Chapter 34: Me Too!

"Little Six, what are you doing? I told you to invite Master Chen over ages ago. Why haven't you brought him here yet?"

A grumpy, scolding voice drifted over—it was none other than Liu Jinyu. Impatient that Little Six had failed to bring Chen Xuan to him, he had decided to come over himself.

"Boss, it's not that I'm inefficient, it's just that Master Chen..." Little Six felt deeply aggrieved. He wanted to explain that Chen Xuan didn't believe they were actually defecting, but he swallowed the words as they reached his lips.

"Enough, enough. Get lost, you useless piece of work." Liu Jinyu couldn't be bothered to hear his excuses. He shoved Little Six aside and, turning to face Chen Xuan, immediately plastered a smile on his face. "Master Chen."

Chen Xuan found this fellow quite amusing and couldn't help but chuckle. "Chief Liu, it’s only been half a day. Have you changed how you address me already?"

Liu Jinyu cupped his hands respectfully and smiled. "You could have taken my life today, but you chose to show mercy and let me go. Such great kindness is something I will never forget. You certainly deserve the title of 'Master'."

Chen Xuan couldn't care less about this bootlicking flattery. He said flatly, "If you have something to say, say it. If you have nothing, move along."

Hearing this, Liu Jinyu slapped Little Six on the back of the head. "What is wrong with you, boy? Did you not tell Master Chen what I meant?"

Little Six felt wronged enough to cry. He whined, "Boss, you can't blame me! I told Master Chen that all the heroes of our Liufeng Stronghold want to defect to him, but he just doesn't believe it!"

Liu Jinyu spat and cursed, "It must be because you look so shifty! One look at you and anyone would think you’re unreliable. That’s why Master Chen doesn't believe you!"

Little Six was rendered speechless. *I look shifty? You knew I looked shifty and you still sent me to invite him? It seems I was destined to be scolded today regardless of what I did.* He grumbled inwardly, though he remained submissive and obedient on the outside.

"Master Chen, since Little Six has already spoken to you, I won't waste any more words. What he said is true. I have decided to bring everyone from the Jinfeng Stronghold to join you." Liu Jinyu’s expression turned serious and solemn.

Chen Xuan was taken aback. These guys were living comfortably as bandits—what had gotten into them? Why did they want to defect?

"Chief Liu, you must be joking with me." Chen Xuan didn't agree immediately. His experience from two lifetimes told him there was no such thing as a free lunch. Liu Jinyu's behavior was far too abnormal; there had to be more to this than met the eye.

"Master Chen, I, Liu, swear on my life that I am willing to follow you and will never commit an act of betrayal. If I break this oath, may I be struck down by heaven and earth!" Liu Jinyu suddenly raised a palm and swore to the heavens.

In this world, oaths were taken very seriously. If one swore an oath, they were bound to follow it. Most people valued their word more than their own lives. Thus, the weight of Liu Jinyu's determination was clear.

Nearby, Li Xiuning and the others looked on in astonishment. They had assumed the bandits from Liufeng Stronghold had come to seek revenge on Chen Xuan. They never expected them to come begging to be his subordinates. What was going on? Did this man possess such immense charisma?

To be honest, even Chen Xuan hadn't expected this outcome. He had intended to refuse, but now that they had sworn an oath, would rejecting them hurt their feelings? Of course, even with Liu Jinyu’s vow, Chen Xuan still didn't believe in free lunches.

"You are so eager to defect to me; you must have an ulterior motive," Chen Xuan said, cutting straight to the point. He wasn't one for riddles. If Liu Jinyu couldn't give him a satisfactory answer, he would never accept these people.

Liu Jinyu had anticipated this question. Without hesitation, he replied, "I want Master Chen to teach me martial arts!"

"First, you defeated me today, and I am sincerely convinced of your skill. I envy the techniques you used. I know you come from the Chen family, one of the three great clans in the capital. The Chen family is a prestigious, long-standing lineage with countless martial arts manuals. Anything you might let slip through your fingers would be more than enough for me!"

"Second, I am different from other bandits. I am a man with ideals and ambitions! Falling into banditry was not my choice; it was a last resort. If there were another way, who would choose to be a bandit? But I had no choice. I thought my life would just end this way, and I had resigned myself to it—but now, things are different!"

As he spoke, Liu Jinyu suddenly lifted his head, his gaze sharp as he stared at Chen Xuan, enunciating every word.

"I see hope in you, Master Chen!"

"You are so young, barely in your twenties, yet your strength already surpasses mine. If you are given time, you will surely achieve greatness! If I follow and support you now, when you succeed, I shall succeed as well! For me, this is a gamble!"

"And you, Master Chen, are worth the gamble!"

Liu Jinyu’s tone was filled with resolute determination. He seemed intent on betting his entire future on Chen Xuan. His words were passionate and stirring.

Li Xiuning and her companions looked on, dumbfounded. They had assumed these bandits were up to no good, but after hearing this, they suddenly felt as though he were a man of ideals and high aspirations. If they continued to suspect him of a conspiracy, they feared they would seem small-minded.

Chen Xuan rubbed his chin, unable to help himself. He hadn't realized Liu Jinyu was such a silver-tongued orator. If he had been in his previous world, he would have been a master of pyramid schemes. Someone else might have been moved and easily fallen for his tall tales.

But who was Chen Xuan? A corporate slave who had transmigrated from the twenty-first century—what kind of storms hadn't he seen on the internet? If he believed someone just because they said a few nice words, he would have lived his two lives in vain.

Seeing Chen Xuan rubbing his chin as if in deep thought, Liu Jinyu guessed he was hesitating. He immediately added fuel to the fire. "I am willing to follow you to the death, Master Chen. I implore you to accept us!"

Beside him, Little Six hurriedly mimicked him, chirping, "Me too!"

Chen Xuan looked at the two with a half-smile. "You want to follow me that badly?"

Both men nodded immediately.

Chen Xuan clicked his tongue and said, "It’s not impossible to follow me, but I have one condition..."