The Green Bamboo Gang's Favor, White Ape Through-Arm Fist!

Finally loaded.

The salty night wind of the pier quickly congealed the warm bloodstains on his face. Under the fearful gazes of the surrounding household guards, Luo Bin drew his long blade and shuffled forward.

Luo Wendi's expression shifted; he was clearly stunned by the scene before him. Inwardly, he muttered, Is this kid an inside agent the gang leader planted in the Pei family?

So he stepped forward and said, "Kid, you killed your own brother with your own hands?"

After calming himself, Luo Bin replied expressionlessly, "He wasn't our brother."

Hearing this answer, Luo Wendi perked up with curiosity and asked:

"You household guards—were you the suicide soldiers that old bastard Pei Song and that little bastard Pei Yuan arranged to block us at Long Wind Pier? How come you haven't even crossed blades with our Green Bamboo Gang for real yet, and you're already infighting?"

Luo Bin took a few more steps forward, trying to close the distance so both sides could hear him. In this situation, everyone had to get out of the way for survival.

Otherwise, if the gang members behind Luo Wendi raised their guns and charged, these men wouldn't last a single volley.

Leaving aside whether Aunt Wen and the others were alive or dead—even if they were dead—Luo Bin himself had to live on. Everything else could be dealt with later. So, neither servile nor arrogant, he said:

"Hall Master Luo, though we brothers are lowlifes scraping by at the bottom of Ping City, every one of us is a real man. But what does a man live for? A house full of children and grandchildren? A happy family?"

"None of us have that. The Pei family promised that if we gave our all tonight, they'd take our wives and children to Tianhai and ensure they'd never want for food or clothing. But the Pei family didn't keep their word. So why should we fight to the death with you, Hall Master?"

"We want to live. And Meng Jiu openly preparing to oppose the Green Bamboo Gang—that cuts off the lifeline for all dozen of us. So... I ask Hall Master Luo to show us a path. What do we have to do to survive?"

Luo Bin's words weren't masterful or a proper negotiation; they were simply a statement of pros and cons, tossing a choice to Luo Wendi. If this man was cruel and tyrannical, leaving no way out—

Then Luo Bin would die.

But as long as there was even a sliver of a chance to live, he couldn't give up.

This speech also gave the muddled men behind him a clear direction.

They had a chance to live!

At this moment, the older Zhang Xin and Xu Ping showed a trace of gratitude in their eyes. Some even started whispering among themselves. They could undoubtedly tell that Luo Bin's actions were protecting them.

In an instant, Zhang Xin's murky eyes could barely recognize this young man. Before, he had been timid and cowering, bowing to everyone he met. Now, he bore the aura of a warlord...

"What Luo Bin said is right—Meng Jiu is cutting off our lifeline!"

"Exactly! Since the Pei family is heartless and faithless, why should we give our all for them?"

The commotion in the crowd was all under Luo Wendi's watch. He turned his gaze to the blood-smeared youth beside him, scrutinized him up and down for a long time, and let out a puzzled, strange cry:

"The Pei clan is such a bunch of bastards, yet the servants they hire have this much heroic spirit... No wonder those bastards are so well-informed—turns out they have good men under them..."

"Young man, what's your name?"

"Luo Bin."

"A guard at the Pei estate?"

"Yes."

Luo Wendi pulled a handkerchief from his clean coat pocket and walked toward Luo Bin. Zhang Xin, Xu Ping, and the others were startled and grabbed their weapons again, but seeing the large group behind Luo Wendi with dark gun muzzles raised, they immediately wilted.

Though Luo Bin's heart fluttered with panic, he steadied himself. After all, if these people wanted to kill him, it would only take one shot.

Luo Wendi stepped close, gently wiping the congealed blood from Luo Bin's face with the handkerchief, revealing a resolute, handsome, and spirited visage.

"Handsome lad. I like you."

"Also, the thirty-two old and young left by the Pei family—they should be your families, right? Our Green Bamboo Gang isn't the kind of beast that harms families, but that doesn't mean you're without guilt."

At these words, the crowd behind Luo Bin burst into tears of joy. Their families were safe—that was a tremendous mercy to them.

"Thank you, Hall Master Luo. Thank you, Hall Master Luo."

The thanks rose and fell, quickly silenced by Luo Wendi. His magnetic, low voice sent chills down spines:

"I said, you are guilty!"

The joy in the scene instantly froze. Luo Bin's gaze locked onto the Green Bamboo Gang hall master's face, trying to see what he really intended. If worst came to worst, he'd find a chance to jump into the river—anything but dying here.

"So..."

"From now on, you dozen or so men will be under Luo Bin's command, working for our Green Bamboo Gang to atone for your crimes."

After speaking, Luo Wendi looked at the youth beside him. "Luo Bin, right? Fine young man. Report to the gang tomorrow!"

Whoa—

The people behind Luo Bin erupted in commotion. A complete reversal—ice and fire in the span of a breath. In just a few moments, they had experienced life's great joys and sorrows. Not only had their wives and children been spared from this battle, but they were also assigned to the command of Ran Shaohua, known as the "Grass King of Ping City."

Many wept with joy. Even Zhang Xin, whose dust-stained eyes had seen countless hardships, gradually grew moist.

The situation exceeded Luo Bin's expectations. He hadn't anticipated Luo Wendi pulling a recruitment move, but he had to admit—this was already the best outcome.

Then Luo Wendi stuffed the handkerchief into Luo Bin's hand, returned to the carriage, exchanged a few words with a young man, and slowly drove into the city.

As for the Green Bamboo Gang members, they followed behind and also headed into the city. That plainly dressed young man, with a few people behind him, walked toward Luo Bin.

"Luo Bin? I'm Feng Yi. I'll be the one to settle you all in. I envy you—getting so many trusted men right when you join the gang... I've been in the gang for two years and only have these few close brothers."

Feng Yi laughed heartily, glanced at the men behind him, and then continued.

"The hall master said you'll still live in the Pei estate, but not in the servants' quarters anymore. Now you're the masters of that courtyard... but in two days, the hall master will send another group to move in as well."

"After all, the Pei estate is no small place."

Luo Bin found this arrangement somewhat unexpected. He walked alongside Feng Yi, chatting as they went, while the former household servants behind them felt as if they were living in another life.

None of them had imagined that the usually quiet, dull-witted kid would suddenly become their leader...

The group soon returned to the Pei estate, but the plaque had already been smashed to pieces, replaced by one bearing the five large characters "Green Bamboo Black Sheath Hall." Gang members stood guard outside the main gate, holding rifled guns...

From inside the house came the faint sound of women and children crying. Led by Feng Yi, Zhang Xin, Xu Ping, and the others surged in and found their families unharmed, finally letting out sighs of relief.

Feng Yi noticed Luo Bin hadn't moved and looked puzzled, only to see the latter bowing respectfully:

"The hall master's kindness is immense. Please, Brother Feng, convey our gratitude to him."

"...Ah, I thought it was something serious. The Pei family's affairs had nothing to do with you in the first place. The gang leader acted on impulse when he gave the order and only patched things up afterward."

"The Pei family colluded with the 'Demon Den' and caused so many deaths—all done in secret. How could you have known?"

Luo Bin's mind stirred slightly. "Demon Den?"

Feng Yi waved his hand, smiling dismissively:

"You'll find out soon enough. Why do you think our Green Bamboo Gang rose so fast? It's because we deal with 'demons,' but not by wallowing in the mud with them."

"Don't overthink it. It'll be clear in a couple of days. There's food in the kitchen—go eat."

So Luo Bin and Feng Yi went to the kitchen for a hot meal. At the table, Luo Bin once again extended his awareness into the depths of his mind.

[Luo Bin]

[Realm: Unranked]

[Technique: White Ape Fist (Beginner, Modifiable) +]

[Modification Points: 1]

[Spiritual Resonance: 0]

A horse or a mule—take it out for a walk and you'll know. Luo Bin willed his consciousness to add the single modification point to White Ape Fist.

[Modification Points: 1 → 0]

This martial art was the basic fist technique all Pei estate guards practiced.

[Technique: White Ape Through-Arm Fist (First Layer, 0/3)]

A surge of heat immediately erupted from every acupoint in Luo Bin's body.