needs to be said. From now on, be obedient, understand?”
“Hmph,” He Qinghua snorted coldly, her face icy and stubborn.
Li Daoqiang paid it no mind—it was just a veil of resistance before surrender. This silent battle had been won the moment He Qinghua didn’t take her own life or struggle desperately. His advantage was too great; it was an unfair contest from the start. What could He Qinghua possibly win with? Now, he only needed to do one final thing to seal the victory.
He tightened his grip, holding her captivating waist close, and with a thought, used his true essence to lift Bian Fuhou. The next moment, their figures vanished from the spot.
Back in Jingzhou City, he tossed Bian Fuhou to Blood Saber Old Ancestor and the others to watch over, then carried He Qinghua to his room. Gently, he laid her on the bed. When she tried to struggle, Li Daoqiang stopped her and pressed down. Softly, he said, “Taking this step makes you truly my woman. I won’t wait; I want it now. I need to bind you firmly to my side.”
He Qinghua glared at Li Daoqiang with hatred, grinding her teeth, but she didn’t resist violently. After a moment of silence, she said coldly, “Li Daoqiang, I hate you.”
“The deeper the hate, the happier I am, because it means you’ll never leave me,” Li Daoqiang replied with a smile.
Light robes slipped away, the lamp was extinguished, and faint sounds arose in the room. After an unknown stretch of time, everything settled. A moment later, a cold voice rang out again.
“Li Daoqiang, you’re a bastard. I hate you.”
He Qinghua’s stunning face showed traces of weariness, and she glared at Li Daoqiang with lingering resentment. He pulled her perfect, soft body into his arms, savoring her beauty, completely unbothered. Stroking her gently, he soothed, “Hate away, hate away. You’ll get used to it eventually.”
“Pfft,” He Qinghua scoffed, her expression disdainful, clearly unconvinced.
Li Daoqiang was in an excellent mood. Amused, he coaxed, “Alright, don’t be angry. What’s the use? The rice is already cooked. Besides, you enjoyed the taste of it too—I’m not bad, am I?”
He Qinghua’s eyes widened, her face flushing with shame and anger. After a moment, she spat out, “You really are shameless.”
“Qinghua, I think you should feel at ease now that you’re my woman,” Li Daoqiang said with a light laugh.
She shot him a sideways glance, saying nothing, but her meaning was clear.
“You’ve probably noticed that I, Li Daoqiang, am a very straightforward, genuine, and honest person. With me, you don’t have to worry about being deceived or betrayed, and I can protect you. A man like me is rare in this world,” Li Daoqiang declared openly. As he spoke, he felt that while he wasn’t a good man, he was indeed genuine and honest. That seemed decent enough.
“Heh,” He Qinghua laughed bitterly, her face full of scorn. “So I should be grateful?”
“No need for gratitude. We’re one now; it’s only right for me to do this.” Li Daoqiang shifted slightly, grinning.
He Qinghua let out a muffled groan, her face reddening. She shot him a fierce glare and turned away, unwilling to look at the bastard beside her. She couldn’t beat him in martial arts, and she couldn’t outtalk him. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, so she turned her head aside.
Li Daoqiang stroked her hair, dropping the teasing tone. Gently, he said, “You’re tired. Get some sleep. Rest in my arms, peacefully. Qinghua, you haven’t had a good sleep in a long time, have you? In my arms, you don’t have to worry about anything. Sleep soundly.”
The tender, pitying tone made He Qinghua’s heart soften slightly. Despite being a bastard, he did offer some sense of security. With that thought, a wave of calm washed over her, followed by fatigue. She stopped thinking and closed her eyes.
After a while, sensing that He Qinghua had fallen asleep, Li Daoqiang turned his attention to the Big Bandit System. The bandit points had increased by 800,000, reaching around 11 million. Those 800,000 came from obtaining He Qinghua. He now understood the bandit points for women at the innate realm.
The two tiers remained unchanged, divided into four levels of strength. For the first tier, each level’s bandit points were five times that of a male innate expert of the same level—25,000, 100,000, 400,000, and 1.6 million respectively. The second tier was half of the first—12,500, 50,000, 200,000, and 800,000. He Qinghua was rated as second-tier, fourth-level, so she gave 800,000 points.
This amount left Li Daoqiang somewhat satisfied yet somewhat dissatisfied. Satisfied because it was a decent sum. Dissatisfied because he had once speculated that a first-tier woman at the innate realm might equate to a master-level expert. That hope had now been dashed, leaving him wanting more.
If first-tier innate women truly matched master-level experts, his rate of acquiring bandit points would skyrocket. Master-level experts were rare, and female ones even rarer. Innate women were far more common. Though not every beautiful innate woman was rated by the system, he could find those who were and train them himself. With his current strength, training innate experts wasn’t an issue, but training master-level ones was over a hundred times harder. A pity.
He sighed inwardly at the unfulfilled expectation, then set those thoughts aside. He was a practical, honest man—better to stay grounded and not dwell on fantasies.
Withdrawing his focus from the Big Bandit System, he sank back into thought. Obtaining He Qinghua was unexpected, but the gain was substantial. She was stunningly beautiful and had come right to him—not taking her would have been foolish. This was the first reward of his departure from Black Dragon Stronghold.
The second reward was the Yin Gui Sect. The five million taels of silver aside, the main thing was establishing a connection. Whether good or bad, having it was better than nothing. The Yin Gui Sect could be considered a plump little sheep. Factoring in the entire Song Kingdom’s demonic sect, it became a full-fledged fat sheep. Adding the splintered demonic sect from the Ming Kingdom, it turned into an incredibly tempting feast. Definitely worth pursuing, not something to give up lightly.
After pondering the Yin Gui Sect for a while, he set it aside with satisfaction and considered what to do next. Having just set out, he’d already made two gains, and he looked forward to more.
With a content and expectant mood, Li Daoqiang closed his eyes to rest.
Over two hours later, He Qinghua stirred in his arms. Her weariness was gone, and her stunning face glowed with renewed vitality, so radiant it was breathtaking. Her eyes blinked in confusion before everything came rushing back. She glanced sideways at Li Daoqiang, who seemed to be asleep. Remembering the deep, restful sleep she’d just had—so peaceful and comfortable—a flicker of softness and uncertainty crossed her eyes.
“Awake?” Li Daoqiang opened his eyes and said softly.
He Qinghua’s face instantly turned cold, and she said nothing.
Li Daoqiang smiled gently, savoring the moment, and felt his desires stir again. When he wanted something, he acted.
Before they knew it, dawn had broken.
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