Chapter 19: Enemies of the Righteous Path

On the mountain peak.

Chang Qing stood with his blade, covered in bloodstains, behind him were his brothers, all very exhausted, and many of them were injured.

"Commander, there's no more water, if we continue like this, we'll all be trapped to death." A young man whispered, "We're just intimidated by an Innate, why not rush down, and if he appears, fight to the death to kill him, and then make a bloody escape."

"That's the last resort!" Chang Qing turned around and looked in the distance, which was the direction of Guhuai Town: according to time calculations, the Great Village Master should have arrived.

Even if he's here, can he save us?

He was a little shaken.

At this time, a figure appeared on the opposite hill, shouting at them, "Chang Qing, you're already at the end of the road, if you continue to struggle, there will be only one way of death waiting for you."

"Chang Qing, I admire you, you're young, and have already stepped into the First-tier realm. With your ability to command, you have formidable strength, and with just a few hundred men, you almost toppled three villages."

"Impressive!"

"Now I'll give you a way to survive - submit."

"As long as you submit, you'll have beautiful women, wine, and money aplenty."

"Martial Art Cultivation Skills, resources, and broader opportunities in Heaven and Earth can all be yours, your men too."

"All you have to do is show loyalty. Don't think about escape, as long as we have you surrounded, we have completely cut off your retreat."

"Here, I, Xiao Ming, am the king. Although I'm only Innate, I have many more Innate, even Grandmaster powerhouses behind me."

"What do you say?"

Xiao Ming held his long sword behind his back, his voice booming.

Chang Qing's face was calm, but many of his men behind him were shaken, and there was a hushed exchange. Without looking back, he knew that most of those who were shaken were those who had been subdued later.

They were also the ones who died the most.

Some of the silent men looked at them with cold eyes.

"What do you say?" A voice suddenly rang out.

Although it was behind Xiao Ming, it also reached the other hill.

"Great Village Master!" Chang Qing was slightly startled, his face showing joy, and he knelt down on one knee, "Greetings, Great Village Master!"

"Greetings, Great Village Master!"

All of Black Wind Village's people knelt down.

After hesitating for a moment, those who were subdued also knelt down hesitantly.

Xiao Ming was shocked, and with his strength, how could he not have noticed someone approaching from behind? What did this mean?

The other party was undoubtedly terrifying.

Clang!

The long sword appeared, and between the sword light and the rotation of the sword, it covered the area behind him, but in the next moment, his face stiffened because the tip of the sword was caught.

Caught between the index and middle fingers.

His courage suddenly chilled, and he urged his Qi, making the long sword hum, but it couldn't budge.

"Struggle again, and I'll kill you!" Jiang Ming said coldly.

After arriving here, he found a mountain peak surrounded by countless mountain bandits, and another peak echoed Xiao Ming's voice, so he quickly came this side.

Crack...

With a little force in his fingers, the tip of the sword was shattered, and with a slight movement, it shot out, piercing Xiao Ming's wrist holding the sword.

In the pain, the broken sword fell with a loosened grip.

Xiao Ming was even more shocked: "Who are you?"

"Didn't you hear, I'm the Great Village Master!" Jiang Ming looked at him indifferently, "Xiao Ming? A member of Xiao Family in Mount Dependence City? You really raised mountain thieves."

"Let me guess, Xiao and Liang families appear to be harmonious on the surface, but they secretly compete. This is a high-level cover. Maintaining peace on the surface, but secretly making Six Gates and other forces understand that Mount Dependence City is not united. But one layer deeper is the friendship between Xiao and Liang families."

"Just like the Three Mountain Villages, they seem to be harmonious on the surface, but they secretly compete and unite when in danger, acting in unison against outsiders."

"Seeing the mountain as a mountain, not as a mountain, and finally as a mountain."

"Xiao and Liang both have experts!"

Jiang Ming said, carefully observing the subtle changes in the other's expression, his confidence grew.

Originally, there were two major forces in a city, but the Six Gates joined in.

And other forces coveted it.

What to do?

Unite together? It would only be targeted. It's better to be openly friendly while secretly competing, forming a true alliance at the root and maintaining the positions of the two families in Mount Dependence City.

If there's a threat, directly eliminate the others using the two families' secret competition as an excuse.

"Wow, this speculation is amazing!" Lu Yuan also arrived, his pupils shrank upon hearing Jiang Ming's analysis, "Under the stability, there are raging undercurrents, but they can firmly control Mount Dependence City at the root. This may also be the reason why they have always been in power, and the only reason other forces cannot truly gain a foothold in this city. Impressive, impressive."

"Great Village Master? Who are you exactly?" Xiao Ming's heart raced, and his eyes narrowed into a slit, as murderous intent surged.

But when he saw Lu Yuan, his pupils shrank again, "Brother Lu, how come you're here?"

"Haha, I'm just here for fun!" Lu Yuan laughed and jumped squatting on a rock beside him.

"Brother Lu, you've always had a good relationship with our Xiao Family." Xiao Ming tried to relax, "This must be your friend, and a friend of our Xiao Family. There must be a misunderstanding."

"There's no misunderstanding!" Jiang Ming got the information he wanted, and with a thought, he asked, "Do you know Shaoyang Scripture?"

"Forget it, asking you is useless!"

Jiang Ming shook his head again, pointing with a finger, sending out a powerful Sword Qi, called Shaoze Sword. This made Xiao Ming, who had been secretly vigilant, panic and abruptly twist his body, but he was a step too slow.

Puff...

The Sword Qi pierced through his throat.

"You really killed him!" Lu Yuan was shocked.

"I was a mountain thief, but I know there's nothing good about mountain thieves. Those who harbor mountain thieves are even worse. If I want to change my identity, I'll do it thoroughly. From now on, I will not share the sky with evil!" Jiang Ming laughed.

Then he soared into the air, heading towards the foot of the mountain, and shouted loudly, "Chang Qing, kill for me!"

"Yes!"

Chang Qing's spirit was greatly boosted.

Xiao Ming was an Innate powerhouse, who had forced them to retreat and defend the peak, only to be easily killed by the Great Village Master.

Impressive, awesome, a bright future.

The others were also excited, howling as they killed towards the foot of the mountain.

Jiang Ming had already started a killing spree.

With the Six Meridians Divine Sword, he killed the leaders of three mountain villages as if he was entering an uninhabited territory.

When he felt it was almost enough, he stopped.

Chang Qing had already arrived, swinging his blade, gathering the Killing Qi and reaping life like the Death God.

Soon, those who were to die died, and those who were to submit submitted.

"I pay homage to the Great Village Master!" Chang Qing wiped his face, flinging out a string of beads of blood, knelt down on one knee in front of Jiang Ming, his face full of admiration, "On the way, we collected a total of eighty thousand taels of silver, one hundred and eight Cultivation Skills, and more than three hundred experts. But nearly half of them died."

"Good, not bad!" Jiang Ming was very satisfied, "Attack the nearest mountain village and occupy it first."

"Yes!" Chang Qing's fighting spirit soared.

The nearest mountain village is Baiyun Village.

It didn't take long to easily occupy it. But Chang Qing didn't rest, leading the people to attack two other mountain villages.

In the Hall.

Two maids served fruit plates and poured tea tremblingly, standing on the side and trembling.

"You really want to rule the mountain as king!" Lu Yuan sat on the side, looking at Jiang Ming weirdly, "Mountain thief, disliked by the Righteous Path. If Mount Dependence City spreads the word out, you will be defined as a demon, and you will be hunted by the whole world's Tianxia Sects."

He was somewhat gloating.

"So what?" Jiang Ming didn't even lift his head, flipping through a Cultivation Skill book in his hand, titled: Spiral Nine Shadows.