Giving a Player even an extra fraction of time meant an extra fraction of threat.
This time, Qin Shujian's primary purpose was to directly probe the depth of the Novice Village.
As for why he had taken action in person—
Ultimately, it was because Liangshan Stronghold lacked any experts capable of shouldering major responsibilities.
If he had sent a few minor bandit lackeys over, they probably wouldn't even have made it past the village gates before turning into experience points for those Players.
Since he wanted to test the depth, he needed to apply enough force.
Right now, Qin Shujian was treating himself as the stone cast to test the deep waters of the Novice Village.
He was confident.
With his Martial Entry Sixth Stage cultivation realm, even if some terrifying expert were hidden within the Novice Village, he would still be able to withdraw unscathed.
Meanwhile, the Players clustered around Qin Shujian wore bewildered expressions as they watched him halt in front of the Novice Village, seemingly failing to understand his intent.
Yet before they could voice their questions, they saw Qin Shujian step forward.
"Notice: You have entered the territory of Novice Village No. 10021!"
Glancing briefly at the system notification, Qin Shujian cast it behind his mind.
At that moment.
The guards who had previously stood motionless at the village entrance like statues stepped directly forward to block Qin Shujian's path.
"Halt!"
Two long spears crossed, their gleaming tips reflecting a cold light.
One of the guards, who looked somewhat older, shouted in a deep voice, "This is already village territory. Anyone who does not belong to the village is strictly forbidden from entering at will."
"Hehe!"
Qin Shujian first gave a faint smile, then his expression turned cold.
"I didn't expect anyone in Liangshan Territory to dare block my path."
As his voice fell, the atmosphere instantly grew tense.
The watching Players wore varied expressions, many of them showing looks of excitement in their eyes.
With their discernment, how could they fail to see?
Those simple words already carried a faint hint of hostility, as if a fight could break out at any moment.
To the Players, it didn't matter whether the Novice Village guards were on their side, nor did they care if Qin Shujian was an enemy.
In their eyes, these were merely NPCs.
And since they were NPCs, what did a life-and-death struggle have to do with them?
If anything, they might even be able to fish out some benefits from it.
Therefore, quite a few Players grew restless, wholeheartedly hoping that the two sides would start fighting.
Ignoring the blockade, Qin Shujian treated the two long spears as if they didn't exist. He paused only slightly before continuing forward.
"Kill!"
The two guards struck out almost simultaneously.
Their long spears thrust fiercely forward with a fierce and ruthless momentum, more than enough to pierce straight through a human body with ease.
Yet—to Qin Shujian, their movements were as slow as a turtle's.
Raising his right hand with a speed that arrived first despite moving last, his palm brushed past the spear tips, and his two fingers flicked sharply against the shafts of both spears in rapid succession.
*Bang!*
A powerful force erupted from the spear shafts, instantly cracking the webbing between the two guards' thumbs and forefingers. Their grip on the spears loosened uncontrollably.
Qin Shujian lunged forward with a stride, his palms slamming into the chests of the two guards with virtually no time between the blows.
At the Martial Entry Sixth Stage, the force behind his dual palms exceeded a thousand catties.
Since the two guards were merely at the Martial Entry First Stage, how could they possibly withstand it?
*Boom!*
Both of their bodies flew backward like withered weeds.
Their chests were deeply caved in, the bones inside already shattered by brute force.
Blood poured from their seven orifices in an instant, and before they could even utter a few words, they crashed to the ground and breathed their last.
"Whoa!"
The sudden turn of events startled the surrounding Players.
Even though they knew a conflict was coming, they hadn't expected it to erupt so abruptly.
Those guards, whose strength seemed formidable in their eyes, hadn't even lasted a single exchange before dying.
Qin Shujian's attack was so fast that the Players could only see two afterimages before the battle was already over.
An expert!
This NPC was definitely an expert!
Even the NPCs in the martial arts halls who imparted cultivation methods didn't seem as formidable to these Players as Qin Shujian.
"This NPC is so strong! If I could learn his cultivation method, wouldn't I be able to leave the other Players far behind?"
Certain Players began associating this with other possibilities.
Having been in the game for this long, veteran players had already figured out some of its rules.
There were no level divisions here; Players progressed primarily by practicing cultivation methods.
Naturally, the higher the tier of the cultivation method practiced, the stronger one's power would be.
The cultivation methods taught inside the village martial arts hall were all dime-a-dozen trash, making it difficult for anyone to stand out among the other Players.
If one truly wanted to break away from the pack, the only way was to find a way to learn higher-grade cultivation methods.
In the eyes of these Players, Qin Shujian was an NPC possessing high-tier cultivation methods with unfathomable strength.
Qin Shujian couldn't care less what the Players were guessing.
Because the moment he killed the two village guards, his Life Source increased by two points, and he simultaneously received a system notification.
"You have killed a guard of Novice Village No. 10021!"
"The relationship between Liangshan Stronghold and Novice Village No. 10021 is now hostile!"
"Your actions have aroused the anger of the experts within Novice Village No. 10021!"
"Warning: An expert from Novice Village No. 10021 is rapidly approaching!"
An expert!
Seeing the word "expert" on the system prompt, Qin Shujian narrowed his eyes slightly.
Even without the system prompt, he could faintly sense a heavy aura rapidly approaching from within the Novice Village ahead.
On the other side, the tragic deaths of the two village guards completely alerted the remaining guards.
Suddenly, a dozen or so guards poured out from the village.
There were no redundant words, no superfluous conversation.
"Kill!"
One of the guards shouted angrily, taking the lead as he thrust his spear straight at Qin Shujian.
At the same time, the other guards struck almost simultaneously.
More than a dozen long spears thrust forward, their gleaming tips making one's hair stand on end as if feeling the threat of a massive impending danger.
Qin Shujian's right hand quietly gripped the hilt of the saber behind his back.
As he watched the incoming spears, his gaze gradually grew cold.
*Boom!*
Qin Shujian's aura transformed completely, resembling a ferocious tiger leaping out of a mountain forest as a fierce, oppressive aura washed over the area.
The Tiger-Head Saber unsheathed abruptly, its thick blade carrying a violent gale as it slashed toward the guards.
*Ferocious Tiger Descending the Mountain!*
His momentum was unstoppable, splitting bamboo!
In the span of a single breath, all dozen-plus long spears shattered, and the remaining momentum of the blade cleaved downward.
Terror filled the guards' eyes as their bodies felt tightly locked down by a powerful aura.
In their vision, Qin Shujian had transformed entirely into a terrifying beast, his tyrannical presence freezing their minds solid.
Not just the guards.
Even the surrounding Players felt as though they had plunged into an ice cellar the instant Qin Shujian's aura swept across the area.
At that moment, they felt that the figure standing there was no longer an NPC, but rather a terrifying, lethal beast.
"Stop!"
A heaven-shaking roar echoed out.
Qin Shujian's gaze remained ice-cold, his attack halting not in the slightest.
The blade swept past, and blood splattered.
A pitch-black figure rushed out from the Novice Village, thrusting a palm forward with such searing wind that the surrounding temperature rose instantly.
*Shocking a Hundred Miles!*
*Roar!*
The roar of a tiger echoing through a mountain forest caused the pitch-black figure to falter slightly for a split second.
Instead of retreating, Qin Shujian advanced, executing another *Ferocious Tiger Descending the Mountain* with his Tiger-Head Saber as he fiercely collided with the opponent.
*Boom!*
A violent blast of wind dispersed.
Qin Shujian's arm trembled slightly as he gripped his saber, his body involuntarily sliding back.
The pitch-black figure also staggered backward.
Martial Entry Fifth Stage?
Martial Entry Sixth Stage?
Qin Shujian's expression turned slightly grave as he looked at the middle-aged man in brown clothes before him.
Neither side had gained any real advantage from that brief clash.
Thus, he had formed a rough estimate of his opponent's strength.
"This is... Instructor Zhang from the martial arts hall!"
Seeing the newcomer, a commotion stirred among the crowd of Players.
The martial arts hall instructor was, in fact, the person who taught cultivation methods to the Players.
From the very beginning, these Players knew that the martial arts hall instructor was a formidable expert.
Yet no one knew the true depth of his strength.
However, with Instructor Zhang appearing now and directly blocking this mysterious NPC, his strength was clearly extraordinary.
Instructor Zhang's expression was gloomy as he looked at the dozen or so corpses on the ground, a deep sense of shock stirring in his heart.
The neat gashes and the strength Qin Shujian had displayed during their clash both indicated that the man was a thorny opponent.
"Why has Your Excellency come here to kill people for no reason?" Instructor Zhang demanded in a stern, angry voice.
"I killed because I wanted to. Those who lack eyes might not die today, but they won't live past tomorrow." Qin Shujian sneered dismissively.
The opponent's strength was not weak.
Yet if it came down to a true life-and-death struggle, he still had the confidence to cut the man down with his saber.
His Black Tiger Saber Technique, honed to the pinnacle, was not just for show.
In that hurried slash just now, he hadn't even unleashed seventy percent of the technique's true essence.
The only thing weighing on Qin Shujian's mind was whether this person was the strongest expert in the Novice Village, or merely one of several powerful individuals.
Instructor Zhang's gaze was gloomy. "Your Excellency is entirely too arrogant."
"If you want revenge, strike at once. If you don't dare, get lost and stay out of the way."
"Audacious!"
Instructor Zhang's face turned ashen with rage as he shouted, "I respected you as the Liangshan Stronghold Master, which is why I gave you some face all this time. Don't push your luck!"
Hearing this, Qin Shujian narrowed his eyes once more.
From the other party's words, it was clear they already knew his identity.
Logically speaking, less than two days had passed since he killed Wu Sheng and took his place.
Aside from the bandits of Liangshan Stronghold, outsiders shouldn't have known that the stronghold had a new master.
Yet the moment the man spoke, he named his identity directly, clearly indicating that they had investigated him. However, Qin Shujian only felt a momentary wave of doubt before letting it go.
He was an NPC, and so were they.
Since he could occasionally receive system prompt information, it made sense that the other side could do the same.
There was no need to doubt it further; his identity as the Liangshan Stronghold Master had undoubtedly been leaked by the system.
On the other side, the other Players wore puzzled expressions.
The Liangshan Stronghold Master?
Just hearing the title made it obvious he was the lord of a faction.
And given that he had killed so many Novice Village guards, Instructor Zhang of the martial arts hall still hadn't acted rashly, which made the Players even more astonished at Qin Shujian's strength.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Two more figures rushed out from the Novice Village, finally landing beside Instructor Zhang.
One was a man, the other a woman.
The man looked fat and burly, his clothes glistening with oily black grease. With stubble on his face, he looked thoroughly slovenly.
The woman was around forty or fifty years old, dressed plainly like an ordinary country housewife.
Their first impression was that of ordinary rural folk.
Yet the auras radiating from their bodies at that moment made everyone realize that neither of them was ordinary.
In the crowd, Lu Shoujia looked at the two sudden arrivals, his heart skipping a beat.
Not only had he seen these two before, but he was quite familiar with them.
One was Zhu Daming, the pork butcher in the village.
The other was Li Chunhua, the owner of the village tailor shop.
To scrape together enough copper coins to learn cultivation methods at the martial arts hall, he had previously done odd jobs at both the pork shop and the tailor shop.
What surprised Lu Shoujia, however, was that these two unassuming-looking people turned out to be deeply hidden experts.
The moment the two appeared, Qin Shujian's gaze turned frosty.
In an instant!
*Boom!*
His stationary body burst into motion, the Tiger-Head Saber carrying a fierce gale as he slashed forward savagely.
*Ferocious Tiger Descending the Mountain!*
At this moment, he pushed his Black Tiger Saber Technique, honed to the pinnacle level, almost to its absolute limit.
This time, Qin Shujian's target remained Instructor Zhang of the martial arts hall.
They hadn't expected Qin Shujian to resort to such a terrifying kill move without a single word. The fully unleashed Black Tiger Saber Technique made Instructor Zhang feel as though he wasn't facing a man, but a terrifying tiger slaughtering through a mountain forest.
Without a shred of hesitation, Instructor Zhang's palms turned crimson red like blazing fire. As he threw them out, flames seemed to flicker, the searing heat causing the air to warp slightly.
Then, as the blade swept toward him, his crimson palms snapped shut, attempting to clamp down on the blade.
Unfortunately, not only was the blade's approach swift, but its momentum was also exceptionally fierce. The moment his palms closed around the blade, Instructor Zhang felt an irresistible torrent of brute force surge through it, violently knocking his hands apart.
The broadsword drove straight ahead, aiming directly for his throat.
*Whoosh!*
A silver serpentine whip tore through the air, wrapping around the blade in a split second. The other end of the whip was held firmly in the hands of Li Chunhua, the tailor shop owner.
Yet before Instructor Zhang and Li Chunhua could breathe a sigh of relief, Qin Shujian yanked the Tiger-Head Saber back with immense force, pulling Li Chunhua forward a few stumbling steps out of control.
Immediately following that, Qin Shujian took a step forward, sliding the Tiger-Head Saber down to slip it free from the silver whip, and spun around to slash toward Li Chunhua's neck with a backhanded stroke.
A butcher's cleaver arrived first, blocking the saber's path before it could land.
*Clang!*
The two blades collided, sending sparks flying.
Zhu Daming's thumb webbing shook violently, and he almost lost his grip on the butcher's cleaver.
Because of this obstruction, Qin Shujian's momentum was checked, his flawless offensive pausing for a split second. Recovering their wits, Li Chunhua and Instructor Zhang swarmed forward together.
Seeing this, Qin Shujian withdrew his saber and retreated, instantly breaking free from the trio's attack range and charging outward instead.
Some watching Players who wanted to dodge and make way as Qin Shujian charged toward them...
Only saw a frigid blade-light flash past.
Then came a sharp pain in their bodies before they turned into white light and vanished.
***
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
From Qin Shujian's sudden, violent attack to his unhurried retreat, the entire exchange had taken mere seconds.
Many Players didn't even have time to react before the matter was already settled.
Afterward, Instructor Zhang and the others exchanged glances before retreating back into the village.
Inside the tailor shop, Instructor Zhang and the others sat facing one another.
Aside from them, there was also an octogenarian elder with a snowy white beard.
When the three looked at the old man, a trace of subtle respect flashed across their expressions.
"I have long heard that Liangshan Stronghold is the most ferocious band of outlaws in these parts. Today, seeing the Liangshan Stronghold Master in person, he truly is extraordinary. His strength is likely even greater than that of the previous master." Recalling that heart-pounding saber strike, Instructor Zhang still felt a lingering sense of unease.
Li Chunhua shook her head. "That goes without saying. Anyone capable of killing Wu Sheng is bound to be stronger than him."
"It's lamentable. I thought that with the death of Wu Sheng, that heinous bandit leader, everyone might enjoy a bit of peace. Who would have expected this new Liangshan Stronghold Master to be even more ruthless than Wu Sheng? If things continue this way, it won't be easy for our village to maintain peace."
Li Chunhua's words made the atmosphere rather heavy.
However, Zhu Daming wore an indignant expression. "It's true that the Liangshan Stronghold Master is strong, but he can't be much stronger than us. If the Village Chief is willing to act, I guarantee he'll capture that man with ease."
As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the white-bearded elder.
This was the Village Chief of Novice Village No. 10021.
On the surface, he looked like an old man frail with age, but in reality, as Zhu Daming and the others knew, he was the true powerhouse within Novice Village No. 10021.
The Village Chief spoke slowly, "This old man observed that the Liangshan Stronghold Master has already reached the stage of channeling internal strength throughout his entire body, putting his personal cultivation at least at the Martial Entry Fifth Stage. Now, with the added identity of the Liangshan Stronghold Master, his combat strength is comparable to an expert of the Martial Entry Sixth Stage. If we act rashly without preparation, we have no absolute certainty of taking him down."
At this point, the Village Chief paused before continuing.
"It's easy to let a tiger return to the mountains, but alerting the enemy makes things difficult. Given a bandit's temperament, he certainly won't leave unsatisfied after retreating this time. Once he makes preparations, there will surely be a next time. When that happens, we will be fully prepared and wipe them out in one go."
"Hmph, it's just a pity we can't leave the village at will! Otherwise, I would have uprooted that Liangshan Stronghold long ago!" Zhu Daming huffed coldly.
***
Meanwhile, Qin Shujian had completely departed the territory of Novice Village No. 10021.
As for why he had retreated so decisively...
To put it simply: he couldn't win.
That split-second exchange had nearly exhausted all his strength.
In Qin Shujian's estimation, the first person to appear, along with the two who arrived later, were at least at the Martial Entry Fifth Stage, if not the Martial Entry Sixth Stage.
He had the confidence to fight and win against one or two of them.
Yet against three of them, working in coordination, Qin Shujian had no countermeasure.
Not to mention—
There might still be other experts lurking within the Novice Village.
Thus, continuing the fight would bring no benefits other than placing himself in grave danger.
"There are at least three Martial Entry Fifth Stage experts, and there might be Martial Entry Sixth Stage or even stronger ones inside. Solving this Novice Village No. 10021 won't be an easy task."
After this probing test, Qin Shujian already had a solid grasp of the situation in his mind.
With Liangshan Stronghold's current strength, going up against Novice Village No. 10021 would likely result in annihilation.