Peacekeeping Joint Defense

"Are there still Heavenly Demons in the gang? Is that for real?"

"Fake, right? Heavenly Demons have such obvious traits. How could one possibly stay hidden for two days without being discovered?"

"I think the old gang leader was lying too. Feng Qi tortured him so badly—if a Heavenly Demon really was lurking around, how great would it be to let it ruin Feng Qi's plans someday? He wouldn't tell anyone even if he died! If he said it, it has to be fake..."

"Watch your words, watch your words. Don't let the new gang leader hear you."

"I wasn't badmouthing the gang leader. What am I scared of? I think the old gang leader realized he was done for, so he made up a story on the spot to bargain with the new gang leader—either to make him save him, or, like that other notice said, to see a few of his children before he died."

A group of Peacekeeping Gang members pointed at the notice, exchanging their opinions.

Amid the crowd.

A young man in his twenties looked calm on the surface, but a storm raged in his heart. Real or fake? I've kept such a low profile—how could I possibly have been found out? They must be trying to bluff me, right?

No, I need to leave!

No, I can't leave. Leaving would mean I've truly exposed myself. If Feng Qi dared do this, he must have planted informants in the gang. Any abnormality at all, and I'd definitely be taken out...

Why is it so hard just to quietly coast through life? "Shao Zhou, what's wrong with you?" The person beside him bumped his shoulder and asked with a grin. "You haven't said a word all this time. Don't tell me a Heavenly Demon possessed you?"

"If a Heavenly Demon had possessed me, I'd have gone to join the gang leader long ago, eating the finest food and drinking the strongest wine. Why would I still be hanging around a bunch of filthy bastards like you?" Shao Zhou said. "I was thinking about who around us seems suspicious. If I report them, maybe I can earn some credit with the gang leader."

"Damn, you've got guts, kid! Come on, come on, come on—the Heavenly Demons all have attributes. Let's think carefully about who's been different from before these past two days. Then we'll report to the gang leader together. I heard Heavenly Demons usually prefer to possess the old, weak, sick, and disabled. The gang leader's generous—there definitely won't be a shortage of reward money..." The man's eyes lit up at the thought, and he spoke eagerly.

"I was just saying. You're really going to report someone? If a Heavenly Demon finds out, it'll stab you through with one blade." Shao Zhou smiled.

"I was joking too. We're all brothers here. How could we do something as filthy as tattling behind someone's back..." The man gave a chuckle and brushed it off, clearly not taking Shao Zhou's warning to heart.

Shao Zhou understood perfectly and did not try to persuade him further. Once enough people started informing, he could find an opportunity to slip over and check on the old gang leader. Whether it was a bluff or not would become clear at a glance.

A table of wine and dishes had been laid out. Dug and Feng Zhong ate and chatted, occasionally glancing toward the room where Qiu Yuanlang and his son were recovering, watching for suspicious people who might go over to investigate.

"Seventh Brother, which school are you from?" Feng Zhong asked.

"What do you mean, which school?" Dug asked in return.

"You're indifferent to food and drink, and you're skilled at disguising your Keyword. No one would believe you weren't from an Elite Academy." Feng Zhong said. "There are three thousand people in this Simulation Arena—examinees from six Commoner Schools and two Elite Schools. Maybe we're even from the same school! Even if we aren't, we'll find out after asking around. We both made it into the top ten this time. Just tell me your name, and I'll come find you after we get out. Then we can enter the Alien Battlefield together and join forces with the strong..."

"I'm from a Commoner School. No need to look for me. Once we leave the arena, neither of us will know the other." Dug said.

"Seventh Brother, you're too guarded." Feng Zhong laughed. "As long as you leave with first place in the Simulation Arena, it'll be impossible not to become famous. It's settled, then. I'll come find you afterward."

"First place for now. There's no guarantee I can hold it until the end..." Dug abruptly stopped speaking.

"What is it?" Feng Zhong asked.

"One of the vegetables is bitter." Dug spat out the food in his mouth and rose to his feet. "Forget it, I'm not eating. Come on, let's go take a look at the Hall of Grievance Redressal."

"We're not keeping watch over Qiu Yuanlang anymore?" Feng Zhong asked.

"Two incense masters are enough to watch him. Your Tongue of Right and Wrong is too unpredictable. Who knows when that guy will show up?" Dug said. "We can't stop doing proper business just because of a few Heavenly Demons we don't even know exist."

Just now, he had felt his attributes plummet sharply. In that brief instant, they had dropped by at least a fifth.

He immediately realized that the dangers of his Keyword being exposed had arrived.

Someone was targeting him.

There was little chance of anything going wrong with Backstab. It could only be that upholding had been targeted.

He had to figure out what was happening.

Backstab was too limited and difficult to develop. He could not lose the foundation of upholding. He had to find a way to conceal upholding, patch up the previous loopholes, and make everyone think that upholding was merely his disguise...

Before they reached the Hall of Grievance Redressal, Dug spotted Liu Cheng galloping back on horseback.

The two stopped.

Liu Cheng leaped down from the horse, flew over to Dug, and said urgently, "Gang Leader, something happened!"

"What is it?" Dug asked.

"The silver we gave the victims yesterday was stolen." Liu Cheng said. "The people who stole it were wearing Peacekeeping Gang clothes. Not only did they take the silver, they beat the victims too and threatened them not to tell anyone. Now rumors have spread throughout Luyang City in private. They say our upholding justice is fake, and they say... the gang leader wants to be a whore and still set up a chastity arch..."

Remembering Dug's inexplicable behavior earlier, Feng Zhong gave him a thoughtful look.

Well, damn.

Could his Keyword really be upholding? Seeing that Dug's attention was on Liu Cheng, he quietly opened his profile panel and checked his ranking. He was still ninth, with no movement upward.

He sighed inwardly. Sure enough, it was not upholding. Good thing he had been clever enough to check his ranking first. If it really were upholding, with his reputation taking such a huge hit, his attributes should have already fallen to rock bottom. There was no way he could still be holding first place.

Still, even if it was not upholding, it was probably related to upholding. His attributes must have been affected.

It had to be said, Feng Qi had concealed his true Keyword far too well.

Dug had a Third Eye and clearly saw Feng Zhong's little move, but he did not take it to heart.

After all.

Everyone had the urge to Peep. Probing into other people's secrets was only human nature.

By using this incident to cover up the assault, Feng Zhong would never suspect this side again.

"Gang Leader, it was probably Han Zuo and the others," Liu Cheng continued. "We need to find a way to get rid of them. We can't let them keep ruining the Peacekeeping Gang's reputation. I have an idea—let's tie up the old gang leader outside Luyang City and force them to come out!"

"What kind of bullshit is that? We're the Peacekeeping Gang, not some criminal gang. Our purpose is to uphold morality, fairness, and justice. And you were promoted by the old gang leader, too. Using a dying old man to threaten others—even if it works, what will the world think of us? Will they still trust the Peacekeeping Gang?" Dug shot Liu Cheng a glare and rebuked him. "We need to solve this openly and honorably. Finding the murderer and rebuilding the people's confidence in us—that's the proper path."

Right, right, everything you say is right! You weren't the one who beat the old gang leader into grievous injury, and it wasn't you who used his finger to threaten people back then...

You're so noble. You're so damn impressive!

I'm the villain, alright? If I ever give you another suggestion, I'll be your son...

Liu Cheng's eye twitched as he grumbled inwardly. "Gang Leader, what should we do?"

"The enemy is in the shadows while we are in the open. We have too few people, so relying on our current strength to investigate the murderer is clearly unrealistic. We need to find some helpers." Dug turned to Feng Zhong. "Feng Zhong, write several invitations. Invite the leaders of the Three Gates and Five Sects stationed in Luyang City to come discuss matters. Tell them we intend to establish a Peacekeeping Joint Control and Defense Alliance, inviting them to join us in upholding the morality of the martial world and peace in the martial arts community."

Liu Cheng froze, staring at Dug with a strange expression. What the hell did this have to do with finding the murderer? Peacekeeping Joint Defense? You could barely save yourself, and you wanted others to uphold justice with you? Besides, those were people from the Three Gates and Five Sects. Even the old gang leader had not dared to do something like this. The tiny Peacekeeping Gang had fewer than five hundred members—why would they listen to you?

Just how thick was your skin? At that moment, Liu Cheng suddenly regretted joining this so-called Peacekeeping Gang. If he had known Dug was such an unreliable fellow, he should never have come back to report the news. He should have turned around and left, roaming the world instead...

Feng Qi's actions had repeatedly defied expectations, and Feng Zhong had no idea what he was planning. After a brief pause, he asked, "Seventh Brother, isn't it a little too early to provoke the Three Gates and Five Sects at a time like this?"

"It's not too early." Dug smiled. "Upholding the morality of the martial world is the responsibility and duty of every person in it. Only by jointly protecting a beautiful environment to live in can everyone live better!"