Just when these people arrived one after another, the sound of their greetings echoed through the hall. Lu Ze and Ying Feilong sat down on the two chairs behind Zhou Xiongba.
The two swept their gaze over the packed hall of branch leaders, feeling puzzled and uncertain, their thoughts unaligned.
Lu Ze looked at one person in the hall, sowhat stunned: "That’s Lin Xiaoyun, the patriarch of the Jiangnan Lin family. Did they actually defect to the Iron Banner Gang?"
"The Jiangnan Lin family suffered huge losses this ti. First, the demon clan from Cloud Dream Mountain occupied Jiangnan County’s State City, then the Extre East Ice City army swept into the city. It is said that the Lin family managed to survive because they got inside information in advance and raised the Iron Banner Gang’s flag at a critical mont."
White Eyebrow Saber Ying Feilong also shook his head slightly: "But I didn’t expect they would really lower themselves to join the Iron Banner Gang. After all, in our East State, they are the only Third Grade family - several of Lin Xiaoyun’s clansn hold high office in the court, including one Prefectural Governor and two Fourth Grade officials."
Lu Ze felt the chair beneath him slightly heating up.
The grand patriarch of the Jiangnan Lin family was just a branch leader in the Iron Banner Gang, seated at a lower position, yet Lu Ze had ranked among the hall’s respectable.
Lu Ze then looked toward those protector guests, swallowing his saliva: "I never expected that today’s Iron Banner Gang would gather such heroes, boasting such might as if intending to unify the East State’s Jianghu."
Previously, when the Iron Banner Gang fragnted and scattered, Lu Ze didn’t feel much.
Now that Chu Xisheng opened the hall and assembled them, Lu Ze realized the Iron Banner Gang had grown into a behemoth.
"I don’t know. But—"
White Eyebrow Saber Ying Feilong slightly shook his head: "For a small place like East State, is this kind of arrangent necessary?"
Including the newly promoted Zhou Xiongba, there were six Third Grade masters here.
Using just half of them would be enough to sweep through East State’s Martial Arts world.
With this lineup, let alone unifying East State, it could dominate several surrounding states.
At this mont, not far away, Dan Chiling’s expression moved slightly with curiosity as he whispered his inquiry.
"I wonder why Brother Ying and Brother Lu joined the Iron Banner Gang?"
Dan Chiling was also puzzled why these local formidable families and Jianghu heroes were rushing to join the Iron Banner Gang.
The Coastal Zhou Family might be due to Zhou Liangchen being too deeply tied with Chu Xisheng, impossible to disentangle.
The Ying Family and Lu Family, however, had no such necessity.
Chu Xisheng wasn’t forcing them.
Recalling their Dan Family’s past experiences, Dan Chiling felt a pang of sorrow.
’Smiling Tiger’ Lu Ze and ’White Eyebrow Saber’ Ying Feilong first exchanged glances, then cast their eyes toward Zhou Liangchen in front.
The two secretly sneered.
Clearly, Zhou Xiongba was making a heavy bet within the Iron Banner Gang, gambling on Chu Xisheng’s future prospects.
They dared not follow.
Imagine the current might of the Formless Divine Sect! And the power of the Infinite Blade Lord?
If Chu Xisheng didn’t die prematurely, he would surely beco another Blood Vengeance Blade Lord.
How could they dare not follow the Zhou family’s footsteps? Dare to fall behind the Zhou family?
Lest they wait and have the Coastal Zhou Family alone dominate and be excluded by them?
But this could not be said to Zhou Xiongba directly.
Had it been anyone else, Lu Ze wouldn’t have bothered to respond.
But Dan Chiling was an old mber of the Iron Banner Gang, and also had a protector guest of Third Grade beside him.
Smiling Tiger Lu Ze slightly pondered and then said with a grin: "Now, between Extre East Ice City and the Daning Court’s conflict, it’s us common folks who suffer. Extre East Ice City is now frantically collecting local money and resources, and my Lu family has beco overwheld.
Yet I fear the court would settle accounts in autumn if they win, fabricating charges against us. So after thinking it over, it’s safer under a big tree."
"I too have this worry! My Sea Salt Gang~ Sea Salt Hall currently has three hundred boats, thirty thousand boatn drafted by Extre East Ice City. I may be compelled, but in the eyes of the court, who knows what cri they would charge with."
White Eyebrow Saber Ying Feilong naturally wouldn’t ntion he received money from Extre East Ice City; he appeared helpless: "So in the East State Martial Arts world, it is best to unite for warmth, not letting the court and Ice City slaughter us.
Besides, my Sea Salt Hall has traded in salt for generations. Recently, our trade has increased by fifty percent through cooperation with the Iron Banner Gang. Thinking it over, I might as well join the Iron Banner Gang."
Mainly because there’s no middleman, nor need to pay tribute.
After Extre East Ice City occupied East State, they proceeded west along the Shenxiu River, and the officials and Jianghu heroes downstream either faced extermination or remained dormant.
Those left wouldn’t dare provoke the Iron Banner Gang.
Dan Chiling slightly shook his head, suspecting these two were hiding the truth, or at least not telling all.
At this mont, the person next to him slapped his thigh: "I see, that explains why so many forces in East State are joining the Iron Banner Gang."
Following the voice, Dan Chiling saw it was Wang Mingshan, the leader of the Legang branch.
Legang County was in the southern Nanwu County, near Xiushui.
This person was originally a major underworld figure of Legang County and recently established a branch to join the Iron Banner Gang.
The Iron Banner Gang’s rules are strict; they don’t accept just anyone.
This Wang Mingshan first wrote a sworn statent with blood, raised wages for all his laborers and workers, then personally visited Xiushui and swore a blood oath in front of the Chu Mansion to abide by the Iron Banner Gang’s rules.
This created quite a stir in Xiushui County, and to this day, no one knows the outco.
Now it seems Wang Duozhu’s wish was fulfilled.
Dan Chiling asked curiously: "Then Brother Wang, why did you join the Iron Banner Gang?"
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