Surrender? I'm more interested in killing you.

Inside the cave, as the gold was distributed into everyone's hands, the atmosphere became even more lively. The laughter that had already been incessant in the cave grew even louder.

"Hahahaha, if we could run into fat sheep like this every day, our brothers and sisters would be able to retire soon."

"Who's saying no to that? If we could find a prosperous town, buy a mansion, and then get a few beautiful wives, we could spend our days tending to flowers and birds..."

Before the person could finish speaking, everyone around them fell silent, looking at him with strange expressions.

"Why are you all looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with what I said?"

"Hehehehe... Hahahahahaha!"

"Hahaha... So, Ninth Brother, you want to be a rich man? Then it must be quite a hardship for you to be hiding out on this mountain."

"Oh dear, oh dear, if that day ever comes, Ninth Brother, you have to take me in, Sixth Sister! If not, I'll be your concubine, how about that?"

"Ah! Sixth Sister, don't joke around!"

"Hahahaha~"

The laughter continued for a while before gradually quieting down. All eyes turned to Zhao Xincheng, who was leading them.

After draining a cup of wine, Zhao Xincheng let out a long sigh and said, "We are disciples of the jianghu, and we grow old in the jianghu. Those of us in this trade live day by day, with no guarantee of tomorrow. None of us know when we might die."

"Don't think too much about the future, and even less about retiring. After all, those in our line of work rarely get a peaceful end."

As his words fell, silence descended upon the cave. Everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of dejection.

They knew Zhao Xincheng wasn't speaking nonsense.

Although the Three Fiends Ridge had a fearsome reputation in the area, in reality, with their eighteen members, they were nothing in the grand scheme of the jianghu.

Great Wu was one thing; it was isolated and already rotten, so the martial artists there weren't particularly strong.

But if they ventured beyond Great Wu, things would be different.

Even though they were holed up here, there was no guarantee that a master wouldn't pass by one day and crush them like ants.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Zhao Chijiu chuckled and said, "Brothers and sisters, we'll worry about tomorrow when it comes. Today, we have wine, meat, and each other. Isn't that enough?"

"Hahahaha, Second Brother is right! Brothers, let's be happy, drink, eat..."

Before he could finish the word "meat," the person's face suddenly stiffened, and he stumbled back into his chair.

"Hahahaha, Old Fifth, your tolerance for alcohol is still so poor~"

"Fifth Brother, stop practicing martial arts all day and drink more!"

However, Zhao Xincheng noticed something was off with Old Fifth. Just as he was about to ask, the sound of clashing metal echoed from the cave entrance.

Clang, clang, clang...

Everyone's gaze shifted to the entrance. They saw a young man holding a curved saber stride in.

"Apologies for disturbing your gathering. I apologize for intruding so late at night."

The moment they saw Li Yan, Ji Sanniang and Zhao Chijiu's faces changed, and they were about to stand up, but their expressions turned even uglier as they moved.

They finally understood why Old Fifth had looked that way earlier. Their True Qi was almost stagnant!

"Boss!"

Zhao Chijiu looked at Zhao Xincheng, only to see that Zhao Xincheng's face was also grave. Clearly, his True Qi was unable to circulate.

"Damn it, it was the gold! You tampered with it!"

Facing Zhao Chijiu's furious roar, Li Yan shrugged. "They say that among the eighteen bandits of the Three Fiends Ridge, Second Brother Zhao Chijiu is the most cautious and astute. Seeing you today, I must say the reputation is well-deserved."

"Bastard, there was something wrong with the gold you gave me! But why? I checked both bags of gold!"

"Although I don't usually explain myself, it's not a problem to reveal a little trick."

"You checked the gold, but what about the bags?"

"The bags?"

After learning about the Three Fiends Ridge from the escorts, Li Yan had considered the possibility of encountering Zhao Chijiu.

Therefore, he had split this operation into two parts. The first time, under the guise of breaking through, he actually delivered the gold. The second time, he appeared under the pretext of visiting friends, using an unintentional little action to lure them into trying to snatch his gold.

The two bags of gold were fine when held separately. However, the bags containing the gold had been soaked in a special liquid that emitted a colorless and odorless gas.

If the gases from the two bags mixed, they would synthesize into Ice Heart Qi Condensing Powder.

"And how did you find this place?"

Zhao Chijiu was filled with unwillingness. He hadn't expected all his actions to be within someone else's calculations, which dealt him a significant blow. At this moment, he just wanted to salvage something.

"How did I get here? Naturally, you led the way for me."

As he spoke, Li Yan glanced at the ground beneath Zhao Chijiu and Ji Sanniang's feet.

The two looked down in surprise and then discovered small specks of yellowish powder hidden in their shoes.

"Glow powder!" Ji Sanniang exclaimed, realizing she had personally led him here!

"Do you have any more questions? If not, I'll make my move."

Saying this, Li Yan drew his saber and walked towards the nearest person.

"Wait..."

Finally, the eldest, Zhao Xincheng, spoke. "Young hero, you have impressive skills. Today, my siblings and I are defeated. Whatever your demands, just name them."

"Are these your last words?" Li Yan slowly raised the saber in his hand, clearly not intending to waste any more time with them.

"Wait!"

Seeing Li Yan's saber truly about to fall on one of them, Zhao Xincheng quickly spoke again, a hint of panic in his voice this time.

He looked as if he feared his family members would be harmed.

"Young hero, we at Three Fiends Ridge have accumulated considerable wealth over the years. As long as you spare us, I can tell you where the items are."

"I'm not interested," Li Yan said, swinging his saber to strike.

"Please, young hero, stop! We, the eighteen people of Three Fiends Ridge, are willing to surrender!"

"Surrender?" Li Yan scoffed. "You eighteen have committed countless evils. Over the years, from the elderly of eighty to infants still in swaddling clothes, none have escaped your clutches. Why would I take people like you into my service? How could I dare to use you?"

"Rather than your surrender, I am more interested in killing you!"

The next moment, the blade ruthlessly descended.

Bang!

After the strike, the long table was split in two, showcasing the unstoppable sharpness of the Waning Moon.

Everyone looked at Li Yan in panic, covered in cold sweat. Especially the person closest to Li Yan, who had narrowly avoided having his face sliced off by that single blow. He felt as though he had just walked through the gates of hell.

"However, your words did remind me of something," Li Yan said, looking at Zhao Xincheng with a slight curve of his lips. "While I won't take you into my service, it's not impossible to make you do some things!"

"Please, young hero, tell us!"

Zhao Xincheng responded without the slightest hesitation, "As long as you spare our lives, we will do anything!"

"Very good~"

Saying this, Li Yan took out another porcelain bottle from his robes.

"This is the Three Corpses Brain God Pill. I don't mind telling you, it's a good find from the Treasure Official's Manor. You are all fortunate~"