Establishing Authority and Virtue, Cultivating Influence

When Yang Ning and the men of the Patrol Bureau escorted the dozens of rescued people out of Red Scarf Alley, where the Blood Ape Gang headquarters was located, and returned to East Third Street.

The news of the Patrol Bureau's battle with the Blood Ape Gang had already spread from East Street as if it had grown wings.

Both sides of the street were packed with commoners who had gathered upon hearing the news.

They watched the procession, led by the Patrol Bureau officers, with the rescued victims of this unprovoked disaster in the middle, and the remnants of the once-arrogant Blood Ape Gang being escorted in the rear.

They felt a sense of surrealism that was hard to grasp.

It turned out the Patrol Bureau would actually "patrol," and they were truly dealing with the dark, evil forces in the city that everyone preferred not to think about.

Looking at the familiar figures at the front of the procession and the young man with a long saber at his waist.

They pointed and whispered, their faces filled with shock, curiosity, and awe.

"Did you see that? The Patrol Bureau is actually doing real work!"

"Those people taken by the Blood Ape Gang were just ordinary folks. I thought that once they were taken, that was it.

I blamed it on their bad luck; I never thought the Patrol Bureau would intervene. I didn't expect the Patrol Bureau to show some backbone for once."

"My god, did they really take people and wipe out the Blood Ape Gang's nest?

I heard they even killed Wang Han?"

"I heard a young man cut off Wang Han's head!

Patrol Commander Gong was there in person to oversee it!"

"Incredible!

Could it be that young man at the front?"

"It really might be."

The rescued members of the Porter Guild and the distant relatives of the Yang Family walked in the procession, feeling the countless gazes from both sides. Their initial terror and listlessness were gradually replaced by a complex emotion.

It was lingering fear, relief, and even more so, an indescribable, subtle sense of confidence born from their connection to the figure at the front.

Yang Ning rode on the tall horse at the lead, his own heart filled with mixed emotions as he listened to the people.

Gong Tian, riding beside him, saw everything.

"Do you know why I brought you along to send these people back to their homes so openly?"

Yang Ning thought about everything his senior brother had done:

Sending all the other Patrol Chiefs back to the office, leaving only him to accompany him in grandly returning these people to their homes.

"Is it... for the sake of the people's hearts, for the sake of virtue?"

"You really are quick to understand."

This senior brother, who had long resided in officialdom, said slowly:

Exterminating the Blood Apes is to establish authority; protecting the people is to establish virtue.

Only by establishing both authority and virtue can your name and image truly stand firm, and only then can I help you take the next step."

The procession reached the street corner where the Porter Guild headquarters was located.

The main gate of the Porter Guild headquarters was wide open, but inside, it was cold and filled with panic.

On the day the Blood Ape Gang came to demand people, the cowardly performance of the young master had chilled the hearts of many elders, and afterward, he had been so scared that he claimed illness and hid in the inner residence.

The remaining porters and managers were filled with confusion and fear about the future, not knowing if the reputation that the Porter Guild relied on for survival could still be preserved.

At this moment, seeing their companions who had been taken by the Blood Ape Gang being escorted back by the Patrol Bureau.

The crowd surged out, hugging their returned companions, crying and laughing.

When they learned that the Blood Ape Gang had been wiped out and their leader Wang Han had been executed, they let out a thunderous cheer!

The dark cloud of terror that had hung over their heads for so long had vanished in an instant!

When the excitement subsided slightly, everyone's gaze involuntarily focused on Yang Ning, who was surrounded by the crowd.

Yang Ning dismounted, and under the tacit approval of Gong Tian, walked up to the stone steps in front of the Porter Guild headquarters.

Wu Xian supported his father, and Zhao Tie had already had his shackles removed; although his strength had not yet returned, his back was straight as he stood beside Yang Ning.

Scanning the familiar and unfamiliar faces, Yang Ning spoke slowly, his voice clearly reaching everyone present:

"Uncles and brothers of the Porter Guild."

The scene instantly fell silent.

"The Blood Ape Gang wreaked havoc on East Street, bullying the weak. Today, they have been wiped out by the Patrol Bureau in accordance with the law, and the chief culprits have been executed!"

"However, this incident has also exposed the flaws within our own Porter Guild!"

His tone shifted, his voice deepening:

"The previous leader, facing the vicious and unruly, could not protect his brothers in the guild. Having lost both virtue and capability, he is no longer fit to lead the Porter Guild!"

The words were spoken without a hint of reservation, yet no one dared to refute them.

"Today, I, Yang Ning, have been entrusted by Patrol Commander Gong to serve as a Patrol Chief of the East Street Patrol Bureau."

He paused slightly, displaying the bronze badge of the Patrol Bureau at his waist:

"Having taken this position, it is my duty to maintain the peace of this region and look after the local folk."

He looked toward Wu Xian and Zhao Tie beside him, speaking in a resonant voice:

"Manager Wu Xian is a man of integrity, shrewd and capable. In times of crisis, he has remained calm, composed, and responsible, possessing both insight and judgment.

Head Instructor Zhao Tie is a man of formidable martial arts and boundless loyalty. He did not hesitate to face imprisonment to protect his brothers in the guild, a man of true iron-willed character!"

"I propose that, starting today, Wu Xian shall take charge of the Porter Guild as its new master!

Head Instructor Zhao Tie shall remain as the Chief Instructor, responsible for the guild's security and the martial training of its disciples!"

"I declare here in my capacity as Patrol Chief: from this day forward, the security of East Street shall be handled by the Patrol Bureau!

Following the collapse of the Blood Ape Gang, the Porter Guild is free to participate in any reasonable and legal business to fill the void left in the order of things!

I, Yang Ning, will also do my utmost to watch over you. I will never allow evil forces to bully the people of East Third Street or oppress my brothers in the Porter Guild again!"

As his voice fell, the members of the Porter Guild erupted into a frenzy.

"Good!!"

"Manager Wu as our master! We are convinced!"

"Head Instructor Zhao is still the Chief Instructor! This is wonderful!"

"Patrol Chief Yang! Thank you, Patrol Chief Yang!"

"The Porter Guild is saved."

The cheers and shouts were like a crashing tide, resounding throughout the entire Porter Guild.

Every face was brimming with excitement and hope.

Everyone had witnessed Wu Xian's competence and popularity, as well as Zhao Tie's martial prowess and loyalty. Having them lead the Porter Guild was far more convincing than that cowardly young master!

What's more, they now had the explicit support of Yang Ning, who was not only a high-ranking Patrol Chief with formidable strength but also possessed a deep and powerful background!

This meant that the Porter Guild had not only survived its crisis but might also be facing an unprecedented opportunity for growth!

Wu Xian looked at the surging crowd before him, then at the resolute Yang Ning by his side, a warm current flowing through his heart.

He knew this was Yang Ning's way of repaying him for the blade he had once gifted him, for the many times he had been looked after in the past, and, more importantly, a testament to his trust in his abilities.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, cupped his hands in a salute, and began to soothe the crowd in his capacity as the new master.

He arranged the aftermath with clear, logical instructions, quickly calming the excited crowd so that everyone could return to their respective duties.

Zhao Tie also cupped his hands heavily toward Yang Ning, his tiger-like eyes filled with deep emotion and approval.

The young man he had once offered a few pointers on stance training had now grown to a height that required him to look up, and what was even rarer was that his sense of loyalty and righteousness had never changed.

Surveying the faces before him—some familiar, some strange, all filled with anticipation, gratitude, and excitement—Yang Ning's gaze was calm and profound.

Slaying Wang Han and wiping out the Blood Ape Gang today was certainly a gratifying act of vengeance that cleared his heart of hatred and saved his friends and kin.

But this was only the first step.

Senior Brother Gong Tian bringing him on this journey, and his master Sun Nian tacitly allowing him to make a name for himself, was never just about letting him vent his anger.

His identity in the Jingan Bureau required a cover, and his position as a Patrol Chief required tangible achievements and a foundation.

With the Blood Ape Gang gone, East Fourth Street was in desperate need of a force to fill the vacuum, so Yang Ning had chosen to promote the Porter Guild he was familiar with as the candidate.

If he himself wanted to truly establish a foothold in this increasingly chaotic world.

He could not rely forever on personal martial prowess or the protection of his senior brother and master.

He needed his own voice, his own foundation, and he needed to leave his own mark—the mark of "Yang Ning"—here on East Street.

The currently scattered Porter Guild was an excellent starting point.

The Porter Guild might seem like nothing more than a gathering of low-level laborers, but with its vast numbers, access to information, and reach across every corner of the Outer City, it was, in reality, a force not to be underestimated.

It connected to the broadest base of commoners and touched the veins of the city's cargo transport and information flow.

It had only appeared weak and vulnerable because it had been bullied by the Blood Ape Gang and led by incompetent fools.

If he could integrate it and hold it in his own hands, it would be like placing a piece on a chaotic chessboard—a piece that might seem inconspicuous, but was, in fact, vital.