However, upon second thought, Qin Shujian also felt it made sense.
After all, the novice village was the first barrier players encountered upon entering the game, as well as the most important one, designed to protect players so they could develop safely. According to Qin Shujian's estimation, the strength of novice villages likely varied from place to place.
Take the Liangshan Stronghold now, for instance — his strength was the highest here.
Therefore, the novice village generated here was designed based on his original strength as a blueprint, just strong enough to make it impossible for the Liangshan Stronghold to deal with it.
Still, these were merely Qin Shujian's personal speculations.
Whether this was truly the case would require some time to verify.
Right now, the most crucial task for him was to eliminate the threat posed by the players.
Originally, according to Qin Shujian's plan, he was going to test the strength of the novice village first. If it wasn't strong, he would head straight back, lead the main force of Liangshan bandits over, and completely wipe it out in one fell swoop.
Without a novice village, players were nothing more than rootless duckweed.
At that point, they would naturally be at his mercy.
Except—
Through this probing test, the novice village had proven far too strong; a single Liangshan Stronghold could not contend with it for the time being.
Therefore, Qin Shujian's original plan had to be revised with a different train of thought.
At this moment, he also checked his own attributes.
Name: Qin Shujian
Identity: Liangshan Stronghold Master
Affiliated Faction: Liangshan Stronghold
Realm: Martial Entry Sixth Stage (Within the sphere of influence of Liangshan Stronghold, Realm +1)
Cultivation Method: Body Forging Scripture (Completed) (Force follows the mind) (Mortal Grade Low-Tier), Black Tiger Saber Technique (Peak of Perfection) (Mortal Grade Mid-Tier)
Life Source: 22
Equipment: Ninth-grade sharpened Tiger-Head Saber, ninth-grade armor Tiger-Skin Clothing Set (Tiger-skin coat, tiger-skin trousers, tiger-skin belt, tiger-skin thick boots)
His Life Source had increased from the initial eight points to twenty-two points now.
Qin Shujian calculated it roughly: he had killed thirteen novice village guards with his own hands.
And each guard contributed one point of Life Source.
However, on his way out, he had also casually hacked and slashed a bunch of players to death.
He hadn't kept a detailed count of the exact number, but there should have been at least ten or eight of them.
With twenty-two points of Life Source, subtracting the thirteen points contributed by the guards and the eight points he originally had, the players had only contributed around one point to his Life Source.
"Just one point of Life Source..." Qin Shujian looked at the attribute panel and calculated inwardly.
The players who died by his hand were definitely more than one.
Yet now, his Life Source had only increased by a single point.
Either the players' strength was too weak, or the Life Source gained from killing players was different from that obtained by killing NPCs.
However—
Regardless of which it was.
Qin Shujian had now confirmed an important matter.
That was, killing players could also yield Life Source, even if the quantity obtained might not be as high as killing NPCs.
One had to remember, however, that players could be resurrected.
Such a resource of Life Source could be described as endless.
Having learned this, Qin Shujian's previously somewhat gloomy mood instantly brightened up considerably.
His initial speculation about whether killing players could yield Life Source had finally been verified today.
Afterward.
Without lingering for even a single moment, Qin Shujian headed straight back to the Liangshan Stronghold.
Chapter 16: Refugees
The Liangshan Stronghold was not too far from Novice Village No. 10021.
It didn't take Qin Shujian much time to return here directly.
Yet, just as he arrived at the foot of the mountain, he saw a crowd of ragged, sallow-faced people looking like refugees gathered down below.
There were men and women, old and young.
Among them, a few who looked like able-bodied young men even held wooden sticks as weapons.
At the same time.
Several dozen bandits from the Liangshan Stronghold had surrounded these people tightly.
The leader of the group was Zhang Tieniu, one of the chieftains of the Liangshan Stronghold.
The two sides seemed to be in a standoff; neither dared to make a rash move, but the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
Seeing Qin Shujian return, Zhang Tieniu seemed to have found his backbone and immediately hurried forward.
"Stronghold Master!"
"What is going on here?" Qin Shujian frowned as he looked at the scene.
"Stronghold Master..."
Just as Zhang Tieniu was about to speak, an elderly man nearing seventy among the refugee-like crowd spoke up first.
"May I ask if you are the master of this land? Might I inquire after your name?"
Hearing this, Qin Shujian looked in the direction of the voice.
The old man was similarly dressed in rags with a sallow, dim complexion, yet his eyes were not turbid like an old man's; instead, they were exceptionally bright.
Even in such destitute circumstances, he still retained a faint scholarly air.
This was a temperament.
A temperament that could not be casually altered simply by external factors.
Qin Shujian gave the other party a deep look and said indomitably, "I am the master of this Liangshan Stronghold. And what people might you be?"
"This old man is Zheng Fang, greetings, Stronghold Master!"
The old man Zheng Fang first gave a bow, then said in a deep voice, "Today, we old and young hope that the Stronghold Master can take us in and give us a bite to eat. We are willing to join the Liangshan Stronghold and be at the Stronghold Master's beck and call."
As his words fell, Qin Shujian also received a system notification at the very first moment.
"There are refugees wishing to join the Liangshan Stronghold. Do you accept?"
Refugees!
Seeing this, Qin Shujian did not agree immediately. Instead, he said calmly, "If you are willing to join the Liangshan Stronghold, this stronghold master naturally will not refuse. However, do you know what kind of place the Liangshan Stronghold is?"
"The Stronghold Master can rest assured on that score. Your esteemed stronghold enjoys a formidable reputation among the greenwoods, and we old folks have heard much of it along our journey." Zheng Fang's expression was solemn as he said, "We sincerely implore the Stronghold Master to take us in, and humbly request the Stronghold Master's grace to grant this."
At this point, Zheng Fang stared fixedly at Qin Shujian, a wave of despair churning in his heart.
When had he ever expected to be reduced to casting his lot with bandits and robbers?
However—
Circumstances compel people.
In these troubled times where human life was as cheap as grass, ordinary, kind-hearted commoners had long since been left with no way to survive.
Having journeyed all the way here, their original group of several hundred people had already suffered heavy losses.
If they didn't find a place to settle down soon, Zheng Fang had a premonition.
Before long, all of them would likely perish.
And as Zheng Fang's voice trailed off, the refugees behind him all looked at Qin Shujian with hopeful eyes, completely devoid of any fear toward the bandits.
In their eyes, the distinction between justice and evil had long since ceased to exist.
A full meal and a place to take shelter were their greatest extravagant hopes right now.
Qin Shujian looked at the refugees without replying immediately.
There were roughly sixty or seventy refugees in front of him, mostly sallow and emaciated young and middle-aged men, with only a dozen or so children and elderly people among them.
Even though those young men currently looked gaunt from hunger, one could still faintly discern the sturdiness of farm laborers in them.
These people could all be counted as a fresh source of labor.
At this thought, Qin Shujian finally lowered his head slowly. "Since you sincerely wish to join my Liangshan Stronghold, this stronghold master naturally will not refuse."
"There is only one thing I hope you understand!"
"Once you enter my Liangshan Stronghold, you are a person of my Liangshan Stronghold for life. If anyone dares to quit midway, don't blame this stronghold master for being ruthless!"
As he spoke, Qin Shujian's eyes burned with a sharp gleam. A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body.
It was as if a crouching black tiger was staring at them with icy eyes.
"We understand!" Zheng Fang felt a shock in his heart, and then bowed deeply.
The refugees behind him all lowered their heads in unison as well.
In the eyes of many, lingering fear remained unvanquished.
Seeing this, Qin Shujian reined in his aura, nodded with satisfaction, and said, "From now on, you are people of my Liangshan Stronghold."
"You have accepted the refugees' request!"
"Sixty-three refugees have joined the Liangshan Stronghold!"
Following two consecutive prompt messages, when Qin Shujian looked at Zheng Fang before him again, the other party's attributes had already been revealed to his eyes.
Name: Zheng Fang
Identity: Bandit
Affiliated Faction: Liangshan Stronghold
Realm: Martial Entry Fourth Stage
Cultivation Method: Changchun Skill (Fourth Stage), Seven-Flower Pierving Palm (Mastered), Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Steps (Mastered)
Seeing this, Qin Shujian couldn't help but look startled.
Martial Entry Fourth Stage.
Three cultivation methods, of which one was the primary cultivation method, and the other two were auxiliary methods.
He never expected that this sallow-faced, emaciated old man would actually be an unfathomable expert hiding in plain sight.
But very quickly, Qin Shujian reacted.
The look he cast at Zheng Fang was as if he were looking at some rare treasure.
He struck it rich!
This time, he really struck it rich.
One had to know that in the vast Liangshan Stronghold, there were only two Martial Entry Second Stage bandits, Zhang Tieniu and Wang Tiezhu, and above them was only himself, the Martial Entry Sixth Stage Stronghold Master.
It could be said that the talent gap in the Liangshan Stronghold was severe.
Basically, any opponent exceeding the Martial Entry Third Stage required him, the Stronghold Master, to step out and resolve personally.
Once he left the Liangshan Stronghold, Liangshan would fall into the awkward predicament of lacking a powerhouse to hold down the fort.
Moreover, even if he wanted to dispatch people to handle matters, there were no truly usable experts available.
Now, seeing Zheng Fang, Qin Shujian felt as though he saw hope for solving these problems.
A Martial Entry Fourth Stage expert who delivered himself right to his doorstep — this was no small matter; he was a rare and formidable master indeed.
After all—
Even the former Liangshan Stronghold Master Wu Sheng, without the backing of a faction, was merely a paltry Martial Entry Third Stage; in terms of genuine strength, he was inferior to Zheng Fang.
Linger his gaze on Zheng Fang for a few seconds, Qin Shujian turned his attention to the other refugees.
Name: Zhao Shanlin
Identity: Bandit
Affiliated Faction: Liangshan Stronghold
Realm: Martial Entry Second Stage
Cultivation Method: Changchun Skill (Second Stage), Seven-Flower Pierving Palm (Initiated), Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Steps (Entry-level)
...
Name: Wang Hu
Identity: Bandit
Affiliated Faction: Liangshan Stronghold
Realm: Martial Entry Second Stage
Cultivation Method: Changchun Skill (Second Stage), Seven-Flower Pierving Palm (Entry-level), Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Steps (Entry-level)
Martial Entry Second Stage!
Two more Martial Entry Second Stage experts.
However, with Zheng Fang, a Martial Entry Fourth Stage expert, serving as a superior precedent, seeing these two Martial Entry Second Stage individuals didn't evoke as much intense excitement in Qin Shujian's heart as the initial one did.
Chapter 17: Technical Talents
After viewing the attributes of all the refugees, Qin Shujian discovered a dozen more among them.
These people also primarily cultivated the Changchun Skill.
It was like a lineage-inherited cultivation method.
Only their realms hovered around the Martial Entry First Stage. Aside from Zhao Shanlin and Wang Hu, there were no longer any experts above the Martial Entry Second Stage.
Still.
This was more than enough.
By absorbing this batch of people, the overall strength of the entire Liangshan Stronghold increased by at least twofold.
As for the hidden risk of rebellion posed by so many experts.
Qin Shujian scoffed inwardly.
In his view, this problem was no problem at all.
In the greenwoods, strength was supreme.
He had the confidence that his current strength was enough to suppress any potential turmoil that might arise.
After accepting Zheng Fang and the others, Qin Shujian immediately instructed Zhang Tieniu and the others to make proper arrangements.
At the same time, he sent over some food right away.
No help for it.
In Qin Shujian's view, among these newly joined bandits, quite a few were already starved to their last breath. If things were delayed for a moment longer, he would have started worrying about a batch of them dying off.
Since they entered his Liangshan Stronghold, they were people of his Liangshan Stronghold.
If a batch of people were allowed to starve to death for nothing, that would be a heartbreaking matter indeed.
After all, Qin Shujian had long harbored the intention of expanding the Liangshan Stronghold, only lacking sufficient manpower.
The delivery of this batch of refugees right to his doorstep happened to suit his wishes perfectly.
Sometimes.
Population was the primary productive force.
Without enough people, many things could not be rolled out.
Qin Shujian wasn't naive enough to think that NPCs who starved to death could be refreshed by the system.
—
Inside the Loyalty and Righteousness Hall.
Following a series of arrangements, the newly joined bandits were considered settled within the Liangshan Stronghold.
And Qin Shujian summoned Zheng Fang at the earliest opportunity.
He still valued this Martial Entry Fourth Stage expert greatly in his heart.
"This old man greets the Stronghold Master!" After a simple cleanup, although Zheng Fang's complexion remained sallow, his spirit and vitality were already much better.
"Please sit!"
"Thank you, Stronghold Master!"
Zheng Fang did not decline; after expressing his thanks, he took a seat in the nearby chair.
Qin Shujian said, "I still don't know where Lao Zheng and the others came from?"
"Linchuan Market, a thousand miles away."
"A thousand miles away?" Qin Shujian's eyes showed surprise.
Zheng Fang cupped his fists and said, "Indeed. This old man will not conceal it from the Stronghold Master; the reason why we journeyed a thousand miles was precisely to escape the calamities of war and famine."
"I would love to hear the details."
Qin Shujian's expression turned slightly curious and solemn.
Seeing this, Zheng Fang took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Allow this old man to explain slowly..."
With Zheng Fang's words, Qin Shujian finally gained a comprehensive understanding of Zheng Fang and the others' origins, and also grasped why Zheng Fang possessed such formidable strength.
The Linchuan Market they spoke of was a small town a thousand miles away.
Call it a town, but its scale was actually not much larger than an ordinary village.
And Zheng Fang was both a private school tutor and the master of a martial arts hall in Linchuan Market.
However, the Dazhao nation was currently engulfed in the flames of war everywhere, plagued by man-made and natural disasters alike. It also coincided with drought and famine, stirring up waves of refugees everywhere and leaving the people across the land with no way to live. Originally, Linchuan Market was already struggling hard to sustain itself amidst the drought.
As it happened, they unexpectedly encountered the disaster of war.
Deserters coming from who-knows-where formed bands that went on a rampage of arson, killing, and plundering in Linchuan Market, seizing grain.
Even though Linchuan Market was a town, its strength was hardly impressive at all. An expert of the Martial Entry Fourth Stage like Zheng Fang was utterly insignificant when facing a massive army of soldiers.
Thus, Linchuan Market fell.
Some commoners who refused to perish just like that banded together and migrated away from Linchuan Market.
Because Zheng Fang was a private school teacher and a martial arts hall master, he already held considerable prestige in Linchuan Market, so he was temporarily elected by the crowd as their leader.
Only, along the journey, the group had the old and the young, making their movement extremely slow.
Coupled with the widespread famine and warfare, every place was sharpening its weapons and hoarding grain; food was scarce, and no one had the capacity to take in several hundred people.
Therefore, Zheng Fang and the others could only migrate all the way, seeking to distance themselves first from the areas affected by the war.
However—
For a group of several hundred people, the daily consumption of food was a colossal problem.
At the very beginning, they could barely manage to hold on for a few days by relying on the dry rations they carried themselves.
Later on, they had to eat whatever grew in the mountains and drink whatever water they found in the streams; they chewed through plenty of grass roots and tree bark, yet they still couldn't avoid the scenario of people starving to death.
Until now, the group of several hundred people had been reduced to just over sixty.
If the Liangshan Stronghold hadn't taken them in, he feared that within a few days, these remaining sixty-odd people would all have starved to death.
Precisely because of this, Zheng Fang now harbored deep gratitude toward Qin Shujian.
The other party's decision wasn't merely as simple as giving him a bite to eat; it had saved dozens of lives from Linchuan Market.
As for Zheng Fang, Qin Shujian also felt a measure of respect in his heart.
After all, one could easily imagine just how difficult it must have been to lead such a group of people a thousand miles away.
"Lao Zheng can rest assured. Since you have entered my Liangshan Stronghold, as long as you do not commit acts of betrayal, whenever I have a bite to eat, you will not go hungry," Qin Shujian promised.
Zheng Fang stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "This old man thanks the Stronghold Master!"
Following that, he withdrew three creased books from his sleeve and handed them over with both hands.
"These are the cultivation methods practiced in this old man's martial arts hall. Now I present them all to the Stronghold Master to express my gratitude for the kindness of taking us in!"
"Well said, well said."
Qin Shujian's eyes lit up, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he reached out and took the three books.
When he saw Zheng Fang's attributes, he had already entertained the idea of acquiring the cultivation methods the other party practiced.
Because the Body Forging Scripture only had five stages in total, it could now be considered reaching its limit.
If he wanted to advance further, Qin Shujian currently had no other solutions; the best option was to find a higher-tier primary cultivation method to elevate himself.
Although he didn't know what tier of cultivation method Zheng Fang practiced, having an extra reference was ultimately a good thing.
Especially the last two cultivation methods, which were clearly offensive combat techniques.
Qin Shujian was also quite keen on this kind of method that could directly enhance one's strength without needing to upgrade one's own realm.
What surprised him, however, was how sensible Zheng Fang was.
Before he even made the request, the old man took the initiative to hand over these three cultivation methods.
After presenting the three cultivation methods, Zheng Fang spoke again, "This old man noticed that the stronghold is somewhat crude; as it happens, among my group, there are quite a few carpenters and masons.
If the Stronghold Master doesn't disdain them, they can contribute their efforts to the stronghold and give this place a complete renovation."
Qin Shujian's heart jolted, the smile on his face growing even more pronounced.
Talents!
These were all talents.
He hadn't expected that among these newly joined refugees, there would be such technical talents.
Prior to this, the entire Liangshan Stronghold only had Wang Tiezhu, a half-baked carpenter.
Qin Shujian was well aware of how crude the stronghold was, but constrained by environmental conditions... and primarily the issue of manpower, he hadn't bothered with this matter for the time being.
Now that Zheng Fang had proactively brought it up, he naturally had no reason to refuse.
Chapter 18: Gang Beating
"If I kill two more monsters, I should be able to reach Martial Entry First Stage!"
Cao Hong glanced at his attributes; the progress bar of his primary cultivation method was almost full.
More than a day had passed since entering the game, and not even a single realm had been upgraded. This made him feel that the leveling speed in this game was slower than that of any other game he had ever played.
However, he had fallen deeply in love with the world of this game.
Because everything here was so real.