Abusing the weak with strength?
What did you think you were doing right now?
Weren't you just bullying people because you had the stronger fists?
And you talk about righteousness? At least we try to keep up appearances. You've dragged your filth right out into the open.
The entire martial world put together couldn't be as black-hearted as you, could it!?
You claim to protect the world, but from beginning to end, all you've protected is your own interests...
Gao Yong and the others cursed furiously in their hearts. Their expressions looked as if a fly had gotten stuck in their throats—not quite up or down, just thoroughly disgusting and uncomfortable.
At that moment, they agreed with only one thing Feng Qi had said: all Heavenly Demons were a menace and had to be eliminated as soon as possible, Feng Qi included...
These Heavenly Demons were all lunatics. Not one of them had a normal mindset.
They had to find a way to spread the truth about Feng Qi. Otherwise, if they let him go around harming others while wearing that kindly face, the whole martial world would be ruined.
That was right!
They had to stay alive. They couldn't just die here without knowing why. Everyone present found the same excuse for their cowardice, without a word between them.
"Congratulations on joining the Peacekeeping Joint Defense." Du Ge acted as if he hadn't seen their hideously grim expressions. He tossed the bloodstained clothes in his hand onto the ground, then clasped his hands toward them again. "From today on, let's work together to preserve peace and stability in Luyang City."
"Agreed." The situation was stronger than they were. Gao Yong forced an ugly smile and returned Du Ge's salute.
"Excellent." Ding Wanjie of the Beggar's Sect said, "Upholding justice is the duty of everyone in the martial world. If Leader Feng gives the order in the future, the Beggar's Sect branch in Luyang City will obey without hesitation."
"Leader Feng is absolutely right." Ding Yang of the Emei Sect said, "Though I'm a woman, I too should do my part for the people of Luyang City."
The people from the Tianshan and Huashan sects also praised Feng Qi's proposal enthusiastically, as if they hadn't just shown utter contempt for the Peacekeeping Joint Defense. Harmony returned to the Council Hall, with only the great villain He Yuanan lying dead in a pool of blood, his eyes open as if he were accusing the world of injustice.
"In that case, I have a few contracts for joining the Peacekeeping Alliance here. Please sign and leave your fingerprints, everyone." Du Ge glanced around at them, then pulled a stack of blank papers from his robes as if by magic, smiling. "Our Peacekeeping Alliance was officially established yesterday. Later, we'll attack the Divine Fist School's base in Luyang City and wipe out the villains who attacked the civilians yesterday and framed the Peacekeeping Gang. He Yuanan will have been surrounded and killed by us..."
The smiles on Gao Yong and the others' faces froze.
An alliance established yesterday, with He Yuanan surrounded and killed by them...
He'd used the difference in timing to patch up every loophole. As long as the people of Luyang City witnessed the bloodstained clothes from the Peacekeeping Gang and He Yuanan's corpse being brought out of their base,
they'd be members of the Peacekeeping Alliance whether they liked it or not.
This was something else. He'd planned every step and left them no way out!
Once word reached the Divine Fist School, how could Tong Hong'an possibly believe their explanation? When he came after them, their sects would hardly be able to protect them...
How could this guy be so shameless?
The Divine Fist School's deputy leader sneered repeatedly. Serves you right, you two-faced bastards. You deserve to be dragged down to your deaths by Feng Qi.
"Do any of you still have reservations?" Du Ge frowned and surveyed them. "Could one of you still be an accomplice of He Yuanan?"
Shit!
Gao Yong and the others' faces changed at once.
In this situation, whether they were accomplices or not was up to Feng Qi to decide. If they refused to sign, their corpses would probably be found at the base alongside He Yuanan's, supposedly beaten to death by the Peacekeeping Alliance.
Seeing that everyone remained silent, Du Ge decided to work on them one at a time. He turned to Ding Wanjie of the Beggar's Sect. "Elder Ding, we hit it off at first sight. Why don't you set an example?"
Fuck!
Who wants to hit it off with you?
The color drained from Ding Wanjie's face.
Wang San stepped forward at just the right moment, and the bloodstained dagger in Du Ge's hand pointed subtly toward him.
"Fine, I'll sign." Cursing Feng Qi in his heart, Ding Wanjie took a contract from him. He was about to sign when he suddenly froze. "Leader Feng, did you give me the wrong one? There's nothing written on this."
"We were in a hurry, so I haven't had time to write the terms. Don't worry, Elder Ding. Sign first, and I'll fill in the details afterward," Du Ge said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Damn it!
Ding Wanjie's brow twitched. He suddenly felt like drawing his saber and fighting Du Ge to the death. How could anyone be so shameless?
But then he remembered how Feng Qi had casually pinned the blame on He Yuanan without a shred of evidence. He could only sigh and write his name on the blank paper, then press his fingerprint beside it. Once he was done, he moved to step back.
"Not so fast. You need to sign all seven," Du Ge said with a smile, stopping him. "Better safe than sorry. If these agreements are destroyed, some things will be hard to explain. It's best to sign several copies. We'll post one in Luyang City for public viewing later."
Ding Wanjie's expression changed again. He looked at Du Ge, then silently signed his name on every blank sheet. One copy or seven, what difference did it make? He no longer cared. As long as he could find a way to kill Feng Qi later, they could decide what was black and what was white.
With Ding Wanjie as the first to give in, Gao Yong and the others also abandoned resistance and signed the agreements.
Du Ge carefully checked the papers. After looking over their signatures, he tucked all seven copies into his robes and nodded in satisfaction. "From the moment you entered the Council Hall, I knew you were all people of righteous hearts. With all of you joining us, we've taken another step toward our goal of upholding justice throughout the world. Congratulations."
As he spoke, he returned to the seat of honor. "There's no time to waste. We'll rest briefly, then set out to wipe out the Divine Fist School's villains in Luyang City. Whenever I think of those bandits robbing the people of their compensation money and still roaming free, I can neither eat nor sleep. I can't even sit still."
Gao Yong and the others said nothing.
"Liu Cheng, bring Leader He with us to wipe out the bandits. Cover his face. Don't let anyone see him." Du Ge looked at Liu Cheng and gave the order.
With just a few words and gestures, Feng Qi had bound all the major factions in Luyang City to the Peacekeeping Gang's ship. Liu Cheng was filled with admiration for the ruthless Feng Qi, and felt his energy surging. He answered loudly, "Yes, Leader!"
Du Ge turned back to Gao Yong and the others. "Rest assured. After we wipe out the Divine Fist School, I'll send people to deliver the money we collect to each of your residences, after compensating the civilians..."
Gao Yong and the others' expressions changed again. They hurriedly waved their hands. "No, no. You're too kind, Leader Feng. Upholding justice is our duty. Taking money would only tarnish that honor."
Are you kidding?
If they killed people and split the money, how could they explain it later?
"Daoist Gao, you're mistaken." Du Ge smiled at them. "There's nothing wrong with upholding justice, but we can't keep going on nothing but righteous conviction. After all, we all have to eat. Working for free is fine in the short term, but over time, people are bound to slack off. Eventually, our Peacekeeping Alliance will fall apart.
"So we should accept what we're owed. That's the only way to make our Peacekeeping Alliance grow. Take me, for example. If I hadn't inherited the Iron Palm Sect from Leader Qiu, how could I have gotten this far on passion alone?"
"Leader Feng, the Beggar's Sect has always survived by begging. Money means nothing to us. I, Ding, am willing to devote myself to justice without seeking anything in return, and I won't complain." Ding Wanjie considered it, then imitated Feng Qi's way of speaking.
He couldn't let Feng Qi tie him tighter and tighter to this sinking ship. Otherwise, he'd never get away.
"I understand Elder Ding's concerns. You're afraid people will condemn you for taking the money, or accuse the Peacekeeping Gang of using justice as an excuse to line its pockets." Du Ge looked at Ding Wanjie, then at Gao Yong and the others, and smiled. "You don't need to worry. The money we collect from striking at criminal forces will all go toward keeping the Peacekeeping Gang running. We'll make every penny's destination public, so everyone can see where it goes. I'm sure the people will understand."
Shit!
They were going to make it public, too.
Gao Yong and the others felt their hearts sink. They'd been desperate to keep this hidden. If it was made public, they'd have even less chance of getting out. That damned Feng Qi!
Before you continue