Prince Ruyang's Mansion

Deathly Scholar died at Jiang Dali's hands.

Xiong Ba directly passed the position of Great Mountain Lord to Jiang Dali.

None of the many bandits dared object. Aside from the few traitors who had been purged, almost no one was willing to step forward for Deathly Scholar, the Second Boss.

It truly proved the saying: once a person was gone, the tea went cold.

However, all the bandits were people who had clawed their way through life and death. Most of them had sharp minds and revered the strong.

Jiang Dali had already held great prestige in Black Wind Stronghold. With his strength and Xiong Ba's support, it was hardly surprising that the bandits were willing to submit and pledge loyalty.

Yet after this incident, the atmosphere throughout Black Wind Stronghold became especially oppressive and grave. It had not reached the point of widespread panic, but everyone still walked on thin ice.

Jiang Dali had anticipated this long ago. Through the successive notifications he had received, he also understood Black Wind Stronghold's current state.

Now, his title had changed to Black Wind Stronghold Master, with nicknames such as Great Mountain Lord and Leader Brother.

The change in title not only boosted his Qi and Blood and internal qi, but also raised his Jianghu Reputation considerably, directly breaking through to a new tier.

Opening the attribute template revealed his complete attributes. By opening the attached sub-template, he could also clearly see his current Qi and Blood and internal qi.

Jiang Dali, Black Wind Stronghold Master (Inner Qi Realm Great BOSS), Qi and Blood 5000/5000, internal qi 150/150)

Realm: Inner Qi Realm (2/300)

Status: Black Wind Stronghold Master / Iron Character Killer of Green Robe Pavilion

Jianghu Title Reputation: Notorious (50/1000)

Pet: Jianmen Pass Demon Eagle

Martial Arts: Hidden Weapons: Mortal Grade Mid-Rank "Sky Full of Flying Rain" (Stage 3, Slight Accomplishment)

Fist and Leg Techniques: Basic "Four Directions Fist," Basic "Six Paths Leg," Basic "Eight Directions Palm"

Blade Technique: Mortal Grade Mid-Rank "Tiger Fiend Golden Ring Saber Technique" (Stage 3, Slight Accomplishment)

Iron Cloth Skill: Mortal Grade Low-Rank "Iron Cloth Skill" (Stage 3, Slight Accomplishment)

Movement Technique: Mortal Grade Low-Rank "Eight Steps Catching Cicadas" (Stage 2, Initial Glimpse)

Internal Energy Cultivation Method: Basic Internal Energy

Cultivation Points: 33

Potential Points: 32

The gap between the title of a Great BOSS and a minor BOSS really was huge. After breaking through to the Inner Qi Realm, my Qi and Blood had only been 3,500, while my internal qi had just begun cultivation and was only at 100 points.

Once my status changed and my title became Great BOSS, my Qi and Blood immediately rose to 5,000, and even my internal qi increased by 50 points.

This was an incredibly significant boost to my combat strength.

Jiang Dali was extremely satisfied with his current status as Stronghold Master.

Although becoming Stronghold Master had been the first step in the blueprint he had planned long ago, it had also been the easiest step.

But now that he had truly taken this step, his heart was still filled with accomplishment.

Back when he had been a player, what gave him the greatest headaches were Great BOSS experts at the same level.

Clearly, they were in the same realm. Sometimes, the players' internal qi and martial arts were even stronger, yet they were still completely unable to defeat the BOSS.

The biggest reason was that BOSSes possessed the absurdly long health bars that players hated.

And now, he had become the very thing he once despised. His health bar was at least ten times longer than that of ordinary bandits in the same realm. Combined with an Iron Cloth Skill like the Iron Cloth Skill, if he stood at the entrance, he would be an emotionless bulldozer.

He recalled the two new notifications he had received today.

"You have become the Black Wind Stronghold Master and gained the loyalty of 122 bandits in the stronghold. You are now a legitimate bandit Great Mountain Lord. Your Jianghu Reputation +100."

"Your Jianghu Reputation has entered the Notorious stage. Upon entering the territory of any prefectural city or major orthodox sect, there is a certain chance that you will be hunted down and arrested by righteous figures or government personnel."

"Heh, it seemed I had officially made it onto the blacklist of those major sects and certain government institutions.

"That was why so many bandit leaders kept such a low profile and rarely left their own territory. They were afraid that they might die outside by accident, with no one even there to collect their bodies."

Jiang Dali mocked himself, then opened the newly added faction option beneath the attribute template.

Faction: Black Wind Stronghold

Location: Main peak of Black Wind Mountain, Mengyin County, under Hui City, Huizhou

Faction Members: 122 bandits (113 ordinary bandits, 8 Power Gathering Realm bandit minor leaders, 1 Power Gathering Realm Second Boss)

Main Authority: Great Mountain Lord Jiang Dali, Second Boss Xiong Ba

Cohesion: 55 (When cohesion falls below 50, bandit desertion and rebellion may occur)

Wealth: 1 gold bar, 440 taels of silver, 53 strings of copper coins, 1 chest of jewelry worth 120 taels of silver, along with various firewood, rice, oil, salt, alcohol, and cured meat

Weapons: 23 rusty iron sabers, 18 rusty hand axes, 9 wooden shields, 1 eighty-stone bow, 3 quivers of arrows

Stored Resources: Four mu of farmland (abandoned)

Mounts: 5 inferior horses, 1 Dayuan fine horse

Current Faction Status: Good

Faction Rank: Unranked (Requirements for promotion to the next rank: 1 Outer Qi Realm expert, 2 Inner Qi Realm experts, 40 Power Gathering Realm members, 5 special talents, the Stronghold Master's reputation reaching the Far-Reaching Infamy stage, and the killing of 1 large wild beast).

"Although it was an unranked faction no bigger than a sesame seed, it was still the foundation of my start in this life. Once those players truly descended tomorrow, it would not be difficult to develop Black Wind Stronghold by borrowing their strength."

Jiang Dali rubbed his chin as he pondered in the room.

Judging from the faction's current state, its cohesion had dropped considerably after the power transition in the stronghold. It was even on the verge of bandits possibly deserting or rebelling.

Jiang Dali felt that no one would dare rebel right in front of him, but desertion was very possible.

Those bandits who had once been close to Deathly Scholar might very well do something foolish while panicking uneasily.

The most urgent matter was still to increase the stronghold's cohesion.

As Jiang Dali saw it, this cohesion was not especially difficult to resolve.

Bandits were fallen people who would eat meat if there was meat, and settle for coarse bread if there was none. As long as they were given enough benefits, they were a bunch of simple-minded fools who would dare follow him up a Mountain of Blades and down a Sea of Flames without hesitation.

In the end, it all came down to profit.

Jiang Dali estimated that it had been quite a while since he had taken this group of underlings out to make some extra money.

The main reason was that Mengyin County had little profit to offer. Only a few merchant caravans passed through each year to pay tolls.

Furthermore, under orders from above and the authority of the imperial court, Black Wind Stronghold had only dared collect a little protection money from nearby villagers to make a living over the years. They did not dare engage in robbery, home invasions, or abducting women.

As a result, the bandits had all been living miserably and feeling stifled. Only the few bosses at the top lived comfortably.

As long as he found something profitable for these underlings to do, it would be like climbing into bed with their wives. How could a bunch of grown men not become excited? Their cohesion would shoot up in no time.

"Normally, it would be difficult for me to find ways to give these people profitable work, but the all-purpose players will descend soon. Won't that opportunity arrive then?"

The corner of Jiang Dali's lips curved upward as he looked toward the night sky beyond the window.

The full moon was brilliant, polished without grinding, while the stars lay scattered across the deep, luminous night.

He turned and draped a tiger-hide cloak over himself before leaving the room. Moonlight shone upon his chest, which was like rock and steel, carrying a cold, hard gleam.

When the night-watch underlings waiting outside saw him, they all respectfully called him Great Mountain Lord.

Jiang Dali gave a slight nod, then used his movement technique to enter the forest and let out a whistle.

At once, a rather large Demonic Eagle descended from the sky. Its iron claws were like cold hooks, gripping an iron tube.

Jiang Dali removed the iron tube and opened it, examining the intelligence slip sent from Green Robe Pavilion within.

"Ru Wang! Under Lin Residence, under Li clan of prefectural prominence!"

Jiang Dali's pupils contracted slightly. "Ru Wang, Prince Ru... so it really was Prince Ruyang's Mansion. After all these layers of hierarchy, Black Wind Stronghold's superior was merely a prominent clan in the prefectural city.

Above that was Lin Residence, and above Lin Residence was the renowned Prince Ruyang.

Just as I expected.

Since Dragon Gate Escort Agency has already caught Prince Ruyang's Mansion's attention, A San of the Western Regions Vajra Gate should make his move before long.

Judging by the timeline, this is also one of the few major storylines after the players descend."