The Bottom Line of Being Human Must Never Be Crossed

Zhang San wore the motley uniform jacket of the White Horse Gang. He was not burly; if anything, he looked somewhat frail, his face weathered by wind and frost.

Every evening, he returned home right on time. He usually carried something wrapped in oiled paper that looked like leftover food from a restaurant, or a few steaming-hot buns.

What moved Lin Qing even more was that Zhang San had an elderly, sickly mother at home.

Whenever Zhang San returned, the first thing he did was serve his mother her meal, moving with great care, concern shining in his eyes.

From far away, Lin Qing could even hear him speaking softly to his mother—utterly unlike the crude ruffians who loitered in the streets.

Lin Qing also learned from the scattered gossip of the nearby residents that—

Zhang San was in the White Horse Gang, where his main assets were his ruthlessness and his willingness to risk his life.

But he seemed a little stubborn.

When collecting protection money, he often turned a blind eye to families who were truly poor and alone, taking only a tiny portion from them.

For this, he had often been scolded by the gang's lower-ranking leaders, and he did not fit in well with the other ruffians.

"This Zhang San is actually a devoted son? And it seems he still has some conscience?"

Standing in the shadows, Lin Qing watched Zhang San carefully pick out the strips of meat he had struggled to bring home for his mother. He himself just gnawed on dry food with pickled vegetables, and Lin Qing could not help feeling stirred.

He thought of the hardships his mother had endured in his previous life, of the wretched fate of Old Fan's family, and of how he and his sister had depended on each other in this life.

In this world, it was hard enough for the common folk at the bottom to stay alive.

Someone like Zhang San, trapped in the mire yet still trying to preserve a shred of conscience, was rarer still.

The Ge Pao Society's test was to teach him a lesson and take the meager valuables from his home.

But that little bit of money might be the medicine his elderly mother needed to survive—their hope of staying alive.

"I can't bring myself to do that to someone like him..."

Lin Qing slowly shook his head. His mind was made up.

He, Lin Qing, pursued strength to protect his family.

To survive in this chaotic world and live a better life.

Not to become an executioner who could no longer tell right from wrong and preyed on the good.

If he went after a man who still had a conscience just to pass the test, how would he be any different from the likes of the Pan Family or Lord Leopard of the White Horse Gang?

His path did not lie there.

"The Way of Heaven runs its course; it does not endure for the sake of Yao. A person of high resolve must grow strong and fear no frost or cold."

"At worst, I can offer up the secret recipe for Blood Nourishing Powder and ask my master to make a personal visit."

In the night, Lin Qing took one last look at the dilapidated window glowing with lamplight, then silently turned away.

No matter what, the bottom line of being human must never be crossed.

The next day, in the faint light of dawn.

With complicated feelings, Lin Qing found Zhang Shun in a quiet corner of the martial arts school.

He wore a rueful smile and cupped his hands. "Senior Brother Zhang, I'm afraid I can't carry out the test you assigned me."

He had already prepared himself for Zhang Shun's disappointed gaze.

After all, refusing a test from one's organization—

in the eyes of any gang or sect, it was nearly tantamount to defiance or cowardice.

Yet, to his surprise, Zhang Shun was not displeased. Instead, a meaningful smile spread across his face.

He clapped Lin Qing firmly on the shoulder, his tone carrying a note of approval:

"Good. Junior Brother Lin, you haven't disappointed me. And you certainly haven't made your big brother misjudge you!"

Lin Qing froze, his eyes full of astonishment. "Senior Brother Zhang, what do you mean?"

Zhang Shun laughed heartily, put an arm around his shoulders, and led him somewhere even more secluded. Only then did he lower his voice and explain, "Did you think that test was really as simple as bullying a ruffian and taking some silver?"

"Could there be more to it?" Lin Qing's thoughts stirred.

"Of course!"

Zhang Shun nodded, his expression growing more serious.

"When the Ge Pao Society was founded, its purpose was not only to help the brothers make money and carve out wealth and a future amid this chaotic world. We also place great importance on the two words 'benevolence and righteousness.' We all revere Emperor Guanwu!"

"Emperor Guanwu?"

Lin Qing's heart shuddered. So this otherworld had a belief much like the one in Guan Yu?

"That's right!"

Reverence showed in Zhang Shun's eyes.

"It is said that Emperor Guanwu was righteous beyond the heavens, unmatched in loyalty and valor!"

"To save his sworn elder brother, he once ventured alone into a feast, surrounded by ten Martial Saints. And, to honor the bond between brothers, he even cut off one of his own arms, ending his path to Martial Saint cultivation."

"Such devotion, such willingness to sacrifice his life for righteousness—his deeds have been celebrated for generations. He is a model for all of us."

He looked at Lin Qing, his tone testing him. "That ruffian Zhang San may be with the White Horse Gang, but he is devoted to his mother and has never truly done evil among the neighborhood. He still has a shred of conscience."

"If you went after him without distinguishing right from wrong, taking the money he needs to survive just to finish your task, that would be heartless and unjust—and utterly contrary to the Ge Pao Society's principles."

"No matter how skilled someone like that might be, the Society would never dare accept him."

"I see..."

Lin Qing understood at last, and a ripple stirred within him.

He had not expected an underground organization that seemed to harbor every sort of vice and operate in the gray areas to have such clear-cut principles and limits.

The story of Emperor Guanwu was so similar to the one he knew from his previous life.

That fierce willingness to sacrifice oneself for loyalty and brotherhood was enough to move hearts in any world.

Deep down, he agreed with it too.

Zhang Shun smiled. "Big Brother had people look into your background long ago. He said you have a good reputation for kindness on Yongning Street. So this test wasn't about your skill. It was about your heart."

"He wanted to see whether you could still tell good from evil, whether you'd stop at nothing for profit. Junior Brother Lin, you held the line. You passed the first trial!"

Lin Qing breathed a sigh of relief, but he was also more wary of the unseen Big Brother. The man was certainly a shrewd operator.

Still, agreeing with the principles did not mean Lin Qing had lost his clear head.

He would never hear a few words about benevolence and righteousness—

and naively conclude that the Ge Pao Society was some righteous organization of heroes.

He had not forgotten the Liu Xiaodao brothers, or Farmer Twin Fists.

Human nature was complicated, after all.

There were no eternal friends, only eternal interests.

Zhang Shun himself had said that the Society was a mixed bag, and that its main purpose was still to make money.

Its so-called benevolence and righteousness might be a banner to unite people, or principles upheld by certain high-ranking members.

But there was no way every member could be a paragon of virtue.

He was joining for mutual benefit, to make use of the Society's connections and resources.

Even there, he would still need to tread carefully, one step at a time.

"Thank you for clearing things up, Senior Brother. I understand now." Lin Qing cupped his hands.

"Since you've passed the test, the rules say I should take you to meet Big Brother."

Zhang Shun's expression turned solemn. "Come with me."

The two did not leave through the martial arts school's main entrance.

Instead, they slipped silently through a side door and turned into a narrow alley.

Along the way, Zhang Shun handed him a black iron mask.

He put on one of the same masks himself.

"Members of the Ge Pao Society don't know one another's identities. We communicate only through a single chain of contact. Once you join, I'll be your superior," Zhang Shun explained.

"Understood." Lin Qing nodded, took the mask, and put it on.

Zhang Shun clearly knew the route well.

He led Lin Qing through the winding maze of alleys in the Inner City.

At last, they arrived at the back entrance of a restaurant that looked ordinary enough, though business seemed brisk.