Peacekeeping Gang's Supreme Elder

In the time it took to blink, even the gang's name had changed? Are you sure this was meant to be a surprise for the gang leader, not an attempt to dig up his ancestral grave?

The two hall masters exchanged a glance, each seeing the helplessness in the other's eyes.

Han Zuo shot Liu Cheng a meaningful look.

Left with no choice, Liu Cheng said, "Seventh Master, the matters you've mentioned are of great importance. We cannot make the decision. Let's wait until the gang leader wakes up."

"Hall Master Liu, don't you want Old Qiu to wake up and see the Rapid Progress of the Iron Palm Gang? Before Old Qiu fell unconscious, he agreed to cooperate with me." Dug frowned. "Or are you planning to defy the gang leader's orders?"

To hell with your Rapid Progress. Waving a chicken feather like it was an imperial decree—who the hell do you think you are? Do you really think that holding the gang leader hostage means you can do whatever you please? Liu Cheng said coldly, "Seventh Master, the gang leader did agree to cooperate with you, but he did not issue any specific orders. We belong to the Iron Palm Gang, not to you, Seventh Master. Unless the gang leader personally gives us an order, we cannot carry out yours."

"You need Old Qiu to give the order himself?" Dug asked.

"That's right. We only obey the gang leader." Both hall masters nodded at once.

"My oversight." Dug smiled apologetically. "I forgot that my position as supreme elder was granted by the Feng Family. No matter. Wait here a moment."

Under the puzzled gazes of Han and Liu, Dug bent down and pressed his ear close to Qiu Yuanlang's mouth, nodding lightly as he listened.

A moment later.

Dug raised his head and said to the two men as though it were perfectly natural, "All right. Go carry out the orders I just gave. Old Qiu has just appointed me the Iron Palm Gang's supreme elder. I now hold authority equal to his and can command every resource of the Iron Palm Gang."

The physician's hand jerked, nearly poking his finger straight into Qiu Yuanlang's wound.

How could there be someone so shameless in this world? Han and Liu were both dumbfounded. Did he take them for fools, or did he take them for blind? Wang San held his breath, feeling that he had learned something new once again.

Han Zuo's face flushed red as he roared, "Feng Qi, bullshit! The gang leader never woke up."

Dug nodded with certainty. "He did. He woke up for a little while just now. Wang San, did he wake up or not?"

Wang San cooperated flawlessly, saying expressionlessly, "He did. I saw his eyeballs move, and his mouth moved too. The physician's medical skills are very brilliant."

What does this have to do with me?

The physician's hand trembled again. At that moment, he dearly wished he were both deaf and blind. Treating patients was far too tormenting.

Fortunately, Han and Liu had no intention of making things difficult for a physician.

Han Zuo's eye twitched violently as he cursed, "Feng Qi, do you have no shame at all? Never mind that the gang leader didn't wake up—even if he had, there's no way he could have said so much in such a short instant..."

"Hall Master Han, when a longsword is held to your neck, you speak very quickly too." Dug spouted nonsense with a straight face, casually adjusting the angle of his sword.

Han Zuo's voice came to an abrupt stop.

Dug narrowed his eyes. "So, do you understand now? If you do, go do as I said."

Liu Cheng looked at Dug, then suddenly stepped forward. "You don't dare kill the gang leader. If you kill him, you won't survive either..."

"Liu Cheng, are you trying to usurp the throne?" Dug pressed his sword down slightly, and a red mark instantly appeared on Qiu Yuanlang's neck as he snapped.

Liu Cheng stopped in his tracks.

Dug looked at the two of them and smiled. "Hall Master Liu, stay behind and tell me about the Iron Palm Gang's key personnel. Hall Master Han, go carry out my orders. Start with the Iron Palm Gang headquarters: find tailors to make standardized gang uniforms, with 'Peace' written on the front and 'Keeping' on the back. Find carpenters to replace the signboard. By tomorrow morning, I want to see the Peacekeeping Gang's plaque hanging over the entrance. Once the gang is in uniform, the worms can be dug out in broad daylight. Oh, and since you're disturbing the craftsmen in the middle of the night, remember to pay them triple."

Han Zuo looked at Liu Cheng.

Liu Cheng nodded at him. "Go."

Han Zuo shot Dug a vicious glare and turned to leave.

"Hall Master Han, don't play along in public while undermining me in private." Dug's voice drifted leisurely from behind him. "At dawn, I'll bring the gang leader to inspect the results."

Han Zuo realized what Dug intended to do. He shuddered violently, spun around, and said with reddened eyes, "Feng Qi, don't go too far. How could the gang leader inspect anything in that condition?"

Dug smiled. "I trust the physician's skills. Besides, I hear that injured people recover faster if they move around more and get more sunlight."

Benevolent Healer's Heart.

The physician knew he could no longer remain silent. He raised his head to look at Dug. "Seventh Master, the gang leader is seriously injured and needs complete rest. Moving him at a time like this could easily worsen his injuries."

"Did you hear that?" Dug glared at Han Zuo. "Good. Then do your job properly and stop making the gang leader worry so much. Otherwise, if his injuries worsen, it'll all be on you."

"..." Han Zuo glared fiercely at Dug, then strode away. ... A brief silence followed.

Liu Cheng suddenly asked, "Feng Qi, why are you doing this? Is a mere Feng Family really worth it?"

"The Feng Family is already a thing of the past," Dug said. "I've said it countless times: everything I do is for the world, to uphold the code of the martial world and preserve peace in the martial arts realm."

Liu Cheng asked, "Are you really a Heavenly Demon?"

"Genuine, without a doubt. Any normal person wouldn't be capable of doing something like this."

You're actually proud of it? Liu Cheng's brow twitched. "Are there many Heavenly Demons like you?"

"At least several hundred, I'd say." Dug let out a melancholy sigh. "I'm a Heavenly Demon devoted to preservation, yet with only the slightest move, I can throw the Iron Palm Gang into such turmoil. You can imagine what kind of chaos this world would descend into if the other Heavenly Demons were allowed to grow."

As he spoke, he glanced at Wang San beside him.

"..." Wang San.

"..." Liu Cheng.

"That's why I'm so impatient. Only by nipping them in the cradle can we eliminate every hidden danger. We cannot let them grow!" Dug declared with righteous solemnity.

"You'll become the target of everyone's arrows," Liu Cheng said after drawing a deep breath.

"For justice, for peace, I can even stake my life. Why would I fear becoming the target of everyone's arrows?" Dug said with a smile.

"Madman." Liu Cheng muttered, confirming Dug's identity as a Heavenly Demon.

"That's because you don't understand Heavenly Demons. Once you do, you'll be just as eager to get rid of them as you are to get rid of me." Dug sighed wistfully. "Hall Master Liu, let's not discuss such meaningless things. You humans have a saying: judge deeds, not hearts; judge hearts, and no one is good. You can't tell good from evil by appearances. Heavenly Demons, however, are among the rare few whose hearts and words match. Whatever their attributes are, that is what they are. Spend enough time with me, and you'll find I'm actually a very good person. At critical moments, I'll risk my life to protect you, just as I once protected the Feng Family."

You protected the Feng Family straight into a ditch!

The Iron Palm Gang is about to follow.

Liu Cheng grumbled inwardly and said nothing more, yet he agreed more than ever with Feng Qi's assessment of the Heavenly Demons. He even began considering whether Heavenly Demons could be used to deal with Heavenly Demons. "Hall Master Liu, tell me about the Iron Palm Gang's structure," Dug said. "Only once I understand our personnel arrangement can I plan the next step. We don't have much time..."

Liu Cheng glanced at Dug, then at Qiu Yuanlang beneath his sword. "Beneath the Iron Palm Gang's leader are more than three thousand members. There are ten halls: Azure Dragon Hall, led by Qiu Feilong; White Tiger Hall, led by Qiu Feihu; Vermilion Bird Hall, led by Qiu Muqian; Black Tortoise Hall, led by Han Zuo; Cerulean Dragon Hall, led by Qiu Feipeng; Green Wood Hall, led by Yan Wu..."