When You Can't Pick Up Your Chopsticks

This night, the Iron Palm Sect was in chaos.

All the gang members were dispatched to Luyang City, some to find carpenters, some to find tailors, some to find embroiderers...

Han Zuo was seething with anger, but he didn't dare disobey Feng Qi's orders, not even to slack off.

Feng Qi acted without regard for consequences. He worried that the guy would actually push the Sect Leader out the next day to inspect his work. Changing the Iron Palm Sect to the Peacekeeping Gang was somewhat embarrassing, but it was better than the Sect Leader being ruined by him.

River transport was a lucrative business, with countless eyes watching. Without Qiu Yuanlang holding the reins, the Iron Palm Sect would not be far from destruction.

At worst, he would deal with Feng Qi, then go to him with a brier and thorns to atone, and help the Iron Palm Sect go legitimate.

In Qiu Yuanlang's hospital room, Du Ge and Liu Cheng talked about their ideals all night, and probed each other the entire night.

Liu Cheng's original intention was to stay by Du Ge's side, hoping to find an opportunity to snatch the Sect Leader back from him. But he had stayed up until the end, and even the sickly Wang San had taken a short nap, while Feng Qi remained energetic, without a hint of fatigue.

On the contrary, he himself was yawning continuously and could barely hold on. If Feng Qi hadn't shown any killing intent towards him, he would have been the first to collapse.

Daylight began to break.

Liu Cheng, with dark circles under his eyes, yawned, "Seventh Master has such abundant energy, you must be among the best in the Celestial Demon!"

Du Ge said humbly, "I can't say I'm among the best, I'm just fortunate to have a bit more energy."

Actually, Du Ge had originally planned to tie Liu Cheng up and take turns resting with Wang San. He had tested the special forces' eight-minute rest method on Earth: a short eight-minute nap every so often could restore most of his energy.

Coupled with his keen senses and Wang San's early warnings, stealing eight minutes of rest should have been no problem.

But who knew that after a whole night of activity, he didn't feel the slightest bit of sleepiness. He figured it must be related to his soaring attributes and the increased mental power he had gained earlier. It was an unexpected pleasant surprise.

It made sense.

Virtual characters in games never had a sleep setting. They rested whenever they needed to, completely depending on whether the person playing the game outside was tired.

Wang San still needed to sleep. The simulation field's settings were already very user-friendly, but after resting for about half an hour, he had recovered his energy. His attribute values were likely not low.

Just then.

A commotion came from outside.

Accompanied by shouts of "Young Master, don't be rash!"

With a bang, the door was kicked open, and a person, bringing a gust of cold wind, burst in, "I want to see what kind of Celestial Demon dares to... Father..."

The person saw Qiu Yuanlang with a sword at his neck and slammed on the brakes.

"Young Master? Qiu Feilong?" Du Ge glanced at him and said calmly, "Impulse is the devil. Do you know that if I hadn't raised my sword a bit higher in time, your actions just now would have sent your father to his death. I protected your filial piety, you should thank me..."

"Get lost!" Qiu Feilong roared, "Let go of my father, and I'll spare your life."

Han Zuo followed in. He had changed into a blue-black outfit, with a white circle in the front bearing the character "Wei" written neatly inside.

He awkwardly surveyed the scene in the room and reached out to pull Qiu Feilong, saying tactfully, "Young Master, let's go out first. The Sect Leader needs to rest. We can talk outside..."

"My father is being held at swordpoint, and you want me to go out and talk?" Qiu Feilong raged. He pointed at the "Wei" on Han Zuo's chest, "And you, you idiot, you do whatever he tells you? Are you with the Iron Palm Sect, or with him?"

"I..." Han Zuo glanced at Du Ge and couldn't speak, looking embarrassed.

"Kneel, or I'll cut off one of your father's fingers," Du Ge said, looking at Qiu Feilong. With a clang, he drew another long sword, its edge pressing against Qiu Yuanlang's thumb. "Are my people someone you can reprimand?"

"..." Qiu Feilong froze, glaring at Du Ge with anger.

"Feng Qi, what nonsense are you talking about? When did I become your person?" Han Zuo retorted, his face flushed.

"If you're wearing the Peacekeeping Gang's clothes, you're my person," Du Ge said seriously. "If I can't even protect the dignity of my own people, how can I protect justice in the world?"

He looked at Qiu Feilong again, "Kneel!"

Du Ge didn't miss any opportunity to assert himself. He pressed the long sword down, and Qiu Yuanlang's finger immediately started bleeding. Qiu Yuanlang, still unconscious, twitched instinctively.

"You dare?" Qiu Feilong said anxiously. He took a step forward, and Du Ge's other sword pressed against Qiu Yuanlang's throat, looking provocatively at Qiu Feilong, "Unfilial son, do you want to usurp the throne and kill your father?"

Qiu Feilong's face turned dark, caught between a rock and a hard place.

At this moment.

He finally understood why Han Zuo had tried to stop him at the door. If Feng Qi wasn't dealt with, this was an unsolvable situation. Anyone who came in would be humiliated, unless he wanted his father to die.

"Not kneeling?" Du Ge shook his head and let out a mocking laugh. "Old Qiu, Old Qiu, you've raised an ambitious good son. Unfortunately, from now on, your nickname in the martial world will probably be 'Nine-Fingered Divine Palm.' In the future, when you can't hold chopsticks, don't resent your son..."

Saying that, he raised his long sword, as if to strike.

"Stop!" Qiu Feilong's eyes were bloodshot. He gritted his teeth, "I'll kneel."

He glared at Du Ge and slowly knelt on the ground, saying word by word, "Are you satisfied now!"

"Why are you kneeling to me?" Du Ge looked surprised. "Kneel to Han Zuo! You insulted his dignity, not mine?"

"..." Qiu Feilong was stunned. His face ashen, he got up, turned to Han Zuo, and bent his knees as if to kneel, "Hall Master Han, I was wrong."

Han Zuo hurriedly supported him and said, "Young Master, there's no need." He looked at Du Ge, flustered, "Seventh Master, you don't need to stand up for me, I have no dignity..."

"Hall Master Han, you may have no dignity, but when you wear that uniform, you represent the Peacekeeping Gang. I am protecting not only your dignity, but also the reputation of the Peacekeeping Gang," Du Ge said seriously. "I want every member of the Peacekeeping Gang to know that as long as they wear this uniform, no one can bully them."

If no one bullies us, then it's you bullying us!

I could have survived by changing the sign and the clothes. But with the Young Master kneeling to me, I have no way to survive in the Iron Palm Sect anymore...

Han Zuo was about to cry.

Du Ge's move was too vicious; it easily sowed discord between him and the First Young Master.

"Hall Master Han, no need to stop me. This kneeling is my own doing." Qiu Feilong, his face grim, pushed Han Zuo's hand away and gave him a solid kowtow. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have insulted the Peacekeeping Gang."

It's over!

Han Zuo closed his eyes in pain, his heart filled with despair.

"Are you satisfied now!" Qiu Feilong stood up again, looking at Du Ge with cold eyes, as if he were looking at a dead man.

"First Young Master, please don't blame me. The Peacekeeping Gang was founded jointly by you and your father. Maintaining martial ethics requires iron-fisted methods, and I had no choice. You are also a member of the Iron Palm Sect. Since you're back, you should show filial piety and start by changing into the Peacekeeping Gang's uniform!" Du Ge smiled. "The old man hasn't woken up yet. When he does, I hope he sees a brand-new gang..."

"Feng Qi, don't push your luck too far!" Qiu Feilong said angrily.

"You've already knelt, what's changing clothes? I can't possibly threaten you with your father's fingers again, can I!" Du Ge looked regretfully at Qiu Yuanlang, then picked up his sword, itching to try it on his fingers. "In the future, when you can't hold chopsticks, I hope you won't resent your son..."

The reverse ladder effect: When you ask a target to do something excessive, then ask them to do something less excessive, they will accept it more readily.

"Fine, I'll change." Qiu Feilong's eyes widened, his face turning red with humiliation. "Hall Master Han, go get me a set of clothes."

Han Zuo nodded.

"Four sets," Du Ge corrected. "Guild Leader, Hall Master Liu, and this doctor also need to change."

Liu Cheng said nothing. After a night of confrontation, he understood that facing Du Ge, compliance was the best course of action. That way, the old guild leader would suffer less.

In one night, his neck had more than ten marks from Du Ge's rubbing. A few more times, and they'd grow calluses and could rename themselves the Iron Neck Gang.

Du Ge considered for a moment, then looked at Qiu Feilong and instructed, "First Young Master, you are the eldest son of the Qiu family. When other Hall Masters come to visit your father in the future, you will be responsible for receiving them. Whoever comes, they must change clothes. If they don't change, I'll stomp on your father's fingers. There are six Hall Masters, and six pairs of fingers should be enough."

Qiu Feilong exploded in rage: "Feng Qi, don't push your luck too far! My father is in that state, how can he wear clothes?"

Du Ge said, "Draping them over him will also do. Old Qiu is a symbol of the Peacekeeping Gang, so we must set an example no matter what..."