Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Overlord’s Stronghold

"Shut your mouths, you bunch of idiots!"

Liu Jinyu felt like slaughtering his own subordinates. Had they not seen that he had almost had his neck snapped just moments ago? He now realized that Chen Xuan was, at the very least, a master at the eighth stage of the Martial Artist realm. Moreover, Chen Xuan had come alone, yet he acted with more composure than anyone else. What did that mean? It meant he had nothing to fear! Liu Jinyu could not fathom Chen Xuan's true depth. People always feel fear when facing the unknown.

Scolded by this, the underlings quickly shut their mouths. After all, how many leaders of a stronghold were truly soft-hearted? If their men dared to disobey, having them hacked to pieces was a perfectly common occurrence.

"Young Master Chen, don't listen to these pigs rambling. From now on, you are welcome at Liufeng Stronghold whenever you wish. You may come and go as you please; consider this place your own home." Liu Jinyu squeezed out a smile, wanting nothing more than to coddle Chen Xuan and hurry this plague of a man out the door. Every moment Chen Xuan stayed, he felt his own danger grow.

Although Chen Xuan had received the answer he wanted, he did not leave immediately. Knitting his brows, he suddenly asked, "Which faction is the most powerful on the entire Bandit Mountain?"

Hearing this, Liu Jinyu was stunned. Why would he ask that out of the blue? Could this man named Chen be looking to stir up trouble with the biggest faction? It was entirely possible! Why else would he ask? He now suspected that Chen Xuan was simply an restless troublemaker—or perhaps someone who went around challenging schools, one by one. This guy’s strength had to be far beyond the eighth stage of the Martial Artist realm!

He now viewed Chen Xuan as mysterious and immensely powerful. When he thought about it, it made sense: Chen Xuan's father had been the youngest general in the history of the Great Qian Dynasty, breaking through to the Martial King realm in his twenties—a genius with peerless talent! His mother was a princess from a neighboring kingdom, and it was said that her dowry was worth an astronomical sum! Furthermore, his mother had reached the peak of the Martial Master realm at a very young age—a true heroine who stood her ground against any man.

These two were geniuses among geniuses. Had they not fallen, they would have been at least at the level of a Martial Emperor, perhaps even a Martial Venerable by now! How could such gifted parents produce a good-for-nothing? It was an act—it had to be an act! Liu Jinyu finally understood: the claims that Chen Xuan was a waste with blocked meridians, unable to practice martial arts, were all a ruse! After all, without the protection of his parents and with the Chen family indifferent toward him, he had to act weak and harmless to survive. He had been biding his time all these years, and now, the moment had arrived for him to shed his disguise and shock the world!

In just a few breaths, Liu Jinyu’s imagination had run wilder than anyone could have guessed. If Chen Xuan knew the extent of the man’s internal monologue, he would likely have burst out laughing.

Liu Jinyu’s eyes darted around, looking to usher Chen Xuan away, and he immediately replied, "To answer you, Young Master Chen, the biggest faction on Bandit Mountain is called the Overlord Stronghold. There are over a thousand bandits there, and they are notoriously arrogant and overbearing. Even we at Liufeng Stronghold have to take a detour if we run into their people."

The name fit the place—the Overlord Stronghold! One could tell how domineering they were just by the name they dared to take.

"The leader of the Overlord Stronghold goes by the nickname 'Overlord Li.' His physical combat skills are terrifying. He reached the Martial Master realm years ago; as for which stage of the Martial Master realm he is at now, no one knows but himself. It is said that the imperial court has been trying to recruit him for years, but this Overlord Li refuses to submit. When the court grew angry and tried to exterminate him, he would simply lead his men and flee; once the imperial army left, he would return. They’ve been playing this cat-and-mouse game, and the court hasn't been able to do anything about him."

Hearing this, Chen Xuan found it amusing. Every bandit faction on this mountain was backed by some court official; did they really think they could be "pacified"? Pacify themselves? The current interior of the Great Qian Dynasty was anything but peaceful. Although the capital appeared calm on the surface, undercurrents were raging, and no one knew what might happen next.

"The Martial Master realm..." Chen Xuan murmured to himself. He was currently at the eighth stage of the Martial Artist realm, and his rate of improvement was like riding a rocket. But that was far from enough.

By the time he reached the frontier, he would face even greater dangers. Moreover, the borders of the Great Qian Dynasty were currently unstable, with frequent warfare; the weak could only become the vassals of the strong! Therefore, he had to secure the favor of the women around him at any cost.

"Young Master Chen, are you planning to go after the Overlord Stronghold? I know where it is—I can lead the way!" Liu Jinyu offered, volunteering himself.

Chen Xuan glanced at him coldly and said, "I have no grudge against the people of the Overlord Stronghold. Why would I go out of my way to stir up trouble with them?"

What a joke. The master of the Overlord Stronghold had reached the Martial Master realm years ago. A master of that caliber could project their inner energy to shatter rocks from a distance. If they struck a person with their bare fists, they could shatter bones instantly! Ten peak ninth-stage Martial Artists combined couldn't defeat a single expert who had just stepped into the Martial Master realm. Though Chen Xuan had his system, he wasn't brainless. Challenging a Martial Master while only at the eighth stage of the Martial Artist realm was a suicide mission.

"Uh, you don't intend to trouble the Overlord Stronghold?" Liu Jinyu was clearly stunned, having miscalculated. If he wasn't going to trouble them, why on earth did he ask about the strongest faction?

"I was just asking. That's all. You're dismissed." Chen Xuan felt there was no point in lingering; he had learned what he needed to know. Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and left.

His startled horse had not run far because the gate of the stronghold had been closed; it had been circling within the compound. The bandits had originally planned to "close the gates to beat the dog," with Chen Xuan as the target, never expecting the "dog" to be stronger than their own leader.

Chen Xuan rode off, leaving the men of Liufeng Stronghold standing in the wind, utterly bewildered.

"What just happened?"

"Boss, he came into our stronghold, beat our men up, and then just left?"

"We had no grudge against him, why would he do that?"

"I've been a bandit for years, and this is the first time I've ever been so humiliated."

The group of bandits began to grumble.