The Same Sort

"Have you heard? Someone took over the Iron Palm Sect and forced them to change their name to the Peacekeeping Gang. They're making the Iron Palm Sect's people turn over a new leaf and chase people all over the city to apologize. They've even changed their clothes."

"I saw them. They're putting up notices all over the city, too, saying they want to maintain peace and root out the scum of the martial world. They tell us to come to them with any grievances. It all sounds too good to be true. I don't believe it."

"Neither do I. Didn't the Iron Palm Sect snatch Zhang the Second's eldest daughter a few days ago? They just brought her back with a huge pile of money, knelt at his door and begged him to forgive them. They even slapped their own face until it was swollen. Zhang the Second was so scared, he kowtowed right back at them and wouldn't dare take his daughter home..."

"I wouldn't dare, either. Who knows when the Peacekeeping Gang might turn back into the Iron Palm Sect? We'd be the ones to suffer then."

"Ugh, all these martial arts sects are cut from the same cloth. They throw their weight around and bully whoever they want. When have they ever cared about ordinary people like us? This damnable world..."

"This time might really be different. I'll let you in on a secret, but don't go spreading it around. My third son works odd jobs at the Iron Palm Sect. Apparently, the one who took it over this time wasn't human."

"Wasn't human? What, was it a ghost?"

"Scarier than a ghost. It was a Heavenly Demon."

"A Heavenly Demon?"

"Yeah. I heard that last night, the Iron Palm Sect's leader was stabbed more than a dozen times while the Heavenly Demon had him by the neck, but he didn't get so much as a scratch. The Heavenly Demon put the Peacekeeping Gang together in a single night..."

"If people are this scary already, won't things be even worse with a Heavenly Demon around?"

"You've got it wrong. Heavenly Demons aren't like us. My third son said they seem to have some kind of constraint: they have to grow according to their attributes, or they grow weak. The Heavenly Demon who took over the Iron Palm Sect had the attribute of maintaining peace. He announced in front of everyone that he would uphold justice, fairness, and honor..."

"Isn't that what the Peacekeeping Gang's notices say?"

"So Heavenly Demons are even better than people?"

"Not exactly. There seem to be all kinds of Heavenly Demons, good and bad. My third son couldn't explain the details, but I reckon the one who took over the Iron Palm Sect is a good person."

"Hey, you old fellas, still standing around chatting? Get over to the Iron Palm Sect! The Heavenly Demon's got the leader at swordpoint and is trying a case in public. It's quite a sight..."

No wall could keep the wind out.

Besides, Du Ge had been so high-profile, he might as well have announced his whereabouts to the whole world. That very day, he and the Iron Palm Sect—which had become the Peacekeeping Gang—were the biggest sensation in Luyang City.

Rumors flew everywhere. In less than an hour, everyone knew what he had done at the Iron Palm Sect.

The timid townsfolk were still hesitating, but those whom the Iron Palm Sect had bullied until they had nowhere left to turn saw the notices and decided to throw caution to the wind. They went straight to the Iron Palm Sect to air their grievances.

Du Ge hadn't expected his efforts to protect the people's interests to pay off so quickly. He'd posted notices and forced the Iron Palm Sect's people to apologize around Luyang City only to establish trust and gradually undermine the sect's foundations, building the Peacekeeping Gang's reputation in the process.

But he hadn't expected the Iron Palm Sect to have done so much evil over the years that people would risk their lives without even checking whether the notices were genuine. They'd come forward to seek justice that very day...

Come to think of it, even a small clan like the Feng Family had treated its sparring partners like they were nothing, casually deciding whether they lived or died. It was no wonder these ordinary people, who ranked even lower than sparring partners, had been treated worse.

What a damnable world!

Still, this worked out perfectly. If the authorities wouldn't step in, he would. If people came forward with grievances, he was more than happy to play the upright magistrate and give them a chance to seek justice.

Nothing raised one's reputation like a public trial.

And so.

A strange sight appeared outside Luyang City.

The former leader, Qiu Yuanlang, sat expressionlessly beneath the blazing sun, his body swathed in bandages. Beside him, a young man sat behind a table, a long sword pressed to Qiu Yuanlang's throat. Smiling broadly, he welcomed everyone who came to air their grievances.

The Iron Palm Sect's incense masters and hall masters stood on either side in Peacekeeping Gang uniforms, gripping short staffs held at shoulder height, their faces dark as they played the part of constables.

If that had been all, the crowd could still accept it.

After all, Du Ge had only just seized the Iron Palm Sect. Without a hostage, how could he keep its people in line? And if he hadn't held a sword to the leader's throat, how would the oppressed townsfolk have dared to come forward?

But the scene took a bizarre turn with the addition of a deranged young man who hugged a severed hand and giggled to himself.

Still.

For the people whom the Iron Palm Sect had bullied until they had no hope of making a living, none of that mattered anymore. If they didn't use this chance to settle their grudges while the Iron Palm Sect was under someone else's control, when would they?

At that moment, Du Ge was their lifeline.

Even if the Heavenly Demon were put down afterward and the Iron Palm Sect came back, at least they'd have vented their anger.

"Lord Heavenly Demon, I'm here to accuse Liu Hei Gou of the Iron Palm Sect. A year ago, he took a fancy to my daughter, Xiu Lian, and brought the Iron Palm Sect's men to force me to give her to him for three coins. I refused, so Liu Hei Gou broke one of my legs and abducted Xiu Lian. I went to the authorities to complain, but they beat me up instead. My poor Xiu Lian was tormented by that beast for three days. In the end, she couldn't take it anymore and threw herself down a well. My poor girl—she was only sixteen! I beg you, Lord Heavenly Demon, give me justice..."

An old man with a weathered face knelt on the ground, trembling as he told Du Ge of his grievance.

All this time, whether he'd been protecting the Feng Family, backstabbing the Feng Family, or upholding justice, Du Ge had treated it all like a game...

After all, he needed to use his attribute of maintaining peace to grow stronger.

But as the old man knelt before him, dragging a broken leg and little more than skin and bones, and wept out his grievance with the air of someone who had already made peace with dying, something stirred inside Du Ge.

He knew the Simulation Field was fake, but he couldn't hold back his anger.

This was too much!

The Feng Family, the Iron Palm Sect—none of them were any good. In this damnable world, it fell to good people like him to maintain peace...

For the first time, he felt that what he was doing mattered. It wasn't just about competing for first place in the Simulation Field anymore.

Du Ge glanced at Qiu Yuanlang and mocked, "Leader Qiu, what a fine Iron Palm Sect you've got!"

Forced to endure a public trial, Qiu Yuanlang had been seething with resentment. Now, though, his expression was rather sheepish. "Seventh Master, these things were done by the men below me. I didn't know. If I had, I never would've let him sully the Iron Palm Sect's good name..."

"Good name?" Du Ge snorted. "Liu Cheng, bring Liu Hei Gou here."

Liu Cheng stepped forward with a helpless look and asked, "Who does Liu Hei Gou work under?"

One of the incense masters playing a constable stepped out, looking embarrassed. "He works under me."

Liu Cheng asked, "Did you know what he'd done?"

The incense master awkwardly shook his head and was about to speak.

Suddenly, the Peacekeeping Gang members behind him stirred. One of them shoved past the others and bolted for the edge of the crowd.

Liu Cheng glanced over, leaped after him, grabbed him by the neck, and hauled him back. He slammed him hard onto the ground.

Liu Hei Gou's face was deathly pale. He kowtowed to Du Ge again and again. "Spare me, Lord Heavenly Demon! Please spare me! I'll never do it again. Please give me one more chance, Lord Heavenly Demon. I'll join the Peacekeeping Gang in earnest and give my life for you..."

"If the Peacekeeping Gang takes in men like you, how can it claim to uphold justice?" Du Ge snorted. "Hall Master Liu, kill him. The world doesn't need scum like that polluting the air. Don't let him die too easily..."

There was no need for evidence after the way Liu Hei Gou had acted. Besides, Du Ge's senses were sharp, and the truth was already crystal clear to him from the whispers in the crowd.

"Seventh Brother, leave him to me!" Wang San, who had barely said a word until then, suddenly stepped forward. "I could use another addition to my collection..."

Since the battle ended last night, his attribute had barely improved at all.

After all, Feng Qi had stolen the spotlight most of the time, leaving him no chance to show off.

But when he stood in front of everyone with a severed hand in his arms and the crowd pointed and whispered about him, his attribute had shot up. In no time, his individual ranking had climbed another five places.

How could Wang San pass up such a great chance to improve his attribute? If he didn't make a name for himself while Feng Qi was making a scene, when would he?

Besides, he'd figured it out: Feng Qi's Keyword was maintaining peace. Making such a huge commotion was like walking a tightrope. If he slipped, he'd be done for. But Wang San was different. A yandere was a yandere. Even if the Peacekeeping Gang fell apart one day, people's impression of him wouldn't change. His strength would only grow, never collapse.

So what if Feng Qi was riding high now?

One day, Wang San might be the one to turn the tables.

After all.

He could use Fear of the Delicate on Feng Qi, too...