A Fearsome Reputation

Ma Heipao, the original chieftain of Ma Household Stockade, was a rare Late Qi Refinement cultivator among the Rogue Cultivator. With this cultivation level and a mid-grade magic Law Artifact Mystic Wind Robe that could be used for both offense and defense, he made a name for himself in the vicinity, thus gaining the capital to rule as king of this trade route.

Few people around the area remember what Ma Household Stockade was called before. Anyway, after Ma Heipao came and slaughtered the original owner's family, the place became known as Ma Household Stockade.

But just over a month ago, Ma Heipao's good days also came to an end when a group of thieves from Pingrong County occupied his village.

The only female cultivator in the group was ruthless. After knocking off Ma Heipao's Mystic Wind Robe, she immediately hung him up and slowly sliced him to death.

The seventeen or eighteen henchmen recruited by Ma Heipao were originally tough guys who dared to fight and kill, but they all obediently submitted to the seven or eight fierce men who came.

It's all Ma Heipao's fault for losing too quickly, not even giving his henchmen a chance to help.

Everyone was risking their lives to follow the powerful and earn enough for their cultivation. Now that the leader was gone, changing allegiances was no problem for these lackeys.

It doesn't matter who you freeload from.

However, it is rare for a chieftain to have no loyal subordinates like Ma Heipao, which saves the newly arrived cultivators the trouble of winning people's hearts.

For the original henchmen of Ma Household Stockade, having a new leader and a group of more capable people in charge was, to some extent, a good thing.

The henchmen guarding the mountain pass looked at the curvaceous female cultivator in front of them. Even though she had a prominent bust and a beautiful face, these wicked men, who were used to committing crimes, couldn't help but feel their mouths watering.

But as soon as they think about the clean-cut skeleton of the former leader, the little crooked thoughts that have just arisen in their hearts will naturally be extinguished. How many fools can survive in this world?

"This one's taste is not something someone like me can handle."

The henchmen whispered among themselves for a while. At this moment, another leader came down from the village. He was a one-eyed man with a numb face and a crooked mouth.

He bypassed the group of henchmen and walked up to the female cultivator, whispering, "Sister Shao, our scouts just reported that it's the He Household's merchant caravan that's coming."

"Is He Dezong here?" the female cultivator asked softly.

"I haven't seen them. There are only two old Late Qi Refinement of Qi Refining who are guest elders." The one-eyed man shook his head and said. His face was frozen by ice spikes and he couldn't make any expressions, but the trace of infatuation with the female cultivator in front of him flowed from his only remaining eye.

Unfortunately, the king was willing, but the goddess was indifferent. The female cultivator nodded slightly, saying nothing more, letting that trace of infatuation brush past her.

The one-eyed man understood the female cultivator's meaning, "If that's the case, then the original plan to take over the He Household's caravan remains unchanged."

Two of the women in their group had been recruited by a corrupt official and their foundations were damaged in the ensuing battle. They now urgently needed to earn some Spirit Stone to find a skilled Alchemist for treatment.

While being a stationary bandit here is safe, it doesn't bring in as much money as being a itinerant bandit, so nobody wants to stay here for long.

Not long after the two finished speaking, a caravan carrying a leopard flag came by in a grand procession, kicking up dust as it went, making no attempt to conceal itself.

For the He Household, who have been trading in the surrounding counties for nearly a century and have intricate connections with a Foundation Establishment, there is indeed no need to pay too much attention to minor village chiefs like Ma Heipao.

Moreover, He Household, who was leading the group, happened to meet He Degong had just broken through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer and was traveling, so they decided to travel together.

The addition of a Middle Qi Refinement cultivator has further enhanced the team's strength.

However, the Ma Household Stockade had already changed hands, and the other bandits around could not explain the origins of this group of roving thieves, which made He Household and He Degong, who were leading the group, cautious.

On the surface, they continued to raise their flags high to intimidate their opponents, but secretly, all the cultivators in the caravan were prepared, waiting for any change in the situation to immediately engage in combat.

The caravan was fully armed and ready for battle, while two more bandit leaders emerged from their stronghold, both pale-faced and seemingly still wounded. Under the orders of their leaders, the bandits also began to stand ready for battle.

The henchmen had dealt with the He Household's caravan quite a bit over the years; they weren't exactly on good terms, but the relationship certainly wasn't bad.

This was because the He Household was generous and had many good connections. Every time they came, besides the usual things that needed to be handed over to Ma Heipao, they would also be generous in giving some benefits to the subordinates on duty.

If it weren't for the generosity of these leaders, who promised that half of the spoils from robbing the caravan would go to the four leaders and the other half would be distributed among the henchmen according to their merits, no one would have been willing to fight against a kind family like the He Household.

Just as the caravan was about to reach the barricades in the middle of the road, one of the most daring henchmen put on his usual cheerful expression and went to greet Lu Xun, who was leading the pack animals.

After bowing, he politely accepted the bag of Spirit Stone from Lu Xun's hand, weighed it in his hand, and then gave a fawning smile before turning to leave.

"Uncle Gong, it seems the new master of Ma Household Stockade isn't a fool. We were just overthinking it." The leader of the group, He Household, had a happy expression on his face, failing to detect any danger in the scene.

He Degong, however, remained frowning and said sternly, "Tell everyone to be careful and not let their guard down. A little more relaxation won't make a difference."

As the saying goes, "a fall into a pit, a gain in your wit," and after experiencing the upheavals of the Black Mountain Bandits and the Three Incense Cult, He Degong has matured considerably. The smugness he had acquired in his previous years due to his comfortable family background has dissipated, making him appear much more mature.

The caravan had just passed through the barricade and was halfway there when a close associate of the new chieftain, having heard that the He Household's caravan was passing by, came to pay a visit.

This was a common excuse used by bandits to extort money. When the leader of the group, He Household, saw that the chieftain's attendant who came to greet him was a graceful and elegant female cultivator, his vigilance dropped considerably. Even He Degong, who was standing to the side, became less cautious as well.

Lu Xun recognized the approaching female cultivator but hadn't yet remembered who she was when he heard He Degong shout from behind him.

"Careful!"

Du Qing, who was carrying the leopard flag, was pulled away by He Degong beside him. The He Household flag, which was still in place, was immediately smashed into pieces by a giant hammer.

Before Du Qing could react, He Household was so captivated by the fragrant breath exhaled by the female cultivator that he was immediately wrapped up and captured by a long whip covered in sharp spikes.

"Oh no!" Lu Xun, who also witnessed this scene, thought to himself that something was wrong, when he saw that one of the two late-stage cultivators, the old man in black, was also caught off guard and wrapped in a long whip with sharp spikes.

He wasn't as lucky as the He Household. The sharp barbs on the whip easily tore through his black shirt and pierced his flesh. The poison quickly seeped into Lao Xiu's blood, and in no time, his face turned bluish-black.

Despite using all sorts of methods, he couldn't break free from the long whip wrapped around his body for a while, and he was in a very sorry state.

Another late-stage cultivator in blue robes from the He Household caravan was immediately shocked. His strength was roughly equal to that of the old man in black, and the latter had been defeated so easily. What about himself?

Just as he was hesitating, He Degong, who had been attacked, remained calm and composed. He led Du Qing and a servant of the He Household family to kill two henchmen who were rushing to the front to take advantage of the situation.

Then, carrying the still-dripping head of a henchman, he shouted amidst the chaos, "Who are you, my friend? This is the Hong County He Household. Don't let the flood wash away your own temple!"

This wasn't just a message directed at the leaders on the other side.

Some of the henchmen who had rushed forward upon receiving the battle order began to murmur to themselves upon hearing the words "Hong County He Household": "This group is not only strong, but they also have powerful families. We need to think carefully about this."

Some of the more calculating henchmen deliberately softened their movements.

They were clever and cunning, and were not blinded by the promises of bonuses from the leaders. They thought that if the He Household really came to settle accounts later, they should be treated leniently if they hadn't been involved in any murders.

The henchmen's surprise attack was somewhat less effective due to He Degong's stern shout, but the leaders' eyes remained unwavering.

The bandit leader swung his giant hammer and slammed it down on the old man in blue. Although the bandit leader was a level lower in cultivation, he still overwhelmed the old man in blue, leaving him with almost no chance to fight back and forcing him to retreat step by step.

Two other cultivators among the bandits, wielding spiked whips, abandoned the old man in black who was already being tortured to death by the poison, and led their henchmen into the caravan.

Despite their appearance—one cold-faced, one-eyed, and exceptionally ugly; the other pale and still recovering from serious injuries—their ruthless methods of killing are not to be underestimated.

Several Middle Qi Refinement cultivators from the He Household caravan immediately rushed forward to fight the two, and all their magical Law Artifact, including the bell, the tower, the mirror, and the chime, were unable to subdue them.

Especially the cold-faced, one-eyed whip-wielding cultivator, who was already at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, was difficult to withstand.

He Degong was worried about his nephew's safety, but when he turned around, he was also entangled by the pretty female cultivator. This woman was ruthless and unlike ordinary Rogue Cultivator.

He Degong unleashed a flying sword to counter the female cultivator's flying fork Law Artifact. His cultivation level was also significantly higher than hers, making it quite difficult for him to cope. He felt as if he were once again under the intense pressure of the Black Mountain Bandits leader Hei Wu.

Fortunately, the female cultivator's magical Law Artifact was newly acquired and she wasn't yet very skilled at using it, which gave him a slight chance to catch his breath.

But this situation couldn't save the caravan. He Degong could only protect himself, and the leader, He Household, had been captured by bandits long ago. All the methods the He Household had given the leader were useless.

Seeing that more and more caravan cultivators were falling to the bandits, He Degong turned anxious, and he shouted, "Fellow Daoist, you should think this through! He Dezong, the current patriarch of the He Household family, is my own elder brother!"

Upon hearing this, the female cultivator in front of him paused slightly, then the flying fork struck down mercilessly again.

He Degong's face was filled with shock. "Where did this tyrant come from?! So ruthless!"

Lu Xun was, after all, the head of his family, and had been traveling with the caravan for two years, so his family was relatively wealthy. His Sixth Layer of Qi Refining of Qi Refining, which was not bad either.

These ordinary bandits were difficult to gain the upper hand against him. He used his powerful magical Law Artifact to kill a shirtless bandit who was blocking his way.

At this moment, Du Qing, who was struggling against a bandit cultivator at the Qi Refining Second Layer wielding a halberd, finally saw his savior and immediately joined forces with Lu Xun to kill the opponent.

As the two met, Lu Xun turned his head and looked at the ruthless female cultivator in front of He Degong, feeling increasingly familiar with her.

After deflecting another incoming golden talisman, Lu Xun's expression suddenly hardened, and he raised his voice, saying, "But is it Fellow Daoist Shao Meng in front of me? I, Lu Xun of the Lu Household, had a relationship with you and your sister many years ago!"

Hearing this, Shao Meng did not change his actions, and Shao Wei, who was wielding a heavy hammer and beating the old man in blue until he vomited blood repeatedly, also showed no mercy.

Now they even dare to offend the He Household. The shallow friendship that Lu Xun formed with them many years ago is not enough to make them stop.

Besides, if they truly had a relationship, why didn't Lu Xun plead for them when that corrupt Kang Dabao forcibly conscripted them into the army?!

Lu Xun remained expressionless, tossing the caravan to Du Qing after shaking off his opponent, and then said, "Fellow Daoists, please hear me out. This caravan was promised by Patriarch He Dezong to the Chongming Sect Leader Kang, in order to forge a good relationship between our two families. I urge you all to show mercy out of consideration for Sect Leader Kang and He Household. I will surely repay you afterwards!"

He Degong, who was locked in a fierce battle with Shao Meng, felt a chill run down his spine. Even his own elder brother couldn't frighten these few thieving men and women, so what use would it be to bring up Kang Dabao?

Surprisingly, as soon as Lu Xun Fang Yi speaking, He Degong noticed that the bandit leaders exchanged glances and their movements became much lighter.

His pressure suddenly lessened, and before he could even feel happy, he heard the graceful female cultivator in front of him say angrily, "You surnamed Lu, are you trying to fool us? If you're lying, you'd better watch out, or I'll skin you alive!"

"It actually worked!" He Degong was extremely surprised, finding it unbelievable.

Which of the Chongming Sect's sworn brothers did these bandit leaders have connections with? Otherwise, how could his elder brother's name be less useful than Kang Dabao's?

"I, Lu, would not dare to lie and deceive you fellow Daoists! I was entrusted by Sect Leader Kang to contact the fellow Daoists of the He Household. Well, that fellow Daoist Du Qing is a disciple of the Chongming Sect, and I have the Chongming Sect's token as proof!" Lu Xun felt reassured and began to lie without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Shao Meng frowned slightly. The cold-faced, one-eyed whip-wielding cultivator abandoned his opponent and pointed his whip. The henchman who was using a Yin-Yang hook Law Artifact to slash Du Qing until he was covered in blood was swept away by the whip.

The long whip then took Du Qing's Storage Bag and handed it to the cultivator holding the whip. He expressionlessly shook out all the odds and ends from the bag.

Du Qing was originally a poor, independent Rogue Cultivator. If he hadn't joined the Chongming Sect, he wouldn't even have been worthy of Storage Bag. Even after hanging out with merchant caravans for a while, he still didn't have any wealth.

The Storage Bag contained few items, and the cold-faced, one-eyed cultivator easily retrieved a round wooden token with the two powerful characters "Double Brightness" on it.

Fang Yi got the token, the one-eyed cultivator gave Shao Meng, Shao Wei, and his elder brother a look. After a moment's thought, Shao Wei stopped his attack and spared the life of the old man in blue who was about to be crushed by the giant hammer.

He gathered his strength in his Dantian and shouted, "Stop!"

He Degong saw a hint of resentment in the eyes of the female cultivator in front of him, but she still put away the flying fork and returned to her own formation.

This relieved He Degong, but also gave him a sense of absurdity. "Now, Kang Dabao's name is actually more useful than my elder brother's!"

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