He was confident that he wouldn’t be in danger, that he wouldn’t be swallowed by this vortex. But he also needed to plan how to gain greater benefits.
Another thought suddenly occurred to him. This wasn’t the world of *The Six-Fingered Demon Lord*. The allure of the Heavenly Demon Qin was beyond imagination. Even Zhu Yuyan of the Yin Gui Sect desperately wanted it, determined to obtain it. It was easy to imagine how many experts this would draw out.
So, could Huang Xuemei withstand so many powerful opponents? If she couldn’t and accidentally failed, this grand spectacle would spiral completely out of control. A fierce battle would erupt over the Heavenly Demon Qin. No one knew what the outcome would be.
Various possible scenarios surfaced in Li Daoqiang’s mind as he continuously speculated. In the end, he settled on the same decision: sit back and watch the changing tides. No rush. He would decide based on the situation when the time came, doing his best to seize opportunities for gain.
The gains this time were already considerable. He Qinghua, five million taels of silver, a connection with the Yin Gui Sect, and the Lü Tengkong family. All told, it was a substantial haul. The future benefits from this would be no less significant.
After pondering this, a trace of worry surfaced in Li Daoqiang’s heart. The storm stirred up by the Heavenly Demon Qin was bound to grow. That foolish woman He Qinghua would surely not give up. She had been lurking near Han Xun’s residence just earlier. From now on, he couldn’t let her have her way anymore.
Huang Xuemei was a major隐患. If she set her sights on He Qinghua, the consequences would be unimaginable. But this time, if she came, as long as she wasn’t stupid, she’d likely target that Lie Huo instead. No need to worry.
Right, he had directly injured Lie Huo for two reasons: first, the man had been secretly stirring trouble, and Li Daoqiang wanted to assert his authority. Second, he wasn’t sure if Huang Xuemei had arrived yet. He could sense many grandmaster-level experts approaching, but of course, he couldn’t identify each one specifically. If Huang Xuemei was there, hidden in the shadows, he couldn’t be certain she wouldn’t act according to the original story—waiting until the Six-Fingered Villa to strike, aiming to wipe everyone out. He was more inclined to believe that Huang Xuemei wasn’t stupid. With so many experts lurking and watching, she would likely pick them off one by one.
What if she targeted and discovered He Qinghua? So, it was better to throw out Lie Huo as bait to draw Huang Xuemei’s attention. It was just Lie Huo’s bad luck.
Li Daoqiang couldn’t sense the identities of those experts, but Lie Huo’s aura was scorching like fire, the most distinctive. He could sense it and thus guess the man’s identity. So, who else would he throw out but him? Plus, he had sent a message to He Qinghua before leaving, so this time he wasn’t worried about her safety.
As he thought this, he sighed a little. Having a woman, especially one who wasn’t so obedient, was really quite troublesome. The relationship between He Qinghua and Huang Xuemei also made him frown.
To be honest, he certainly had thoughts about Huang Xuemei. But back then, he didn’t know her. On one hand, there was He Qinghua, whom he had a good chance of securing. On the other, there was Huang Xuemei, a stranger with no guarantee of success. Of course, he chose He Qinghua. He couldn’t give up a tree within reach for one that was distant and uncertain. That didn’t make sense. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush—that was the right approach.
So, he hadn’t hesitated to go after He Qinghua, and he didn’t regret it even now. But not regretting it didn’t stop him from also wanting Huang Xuemei. He wasn’t ashamed of it. He wasn’t a good person, and he was always well aware of that.
But the enmity of killing one’s parents wasn’t something that could be resolved like in novels or TV shows. It was truly a matter of life and death, with no end until one side fell. So, it made him frown too.
After a moment’s thought, he pushed the matter aside and stopped dwelling on it. Huang Xuemei was too far out of reach. Getting her would be extremely difficult—she was a woman bent solely on revenge. Her only possible weakness might be her younger brother, Lü Lin. So, it was better to cherish He Qinghua, whom he already had. He Qinghua was good too.
Thinking of this, he felt a bit nostalgic. There was no helping it—his body was too strong, his energy too abundant.
After waiting nearly another half hour, Ding Dian finally stopped. Looking somewhat tired, he said, “Chief, she’s out of danger now. She’s just unconscious and needs rest to recover.”
Li Daoqiang nodded, glanced at Ximen Yiniang, and smiled, “You’ve worked hard this time. Your merit will be counted as 110,000 taels of silver.”
“That much?” Ding Dian was surprised. Clear rewards and punishments were the rule of Black Dragon Village, with no exceptions, not even for Li Daoqiang. Saving someone Li Daoqiang had personally ordered to be saved was a merit, so Ding Dian wouldn’t refuse it, but the amount exceeded his expectations. This woman’s cultivation should be at the second level of the innate realm; saving her would normally be worth only 20,000.
“Heh, you’ll understand soon enough. Go rest for now.” Li Daoqiang didn’t elaborate. Lü Tengkong: 80,000, Lü Lin: 10,000, Ximen Yiniang herself: 20,000. That totaled 110,000, and Li Daoqiang wouldn’t shortchange his subordinates.
Ding Dian didn’t press further, nodded, and left. Li Daoqiang then ordered someone to find He Qinghua using the contact method she had left behind.
The next day, before dawn, Lü Tengkong arrived at Black Dragon Village alone, clearly having used the fastest route to shake off Blood Saber Old Ancestor and the others. After a joyful reunion between husband and wife, he thanked Li Daoqiang and expressed his intention to join Black Dragon Village—no need to elaborate. Li Daoqiang also received news that many martial artists were beginning to head toward the Six-Fingered Villa.
He pondered for a moment but didn’t set out immediately. This was bound to be an affair that wouldn’t end in a day or two. No rush. He would take it slow. He was still waiting for some news.
Another day later, a rumor suddenly spread. Lie Huo Old Ancestor might be dead! Someone had discovered a patch of scorched earth that closely resembled the aftermath of Lie Huo’s Blazing Fire Divine Art. Combined with other findings, speculation arose that Lie Huo Old Ancestor had likely been killed.
Instantly, the news spread like wildfire. The death of a grandmaster-level expert was no small matter anywhere. It was a major event that shook the martial world. Some eyes turned to Li Daoqiang, but most felt it had nothing to do with him. At most, there was a connection because Li Daoqiang had injured Lie Huo first, leading to his death.
Everyone guessed it was related to the Heavenly Demon Qin’s emergence. The news that a grandmaster might have been killed for it fully ignited the matter of the Heavenly Demon Qin. The entire martial world of the Song Kingdom began to stir.
At that moment, dozens of miles from Black Dragon Village, Li Daoqiang met He Qinghua. Her hair was coiled up, her neck long and smooth, clad in a black-purple gauze dress. Her beautiful face carried a layer of ruthlessness and displeasure. Seeing Li Daoqiang, she said somewhat irritably, “What do you want from me?”
“Heh, you’re my woman. I want you, so naturally I come to find you,” Li Daoqiang replied with a smile, unbothered.
He Qinghua found it a bit unbearable, spat, and widened her eyes, “Do you have any real business or not?”
Li Daoqiang dropped the joking tone and said seriously, “Your real business is going after the Heavenly Demon Qin, isn’t it?”
He Qinghua’s expression shifted slightly. She turned away, saying coldly and proudly, “That’s my business. It has nothing to do with you.”
Li Daoqiang stepped forward and pulled her soft, fragrant body into his arms.
“Ah, what are you doing?” He Qinghua, caught off guard, let out a startled cry and pressed her hands against his chest, glaring fiercely.
“You’re my woman. Tell me, does it have nothing to do with me?” Li Daoqiang’s tone turned colder, forceful.
He Qinghua’s momentum faltered. A flicker of warmth stirred in her heart, but she still stubbornly turned her head away, saying nothing.
Seeing that she wasn’t arguing back, Li Daoqiang softened his tone, “Alright, no more jokes. Give up on the Heavenly Demon Qin. It’s already stirred up a storm in the Song Kingdom’s martial world. Even ordinary grandmasters might die. You can’t get involved anymore.”
He Qinghua’s expression grew serious. She knew he was right, but she couldn’t let go of her resentment.
“Do you know? If it weren’t for me, you might already be dead,” Li Daoqiang continued.
“What do you mean?” He Qinghua’s voice was startled, tinged with doubt.
“The one who caused the Heavenly Demon Qin to surface must be connected to the Tianlong Sect and Huang Dong’s incident sixteen years ago. When the incident at Han Xun’s residence happened, that person was likely hiding nearby. If I hadn’t deliberately injured Lie Huo Old Ancestor to draw her attention, and she had targeted you instead, you’d be dead for sure if you weren’t with me,” Li Daoqiang said gravely.
When you do a good deed, you should speak up. Women need a little coaxing. Sure enough, He Qinghua was shocked, and a hint of tenderness appeared in her eyes. But she still stubbornly refused to say thank you, just glancing away awkwardly before asking seriously, “You mean that person is likely seeking revenge against the six of us?”
“Yes. How much were you involved in the Heavenly Demon Qin affair back then?” Li Daoqiang asked solemnly.
Don’t be fooled by He Qinghua’s youthful appearance—she was nearly forty. Otherwise, she couldn’t have been involved in the events sixteen years ago. At that age, for someone at the innate realm, it wasn’t old at all. She was still in the prime of her beauty.
He Qinghua was silent for a moment, then said heavily, “I was involved in the destruction of the Tianlong Sect and the deaths of Huang Dong’s family. I wasn’t very strong back then, so I wasn’t the mastermind. Dongfang Bai was. But there should be someone behind Dongfang Bai.”
“Who?” Li Daoqiang raised an eyebrow but wasn’t surprised. A treasure like the Heavenly Demon Qin clearly wasn’t something those six factions from back then could covet. At the time, Lie Huo and Gui Sheng hadn’t even broken through to the grandmaster realm yet.
“I don’t know. Dongfang Bai only hinted at it. He was already a grandmaster back then. My Feiyan Sect followed his orders and got involved for the benefits he offered,” He Qinghua shook her head.
(Thanks for the support. Updates will speed up after the release. Please bear with me.) ······