Black Cloud Stronghold, Xie Baoqing

"Great Leader, I've told you several times not to call me that!" Xue Wujing frowned slightly, glancing warily at Xi Zhou. After confirming no one else was around, he continued, "It's just a few disguised escorts. Zhu Laosan can handle them, so don't worry."

"You weren't like this before. I don't know why, but I just feel a bit uneasy this time," Xie Baoqing said, touching his nose.

"Since the Great Leader is worried about his brother, why not send someone to meet Zhu Laosan?" Although Xue Wujing disdained Xie Baoqing's attitude, he still offered a suggestion.

"Right, I'll have Laoxi go meet him right away," Xie Baoqing decided, clapping his hands.

"I think that won't be necessary!" Qin Shuang's voice rang out from outside the hall, and he entered immediately after Zhu Tieshou.

"Laosan, you're back!" Xie Baoqing's suspended heart finally relaxed upon seeing Zhu Tieshou return. However, when he saw Qin Shuang standing in front of him, the smile that had just appeared froze on his face. "And who might this be?"

"Xie Baoqing?" Qin Shuang tilted his chin slightly, his expression arrogant.

"That's me. May I ask the name of this young hero?" Xie Baoqing's face showed a hint of displeasure, finding the person Zhu Tieshou brought back to be so ill-mannered.

"Xue Wujing?" Qin Shuang ignored Xie Baoqing and turned to look at the other person.

Xue Wujing's reaction was much sharper than Xie Baoqing's. Combined with the expression on Zhu Tieshou's face, he immediately judged that this person was not here with good intentions. He subtly shifted his foot to a mechanism and stepped on it lightly, sending a message outside.

Although Xue Wujing's movements were concealed, they did not escape Qin Shuang's eyes. However, Qin Shuang did not stop him. He was still missing one target, Liangshan Cat, and this was a perfect opportunity to lure him into a trap.

Despite being mountain bandits, their reactions were not slow. In the blink of an eye, three thugs rushed into the hall. Before Xue Wujing could speak, Qin Shuang threw a punch. The force of the punch split into three, directly blasting the three into ice sculptures and shattering them into pieces.

Seeing this scene, Xue Wujing's eyes narrowed into slits. Qin Shuang's martial arts had surpassed his understanding. It was clear that today's events had escalated beyond his control.

Xie Baoqing, only now reacting, said with feigned ferocity, "Who exactly are you!"

"I am Qin Shuang, known in the martial arts world as the Mystic Tiger of Chaoge. I have something I wish to discuss with the two leaders," Qin Shuang recalled the nicknames of the people from the west and, feeling playful, came up with a nickname for himself on the spot.

"May I ask what the young hero wishes to discuss?" Hearing that there was something to discuss, Xie Baoqing's tone softened considerably.

"It's nothing major. I heard that the leaders of Black Cloud Stronghold are all named after tigers. I feel a connection, and I'd like to plant my flag in the stronghold. What do you think, Great Leader?" Qin Shuang said with a playful smirk.

"What impudent brat dares to speak so boldly? Is Black Cloud Stronghold a place you can just waltz into? Who do you think you are?" Before Xie Baoqing could answer, a man with dark skin and a defiant expression strode into the hall, cursing loudly.

His greeting was a single punch.

The man's head exploded into ice shards from Qin Shuang's strike, leaving a headless corpse to fall straight down.

The few thugs behind him were so terrified they didn't dare to move.

"Noisy!" Qin Shuang said, not even glancing at the corpse on the ground. "Great Leader, what do you think of what I said?"

"You are most welcome!" Although Xie Baoqing didn't know what Qin Shuang was up to, given the current situation, he had no room to refuse. "Young Hero Qin, please don't call me Great Leader anymore. From now on, you are the Great Leader of Black Cloud Stronghold!"

"No need. You can remain the Great Leader. My identity is not easily exposed, so being the Fifth Leader will suffice!" Qin Shuang waved his hand, refusing Xie Baoqing's offer.

"Great Hero, you just killed Liang Laoxi," Zhu Tieshou reminded him "kindly" from the side.

"Uh..." Qin Shuang snapped back to attention, glanced at the corpse behind him, and didn't take it to heart. "Then I'll be the Sixth Leader!"

"Haha, welcome Sixth Leader to the fold!" Xue Wujing seized the opportunity and shouted first.

"Welcome Sixth Leader to the fold!" The thugs who entered later, though unclear about the situation, were adept at reading the room. They immediately followed the Second Leader's shout, fearing that if they were too slow, they too would be turned into ice blocks.

"Great Leader, if you encounter any tough nuts you can't crack in the future, just call for me. But let's be clear, from today onwards, I will take sixty percent of all the spoils from the stronghold's robberies!" Qin Shuang declared domineeringly, gesturing at the corpses on the ground. "If anyone has an objection, speak up now so we can discuss it. But if you cause trouble behind my back, this will be your fate!"

"This..." Xie Baoqing looked hesitant.

"Great Leader, do you think this distribution is unfair considering my strength?" Qin Shuang asked coldly, deliberately lowering his face when Xie Baoqing didn't immediately agree.

"That's not what I meant, it's just... it's just..." Xie Baoqing stammered for a long time without getting to the point, looking at Xue Wujing with eyes full of pleading.

"Sigh." Xue Wujing waved his hand at the others, signaling them to leave. Once only Qin Shuang, Xie Baoqing, Zhu Tieshou, and himself remained in the hall, he spoke, "Since Young Hero Qin, no, Sixth Leader, has this question, I will no longer hide it. Taking advantage of today, I will have a frank discussion with the Third Leader and Sixth Leader."

Xue Wujing paused, then continued, "I actually have backing from another force. It's a cooperative relationship with the Great Leader. We provide detailed information, and the Great Leader is responsible for the specific actions. After success, we take half of the acquired wealth. Therefore, Sixth Leader, your request does make things a bit difficult for the Great Leader!"

"Just for some information, you want half? That's a bit excessive!" Qin Shuang questioned.

"What if that information includes every crackdown by the authorities?" Xue Wujing asked with a hint of pride.

Qin Shuang frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Are you with the authorities?"

Xue Wujing smiled but didn't answer. However, Qin Shuang's next words made his smile freeze.

"Take me to your master. This profit distribution needs to be renegotiated!" Qin Shuang said with an irrefutable tone.

"This..." Xue Wujing was momentarily speechless.

"If we can't negotiate, then there's no need to keep you around!" Qin Shuang said indifferently, gathering his Frost Qi and clenching his right fist into an ice-blue ball.

"No, no, no, we can negotiate, of course we can negotiate!" Feeling Qin Shuang's cold killing intent, Xue Wujing immediately bowed his head and agreed.

After a simple breakfast, the four of them, mounted on their horses, headed down the mountain towards the county town under Xue Wujing's lead.

They arrived at the Jiashan County yamen in a flurry. The yamen runners at the entrance clearly recognized Xue Wujing. Although they found it strange, they did not stop the four of them in the slightest.

Xue Wujing led Qin Shuang and the other two to a side hall and said to a servant, "Go invite the magistrate out. Tell him a distinguished guest has arrived."