"The only thing you can do is pray that person is fine. If he is, and I happen to be in a good mood, I might grant you a way out. If something happened to him—you know the consequences."
Jiang Chen had no intention of wasting his breath. Having said this, he swept his sleeve and strode away.
The others followed him out one by one. As for these people—whether they lived or died, nobody cared.
Third Master Jing cast a glance at the Four Righteous of the Fallen Heaven, suppressed a grin of schadenfreude, and let out a theatrically regretful sigh before trailing after them.
The moment he stepped outside, a broad smile spread across his face. Seeing the Four Righteous in such dire straits filled him with boundless satisfaction.
The Fallen Heaven Society had always been insufferably arrogant, conducting themselves as though they were the greatest power in the world. They had shown him, the Deputy Steward of the First Branch, not the slightest bit of respect.
Third Master Jing was a scoundrel himself, of course, but his brand of scoundrel at least represented the legitimate lineage of the Moon God Sect. He was the Deputy Steward of the First Branch—no insignificant title.
What were the Four Righteous of the Fallen Heaven? Within the Moon God Sect, they might have had backers, but an underground outfit could never earn an official standing.
Here were a handful of thugs who didn't even have a recognized name, swaggering about in front of him, Third Master Jing. Not a shred of face given—how could he possibly have been pleased about that?
Now, watching them suffer, it was already admirable restraint on his part that he hadn't popped firecrackers in celebration. Schadenfreude was simply the natural, unavoidable response.
Of course, at the same time, Third Master Jing felt a lingering chill—and was profoundly grateful for his own fortune.
Consider this: had he taken one wrong step back then, he might well have met the same fate as the Fallen Heaven Society's Four Righteous today—ground to dust and bone.
Fortunately, Third Master Jing had always known when to bend and when to stand. The moment he sensed which way things were heading, he had immediately submitted. At the time, he had felt humiliated, having cut such a disgraceful figure before his subordinates.
Afterward, when he returned to the branch, his face still burned with shame.
But now, he could not help but congratulate himself on having made a brilliantly wise choice. If he hadn't bowed his head back then, his fate would likely be no better than the Four Righteous'.
Those who read the times are the heroes. That was Third Master Jing's survival creed.
Seeing the end that had befallen the Four Righteous, Third Master Jing felt even more vindicated in his philosophy.
When he saw Jiang Chen and his group reach the main street, Third Master Jing hurried to catch up, wearing an earnest, radiant smile.
"Young Master Shao, the Four Righteous of the Fallen Heaven are nothing more than the criminal underground of Frost Moon City—a tumor that needs cutting. I, Jing, have long wanted to rid the city of such tumors. But their power was considerable, and they had connections; pull one thread and the whole web would tremble, so I could never find the right moment. Your decisive action today was truly cause for celebration. I'm certain that once word gets out, countless people in Frost Moon City will erect memorial tablets in your honor."
The words carried the unmistakable tang of flattery.
But woven into that flattery was a measure of truth. In Frost Moon City, the Fallen Heaven Society was indeed the single greatest tumor. Third Master Jing's bullying as Deputy Steward of the First Branch was heavy-handed, to be sure, but he had never crossed the line into outright evil. His style was merely aggressive, his appetite a touch greedy, and his methods occasionally harsh.
But compared to the Four Righteous of the Fallen Heaven, Third Master Jing could pass for a good man.
The Fallen Heaven Society committed every conceivable atrocity. In all of Frost Moon City, there were certainly people who hated Third Master Jing, but it never reached the point of universal condemnation.
The Fallen Heaven Society, however, had well and truly earned that distinction. They were the very embodiment of villainy in Frost Moon City. The names of the Four Righteous were enough to stop a crying child in its tracks.
"Third Master Jing, I'd say you're the happiest of all about the Fallen Heaven Society's downfall. Spare us the pretense—if you want to laugh, just laugh," Jiang Chen said evenly.
Third Master Jing laughed heartily. "Young Master Shao, you certainly have a way with words! But I must admit, the Fallen Heaven Society has been a genuine thorn in my side. On the official front, we represent the authorities—we couldn't simply ignore their misdeeds. But if we tried to confront them, they'd push back, even show attitude to me, the Deputy Steward of the First Branch. Can you imagine? I won't deny it, Young Master Shao—today, I am indeed quite pleased."
Jiang Chen nodded, then said abruptly, "Third Master Jing, you haven't forgotten your promise, have you?"
Third Master Jing replied hastily, "I was just about to bring that up with you, Young Master Shao. I'll go contact Captain Gu Xintang right away. If you have no other engagements, you're most welcome to come to my branch headquarters to wait. I guarantee that if Captain Gu has no missions, he will certainly come."
Indeed, as Third Master Jing had claimed, his relationship with Gu Xintang was quite solid. The invitation was sent out, and within two hours Gu Xintang had arrived at the branch.
Although Third Master Jing didn't understand why these people were so interested in the matter of Holy Maiden Xu Meng, he knew better than to ask questions that weren't his to ask.
For figures like the Peerless Emperor and Young Master Shao, Third Master Jing was exceedingly eager to cultivate a relationship. They were assets worth having.
After returning to the branch that day, he had investigated Jiang Chen's identity. When news from the Fire Pill City reached his ears, Third Master Jing immediately matched Jiang Chen and the Peerless Emperor to the grand champions of the Bounty Arena.
That settled it—these two were the overall champions of the Bounty Arena, the very ones who had just caused a massive sensation in Fire Pill City.
The Peerless Emperor's name went without saying—it was thunderous. Even the Moon God Sect would think twice before offending such a formidable figure.
As for the other, Young Master Shao—his astonishing performance at the Bounty Arena had made him the Arena's champion. Moreover, intelligence suggested that this man's background was imposing—terrifyingly so.