Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

Li Ping trudged through the snow, which was up to his calves, making his way down to the valley floor.

The mountain path was a bit slippery, and he walked unsteadily, nearly falling down on his backside several times.

"Shi Gan, next time choose a flatter spot to set up an ambush. My legs are aching from walking this road."

Li Ping tugged at his collar and shouted towards the valley entrance.

Shi Gan was wiping the blood off his face with his sleeve when he heard this. He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"Sir, next time we'll definitely choose a flat path."

On the snow-covered ground at the bottom of the valley, Miao Jun's body was already cold.

The steel crossbow bolt was still firmly lodged in his throat, blood seeping into the snow like a withered red flower.

Hu Lie carried the nine-ringed broadsword, blood still seeping from the wound on his thigh.

The snow on the ground was speckled with dye

He looked at Miao Jun's corpse, then at Li Ping who was approaching step by step.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, but he couldn't hide a hint of panic.

"Li Ping!"

Hu Lie roared, the iron rings on the back of his knife clanging loudly.

"You despicable scoundrel! What else can you do besides resorting to underhanded tricks? Why don't you fight me one-on-one!"

Li Ping stopped ten paces away from him, toying with the chipped dagger in his hand.

"A one-on-one duel?"

Li Ping looked at him like he was an idiot.

"I brought two hundred men, all armed. Why should I fight you one-on-one?"

"Do you think I've got my head stuck in a door?"

Hu Lie was so angry that he trembled all over, and the fat on his face shook.

"You mere mortal, if it weren't for these peasants protecting you, I could cleave you in two with a single stroke!"

"But now they're protecting me."

Li Ping pointed to the hunters on the cliff face with their bows drawn.

He then pointed to the man from Wild Fox Ridge carrying a short crossbow at the valley entrance.

"Young Master Hu, look around. How many of your men are still standing?"

Hu Lie looked around

The hundred or so bandits who had followed him down the mountain were now mostly lying in the snow, groaning.

The remaining dozen or so, all wounded, huddled under the stone wall, their steel knives trembling like leaves.

"Young Master, surrender."

A bandit, his voice trembling with tears, threw his knife into the snow.

"The valley entrance is blocked, and the cliffs are full of poisoned arrows. We can't get out."

"Shut up!"

Hu Lie turned and kicked the bandit, sending him flying. The bandit crashed into the stone wall and fell silent.

He turned his head and stared intently at Li Ping, the madness in his eyes growing even stronger.

"I am the son of a county magistrate! I am now a celestial master!"

"You want me to surrender? Keep dreaming!"

Hu Lie roared, his body surging with black energy, and his nine-ringed broadsword whistled as it hurtled straight at Li Ping.

Although he was injured, he still possessed the strength of someone in the early stages of Qi Refining.

The force of this pounce was like that of a mad tiger descending from the mountain.

"Be careful, sir!"

Qian Duo screamed in terror behind the boulder.

Li Ping stood still, without even blinking.

Just as Hu Lie rushed to within five steps of him, Li Ping raised his right hand.

A yellowed talisman flew out of his hand.

"Take this firework!"

The talisman was ignited by spiritual energy in mid-air, exploding with a loud bang into a large cloud of thick white smoke.

The white smoke contained a mixture of lime and chili powder, a special concoction prepared by Uncle Zhou at Li Ping's request.

Hu Lie plunged headfirst into the white smoke, immediately choking and his eyes watered, while he coughed violently.

"Cough cough! Despicable!"

Guided by instinct, he wildly swung his broadsword in front of him.

The wind howled, sending the snow flying everywhere.

Li Ping ducked, his foot slipped, and he slid across the snow.

Having just broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, his spiritual sense was sharp enough that he could still clearly see Hu Lie's movements even through the thick smoke.

Hu Lie's broadsword grazed his scalp, severing a few strands of hair.

Li Ping had already moved closer to Hu Lie's side.

With a flick of his left hand, he slapped another spirit-binding talisman onto Hu Lie's thigh.

Flickering light

Hu Lie felt his injured right leg stiffen, as if it were locked by an invisible chain, and he instantly lost his balance, half-kneeling on the ground.

"Die!"

Li Ping's eyes were icy cold as the short knife in his hand transformed into a streak of cold light, plunging straight into Hu Lie's chest.

The rusty iron blade sliced ​​through flesh, producing a teeth-grinding scraping sound.

Hu Lie froze, his eyes bloodshot.

He gripped Li Ping's shoulders tightly, as if he wanted to crush Li Ping along with him.

But Li Ping didn't give him a chance. He gripped the hilt of the knife tightly with his right hand and spun it around half a circle.

"Pfft"

Blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly staining Li Ping's sleeves crimson.

The light in Hu Lie's eyes gradually faded, and his heavy body collapsed onto the snow with a thud, kicking up a cloud of white snow.

Li Ping drew his dagger, drawing a spurt of blood.

He stood in the snow, panting heavily, feeling utterly exhausted, his arms aching terribly.

This was the first major enemy he had personally dealt with.

The wind and snow howled, cutting through the canyon and gradually dispersing the thick smoke.

The valley floor returned to deathly silence.

The remaining dozen or so bandits looked at Hu Lie lying in a pool of blood.

Seeing Li Ping holding a blood-stained knife and with an icy expression, they were all terrified and turned ashen-faced.

Clang!

I don't know who lost the knife first.

Immediately afterwards, there was a loud crash, and the remaining bandits all knelt down in the snow, kowtowing repeatedly.

"My lord, spare my life! I am willing to surrender!"

"From now on, I will obey your orders without any disloyalty!"

On the cliff face, the mountain people watched this scene and erupted in a deafening cheer.

"Lord Li is mighty!"

"The bandit suppression was a success!"

Cheers echoed through the canyon, shaking the snow off the tree branches.

Li Ping stood amidst the corpses, looking at the bandits kneeling and begging for mercy, and then at the mountain people cheering from above.

For the first time, he truly felt that the power of Xiyun County had fallen into his hands.

"Shigan"

Li Ping sheathed his short sword, his voice slightly hoarse.

Shi Gan strode over and clasped his hands in a salute.

"What are your orders, sir?"

"Tie up all these surrendered soldiers and take them back to Yehuling."

"Let them go mining and building roads; anyone who slacks off will be fired."

"Your subordinate understands."

Li Ping walked to Miao Jun's body and squatted down.

This heretical cultivator died rather ignominiously; a dignified mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator...

He hadn't even had a chance to cast a few spells before he was killed by the underhanded tricks of mortals.

Li Ping searched Miao Jun for a while.

Apart from some scattered spirit sand and a few talismans

He pulled a black iron plate from Miao Jun's inner lining.

The iron plaque is engraved with an intricate character "司" (Si), with a faint aura of spiritual energy flowing around its edges.

"manage?"

Li Ping looked at the iron plaque, his eyes narrowing slightly.

It seems that among the prominent families in Jiangning City, there is one surnamed Si.

This Miao Jun is indeed a pawn sent by Jiangning.

"Sir, what is this iron plate?"

Qian Duo leaned closer and asked curiously.

Don't ask what you shouldn't ask.

Li Ping stuffed the iron plate into his pocket and stood up.

"Bury this heretical cultivator's corpse, scatter the ashes in the ravine, and leave no trace."

"Yes"

Li Ping tightened his sheepskin coat, watching the sky gradually darken.

Hu Lie is dead, and Black Wind Stronghold is pacified.

At the card table in Xiyun County, he finally had the capital to overturn the table.

But looking at the cold iron plate in his arms,

The grand strategy of Jiangning City has already begun to unfold in this remote little town.

"Let's go back to the city."

Li Ping mounted the gray donkey and slowly walked out of the valley.

The wind and snow rose again, gradually burying the bloodstains and footprints on the ground.