"Qilin Demon Duan Lang."
"Overlord Du Xing."
Looking at the man who appeared before him, dressed in luxurious brocade robes, with a face that, while not particularly handsome, was still well-proportioned, and a pair of sharp eyes, Duan Lang immediately guessed his identity. Behind him stood two guards, one of whom carried a double-edged axe. Even though Duan Lang had never met Du Xing before, he recognized the weapon—the Overlord's Axe. Moreover, in Shanhaiguan, the only people who could arrive so quickly after he had just sat down in a tavern were the local power players.
Beside Du Xing stood another man, also dressed in luxurious brocade robes but with a more imposing build. His face bore a confident smile.
"Qilin Demon Duan Lang, I don't care who you are. This is my territory. What you do elsewhere is none of my concern, but here, you must follow my rules."
Du Xing approached Duan Lang without any pleasantries, immediately issuing an ultimatum. Duan Lang's reputation was now worse than that of the Demon Sect. Even the Demon Sect wouldn't dare do what Duan Lang had done.
His arrival in Shanhaiguan naturally raised many people's guard. Even in the frontier, the influence of Buddhism was significant. Just look at Shi Feixuan in the original story—she could easily find temples to rest in even in the frontier.
Duan Lang's arrival in the frontier was seen by many as the prelude to a bloodbath.
"Are you teaching me how to behave?"
Duan Lang's gaze swept coldly over Du Xing before settling on the middle-aged man beside him. From the man's posture, it was clear he wasn't one of Du Xing's subordinates.
Duan Lang then glanced disdainfully at the surroundings. With his Observation Haki, he could sense that the area below the tavern, the buildings across the street, and the surroundings were all filled with people. Among them were a few bald heads.
If he hadn't seen those bald heads, Duan Lang might have thought Du Xing was just here to warn him. But seeing them, he immediately understood that things were more complicated. Du Xing was likely part of a plan to ambush him.
Along his journey, Duan Lang had encountered many ambushes. Now that he had arrived in the frontier, if the local Buddhist sects didn't want to suffer heavy losses, they would naturally strike first.
Realizing this, Duan Lang had no goodwill toward Du Xing. Moreover, Du Xing was one of his targets for this trip to the frontier.
As for the Buddhist sects, to be honest, they weren't Duan Lang's primary target. He wasn't here to be a savior. If he wanted to reform the frontier's Buddhist sects, he would have to wait until his territory expanded to the frontier.
"You!"
Duan Lang's words and gaze immediately caused Du Xing's expression to darken, his eyes filled with anger. He reached for the Overlord's Axe held by his subordinate, ready to attack.
Having dominated the northern frontier for so many years, Du Xing had never been so disrespected. Even the rulers of the Eastern Turks, Jieli and Tuli, had shown him courtesy.
Shanhaiguan, located near the Great Wall, was the last stronghold before entering the frontier. Almost all merchants and caravans heading beyond the wall would stop here for rest and supplies.
Controlling this place, Du Xing could influence the trade partners of these merchants and caravans. Both Jieli and Tuli needed a steady supply of goods from the Central Plains—daily necessities as well as luxury items. The frontier lacked these, and luxury items from the Central Plains were highly sought after by tribal leaders.
In addition, the frontier's furs and pelts could only reach their full value when sold in the Central Plains, as the frontier's craftsmanship couldn't compare.
Thus, Du Xing's position was crucial.
"Brother Du, calm down."
Just as Du Xing was about to attack, the middle-aged man with the confident smile beside him spoke up to stop him.
"I am Xu Kaishan. Greetings, Mr. Duan Lang." After calming Du Xing, the man introduced himself. Initially, Duan Lang hadn't paid much attention to the man, but upon hearing the name Xu Kaishan, his gaze sharpened, and a faint, enigmatic smile appeared on his lips.
"Xu Kaishan, so it's you."
Xu Kaishan was, on the surface, the leader of the Northern Horse Gang, the largest horse trader in the northern frontier, dealing with many tribes and factions.
In the northern frontier, the major factions were the North Overlord Gang, the Foreign Alliance Gang, the Desert Gang, and the Changbai Sect. The Northern Horse Gang was the strongest among the factions below these four.
Of course, this was only on the surface. In reality, the Northern Horse Gang was the most powerful. Xu Kaishan was not only the leader of the Northern Horse Gang but also the leader of the Great Ming Cult, known as the Great Master.
Although Daniel initially didn't know much about the Great Ming Cult, after seeing the distribution map of the frontier's major forces provided by Shen Luoyan, some memories resurfaced. For example, Xu Kaishan, in addition to his two aforementioned identities, was also the leader of the Wolf Bandits, one of the three major bandit groups in the frontier.
Bandits were the greatest scourge of the frontier. Even Jieli and Tuli, who were no saints, had been actively suppressing them. No leader, except perhaps someone as foolish as Blackbeard, would want their territory to grow weaker.
"Mr. Duan Lang knows me?" Duan Lang's words and enigmatic smile made Xu Kaishan feel uneasy, but he quickly dismissed the thought. In his memory, he had never met Duan Lang before.
"Of course. The famous leader of the Northern Horse Gang, the head of the Wolf Bandits, and the Great Master of the Great Ming Cult—how could I not know you?"
"Who are you?"
As soon as Duan Lang spoke, the smile on Xu Kaishan's face vanished, replaced by a fierce killing intent. His entire body surged with true energy, ready to attack at any moment.
"Du Xing, so you're in league with the Wolf Bandits after all." Duan Lang suddenly shouted, his voice loud enough to be heard throughout Shanhaiguan.
Seeing that Du Xing showed no surprise at Duan Lang's revelation of Xu Kaishan's triple identity, Duan Lang immediately understood the situation. The reason was simple: profit.
In fact, it wasn't just the North Overlord Gang. Among the other factions, except for the Changbai Sect, most likely knew about the Wolf Bandits. After all, the Wolf Bandits had robbed so many goods that they couldn't sell them openly. They had to rely on other factions. The Changbai Sect was excluded because, although they were based in the northern frontier, their influence was primarily in the Central Plains.
As for Du Xing's so-called title of the northern frontier's top martial artist, it was clearly exaggerated. Not to mention Jieli and Tuli, who had numerous experts under their command, just the number of experts in Shanhaiguan and along the Great Wall was considerable. For example, the Great Ming Cult had several members stronger than Du Xing.
There was also the Northeast Gang, founded by Gao Kaidao's sworn brother, which controlled several nearby cities. With Gao Kaidao's support, their strength had almost surpassed the North Overlord Gang. The reason they hadn't taken over Shanhaiguan was likely fear of the Eastern Turks.
"Seeking death!"
Hearing Duan Lang's words, Du Xing's already grim expression turned even uglier. He immediately swung his Overlord's Axe, bringing it down on Duan Lang with a powerful strike.
Even as the leader of the North Overlord Gang, if it were revealed that he was colluding with bandits, especially the notorious Wolf Bandits, he would be finished.
In the frontier, while many colluded with bandits, it was an unspoken rule. Once exposed, it would almost certainly make him a target. Even Jieli and Tuli wouldn't protect him.
As Du Xing attacked, Xu Kaishan also made his move. Like Du Xing, the exposure of his identity as the leader of the Wolf Bandits was fatal. In contrast, the revelation of his identity as the Great Master of the Great Ming Cult was less significant.
Whether in the frontier or the Central Plains, the Great Ming Cult's infamy hadn't yet spread. Their notoriety was mainly in Persia.
The reason they hadn't entered the Central Plains earlier was because they were blocked by the Central Plains' Demon Sect. The Central Plains, though vast and resource-rich, were already crowded with factions. There was no room for another Demon Sect, especially one from the frontier.
In fact, the Great Ming Cult had been too greedy. They had thrived among the frontier tribes, with many tribes following their teachings. But they insisted on expanding into the Central Plains, provoking Shi Zhixuan, who single-handedly wiped out more than half of their leadership.
The remaining members then crossed paths with the Twin Dragons and were killed by Xu Ziling.
"The Scripture of Ten Thousand Laws and the Root of Wisdom? This martial art is worth taking a look at."
After Xu Kaishan attacked, Duan Lang felt the changes in the surrounding true energy and gained some understanding of the Great Ming Cult's supreme martial art.
Previously, Daniel had learned much about the Great Ming Cult's secrets from Rong Jiaojiao, Shangguan Long, and Wang Shichong, especially Rong Jiaojiao, who revealed everything she knew.
Rong Jiaojiao and her father, Rong Fengxiang, had long been colluding with the Great Ming Cult. Rong Jiaojiao herself was the Wonderful Wind Envoy, one of the Five Bright Envoys of the Great Ming Cult.
The Great Master, the Good Mother, the Atom, along with the Five Bright Envoys and the Five Demon Classes, formed the core of the Great Ming Cult. In terms of strength, they were no weaker than the Yin Kuai Sect of the Two Sects and Six Paths.
"So confident, huh? They're completely disregarding my previous achievements. Well, it's understandable. After all, they haven't seen it with their own eyes. It's normal not to believe."
Facing the combined attack of Du Xing and Xu Kaishan, Duan Lang suddenly laughed. His title of Qilin Demon had been earned through bloodshed. The Buddhist sects had repeatedly tried to ambush him but failed.
With this thought, Duan Lang's right hand moved, and the Fire Lin Sword on the table instantly unsheathed. In the next moment, a flurry of blood-red sword shadows enveloped Xu Kaishan, Du Xing, and the two guards behind them.
Two screams rang out as the two guards fell first, their bodies riddled with sword wounds. However, due to the scorching flames, not a drop of blood spilled.
"Ahhh!"
Then Du Xing and Xu Kaishan also screamed. Both had lost their arms, their injuries identical.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you. You still have uses."
Seeing the fear and disbelief on their faces, Duan Lang smiled. The reason they dared to attack him was simple: overconfidence in their own strength. Du Xing's strength might have been exaggerated, but Xu Kaishan was undoubtedly a top-tier grandmaster. In the original story, it took Xu Ziling, Ke Dazhi, and the Butterfly Prince working together to defeat him.
With such strength, even facing a grandmaster like Bi Xuan, it was impossible to lose both arms and have one's meridians completely destroyed in a single move.
"Attack!"
Du Xing shouted in terror. According to the plan, they were supposed to intimidate Duan Lang first, then have the ambushers strike, finally eliminating the Qilin Demon who had terrified the Buddhist sects.
"Good plan, but too late."
After Du Xing's shout, the people below the tavern rushed upstairs, while figures appeared on the rooftops across the street, most of them archers. However, perhaps out of fear of hitting their own, none of them fired.
At the same time, Duan Lang's left hand moved, and a teapot appeared in his grasp. He poured out the tea, then grabbed a handful of water droplets and flung them toward the archers on the opposite rooftop. The droplets cleared the rooftop in an instant—Fish-Man Karate: Water Shot.
"The Overlord's Axe? Not a bad weapon. I'll borrow it."
After dealing with the enemies on the opposite rooftop, the people from the first floor charged up. Duan Lang sheathed the Fire Lin Sword on his back and picked up Du Xing's fallen Overlord's Axe.
"Sweeping a Thousand Armies!"
"Splitting Mount Hua!"
"Earthshaker!"
Wielding the Overlord's Axe, Duan Lang casually called out the names of his moves as he swiftly dealt with the attackers. It was undeniable that using a long weapon in a crowded fight was exhilarating.
Seeing Duan Lang quickly dispatch all their men, Du Xing and Xu Kaishan were dumbfounded. Even if the three grandmasters were here, they couldn't have handled the situation so swiftly. This sight filled the two with deep regret, but there was no medicine for regret in this world. Although time reversal existed, it was clear Daniel wouldn't use it for them.
"Wow, quite the ambition. You wanted to use me as a bargaining chip to bribe the Central Plains' Buddhist sects. How clever."
Using the Double Complete Hands technique, Duan Lang quickly understood why Xu Kaishan was here. Du Xing's presence was expected, as he was under pressure from the frontier's Buddhist sects. But Xu Kaishan's involvement was a surprise.
However, it had to be admitted that if Xu Kaishan succeeded, it could indeed allow the Great Ming Cult to spread its teachings in the Central Plains. The Great Ming Cult was a demonic sect, perfect for countering the Central Plains' Two Sects and Six Paths. This was using poison to fight poison.
"Quite a few strongholds. Perfect for a clean sweep."
Although Rong Jiaojiao was one of the Five Bright Envoys, the information she knew paled in comparison to the Great Master.
"Shanhaiguan is mine now."
After extracting all the information about the Wolf Bandits from Du Xing and Xu Kaishan's memories, Duan Lang smiled. He then used a chain from a nearby corpse to bind the two together and dragged them along the ground as he headed toward the North Overlord Gang's headquarters in Shanhaiguan, publicly exposing their misdeeds along the way.
In truth, the mastermind behind the Wolf Bandits wasn't Xu Kaishan but Du Xing. This man, who appeared righteous on the surface, was secretly responsible for countless atrocities. Many unsolved cases in the frontier could be attributed to him.
As for Xu Kaishan, he had simply played along.
(End of Chapter)
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