Wang Xiaoqiang inadvertently kidnapped Xia Dieyu, the precious daughter of the Xia Family, only to end up doing Xia Junjie a big favor. This delighted Xia Junjie no end, leading him to heap praise upon Wang Xiaoqiang.

Well, this is unexpectedly hitting the mark by a fluke!

With a playful smile, Wang Xiaoqiang couldn't help but say, "Young Master Xia means to say, we could use Xia Dieyu as a hostage to threaten your elder brother, Xia Yunjie?"

"Exactly," Xia Junjie said.

Wang Xiaoqiang said, "Young Master Xia, logically speaking, Xia Dieyu should also be your half-sister from the same father. Are you really able to go through with this?"

Xia Junjie was undisturbed and said, "So what? Am I supposed to sacrifice my own life for her consideration, and not be a decisive man? A cautious man never becomes a gentleman; those who achieve great things never sweat the small stuff. Young Hero Wang, as long as you can help me secure the position of the City Lord, I'll marry both of my sisters to you, how about that?"

Wang Xiaoqiang gave an awkward smile, stroked his chin, and said, "Let's talk about that when the time comes! Talking about these things now seems premature..."

"Mmm, Young Master Wang is a wise man. By now you must also understand my intentions," Xia Junjie continued in a lowered voice, "I'll share with you another piece of information. The City Lord's Mansion, that is, my father's treasury, has amassed a large number of Demon Crystals and many Corpse Crystals as well. Once I take over as City Lord and gain control over the treasury, awards will be given out based on merit. By then, it won't just be dozens of Demon Crystals, but hundreds, perhaps thousands of them that will be distributed."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaoqiang didn't show too much excitement, as he understood deeply that when the birds are gone, good bows are put away!

Once Xia Junjie takes the position of City Lord, who knows if he'll turn around and betray his allies?!

However, now that he was caught in the middle, he had no choice. When the time came, he would act according to the situation—above all, survival was the most important.

So he nodded with a faint smile and assured, "Rest assured, I will try my utmost."

Wang Xiaoqiang didn't say that he'd hand Xia Dieyu over to Xia Junjie because Xia Dieyu was an excellent bargaining chip, or rather, an amulet. With Xia Dieyu in hand, in the upcoming battles with Xia Yunjie, Xia Yunjie would hesitate to attack Wang Xiaoqiang, which could save his life in a moment of crisis.

Seeing that Wang Xiaoqiang had no intention of handing over the hostage, Xia Dieyu, Xia Junjie also did not ask for her. At this critical juncture, when he needed to win people's allegiance, he couldn't afford conflicts that might lead to defections against him later.

"Young Master Wang, you return and rest for now. Wait for my message tonight," Xia Junjie said.

Wang Xiaoqiang replied, "That sounds good."

After the two parted ways, Xia Junjie went off to busy himself, while Wang Xiaoqiang returned to his room. He ran into Yang Ling and told her there would be action tonight, warning her to be prepared. Yang Ling nodded and ordered the preparation of food and wine.

After dinner, Xia Junjie arrived, accompanied by ten people, six men and four women. Among them, two men had a cultivation base above the Fifth Transformation of the Immortal. The four women were also not to be underestimated; two were at the Fourth Transformation of the Immortal, and the other two—one at the Fifth and one at the Seventh Transformations. The woman of the Seventh Transformation, veiled in a black scarf with faint black mist swirling around her, was clearly not someone from the Righteous Path.

Well, that makes sense. The Rogue Cultivators are inherently opposed to the orthodox cultivators and regarded as fiends in their eyes.

Upon meeting, Xia Junjie seemed in a hurry. He didn't bother to introduce the others to Wang Xiaoqiang but urgently said, "My father is critically ill and has summoned me to the Main Mansion for a declaration. Young Hero Wang, would you accompany me?"

With no reason to refuse, Wang Xiaoqiang nodded and said, "I'll go back to my room to get ready."

He went back inside and said to Yang Ling, "A storm is brewing. You better hide in the Sumeru Ring for now. There's a woman inside named Xia Dieyu, the blood sister of the eldest young lord Xia Yunjie and the hostage I've captured. Take good care of her and avoid conflict."

Yang Ling nodded in agreement.

With a thought, Wang Xiaoqiang spirited Yang Ling into the Sumeru Ring. Then he emerged from his room and flew into the sky with the group, heading towards the Xia Family Main Mansion.

The Xia Family Main Mansion covered thousands of acres and was very large, with tall walls and majestic gates that looked incredibly imposing. Inside, flying was forbidden, so the group landed outside the mansion gates and proceeded on foot after notifying the gatekeepers.

Once inside the mansion, Wang Xiaoqiang observed that the architecture reminded him of the palatial splendor of the Imperial Palace in Ancient Huaxia, as tranquil and serene as the gardens of Suzhou. Even the female servants in the mansion were exceptionally pleasing to the eye, comparable to celebrity idols on Earth.

When the group arrived at a grand hall, they saw a multitude of women kneeling on the ground. Though dressed in plain clothes, their stunning beauty was evident; they ranged in age and were the wives and concubines of Xia Hou.

At a glance, there must have been over a hundred.

In addition to the kneeling women, there were two groups standing by, belonging to the other Xia sons and their commanders – all experts around the Fifth Transformation of the Immortal.

Eldest young lord Xia Yunjie hadn't arrived, evidently still in search of Xia Dieyu.

Seeing Xia Yunjie absent made Xia Junjie visibly happy.

At that moment,

a servant invited Xia Junjie into the inner hall.

Not long after, Xia Yunjie and his men rushed in.

Upon seeing that Xia Junjie was not there, Xia Yunjie inquired with Xia Hou's personal attendant. Learning that Xia Junjie had been summoned inside, he wore a dramatically changed expression. He gave Wang Xiaoqiang and the rest a cold glance before heading towards the inner hall himself,

but before he could enter, Xia Junjie emerged, hoisting a token high above his head and shouting to those present, "The Master's Token is here—kneel and heed my command."

When Xia Yunjie saw the Family Head's token in Xia Junjie's hands, he knew his father had passed the position to him, but he refused to obey. With a grab in the air with his right hand, it flashed with a bright light.

Instantly, he conjured a long sword and lunged for the token in Xia Junjie's hand.

Xia Junjie did not expect Xia Yunjie to be so bold, to actually disregard their father's authority and the token of the Family Head. He quickly withdrew his hand and sidestepped, shouting, "Xia Yunjie, in your betrayal and insubordination, you shall be put to death with no mercy!"

"Xia Junjie, plotting to usurp the position! Kill him for me," Xia Yunjie also roared. He boosted his Spiritual Power and thrust the Immortal Sword in his hand toward Xia Junjie's throat.

Immediately, chaos erupted inside the hall.

The people on Xia Junjie's side and those on Xia Yunjie's side began to fight each other.

The other two groups, however, stood by with their arms crossed, watching the fray with schadenfreude.

Wang Xiaoqiang, seeing both sides engage with equivalent manpower and strength, knew that continuing this fight would only lead to mutual destruction, possibly allowing the other two Young Lords to reap the benefits, while they would end up as expendable pawns. So he decided not to give it his all, merely going through the motions and focusing on survival.

In the midst of the fierce battle, a corner of the great hall was blown open, and the fight spilled outside.

Under the attack of an Immortal who had achieved the Fifth Transformation, Wang Xiaoqiang kept retreating, unwilling to use his deadly moves for fear of drawing too much attention and a mass attack.

Yet the Immortal, seeing Wang Xiaoqiang continuously retreat, thought Wang Xiaoqiang was no match for him and became even more spirited, hoping to finish him with a single blow. The Immortal channeled all his Spiritual Power into his Sword Body and sliced down with his sword.

The sword cut through the air with a thunderous roar.

Wang Xiaoqiang's eyes flashed, ready to draw out the Penglai Immortal Sword to defend himself, but unexpectedly, at the critical moment, a masked woman suddenly swept in, waving a long scarf, engulfing the area with dark mist. It coiled like snakes, ensnaring the opponent's Sword Light, and with a flick of her wrist, she flung the opponent's sword away.

Surprised, Wang Xiaoqiang amid this bloody slaughter, someone actually came to his aid. He turned to look and saw that it was the most powerful woman in the group, the masked woman who had reached the Seventh Transformation of the Immortal.

The woman repelled the attacker's sword and waved her hand, releasing some kind of Hidden Weapon. All that could be heard was the whistling sound as a series of needle-like projectiles flew, striking the male opponent's face.

Ah!

Caught off guard, the man was hit by the Hidden Weapon and blood beads appeared on his face, a terrifying sight.

"A Third Turn Immortal daring to join the fray, seeking death!" the masked woman exclaimed.

Although the woman's face couldn't be seen, her voice was very familiar. Several women flashed through Wang Xiaoqiang's mind – Yans Ruxue, Yans Ruyu, Yans Biluo, Heavenly Demoness, Jin Qiaoqiao... Startled for a moment, he decisively said, "Are you the Heavenly Demoness?"

"Good that you know. Remember, you owe me a life, and in the future, you will repay it," the Heavenly Demoness said, then reminded him, "Follow me, and stop throwing your life away unnecessarily."

Wang Xiaoqiang felt a warmth in his heart. They say grace from a one-day marriage could last a hundred days. Well, it seems that's true. This woman, with whom he had once shared intimacy, although she existed like a Demon Leader, also had a tender side.

Wang Xiaoqiang nodded and followed the Heavenly Demoness.

The Heavenly Demoness was quick and ruthless in her attacks, her spells strange and varied, with countless techniques at her disposal. In no time, three more men died by her hand.

Wang Xiaoqiang did not understand why the Heavenly Demoness would serve a Young City Lord. Now was not the time to think about such things. He feigned weakness, closely following the Heavenly Demoness without expending his strength.

The forces gathered by Xia Junjie and those under Xia Yunjie's command were evenly matched, clashing fiercely for half an hour, a scenario of mutual destruction.

On Xia Junjie's side, aside from Wang Xiaoqiang, all of the individuals below the Fifth Transformation of the Immortal were sacrificed.

On Xia Yunjie's side, likewise, there were heavy casualties, and at this point, only two elders who had achieved the Eight Turns remained.

These two elders had profound cultivation bases, and now they were seeing red. Watching the Heavenly Demoness slaughter their men, they joined forces to attack her.

The Heavenly Demoness could handle one Eight Turns Immortal on her own, but against two, she was completely outclassed.

Seeing the two elders latch on relentlessly, the Heavenly Demoness fought as she retreated, shouting a warning to Wang Xiaoqiang, "What are you still following me for? Run for your life!"

Not only did Wang Xiaoqiang ignore her, but he also suddenly made a move, drawing out the Penglai Immortal Sword and channeling his Spiritual Power into it. He swung the sword towards the two elders.

"Hmph, a Third Turn Immortal dares to be so brazen here! Truly tired of living!" The two elders didn't take Wang Xiaoqiang seriously at all. Seeing him attack, they didn't even dodge. They concentrated their Spiritual Power, swung their arms together, dispersing Wang Xiaoqiang's Penglai Immortal Sword and advanced on him, intent on capturing him to threaten the Heavenly Demoness.

"Be careful!" the Heavenly Demoness shouted.

Unexpectedly, Wang Xiaoqiang was far from cautious, and his face even showed a playful smile.

The two elders, seeing Wang Xiaoqiang smiling at such a moment, were amused for a moment. As they were about to capture him, Wang Xiaoqiang's expression suddenly turned cold, and he struck out with both palms.

Crack! Crack! (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

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