At the border of Baishi and Qinghe, the Yang Family's Northern Mine.

"P-Please... spare m-"

Crack!

Before the bandit leader could finish his plea, Yang Linghu had already twisted and snapped his neck.

Looking at the corpses strewn across the ground, he wiped the bloodstains off his body and calmly turned to leave.

This was already the fifth bandit group he had dealt with in recent days.

These unlucky fellows were also greedy; they all thought they could occupy this mine as a stronghold, never imagining that this remote place actually housed a Qi Gathering second-layer cultivator.

By the time they discovered Yang Linghu was no ordinary mortal, it was already too late to flee.

Yang Linghu returned to the mine. The Clan Soldiers on guard stood at attention and saluted the moment they saw him.

"Welcome back, Immortal Master Linghu!"

Yang Linghu nodded and returned to his quarters.

As soon as he entered the room, he sat down on a meditation cushion and began to review his actions.

This was a habit he had gradually developed over the past year or more of watching over the mine alone.

He knew he didn't have a mind as sharp as Lingqing's, so he would reflect deeply before and after his actions to avoid any mistakes.

After running through the day's events in his mind, Yang Linghu slowly opened his eyes.

"That leader today had all eleven Qi Nodes open; he was on the verge of condensing a Qi Mansion."

Yang Linghu thought to himself, "Lingqing's previous letter also instructed that this area would be a hotspot for bandit troubles, and warned me not to act impulsively, but to be extra cautious."

He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the dark clouds on the horizon, feeling a vague sense of foreboding.

"Wait, something's not right."

A sudden flash of insight struck him. He took out a map and marked the locations where the five bandit groups had appeared.

Looking at it this way, he could intuitively see a common pattern in their movements.

Initially, they entered from the east, then went in different directions, but all turned south after moving north, heading straight for the mine.

It was as if someone had shown them the way.

Yang Linghu spread out the map and examined it closely. His fingertip traced northward and stopped at one place.

Sanglu Valley!

Yang Linghu suddenly understood; the Zhang Family had to be involved in this.

Realizing this, he immediately changed his plan.

"Someone, come in."

"Your subordinate is here! What are your orders, Immortal Master?"

A Clan Soldier squad leader wearing rattan armor entered the room.

"Pass down my order: cease mining operations from today. Within three days, send all the stored ore and laborers back to the main residence."

Yang Linghu commanded, "After they leave, take the Clan Soldiers and return as well."

"Ah! Immortal Master, you intend to stay here alone?"

The squad leader was greatly shocked. "This won't do! When we came, Immortal Master Lingqing instructed..."

Yang Linghu raised his hand to signal him to stop, then handed over a written letter.

"This is my personal letter. Lingqing will understand once he sees it. The bandit troubles from now on are not something you can handle. The family spent no small effort to train you; it's not worth losing your lives here in vain."

"This..."

The squad leader opened his mouth but ultimately complied, immediately leaving to organize the miners and laborers to transfer the stored ore.

Meanwhile, on a mountain peak north of the mine, not far from Sanglu Valley.

A group of bandits was entrenched here, having built a sturdy stockade.

Over a hundred people were gathered inside, feasting on wine and meat. These provisions had been plundered through burning and plundering along the way. There was no telling how many innocent civilians had suffered because of them.

"Master Zhang, thanks to you, our three brothers have gained a firm foothold. I toast to you!"

In the central tent of the stockade, a burly man with a bushy beard raised a wine jar high to toast Zhang Chen.

This man was Liao Feng, the chief leader of this bandit group.

Beside him sat two others: one with a feminine face dressed in white, and another with a scarred face.

These two were the sworn brothers of the bearded man, and also the second and third in command of the bandit force.

Seeing their eldest brother toasting, the two followed suit.

"Master Zhang, you are our brothers' benefactor. I toast you too!"

"I'll join in!"

"Hahaha, it's nothing, nothing!"

Zhang Chen was in high spirits, downing three large cups of wine in a row, which drew continuous praise from the three men.

"Master Zhang has an immense capacity for liquor!"

"With such boldness, your future prospects are limitless!"

After a round of drinking, Zhang Chen put down his cup and brought up the main business.

"Liao Feng, by making things convenient for you three brothers this time, I have bent the rules and taken a considerable risk."

Zhang Chen said slowly, "That matter... you must handle it properly for me."

"Of course! Rest assured, Master Zhang. We've been laying the groundwork for days; we're just waiting to spring the trap."

Liao Feng readily agreed upon hearing this.

"Good! With your word, I am reassured. Come, let's drink!"

Why was Zhang Chen mingling with this group of bandits? This story began with the outbreak of war between the two nations.

Ever since failing to seize the mine over a year ago, Zhang Chen had kept this grudge in his heart, always thinking about how to take it back.

But because Zhang Tianqi and the others had their minds set on the cave dwelling in Sanglu Valley and had no interest in the mine, he had been forced to temporarily set the thought aside.

When the war started and bandit troubles grew increasingly severe, the Qinghe Town Chief sought help from the Zhang Family, hoping they could assist in clearing them out.

At that time, the Zhang Family had made some progress in studying the cave dwelling's restrictions. Zhang Tianqi and the others were unwilling to pull away, and coincidentally, Zhang Chen had just broken through to the Qi Gathering second layer.

Zhang Tianqi wanted to use this opportunity to train Zhang Chen, so he assigned him the task of assisting in bandit suppression. To ensure his safety, he also gave him a protective Treasure Jade from the family.

With this Treasure Jade, he would be capable of handling even a Qi Gathering third-layer cultivator.

At the very beginning of the bandit suppression campaign, Zhang Chen took it seriously. But after a few days, his hidden, crooked intentions began to stir.

"Currently, bandits are rampant everywhere. The Yang Family, unlike my family in Sanglu Valley, doesn't have a geographical advantage. They must be having a massive headache."

"That mine is far from the Yang Family's main residence. That old bastard Yang Guanfeng certainly won't abandon his home to guard a distant property. It should still be that Yang kid at the Qi Gathering first layer watching over it."

Thinking this way, he came up with a plan.

"Why not simply divert the trouble south and drive all the bandits over there? Then I can pick a few powerful outlaws, give them some benefits, and have them directly kill everyone at the mine, including that Yang kid-a classic case of killing by proxy!"

"Heh heh, that way, it will just look like the Yang Family was incompetent and unable to defend their property against bandits, ultimately losing men and resources. Who could they blame?"

"Then I can step in, sweep away the remaining bandits, gain merit for the suppression, and legitimately take over the mine!"

With this plan in mind, he immediately began to act. First, he drove some of the more capable bandits south, then won over Liao Feng and his two brothers, allowing them to set up camp near Sanglu Valley and even providing them with plenty of supplies.

Liao Feng was originally a Corporal of the Strength Corps in the army under a prince of the Eastern Wasteland Wangchao. He had entered the Dao through martial arts, reaching the Qi Gathering second layer, and his two sworn brothers were both Qi Gathering first-layer cultivators.

Among the various bandit groups, their strength was extremely formidable. The hundred or so men under his command had all been gathered through fighting, killing, and forced annexation.

"Hmph, once I reclaim this mine, you'll all see clearly who represents the future of the Zhang Family!" As the wine went down, Zhang Chen thought with eager anticipation.