Volume Two: The Life of a Bandit Chapter Thirty-One: Fulfilled Wishes

“Ruda has fallen!” The distant Divine King slowly turned around, his eyes fixed on the direction of Pengxiang Valley. “My brother was killed just like that; I fear Pengxiang Valley has been breached as well.”

Lu Qingshan was stunned for a moment. A strange light flickered in his eyes, and his expression darkened to the point that one could almost squeeze water from it. An invisible aura burst forth from him as he suddenly shouted, “Purple Mysterious Alliance, I, Lu Qingshan, swear that if I cannot wipe you out completely, not leaving a single soul alive, I will never become a Celestial Lord!”

The entire Tongmu Village fell silent as if by unspoken agreement. Everyone stared in astonishment at those on the stage, silently wondering what could have provoked such a reaction from Lu Qingshan.

It was important to understand that the “Lord” Lu Qingshan referred to was not just a title of honor, but the exalted rank of Celestial Lord—a pinnacle that every Divine King aspired to, dedicating countless years and immeasurable effort to achieve. Though this goal was distant, and indeed unattainable for the vast majority, it served as a beacon, a path toward a higher realm. Yet that path was narrow, trodden by only a precious few.

Even so, some with extraordinary talent did succeed. For Lu Qingshan to make such a solemn vow was extraordinarily rare. The oaths of immortals cling to one like a haunting shadow, and such a weighty vow meant that if he failed to annihilate the Purple Mysterious Alliance, even his hope of ascending to Celestial Lord would be forever lost.

The distant Divine King abruptly turned, tears shimmering in his eyes as he silently regarded Lu Qingshan’s resolute expression. After a long pause, he exhaled softly, casting a glance at Fang Tao, Shui Ruojun, and Gu Tai. In a calm yet resolute voice, he declared loudly, “From this day forth, the thousands of brothers of Pengxiang Valley shall stand united with Tongmu Village as one family, never to betray each other. Should anyone break this oath, heaven and earth shall forsake them!”

... Silence—absolute silence. Everyone held their breath, gazing blankly at the distant Divine King and Lu Qingshan. The more perceptive among them had already begun to piece together the situation, their faces clouded with worry, fearing that their own strongholds might have suffered similar attacks.

Lu Qingshan felt his heart pounding wildly, an uncontrollable smile rising from deep within. The distant Divine King’s vow effectively acknowledged Pengxiang Valley’s allegiance to Tongmu Village from now on, which, despite the surprise, only added to his pride over his own earlier declaration.

“Celestial Lord? Too far away. Who can guarantee they will surely become one?” Lu Qingshan carefully masked his expression. Becoming a Celestial Lord was undeniably the ultimate goal, but the immediate priority was to consolidate the sixty-three factions under Tongmu Village, making it the undisputed, unrivaled leader of Ironflower City.

“Divine King, you are too courteous,” Lu Qingshan said with a smug smile, his scheming mind unable to hide his pride. With sincere gravity, he sighed, “In that case, I, Lu Qingshan, shall not be petty. Tongmu Village and Pengxiang Valley shall be brothers forever.”

The distant Divine King visibly relaxed, offering an awkward smile before descending from the stage. Now that Pengxiang Valley was a subordinate of Tongmu Village, he no longer had the right to remain there. He was quite satisfied with this outcome: Pengxiang Valley’s strength was already weak, ranking near the bottom among all factions. The death of a Divine King meant it had become one of the weakest forces. Even if it resisted Lu Qingshan, it would inevitably be swallowed by others. Better to seek shelter under a powerful alliance than be passively conquered.

The onlookers understood this clearly. Seeing the distant Divine King’s decisive attitude, they could not help but admire him more. Being able to hold on and let go—this magnanimity alone was worthy of respect. In this light, the Purple Mysterious Alliance’s sudden assault and the fall of Divine King Ruda ironically breathed new life into Pengxiang Valley.

Fang Tao glanced at the distant Divine King’s desolate retreat and snorted softly. “Time is pressing. Should we quickly select a leader to counter the relentless strikes from the Purple Mysterious Alliance?”

At this moment, after the Pengxiang Valley incident and Lu Qingshan’s bold vow, the pressure on Fang Tao and the others increased manifold. Just by looking at the reverent gazes of the assembled Celestials towards Lu Qingshan, it was clear he had won their hearts.

Some Celestials and Divine Kings had already examined the Tongmu on the stage. Fang Tao and his companions did not expect to find any faults there; after all, Lu Qingshan was no fool to offer such an obvious weakness.

Lu Qingshan smiled faintly, exuding an unprecedented air of grace. He waved his hand at the Celestials and Divine Kings below and announced, “Now, the election begins.”

Beams of light rose from the crowd below. Only Divine Kings were qualified to vote; ordinary Celestials were excluded. They easily carved marks into the Tongmu with their divine energy and cold blades, and soon dozens of scratches appeared.

Lu Qingshan’s recent display earned him significant support. Fang Tao and the others watched helplessly as Lu Qingshan’s backing steadily surged. In the end, their combined supporters could not match his.

With such overwhelming advantage, Lu Qingshan was duly elected temporary leader of the resistance against the Purple Mysterious Alliance.

“Friends, since you hold me in such esteem, I shall not decline. But I hope that in this battle against the Purple Mysterious Alliance, no selfish motives cloud our hearts. We must give everything we have. I believe you have all seen by now that the Purple Mysterious Alliance, though newly formed, is far more complex than we imagined!”

Excitement still shone in Lu Qingshan’s eyes. Fang Tao and his fellows could only watch with envy. Lu Qingshan had seized both favorable timing and terrain, and now with Pengxiang Valley under his sway, his personal power and prestige far surpassed theirs.

“That’s right. Lord Lu is correct. We must unite wholeheartedly against our external enemy!” Wan Peng declared loudly. The title of “Lord” had already been used openly. Fang Tao glanced at Wan Peng disdainfully; everyone could see Wan Peng had already pledged allegiance to Lu Qingshan, displaying such zeal.

Though Wan Peng’s enthusiasm seemed contrived, it pleased Lu Qingshan greatly. After surveying the crowd, Lu Qingshan spoke slowly, “Very well. I hope we can all swear a common oath, one solely directed at combating the Purple Mysterious Alliance. Their cunning knows no bounds. We are already at a disadvantage before the battle even begins. None of us want a repeat of the mysterious valley incident, do we?”

“What sort of oath does Lord Lu intend for us to take? Must we all swear loyalty to you just like the distant Divine King?” Fang Tao fixed his gaze on Lu Qingshan. His words drew the attention of the other Divine Kings as well. They accepted Lu Qingshan’s leadership but would never pledge personal allegiance.

“Brother Fang, you speak harshly. As I said before, this oath is only against the Purple Mysterious Alliance. I mean that each of us pledges unity and to exert our full strength against them—myself included!”

Lu Qingshan inwardly seethed at Fang Tao’s challenge, wishing he could strike him down outright. But he understood Fang Tao’s unwillingness to fall behind suddenly.

“Lord Lu speaks truly. Let us not harbor petty doubts. I, Wan Peng, shall be the first to swear complete loyalty to the Lord. Should I break this, may heaven and earth strike me down!” Wan Peng stepped forward again, catching everyone off guard with his direct pledge of allegiance—far weightier than Lu Qingshan’s proposed oath.

“Good, good, brother. Rest assured, like my distant brother, I, Lu Qingshan, swear never to betray you!” Lu Qingshan was deeply moved as he grasped Wan Peng’s hand. Though Wan Peng had already submitted, he had never made such a solemn vow before.

All eyes turned to Lu Qingshan with renewed curiosity. Wan Peng’s public oath had made Lu Qingshan’s faction the largest within the alliance. Now as the newly elected leader, Lu Qingshan’s prestige had reached its zenith.

No one noticed one detail: though Wan Peng’s oath was solemn, he did not mention Lu Qingshan by name. For Qin Si, he also used the title “Lord.”

“I, Fang Tao, hereby swear that Ten Directions Pool will exert every effort in the campaign against the Purple Mysterious Alliance. Should I harbor selfish motives, may heaven and earth condemn me!” Fang Tao glanced at Wan Peng and reluctantly followed suit. However, unlike Wan Peng, his oath was limited to fighting the alliance.

Other Divine Kings breathed a sigh of relief. With Fang Tao leading, their own oaths felt less abrupt and threatening than Wan Peng’s sudden pledge of loyalty.

“Fang Tao acted too quickly,” Wan Peng sighed inwardly. His oath was also meant to sow division. After all, he had already sworn to Qin Si. Adding another pledge here, unheard by others, was of little consequence.

(To be continued)