Coveting

Black Wind Mountain,

Towering, steep mountains stretched on without end, blocking out the sunlight. The valleys lay shrouded in shadow all year round.

Jagged crags stood in dense ranks, and whenever the mountain wind blew, it produced mournful howls like ghosts weeping and wolves baying.

Deep within the endless mountain ranges and forests,

A mountain stronghold crouched there.

Before its gates hung a plaque bearing the three characters "Black Wind Stronghold," suspended high beneath the gatehouse eaves. Though the writing was hardly elegant, it carried a savage, murderous aura that rushed straight at one's face!

On either side of the stronghold gates, two burly Black Wind Bandits stood watch atop the lookout towers.

Farther away,

Teams of Black Wind Bandits carrying sabers patrolled the surrounding area.

This was an old mountain stronghold that had stood for more than a decade. To have gained a foothold here, it had already developed a complete and mature system.

Inside the stronghold,

Within the central hall built from squared timber, dark bricks lay scattered across the floor, stretching toward the far end of the hall. Flights of steps rose one after another, forming a platform as high as four or five steps.

Upon the platform stood a chair draped in tiger skin.

On the wooden wall behind the chair hung a dried tiger's head,

Though it had been dead for who knew how many years, it still exuded a chilling Sha Qi!

At this moment,

A burly black figure sat imperiously upon the tiger-skin chair.

The man was broad and muscular, with a leopard-like head and round, glaring eyes. His scalp was completely bald, and two smooth iron balls continuously rolled and ground against each other in his hand. His gaze was deep as he looked down at the thin, shriveled figure kneeling below and trembling violently, giving off the terrifying pressure of a ferocious beast!

This man was the First Boss of Black Wind Stronghold, the bandit chief known as Golden-Eyed Leopard!

"So, my Third Brother, as dear to me as my own hands and feet, died just like that in your Wang Family Village?"

His dark, resounding voice rang through the empty stronghold hall, stirring wave after wave of echoes.

Wang Er Laizi, kneeling upon the icy floor, broke out in a cold sweat. His back was nearly soaked through, and an indescribable terror rose within him!

"F-First Boss, that's... that's how it happened. I... I didn't hide even the slightest thing. Third Boss and the other heroes were all killed by that Outlander Boy called Yang Qingyun. It has nothing to do with our Wang Family Village. Please see the truth clearly, First Boss!"

Wang Er Laizi knelt on the ground and spoke in a trembling voice beneath the horrifying pressure from above.

He feared that, in the very next instant, the burly figure seated at the head of the hall would turn into a savage tiger and swallow him whole!

As he recalled how rashly he had run up Black Wind Mountain to report the matter, a trace of regret arose in his heart.

Yet that trace of regret vanished in a flash.

The Black Wind Bandits had run rampant through Huangshi Town for more than a decade. Their accumulated might weighed heavily upon these villages. Every year, tribute silver had to be offered; every year, they ravaged and tyrannized. Even the local rich landowners in the villages and towns had no choice but to pay for their lives.

Wang Er Laizi had long since developed a deep, instinctive fear of the Black Wind Bandits!

That profound fear

Made him dare not do anything detrimental to the Black Wind Bandits.

When the Third Boss of Black Wind Stronghold and all the men he had led had died in Wang Family Village, it had nearly scared him out of his wits.

For several days afterward, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

He feared that one day, after the kings of Black Wind Mountain learned the truth, they would lead their forces down the mountain and slaughter every man, woman, old person, and child in Wang Family Village!

Unable to endure the torment any longer, Wang Er Laizi ultimately decided to climb the mountain and reveal the secret!

Of course,

Amid all this,

Wang Er Laizi also harbored a measure of selfishness.

If he came up the mountain to report such important news, the kings on the mountain would surely reward him handsomely, wouldn't they?

Then he would be able to live a good life from then on.

As for whether doing this would bring disaster upon the village, Wang Er Laizi had not thought that far ahead.

Or rather, driven by selfish desires, he had ignored that possibility.

"Of course it isn't your fault. You have shown good intentions!"

Golden-Eyed Leopard slowly rose to his feet. Even though his face remained hidden in shadow, one could still feel the suppressed fury within him!

"This Stronghold Master is not one to withhold rewards from those with merit. You have done very well in this matter!"

"Tell me, what reward do you want?"

"Ha, this little one wouldn't dare ask for anything. Whatever First Boss sees fit will do!"

Hearing those words, Wang Er Laizi, who had kept his head lowered below, grew excited. The corners of his mouth visibly curled upward as he beamed with delight.

It was as though he could already see wealth and glory beckoning to him.

"Very good. Then, as your reward, This Stronghold Master promises that before long, your whole family will be reunited neat and whole!"

"Good, thank you, First Boss. Thank you, First Boss."

Wang Er Laizi bowed and scraped, thanking him again and again,

But soon, Wang Er Laizi came to his senses and looked bewildered.

His whole family, reunited neat and whole?

What kind of reward was that?

He raised his head blankly,

Just in time to see an enormous black shadow carrying a fierce gale sweep toward his head, its shadow engulfing him!

Before he could see what it was, there came a bang. Wang Er Laizi's head burst like a watermelon, red and white splattering everywhere!

"My good Third Brother is dead. Why are you still alive?"

"To accompany Third Brother in death is your honor!"

"Rest assured. This Stronghold Master will send every last one of your Wang Family Village down to join him!"

"So your whole family can be neat and whole together!"

Golden-Eyed Leopard's huge, muscular body stood before Wang Er Laizi's headless corpse. The shadow he cast completely swallowed it, while his cold, emotionless, gloomy voice reverberated through the stronghold hall.

His millstone-sized fist was clenched tight, as though forged from iron, brimming with a heart-shaking sense of power. Blood stained the heavy fist and dripped onto the ground, drop by drop.

It was this very fist that had blown apart Wang Er Laizi's head on the spot!

"Alas, we were clearly about to withdraw, yet Third Brother fell at such a time."

"Big Brother, what should we do next? Should I lead men to flatten Wang Family Village and seize that brat Yang Qingyun, then carve him into a thousand pieces?"

At that moment,

A thin, gaunt figure with a somewhat sinister face emerged from the shadows of the stronghold hall.

This man was the Second Boss of Black Wind Stronghold,

Xin Yuan, known as the Black Viper.

When Wang Er Laizi had recounted in detail what happened that day, he had remained beside them all along.

He looked at Wang Er Laizi's limp, headless corpse on the ground without much concern and spoke as he analyzed the matter:

"However, if this fool's account was correct, then Third Brother must have assumed that the boy called Yang Qingyuan was merely a Mortal. He grew careless and ended up capsizing in a gutter!"

"But how could a Mortal kill Third Brother, who had already reached mid-Entry Realm? And how could he wipe out all the lackeys who had gone along with him?"

"There is likely something strange about this matter!"

The Second Boss, Black Viper, revealed a thoughtful expression as he analyzed the situation.

"Hmph! What is so strange about it? Third Brother had limited vision. Though an Entry Realm Warrior can lord it over a place as rural as this, in truth, he is still nothing worth mentioning."

"Although an Entry Realm Warrior can refine Qi and Blood and possess strength far beyond that of ordinary people, he is still only flesh and blood. Even a child with a knife can stab one to death!"

Unlike the Second Boss, who had his doubts, Golden-Eyed Leopard was not particularly puzzled. He spoke disdainfully instead.

"That brat most likely stumbled upon some legacy left behind by a senior expert in some deep mountain forest and mastered some profound saber technique, which was why Third Brother fell into his hands!"

"But if he is not a warrior, then that is all he amounts to!"

As he spoke,

Greed surfaced in Golden-Eyed Leopard's eyes.

Even the death of Third Brother, whom he had called as dear to him as his own hands and feet, seemed to have faded considerably.

To kill an Entry Realm Warrior across realms, it had to be an exceedingly profound saber technique!

If he could seize it,

Wouldn't it be even more formidable in his own hands?!

A glint flashed through Black Viper's eyes. He had already guessed Golden-Eyed Leopard's intentions.

"If that is the case, Big Brother, I will head down the mountain at once, bring men to bind that brat, and force him to reveal his opportunity and methods!"

"Go. Take a hundred men, along with ten Black Wind Iron Cavalry!"

"Xiao Yu is about to be promoted to an inner disciple of the White Feather Sect. If we can force that method out of him and send it to Xiao Yu, he will have another measure of confidence when competing for a direct disciple position in the White Feather Sect! The benefits we can gain will be even greater!"

"But be careful. I have already lost one brother as dear to me as my own hands and feet. Do not end up buried there as well!"

Golden-Eyed Leopard waved his hand,

And spoke in a deep voice.

"Rest assured, Big Brother. A Mortal is a Mortal in the end. No matter how strong his techniques are, he cannot fight an army alone!"

"On this journey, I will not fail my mission!"

"Big Brother, simply wait in the stronghold for my good news!"

Black Viper laughed,

His face bearing the confidence of one who had everything firmly in hand!