The people of Luyang City were skeptical of what Du Ge had said about the Peacekeeping Joint Defense, but when He Yuanan's corpse from the Divine Fist School was hung up and Gao Yong and the others stood beside Feng Qi with beaming smiles, promising everyone that they would work together to maintain public order in Luyang City—
Everyone believed it.
After all, these people were already the largest forces in Luyang City.
And Feng Qi had needed only one night to convince them to join the Peacekeeping Alliance, proving through his actions that he not only wanted to protect Luyang City, but also had the strength to do so.
Just as Du Ge had thought, some things did not require evidence. All people wanted was an outcome they could accept.
In particular, Du Ge had brought out basket after basket of gold and silver, doubled the compensation for every victim, and promised that if anything similar happened again, the compensation would still be doubled. The little apprehension everyone had felt toward him suddenly vanished.
What Heavenly Demon?
The Heavenly Demon referred to someone else. Feng Qi was their Heavenly Demon, their benevolent protector...
There was nothing money could not buy.
That same day.
The notice board in Luyang City displayed the Peacekeeping Alliance's signed contract and announced the responsibilities and obligations of the Peacekeeping Joint Defense to everyone.
The five major schools established street patrol teams that patrolled the city day and night, responsible for handling every sudden incident they encountered;
Anyone who suffered injustice or unfair treatment could request help from any nearby organization in the Peacekeeping Alliance. If the matter was not dealt with promptly, they could appeal directly to the Peacekeeping Gang. The Peacekeeping Gang would send people to resolve the issue and deal with any Peacekeeping Joint Defense members who neglected their duties;
In the course of upholding justice, apart from the money used to compensate victims, the Peacekeeping Gang would take a portion of all confiscated funds to cover its normal operating expenses. However, all expenditures would be regularly made public;
The Peacekeeping Gang would regularly recruit ambitious young people from among the populace to join the Peacekeeping Gang and uphold justice together. Food and lodging would be provided, and they would be taught basic Martial Arts...
The rules were listed one by one, and the Peacekeeping Gang replaced the Luyang City government in the people's hearts at the fastest possible speed.
Moreover.
With the Peacekeeping Joint Defense in place, there were no more nighttime attacks on civilians.
Every person's face in Luyang City was wreathed in smiles. They spoke of the Peacekeeping Gang whenever they opened their mouths, and of Feng Qi whenever they closed them. The city was filled with vitality and prosperity.
Feng Qi became a living Buddha to tens of thousands of families, and his attributes soared.
After Qiu Feipeng and the others were recruited, no one stopped Qiu Feibao, Li Chao, Lou Yuexiang, and the other hall masters who were away. The moment those fellows returned, they were captured, and after Qiu Yuanlang personally persuaded them, they naturally joined the Peacekeeping Gang and began handling the transfer of the former Iron Palm Sect's various industries to the Peacekeeping Gang;
After the Feng Family members were rescued, Feng Shiren tried to use their former relationship to obtain authority within the Peacekeeping Gang. However, Feng Qi rebuked him with a speech about upholding justice and made them start from the bottom, crushing the Feng Family's hopes of taking a shortcut;
Looking at Feng Qi, who held absolute power in Luyang City, Feng Shiyi finally understood that master and servant had changed places. The Feng Family could no longer reach Feng Qi's level. Moreover, everything Feng Qi had said was true: relying on the Heavenly Demon really could strengthen a family. It was just a pity that the Feng Family was not destined for it...
Luyang City was brimming with vitality and had taken on a completely new appearance, but inside the Peacekeeping Gang, gloom and despair prevailed.
The mid-level leaders, such as Liu Cheng and Gao Yong, had almost no smiles on their faces.
"Gang Leader, judging by the dates, if Qiu Muqian managed to persuade Master Tong, they should be back tomorrow or the day after. Shouldn't we make preparations early? Master Tong is one of the seven greatest experts in the world..." Liu Cheng paused. "Of course, with the Gang Leader's Martial Arts, you naturally have nothing to fear from Tong Shihong. But the Divine Fist School has countless experts under its command. If they are determined to target the Peacekeeping Gang, I'm afraid our skills won't be enough to deal with them. Our Peacekeeping Gang has too few experts, and Qiu Feipeng and the others may not have truly submitted..."
He glanced at Wang San beside Du Ge and said, "Even if they have truly submitted, as long as Mr. Wang is present, they won't be able to display their full combat strength."
"We have to worry about more than just the Divine Fist School. There are also the schools behind us." Ding Wanjie smiled bitterly. "Once word of what happened in Luyang City spreads, we will probably be treated as traitors by our own sects. No sect will allow something like this to happen. This is like digging up their roots!"
"Exactly! We can't suppress what happened in Luyang City." Nie Nong said, "The day before yesterday, several of my men escaped the city. They should have gone to inform our school. Perhaps it won't be long before the main sect sends people to purge us."
"It's the same on my side." Gao Yong frowned. "Gang Leader, there are the three schools, five sects, two gangs, and one clan—eleven top-tier forces in all. The Peacekeeping Gang has provoked six of them, offending half the martial world. Even Martial Saint Qiao He didn't dare be this reckless back then..."
Gao Yong and the others had been tied to the Peacekeeping Gang's ship by Du Ge's successive maneuvers. They could neither get off nor dare to flee. Thinking of the enemies they would soon face, every one of them was sick with worry, to the point that they could not even cry.
"So, you regret joining the Peacekeeping Joint Defense?" Du Ge looked around at them and asked with a smile.
What did he mean, regret?
Had he given them any choice?
It was clearly this villain who had forcibly tied them to the Peacekeeping Gang. He made it sound as though they had joined of their own free will.
If time could be turned back, the moment I saw that invitation, I should have run straight back to my sect. I should never have even met you...
Everyone glanced at Du Ge. They wanted to argue, but did not dare, so they lowered their heads one after another and expressed their opposition through silence.
Du Ge shook his head and asked, "How do you think my skills compare with those top experts?"
No one spoke.
"Daoist Gao, you answer." Du Ge called on him directly.
"They are in no way inferior." Gao Yong glanced at Du Ge. In just two or three days, Du Ge had grown faster and faster. When they practiced Martial Arts, Gao Yong could barely see his opponent's moves anymore.
"What if you add Wang San suppressing them from the side?" Du Ge asked again.
"Then we would win for sure," Gao Yong said.
"Then that settles it. What are you still afraid of?" Du Ge said.
"But two or three experts aren't enough to support an entire sect!" Nie Nong could not help saying. "Hall Master Wang's ability is indeed bizarre, but now that word of what happened in Luyang City has spread, if they make a move, they will definitely deal with Wang San first."
"I am not afraid of them."
Wang San had changed to a new cultivation method. He carried a box around with him at all times, filled with ice. Chilled inside were several hands or hearts that no one knew belonged to whom. From time to time, he would stroll into crowded places, take them out, and put them on display, spreading his reputation for being a Yandere.
If he had been alone, he would have been beaten to death long ago.
But on the Peacekeeping Gang's territory, with the title of Peacekeeping Gang Protector, he carried out such acts without restraint and feared no harm. Even now, he maintained his second-place ranking in the Simulation Field.
This was something he had never dared imagine when he first obtained the Keyword. At this point, he had already decided to follow Feng Qi wholeheartedly.
"You people are simply too timid. Those who win the people's hearts win the world. We are doing what is just—what are you afraid of?" Du Ge shook his head. "I have already considered everything you thought of. Actually, before you arrived, I had already sent investigation-assistance invitations to all the major schools, explaining the danger posed by the Heavenly Demon and inviting them to investigate Heavenly Demons throughout the various regions, nipping the unrest in the bud. With Taotie as witness, as long as they understand the greater good, they will not make things difficult for us."
Seeing that everyone seemed to want to speak but held back, Du Ge smiled and continued, "I know what you are worried about. I have explained your situations as well. You only joined the Peacekeeping Joint Defense; you did not join the Peacekeeping Gang. In essence, you are still members of your original gangs. Claims of betrayal are completely baseless..."
Are you serious?
Were you trying to deceive the heads of every sect as though they were children?
Gao Yong and the others stared at him in disbelief. This was pure provocation. Were you afraid we would not die?
"I know the Peacekeeping Gang lacks sufficient standing, so what I say may not receive their attention." Du Ge looked at Liu Cheng and said solemnly, "Didn't Qiu Muqian invite Elder Master Tong Shihong here? I will find a way to persuade him to join the Peacekeeping Gang. We cannot allow the work of upholding justice to be hindered at every turn. The Peacekeeping Gang truly needs some old-school experts to hold down the fort."
Phew!
Hearing Feng Qi say this, everyone present let out a sigh of relief in unison and temporarily relaxed.
After all.
Everyone present had personally experienced Du Ge's methods of persuasion. Tong Shihong joining the Peacekeeping Gang should be a certainty.
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