Hearing the Name of the Marquis of Pacifying the Realm, Startled by the Position of the Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends

"You are Li Diao?"

However, Qiu Yan did not immediately follow the other man's lead. Instead, he asked a question in return.

Li Diao still wore a smile as he nodded. "Just an insignificant name, not worth mentioning. Marquis, please..." He turned to leave.

But Qiu Yan remained where he was and nodded. "I know you. You were originally the owner of a money house. After committing an offense and suffering an attempted revenge killing, you eventually went up the mountain and took charge of the stronghold's finances and provisions."

Li Diao's heart jolted at those words. He knew the other man had come prepared, and he became even more cautious.

He had long heard of Qiu Yan's reputation. Their reason for asking Qiu Yan to come had been to set up a whole chain of schemes. Yet now, it seemed the arrangements along the road had all come to nothing. Otherwise, Qiu Yan could never have arrived at the stronghold today.

Yesterday, the spies in the Imperial City had also sent word that Huang Yan and the others had been captured and were to be sent to the Imperial City for trial. On top of that, the chief and the others had had their cultivation sealed, and even the stone basin that suppressed Fortune had been taken away. The entire stronghold stood on the brink of collapse, yet Qiu Yan had come knocking. They had no choice but to respond.

Yet even in such circumstances, that chief still wanted to seize control of the situation and hold the initiative. That was why they had previously ignored Qiu Yan and even tacitly permitted the vanguard officer's actions. *He truly is the Marquis of Pacifying the Realm, who has fought north and south and earned a fearsome reputation. Such petty tricks