According to calculations, even if every single bandit in Liangshan Stronghold were wiped out, it would still be nearly impossible to advance the Body Forging Scripture to the fifth stage.
Instead of doing that, he might as well just take over Liangshan Stronghold.
Qin Shujian's eyes flickered.
"The Players' arrival won't take long. If I can't boost my strength in a short time, taking over the entire Liangshan Stronghold might not be a bad compromise."
If he wanted to avoid being cannon fodder NPC, apart from becoming stronger, having enough underlings was another way to ensure his own safety.
Looked at that way, becoming the Liangshan Stronghold Master had only benefits and not a single drawback.
At this thought, Qin Shujian hesitated no longer.
"Use!"
With a silent thought in his mind, the token instantly turned into a stream of light and vanished.
A succession of system notifications immediately rang out in his mind.
"You have used the 'Liangshan Stronghold Master Token'!"
"You have become the new Liangshan Stronghold Master!"
"All deceased bandits of Liangshan Stronghold have respawned. There are currently seventy bandits in total!"
"You have become the Liangshan Stronghold Master and inherited all the treasures of Liangshan."
"You have obtained fifty silver coins!"
"You have become the Liangshan Stronghold Master, and are specially rewarded with a Mortal Grade Mid-Tier Tiger-Head Saber and a Mortal Grade Mid-Tier Tiger-Skin Armor set. You may choose one of the two!"
"You have become the Liangshan Stronghold Master, gaining attribute bonuses within the territory of Liangshan Stronghold, raising your realm by one stage (Note: cannot cross a major realm)."
"Centered on Liangshan, a radius of fifty miles is designated as the territory of Liangshan!"
"After becoming the Liangshan Stronghold Master, you are not permitted to leave the territory of Liangshan at will. Once you step outside the Liangshan territory, you will enter the domain of another faction, with a high probability of being detected by that faction."
"Note: Entering another's territory without permission will be treated as an act of war once detected. Please proceed with caution!"
"Note: You may consider smoothing things over with other factions; you might obtain a passage permit!"
Chapter 6: Liangshan Stronghold Master
The massive wave of notifications nearly left Qin Shujian dazed.
When he saw the final few prompts, his expression darkened instantly.
He was not allowed to leave the territory of Liangshan Stronghold at will.
This meant he was essentially imprisoned within this tiny acre of land belonging to Liangshan Stronghold.
Upon becoming the Liangshan Stronghold Master, the topography surrounding Liangshan Stronghold flooded into Qin Shujian's mind all at once.
Everything within a fifty-mile radius centered on Liangshan was the territory of Liangshan Stronghold.
Beyond this territory lay the domains of other factions.
There was no buffer zone whatsoever between these factions.
In other words, the moment Qin Shujian left the territory of Liangshan Stronghold, he would immediately step into the domain of another faction.
If he did that, it would be tantamount to declaring war.
Without a thorough understanding of the surrounding factions, Qin Shujian did not dare to take that risk.
Therefore—
This was what irritated Qin Shujian the most.
Unawares, he had been tricked.
Had he known that becoming the Liangshan Stronghold Master required paying such a price, he might not have acted so recklessly.
But now that the rice was cooked into porridge, it was too late for regrets.
From the very moment he became the Liangshan Stronghold Master, Qin Shujian knew there was no turning back.
The identity of the Stronghold Master was something that was guaranteed to drop upon death.
And if he wanted to voluntarily cede it to another bandit?
We are terribly sorry!
Among bandits and robbers, might made right, and the concept of yielding was unheard of.
Thus, Qin Shujian had to accept a harsh reality.
That was—
He had suddenly transformed from a cannon fodder NPC into a minor boss holding the position of Liangshan Stronghold Master.
At this point, Qin Shujian did not forget that he still had a reward option unclaimed.
"You have become the Liangshan Stronghold Master, and are specially rewarded with a Mortal Grade Mid-Tier Tiger-Head Saber and a Mortal Grade Mid-Tier Tiger-Skin Armor set. You may choose one of the two!"
This choice wasn't actually difficult to make.
He had already obtained a Tiger-Head Saber from Wu Sheng, so there was no need for another one. That left only one option.
"I claim the Mortal Grade Mid-Tier Tiger-Skin Armor set!"
...
Inside the newly tidied Loyalty and Righteousness Hall, Qin Shujian sat squarely in the main seat, clad in a tiger-skin overcoat.
His original fractured broadsword had long since been discarded, leaving only the Tiger-Head Saber resting beside him.
At this moment, his attributes had also undergone subtle changes.
Name: Qin Shujian
Identity: Liangshan Stronghold Master
Affiliated Faction: Liangshan Stronghold
Realm: Martial Entry Fifth Stage (Within Liangshan Stronghold territory, Realm +1)
Cultivation Method: Body Forging Scripture Fourth Stage (Total of five stages) (Mortal Grade Low-Tier), Black Tiger Saber Technique (+) (Initial Mastery) Mortal Grade Mid-Tier
Life Source: 18
Equipment: Tiger-Head Saber (Mortal Grade Mid-Tier), Tiger-Skin Armor set (Tiger-skin overcoat, tiger-skin trousers, tiger-skin belt, thick tiger-skin boots)
His identity had transitioned from an ordinary bandit to the Liangshan Stronghold Master, and his realm had increased from the Martial Entry Fourth Stage to the Martial Entry Fifth Stage due to the identity bonus.
Upon reaching the Martial Entry Fifth Stage, Qin Shujian felt as though certain unknown changes had occurred within his body.
Yet these changes weren't particularly distinct, as if something was still missing.
However, one thing was certain: his strength and overall physical fitness had improved tremendously compared to when he was at the Martial Entry Fourth Stage.
"When I encountered Wu Sheng, his realm was the Martial Entry Fifth Stage—and that was under the augmentation of Liangshan's territorial jurisdiction."
"If that bonus is stripped away, Wu Sheng was actually only equivalent to the Martial Entry Third Stage."
"The Martial Entry Third Stage is roughly equivalent to the third stage of the Body Forging Scripture. Wu Sheng served as the stronghold master for who knows how many years, and possessed quite a fearsome reputation in these parts. He must have taken quite a few lives."
"Judging by that, Wu Sheng should have accumulated a considerable amount of Life Source."
"Yet he still remained stuck at the Martial Entry Third Stage..."
Qin Shujian pondered slightly, his fingers gently rubbing his chin.
All along, he had assumed that Life Source was a feature possessed by every NPC in this world.
But now, he realized his assumption might have gone off track.
Perhaps—
The trait of using Life Source to advance cultivation methods was something only he possessed.
Qin Shujian's mind was active, but he didn't intend to dwell too much on this question.
"Someone come!"
Soon, two men who looked somewhat more presentable compared to the other bandits walked in.
"Stronghold Master, what are your orders?"
Looking at the two, Qin Shujian's expression softened somewhat.
After taking over Liangshan Stronghold, he discovered that not all bandits were lacking in intelligence.
Among them were a few whose strength differed from the rest and whose minds were quite nimble.
Strictly speaking, these bandits were minor chieftains.
The two before him were Zhang Tieniu, a minor chieftain at the Martial Entry Second Stage who was originally Wu Sheng's right-hand man and was now his subordinate as well; and Wang Tiezhu, also a minor chieftain at the Martial Entry Second Stage, who held another identity—a carpenter.
It was only upon seeing Wang Tiezhu that Qin Shujian learned that most of the carpentry work in Liangshan Stronghold was done by Wang Tiezhu's hands.
For a mountain full of dull-witted bandits to produce two normal people truly brought great joy to Qin Shujian.
At the very least.
There was someone he could converse with normally, so he wouldn't be driven mad from holding it in.
After pondering for a few breaths, Qin Shujian looked at the two and asked in a deep voice: "Both of you are chieftains of Liangshan Stronghold, so you must be very familiar with the surrounding factions. Therefore, this Stronghold Master will ask you: what places border Liangshan Stronghold?"
Zhang Tieniu replied respectfully, "Reporting to the Stronghold Master, bordering our Liangshan Stronghold are the Lion-Tiger Plain to the north, the Chaotic Stone Forest to the east, the Endless Mountains to the south, the Xining Rebels to the west, and finally the Undead Plain to the southeast."
"Among them, the Lion-Tiger Plain, the Chaotic Stone Forest, the Endless Mountains, and the Undead Plain all harbor formidable factions, though subordinates do not know the exact details."
Lion-Tiger Plain, Chaotic Stone Forest, Endless Mountains, Xining Rebels, Undead Plain.
Qin Shujian silently recited these names one by one in his heart.
"What about the Xining Rebels?"
"The territory occupied by the Xining Rebels was originally called the Xining Plain. However, after the rebels occupied it, people gradually forgot that name and only remembered the existence of the rebels. Over time, the four words 'Xining Rebels' replaced the name of the original region."
"What is the overall strength of these regions, and what realm are their strongest figures likely at?"
"If we're talking about the strongest, it's probably the Xining Rebels," Zhang Tieniu said with a struggling expression, hesitating for a moment.
"I've heard these people are defeated rebel troops from a certain country who fled here, wandering around burning, killing, and plundering. The leader is rumored to be a powerful existence who has surpassed the Martial Entry Fifth Stage."
"As for the other places, they also possess powerhouses at the Martial Entry Fifth Stage."
"As for the Endless Mountains, this subordinate is not very familiar with them, but as long as one doesn't actively venture into them, there is basically no major threat."
Hearing this, Qin Shujian gained a superficial understanding of these factions.
To put it bluntly.
Among the bordering territories and factions, his Liangshan Stronghold was the weakest.
The former stronghold master Wu Sheng was merely a scum at the Martial Entry Third Stage; even with the territorial bonus, he only barely reached the Martial Entry Fourth Stage.
The other places, however, were all garrisoned by powerhouses of at least the Martial Entry Fifth Stage.
Qin Shujian glanced at Zhang Tieniu's uncertain expression.
Perhaps the factions in those places were even stronger.
He had now taken over Liangshan Stronghold, but he only possessed the strength of the Martial Entry Fifth Stage within the territory of Liangshan. The moment he left this range, he would immediately be beaten back to his original form.
As for whether the Martial Entry Fifth Stage powerhouses of other factions operated under the same rule, he had no way of knowing for the time being.
However, one thing was certain.
Regardless of whether they were restricted in the same way, as long as he left the territory of Liangshan, he stood virtually no chance of defeating them.
"How did our Liangshan Stronghold survive in the past?" Qin Shujian changed the subject and asked another question.
Having just taken over Liangshan Stronghold, there was simply too much he didn't know.
Since he had already taken over this operation, he could only try to run it well.
...
Inside the Loyalty and Righteousness Hall, Qin Shujian sat idle and bored.
Having taken over Liangshan Stronghold, the bandits here were now his own people, and he could no longer slaughter them at will.