Tong Tuo Wang wasn't as smart as Tie Tuo Wang.
Lu Chengwen had come to this conclusion.
When Tie Tuo Wang realized there was no way out of the situation, he decisively chose the most favorable side for himself—even if it was only temporary safety, it was still better than dying.
But Tong Tuo Wang was clearly being driven by emotion. Having been toyed with by Lu Chengwen to the point of no return, he felt utterly humiliated.
The tragic fate awaiting him was all thanks to Lu Chengwen, so all he could think about now was fighting to the death.
*You've screwed me over this badly? Well, I won't let you off easy either!*
But Lu Chengwen bellowed, "Tong Tuo Wang! Are you really this stupid? Use your imagination for a second—if you win now, kill all of us, then what?"
"Then… what?"
Lu Chengwen snapped, "Then you'll be on the run with just a few million, hiding from the organization's pursuit for the rest of your lives until they catch and kill you! Other than that, do you have any other options?"
"This… this…"
"Now think about it—what if you pledge loyalty to me instead?"
Tong Tuo Wang was stunned.
Lu Chengwen continued, "Look at Tie Tuo Wang and his brothers."
The three of them turned to look.
*What a difference three days can make!*
Tie Tuo Wang and his five men had transformed from reckless enforcers of the organization, rough and unrefined, into a disciplined, imposing group. Dressed in sharp suits, they now carried themselves like high-class individuals.
Tie Tuo Wang even had a platinum earring in one ear, his entire demeanor completely transformed.
Compared to them, the three brothers, despite having money, looked like low-class thugs.
Tong Tuo Wang's expression flickered with uncertainty.
Tie Tuo Wang spoke up, "The young master is paranoid and suspicious, treating his subordinates with arrogance and contempt. When there are benefits, he takes them all. When there's credit, he never rewards us. Following him is no different from being a Red Guard in the organization—just another dog fighting for his selfish ambitions!"
"In contrast, Boss Lu is wise, generous, and fair. He rewards and punishes justly and never hesitates to share with his subordinates. We five brothers don't have to kneel or bow to him—he treats us like equals. Tong Tuo, let's be honest—following the young master, we're just dogs risking our lives for his personal ambitions."
*When he's busy bedding women, he doesn't care how many of us die!*
Tong Tuo Wang glanced back at his two brothers. A single look told him their minds were already swayed.
The past few days had been incredible—they'd never had it so good.
Add to that Tie Tuo Wang's scathing portrayal of Long Aotian, and it was easy to see why they were convinced.
In truth, they hadn't even given Long Aotian a chance. All that talk about him being paranoid and domineering was just their own interpretation.
The subtext was: *You didn't betray him—he's just a terrible leader who forced you to rebel.*
And right now, they were willing to believe that. They would convince themselves it was true.
Tong Tuo Wang lowered his head. "Boss Lu, could you give us some time? We…"
Lu Chengwen shook his head. "No. You don't have time. You need to decide now."
"Fine! We brothers have no way out. Since Boss Lu is willing to take us in… we…"
Tong Tuo Wang gritted his teeth. "We've decided—from now on, we pledge our loyalty to Boss Lu. We hope you'll accept us!"
---
**Inside the villa.**
Lu Chengwen sat at the head of the room while Jiang Shian massaged his shoulders from behind. Zhao Gang was outside inspecting the cars.
Tong Tuo Wang and Tie Tuo Wang stood before Lu Chengwen, slightly bowing.
Lu Chengwen gestured. "Sit."
The two exchanged glances but hesitated.
Lu Chengwen smiled. "I'm not like that bastard Long Aotian. I don't care about hierarchy. I'm not your 'young master'—I'm your boss! All I expect is the respect you'd give an employer. We're brothers, but also superior and subordinate—not master and servant. Sit. Otherwise, I'll have to crane my neck to look at you."
The two sat on the sofa, still tense.
Tie Tuo Wang was relatively calm, but Tong Tuo Wang, having just joined, was still uneasy.
Lu Chengwen's expression turned serious. "Yin Tuo Wang should be arriving soon. How much do you know about him?"
The two exchanged another surprised glance.
"Will… will it really be him?"
Lu Chengwen smirked. "It'll definitely be him. Don't ask how I know—just trust me. I need to know his background so I can figure out how to deal with him."
Tong Tuo Wang spoke cautiously, "Young master—no, Boss Lu—this subordinate has a question."
"Call me 'Boss Lu.'"
"Yes, Boss Lu. This subordinate doesn't understand—you've repeatedly ruined Long Aotian's plans, so why hasn't he made a move against you?"
Lu Chengwen chuckled. "At first, he was too arrogant. He thought I was just some small fry he could crush anytime."
"Later? Well, we became sworn brothers, so technically, he can't just kill me outright. Even if he wants to, he'd have to get someone else to do it."
Tong Tuo Wang understood now.
Of course, explaining this logic to a modern person would make them think you were insane.
But to someone like Tong Tuo Wang, it made perfect sense.
They were men of the *jianghu*—the martial world. If you lived by its rules, you had to abide by them. Even if you wanted to break them, you had to do it the right way.
It was like ancient warlords rebelling against the emperor. Even if their real goal was to seize power, they had to frame it as "righteous rebellion"—claiming the emperor was corrupt, cruel, and needed to be overthrown for the people's sake.
If they just said, *I want to be emperor, so I'm gonna kill you*, their support would crumble, and they'd quickly become public enemies.
Yuan Shu during the Three Kingdoms period made this exact mistake.
Before he'd even secured his position, he declared himself emperor.
The result? *Everyone* turned on him—even the dogs.
Why? Because he broke the rules and lost all moral high ground.
His enemies didn't even need personal grudges—they could just rally under the banner of "restoring the Han Dynasty" and righteously crush him.
This was why Lu Chengwen kept emphasizing his sworn brotherhood with Long Aotian to every martial artist he met.
At the very least, Long Aotian couldn't openly come after him.
Of course, when it came to behind-the-scenes schemes, it was all about countering moves as they came.
Tong Tuo Wang said, "Yin Tuo Wang is different from us brothers. He's… extremely strong."
"How strong?"
Tong Tuo Wang replied, "Probably at the peak of the Middle Four Levels."
The Middle Four Levels consisted of: Soul Severing, Awakening, Ghost Cry, and Meditation.
Tie Tuo Wang was at Soul Severing, Tong Tuo Wang at Awakening, and the levels above that… each was a completely different realm.
Simply put, below Awakening, it was possible—though rare—for someone to defeat an opponent a level higher.
But above Awakening, the difference in strength was overwhelming.
An Awakening-level fighter killing a Soul Severing opponent might require a proper battle—a back-and-forth fight.
In the end, the Awakening fighter would likely win.
But a Ghost Cry fighter killing anyone below Awakening? It'd be an instant slaughter.
The power gap was terrifying—you'd barely have a chance to fight back.
Even if you managed one counterattack, the Ghost Cry fighter would just strike again.
So just from the expressions on Tong Tuo Wang and Tie Tuo Wang's faces, Lu Chengwen could tell that Yin Tuo Wang was someone they feared deeply.
Lu Chengwen nodded. "Does he have any weaknesses?"
Tie Tuo Wang laughed bitterly. "If this subordinate knew his weakness, I wouldn't still be just a Tie Tuo Wang. And even if we knew, we wouldn't have the strength to exploit it."
Lu Chengwen understood.
These two might have joined him, but their hearts were still unsettled.
In their eyes, Lu Chengwen was just a rich kid, while Long Aotian and the organization were colossal entities—icebergs whose true size was impossible to gauge.
They'd only sided with Lu Chengwen as a last resort, with no other options.
If there had been any other way, if Long Aotian had left them any room to survive, they'd never have followed Lu Chengwen, even if it meant death.
So the moment they heard Yin Tuo Wang was coming, they were terrified.
Lu Chengwen smiled faintly. "I'm not asking about weaknesses in his martial arts. I'm asking about *him*—his personality. What does he like? What does he hate? What does he care about? What doesn't he care about?"
The two looked at each other, puzzled.
Tong Tuo Wang scratched his head. "Yin Tuo Wang earns a million a year. He's not short on money."
Lu Chengwen burst out laughing. "A million a year means he's not short on money?"
Tie Tuo Wang added, "And he has no family. He's also sworn brothers with Jin Tuo Wang."
Lu Chengwen nodded. "Anything else?"
Both shook their heads.
Lu Chengwen grinned. "Don't worry. I'll bring him under my wing."
The two chorused, "Boss Lu's wisdom is unparalleled. You'll surely subdue Yin Tuo Wang."
Though Lu Chengwen's martial skills were inferior to theirs, his ability to read people and analyze situations far surpassed theirs.
Having navigated the business world for years, if he couldn't pick up on unspoken cues, he might as well quit.
Though their words praised Lu Chengwen, their expressions betrayed their doubt. They didn't believe it was possible.
Tie Tuo Wang had been utterly fooled—already a shock.
Tong Tuo Wang had mistaken his master—absolutely unbelievable.
The organization couldn't possibly make the same mistake a third time. Subduing Yin Tuo Wang would be incredibly difficult, nearly impossible.
They were already imagining Yin Tuo Wang arriving, slaughtering them all, and ending the story.
Lu Chengwen said calmly, "What do you think of my martial arts?"
The two hurriedly replied, "Young master's skills are peerless, your talent boundless. In the *jianghu*—"
"Enough, enough!" Lu Chengwen waved them off. "My skills are child's play compared to yours. I know that."
The two couldn't refute it, looking awkward.
Lu Chengwen leaned in with a smile. "Then why are you following me now?"
The two had an epiphany.
"Boss Lu's strategies are unmatched! Even if the enemy has the power to destroy heaven and earth, your wisdom will prevail!"
Lu Chengwen said, "Let's make a bet. If I can't subdue Yin Tuo Wang, I'll give each of you 100 million to disappear. If I *do* subdue him… well, then we'll wait for Jin Tuo Wang together."
Tie Tuo Wang, having followed Lu Chengwen slightly longer, brightened. "Boss Lu, do you already have a plan?"
"Not a plan, but I've got some ideas."
Lu Chengwen motioned for them to lean in.
When they did, he whispered his scheme.
Their faces paled as they stared at him like he was the devil himself.
Tong Tuo Wang blurted out, "Boss Lu! You're truly diabolical!"
Tie Tuo Wang nearly cried. "Boss Lu… are you *Satan*?!"