"Over ten thousand people, huh? It seems I can replicate Lord Madara's move."
The three major bandit groups each had around three thousand members, totaling over ten thousand. This number reminded Duan Lang of the Fourth Great Ninja War, when Uchiha Madara charged alone at the Allied Shinobi Forces. He immediately decided to replicate that move, as this was a rare opportunity.
Under normal circumstances, neither Daniel Davis nor Duan Lang would encounter such a situation. As for exposing his true strength, it didn't matter. In fact, it was a good opportunity to intimidate others.
"Quite a few people are running away, huh?"
While Duan Lang wasn't concerned about the three major bandit groups, others didn't share his confidence. Many people in Shanhai County fled overnight. The road to the frontier was definitely impassable, as the three major bandit groups were there. The only safe route was toward the Central Plains.
Most of those who fled were members of the merchant guilds in Shanhai County. Only a small number of locals and those who came to witness the public trial of Xu Kaishan and Du Xing left.
The appearance of the three major bandit groups brought an unusual unity to the people of Shanhai County, who began preparing to defend against the bandits. In the frontier, bandits were the true public enemy, as they left no survivors in their wake. Under normal circumstances, no one wanted to have anything to do with bandits.
In fact, under normal circumstances, Shanhai County's defenses could hold off the bandits. Although the city walls weren't particularly tall and there was no moat, the bandits also lacked siege equipment.
The Eastern Turks had repeatedly tried to invade the Central Plains, but their main failure was the lack of siege equipment. For small towns and cities, the Turks could overwhelm them with sheer numbers, but for heavily fortified cities, this approach didn't work.
For example, the famous Tongwan City in the frontier was so well-fortified that it ranked among the strongest cities in the Central Plains. The ruler of Tongwan City was once a dominant force in the frontier. In the original story, the Twin Dragons and Ba Fenghan fought Jieli's Golden Wolf Army here. The three of them held off the army for a full day and night, instantly making the Twin Dragons famous in the grasslands and effectively stepping on Jieli's face to rise to prominence.
However, as time passed, Tongwan City, while still standing, was no longer the strategic stronghold it once was. It had degenerated into a marketplace in the frontier.
"Beware of traitors? Thanks for the reminder. I'll make sure to keep an eye on that."
After listening to the advice from the Butterfly Prince, Duan Lang nodded slightly. With the forces of the North Tyrant Gang at his disposal, defending the city against the bandits was entirely feasible. The only concern was the possibility of the bandits coordinating with traitors inside the city to breach the defenses.
This was something Duan Lang hadn't considered. After deciding to replicate Lord Madara's move, he had stopped thinking about the bandits.
In reality, if he could hold off the bandits for a few days, they would likely disperse on their own. The three major bandit groups came from three different factions. Such cooperation was a one-time thing, as they not only belonged to different ethnic groups but also different nations. It was a miracle they had cooperated this time, and many people were surprised by it.
Moreover, the appearance of the three major bandit groups had already spread. If they stayed in one place for too long, they would face the combined forces of the various frontier tribes.
The greatest advantage of bandits was their speed and elusiveness. If their location was exposed, not only would Jieli and Tuli, the two most powerful forces among the Eastern Turks, come after them, but the other frontier tribes would also join in to eliminate them.
In fact, among all the tribes in the frontier, very few had no grievances against the bandits.
"By the way, Butterfly Prince, my main purpose in coming to the frontier isn't to deal with the Buddhist sects but to target the Xiang family, who are involved in human trafficking." After thanking the Butterfly Prince, Duan Lang paused for a moment before steering the conversation toward the Xiang family.
After meeting the Butterfly Prince, Yin Xianhe, Duan Lang recalled some details. Yin Xianhe's younger sister, Yin Xiaoji, had once helped Kou Zhong escape a life-threatening situation. Yin Xianhe had been in the frontier for so many years searching for his sister.
Over the years, Yin Xianhe had gained quite a reputation in the frontier, primarily through his efforts to eliminate bandits. After recalling Yin Xianhe's background, Duan Lang had an idea.
Yin Xianhe's strength was considerable. After all, in the original story, he had participated in the assassination of Xu Kaishan. Without sufficient strength, he wouldn't have been able to join such an operation. In terms of ability, he was on par with Hou Xibai. Combined with his strong sense of justice, he was a perfect candidate for a constable.
Since Daniel Davis had appeared in this world, even if he couldn't completely eradicate human trafficking, he would do everything in his power to curb it. In the future, there would be a dedicated department to handle such matters.
"So it was them?"
After hearing Duan Lang's explanation of the Xiang family's activities, Yin Xianhe's eyes filled with intense killing intent. Over the years, while searching for his sister, he had also been looking for the people who had abducted her. However, he had never found any leads.
This was understandable, as he had always operated alone and focused primarily on finding his sister. Naturally, he had little information on human traffickers. His martial skills had been honed through his relentless search for his sister.
"Butterfly Prince, what about you?"
"My sister."
After taking a deep breath, Yin Xianhe briefly explained his sister's situation and expressed his determination to track down the Xiang family's operations in the frontier.
"What's your sister's name?"
"Yin Xiaoji."
"So it's her."
"Do you know where Xiaoji is?"
Yin Xianhe, who had been feeling down, immediately stood up in excitement upon hearing Duan Lang's words. After so many years without any news of Yin Xiaoji, he had begun to fear the worst. However, he would never give up until he had definitive proof.
"Don't get too excited. I've heard the name, but I'm sorry to say I don't know her exact whereabouts. However, I can confirm she's not in the frontier. She's likely in the Central Plains."
Duan Lang then shared the relevant information he had. After eliminating Xiang Yushan and his father, as well as the Baling Gang, he had gathered a lot of intelligence from the rescued victims. Among them, Yin Xiaoji was the most memorable because she had never given in.
At the time, Daniel Davis had intended to help rescue her, but unfortunately, Yin Xiaoji had already escaped. With that, even Daniel Davis couldn't find her in the vast sea of people.
"She escaped? As long as she's alive, that's good." After hearing from Duan Lang that Yin Xiaoji was still alive, Yin Xianhe took several deep breaths to calm himself. After so many years, he finally had news of his sister.
"Thank you for telling me. I'm very sorry, but I can't assist you for now. I owe you a debt of gratitude, which I'll repay in the future."
After learning of his sister's whereabouts, Yin Xianhe was eager to return to the Central Plains to find her. However, considering the current situation in Shanhai County, he hesitated. After all, the city was in danger, and it seemed only right to stay and help Duan Lang deal with the crisis, especially since Duan Lang had provided him with accurate information about his sister.
But in the end, his sister's safety was his top priority, and Yin Xianhe could only apologize to Duan Lang.
"No need to be so polite. I merely shared what I knew. If it were me, I'd probably be even more anxious. However, returning to the Central Plains now and trying to find her in such a vast population won't be easy. I have a suggestion."
Given that his sister had been abducted for so many years, it was natural that her safety was his top priority. Duan Lang understood this and offered a solution: after returning to the Central Plains, Yin Xianhe should first go to Luoyang to find Daniel Davis and then publish a missing person notice in the Great Tang Daily.
"By leveraging the power of the Shen Tang officials, I believe things will move faster. At the very least, if your sister sees the notice, she might come forward on her own."
"Thank you."
After that, Yin Xianhe didn't delay and immediately set off for the Central Plains.
"That Lie Xia is quite impressive."
After Yin Xianhe left, Duan Lang turned his attention to Lie Xia. Since arriving in Shanhai County, Lie Xia had been staying at the famous brothel, Baihua Garden. With his handsome looks and literary talent, he had been thriving there.
"What is this place? It's you."
As Lie Xia left Baihua Garden and returned to his room at the inn, he suddenly noticed strange, surreal changes around him. Then he saw someone sitting in his room—Duan Lang, the current ruler of Shanhai County.
"What, surprised? The Bright Void Son of the Great Ming Cult."
"Who are you, really?"
The information revealed in Duan Lang's words made Lie Xia's expression turn extremely grim. He never expected his identity to be exposed. Although the Great Ming Cult was known to many in the frontier due to their proselytizing efforts, he had never revealed his connection to the cult.
"I'm the one who will take your life," Duan Lang said with a relaxed smile.
"You're asking for death."
Lie Xia's entire body surged with true energy as he pretended to lunge at Duan Lang. However, in the next moment, he swiftly retreated, crashing toward the inn's door.
Prior to this, Lie Xia had investigated Duan Lang and knew he was a formidable opponent. The information Duan Lang had revealed was also deadly for the Great Ming Cult. Lie Xia needed to return and discuss this with the Good Mother. To escape Duan Lang, the best option was to create chaos.
Unfortunately, his plan failed. When his body hit the door, it didn't break open immediately. Instead, it felt like he had crashed into a steel wall. The recoil forced him to vomit a large amount of blood.
This outcome stunned Lie Xia. With his strength, he should have easily broken through the door. If he hadn't experienced it himself, he wouldn't have believed it.
"Surprised?"
Duan Lang raised his left hand slightly, and the entire room began to change rapidly. The walls expanded outward, and the ceiling disappeared. In moments, Lie Xia found himself on an open balcony, his body restrained by the transformed door.
As he was restrained, Lie Xia also saw pedestrians outside the inn. He tried to shout, but they seemed oblivious to him, passing right through his body.
This was, of course, the Mirror Dimension. To avoid unnecessary trouble and because Duan Lang had his own plans for the Great Ming Cult, he used the Mirror Dimension to deal with them.
"You—"
Slap.
Before Lie Xia could say anything, he felt a sharp pain in his cheek. Blood accompanied his teeth as they flew out of his mouth. Duan Lang had just slapped him from a distance.
"You like using poison, don't you? How about trying your own poison?"
Lie Xia, as the Bright Void Son of the Great Ming Cult, naturally practiced the Good Mother's martial arts. However, unlike the Good Mother, who focused on the Scripture of Light, Lie Xia specialized in the Scripture of the Medicine King, particularly in creating aphrodisiacs.
For someone like him, Duan Lang decided to repay him in kind. As for the target of the poison, whether it was a person or not, that was another matter. In any case, Lie Xia wouldn't be able to resist.
"So they're hiding here. Not a bad plan, but to get the three major bandit groups to cooperate, Jieli must have intervened."
From Lie Xia's memories, Duan Lang learned of the Great Ming Cult's plans to rescue Xu Kaishan. The plan was quite clever: use the bandit groups to draw the attention of the city's defenders, then have the cult's experts rescue Xu Kaishan, kill Duan Lang and Du Xing, and take control of Shanhai County.
However, getting the three major bandit groups to cooperate wasn't easy. The Wolf Bandits were straightforward, as they were part of the cult. But the other two bandit groups were different. This wasn't something the Great Ming Cult could achieve on its own. Only Jieli, the current Khan of the Eastern Turks, had the power to make it happen. Of course, publicly, Jieli would never admit to any connection with the bandits.
"Wood Dragon Technique."
After learning the hiding place of the Great Ming Cult members from Lie Xia, Duan Lang immediately went to their location, trapped them in the Mirror Dimension, and captured them using Wood Release.
Initially, Duan Lang had planned to eliminate the entire Great Ming Cult. However, after learning from Xu Kaishan about the cult's extensive network in the frontier, he changed his mind. He decided to turn the cult members into pawns. Of course, Lie Xia had to die.
The Great Ming Cult's members were quite powerful. The Good Mother, Shafang, was a match for Zhu Yuyan. If not for her unfortunate encounter with Shi Zhixuan, who had absorbed the Evil Emperor's relic and regained his strength, she wouldn't have been so easily defeated.
Such strength was too valuable to waste. They could be used to prepare for the future destruction of the Eastern Turks. Over the years, the Great Ming Cult had used its teachings to control many tribes. Looking further ahead, they might even be used against the true Great Ming Cult in Persia.
"That Duan Yucheng is a pity."
Duan Yucheng, a former follower of the Twin Dragons who later became the Atom of the Great Ming Cult, had missed his opportunity due to Daniel Davis's appearance. Duan Yucheng's talent was remarkable; otherwise, he wouldn't have become the Atom and been able to hold his own against Xu Ziling.
However, such opportunities, once missed, were gone. Of course, if Duan Yucheng were given the Scripture of the Root of All Laws and sufficient resources now, he might still be cultivated into a formidable figure. Unfortunately, Daniel Davis had no such intentions, as Duan Yucheng wasn't one of the Twin Dragons.
(End of Chapter)
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