Speaking of the other side.

It was just past noon when the fourth leader, Niu Liang, returned to the stronghold angrily.

His body was covered in scars.

In recent days, Niu Liang had clashed with the Black Water Gang several times. He never gained any advantage and instead lost several great generals.

But he could blame no one else.

He knew well that the Black Water Gang was extremely skilled in water battles and ship battles. Blinded by anger, he still led the brothers recklessly into the fray.

Using his weaknesses against the enemy's strengths.

The outcome was predictable.

"Damn it, those bastards, those water rats, they're so damn despicable!"

"If they have the guts, why don't they come down and fight? I'll show them my mighty blade and won't stop until I have their heads!"

Though Niu Liang was a brute, he also knew fear. After suffering several major losses and nearly losing his life once, he dared not enter the water again.

But he couldn't afford to lose face.

So he provoked them from the mountains, challenging the Black Water Gang to come up. The situation evolved into mutual insults with no one able to do anything.

Niu Liang, filled with anger, returned to the stronghold, looking for a way to vent. Despite his frustration, he didn't forget to check on Third Brother.

"Cough, cough..."

Pang Huli coughed lightly, regaining consciousness, just waking up.

He managed to save his life thanks to his quick wit. Upon realizing he was poisoned, he immediately performed Blood Solidification and Aperture Closure to block the poison.

After taking the antidote pill, he managed to preserve his life.

But the Blood Seal Throat poison was extremely potent, and Pang Huli had danced with death; his Qi, blood, and spirit were severely depleted.

Without some miracle, he couldn't think about getting out of bed for months.

"Third Brother, you're awake!"

Niu Liang exclaimed in surprise.

"Fourth Brother," Pang Huli's voice was weak, "Black... Black River Village, is it destroyed?"

Niu Liang reminded, "Third Brother, you said it wrong. It's the Black Water Gang. Damn it, just mentioning it makes me angry!"

"Big Brother, Second Brother, and Fifth Brother can't free themselves. After all, the Mountain Wind Pass is by the river; those bastards might come and steal our stuff. I'm just one person, really can't do anything to them."

"What Black Water Gang?" Pang Huli was puzzled.

"Wasn't it the Black Water Gang that attacked you?" Niu Liang took out an arrow, with the words "Black Water Gang" written at the end.

"So, did you go looking for trouble with the Black Water Gang?" Pang Huli coughed a few times, weakened, unable even to muster anger.

In his heart, he scolded, Fourth Brother, oh Fourth Brother, you've been fooled by such an obvious frame-up method.

"Yes," Niu Liang scratched his head.

"Wrong, wrong!" Pang Huli said, "The one who attacked me was Black River Village, Black River Village!"

He was agitated. A seriously ill person lives on a single breath. If that breath is lost, the person is gone too. When Pang Huli said "wrong" twice, he expelled his breath, almost unable to catch it again.

Saying all this, he lost another three portions of his breath, quickly adjusting his Qi, afraid to speak loudly again.

"Really!"

"Damn it, Black River Village, those scoundrels dare to play us!?"

"Damn it, if I can't take the Black Water Gang, can't I take them?!"

Niu Liang got furious and walked out of the room without another word. Pang Huli thought to himself, oh no, realizing that although Fourth Brother's martial strength surpassed his, he was reckless and impulsive. Although normally, a great victory wouldn't be hard, considering his cleverness had still resulted in such a situation, relying on Fourth Brother's tactics...

Unexpectedly, there might again be unforeseen events. He should call Fifth Brother to join; only then would it be most steady.

He wanted to stop him, but his breath was weak, and his voice was not loud. And Niu Liang didn't listen, being used to going to Black River Village, he didn't take it seriously.

"Oh well, Fourth Brother has rallied his men. With overwhelming force, they probably won't lose."

Thus, Pang Huli comforted himself.

...

...

Niu Liang led thirty elite mountain bandits and fifty ordinary mountain bandits, heading fiercely towards Black River Village.

The thirty elite bandits all had horses, axes, and long knives as weapons. They were well-equipped, and their martial arts mastery wasn't weak; all knew at least a basic martial art.

Their Dantian contained Qi.

The ordinary bandits were slightly weaker.

"Damn it!"

"Take all their heads!"

Niu Liang shouted, spurring his horse ahead. By this time, the sky had begun to darken, reaching dusk.

As they rode:

Suddenly, the horse under him was tripped by a hemp rope, causing it to fall forward. The scene turned chaotic.

Then came the rumbling sound of explosions.

The gunpowder buried early on was ignited in secret. The charging momentum was disrupted in an instant; before the fight even began, the mountain bandits' formation was already a mess.

Li Xian shouted with Qi, "Hahaha, Mountain Wind Stronghold is indeed brainless, falling right for our Black Water Gang's scheme."

"This time, they're jumping into the trap willingly, hahaha."

He understood the opponent's background. This time, using the name "Black Water Gang" wasn't to frame but to scare the bandits' morale.

This strategy was indeed effective.

Many ordinary bandits turned pale with fright. They were adept at bullying villagers but facing a gang; they couldn't help but feel timid.

Having heard they fell for a "scheme," they were even more scared, fumbling in panic.

"Those who drop their weapons will not be killed; the rest will be cut down with one strike!"

Li Xian shouted.

Among them, some timid ones immediately dropped their weapons. The villagers of Black River Village, seeing that the bandits only bullied the weak, were far less intimidated, their fighting spirits high.

Forming up in ranks, they suddenly launched attacks from both sides of the road. Capturing the mountain bandits who surrendered, killing those who resisted.

If anyone was the hardest to deal with:

It was the horseback elite bandits. They had learned martial arts, and their long experience living on the edge made them more resistant.

They continued to resist desperately.

"Cast the net!" Li Xian shouted.

At once, on the hillside, several young men cast fishing nets, covering the bandits and their horses.

With a pull and a tug, they restrained them.

They followed up with spear thrusts.

"Ah!"

Screams rang out one after another.

Several elite bandits, bleeding all over, fell from their horses, their fates unknown.

In the darkness, Li Xian orchestrated the whole scene skillfully, commanding hundreds of villagers as if they were extensions of his arms.

Though still young,

Yet, today's scene had already begun to show the bearing of a hero rising in chaotic times.

Even if one's body was like lowly mud, so what?

He would break through the predicament one punch at a time!

"Damn it!"

Niu Liang came back to his senses, realizing the troops he led had been completely defeated, with only himself swiftly evading the net's cover.

Seeing Li Xian, albeit dumb, he understood the principle of capturing the leader first and charged towards Li Xian.

"Come on!"

Li Xian gathered his Qi, launching a palm strike. The palm wind surged like a raging wave. This palm wind didn't have much lethality, but at this moment...

He had hidden iron darts on the ground beforehand. With the palm wind, the darts, carried by wind and snow, came hurling directly at him.

Niu Liang raised his hand to block. At the same time, Li Xian leaped into the air, fully executing the "Clear Wind Leg."

Suspended in mid-air, his leg technique was very agile. Kicking in mid-air several times, he shot the darts outward with explosive force, preventing Niu Liang from opening his eyes, only feeling the continuous onslaught of darts.

Li Xian took advantage of the situation, showing no mercy.

Seeing him repeatedly kick, his leg technique mixed with the darts, the darts' flight was also quite strange, with angles changing unpredictably, very hard to defend against.

In this brief moment...

He applied his heart and skill, Clear Wind Leg, Four Directions Fist, Jade Palm... exploiting everything he had learned to the fullest.

In the last kick, he struck Niu Liang's head.

Niu Liang's eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

Li Xian landed; this battle... was a great victory, and a beautiful victory at that!

"Bring back the horses! Strip the dead and collect the bodies, bind the living and push them back to the village!"

Li Xian commanded.

"Yes!"

The villagers now followed orders unquestionably.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred.

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