Who Agrees, Who Objects?

After taking the antidote.

Xiong Ba quickly recovered from his limp, weak state. The poison that had entered his body was also neutralized and reduced. He barely climbed out of bed and laughed.

"Third Boss, Third Boss, I knew that sneaky bastard Second Boss was courting death by poisoning me and then going after you. Sure enough, now he's dead.

"I originally thought you had no interest in this little patch of land called Black Wind Stronghold.

"But since you do now, your fist is bigger, so you'll be the boss. I have no objections at all, rest assured. Hahaha."

Jiang Dali smiled faintly. "I know you're sincere."

If he had not been sincere, if Xiong Ba had shown even the slightest hostility, Jiang Dali would have received a warning immediately and seen the red glow on him.

"Good. You'll be the Great Mountain Lord now. In a moment, I'll gather the boys and announce the news. Your prestige in the stronghold is high enough anyway. Everyone respects you."

Xiong Ba could accept defeat gracefully and was extremely forthright. Then he asked doubtfully, "But there's something I find very strange. Since you've returned, you must have taken care of Qiu Xuemei. With all the merits you've earned, you should know perfectly well that you can already go up and seek greater advancement.

"Why would you still stay in our tiny Black Wind Stronghold and become the Great Mountain Lord?

"You should know that the reason Second Boss wanted to kill you was to take your merits after killing you and use them to advance upward."

"Because I don't want to live under someone else's roof. What's wrong with being the boss of Black Wind Stronghold, with so many underlings to order around? Besides, the jianghu is huge. I'm only in the Inner Qi Realm. If I went out roaming for a few years, I might not even make it back as a corpse." Jiang Dali chuckled.

Xiong Ba froze, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "I don't even know what to say about you. Still, being cautious is good."

Just then, Jiang Dali received a notification. The mission to hunt down Qiu Xuemei had been completed. He had received 30 Cultivation Points, 30 Potential Points, and 30 Jianghu Reputation.

For the moment, he did not deal with the Cultivation Points or Potential Points. He turned and walked out of the room.

"Deal with the traitors first."

In the courtyard.

Two extremely panicked bandits and Xiong Ba's second wife had all been subdued and tied up. A crowd of bandits had rushed over after hearing the news, packing the courtyard inside and out so tightly that not even water could pass through.

The smells of sweat, stinking feet, sour wine, and rotten meat drifted continuously from the bandits, a foul miasma of every kind.

Jiang Dali and Xiong Ba walked out of the room with frowns. Several quick-witted bandits immediately brought over large chairs and invited the two to sit.

"Great Mountain Lord, please sit!"

"Third Boss, please sit!"

Jiang Dali was the first to drop into a chair, drawing surprised looks from some of the bandits.

Within the stronghold, rank and status were clearly defined.

Although Jiang Dali had accomplished many feats over the years and his prestige nearly matched Xiong Ba's, he was still not the Great Mountain Lord.

Xiong Ba had not even sat down, yet Jiang Dali had taken a seat first. That was against the rules.

Yet Xiong Ba stood there, looking around before clasping his fists and loudly announcing to the gathered brothers, "Good brothers, Black Wind Stronghold survives by making a little profit off passersby and collecting protection fees from the good folk of neighboring villages.

"But we have been able to occupy this mountain and rule here in peace all these years because those above have given us food to eat.

"Not many people can hold steady that bowl handed down from above, but Brother Da Li can hold it firmly.

"Therefore, today I, Xiong Ba, have decided to step down and yield my position to the worthy. I willingly recognize Brother Da Li as the Great Mountain Lord, while I will step back to become the Second Boss."

Whoosh—

The moment Xiong Ba finished speaking, the bandits erupted into an uproar.

Some of the more emotional ones even began spitting as they loudly discussed it.

The two restrained traitors and the second wife were also utterly stunned.

"Quiet down, all of you! What are you making such a fuss for? Do you think Brother Da Li isn't fit to sit in the Great Mountain Lord's seat?"

Xiong Ba snorted coldly. A gob of spit shot from his mouth like a nail, striking the ground and leaving a crater.

The chaotic uproar immediately fell silent again. Startled, doubtful, and reverent gazes shifted back and forth between Xiong Ba and Jiang Dali.

Xiong Ba's trusted men and Second Boss's trusted men, who had just wanted to object, seemed to realize something. In particular, when they looked at Jiang Dali's burly body as he sat there with his eyes closed, as though waiting for someone to step out and object, many pupils shrank. Their lips trembled, and they did not dare say another word.

When Guan Gong kept his eyes shut, it was one thing. Once he opened them, someone would die.

At a time like this, the former leader was firmly supporting Jiang Dali's rise to power, and his attitude was so resolute that it did not seem forced. The implications were terrifying to consider.

Seeing that no one objected.

Xiong Ba nodded in satisfaction, then dropped an even bigger bombshell. He told the bandits that Second Boss had betrayed the stronghold, intending to kill Jiang Dali and seize his merits, and had now been slain by Jiang Dali.

When this shocking news came out, the bandits were not only stunned but even more terrified.

Some were grateful that they had not stepped forward just now.

Whether Second Boss had truly betrayed them or simply lost this struggle for power, Jiang Dali was now the victor.

Who remembered the loser? Who would be willing to stand up for him?

Whoever dared mouth off was courting death!

Only then did Jiang Dali open his eyes. Looking calmly at his many underlings, he said evenly, "I will take the Great Mountain Lord's seat. Brothers, who agrees, and who objects?"

The atmosphere fell utterly silent.

Everyone was as quiet as cicadas in winter.

Then one or two quick-witted men immediately began clapping and cheering in agreement. At once, applause and cheers rang across the entire mountain, and everyone voiced their support.

"Very good!"

Jiang Dali had already received the notification confirming his succession. A satisfied smile appeared on his face as he pointed at the people restrained on the ground. "These ingrates joined forces with Second Boss to harm Second Boss Xiong and me. They are traitors."

Jiang Dali stood up. A terrifying aura naturally radiated from him as he walked toward them with an imposing, wrathless authority. "Will you confess yourselves, or do you want me to use torture?"

How could the two bandits and the second wife endure such a scene? Especially now that even Deathly Scholar was dead, leaving them completely without a backer or pillar of support. They immediately wailed and trembled as they spilled the reasons and course of their betrayal.

"You bitch! You worthless slut, you were actually fooling around with Deathly Scholar and conspiring with him to harm me! You even killed the first wife?"

Xiong Ba charged over in fury and kicked the second wife flying into the courtyard wall.

The second wife screamed as she hit the ground, coughing up blood. Several bones had been broken by that kick. She lay limply on the ground, hair disheveled, wailing, "Great Mountain Lord, I-I didn't want to do it either. Deathly Scholar caught hold of my weakness and forced me. I've served you faithfully all these years. Please spare me."

Xiong Ba was so furious that he panted heavily. He glared at the second wife, his palm trembling violently.

Jiang Dali inwardly shook his head.

Could it be that Xiong Ba had truly been bewitched by her for the past two years? He was actually hesitating at a time like this?

Hostile red light was still rising from that woman's body. She was poison through and through.

With a flick of his hand.

Whoosh.

A throwing dart shot directly from his sleeve.

It struck the second wife's terrified, raised forehead dead-on, instantly embedding itself in her skull. Only then did crimson blood seep from the edge of the blade.

"You!"

Xiong Ba was stunned.

Jiang Dali said calmly, "Some mistakes cannot be remedied by bowing and apologizing. If I had died at Second Boss's hands, and you had fallen into the hands of Second Boss and this woman, what do you think would have happened to you? Do you need me to teach you?"

Xiong Ba was speechless. His expression suddenly became somewhat despondent. He felt that he truly had grown old and muddled. His methods no longer possessed even half the iron-blooded ruthlessness and cold brutality of his younger days.

"A true tyrant's blood must run cold."

Jiang Dali's eyes were dark and deep as he looked at the two terrified bandits, who were both begging for mercy. He waved his hand.

"Three Slashes, Six Holes. Administer the punishment."

"Yes, Great Mountain Lord!"

Quick-witted bandits immediately stepped forward to carry out the order.

Piercing screams rang through the courtyard, making many bandits who still harbored other thoughts break out in goosebumps. They put away their stray notions.

"Bring the wine! One bowl for each man!"

Jiang Dali gave the order with a wave of his hand.

Jars of wine were immediately carried up.

Each person was poured a bowl of clear, strong wine.

Mixed with the scent of blood in the courtyard.

More than a hundred dark, shining eyes watched one man with hidden reverence.

Jiang Dali raised his bowl and said in a deep voice, "Brothers should be willing to take a blade to the ribs for one another, not stab their brothers in the back, much less collude with women to harm their brothers. From now on, anyone who commits such an offense again will be chopped up and fed to the dogs!"

Jiang Dali drained his bowl in one gulp.

With a crack, he slammed the bowl onto the table. His thick, heavy palm smashed both bowl and tabletop into pieces, sending fragments flying everywhere.