The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

"Thank you, hero! Thank you, hero!"

After leaving the mountain village, some women and girls kept kowtowing to Jiang Ning.

The women were dressed in tattered clothes, covered in wounds, and their faces were streaked with tears.

"You may all get up."

Jiang Ning said.

These women were all rescued by him from this mountain stronghold. Some of them were respectable women from nearby villages who had been taken away by these bandits when they raided the villages.

Some were families who had moved away, or wealthy young women who were out traveling, and they were also abducted.

"Thank you, hero. Without your help, we would never have escaped in this lifetime."

A young girl kept thanking Jiang Ning.

This mountain stronghold was a den of iniquity to them, an inescapable den of iniquity. Countless women had been captured, tortured, and killed before them. If Jiang Ning hadn't come, their lives would have ended there.

"You should all go home."

Jiang Ning gave them some silver and some grain, not much, but enough for them to go home.

These women all live nearby. It's just that some of the women who aren't locals have a bit more trouble, but they can go back to the village with the women who live nearby and then figure out how to get home.

"Thank you, hero! Thank you, hero!"

The women thanked them profusely and left, expressing their deepest gratitude.

After sending the women away, Jiang Ning began searching the mountain stronghold.

He would search every mountain stronghold he raided, and he would always find a lot of gold and silver, but he didn't take any of it with him.

It's inconvenient for him to carry so much gold and silver around, especially since he's going to kill someone. So he found a place to bury it and marked it with punctuation.

After doing all this and disposing of the corpses, Jiang Ning set fire to the mountain stronghold before leaving.

……

"Why hasn't he arrived yet? What is he doing?"

Xiang Wentian frowned.

The person who was asked was the one gathering information. Upon hearing this, he stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Left Envoy, King Ning... he is still suppressing bandits."

"He still wants to suppress them?"

Xiang Wentian was convinced.

Logically, now that the other side knows the exact location of the Black Wind Society, they should be rushing over as fast as they can, but so much time has passed and they are still suppressing bandits.

Just how dedicated was he to suppressing bandits?

He got so addicted to suppressing bandits in Shaanxi that he came to Shandong to continue the campaign.

Xiang Wentian really couldn't understand what Jiang Ning was thinking.

Despite already being among the top martial arts masters in the world, he still takes these trivial matters very seriously.

The people present were also confused.

Perhaps only Ji Wushi understands.

"Ning Yanwang... the Great Hero of Guanzhong... who is the real you?"

Ji Wushi thought to himself.

His martial arts skills were not low; he was a first-rate figure. But what was even more remarkable about him than his martial arts skills was his intellect.

He has a good mind and likes to use his brain; he likes to think about many things.

Now he's wondering what kind of person Jiang Ning really is.

Ning Yanwang?

That's too one-sided; that's just the other side's tactic.

The Great Hero of Guanzhong?

That doesn't fully capture the essence of Jiang Ning.

To truly understand a person, don't look at what they say, but at what they do.

What has Jiang Ning done since his debut?

Eliminate evil, save people; eliminate evil, save people.

The other person has been doing these two things repeatedly, from when they first started out, and now that they've become a top expert, they're still doing them.

Why would the other party do these things?

Because the other party wants to eliminate evil.

Who is evil?

It was them.

Who else?

There are many more, including those bandits who kill and rob.

Jiangning must eliminate these evils, and also eliminate those evils.

To Jiang Ning, they were all the same; they all had to be eliminated.

The other party has been walking down this path all along.

Ji Wushi sighed inwardly.

pity……

He admired Jiang Ning, but they could not be friends, and were destined not to be friends.

"Continue to track them down. We need to know their every move and report back promptly."

He gave the order to Xiangwen Tianxia.

"Yes."

The person who was called said.

……

"I didn't want to either, I didn't want to either."

A bandit knelt before Jiang Ning, weeping bitterly.

“I can’t go on living. I’m desperate. My parents have starved to death. I have no choice but to become a bandit in the mountains. I don’t want to hurt anyone, I…”

Before the bandit could finish speaking, Jiang Ning killed him.

After sweeping up another mountain stronghold and rescuing innocent civilians, Jiang Ning finished his cleanup work and left.

He has wiped out countless mountain strongholds by now; in short, he has completely destroyed all the strongholds in the vicinity.

After Jiang Ning wiped out this mountain stronghold, he no longer knew the locations of other strongholds. The strongholds provided by the bandit leader of this stronghold were all ones he had already visited.

After finishing his business, Jiang Ning headed towards Wubagang.

At this time, he was some distance from Wubagang, but not too far.

"Black Wind Society..."

Jiang Ning kept this power in mind.

Since the Black Wind Society manages all the mountain strongholds in Shandong, after he finishes dealing with the Black Wind Society, he can ask the leader of the Black Wind Society where all the mountain strongholds in Shandong are located, so that he won't have to ask every time he sweeps up a stronghold.

However, since the Black Wind Society can manage all the mountain strongholds in Shandong, there are probably many experts among them, unlike now where they can easily crush novices.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ning glanced at the sword in his hand.

This is Yue Buqun's sword, which has been with him for many years and is in excellent condition. Now Yue Buqun has given this sword to him, and he finds it very easy to use.

I believe this sword will accompany him through battle after battle.

……

"Reporting to the Left Envoy, King Ning Yan has arrived in Yanggu County and is heading towards Wubagang."

"That's what the scout in charge of gathering information said."

"Alright, you may leave."

A fierce glint flashed in Xiang Wentian's eyes.

Yanggu is not far from Wubagang, and it won't be long before they arrive, which means Jiangning is about to enter their ambush.

Jiangning.

I will make sure you die a horrible death.

Xiang Wentian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Knowing that Jiang Ning would arrive soon, the Black Wind Society members became even busier, waiting for Jiang Ning to walk right into their trap.

……

Wubagang.

Jiang Ning stood on a flat piece of land, looking at this place.

This is Wubagang.

The terrain in this area is flat, but there are many swamps. In the distance, there are no high mountains, just some ridges.

"Ten miles east, we climbed the hill and passed through the bamboo forest..."

Remembering the exact location of the Black Wind Society that Chen Hu of Yanxi Village had mentioned, Jiang Ning paused briefly before heading east.

Chapter 432: My life is here; if you want it, come and take it.

After riding for ten miles, Jiangning finally saw a dark pine forest on a hill ahead.

This is the road to Shanggang.