Go to the Revival Point to Catch Someone

"If we get captured and taken to the stronghold, won't it be terrible? Maybe we should just kill ourselves."

"Yeah, let's kill ourselves. It'll only hurt for a moment. What if we get captured and suffer inhuman torture?"

"Maybe there's a hidden quest? How about this: let's leave two people alive who won't kill themselves, and they can follow along to see what's happening. If things go south, they can kill themselves then."

"That sounds good. I'll stay."

"I'll stay too!"

As the players saw the fierce-looking bandits charging at them, they panicked slightly before calming down and quickly discussing their decision.

For them, this was just a game. Dying meant dying.

Aside from dropping items, there wasn't much of a loss, so they didn't fear death.

Therefore, when Jiang Dali ordered the bandits to charge and capture them, a group of players began to pull off some bizarre stunts. They started attacking each other, some with rusty short knives, others with short swords that looked like iron bars, directly killing their companions to send them on their way.

Seeing a group of players slaughtering each other and dying with screams, only two players remained where they were. The dead players' bodies had vanished, leaving only a pile of tattered clothes.

Some bandits had seen such scenes before and could still accept it, but those who hadn't were stunned, their faces ashen as if they'd seen a ghost.

At this moment, the remaining two players, grinning and completely unfazed, walked forward proactively.

One said obsequiously, "Esteemed leaders, we've actually wanted to be bandits for a long time. As the saying goes, 'He who understands the times is a wise man.' Especially you, Great Mountain Lord, I can tell you're a dragon among men, not meant to stay in a mere pond. I've decided to follow you and conquer the world in the future."

The other player quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, I think so too."

The bandits, holding their sabers and axes, were a bit bewildered.

These two seemed quite sensible, voluntarily wanting to join Black Wind Stronghold. It seemed they might become comrades?

All the bandits looked at Jiang Dali.

"Tie them both up. Stop them from killing themselves."

Jiang Dali waved his hand, his face cold.

The two players froze.

This bandit leader was difficult to deal with. Was he really going to capture them and torture them?

Immediately, one player tried to kill himself.

However, a group of bandits swarmed forward, capturing the two players. They even dislocated their jaws to prevent them from biting their tongues to commit suicide.

Although a normal person biting off their tongue would most likely not die, and only rarely die from excessive blood loss, such precautions were still necessary.

"You, take a portion of your men to the nearby City God Temple. Those guys who just died will reappear at the City God Temple. Go and capture them all again!"

Jiang Dali pointed at a bandit sub-leader and commanded.

"G-Great Mountain Lord, these guys who died can really revive? Then... won't they become ghosts?"

The bandit sub-leader asked nervously, his eyes wide with fear.

The surrounding bandits' expressions changed upon hearing this.

The two captured players were also stunned.

This bandit leader was very strange. He actually knew that they, as players, would revive at the City God Temple and wanted to capture them again.

What kind of grudge was this?

"Useless!"

Jiang Dali snorted coldly, a dark light flashing in his eyes. He looked around with a predatory gaze and said, "These people are all 'outsiders.' Although they seemed to kill themselves just now, they actually used a very special escape technique to feign death. Where in the world would there be ghosts?

If there were ghosts, would they be afraid of us?

All of you, go to the City God Temple and capture them immediately! Otherwise, I'll let you see a ghost."

"Yes, yes. Great Mountain Lord! Great Mountain Lord, please calm your anger!"

The bandit sub-leader looked at Jiang Dali's thick arms and large saber, swallowed, nodded repeatedly, and led a group of submissive bandit subordinates to carry out the order.

With their jaws dislocated, the two players couldn't speak. They could only stare at Jiang Dali, their expressions filled with surprise.

This was still the only very peculiar NPC they had encountered.

He seemed to know a lot about them, the players.

Attributing their deaths to a special escape technique was truly laughable.

In an instant, these two no longer wanted to kill themselves.

Such a strange NPC, and so powerful. He was the leader BOSS of the largest evil force within hundreds of miles, even if he was just an early-stage minor BOSS. Perhaps he could trigger some strange quests.

After returning to the stronghold, Jiang Dali ordered his subordinates to directly imprison the two players and Hu Ling in the black prison. All other players captured from the City God Temple were also to be imprisoned for now.

His next plan was to develop all the captured players into members of Black Wind Stronghold, absorbing fresh blood.

This would allow him to complete the task of strengthening Black Wind Stronghold and obtain a large amount of Cultivation Points and Potential Points.

However, he was also well aware of the players' inherent flaws: they feared nothing, were greedy, bold, and rebellious.

Before absorbing this group, I need to first establish my authority and instill the majesty of Black Wind Stronghold's Great Mountain Lord in the players' hearts.

This way, if these troublemakers join, they won't take it for granted, coming and going as they please and showing no respect for the rules.

Meanwhile.

In the City God Temple outside Mengyin County.

Ten players, most of whom were only wearing undergarments, were resurrected from within the City God Temple. Each of them strutted out with an air of arrogant confidence.

"Dammit, that hurt like hell. This game is great in every aspect, except it's too realistic. Every suicide feels like a nightmare."

"Relax. We don't have any penalties for dying yet, just feel a bit weak, like my body's been drained after entering 'Saint Mode' three times in a row. But it's still bearable."

"Heh heh heh, that dog-like Great Mountain Lord of Black Wind Stronghold, he actually wanted to capture me? This kind of trash early-game mini-boss, once I learn some powerful martial arts, I'll definitely torment him thousands of times and beat him senseless."

"Speaking of which, that Master Hu at the martial arts school was too weak. We were planning to learn martial arts from him, but we didn't expect him to be unable to defeat even a bandit leader."

A group of players grumbled as they walked out of the City God Temple, exuding an aura of "Hu Han San has returned," talking loudly and showing no regard for anyone.

Suddenly, they all heard shouts of killing and the sound of footsteps.

Immediately after, they saw a swarm of bandits charging furiously towards them on the road, armed with axes and sabers.

The bandit leader, upon seeing a group of players emerge from the City God Temple, was overjoyed and roared, "Brothers, grab your weapons and charge! Let's hack these punks to pieces and take them back! Damn it, they're so good at escaping. Let's catch them and offer them a drink of our finest vintage."

The players' expressions changed, and they felt an urgent need to urinate.

"What the hell?!"

"What's going on? How did these bandits know we'd respawn at the City God Temple?"

"Quick, quick, run!"

"Run where? Let's fight them! We won't die anyway. If we can take down even one of them, maybe we'll get some benefits."

The players, initially panicked, suddenly had a greedy thought. They roared and charged forward with their bare fists.

The result was that they were quickly cut down like sheep in a wolf pack by the bandits.

Those who weren't killed were tied up and subdued. Those who died were even weaker. Just as they were resurrected from the City God Temple, they were knocked down again by the bandits who rushed in and forcibly captured them.

"What happened? Why is this happening?"

"These NPCs aren't playing by the rules! How did they know we had respawn points?"

"This game is too difficult to play! The NPCs actually know how to camp the respawn points?"

The captured players were completely bewildered, unable to figure out what was going on.

In their current state, unless they sent a carrier pigeon, their only option was to use the Jianghu Forum to understand the situation and seek help.