At this moment, Duan Hu, Wu San Liang, and Lei Zong Kang had already come to a great realization.
— "Zong Kang!" Duan Hu and Wu San Liang cried out.
Lei Zong Kang hesitated.
Black Peony took out fifty thousand and showed it to them:
— "This fifty thousand gold was given to me by Lord Dao!"
Several people looked at the fifty thousand with astonishment!
Niu You Dao: He tried to secretly harm me, and yet you ask him to stay with us. Ask him, can he possibly stay with us? Will he feel a shred of shame!?
Niu You Dao's implication was clear.
Black Peony began to plead with him:
— "Lord Dao, can you give him another chance?"
Niu You Dao: I will give *you* a chance. He is not important to me. I don't even know what kind of person he is, so he doesn't concern me. Black Peony, we spoke before. You believed in them then. And now, this is what happened. Now you owe me. If you don't pay me back, I will deal with him myself!
They immediately felt the threat from Niu You Dao.
— "No need to beg him!" Lei Zong Kang cried out. He looked at Black Peony and the others:
— "We've been together for so many years. Who will you believe? Him or me? Whose side are you on?"
He sensed danger, so he immediately began to pull everyone to his side.
Niu You Dao calmly said:
— "Even if they stand by you, you still won't escape!"
"Clang!"
Lei Zong Kang drew his sword. He furrowed his brows. Duan Hu and Wu San Liang exchanged glances and moved closer to Lei Zong Kang.
Black Peony looked at them awkwardly. In the end, she took out her sword, placed the banknotes on the ground, and slowly walked towards them.
— "Lord Dao, forgive us. We have been together for so many years and supported each other many times. I cannot ignore them. Lord Dao, perhaps you could pardon such humble people, and we can part ways amicably?"
She had great faith in Niu You Dao, so she carefully retreated, trying to minimize the risks.
A flicker of admiration flashed in Niu You Dao's eyes.
He calmly said: Secretly trying to harm me, and you think we'll just part ways like that?
Duan Hu, Wu San Liang, and Black Peony also slowly drew their swords. The several people gradually began to retreat, preparing for a surprise attack.
Niu You Dao pointed at Yuan Fang:
— "Bear also has brothers. He too wanted to kill me, but I didn't pay it any mind. And we are still together. "
Then he pointed at Lei Zong Kang:
— "Do you know the difference between Bear and you? Do you know why I won't let him go? He is limited in his abilities, yet he still believes he is in the right. He even thought he shouldn't have consulted with you... But now a problem has arisen, and he dares not take responsibility, instead dragging his brothers into risk. This is a despicable person!"
Lei Zong Kang's heart clenched.
Niu You Dao said: Lei Zong Kang, don't say I despised you. I will give you one chance. If everything is truly as you say. If you truly did all this for everyone's sake, then withstand three of my blows! As long as you can withstand three of my blows, I will let you go! If you don't dare to step out and fight, I will also let you go, because I don't want to dirty my hands with a despicable person like you. However, someone else will pay with their life for you!
Yuan Fang twisted his mouth. He had originally wondered how they would resist several people. But now, it seemed a way out had appeared.
Black Peony looked around:
— "Don't listen to him. He wants to sow discord among us. Let's go!"
However, Lei Zong Kang had no intention of leaving. He stared at Niu You Dao with a stony expression. Niu You Dao's words had made him stop.
Black Peony tugged at him:
— "Let's go, quickly!"
Niu You Dao gazed at him intently and scornfully:
— "I will even concede to you. One palm strike! If you can just stay on your feet after one palm strike, I will let you all go. Otherwise, I will kill Black Peony!"
Yuan Fang immediately added:
— "Lei Zong Kang. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't risk the lives of Black Peony and the others!"
He had already wandered with Lord Dao and Yuan Gang for a long time and had witnessed the mighty Qian and Kun palm strike. Now, he was eager to see someone else experience that strike.
Lei Zong Kang angrily shouted: "Will you keep your word?"
Niu You Dao: What's the point? Even if you can't withstand my strike, how will you escape then? Wouldn't it be better to make a wager?
— "Let's go!" Black Peony was nervous and tugged at Lei Zong Kang.
Lei Zong Kang turned his head:
— "Leader, I heard that when he escaped from Shang Chao Zong, he was only at the Lian Qi level. Now, at most, he would be at the Zhu Ji level. Our cultivation should be roughly equal. I don't believe I can't even withstand one strike!"
He flicked his sleeve and resolutely broke free, lunging towards Niu You Dao.
The others already understood that he could not be persuaded. Lei Zong Kang had been shamed by Niu You Dao. And if he fled like this now, he wouldn't be able to look them in the eye afterward. Black Peony could only let him go and watch anxiously with the others.
Lei Zong Kang gritted his teeth and asked:
— "Only one strike?"
Niu You Dao: "One palm strike!"
Lei Zong Kang cried out:
— "We'll see!" He immediately unleashed a palm strike.
Niu You Dao's clothes remained unstirred, his hands resting on his sword. He suddenly raised one hand and unleashed a palm strike.
"Boom!"
The two palms collided, and a cracking sound reverberated.
Lei Zong Kang's eyes suddenly widened. He felt something was off. The power emanating from his opponent's palm was unlike his own. Niu You Dao's power easily dispersed his own; he simply couldn't resist the opponent's force.
He was terrified: "What the devil?"
What frightened him most was that the power of Niu You Dao's palm seemed to plunge into him like a vortex.
Lei Zong Kang began to retreat backward. He widened his eyes; it was as if two forces were swirling inside his body, inflicting damage upon his internal organs.
Even as he retreated, half of his face flushed red while the other half turned pale. Then, frost even appeared on the pale side of his face.
"Brrr."
He couldn't hold it in and coughed up fresh blood, then crumpled to the ground.
Niu You Dao calmly retracted his hand and placed it back on the hilt of his sword.
Both had the same cultivation level, yet the difference between them was so obvious. This wasn't because he used the Qian and Kun palm. He dared to take such a risk because he had long ago learned about the *Qian and Kun Transforming Force* strike within the Qian and Kun technique.
Naturally, his cultivation had increased, so the power of the Qian and Kun palm strike also increased. And the next thing he wanted to comprehend was the *Qian and Kun Agility Technique*.
Looking at Lei Zong Kang's face, Yuan Fang rejoiced. Finally, someone else got a taste of Lord Dao's palm.
Black Peony and the others were terrified. They hadn't thought the difference in strength between Lei Zong Kang and Niu You Dao would be so immense! Indeed, he couldn't even withstand a single palm. What was more terrifying was that Niu You Dao had remained rooted to his spot, not even swaying.
Now they understood why Niu You Dao had spoken so calmly.
Three figures flashed forward and supported Lei Zong Kang. However, he continuously coughed up blood. He desperately tried to suppress the raging force within him. Cold and heat harmed his internal organs. Half of his body felt like boiling water, the other half like ice. And the longer this force lingered inside, the worse he became.
"Thump, thump, thump."
The three people looked up and saw Niu You Dao approaching them, leaning on his sword.
Niu You Dao lowered his head: "I said if you could withstand it, I would let you go. If not, then there's no need to ask for anything. I don't want to trouble the others. If you don't want to stay, then leave."
Black Peony and the others exchanged glances. Earlier, they might have been able to escape. But now, with Lei Zong Kang injured, they couldn't possibly run.
Black Peony turned around and began to plead on her knees:
— "Lord Dao, you have seen the entire world. There's no need to pay attention to despicable people like us. Will you just let him go?"
Lei Zong Kang looked at Black Peony, at how she was kneeling for his sake, and once again coughed up blood. He felt ashamed.
Niu You Dao: "Bear, what do you think?"
Yuan Fang had already picked up the fifty thousand gold and put it away. He immediately came over and clicked his tongue, saying:
— "Reckless scoundrel. Daring to secretly plot against Lord Dao! Lord Dao, the debt has already been repaid; it's better to just leave him to suffer like this!"
— "You are cruel. I don't like to kill." Niu You Dao looked at him scornfully, then turned his head and said:
— "However, there is sense in his words. One cannot keep such a person by their side. You have two choices: either he stays and you leave. Or you stay and he leaves!"
In this situation, the choice was clear in principle. Only Black Peony and the others found it difficult to speak.
Lei Zong Kang mumbled:
— "I will leave!"
Black Peony and the others silently agreed. Complex emotions were etched on their faces.
Niu You Dao: "Good. I will heal him and let him go. From this moment forth, your lives belong to me. You will do everything for me. If you don't agree, then I will take his life. Three lives for one. Whether it's fair or not, decide for yourselves."
In the end, Lei Zong Kang mumbled again and shook his head.
However, Black Peony, gritting her teeth, already nodded:
— "I agree!"
Duan Hu also nodded:
— "I agree!"
Wu San Liang nodded his head:
— "Please, Lord Dao, heal him."
Niu You Dao: "Since you've decided, then write a blood bond, stating that you are selling yourselves into servitude!"
Lei Zong Kang mumbled and shook his head. On the red half of his face, tears could be seen streaming down.
Black Peony sadly took out a piece of paper from her bundle, and all of them bit their fingers with their teeth and wrote the bond on the sheet with their blood.
Niu You Dao nodded his head, and Yuan Fang cautiously approached them and took the sheet. After checking it, he smiled and nodded at Niu You Dao.
Niu You Dao waved his hand:
— "Step aside!"
Black Peony and the others moved aside.
Niu You Dao handed his sword to Yuan Fang and supported Lei Zong Kang, then pressed one palm against his back.
Soon, the frost and redness on Lei Zong Kang's face disappeared.
"Thwack!"
Niu You Dao patted him with his palm, and Lei Zong Kang swayed forward. He coughed up blood once more, and an icy, bloody orb could be seen, which Lei Zong Kang spat out. The orb lay on the ground and melted.