Got a Problem!

Calm down, stay calm.

The first thing to do right now is to rescue the disciples, and then deal with these inhumane mountain bandits.

Jun Changxiao suppressed his overflowing rage and killing intent as he arrived before the main hall at the end of the path. Ten mountain bandits stood at the entrance, the aura radiating from their bodies seemingly reaching the seventh or eighth stage of Meridian Opening.

These must be the elites of the Black Wind Stockade.

While deep in thought, he stepped into the hall. However, the moment he walked in, he felt several cold, sharp gazes instantly lock onto him.

There were eight martial artists inside the hall, their brows filled with murderous intent.

These people are at least at the tenth stage of Meridian Opening! Jun Changxiao thought to himself.

"Kid."

A fair-skinned man with long hair lay half-reclined on a chair, smiling as he said, "You've got guts, daring to kill the people of my Black Wind Stockade."

Beside him, a middle-aged man with a full beard glared, shouting, "If it weren't for the Great Chieftain's orders, I would have twisted your head off and kicked it like a ball long ago!"

Jun Changxiao ignored him, standing with his hands behind his back. "This Seat has come to Black Mountain in person to ransom my people. Is this the hospitality of the Black Wind Stockade, having these small-time thugs who can't even make it to the table greet me?"

"You detestable guy!"

"How dare you call us small-time thugs!"

The eight martial artists in the hall rose in anger, their eyes flashing with killing intent, clearly itching to blast Jun Changxiao to pieces.

"Hahaha!"

Just then, a booming laugh echoed through the room.

A burly middle-aged man stepped in from a side door and sat upon a tiger-skin chair. "Sect Leader Jun's arrival truly brings splendor to my Black Wind Stockade."

"Great Chieftain!"

The eight martial artists bowed respectfully in unison.

Jun Changxiao remained composed, but upon seeing the faint, flickering spiritual energy gathering around the man, he thought to himself, He must be a Martial Apprentice.

Although a Martial Apprentice was only the second Martial Dao Realm on the Starfall Continent, they were far stronger than those at the Meridian Opening level.

In the memories Jun Changxiao had inherited, a single Martial Apprentice was equivalent to ten people at the twelfth stage of Meridian Opening. If bolstered by high-level Martial Techniques, it was effortless for them to unleash ten thousand catties of force with a single punch.

Facing a Martial Apprentice, the pressure was immense.

"Great Chieftain."

Jun Changxiao said, "This Seat doesn't like to waste words. I have come to the Black Wind Stockade today solely to take my disciples away."

The Great Chieftain held up a finger and smiled. "I, Zhou Tianba, won't beat around the bush either. One hundred taels per head. Pay the money, and Sect Leader Jun can take them away at any time."

"One hundred taels?"

Jun Changxiao frowned. "That's a bit expensive."

He only had three hundred taels on him; if he paid the ransom, he could only save three people.

Zhou Tianba said, "I am giving you the lowest price out of respect for Sect Leader Wang. If it were any other sect, it would be at least two hundred taels per head to start."

"Oh?"

Jun Changxiao asked, "The Great Chieftain knew our previous Sect Leader?"

Zhou Tianba leaned back in his chair, reminiscing as he said, "We often met at the Little Phoenix Pavilion; we could be considered old friends."

Old friends...

Jun Changxiao's mouth twitched.

So, this guy was just like Sect Leader Wang, fond of frequenting brothels.

"Since that is the case."

Jun Changxiao said, "Why doesn't the Great Chieftain give me a better deal for the sake of our friendship?"

"Heh."

"Does this guy think he's haggling for vegetables at the market?"

The eight small-time thugs sneered.

Zhou Tianba asked, "Sect Leader Jun, what price would you find acceptable?"

Jun Changxiao thought for a moment and said, "How about this: I will provide one hundred taels, and the Great Chieftain releases all of my sect's disciples."

If money could solve the problem, he would rather ransom the disciples first, send them to a safe area, and then return alone to slaughter his way through the Black Wind Stockade.

"Haha!"

"One hundred taels? Is this guy farting?"

Several of the thugs mocked him.

Zhou Tianba's face darkened. "Sect Leader Jun, the price you've offered shows absolutely no sincerity."

Jun Changxiao shrugged helplessly and said, "Our Iron Bone Unyielding Sect is dirt poor; we can only scrape together one hundred taels to ransom them. I ask the Great Chieftain to please show some leniency for the sake of your friendship with Sect Leader Wang."

"Compromise?"

Zhou Tianba snapped his fingers and said, "Sure."

Soon, two mountain bandits emerged from a side door, escorting a youth bound with thick ropes.

Jun Changxiao furrowed his brows.

That youth was the very disciple he had recruited in Qingyang City.

He was currently disheveled and covered in bruises, clearly having been subjected to brutal abuse.

"Sect Leader..."

The youth spotted Jun Changxiao, a glimmer of hope flashing in his desperate eyes as he called out weakly, "Save me... please save me..."

"Thud!"

He was tossed before the tiger-skin chair.

Zhou Tianba stepped on the youth's head and laughed, "Sect Leader Jun, if I kill him today, that's one less head to count, which means you won't have to pay as much ransom."

Jun Changxiao's hands, hidden behind his back, clenched into fists as fury surged within him.

As the head of a sect, how could he stand by and watch his disciple be humiliated!

"Don't... don't kill me..."

The youth, seemingly sensing the Death Aura, begged in terrified helplessness, "Don't kill me, I don't want to die, don't kill me... I don't want to die... I'm willing to join the Black Wind Stockade! I'm willing to be your beast of burden, please don't kill me... don't kill me!"

"Hahaha!"

"This kid is such a coward!"

"Look, his pants are wet, he must have pissed himself from fear!"

The eight minor leaders laughed without restraint.

The fury inside Jun Changxiao burned even brighter!

To have so little dignity—what kind of disciple had he recruited!

The disciple was young, and it was understandable that he hadn't faced life or death before, but now that he, the Sect Leader, had arrived, for the boy to beg to join the Black Wind Stockade just to survive was truly...

"Squelch—"

Zhou Tianba drew the long blade hanging by the chair and severed the head of the pleading youth, laughing, "Sect Leader Jun, I've taken care of such a spineless coward for you. You don't have any objections, do you?"

"Ding!"

"Sect Member: 99/100."

As the notification of a reduced member count rang in his ears, Jun Changxiao ignored it, slowly lifting his head to look at Zhou Tianba with a cold, piercing gaze. "I have objections!"

This sentence was laden with boundless rage.

Although the disciple's display of cowardice had made him angry and disappointed, he was still his disciple. What right did an outsider have to kill him?

"Heh, this guy seems angry."

"Shouldn't he be thanking the Great Chieftain for cleaning up a spineless disciple for him?"

The eight minor leaders laughed with disdain.

From the moment Jun Changxiao entered, they hadn't taken him seriously at all.

A flicker of coldness crossed Zhou Tianbo's eyes, but he sheathed his blade and chuckled, "Sect Leader Jun, what objections could you possibly have?"

Jun Changxiao said coldly, "My Iron Bone Unyielding Sect disciples, whether they are cowards or have committed grave errors, can only be dealt with by this seat. No one else has the right or the qualification to interfere."

"Pfft, hahaha!"

"Does this guy really think he's a real Sect Leader?"

"A Ninth-rate Sect, not even as good as our Black Wind Stockade, yet he dares to spout such nonsense in front of the Great Chieftain. He's tired of living!"

Zhou Tianba clasped his hands together, resting his chin on the back of his palms, and said, "So, you're saying I meddled in business that wasn't mine?"

"Yes."

Jun Changxiao replied, "You're a dog catching mice—meddling in business that doesn't concern you."

The smile vanished from Zhou Tianba's face, his expression turning quite cold and sharp.

Seeing this, the eight minor leaders realized at once that the Great Chieftain was angry!

"Brat!"

The Bearded Man slammed his hand on the armrest and roared, "Our Great Chieftain is giving you, a trash Sect Leader, some face because we're all in the martial arts world. Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Squelch!"

Jun Changxiao reversed his grip on the Cold Edge Sword and thrust it into his chest.