After Lu Chen sat down without hesitation,
Yu Feng’s authoritative, resonant voice rang out once more from the high hall:
“Lu Chen, I’ll set aside your connection with the Rakshasa Cult for the moment. But today, before the four great families and ten rising elites of Jiangdu, I have only one question for you—what exactly do you plan to do with those three thousand Rakshasa remnants?”
All eyes converged on him again.
Lu Chen’s expression turned serious. He clasped his fists and said with gravity: “To answer you, Lord City Lord, this junior is willing to sign a written pledge: after these three thousand enter the city, they will commit no crimes or misdeeds. My reason for keeping them is to guide them onto the right path. From this day forward, the name ‘Rakshasa Cult’ will be completely erased from history.”
“Words are cheap. Give me something concrete.” Yu Feng’s gaze was piercing. “Otherwise, how can I, as City Lord, bet the safety of an entire city on a mere promise?”
Though Yu Feng had a decent personal rapport with Lu Chen and genuinely appreciated the young man,
the Rakshasa Cult had plagued the world for a century and remained an SS-class wanted dark cult to this day.
Yu Feng had devoted half his life’s efforts to eradicating this very cult.
Yet fate had a cruel sense of irony: now, this dark cult had openly appeared on his own turf.
And with Old Zheng’s pressure bearing down on him, Yu Feng couldn’t even make a move against them.
But whether for public duty or personal conviction, he simply couldn’t let Lu Chen off the hook that easily.
“I understand your concerns, my lord.” Lu Chen’s voice was steady. “How about this—you name your terms. As long as it’s something this junior can accomplish, I won’t refuse.”
Yu Feng nodded at this. “Good. Since you have that resolve, I won’t stand on ceremony. Attendant!”
A servant stepped forward with a tray and placed it before Lu Chen.
“All the family heads and I have already reviewed this document. If you have no objections, sign it.”
Yu Feng pointed to the papers on the tray.
Lu Chen picked them up and read through them carefully. The clauses were all designed to constrain the Rakshasa Cult:
Clause One: The three thousand followers are not permitted to leave Jiangdu without authorization. For any necessary travel outside the city, they must report in advance and wear tracking devices for real-time monitoring.
Just from the first clause alone, Lu Chen’s brow furrowed slightly.
Clause Two: Should any Rakshasa follower commit a crime within the city, regardless of severity, they will be punished with the maximum severity—even theft is no exception.
Clause Three: If any Rakshasa follower shows any sign of unrest, they are to be executed immediately without mercy, as a warning to others.
Upon reading the third clause, Lu Chen set the document down and didn’t bother reading any further.
“My lord… isn’t this a bit too harsh? Even for a surrender agreement, this goes too far.”
This wasn’t treating people like human beings—
this was treating them like penned livestock.
Sure, the Rakshasa Cult had indeed committed countless atrocities in the past, but weren’t the most brutal among them already dead?
“Too harsh?” Yu Feng let out a cold snort. “Do you have any idea what the Rakshasa Cult has done? Allowing them to settle in Jiangdu is already me showing leniency. If you can’t even sign this document, how do you expect me to trust you?”
With anyone else, Yu Feng would have already unleashed his oppressive aura to put them in their place.
But with this kid Lu Chen, Yu Feng really didn’t want to resort to intimidation.
So the pressure he had been about to release was forcibly reined back in.
He simply let out a long sigh.
Lu Chen could see Yu Feng’s restraint. After a moment’s thought, he picked up the document again. “Here’s what I propose, my lord. Everything you’ve laid out is for the safety of the city’s people—I fully understand that. And I won’t deny that the Rakshasa Cult has done terrible things in the past. But now that they’ve come to me, I owe them some accountability as well. So how about this: if any one of these three thousand commits a crime in the future, I will personally bear joint responsibility. If they commit a serious offense, I’ll take on that same joint liability. I’ll vouch for them!”
The hall erupted in uproar.
The family heads exchanged glances, all wearing expressions of shock.
Sun Yourong gritted her teeth inwardly, thinking: “Is this guy insane?! The human heart is unpredictable—there are three thousand of them! How can he possibly vouch for them all? Besides, what leader would ever take on such a risk for their subordinates? This is absolutely ludicrous!”
Yu Feng’s gaze sharpened like a blade. “Kid, are you serious? I advise you to think twice!”
“I am completely serious!” Lu Chen’s tone was firm and resolute. “Since I’ve decided to take them in, I am responsible for them—and responsible to you, my lord, and to every citizen of this city!”
Three thousand troops couldn’t possibly come that easily, could they?
There would always be a price to pay.
Lu Chen had been prepared for this.
Since this was a Hongmen Banquet, only by walking through fire could he truly prove himself!
“Fine! Since you’re willing to say that, I’ll accept your terms. Attendant!”
The servant stepped forward promptly.
Yu Feng ordered him to redraft the document.
Before long, the new document was presented. Yu Feng reviewed it, found it correct, had the family heads look it over as well, and finally handed it to Lu Chen.
Lu Chen read through it carefully, confirmed there were no issues, and signed and stamped it without any hesitation.
“Good! Since you’ve made this commitment, I believe you’ll keep your word. Now then—what exactly do you plan to have these three thousand remnants do?”
Yu Feng’s tone softened slightly. Even his reference to the Rakshasa Cult had quietly shifted from “remnants” to “survivors.”
“Rest assured, my lord. I just so happen to have a few public-benefit projects that will keep them plenty busy!”
The corner of Lu Chen’s mouth lifted.
“A few?” Sun Yourong blinked in surprise. She had assumed Lu Chen would at most use these people to expand his underworld currency business.
But “a few” projects? What did that mean?
Did he have other plans in mind?
Seeing Lu Chen’s confident, well-prepared demeanor, Yu Feng nodded and didn’t press further.
He changed the subject: “But you’re still a commoner right now. Having three thousand private soldiers all of a sudden doesn’t sit well with the rules…”
“Exactly! To recruit private troops, you need at least rising-elite status. For an ordinary household—even if they’re wealthy—hiring a hundred or two hundred bodyguards is already the limit. Three thousand is far too many!”
Another rising-elite family head seized the opportunity to challenge him.
In contrast, the heads of the four great families sat calmly and steadily, quietly watching how things would unfold.
Yu Feng frowned and asked, “How many military merits do you currently have?”
“Twenty-eight thousand two hundred.”
Hiss—
Another wave of sharp intakes of breath swept through the hall.
Except for Sun Qingcang, nearly every family head’s expression stiffened.
What—this kid had nearly thirty thousand military merits?!
“I remember now!” One of the rising-elite family heads shot to his feet. “There was that person in Qianjiang who used plague-based abilities to clear demon lairs—that was you, wasn’t it?”
Lu Chen nodded without confirming or denying.
“So it really was you! No wonder you looked a bit familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen you. So you worship the Plague God?! Hiss—you’re something else, kid!”
That family head was clearly taken aback by the sheer audacity of worshipping the Plague God.
Meanwhile, Yu Feng, Sun Qingcang, and Sun Yourong were all struggling to hold back their laughter.
This kid didn’t just worship the Plague God—
he also worshipped the God of Wealth, the King of Hell, the Dragon King of Wells…
Yu Feng cleared his throat and said seriously, “Get promoted to rising-elite status as soon as possible. Otherwise, these three thousand private soldiers of yours will always be on shaky ground legally.”
“Yes, my lord! I will do my utmost!” Lu Chen rose and clasped his fists.
“Heh heh.”
At that moment, a light chuckle suddenly broke the silence.
Everyone turned to look. Zhao Jiutang, the head of the Zhao family—one of the four great families—wore a warm smile as he cupped his hands toward Lu Chen:
“Young Friend Lu, I am Zhao Jiutang, head of the Zhao family in the north part of the city. I heard Lord Yu say you’re also from the north side?”
Lu Chen’s gaze sharpened slightly—the Zhao family?
He certainly had no fondness for them.
“That’s correct. I’m also from the north, Patriarch Zhao.”
Out of courtesy, Lu Chen returned the gesture with a clasped fist.
“Since we’re both from the north, we’re practically fellow townsmen. If you ever need any help in the future, Young Friend Lu, don’t hesitate to come to the Zhao family.”
Zhao Jiutang was exceedingly cordial.
With his kindly, unassuming appearance, he seemed easy to warm up to at first glance—a stark contrast to Zhao Zhihong of the Zhao Family Shrine.
But Lu Chen was more inclined to believe that “a crooked upper beam leads to crooked lower beams.”
So to Zhao Jiutang’s overture, he simply returned another fist-clasp—polite, proper, but distant.
Unexpectedly, Sun Qingcang suddenly laughed and said, “Brother Zhao being so appreciative of Xiao Chen is truly his good fortune. But if Xiao Chen ever needs anything, my Sun family has already told him to come to us anytime.”
“Oh? Brother Sun knows Young Friend Lu as well?”
“Know him? Xiao Chen is our Sun family’s lifesaver.” Sun Qingcang wore an equally genial smile, but the undertone of his words was clearly sharp: “Brother Zhao, busy as you are, you might not be aware—when I went to your Zhao Family Shrine to seek blessings from the Longevity Star, the life-prolonging master I invited, Master Tan, failed midway. In the end, it was Xiao Chen who called upon the King of Hell to help our old patriarch pull through.”
“What?!?!”
At these words, the hall erupted—yet again—in a chorus of gasps.
“So you were the one who summoned the King of Hell to extend the Sun family’s lifespan!”
That same family head from earlier jolted upright, blurting out, “You worship the Plague God, and you’ve called upon the King of Hell… I get it now—you walk the path of dual deity worship!!”
