Chapter Ten: Victory Without Bloodshed

The night wind on the Rocky Slope carried a faint scent of blood, brushing against my robes. Beneath my feet lay five bodies still warm to the touch. In my heart, a murderous intent surged like a frozen river breaking free, wild and unstoppable.

For a blight like the Blackwood Stronghold—nestled like a tumor atop mortals and low-level cultivators—paying a direct visit to uproot it was but a flick of the finger to me. A bandit chief in the late Foundation Establishment stage, leading a rabble of misfits, was no more than an ant beneath the scrutiny of my Divine Spirit and power at the Transformation stage.

Yet, just as I prepared to move out and drag the so-called "Blackwood Old Demon" from his nest to let him taste the agony of a soul refined by fire, a thought made me pause.

I lifted my head and gazed toward the Guixu Cottage.

There were my daughters—Jiang Yiyi and Jiang Xiaobai.

I had brought them into this world to give them a stable home, a tranquil and happy childhood—not to let them live in a place soaked in blood and slaughter. While personally wiping out a mountain stronghold of over a hundred men would be satisfying, the commotion would be too great, and the aftermath inevitably messy. In this unknown world, any unnecessary exposure could invite unpredictable trouble.

Killing was the last resort, not the only method.

Dealing with a greedy, suspicious, and fractious band of bandits demanded means far "cleaner" and more "elegant" than direct confrontation.

A cold arc curled at the corner of my lips. The murderous intent in my heart slowly retracted, replaced by the absolute calm of a chess player surveying the board.

I bent down and searched the body with triangular eyes. Soon, I found what I sought—a black jade talisman inscribed with unique runes for transmitting messages. This was the internal communication tool of Blackwood Stronghold, capable only of receiving; only the chief and a few deputies could send transmissions.

Excellent—it saved me much trouble.

I did not leave immediately but instead sat cross-legged on a large stone, letting my Divine Spirit spread silently like an invisible net, extending northeastward thirty miles into the Blackwood Forest.

The power of the Divine Spirit at my stage was immense; thirty miles was but a thought away. Soon, the heavily guarded mountain stronghold nestled in the valley came clearly into my "vision."

Inside the gathering hall, lights blazed bright.

An old man in black robes, with a gaunt face and a hooked nose, sat at the main seat, eyes closed in meditation. He was the head of Blackwood Stronghold—the "Blackwood Old Demon." His aura was indeed late Foundation Establishment, but his foundation was unstable, clearly boosted by dark arts.

To his right sat two men.

On the left was a burly, bald man, face rough and fierce, his aura explosive—a mid-Foundation Establishment stage deputy chief known as "Iron Fist" Xiong Da.

On the right, a lean scholar with sharp, sinister eyes toyed with two poisoned iron pellets in hand. He was also mid-Foundation Establishment, the third deputy known as "Poison Scholar" Li San.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall was tense.

"Big brother, the triangular-eyed group has been gone nearly two hours. Why no news yet?" Xiong Da asked gruffly, impatience evident.

"Why rush?" The Blackwood Old Demon did not even lift his eyelids. "That old thing is just a severely injured Nascent Soul, fallen in realm and only a shadow of his former self. The five with the 'Black Sha Array' will bring him down soon enough. Our real concern is how to pry open his mouth and get the recipe for 'Peach Blossom Brew.'"

"Big brother speaks truth," Li San said with a sinister laugh. "But since that old fellow is a Nascent Soul elder, surely he has many precious things on him. When the time comes, how shall we divide the spoils?"

His words instantly thickened the air with tension.

The Blackwood Old Demon slowly opened his eyes, a barely perceptible sharpness flashing within. "What? Third brother, do you distrust me?"

"Not at all," Li San quickly bowed. "Little brother only thinks that close brothers should settle accounts clearly. The 'Peach Blossom Brew' recipe is priceless. If it falls into our hands, not just Qingshi Town, but all of southern Yunzhou, we could walk with impunity. Such a treasure demands clear rules to avoid fracturing brotherly harmony."

"Hmph, the recipe belongs to the stronghold. Future brews' profits will be split as usual: I take fifty percent, you two take fifteen each, the remaining twenty percent goes to the brothers below." The Blackwood Old Demon snorted coldly, issuing the terms.

Xiong Da and Li San exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with greed and dissatisfaction, but neither dared to argue, both bowing in unison, "All according to big brother's decision."

What a farce of "brotherly respect and harmony."

Watching coldly, I already had a comprehensive plan.

Rising silently, I left Rocky Slope, my figure ghostlike as I stealthily approached the Blackwood Stronghold. I did not enter directly but stopped in a dense forest about a mile from the stronghold’s entrance.

This was the only path they used returning to the mountain.

I casually arranged a simple illusion array. It was hardly a true formation—just a clever use of stones and branches to subtly alter the magnetic and spiritual energy flow, enough to confuse cultivators below Foundation Establishment, making them wander in circles and suffer hallucinations.

Then, I took out the jade talisman and infused it with a disguised, feeble Nascent Soul Divine Spirit.

…

Inside the Blackwood Stronghold gathering hall.

The Blackwood Old Demon and his two deputies were growing anxious when the chief jade talisman at the old man's waist suddenly lit up.

It was the triangular-eyed man!

The old demon’s spirit surged as he probed the talisman.

A faint, broken, and weak Divine Spirit transmission came through: "Stronghold... chief... save me..."

"Triangular eye? What’s going on?!" the old demon demanded harshly.

"That old thing... a trap... he’s not injured... he’s... a Transformation stage old freak! We... are all wiped out... run... run fast..."

The transmission cut off abruptly, as if the messenger had perished.

"What?!"

The three—Blackwood Old Demon, Xiong Da, and Li San—leapt from their seats, faces pale with shock and terror.

Transformation stage old freak?!

Those four words weighed on their hearts like four mountains. As bandit cultivators who flirted with death daily, they understood the immense chasm between cultivation stages. Against a Transformation stage old freak, their entire stronghold was nothing but a crumb to be crushed!

"Big brother! What do we do? Will that old monster come here?" Xiong Da’s voice trembled.

"Run! Scatter immediately!" The Blackwood Old Demon decided swiftly, sweat pouring from his forehead. "Forget the stronghold! Survival comes first!"

Yet, just as they prepared to flee separately, the jade talisman lit up again.

This time, a different voice came from within—old and imposing, the very voice they had heard in the market earlier that day: mine.

But I deliberately made it sound playful and mocking.

"Blackwood Old Demon, is it? Thank you for sending someone to guide the old man. Your two brothers seem quite displeased with your plan to keep the treasure for yourself. I’m just outside your mountain gate, waiting to watch a good show. If the performance is entertaining enough, perhaps I’ll... only kill you."

The voice faded.

An eerie silence fell over the hall.

The three exchanged glances, their eyes now filled with suspicion, doubt, fear, and greed, emotions tangled and fierce.

"Big brother... what... does this mean?" Xiong Da swallowed hard, staring angrily at the old demon.

"What do you mean... keeping the treasure for yourself?" Li San took a step back, spinning his poisoned iron pellets rapidly, distancing himself from the old demon.

The old demon instantly understood.

This was a scheme to sow discord! That old monster was trying to drive them apart!

He hurried to explain, "Don’t listen to his lies! This is the old monster’s ploy to have us kill each other so he can reap the benefits!"

But trust, once fractured, could never be restored—especially in a gang bound only by profit.

"Scheme?" Li San sneered. "Big brother, we all know you once acquired a broken stealth technique. Could it be that when the triangular-eyed men were sent out, it was your plan all along? You wanted us to think that old man was a wounded Nascent Soul, when you knew he was a Transformation stage freak. You planned to use him to wipe us out, then defect with the treasure to survive?!"

Though absurd, this theory seemed strikingly plausible under the crushing pressure of the "Transformation stage freak."

"Nonsense!" The old demon trembled with fury. "Li San, you slander me!"

"Whether it’s slander or not, big brother knows!" Xiong Da roared, his simple mind overwhelmed by fear and suspicion. "I wondered why you stayed so calm—it was because you had a plan to abandon us, using us as stepping stones! I’ll settle this with you!"

Before the words fell, Xiong Da roared and unleashed a fist charged with wild spiritual energy toward the old demon.

"Seeking death!" The old demon was shocked and enraged, countering with a palm that summoned a black wooden vine from thin air to entangle Xiong Da.

Li San’s eyes flashed coldly at the scene. Instead of intervening, he ruthlessly hurled his two poisoned iron pellets at the old demon’s back, who was locked in combat with Xiong Da.

"Li San! How dare you!" The old demon never dreamed the third deputy would strike to kill. He barely dodged the vital blows, but two deep wounds appeared on his back, black poison blood immediately oozing out.

"Hahaha! Big brother, don’t blame me for being ruthless! Blame your greed for wanting the treasure all to yourself!" Li San laughed maniacally.

A brutal fight erupted.

In the dense forest outside the stronghold, I observed everything clearly, a slight smile playing on my lips.

I withdrew my Divine Spirit, turned leisurely, and strolled back toward Guixu Cottage.

The rest no longer required my intervention.

That night, flames leapt high over Blackwood Forest; cries of battle, explosions, and screams echoed through the night. Under the lead of the three deputies, the bandits split into three factions, fighting brutally over the elusive treasure and their chance to survive.

When the morning sun illuminated the land, the once fearsome Blackwood Stronghold that had terrorized Qingshi Town was reduced to scorched earth and ruins.

All 127 bandit cultivators, including the three deputies and the Blackwood Old Demon, were dead.

…

Qingshi Town, the garrison headquarters.

An elderly man in a blue Taoist robe, his hair white but face youthful, stood atop a tower, gazing toward the faint smoke in the northeast with a furrowed brow.

He was Chen Xuan, the town’s guardian, respectfully called "Old Taoist Chen."

"Master," a Foundation Establishment disciple hurried over, bowing to report, "We’ve confirmed it. Blackwood Stronghold last night... seems to have perished from internal strife."

"Internal strife?" Chen stroked his long beard, a gleam flashing in his eyes. "Not before, not after, but right after their men lost track of that Mr. Jiang selling the 'Peach Blossom Brew'?"

"I find it suspicious as well. Our men found that after the scouts lost that Mr. Jiang yesterday, none returned."

Chen fell silent for a moment, then said slowly, "A battle without bloodshed, killing without form. This Mr. Jiang is no simple Nascent Soul wounded elder; he has the means and intellect to stir storms."

He turned and instructed the disciple, "Send orders to spread the news of Blackwood’s destruction, saying it was due to internal greed and deserved downfall. Also, assign watchers over the market—if that Mr. Jiang appears again, no disturbance, no interference, and no one is to trouble him. I want to personally... meet him."

"Yes!" The disciple took the order and left.

Chen’s gaze once again fixed on the distant horizon, his expression grave beyond measure.