Money?
Not a problem.
The plan was temporarily suppressed. It wasn't time for implementation yet, but Second Brother Hu was instructed to be mentally prepared.
Life on the mountain was simple, after all, they didn't work for a living.
In the dim night, the moon hung high in the sky.
Jiang Ming sipped tea while contemplating his cultivation.
The Qi Sea Realm was simple. It required filling the dantian with Qi while also circulating it throughout the body, radiating to the internal organs, muscles, and skin, allowing the body to adapt to the Qi while also refining it to better control its characteristics.
As long as it was mobilized, it could flow to any part of the body in an instant.
This was a slow process.
"Third layer of martial arts, Gang Qi Realm."
Jiang Ming was already well aware of this realm. Waiting for the Sea of Qi to overflow, and after freely using the Qi, he would then start to comprehend the nature of the Qi metamorphosis.
In simple terms, it meant allowing the Qi to undergo metamorphosis, having effects like condensing the Qi into a weapon, wrapping it around, or creating an armor to protect the body, etc.
True Qi Metamorphosis, Realm upgrade.
He closed his eyes and began cultivating.
The essence contained in the medicinal meal was rapidly released and absorbed during the cultivation, greatly speeding up the Qi transformation.
Early in the morning the next day, he went to the quiet place in the Back Mountain for cultivation. Soft Fist, Military Boxing, Shock Fist, Yin Yang Fist, and the Stele-Breaking Palm, Iron Fist, which he had just learned, were practiced one by one. The coordination and exchange of the moves were seamless.
With his powerful comprehension and control of his body, after practicing for countless times, it was as if he had been cultivating for decades.
His moves were as natural as an antelope hanging its horns without leaving a trace.
Jiang Ming paused slightly, his body slightly bent, and then burst out. He stepped on the weeds or traveled through the branches like a nimble ape but faster than a flying bird.
In the blink of an eye, he came to a stop and pulled out the long blade from his back.
This was a specific blade he had chosen, a cross-cutting blade, black and sharp, and had a rather vulgar name: Black Saber.
Hum...
Thunderstorm Nine Slashes was executed. It was like thunder falling from the sky, wild and fierce, each move was full of fierceness and ruthlessness, filled with the intense decisiveness of a dominant power.
The blade light changed, and the Qi flowed out, unexpectedly spraying out a more than ten meters long saber Qi, cutting the rock ahead into two halves with one slash.
This was the Thunderstorm Nine Slashes.
"It's not far from reaching a range of forty meters with the Qi!"
It's not impossible, but the control of Qi was insufficient.
As the blade technique unfolded, cutting through the air, and the Qi flowed arbitrarily.
In the end, the flowing Qi was only an addition to the long blade, with an inch of blade light shimmering. This was a highly condensed effect, with even more terrifying destructive power.
Jiang Ming's life was as plain as water.
Guiyuan Sutra, this cultivation skill, was a compulsory course in the morning, noon, and evening. In addition, he practiced combat skills and refined Qi every day.
Other times, he would wander around the mountain, interact with different people, get to know the situation here in detail, and further understand the information from the outside world.
Jiang Ming no longer showed off his powerful strength. Instead, he was very friendly. With his youthful appearance and scholarly demeanor combined with the fact that some of the unruly mountain thieves were dissatisfied or even provocative towards him, he didn't mind.
In the blink of an eye, a half month passed by.
"Great Village Master, I am a little nervous!" In the small courtyard, Hu Laosan was somewhat excited.
He had already sent out his invitations as the new village master to celebrate and invite them to the ceremony, and he had received replies, saying that they would come today.
"What you should be nervous about is how you're going to easily take over all three villages after I kill them all," Jiang Ming said with a smile.
Nervous?
Just a bit.
"I've already come up with several plans, Great Village Master. Don't worry; I'll easily take over!" Second Brother Hu's face lit up with hope and excitement, as he was being entrusted with an important task.
At the foot of the mountain.
Three groups of people converged together.
Each group had more than a dozen people with powerful Killing Qi and dense Blood Qi, making them formidable opponents at a single glance.
They were the leaders and elite members of Black Dragon Village, Black Saber Village, and Black Tiger Village.
"Old Ma got himself killed, his son is dead, and the village was robbed. It's hilarious. When I heard the news, I drank three jars of wine and laughed for a quarter of an hour."
"Haha, me too! That guy was ruthless and always showed me no respect, I'm glad he got slaughtered. I heard the new Great Village Master is an outsider; is he the Overlord who crossed the river?"
"It must be an Overlord; otherwise, how dare he invite the three of us to the mountain at the same time? This is not just bold, but arrogant. Humph, Overlord? He still has to bow to me. Gentlemen, isn't this a delicious dish, are you interested?"
"Since we have exchanged messages and came here together, isn't it because we all want to share it?"
"What if there's a trap on the mountain?"
"A trap? Black Tiger, you old man, you are always cautious. We all brought our elites; even if it's a trap, we can still crush the entire Black Wind Village. Let's go!"
"Let's go!"
"When I level the Black Wind Village, I'll sleep with Ma Guang's woman, even if he's gone to hell, I'll still cuckold him."
"Count me in!"
"Me too!"
Dozens of people went up the mountain without any hindrance.
They swaggered straight to the Juyi Hall.
"No banquet, yet a large number of people have surrounded us." The leader of Black Dragon Village revealed a cold smile and looked at Jiang Ming, "So, you are the little bastard who became the village master? Wanting to capture all of us in one fell swoop? I've seen the arrogant ones, but I've never seen anyone as crazy as you. Do you really think you're a powerful dragon that can cross the river? You're nothing but a little snake. Gentlemen, after a while, I'll personally twist off his head, take it home to stew, and use his skull to make a chamber pot. I want to piss in his head every day, so that he can carry some of my wisdom with him in his next life."
Jiang Ming's face immediately turned black. But he didn't rush to take action.
He looked at Second Brother Hu.
This man was very nervous. Even though he knew how powerful their Great Village Master was and even though the brothers from the mountain villages had all gathered around, he couldn't help being nervous.
After all, there were three village masters in front of him, and they were all elite among the elite, notorious, and very ruthless.
Second Brother Hu swallowed his saliva, pretended to be calm, and puffed up his chest before starting to give orders.
"Good!" Jiang Ming took note of a few people, pulled out the Black Saber from behind him, "I'll give you a chance to live, kneel and submit!"
"Submit my ass!" The big boss of Black Dragon Village had a violent temper and walked forward with narrowed eyes, also pulling out his Mountain-cutting Blade from behind him, "You little brat, how dare you act big in front of me? I've decided, I'll break your four limbs first, then throw you into a pigpen and sexually excite them. No, I'll find a group of male donkeys."
"You're ruthless!" Jiang Ming gasped for air and couldn't help raising his thumb, then coldly said, "Submission is just a humiliation for you! So if you don't want to continue polluting my ears, just go die!"
Thunderstorm Nine Slashes.
Die!
Jiang Ming took a step forward, and his Black Saber chopped down.
"You actually dared to fight, for that, I admire you!" The big boss of Black Saber Village sneered, "I haven't been defeated for hundreds of miles around, and today I'll let you see my skills."
But feeling the terror of Jiang Ming's blade, his face drastically changed.
This slash frightened him.
The Mountain-cutting Blade changed into a defensive stance.
Bang...
The next moment, his face showed horror.
A terrifying power came through, and before he could react, his Mountain-cutting Blade was broken into two pieces.
"He has Qi flowing on the blade? He's an Innate!"
As the thought flashed by, he saw the blade light enveloping his eyes, and then darkness filled his eyes, falling into the desperate darkness.
The big boss of Black Dragon Village was cut in half along with his blade.
The others were all stunned.
This big village master's strength was indeed top-notch, having already reached the peak of second-tier, and it was only a fine line away from the first-tier.
He was killed just like that?
Jiang Ming didn't give them time to think and continued to kill.
His speed was unparalleled, and his blade light flickered, completely slaughtering one-sidedly.
Even the other men didn't make a move, just surrounding them to prevent escape.
Soon, only six people remained horrified and trembling, shaking while standing. As for the others, all were killed.
"Great Village Master, mighty!" Second Brother Hu reacted the fastest, suppressing the shock and elation in his heart, and shouted while waving his fist.
"Great Village Master, mighty!" The other men looked at Jiang Ming with great enthusiasm, also shouting out.
"Great Village Master, mighty!"
The sound shook the sky and echoed among the mountains.
Jiang Ming raised his hand, and the sound stopped abruptly.
He forcefully suppressed the discomfort in his heart and looked at the remaining six people with a sword-like gaze, "Do you know why you're not dead?"
Without waiting for their answer, he continued, "Because you have committed fewer killings, there is still room for redemption, and that's why I spared your lives."
"Is it submission or death?"
Jiang Ming spun his long blade, and the blade's aura was uncertain. This was a clear sign that he was an Innate powerhouse.
"I pay my respects to the Great Village Master; my life is now yours!"
Without much hesitation, they all knelt down.
For mountain thieves, there isn't much loyalty. It's natural to follow whoever is stronger.
"A wise man knows when to submit." Jiang Ming nodded and instructed, "Old Second, Old Third, you watch and arrange for the three mountains to be taken down as soon as possible."
"Yes!" Second Brother Hu and Chang Laosan bowed and saluted.
Jiang Ming returned to his residence.
"Young Master, the hot water is ready!" As she arrived at the small courtyard, Lan saw Jiang Ming covered in blood, her body trembling slightly as she quickly came over to help him take off his coat.
"Don't be afraid, I won't eat you!" Jiang Ming laughed and went into the house to take a bath.
Lan hesitated for a while before entering the room, her face flushed like blood, her voice as soft as a mosquito, "Young Master, let me... let me wash you!"
Jiang Ming felt a burst of heat from his lower abdomen rushing straight to his forehead, but forcibly suppressed it: "No need!"
Lan sighed in relief and left.
His heart was restless and irritable.
More than ten days later.
"Great Village Master, you've really made me tired!" Hu Laosan relaxed more and became more casual, "Taking over three mountain villages, sorting them out, and integrating them, my old bones are almost falling apart."
"This is called the talented bear more work!" Jiang Ming said with a smile.
Second Brother Hu was quite satisfied, stroking his goatee, "Great Village Master, as you instructed, the ones who were to be killed have been killed, the ones who were to be let go have been let go. The money and food have all been moved over. Village No.2 became a training ground, and Village No.3 was cleared, Village No.4 was used as a horse farm."
"In addition, all the books have been moved into the study."
"Various medicines have also been transported over!"
"What will you instruct next?"
Second Brother Hu asked.
Jiang Ming had a plan already. In the future, Village No.1 would become a logistical base, with Second Brother Hu in charge.
The newly subdued villages had buried their wicked followers and released the people they had previously plundered. Those who were willing to leave were given some money, while those who were willing to stay joined the village.
"You are in charge of dispatching here. I will go to Village No.2 to specially train the elite brothers, improve their strength, and announce new rules." Jiang Ming said, with a thought in his heart, "You set up a school so that the children on the mountain can study, read to gain wisdom, understanding, and loyalty to the village."
"Thank you, Great Village Master!" Second Brother Hu was immediately excited, even more excited than taking over the three villages, and his eyes were even a little moist.
"Alright, go arrange it, don't tire yourself out, and find several assistants!" Jiang Ming waved his hand.
Second Brother Hu bowed in salute and retreated out of the room.
Jiang Ming entered the study, which was specially built in the small courtyard. It was not large but adequate.
"This is the real treasure trove!"
For him, the integration of the village was just a trivial matter.
Acquiring knowledge and collecting cultivation skills was the most important thing.
He began to flip through the books one by one.
"This one is actually a pure bodybuilding method!" Jiang Ming flipped through one book and was a little surprised, "Longxiang Dominator Body Skill? What an arrogant and domineering name."