The Intimidation Worked, Regarding the Lady

Li Xian pulled out the martial arts technique "Tiger Gate Claw".

During the fight just now, Lu Xuefeng used several martial arts techniques. His "Extreme Iron Palm" and "Hard Qigong" were similar to Peng Fox's.

Only the Tiger Gate Claw technique was his trump card. He had kept it hidden for a long time, only revealing it when forced to.

"Martial arts techniques from the Jianghu are incredibly valuable; this technique is probably worth over a hundred taels of silver. Even for bandits, it would take them a very long time to accumulate such wealth."

Li Xian knew that martial arts skills were hard to come by.

The transmission of martial arts from master to disciple, disciple to grandson, level by level, is mostly done orally. It's a gradual process, like squeezing toothpaste. Sometimes, to ensure the disciple's sincerity and filial piety, the master might even deliberately create difficulties to cause the disciple to go astray during practice.

I'd like to seek answers to my questions.

Then, using another tactic, they completely subdued him.

Such behavior is not uncommon in the manor. Pang Long does not teach martial arts, but the Grade-Four House Guard, and D, number in the hundreds, and many of them share the same martial arts.

Even with martial arts manuals, one can learn by following the instructions, which is sufficient for Initiation. However, if one wants to achieve a deeper level of mastery more quickly, one needs to seek guidance from a master.

It's practically a mini- Jianghu.

"The martial arts techniques taught by Ma Daozi must have been passed down orally. This Tiger Gate Claw, however, did not originate from Ma Daozi; rather, it was obtained privately by Lu Xuefeng."

"Lu Xuefeng possessed exceptional talent and was gradually displaying the Tiger-Leopard Aspect, indicating he was no ordinary person. He secretly practiced martial arts."

"Although they have sworn brotherhood, it is uncertain whether there is genuine affection between them. On the contrary, there may be a lot of wariness, suspicion, and jealousy."

Li Xian sat on the eaves, rubbing her chin, her brows slightly furrowed.

This conclusion is based on common sense. Since his arrival from another time, all the people he has encountered have been driven by self-interest.

A person of true character...

Pang Long could barely be considered half a man. But he devoted all his heart and soul to his wife, his loyalty and devotion were as clear as day. Yet his wife ignored him.

"If they have no feelings for each other, then Ma Daozi, as the eldest brother, should be somewhat wary of the Fifth Master."

I killed the third, fourth, and fifth leaders in succession, firstly to eliminate what they feared, and secondly to demonstrate my strength.

With solid strength, then invoking the wife's name would make that Ma Daozi hesitate...

"If he finds it difficult to kill, he should reconsider."

Li Xian's eyes were bright.

Regardless of whether they have any feelings for each other, Ma Daozi definitely hates himself. But on this level, why not make Ma Daozi have one more thing to worry about?

He immediately went back to his room and retrieved paper and pen.

He wrote:

"Mountain Wind Stronghold, acquired."

As he pondered this in his mind, he wrote:

"I have long heard that Mountain Wind Stronghold acts tyrannically, plundering villagers and harassing my Black River Village for many years, cutting off our water supply and looting countless grains."

"I will execute these three as punishment."

"If they commit the offense again, Overturn Mountain wipe them out completely."

Li Xian imitated the wife's tone of voice.

After a moment's deliberation, she wrote the four characters "[Lady Broken Sword]" at the end.

Ma Daozi may not have heard of the title "Madam".

"It's uncertain whether this plan will succeed; we need to set traps in advance, just in case."

Li Xian prepared his bow and arrows and went to Mountain Wind Stronghold.

The mountain stronghold was completely deserted. The rest of us bandits, after being indiscriminately slaughtered by Lu Xuefeng, were either dead or had fled.

While it may seem like a devastating blow to the stronghold, as long as Ma Daozi remains alive, and he returns to the stronghold to personally oversee things, those small fry will spontaneously flock to him again.

Place the envelope in a prominent place.

Li Xian turned and left.

One day later.

At the Mountain Wind Pass, the black cauldron was boiling, and a pot of Essence Soup was about to be ready.

"Boss, we're almost out of charcoal. After this batch, we'll have to buy more."

Hong Kai, the second-in-command of Mountain Wind Stronghold, was guarding a box of "smokeless charcoal." Seeing that the charcoal was almost empty, he shook his head and sighed.

Thinking back to my early life, I had no firewood or rice, and worried about finding charcoal. Later, I became a bandit in the mountains, practicing martial arts, but...

Still worried about finding charcoal.

"The charcoal's gone again?"

Ma Daozi frowned. "The smokeless charcoal isn't strong enough. We've burned over a hundred pounds, and it still hasn't cooked the Essence Food properly."

"Boss, how about we use a different type of charcoal for the next batch?" Hong Kai said.

"Exchange for charcoal?" Ma Daozi cursed, "It's not that easy. The wealth our village plunders in a year is barely enough to buy a hundred catties of smokeless charcoal."

"That's only enough for one trip to the cauldron."

"If I wanted something better, let alone whether I had the authority, my wallet... simply couldn't hold it all."

The two exchanged a glance.

As the powerful leader of the mountain stronghold, he was naturally glamorous and feared by all.

But if one is a martial artist who has undergone Bone Recasting, and broadens their horizons even further...

He was in an indescribable predicament; putting aside everything else, the sheer amount of "charcoal firewood" was enough to make him unable to straighten his back.

Even so, that "smokeless charcoal" is still the lowest grade of charcoal.

Insufficient firepower.

A pot of Essence Food takes nearly ten days to cook evenly. If it's a better quality "Essence Treasure," it will take even longer.

The amount of carbon consumed is naturally greater.

Ordinary firewood cannot even penetrate the walls of the cauldron.

With no outsiders present, Hong Kai said, "Boss, how about we stop practicing martial arts and just be honest mountain chiefs? This money is enough for us to live a very comfortable life."

"Fart."

A glint flashed in Ma Daozi's eyes as he said, "In the end, you're just a country farmer your whole life; your perspective is limited to this small thing."

"You say you don't practice martial arts because you haven't seen what it's like up there. If you had seen it, even just a tiny bit, you definitely wouldn't want to wallow in this quagmire."

"If I enter the Second Realm, I will definitely return!"

"What good is it for a mere mountain stronghold chief to be stuck in this godforsaken wilderness?"

Hong Kai looked at the strand of white hair at the back of Ma Daozi's head and said nothing more.

The five leaders of Mountain Wind Stronghold.

Hong Kai the only one who followed Ma Daozi the longest, for over ten years...

If one were to ask who Ma Daozi trusted most, it would undoubtedly be him. However, it wasn't because the two shared similar interests or compatible personalities, but rather...

When Hong Kai joined Mountain Wind Stronghold, he was already quite old, and his Qi and Blood was beginning to decline.

He was ruthless, having killed and skinned people in his youth. In reality, his martial arts skills were not particularly advanced; he could barely Qi Circulation Through the Heavens. However, his Qi and Blood had deteriorated significantly, and he would never be able to "Essence Consumption" again in this lifetime.

Therefore, he alone was able to discuss this matter with Ma Daozi.

He only gleaned a slight understanding of the Bone Recasting world of the Great Wu from a few fragmented words spoken by Ma Daozi.

"Second brother, it seems fifth brother won't be coming back."

Ma Daozi looked into the distance and saw that it was already dark. Several days had passed since Lu Xuefeng left. Suddenly, he spoke.

"Brother, this time the enemy..." Hong Kai's expression changed.

"The one who could kill Fifth Brother might also be a cultivator at the Essence Consumption Realm," Ma Daozi said solemnly, touching the two swords under his armpit.

"Brother, are we still going to seek revenge?" Hong Kai asked.

The answer was already in my heart as soon as the words left my mouth.

"Let's wait and see." Ma Daozi didn't respond. "Since Fifth Brother isn't coming, I plan to keep his share of the [Essence Food]."

"Since we've run out of charcoal, I'll offer it to Chai Dongjia to smooth things over. I hope he can give me a 30% discount next year, which will save me a lot of money."

"If I could hook my toes around Master Chai's toes, hehe, the responsibility of being the leader of this mountain stronghold would be yours. Master Chai, I'd be more than happy to give me any job."

There was not a trace of hatred in his eyes, only a vague sense of the future.

And so another day was spent cooking.

The broth is perfectly prepared, its aroma filling the air. The large portion of sesame seed soup allows the essence of heaven and earth to circulate within the body, yet only a tiny fraction is absorbed.

It was sealed away in a special treasure box.

As for the Soup and other liquids, they were given to Hong Kai to drink.

It's not that Ma Daozi didn't want to take it all for himself.

Rather, they are "Essence Consumption" martial artists, who, although capable of absorbing and digesting the Heaven and Earth Essence, have limited digestive abilities. No matter how much they eat, they cannot digest it all, and the excess will still be carried away by the wind.

To preserve it, a special treasure box is required.

But this item... is even more expensive than the "Essence Treasure" in Ma Daozi's hands.

The two returned to the camp.

Seeing that the village was empty, Ma Daozi went straight into the Brotherhood Hall and found a note on the table.

"Lady Broken Sword?"

After reading the note, Ma Daozi felt neither fear nor joy, only confusion.

Lady Broken Sword?

Who is this person?

Ma Daozi thought to himself:

"The letter writer is incredibly arrogant, acting as if he has me cornered. Hmph, I, Ma Daozi, am no pushover! If a fight breaks out, why would I be afraid!"

"Third brother was wise, fourth brother was reckless, and fifth brother was skilled in martial arts. They all died at that man's hands. Our Mountain Wind Stronghold is now completely wiped out, a truly desolate sight. The losses are enormous."

But...

Ma Daozi felt uneasy.

"If I recklessly fight him, and if he is also a [Essence Consumption] expert, I'm afraid it will be very risky."

"My losses may seem great, but in reality, it's not that serious. Although my third brother is resourceful, he is not irreplaceable. Besides, we live by plundering in the mountains, so why do we need such great strategies?"

My fourth brother is brave, but he's also quite brainless and often gets into trouble. My fifth brother is exceptionally talented. Hmph, if he were to also become Essence Consumption, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to defeat him. I also need to find a way to kill him beforehand."

There was no affection to begin with; it was all about mutual exploitation. Now, with the calculation of interests in mind, and this change of heart, the desire for revenge vanished.

But how can we pretend that this huge loss never happened?

He kept this in mind, and when he met Chai Dongjia the next day, he asked him who the "Lady Broken Sword" was.

We'll make other plans.

"Sir, as you predicted, bandits have started appearing in that village again recently."

Uncle Fu came in a hurry.

Li Xian remained calm; it seemed the chieftain had returned.

"Sir, how about we charge in and kill them all at once?" Uncle Fu asked.

"No need."

Li Xian shook his head and said, "You all keep a close eye on them. If they don't attack, you don't need to take action."

"Alright." Uncle Fu, leaning on his cane, relayed his words throughout the village.

Although Black River Village faces a formidable enemy.

But recently, with everyone having enough to eat and wear, the villagers' complexions have actually improved.

Li Xian already knows the result.

It's highly unlikely that Mountain Wind Stronghold will attack.

If there were true friendship, they would have come to kill us by now. But Mountain Wind Stronghold remains a potential threat.

"If they don't come to kill us, my trap will be useless."

Li Xian didn't claim to be fully prepared, but he had exhausted his efforts and made calculations, and had a plan in mind.

"That's good... There will be a period of peace ahead. I'll also have fewer trivial matters to bother me."

"What a fine person, quietly cultivating martial arts!"

Li Xian circulated his Inner Qi. The Inner Qi surged, and the heat flowed along his meridians, making him feel refreshed and energetic.

Practicing martial arts...

Most of the time, it's all about cultivating this Inner Qi.

"In two more days, once the situation is completely stable, I'll catch all the Crab Treasure!"

"Until then, focusing on improving your martial arts skills is the priority!"

Following his memory, Li Xian unleashed two palm strikes in mid-air.

The shockwave swept across the area with tremendous force.

Only when a martial artist has sufficient Inner Qi can they truly unleash the power of their martial arts.

"The Four Directions Fist can be put aside for now."

"Next, it's time to practice the Jade Luo Palm and the Great Luo Saber!"

"The Jade Luo Palm, what exactly is so strange about this martial art? Why does Qiuyue look at it so strangely?"

"Could it be... related to Madam?"