"You're quite fast," Li Zhonglou said, hands behind his back, glancing back at him.
He hadn't expected the kid to actually show up.
Li Zhonglou's expression was neutral, but a sense of speechlessness rose within him. Zhang Dongxu was like a stubborn patch of plaster, impossible to shake off.
The severity of this matter had already surpassed ordinary people's capacity to comprehend.
He could understand Ning Lang braving danger.
After all, it was difficult to find a true confidant in life, especially for someone like him who navigated the fringes of society.
Inner emotions drove him to be reckless once.
But for Zhang Dongxu to remain in Yong'an was truly unnecessary, as it could lead to a life-threatening situation.
"Of course, Master is where I am. The moment I left the debt collection company, I swore in my heart," Zhang Dongxu said, wiping sweat from his brow and pledging his loyalty with conviction.
"Brother Ning, teach him a lesson!" Li Zhonglou turned and strode forward.
Just as Zhang Dongxu was about to follow, a long arm reached out and stopped him.
Ning Lang nodded and followed Li Zhonglou.
The next second, Zhang Dongxu's screams suddenly erupted from the courtyard.
"Don't hit, don't hit, we're on the same side... Brother, don't hit my face!"
"Damn, how can they turn their faces faster than flipping a book?"
"Master... Master save me... Ah..."
Brother Long Arm, having practiced Tongbei Quan in his youth, possessed a strength that ordinary people like Zhang Dongxu couldn't withstand.
With a few of his underlings, he beat Zhang Dongxu to his knees, curled on the ground clutching his head and spitting.
Regardless of Ning Lang's intentions, they could take the opportunity to vent their anger on behalf of Old Six, who had never had a chance to act.
Otherwise, they'd never get a chance to hit him.
Zhang Dongxu was even more bewildered, completely stunned by the beating.
He couldn't understand what he had done wrong, or why Li Zhonglou would let Ning Lang beat him.
He had helped quite a bit since arriving from Qin Province.
Was this a case of crossing a river and demolishing the bridge, a dog cooked after its usefulness is over?
Damn it, even if he died, he wanted to ask clearly face to face.
Zhang Dongxu's eyes were red. After vomiting, he struggled to crawl towards the main hall of the Third Courtyard.
Seeing his state, Brother Long Arm shook his head and didn't strike again.
Many of the other subordinates showed pity.
Zhang Dongxu, like them, was a ruffian, and of low status.
Crawling on the ground like a dog now was a reflection of their own situation.
Meanwhile, Ning Lang had brought Li Zhonglou into the main hall of the Third Courtyard. He poured tea, casting a glance from afar at Zhang Dongxu crawling towards them.
He sighed, "My guys have heavy hands."
"Don't blame me if they break something."
"Taking a beating is worth more than losing a life," Li Zhonglou said calmly.
His voice was audible only to the two of them.
Finally, as Ning Lang poured his third cup of tea, Zhang Dongxu crawled before them.
His face was bruised, and his body was covered in dirt.
He looked utterly pathetic.
His lips were pursed, and he was on the verge of tears, appearing extremely pitiable.
He no longer looked like a gangster, but more like a beggar.
Looking at Li Zhonglou, he trembled and asked, "Mas... Master, why did you let them beat me? Let me die and understand."
"Beating you is light. Did you think of becoming my disciple and then honoring me as a father for life?" Li Zhonglou's face turned cold. He poured the remaining tea in his cup directly onto Zhang Dongxu's face.
The heat made him yelp.
Of course, Li Zhonglou knew the temperature of the tea; it was only meant to startle him, not to burn him.
Seeing this, he continued, "If you want to be my disciple, even killing you is justified!"
"If I'm unhappy one day and tell you to give your life, will you give it?"
"I..." Zhang Dongxu was dumbfounded.
What era was this? How could such feudal ideas still exist?
Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, Teacher...
My God, this wasn't discipleship; it was selling his life.
He immediately wanted to get up and leave.
But a sense of unwillingness permeated his limbs, rendering him unable to move.
His expression changed rapidly.
Li Zhonglou didn't rush, waiting patiently for his answer.
Finally, after more than three minutes, the conflict and struggle in Zhang Dongxu's eyes finally calmed.
He gritted his teeth and said, "I will!"
"As long as you accept me as your disciple, I'll give you my life!"
He had thought it through. Why would Li Zhonglou want his life for no reason? These words were merely a warning, a scare tactic.
If it truly came to that, he would have nothing to say.
In the martial world, loyalty was paramount.
Although he engaged in scams, deception, theft, drinking, whoring, gambling, and smoking, his sense of loyalty had never wavered.
"This kid, though he appears slick and ruthless, has decent character," Ning Lang commented calmly at last.
"Get up," Li Zhonglou said, his expression unchanged.
Hearing this, Zhang Dongxu felt as if he had been granted amnesty.
The bitterness on his face instantly vanished, replaced by excitement.
"I told you, becoming my disciple is not easy, and the probation period is long," Li Zhonglou said casually. "But before that, I must tell you that following me could cost you your life at any moment."
"You don't mean it, Master..." Zhang Dongxu's smile froze.
"Brother Li isn't lying to you. Consider it carefully. If you die one day, don't blame anyone," Ning Lang chimed in.
What he was referring to, of course, was the incident of crippling Huang He.
Although the situation was temporarily calm, once retaliation came, it would be a devastating storm.
Unimaginable.
He was a gang leader who had lived for many years and ultimately sought nothing more, having seen through everything.
So, he didn't care.
But Zhang Dongxu was only in his early twenties, with strong desires; they were not comparable.
"Whatever happens, I followed Master all the way from Qin Province and know how capable Master is. I won't regret it even if I die!" Zhang Dongxu gritted his teeth and reiterated.
"Let's leave it at that for now. Pick a room for yourself and help clean and arrange the other four rooms for us," Li Zhonglou said dismissively, his tone commanding.
This kid's character still needed tempering; it wouldn't happen overnight.
He recalled that in his previous life, in prison, his master had only reached out to him after he had endured countless hardships.
To change his destiny, he had to endure suffering that ordinary people could not bear.
"You got it!" Zhang Dongxu stood up and left, limping.
Although Li Zhonglou hadn't explicitly agreed to take him as a disciple, he had at least allowed him to stay by his side.
It seemed that after the probation period, he would be able to soar to the heavens and become a phoenix.
As long as he could learn even a single technique, what need would he have to worry about establishing himself in society?
Zhang Dongxu's thoughts were quite clear. He was only focused on Li Zhonglou's skills; he could tolerate anything else.
"Brother, you can stay here with peace of mind," Ning Lang said with a smile after finishing his fifth cup of tea. "Tomorrow, I have to attend an appreciation gathering within our circle."
"That kind of occasion is just a gathering of vulgar people, and I'm afraid you wouldn't approve."
"So, I'll have to excuse myself for a day."
Although they had known each other for a short time, Ning Lang knew that Li Zhonglou was not someone who liked noise and excitement.
Therefore, he had no intention of inviting Li Zhonglou to accompany him.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhonglou's brow slightly raised, "What appreciation gathering?"
"What else could it be? It's just a bunch of people pretending to be refined, using the guise of shared hobbies to show off their treasures," Ning Lang said with a smile.
"I'll go take a look!" Li Zhonglou said calmly, to Ning Lang's surprise.