The new members of the Scorpion Gang stared speechlessly at this scene, only half understanding why Tong Zaitian was so furious.
Xu Fengji, lying on the ground, had her eyes wide open and was completely lifeless. The look of grief and indignation on her face remained frozen.
A head poked out from inside the main door of the temple. It was Gong Ziting, who had been sitting there looking like a beggar all along. He naturally recognised Tong Zaitian. They had met here before when this place was still controlled by the Flying Eagle Gang, and he knew Tong Zaitian was the mole the Gang Leader had planted inside the Scorpion Gang.
What did it mean that this man had run here and killed Xu Fengji? Gong Ziting’s eyes were full of shock and uncertainty.
Seeing that Xu Fengji was truly dead, Tong Zaitian sheathed his sword and turned around. His gaze also fell upon the dishevelled Gong Ziting, but he pretended not to see him. He walked straight to Yu Qing and the others, stopped, and explained to their faces, “After you joined the Scorpion Gang, based on the words and deeds of Xu Fengji and Cao Dingkun, I suspected they wanted to use you to bite the Flying Eagle Gang. I warned them at the time, telling them not to let you die in vain just for their own personal grudges. They spoke with absolute certainty and said I was overthinking it.
When she came to find me last night, she even said they had suffered a surprise attack from the Flying Eagle Gang, resulting in heavy casualties. I suspected she might be lying to me. Now, hearing you talk about a pincer attack from the front and back, and saying Cao Dingkun ran away, I know this dog of a man and woman did it just like that. Thinking of those old brothers who died in vain, I simply cannot quell the hatred in my heart without killing this bitch.”
The new members of the Scorpion Gang looked at each other, realising it was actually like this.
Gong Ziting at the temple entrance heard this explanation. He blinked his eyes again and again, feeling puzzled and pondering something.
Tong Zaitian then spoke earnestly, “As for Tianji Mountain, you are all newcomers, and there are many things you do not know clearly. I killed her also because I did not want you to be fooled by her again. By the same logic, no matter where Cao Dingkun ran off to, if he ever comes back, you must never believe his nonsense again, and you must never be driven by him again, because the Scorpion Gang has already scattered. You can take off these clothes on your bodies and disband to seek other paths.”
A group of new Scorpion Gang members looked at each other, finding that this man was truly chivalrous, and felt a degree of deep respect.
People are just like this. As long as they feel someone is being good to them, they naturally develop a good impression of that person.
This was not the end. Tong Zaitian stared again at Gong Ziting, who looked like a beggar at the door, and said, “If I have not mistaken my identity, that should be Gong Ziting, the Left Protector of the Flying Eagle Gang, right?”
Gong Ziting was shocked and suspicious in his heart, not knowing why this man was calling him out by name.
Everyone else also turned their heads to look at him. Yu Qing finally spoke up, “That is correct, it is him.”
Tong Zaitian said, “It is strange. You have fought the Flying Eagle Gang, so how could the Flying Eagle Gang not know he is in your hands? In any case, you all need to be careful. For some unknown reason, the Flying Eagle Gang seems to value this person highly and is searching for him extensively. There is even rumour that they have asked other gangs to help look for him. Once the Flying Eagle Gang knows he is in your hands, they will definitely come looking, and it is even possible they will gather other gangs to come together.”
Hearing these words, everyone’s hearts skipped a beat. With Yu Qing as their Gang Leader, they were truly not afraid of the Flying Eagle Gang coming again, and they also assumed Duan Yunyou would not leak the secret of the Qilin Ginseng to the outside.
But no matter how much they thought about it, they just never expected Duan Yunyou to gather other forces to come together. If they faced that, they might not be able to hold this place.
Tong Zaitian secretly observed everyone’s reactions, knowing his purpose had been achieved. The way of tension and relaxation meant it was time to withdraw when the timing was right. He cupped his hands towards the crowd and said, “Although we have not worked together, we can be considered to have worn the same clothes. After parting today, I wish you all a smooth path ahead. Tong will take his leave now!”
Having finished speaking, giving the impression that his words were exhausted and telling everyone to take care of themselves, he turned and left without hesitation, showing no intention of pausing at all, walking away resolutely.
The crowd stared blankly as he left, feeling a unique emotion. They always said people’s hearts in Tianji Mountain were treacherous, yet there was also such a hero who clearly distinguished right from wrong. It showed that nothing is absolute.
Facing the departure of such a chivalrous man, the crowd truly felt a sudden emptiness in their hearts.
Gong Ziting, sitting and leaning against the door, blinked his eyes again and again, his gaze flashing repeatedly, also somewhat unable to understand what act Tong Zaitian was performing.
Moli stepped forward, leaned close to Yu Qing’s ear, and said, “We know very little about the situation in Tianji Mountain, and we happen to be lacking someone with a bit of experience.”
Without needing her reminder, Yu Qing was already weighing the options. Hearing her words only hastened his decision. He called out loudly towards the departing back, “Sir, please wait.”
Tong Zaitian, who was leaving with his back to the crowd, stopped upon hearing the voice. A smile appeared on his face, knowing the matter was settled.
His purpose in coming here was nothing else but to infiltrate these people under Duan Yunyou’s orders. For internal use by Xiaoshuoxia only.
Gang Leader Duan’s intention was very simple. Since there was an expert here and they could not compete for the moment, they might as well go with the flow and let these people help look for it first. Their side could easily play the part of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
To achieve this goal, it was natural to plant a spy in there to grasp the situation and avoid losing control of events. He, Tong Zaitian, was that spy.
This was also the reason he brought Xu Fengji here and killed her. He wanted to use Xu Fengji’s blood to exchange for the trust of these people, and use Xu Fengji’s fresh blood to pave the way for him to infiltrate them.
This was also out of helplessness. If he came to seek refuge alone and rashly, they might not necessarily accept him. So he could only use Xu Fengji’s life to pave the way and exchange for the good impression of these people.
Saying that the Flying Eagle Gang was gathering other forces to look for Gong Ziting, even if he had not seen Gong Ziting, he would still steer the topic in that direction. The purpose was to apply pressure to a certain extent, making these people weigh whether it was appropriate to let him, the person who knew Gong Ziting’s whereabouts, leave, and whether it would leak secrets.
With both a good impression laid out and the weighing of pros and cons, how these people would decide was basically already under his control.
Even if doing all this was still wishful thinking and these people still did not persuade him to stay, Gang Leader Duan had also made a second preparation.
That was, as soon as he left here, he would discover the people from the Flying Eagle Gang, and then be chased and flee back here to warn these people.
With danger outside, he naturally would not easily leave here again, and next, he would naturally have to integrate into these people.
Of course, unless absolutely necessary, neither he nor Duan Yunyou wanted to activate the second preparation. If it could be simple, there was no need to make it troublesome. Doing too many things easily led to unexpected complications.
In short, Gang Leader Duan’s biggest requirement for him was just one point. He must not actively ask to stay and join, but must join passively, being actively invited to join by these people.
So he was leaving very resolutely now, without the slightest intention of staying. This was also the way of tension and relaxation that Duan Yunyou had taught him when giving him instructions.
Now hearing Yu Qing’s call, he knew the Gang Leader’s plan had worked. He could not help but secretly praise in his heart, the Gang Leader’s methods were indeed brilliant!
After reining in the expression on his face, he turned around and asked, “Does this young brother have anything else?”
Given his age and appearance, calling Yu Qing a young brother was truly not an exaggeration at all. Yu Qing looked the youngest here. Assuming an ignorant person was watching, they really could not tell that Yu Qing was the boss among these people.
Yu Qing called out, “We have received your generous intentions, sir. We have not yet asked for your honourable name.”
Tong Zaitian smiled faintly and said, “I am a nameless junior, not worth mentioning.”
Yu Qing cupped his hands and said, “Whether it is a real name or a fake name, if we are lucky enough to meet again next time, we must have a way to address you, so as not to waste our acquaintance.”
Tong Zaitian was silent for a moment, then replied loudly, “I am Tong Zaitian.”
“So it is Mr Tong.” Yu Qing cupped his hands again to show respect, and after letting his hands down, asked, “May I ask where Mr Tong intends to go on this trip?”
Tong Zaitian was silent again, and said ponderingly, “I could still gain a foothold when I came here empty handed back then, let alone now that I have been messing around for many years. I do not believe I cannot survive in Tianji Mountain without the Scorpion Gang.” He looked not the least bit regretful about killing Xu Fengji, and also did not forget to remind the group in front of him, “As for you all, this is all I can help you with. Seek your own good fortune in the future.”
Yu Qing said, “Since you are still messing around in this Tianji Mountain, why seek far when you can seek near? Would it not be good to plan the future together with us?”
With the words said to this extent, the group of new Scorpion Gang members all realised the Gang Leader was trying to pull this man into their group.
Everyone had a rather good impression of this chivalrous man in front of them, and no one objected.
Tong Zaitian looked as if he had not even thought about it and was very surprised, saying, “Together with you? You are newcomers, and you were fooled by people in a muddle. You have not even stabilised your own foothold. What would I do hanging around with you?”
Yu Qing did not beat around the bush either, and confessed directly, “Cao Dingkun failed to escape and has already been killed by us. Since other people’s gangs cannot be relied upon, we have set up a gang of our own.” He pointed his finger at the people around him.
Tong Zaitian was stunned. This time he was truly surprised. Duan Yunyou’s side was observing the movements here and estimated they had grouped together because of the treasure clue, otherwise they would not still be working together. He did not expect them to have directly established a gang.
Fan Jiu spoke up, “Brother Tong, in this Tianji Mountain, who did not start as a newcomer? The original Scorpion Gang was defeated by the Flying Eagle Gang, and the Flying Eagle Gang was beaten away by us. If others can do it, why can we not?”
He gestured towards Yu Qing and said, “The one who defeated the Flying Eagle Gang Leader and scared away the Flying Eagle Gang is precisely this Brother Zhu, who has now been unanimously pushed by us to be the Gang Leader.”
Moli also spoke up, “Brother Tong, you also know we are newcomers and are exactly lacking a highly experienced person. With Brother Tong’s experience, plus the Gang Leader’s strength to deter others, why worry about having no future?”
“Yes, since the Gang Leader is inviting you, Brother Tong, just join us.”
“Brother Tong, do not run around everywhere, join us.”
Many of the new Scorpion Gang members issued invitations one after another. They indeed needed an experienced and reliable person, and having one right in front of them, they naturally welcomed him.
After hesitating and weighing it carefully, Tong Zaitian walked back, came to the front of the crowd, cupped his hands, and said, “With such great enthusiasm from you all, if Tong continues to decline, it would be affectation. Tong is willing to join your esteemed faction to contribute to this grand endeavour, and I ask you all to take me in!”
“You are being too formal, from now on we are our own people.” Fan Jiu stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and said happily.
Tong Zaitian then faced Yu Qing and bowed, “Tong Zaitian pays respects to the Gang Leader!”
Yu Qing was also quite happy. He raised his hands in a gesture to support him, indicating he should rise and not stand on ceremony.
The group became lively and bustling, showing just how good the persona Tong Zaitian had previously paved with human lives was.
Seeing this, Gong Ziting at the door seemed to have understood something. His eyelids twitched as he watched. Just think about what Tong Zaitian used to do in the Scorpion Gang, and you would know. For internal use by Xiaoshuoxia only.
Amidst the liveliness, Tong Zaitian asked, “By the way, I do not yet know what our gang’s name is called?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the lively scene instantly fell completely silent, and everyone looked at each other.
Tong Zaitian looked stunned, thinking he had said something wrong. He recalled his wording just now, and there should not be any problem.
Mu Aotie, who had been calm on the sidelines, also maintained his superficial straightforward persona and abruptly blurted out, “It is still called the Scorpion Gang.”
The Scorpion Gang? Tong Zaitian looked around in shock. If it were not for the two words ‘still called’, he would have thought he misheard. Looking again at the awkward reaction of everyone tacitly accepting it, and Yu Qing’s indifferent and ruthless expression, he did not know if he had offended some taboo. His heartstrings tightened slightly in alarm, so he also gave an awkward smile and quickly changed his words, “The name is not important, the name is truly not important, what is important is to have achievements.”
Yu Qing hummed and nodded, saying, “Mr Tong’s words are those of a seasoned man, truly more experienced than everyone else.”
He countered a sentence against everyone’s previous objections, then turned around and waved his hand at everyone, “Stop standing there blankly, you all know what is important, hurry up and get to work.”
Afterwards, he gave a hint to Fan Jiu, signalling him to take Tong Zaitian away and arrange things, also wanting Fan Jiu to explain the situation clearly in private.
The group dispersed. Those who should keep watch kept watch, and those who should work went to work.
When passing the temple entrance, Tong Zaitian, who was walking by, and Gong Ziting, who was sitting on the ground disabled, exchanged a meaningful glance.
What should come will eventually come, and what should be faced will eventually have to be faced.
Not presuming himself as an old hand, Tong Zaitian actively and enthusiastically participated in the labour. During one of his trips carrying sand out, finding no one approaching in front or behind, he finally stopped next to Gong Ziting when returning past the door.
Even though this move of his caused Yu Qing, who was in front of the wall carving, to turn his head and look over, while smiling at Yu Qing, he still gave Gong Ziting a low sentence, “The Gang Leader told me to come and save you.”
He had to tell Gong Ziting this, and had to stabilise Gong Ziting, fearing Gong Ziting would misunderstand and to prevent Gong Ziting from selling him out.
There was no other way, he could not abruptly kill Gong Ziting right now.
Gong Ziting chuckled, and also lightly clicked his tongue, “The Gang Leader is worthy of being the Gang Leader. Such a brilliant technique, I knew at a glance it was his masterpiece.”
Seeing Yu Qing staring openly and unrestrainedly, not to mention other people would be coming in and out, the two did not say much more. After explaining the matter clearly and soothing the person properly, Tong Zaitian left the door.
It was only when passing not far from Yu Qing that Yu Qing, who was bending his waist to look at the wall carving, suddenly straightened up and called out, “Mr Tong.”
Tong Zaitian stopped in his steps, stunned for a moment, then walked over and asked, “What are the Gang Leader’s orders?”
Yu Qing pursed his lips towards Gong Ziting at the door, and said with a smile that was not quite a smile, “Mr Tong looks very familiar with that so-called Left Protector?”
Tong Zaitian looked angry and snorted coldly, “It cannot be said we are very familiar, it can only be said that enemies see red when they meet. When he followed the Flying Eagle Gang to attack the Scorpion Gang before, he killed many of my old brothers. Seeing him end up like this, if I do not kick him when he is down and mock him a few words, how can I vent my anger? I hate that I cannot kill this thief with my own hands!”