"Faster, faster, faster..."

"Even faster—"

"Running so slow! Didn't your mother feed you milk?..."

"Jump—"

"Got him, go—"

Excited voices rose in the rain. In the dim wilderness, figures burst out of the woods amidst frantic shouts and curses, stepping through the muddy water. In the dim light, most of these men were bare-chested, their muscles solid and strong, clearly well-trained and extremely brave.

They shouted towards the cliff ahead, then leaped down. The cliff was nearly two *zhang* high (approximately 6 meters), which wouldn't be difficult for martial artists with some skill. However, these men flipped over in mid-air, facing backwards. In the heavy rain, two companions below adjusted their positions, and with a thud, caught the falling man. Then, one of them ran forward, while the man who had just landed immediately got up to prepare to catch the next companion.

Nearly two *zhang*, or six meters, might not seem like much, but considering their weight, plus facing backwards and being unable to use any *qinggong* (light body technique), each fall was like a cannonball. The two men below struggled to catch them, their arms bearing immense force. Some were even knocked to their knees. The men who fell often had to get up to catch another companion before they could catch their breath. The whole scene was overwhelming, almost suffocating, because if someone failed to catch, or didn't cushion the fall enough, the person falling could land on their spine, causing internal injuries, or even serious injury or death.

On the edge of the cliff, the bare-chested supervisor continued to shout in the rain: "Faster!"

"Jump faster!"

"No hesitation—"

"Trust your brothers!"

"Remember who you are fighting for! You are soldiers of Qingmu Stronghold, soldiers under Han Jing—"

"Remember what you are, you are people of Lüliang—"

"Remember you are the strongest—"

This supervisor, named Han Jing, looked to be only in his late twenties or early thirties. He had several scars on his body, dark skin, knotted, well-proportioned muscles, long arms, and large knuckles, the very image of a well-trained Lüliang man. For women, he probably had a rugged and powerful appeal. As he was shouting, a figure in a raincoat approached from the side and walked up to Han Jing.

The figure, wearing a raincoat and a *douli* (bamboo hat), was tall and burly, with a rugged face beneath the *douli*. He looked at the men jumping down like dumplings and said, "Fifth, isn't this training a bit excessive?"

"Not excessive, Third Brother," Han Jing replied. "Look, no one has died yet. They can take it."

"You'll cause an accident training like this sooner or later."

"That's the point. They need to know what it means to entrust their lives to their brothers!" Han Jing said. "Hong Ti has said it before. We need them to trust each other, trust with their lives, so that they will be effective in real combat. This is working well, this is how it should be... Hey! You! Faster! Don't dawdle like a bunch of women—"

The tall man nodded, watching the men jump down in the heavy rain. After a while, when almost everyone had jumped, Han Jing said, "You've seen those outsiders, Third Brother. They are very strong. We can't lose face."

After saying this, he strode forward. In the heavy rain, the mountain streams had turned into rushing torrents. He ran to the edge of the cliff and shouted, "Catch me—" before flipping and jumping down. The rugged man, called Third Brother, shook his head and rushed over, shouting, "Catch me too!" Then he flipped and jumped down.

Han Jing and a soldier struggled to catch him, but the big man was really heavy. The impact was difficult to cushion. After standing up, he rubbed his chest. Then, he jogged forward with Han Jing.

"I came because the Chieftain ordered it. He wants you to go eat."

"I know, the outsider is treating. A pretty boy… Third Brother, maybe I shouldn't go."

"The outsider is treating, but the Chieftain opened his mouth. Fourth has already gone. Do you want to disrespect the Chieftain in front of the outsider?"

"I understand."

Han Jing frowned. Soon, they followed the soldier to a small clearing in the forest ahead. More than two hundred soldiers had formed a neat square formation. Han Jing gave a few instructions, had his deputy take over, and walked to the side with the big man.

The rugged man, whom he called Third Brother, smiled: "I wanted to see him a couple of days ago, but now you're being coy..."

Han Jing ground his teeth: "I heard he's here to marry the Chieftain?"

"Heh, I knew what you were thinking," the big man said. "It's not clear yet, but it looks like it. The Old Master likes him. Whether she'll marry him is hard to say. But… don't think about it. Hong Ti doesn't look down on you, and she trusts you, but she doesn't want to marry you. No one can force that. You have to understand this, otherwise… it'll be difficult for us brothers."

"I know," Han Jing replied without hesitation, nodding. "But I can think about it, right? I heard the kid is a scholar from out of town, a pretty boy. I respect Hong Ti, and everyone respects her, but if… if she really marries someone like that, what will everyone think? Can they accept it? Who will have the final say in Lüliang then? Hong Ti, or that pretty boy scholar? I heard he's even younger than Hong Ti…"

The big man shook his head: "The Old Master is also a scholar. Maybe that's why the Chieftain… likes him more. The details need to be discussed. You have to meet him first. Besides, he's not simple either. He can handle the things Zhao Si said, did you hear that?"

"Zhao Si…" Han Jing waved his hand. "They say he's a heart demon, killed tens of thousands of people outside, and then smashed Little Xiangma's turf when he came in. I believe some of it, but a person like that getting close to the Chieftain, who knows what kind of conspiracy he's planning? Maybe he just wants to use us Lüliang people. Scholars are all insidious…"

After a moment, he added: "Of course, the Old Master is different. I respect him."

As they were talking, they arrived at the mountain camp built from wooden houses. Han Jing changed his clothes, then put on a raincoat and *douli*, and went with the rugged man towards the inner part of Qingmu Stronghold. Although Qingmu Stronghold seemed crowded inside, some places were separate from the stronghold, such as the training grounds and the back mountain where the blast furnace was being researched. The two walked along the mountain path, greeting the patrolling stronghold members along the way, and then approached the new courtyard where Liang Bingfu, Hong Ti, and others lived. Many people had already gathered here.

In the Qingmu Stronghold's leadership structure, there were five Chieftains, with Hong Ti at the head. The Second Chieftain, Zheng Ashuan, and the Third Chieftain—Cao Qianyong, the big man who had found Han Jing—were both veterans of Qingmu Stronghold. The Fourth Chieftain, Peng Yue, and the Fifth Chieftain, Han Jing, had both occupied mountains outside and later merged into Qingmu Stronghold, becoming Chieftains. At this time, the four Chieftains and some of the mountain's leaders had already arrived. They gathered in the hall, greeted Liang Bingfu, and then spoke in low voices. It was quite lively, despite the heavy rain.

In the past, although the stronghold emphasized authority, most of the time it was as warm as a family. Most of the people who came this time were in charge of affairs in the stronghold, and some also had family and relatives. A dozen or twenty people gathered. Liang Bingfu sat in the main seat. The people gathered around him were naturally the most numerous. For example, the steady and prudent Second Chieftain, Zheng Ashuan, who was in his forties, diligently served him. The old man felt that it was inappropriate for a Chieftain to do such things and told him to sit aside. Some people sat on the threshold of the hall, and others gathered in small groups under the eaves outside, whispering.

Recently, the atmosphere in Qingmu Stronghold had been tense. Rumors about Hong Ti's marriage proposal had attracted various outsiders, and those who had come because of the amnesty edict had even greater origins. Everyone was a little uneasy about the development of the situation. But during this period, Ning Yi's sudden arrival had attracted everyone's attention.

Some of those seated had already met this young man from outside the mountain, while others had not. However, rumors about Ning Yi had already spread among the core figures in the mountain through Zhao Si's mouth. The other party, outside the mountain, seemed to be an important figure who should not be underestimated, but it could not be ruled out that his family had a strong influence, recruited many experts, or had close ties with the government. And during this period, the rumor that Liang Bingfu was going to betroth Hong Ti to this outsider made everyone feel even more complicated.

An outsider, a scholar who was out of place on Mount Lüliang, was going to marry their Chieftain. If it really happened, no one knew what Qingmu Stronghold would become. Even if the other party was really powerful outside, who could guarantee that he would devote himself to the stronghold? Even if he did, who could believe that he was not using Qingmu Stronghold to develop his power or satisfy his ambition?

Thus, everyone was whispering. Some people asked Liang Bingfu about it indirectly. Liang Bingfu tapped his cane, and everyone quieted down and looked over.

"I know what you all are thinking and guessing today," Liang Bingfu said with a smile. "People have come from outside, they are Hong Ti's friends. You are worried and want to ask about it. That's human nature. This old man won't say anything to help him. He and Hong Ti are inside preparing. You will see what kind of person he is later. Whether he is good or bad, or whether what he says makes sense, you can all see for yourselves, and think for yourselves. That's fine, isn't it?"

The old man spoke frankly, and everyone smiled apologetically, but they were still definitely thinking about it. After another while, Hong Ti lifted the curtain at the side door of the main hall and came out. As the Chieftain of Qingmu Stronghold, she was dressed as an ordinary village woman at this time, but her face was cold—this was her usual expression when she met everyone—with the aura of a martial arts grandmaster dominating the scene, the hall instantly fell silent. Hong Ti's gaze swept over everyone, and she spoke faintly.

"Some friends want to meet everyone today and get to know you. Come in and get ready to eat."

Everyone nodded quickly. Liang Bingfu smiled and said, "This old man is a little tired and won't accompany you. Eat by yourselves." At this time, someone came over, jumping and smiling, it was Zheng Xiaoshui, the daughter of the Second Chieftain, Zheng Ashuan. She asked, "Sister Ti, is it that Heart Demon Mr. Zhao? Is he going to marry you?"

Zheng Ashuan was originally a veteran of Qingmu Stronghold, and Zheng Xiaoshui was a younger sister who grew up with Hong Ti. She also knew Fu Duanyun and others, and was not afraid in front of Hong Ti. Everyone took her direct question as a joke and was about to laugh when Hong Ti turned slightly towards the curtain. At this time, she turned her head to the side, reached out and smoothed her temples, and answered with a smile.

"Yes, I will marry him."

Hong Ti usually acted in a straightforward manner, and she was like this at this time. In an instant, everyone's expressions froze on their faces...