Clip-clop, clip-clop—
The sound of horse hooves approached swiftly from afar.
Jiang Dali had changed out of the Green Clothes assassin attire, donned the standard outfit of a mountain bandit leader with tiger skin, wore a short hat with bird feathers, and mounted a horse while carrying a Golden-Backed Nine-Ring Great Saber, looking majestic.
Suddenly, his expression intensified as he felt the world before him slightly redden.
Clearly, someone harboring malice was aiming at him.
"Huh? In my own territory, someone dares to target me?"
Jiang Dali was vigilant and surprised.
Suddenly, he spotted three figures emerging from around the corner of the road ahead, one looking all too familiar, accompanied by laughter.
"Ha ha ha, Third Brother, oh Third Brother, your Second Brother has been waiting here for you for quite a while. You sure took your time coming back."
"Second Brother? Why are you waiting here for me?"
Jiang Dali was startled as he looked at the three figures emitting a bright red glow.
Such obvious malice, it was hard for him not to notice.
This was also a unique, bug-like trait he possessed after his rebirth.
Whenever someone harbored malice against him, even if it was just a dog, a corresponding red light of hostility would appear on their body.
In the game world of his previous life, this kind of alert would only appear when players were attacked.
Yet, in this life, after becoming a mountain bandit leader, he found that as long as someone showed very obvious malice towards him, even if they hadn't acted against him yet, a red light would appear on their bodies.
Now, including the Life-stealing Scholar and the other two mountain bandit sub-leaders, they all had red lights emanating from them and suddenly appeared on this deserted wilderness road waiting for him—it was clear they intended to harm him.
Jiang Dali kept a neutral expression on his face but dismounted his horse and approached the Life-stealing Scholar and the other two with feigned happiness.
"Hehehe, Third Brother, didn't Big Brother also say, as long as you finish off Qiu Xue Mei, I'll welcome and cleanse you early. So, here I am, waiting to greet you, ha ha ha."
The Life-stealing Scholar approached with a smile on his pale face and a folding fan in hand, the red light on his body becoming clearer.
"Second Brother, you're really too enthusiastic."
Jiang Dali smiled, his face still smiling, his body suddenly darted forward, appearing in front of the Life-stealing Scholar in a flash.
He struck out with a palm, fiercely aiming at the Life-stealing Scholar's head.
Whoom!—
The fierce palm wind was suffocating, and Jiang Dali's hand turned iron blue in an instant, seeming to double in size as he pressed down like a heavy stele from mid-air.
"Third Brother, you!"
Caught by surprise, the Life-stealing Scholar hurriedly raised his palm to meet the attack.
Smack—
In the moment their palms met, there was a crackling sound like breaking arm bones.
The Life-stealing Scholar suddenly screamed, overwhelmed by a great force, bending his knees and hastily ducking to dart to the side in a fluster.
At that moment, the other two mountain bandit sub-leaders also reacted, shouting in unison, each wielding a knife and a short axe, attacking from the sides.
Yet, Jiang Dali did not dodge or evade; instead, he roared furiously, his muscles booming, his skin turning dark blue as if his body suddenly grew several sizes taller, resembling iron and steel, wild and fierce.
Clang—
A knife and an axe attacked from the side, cutting through the tiger skin, but a terrifying metallic tremor emanated from within, as if Jiang Dali's body was truly made of iron, frightening both sub-leaders pale.
In the same moment, Jiang Dali spun around, releasing a swarm of dark green hidden darts with his turning motion, whistling through the air like a sudden storm, targeting the Life-stealing Scholar who had escaped the melee.
"I see you're rebelling against the heavens."
The Life-stealing Scholar replied with a mocking laugh, thinking to himself that it was he who had taught Jiang the use of hidden weapons, and now the man dared to attack him with one?
He leaped back rapidly, opening his folding fan with a swish, which burst out in a bright silvery light, a wall-like barrier with metallic clinking sounds like raindrops.
As the silver light dissipated, the Life-stealing Scholar turned with a loud laugh, a Life-taking Dart hidden in his sleeve struck lightning-fast towards Jiang Dali's heart.
"I'll teach you the 'Flying Star Transmission of Hatred' today!"
Swoosh—
A dark flash.
Hit the chest, penetrating by an inch.
A deathly strike.
The Life-stealing Scholar's face froze in mid-laughter, disbelieving as he looked down at his own chest.
A black Willow Leaf Flying Knife was embedded right in his chest, as fast as the dart he had just thrown.
He looked up in fear, only to see the dart that had barely struck Jiang Dali to the left of his chest without hitting the heart.
"You..."
Before he could ask "how did you know 'Flying Star Transmission of Hatred'," his legs gave out, and he fell to the ground.
"Second Master!"
The two mountain bandit sub-leaders were terrified, witnessing the Life-stealing Scholar's body hit the ground, and then turned to look at Jiang Dali, whose skin was black and blue, his whole body radiating a chilling evil aura.
"How do you two midgets want to die?"
Jiang Dali twisted his neck, his face slowly revealing an extremely dangerous smile, his white teeth glistening.
"Bi-Big Brother, Third Master, can we still admit our mistakes now?"
"Third Master, we were really forced!"
The two sub-leaders managed to squeeze out smiles uglier than cries.
"Both of you go accompany your Second Master."
Jiang Dali sneered fiercely and suddenly charged forward.
"Let's fight him!"
"It's just death at worst. A man dies only to leave a scar as big as a bowl!"
Two mountain bandit lieutenants roared as they rushed out.
"Seeking death!"
Bang, the ground beneath Jiang Dali's feet cracked from his stomp.
His limbs exerted force, his spine tensing like a fully drawn bow.
With a clang, he had the Golden-Backed Nine-Ring Great Saber in his hand, which emitted an incredibly sharp and piercing sound.
"Ding, clang!"
Sword in hand.
Jiang Dali's momentum seemed to surge explosively in an instant.
As the Nine-Ring Great Saber moved, the air around him whirled violently like boiling mud, creating a strong whirlwind that made the air roar tumultuously.
The fierce Evil Qi almost suffocated the two mountain bandit lieutenants, leaving them gasping for breath.
The two barely managed to hold on against one, by charging left and bursting right, for a moment.
When Jiang Dali's Sword Light peaked again, it was as if a Fierce Tiger Descending the Mountain, fully unleashing the might of the Tiger Slaying Golden Ring Saber Technique.
Sword Light flashed, a sea of swords emerged, and Saber Qi cut through in all directions.
The fallen leaves on the mountain path were all swept up.
In an instant, there was a spray of blood light, continuous screams, and severed limbs strewn all over.
Two perfectly good heads flew into the air.
Jiang Dali suddenly sheathed his saber, and two headless torsos fell to the ground.
The mist of blood, steaming hot, spread out, and was blown about by the cool mountain breeze, swirling together like a surge of martial world essence.
Wiping the splattered hot blood from his face, Jiang Dali grabbed the wine bag from his waist and took a fierce swig of the spicy liquor.
Puh—
The clear, slightly yellow liquor sprayed forcefully onto the Golden-Backed Nine-Ring Great Saber in his hand; the blood was washed away by the liquor, and the golden, dazzling blade glinted especially sharply, the nine gold rings gently quivering, making an intoxicating saber sound.
"With the Nine-Rings revealed, the suona ushers death. These two worthless scum dared to fight me to the death!"
Jiang Dali snorted coldly after putting away his saber, feeling somewhat relieved only after seeing the three rising white lights.
He had just slain two mountain bandit lieutenants and the Life-stealing Scholar, a small BOSS.
Directly, he gained 50 Cultivation Points and 50 Potential Points.
Among them, the Life-stealing Scholar contributed the most, killing him also elevated his reputation in the martial world by 30 points.
With so many Cultivation Points and Potential Points available now, he didn't need to wait to return to the Mountain Village to submit the mission; he could immediately breakthrough to the Inner Qi Realm, cultivate a stream of Inner Qi in his Dantian, and self-conceive a Basic Internal Cultivation Method.
"It's best to break through before returning to submit the mission. If the Second Master dared to strike me, who knows if the Great Master also harbors the intent to kill me."
Jiang Dali looked at the three corpses, his eyes flickering with cold light, anger and murderous intent arising in his heart.
Over these two years, he deemed his contributions as substantial, bringing many benefits to the two leaders of Black Wind Village.
Yet unexpectedly, Life-stealing Scholar had still planned to take his life.
Had he not been lying low and plotting, Black Wind Village would have fallen into his hands long ago; such a day would have prevented the two leaders from having even a fart's worth of authority.
Now, both had turned against him, swelling with arrogance, acting as if they were the heads and not him as the Third Master?
"After my breakthrough, when I return, if the Great Master wasn't involved then so be it, but if he was... perhaps, I'll have to test this Iron Cloth Shirt to see who is stronger."
Jiang Dali clenched his fist, large as a sea bowl; veins bulged up, winding around his arm like a tattoo.
The battle just now was perilously close; although it seemed easy, he had actually put in all his effort.
After all, including Life-stealing Scholar and the two mountain bandit lieutenants, none were mediocre.
Had he not perceived the danger early and struck first harshly, he might have ended up severely injured after the battle.
And now...
"I'm not lightly injured either, losing a full 140 points of blood. Even drinking liquor to heal, it'll take some time..."
Jiang Dali sat down and drank, examining his strong body, which was protected underneath by the golden silk armor.
Blocks of rock-like muscles and dark, toned skin seemed forged from steel, and he almost fell in love with it himself.
But even then, under the state of the Iron Cloth Shirt, having been attacked with heavy weapons, he still had a few shallow wounds.
As he took sip after sip of his drink, symbols reading "Qi-Blood +1" continuously appeared above his head.
Seconds later, the wounds had healed completely.
A bright label flashed briefly above his head.
"Black Wind Village Third Master (Gathering Power Realm Small BOSS)
Jiang Dali: Qi-Blood 3000/3000
Rating: A Blood Bull among small BOSSes, do not dream of overpowering him."
"My blood point to be called a Blood Bull? But compared to the Second Master, I am stronger."
Jiang Dali somberly began to clear the battlefield.
Looking at Life-stealing Scholar who died with his eyes open, he kicked the man's frail body.
"The Second Master is really weak. If he had stung me twenty or thirty more times just now, I might have actually died... But no blame on him, without cultivating the Body Refining Techniques, a mere skin; although a small BOSS, his blood volume is only a third of mine."
"Besides those other two younger brothers, too useless. But still, they were just ordinary lieutenants, not to mention their blood volume was only a sixth of mine, they were also suppressed by my BOSS Majesty... Thinking they could join hands to kill me, really hard for these local dogs."