Chapter 99: The intimidation took effect; regarding the lady...
Li Xian took out the martial arts technique "Tiger Gate Claw".
During the fight just now, Lu Xuefeng used several martial arts techniques. His "Extreme Iron Palm" and "Hard Qigong" were similar to those of Peng Fox.
Only the Tiger Claw technique was his trump card. He had kept it hidden for a long time, only revealing it when forced to.
"Martial arts techniques are extremely valuable. This technique is probably worth hundreds of taels of silver. Even for bandits, it would take them a very long time to accumulate such wealth."
Li Xian knew that martial arts skills were hard to come by.
The transmission of knowledge from master to disciple, disciple to grandson, level by level, is mostly done orally. It's a gradual process, like squeezing toothpaste. Sometimes, to ensure the disciple's sincerity and filial piety, the master might even deliberately create difficulties, causing the disciple to stumble during practice.
I'd like to seek answers to my questions.
Then, he used his skills again to completely subdue them.
Such behavior was not uncommon in the manor. Pang Long did not teach martial arts, but the four classes of guards, A, B, C, and D, numbered several hundred, many of whom shared the same martial arts style.
Even if you have a copy of a martial arts manual, you can learn by following the instructions, which is enough to get started. But if you want to achieve a deeper level of skill faster, you need to find a teacher to answer your questions.
It's practically a mini-jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the martial arts world or a small-scale martial arts community).
"The martial arts that Ma Daozi taught must have been passed down orally. But this Tiger Claw technique did not come from Ma Daozi. It was obtained privately by Lu Xuefeng."
"Lu Xuefeng is exceptionally talented and is gradually showing signs of being an ordinary person, like a tiger or leopard. He secretly practices martial arts."
"Although they have sworn brotherhood, it is uncertain whether there is any true affection between them. On the contrary, there may be a lot of wariness, suspicion, and jealousy."
Li Xian sat on the eaves, pinching her chin, her brows slightly furrowed.
This conclusion is based on common sense. Since his arrival from another time, all the people he has encountered have been driven by greed.
A person of true character...
Pang Long could barely be considered half a person. But he devoted all his heart and soul to his wife, his loyalty and devotion were as clear as day. Yet his wife ignored him.
"If they have no feelings for each other, then Ma Daozi, as the eldest brother, should be somewhat wary of the Fifth Master."
I killed the third, fourth, and fifth leaders in succession, firstly to eliminate what they feared, and secondly to demonstrate my strength.
With solid strength, then invoking the wife's name will make that bastard hesitate...
"He feels it's not easy to kill, so he should reconsider."
Li Xian's eyes were bright.
Regardless of whether they have any feelings for each other, Ma Daozi definitely hates himself. But on this level, why not make Ma Daozi have one more thing to worry about?
He immediately went back to his room and retrieved paper and pen.
It was written:
"Mountain Wind Village, take it."
As he pondered this in his mind, he wrote:
"I have long heard that Shanfeng Village acts tyrannically, plundering villagers. They have harassed my Heihe Village for many years, cutting off its water supply and looting countless grains."
"I will execute you three as punishment."
"If they commit the offense again, we will wipe them out by raiding the mountains."
Li Xian imitated the wife's tone of voice.
After a moment's consideration, I wrote the four characters "[Lady Zhejian]" at the end.
Ma Daozi may not have heard of the title "Madam".
"It's uncertain whether this plan will succeed; we need to set traps in advance, just in case."
Li Xian prepared his bow and arrows and went to Shanfeng Village.
The mountain stronghold was completely deserted. The rest of us bandits, after being indiscriminately slaughtered by Lu Xuefeng, were either dead or had fled.
While it may seem like a devastating blow to the stronghold, as long as Ma Daozi remains alive, he will return to the stronghold and personally oversee the situation. Those small fry will then spontaneously flock to him again.
Place the envelope in the most conspicuous place.
Li Xian turned and left.
...
...
One day later.
At the mountain pass, the black cauldron was boiling, and a pot of fine soup was about to be ready.
"Boss, we're almost out of charcoal. After this batch, we'll have to buy more."
Hong Kai, the second-in-command of Shanfeng Village, was guarding a box of "smokeless charcoal." Seeing that the charcoal was almost empty, he shook his head and sighed.
Thinking back to his early life, he had no firewood or rice, and worried about even finding charcoal. Later, he became a bandit, studied martial arts, but...
Still worried about charcoal.
"The charcoal's gone again?"
Ma Daozi frowned. "The smokeless charcoal is not strong enough. We've burned over a hundred pounds, but it still hasn't cooked the food properly."
"Boss, how about we use a different type of charcoal for the next batch?" Hong Kai said.
"Exchange charcoal?" Ma Daozi cursed, "It's not that easy. The wealth our village plunders in a year is barely enough to buy a hundred catties of smokeless charcoal."
"It's only enough for one trip to the cauldron."
"If I want to upgrade to something better, let alone whether I have the authority to do so, my wallet... can't hold it all."
The two looked at each other.
As the powerful leader of the mountain stronghold, he was naturally glamorous and feared by others.
But if one is a martial artist who has undergone a complete transformation, and broadens their horizons even further...
He was in an indescribable predicament. Putting aside everything else, the sheer amount of "charcoal firewood" was enough to make him unable to straighten his back.
Even so, "smokeless charcoal" is still the lowest grade of charcoal.
Insufficient firepower.
A pot of fine food takes nearly ten days to cook evenly. If it's a better quality "precious treasure," it will take even longer.
The amount of carbon consumed is naturally greater.
Ordinary firewood cannot even penetrate the walls of the cauldron with its heat.
With no outsiders around, Hong Kai said, "Boss, how about we stop practicing martial arts and just be honest mountain chiefs? This money is enough for us to live a very comfortable life."
"fart."
A glint flashed in Ma Daozi's eyes as he said, "In the end, you're just a country farmer your whole life, and your perspective is limited to this small area."
"You say you don't practice martial arts because you haven't seen what it's like up there. If you had seen it, even just a tiny bit, you definitely wouldn't want to wallow in this quagmire."
"If I enter the second realm, I will definitely go back!"
"What good is it for a small mountain stronghold chief to stay in this godforsaken wilderness?"
Hong Kai looked at the strand of white hair on the back of Ma Daozi's head and said nothing more.
The five leaders of Shanfeng Village.
Hong Kai was the only one who followed Ma Daozi the longest, for over ten years...
If one were to ask who Ma Daozi trusted most, it would undoubtedly be him. However, it wasn't because the two shared similar interests or compatible personalities, but rather…
When Hong Kai joined Shanfeng Village, he was already quite old, and his vitality was beginning to decline.
He was ruthless, having killed and skinned people in his youth. In reality, his martial arts skills were not particularly advanced; he could barely circulate his Qi. However, his Qi and blood had deteriorated significantly, and he would never be able to "absorb essence" in this lifetime.
Therefore, he alone was able to discuss this matter with Ma Daozi.
He only gleaned a slight understanding of the transformed world of the Great Martial People from a few fragmented words spoken by Ma Daozi.
"Second brother, it seems that fifth brother will not be coming back."
Ma Daozi looked into the distance and saw that it was already dark. Several days had passed since Lu Xuefeng left. Suddenly, he spoke.
"Brother, this time the enemy..." Hong Kai's expression changed.
"The one who could kill Fifth Brother might also be a person at the Essence Devouring Realm," Ma Daozi said solemnly, touching the two swords under his armpit.
"Brother, are we still going to seek revenge?" Hong Kai asked.
The answer was already in my heart as soon as the words left my mouth.
“Let’s wait and see.” Ma Daozi did not respond. “Since Fifth Brother isn’t coming, I plan to keep his share of the fine food.”
"Since the charcoal is all used up, I'll offer it to Chai Dongjia to smooth things over. I'll ask him to give me a 30% discount next year, which will save me a lot of money."
"If I can hook my toes around Master Chai's toes, hehe, the responsibility of being the leader of this mountain stronghold will be yours. I'd be more than happy to do any job Master Chai gives me."
There was no hatred in his eyes, only a vague sense of the future.
And so another day was spent cooking.
The broth is perfectly prepared, its aroma filling the air. The large portion of sesame seed soup allows the essence of heaven and earth to circulate within the body, yet only a tiny fraction is absorbed.
It was sealed away in a special treasure box.
As for the soup and other liquids, they were given to Hong Kai to drink.
It's not that Ma Daozi didn't want to keep it all to himself.
Rather, they are martial artists who "consume essence," which is sufficient to absorb and digest the essence of heaven and earth. However, their digestive capacity is limited. No matter how much they eat, they cannot digest it all, and the excess will still be carried away by the wind.
To preserve it, a special box is required.
But this thing... is even more expensive than the "treasure" in Ma Daozi's hands.
The two returned to the camp.
Seeing that the village was empty, Ma Daozi went straight into the sworn brotherhood hall and found a note on the table.
"Lady Broken Sword?"
After reading the note, Ma Daozi felt neither fear nor joy, only confusion.
Lady Broken Sword?
Who is this person?
Ma Daozi thought to himself:
"The letter writer is incredibly arrogant, acting as if he has me cornered. Hmph, I, Ma Daozi, am no pushover! If a fight breaks out, why would I be afraid!"
"Third brother was wise, fourth brother was reckless, and fifth brother was skilled in martial arts. They all died at that man's hands. Our Mountain Wind Stronghold is now completely wiped out, a truly desolate situation. The losses are enormous."
but……
Ma Daozi felt uneasy.
"If I recklessly fight him, and if he is also a [Spirit Consumption] expert, I'm afraid it will be very risky."
"My losses may seem great, but in reality, it's not that serious. Although my third brother is resourceful, he is not irreplaceable. Besides, we live by plundering in the mountains, so why do we need so many good strategies?"
My fourth brother is brave, but quite brainless and often gets into trouble. My fifth brother is exceptionally talented; hmph, if he were to also become a spirit-devourer, I fear I wouldn't be able to defeat him. I must find a way to kill him beforehand.”
There was no affection to begin with; it was all about mutual exploitation. Now that the stakes have been set, and this change of heart has extinguished the desire for revenge.
But how can we pretend that this huge loss never happened?
He kept this in mind, and when he met Chai Dongjia the next day, he asked him who the "Broken Sword Lady" was.
We'll make other plans.
...
...
"Sir, as you predicted, bandits have started appearing in that village again recently."
Uncle Fu came in a hurry.
Li Xian remained calm; it seemed the chieftain had returned.
"Grandpa, why don't we charge in and kill them all at once?" Uncle Fu asked.
"No need."
Li Xian shook his head and said, "You all keep a close eye on them. If they don't attack, you don't need to take action."
"Alright." Uncle Fu, leaning on his cane, relayed his words throughout the village.
Although Heihe Village faces a formidable enemy.
But recently, with everyone having enough to eat and wear, the villagers' complexions have actually improved.
Li Xian already knows the result.
It's highly unlikely that Shanfeng Village will attack.
If there were true friendship, they would have come to kill us by now. But Mountain Wind Stronghold remains a hidden danger.
“If they don’t come to kill us, my trap will be useless.”
Li Xian didn't say he was fully prepared, but he had exhausted his thoughts and calculations, and had a plan in mind.
"That's good... There will be a period of peace from now on. I can also have fewer trivial matters to keep me occupied and distracted."
"What a fine person, quietly cultivating martial arts!"
Li Xian circulated his internal energy. His internal energy surged, and a warm current flowed through his meridians, making him feel refreshed and energetic.
Practicing martial arts...
Most of the time, it's all about practicing this internal energy.
"In two more days, once the situation is completely stable, I will catch all the crab treasures!"
"Until then, focusing on improving your martial arts skills is the priority!"
Following his memory, Li Xian unleashed two palm strikes in mid-air.
The shockwave swept across the area with tremendous force.
Only when a martial artist has sufficient internal energy can they truly unleash the power of their martial arts.
"The Four Directions Fist can be put aside for now."
"Next, it's time to practice the Azure Palm and the Great Luo Blade!"
"The Azure Palm, what exactly is so strange about this martial art? It makes Qiu Yue's expression so strange."
"Could it be... related to Madam?"
(End of this chapter)
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