Chapter 546: The New Order of the Falling Luo Xu Zong

"Although it's a bit excessive, everyone can understand."

Jiang Ding nodded in satisfaction, tossed the Silver Blood Heavenly Spirit Fruit he had just collected in front of Feng Dao Hou: "Handle it. My thirty percent, the rest divided as I just said. If it can't be split, make up the difference with third-tier heavenly materials and earthly treasures."

The mid-Jin Dan cultivator who had spoken first stared blankly at this scene.

The heavenly materials and earthly treasures he'd obtained were actually returned?

This gave him a dreamlike feeling, finding it extremely unreal, suspecting the Silver Blood Heavenly Spirit Fruit had been swapped out, or that some vicious restrictive technique was hidden within.

"Yes, Tushan my lord!"

Feng Dao Hou and the others, however, were overjoyed. Knowing his temperament, they didn't even bother with polite refusals, accepting the Silver Blood Heavenly Spirit Fruit.

Not daring to disturb Jiang Ding, the few moved to a spot not far away, communicating rapidly with divine sense, occasionally pulling out third-tier ores, third-tier spiritual medicines, and other heavenly materials and earthly treasures, arguing heatedly, thick with the smell of gunpowder.

"You damn fool, give you face but you won't take it…"

As the argument grew more heated, the Jin Dan cultivators each drew their sabers and swords, magical treasures brandished up and down, killing intent leaking out uncontrollably, looking fierce and ready to erupt into a bloody battle at the slightest provocation.

At this moment, their gazes unconsciously drifted to not far away, where a youth with an ordinary face watched them quietly.

"Face… we all have it."

The few Jin Dan cultivators holding sabers and swords gave a start, swiftly sheathing their weapons and flashing a friendly smile at the person they'd been arguing with.

After quite a while, Feng Dao Hou returned clutching a pile of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, his face full of unwillingness. Clearly he hadn't won the bidding, and the mid-Jin Dan cultivator with the great hammer had claimed the Silver Blood Heavenly Spirit Fruit.

"My lord, this is your share."

Feng Dao Hou said respectfully.

Jiang Ding swept his divine sense over it, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Tushan my lord, is it short?"

Feng Dao Hou gave a start, hurriedly saying: "It was my carelessness. I'll go find them and have them make up the difference right now. This is the fault of us few, please wait a moment…"

"No."

Jiang Ding used his sword intent to halt his movements, picked through the pile of heavenly materials and earthly treasures before him, tossed out a third of it, then stored the rest: "It's too much. Don't do this in the future."

"I said thirty percent, so it's thirty percent."

His tone carried a slight warning.

"The rules I set down must be obeyed, unless faced with an irresistible external force, no matter who it is—even me, it's the same."

Thirty percent—this was a carefully designed number.

It both guaranteed his own interests and guaranteed the interests of the many Jin Dan cultivators.

More, and although the Jin Dan cultivators wouldn't dare resist, passive foot-dragging would be inevitable.

Less, and that would be wrong. He was the one who contributed the most effort; giving too little would breed disaster.

Virtue unbecoming one's station invites calamity.

When a powerful individual lacks commensurate treatment, it will inevitably invite disaster. Even Jiang Ding himself would subconsciously feel discontent and want to overthrow the existing order—this is a basic human instinct for survival.

"Yes! I know my fault!"

A chill ran through Feng Dao Hou's heart.

Having personally witnessed the man before him slay Gui Shan Iron Family's True Person Gui Chi and thirty-eight direct-line Jin Dan of General Heishi, he naturally wouldn't dare think this man was easy to deal with.

It was easy to imagine that, the moment anything exceeded the bounds of the rules, bloody events would immediately follow.

"Very well then."

Jiang Ding nodded slightly: "Remember, I value rules—not only toward me. You must also treat some of the weaker Jin Dan cultivators this way, at least within the mountain gate of the Falling Luo Xu Zong, until they break free of my sword-intent mark."

"Yes, I will certainly keep it firmly in mind."

Feng Dao Hou replied solemnly.

Beside them, the mid-Jin Dan cultivator who had won the Silver Blood Heavenly Spirit Fruit with his abundant wealth saw this scene, his heart shaken. He turned to a subordinate beside him and asked in a low voice: "Tell me again about what happened in the Scripture Storage Pavilion. Don't worry, at most I'll just look at your cultivation method, I won't take it."

"Big brother, I understand."

An early-Jin Dan cultivator in a grey robe replied with an accommodating smile.

The surrounding Jin Dan cultivators who saw this also felt much more at ease, the resistance deep in their hearts unconsciously dissipating considerably.

They began to truly consider how to carry out this lord's orders in order to gain benefits, rather than keeping ninety-nine percent of their thoughts focused on driving out the sword-intent mark and fleeing.

"Fellow Daoists, what you need to do now is…"

Jiang Ding spoke again.

The surrounding Jin Dan cultivators' expressions turned solemn, and they pricked up their ears to listen attentively.

"Now, you need to hurry to various places and convey our sword decree to all the Jin Dan cultivators, asking whether they are willing to abide by my… Tushan's Two Articles."

Jiang Ding thought for a moment, then offered a designation conducive to understanding and spread.

"First: no more fighting or killing among yourselves, or die."

"Second: thirty percent of the spiritual medicines in the Spiritual Medicine Garden belong to me; the rest will be distributed by merit among the Jin Dan cultivators willing to follow my orders."

"That's all."

"Tell me your thoughts?"

Jiang Ding looked at the people around him and asked.

Having cultivated for nearly two hundred years, he had also summed up some effective methods.

When getting things done, one only needs to set the goal, then let one's subordinates handle it themselves.

These Jin Dan cultivators had lived for several hundred years; they were all capable of getting things done, and very efficiently at that—provided they were truly willing to do it.

"May we mobilize the previous hundred-plus Jin Dan cultivators in your name? They should heed your commands."

Sure enough, Feng Dao Hou immediately saw the key point and asked.

Strength.

As long as there was strength, and a large number of Jin Dan cultivators in compliance, this matter would not be difficult to accomplish.

"Alright."

"The word 'conscript' isn't quite right — let's say 'invite.' An invitation to go into business together. Whether they accept or not is entirely up to them."

Jiang Ding nodded and said, "If they're willing, have them come to me. I'll give them the Sword Intent Mark and the Single-Eyed Cicada, then have them form into various combat squads and begin stopping all Jin Dan cultivators still fighting. After a warning, those who remain stubbornly defiant are to be eliminated."

"The principle is: bully the strong when they're weak, gang up on the few when they're many."

"When you run into a large group you can't beat, don't step forward — retreat immediately and summon the surrounding Sword Token Jin Dan cultivators for help."

"If it still can't be resolved, I'll handle it."

"Yes!"

Feng Dao Hou and the others briefly imagined the quantity of spirit medicines those merits could be exchanged for, their hearts blazing with heat. They split off in different directions, moving at great speed, preparing to seek out Jin Dan cultivators like Bai Mei True Person who were very likely willing to cooperate.

The place fell quiet once more.

Jiang Ding was in no hurry either, drifting leisurely through the sky, and from time to time finding Jin Dan cultivators in the midst of fighting, repeating the same procedure.

Those willing were given the Sword Intent Mark and the Single-Eyed Cicada; those unwilling were left alone; those who dared to make a move were beaten to death.

Several days passed.

One after another, Jin Dan cultivators, informed by Feng Dao Hou and the others, flew toward his position. After receiving the Sword Intent and the Single-Eyed Cicada, they flew off again in all directions.

Within the range of his divine sense detection, the Sword Token cultivators multiplied at a fission-like, explosive rate, rapidly spreading throughout the entire Fallen Luo Xu Zong ruins, drawing the vast numbers of Jin Dan cultivators into order.

Those who refused would be swallowed by this new order, their bodies leaving not a trace behind.