Huang Dinggou jumped up in excitement.
Good days are finally here!
Now that Brother Chen’s strength is fully revealed, it is certain the Gang Leader would heavily promote him. As someone who had fought side by side with Brother Chen through thick and thin, slaughtering enemies together, my own status and position would naturally rise along with him.
Damn those bastards from the loan sharking racket, let’s see if they dare treat me with the same disrespect now.
Huang Dinggou grinned with joy.
The forty or so men who had followed Ma Tuo and his disciple surrendered their weapons and were taken away.
Moments later, the owner of Shenyin Pavilion, a middle-aged beauty, finally arrived. She was fashionably late. She showed no sign of anger over the near-destruction of Wanli Hall by the Exploding Star Gang. Instead, she was all smiles as she profusely apologized to Wei Xiaotian. She even took the initiative to offer a banquet at Shenyin Pavilion to calm the nerves of the gang’s upper ranks.
“That lady is totally a simp for the Gang Leader,” Huang Dinggou whispered into Li Xiaofei’s ear. “She’s been chasing him for over thirty years and still hasn’t gotten anywhere... Damn, I’m so jealous of the Gang Leader.”
Li Xiaofei was speechless.
“You’re envious, right?” asked Huang Dinggou, leaning in closer, lowering his voice even more. “Back in her prime, the lady made it into the top ten of Chongque City’s Beauty Rankings. All sorts of powerful figures and nobles pursued her, but she only had eyes for the Gang Leader. She’s been licking his boots for years.”
Li Xiaofei did not reply.
Huang Dinggou chuckled and said, “I know you’re jealous, but you better not be.”
Li Xiaofei was confused.
“Because she’s ugly as hell,” Huang Dinggou added, completely oblivious to the danger he was putting himself in.
Li Xiaofei took a deep breath. He forcefully suppressed the urge to stab Huang Dinggou in the mouth with his spear.
“Thank you for your kindness, Third Madam,” Wei Xiaotian responded coolly. “But my gang still has matters to attend to today. We will visit Shenyin Pavilion another day to make amends. As for the cost of repairing Wanli Hall, I will have someone deliver the payment.”
Wei Xiaotian’s demeanor was cold and distant as he addressed the woman. But when he turned to Li Xiaofei, that ridiculously handsome face softened into a smile.
“Speak. What reward do you want?” Wei Xiaotian asked. “Although you’ve only joined the gang recently, you’ve already made great contributions. You can make a request. What would you like?”
Li Xiaofei’s eyes lit up immediately and asked, “Anything I want?”
Wei Xiaotian hesitated slightly and replied, “As long as it’s within my power.”
“Oh, then I want a woman,” Li Xiaofei blurted out without a second thought.
Many people present nearly spat out their drinks.
Wei Xiaotian’s expression darkened. But then he recalled that this guy had been preaching about fertility and the virtues of motherhood, running around like a breeding stallion searching for high-quality human females to sleep with and make babies... His request almost made sense.
“Young man, a woman is only truly tasty if you win her over with your own charm. Women given to you, tsk tsk, they’re worthless,” Wei Xiaotian said with the tone of an experienced elder.
“What flavor are you talking about?” Li Xiaofei sneered. “I just want to make babies and carry on the Li family name. Everything else is irrelevant.”
Wei Xiaotian was shocked at the reply.
The Shenyin Pavilion’s owner, Madam Feng, chuckled and said, “Oh, this little brother likes women, huh? No problem. Tell me which girl you fancy in my Shenyin Pavilion, and I’ll arrange it for you.”
Li Xiaofei glanced at her with disdain. “I’ve already observed your girls. Most of them have poor fertility. The few whose fertility exceeds 60 have disgraceful virtue. They are unworthy of bearing my children.”
Madam Feng was also shocked at his reply. For a brief moment, she also wanted to beat him up.
Wei Xiaotian cleared his throat. “Alright, enough nonsense. Brother Chen, you’ve made great contributions to the gang. First, you killed Han Zhen. Then, you eliminated the traitors Ma Tuo and his disciple. I am promoting you to Hall Master of Red Shield Hall. You’ll be rewarded with two thousand five hundred kilograms of celestial jade. From now on, you are part of the Exploding Star Gang’s leadership. Work hard—don’t disappoint me.”
“Two thousand five hundred kilograms of celestial jade?” Li Xiaofei’s eyes lit up as he muttered. “How many girls can I buy with that?”
Wei Xiaotian was totally speechless. Grinning, Li Xiaofei turned his gaze toward the Bai sisters.
“Call a doctor—the best one,” he said, kicking Huang Dinggou. He then walked over and helped the Bai sisters up. “Go back and rest. From now on, if anyone dares bully you, tell me. I’ll kill them.”
“Brother Chen, why don’t you help redeem their freedom?” said Huang Dinggou, giving his suggestion.
Li Xiaofei immediately turned to Madam Feng and said, “Boss lady, is two thousand five hundred kilograms of celestial jade enough to buy the freedom of these two Bai sisters?”
Madam Feng was taken aback. “You just received two thousand five hundred kilograms of celestial jade, and you’re spending it all on them?”
The Bai sisters were merely low-tier performers in Shenyin Pavilion. They were not well-known, nor were they breathtaking beauties.
“Not enough?” asked Li Xiaofei, frowning. “Then give me some time. I’ll find a way to earn more.”
“You want to buy them as concubines?” Madam Feng asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No,” replied Li Xiaofei, shaking his head. “We’re friends.”
“Just friends?” asked Madam Feng with her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Is that not allowed?” Li Xiaofei asked, his tone completely sincere.
For a moment, Madam Feng was speechless. In her younger days, she had been a stunning beauty. She had witnessed countless tales of love, hate, and revenge. After taking over Shenyin Pavilion, she had seen all kinds of men, heroes and scoundrels alike, and how they treated the women of the brothel. There had been men willing to spend fortunes for a favored courtesan.
But someone like Li Xiaofei, spending two thousand five hundred kilograms of celestial jade to free two women, simply as ‘friends’, was a first. She hadn’t expected that this infamous pervert, notorious across the city and labeled as scum by countless women, could speak the word ‘friends’ with such sincerity.
“Bai Zhi and Bai Xuan are the closest sisters I have in Shenyin Pavilion. Two thousand five hundred kilograms of celestial jade is far from enough,” Madam Feng snorted lightly. “However, seeing your sincerity, I’ll waive their contract and give them to you for free. Treat it as making a friend.”
It was a masterful move. The Bai sisters were worth no more than two hundred and fifty kilograms of celestial jade. But by claiming two thousand five hundred kilograms was insufficient and then giving their freedom for free, she made both the Bai sisters and Li Xiaofei feel as though they had struck gold.
Meanwhile, the Red Shield Hall members had begun cleaning up Wanli Hall. Huang Dinggou led a few underlings to carry Ma Tuo’s corpse outside.
Just then, a thought suddenly struck Li Xiaofei.
“Wait a moment,” said Li Xiaofei, stopping the men carrying Ma Tuo’s body. He turned to Wei Xiaotian and made a request. “Gang Leader, could you let me have his corpse? I want to offer it as a tribute to Brother Yiyun.”
“Alright,” said Wei Xiaotian without hesitation.
“Everything Ma Tuo owned is now yours.” He added, “Come to the headquarters the day after tomorrow. I’ll officially grant you your new authority. Besides the celestial jade, there will be other rewards... And that Flying Snow spear is yours as well.”
With that, he turned and left. Madam Feng, the ever-loyal simp, hurried after him to see him off.
Li Xiaofei knelt beside Ma Tuo’s corpse and carefully tried to sense something.
A trace of surprise flickered across his face. It was different from when he had killed Han Zhen. Back then, he had been able to sense and absorb the power of laws from his dantian. But Ma Tuo, who was even stronger, had left nothing behind.
Slightly disappointed, Li Xiaofei waved his hand and said, “Take him out and bury him.”
A short while later, everything was settled. Li Xiaofei returned to the gang’s dormitory. Before long, he received his reward, the two thousand five hundred kilograms of celestial jade. He immediately handed over a tenth of it to Huang Dinggou to pay off his loan shark debts. The rest was enough to do a lot of things.
“Brother Chen, you’re rich now! Loaded with cash!” Huang Dinggou whispered, grinning slyly. “Come, let me take you somewhere. We’ll have a great time.”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
“It’s not that kind of place, is it...?”
Moments later. Li Xiaofei stood in front of an elegant, ancient-style building. His face was filled with speechless disbelief.
“This is your so-called great place?” asked Li Xiaofei.