After Chu Qiguang barged into his house and knocked him unconscious again, Chen Gang knew that he was in trouble.

Chen Gang’s younger brother examined the injury on his face as he asked, “Why do you think Ergou is doing this?”

“He must be getting revenge on me for bullying him,” Chen Gang sighed in a defeated manner.

***

Chu Qiguang left Chen Gang’s house feeling completely reinvigorated.

“Is it really alright to beat him up every day like this?” Qiao Zhi asked.

“It’s fine,” Chu Qiguang reassured. “For an idiot like him, there’s no point trying to preach reason or principles. The only way to educate him is by beating some sense into him! Tell me more about his future.”

So be it. I’ve already said so much, so I may as well tell him everything he wants to know, Qiao Zhi lamented inwardly.

“Chen Gang is someone who doesn’t really have a moral compass or a sense of right or wrong,” Qiao Zhi said. “That said, there’s one good quality about him, which is that he’s very devoted and grateful to those who show him kindness. In fact, that’s ultimately why he was killed by Huang Daoxu.

“He was the one who attacked Huang Daoxu first by hurling a massive rock at him that weighed over half a ton, and he did it because Huang Daoxu killed his master. While attending the Northern Martial Arts Academy, he became a disciple of a man called Liu Qisen.

“Liu Qisen was a general in a northern military base, and he was a very opportunistic and unscrupulous man. He was hunted by Huang Daoxu for slaughtering an entire border village and reporting them as enemies slain under his name.”

Chu Qiguang nodded in response. The Great Han Empire had established many military bases across its borders, and some of them were even larger than certain provinces. There were no administrative officials like governors or magistrates in these military bases, so the military had absolute jurisdictive power. In these military bases, the highest-ranking military officer was essentially the emperor, with no one able to challenge their authority.

It certainly said a lot about Chen Gang’s character that he was willing to throw himself into a hopeless battle for the sake of such an unscrupulous man.

“Someone like him would make a perfect henchman,” Chu Qiguang mused. “I should find a way to recruit him, and his two brothers as well.”

“Why?” Qiao Zhi asked. “His two brothers aren’t anything special.”

“We’re about to make our way into Azure Sun County and move onto bigger and better things, so we’re going to need more people with all kinds of skill sets,” Chu Qiguang explained. “Chen Gang’s two brothers are a little dense, but even trash has its uses.”

“What are you planning to do from here?” Qiao Zhi asked curiously.

“Chen Gang has always been hanging out with Zhang Da’s group. Now that he’s suffering these daily beatings from me, he'll surely go to his band of brothers for help,” Chu Qiguang analyzed. “However, I’ve already told Wang Cailiang that I’m going to exact my revenge on Chen Gang, and Zhang Da and the others wouldn’t dare get on Wang Cailiang’s bad side, so no one’s going to help Chen Gang. I’m going to completely cut him off from everyone else, then pull some tricks to gain his loyalty.”

Just then, a chirping sparrow flew onto Qiao Zhi’s head, delivered a report, then flew away.

“Chen Gang has just left his house,” Qiao Zhi relayed.

***

By this point, it had become abundantly clear to Chen Gang that Zhou Ergou was targeting him. Thinking back to how he had bullied Zhou Ergou in the past, he knew that he couldn’t just sit around and hope for the best.

It’s a good thing I can always count on my brothers to back me up.

With that in mind, he immediately set off in search of the band of brothers that he always hung out with.

However, he quickly discovered that none of them were willing to help. They either kicked him out as soon as he stated the purpose of his visit, or made up a story to placate him before telling him that they were unable to help.

Finally, he arrived at Zhang Da’s house, and the latter shook his head before inviting him inside.

“Chen Er and Wang San have really shown me their true colors!” Chen Gang complained. “Who was it that lent them silver back when they got married and had kids? All of a sudden, they’re not even willing to see me now! I can’t believe I ever saw them as my brothers!”

“Why do you think they borrowed money from you instead of Master Wang?” Zhang Da scoffed. “They knew that if they failed to repay their debts to Master Wang, then they would lose everything, whereas if they failed to repay you, then they would only risk losing you as a friend.”

Chen Gang faltered slightly upon hearing this. He had never thought about it that way before, and it occurred to him that Zhang Da seemed a little different from his usual self.

“You always talk about things like brotherly bonds. What do you think that entails?” Zhang Da asked. “Do you think I’d be serving the Wang Clan if I hadn't gone broke? Do you think I would’ve done so much shady stuff for them if I had a choice? You can talk about brotherly bonds all you want, but ultimately, money is what matters most.

“If the Wang Clan didn’t have money, no one would give a shit about them! Whether it be Chen Er, Wang San, or myself... Who would do crap like this if we could earn money through legitimate means? Out of all of us, you’re the only naïve idiot who’s still completely blind to everything!”

Just then, a little girl ran into the room. “Daddy! Mommy sent me to ask you when you’ll be finished here.”

A doting smile immediately appeared on Zhang Da’s face as he patted his daughter on the head and replied, “Go tell your mother that I’m just wrapping things up now.”

Chen Gang stared at Zhang Da in a complete daze. This was a side to Zhang Da that he had never seen before, and he felt as if his entire worldview had been turned upside down.

Zhang Da’s smile faded as he watched his daughter skip away. He then turned back to Chen Gang and continued, “Right now, our band of brothers can only survive off whatever scraps the Wang Clan is willing to give us, and Zhou Ergou has become very close with Master Wang, so no one’s going to stand up for you. In fact, if you try to retaliate against Zhou Ergou, all of us will gang up on you and teach you a lesson.”

“What should I do then?” Chen Gang murmured dejectedly.

“Swallow your pride and apologize,” Zhang Da advised as he patted Chen Gang on the shoulder. “You could become the strongest and most feared warrior under the heavens, but what good will that do you? It would still only take a single order from those in power for you to be banished to the border.

“Everyone’s just trying to earn some money and get by. There's nothing embarrassing about lowering your head to those above you, and no one would think less of you for it.”

***

Chen Gang left Zhang Da’s house in a depressed state. Never had he imagined that the brothers he held so near and dear would betray and abandon him like this.

Am I really going to have to apologize to Zhou Ergou?

As he was walking home in a daze, Chen Gang suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right calf.

He looked down to find that an orange cat had just bitten him in the calf. The cat then retreated to a safe distance and stared at him with a provocative look on its face.

Chen Gang was furious.

“You’re the cat that’s always with Zhou Ergou! Are you here to pick on me as well?”