Chapter 77: The Proud Zhao Renwu

Two female outer-disciple students who planned to join the Warwolf Gang with Xiang Yunjiao were named Yin Mengruo and Bai Li Wunan.

Yin Mengruo was the fair-skinned girl with shoulder-length hair, sixteen years old, at Warrior Fourth Level cultivation.

Bai Li Wunan was the girl with a sleek, wind-swept ponytail and sun-kissed skin, also sixteen, at Warrior Fifth Level cultivation.

Bai Li Wunan glanced at Zhao Renwu and Cang Feng and the others, then whispered to Yunjiao: “Among these sixty people, there are four factions—I can tell none of them respect each other.”

“It’ll be hard for your Luo brother to manage this gang—can his Warrior Seventh Level cultivation really suppress them?”

“From my perspective, Cang Luo won’t win their trust—he won’t hold onto the position of boss for long.”

It was Yin Mengruo speaking; she let out a light laugh and pointed at Zhao Renwu: “From what I know, Zhao Renwu is calculating—he’s the biggest threat to your Luo brother’s position as boss.”

“So, Yunjiao, don’t waste your feelings on Cang Luo—if Yunmei sister finds out you’ve taken a liking to someone so weak, she’ll flay you alive.”

Yunjiao remained silent; though she knew they spoke truth, for some reason, she firmly believed Cang Luo could become a good boss, lead the Warwolf Gang well, and grow it strong.

Besides, who said I like Luo brother?

The crowd murmured among themselves, debating who would be elected Deputy General Affairs Officer. Cang Luo stepped onto a raised platform built of stacked stones and signaled for silence.

Once the crowd fell quiet, Cang Luo spoke clearly: “Before announcing the Deputy General Affairs Officer, I must first say this: why are we forming a gang? What is the purpose of forming one?”

Some were puzzled, others thoughtful; Cang Luo answered himself: “We form this gang because we are weak individually—we need to band together, rely on senior brothers with higher cultivation, and seek protection.”

The crowd nodded in agreement; Cang Luo continued: “The deeper purpose is to help all brothers grow within the gang—to learn unity, to rely on collective strength, and to treat every member as family, where one suffers, all help.”

“Let me give an example—everyone knows Chen Dahu, nicknamed ‘Bump-and-Steal Tiger,’ right?”

“Why does he dare bully the weak? Why is his cultivation stronger than yours? Is he naturally gifted?”

“No, no, no—he joined a gang and attached himself to a powerful patron.”

“That’s why he dares to bully us without restraint.”

“Some disciples return from the Monster Forest exhausted and laden with hard-won resources, only to be ambushed on the way back and robbed of everything they fought for.”

“Aren’t you angry? Don’t you want revenge?”

Here, Cang Luo deliberately glanced at Yunjiao and the three others, his voice filled with fury: “That’s still mild—worse still, they target gentle junior sisters, blackmailing them into doing those things, stealing away our beloved sisters.”

“Aren’t you angry? Don’t you want to resist? Don’t you want to protect those you care for?”

After Cang Luo finished speaking, the crowd erupted in shared outrage.

These outer-disciple students, at the very bottom of the hierarchy, had all been bullied by people like Chen Dahu—either robbed of cultivation resources or forced to do degrading tasks.

They wanted to find a powerful senior brother as a patron or join a gang—but their own cultivation was too low, and they had no silver taels, so no one would take them in; they could only rely on each other, huddling together for warmth.

But that was all—it was just a few or a dozen mediocre cultivators banding together, accomplishing nothing to improve their cultivation or quality of life.

They continued day after day, month after month, completing the sect’s assigned tasks, waiting to fail this year’s or next year’s annual assessment and be expelled from the sect.

Then, their futures would be either conscription into the army, or registering with the Warrior Alliance as bounty hunters—living a life of constant peril...

They refused to accept such an ordinary fate!

They were furious—at their own weakness, at why their cultivation was so low, at why they had to suffer abuse.

So when Wang Fuhai proposed forming a gang, everyone responded enthusiastically.

One disciple shouted loudly: “Brother Cang, we don’t want to be bullied—we want to form a gang! Please lead us into the inner sect—whatever decision you make, we accept!”

“Yes! No matter who you appoint as Deputy General Affairs Officer, we have no objections—we will obey absolutely.”

Cang Luo’s words were plain and unadorned, striking the deepest chord; those who had been arguing over the deputy position now set aside their differences, united only in their desire to formally establish the Warwolf Gang.

Among the crowd, Zhao Renwu frowned tightly—he hadn’t expected Cang Luo to stir up such unified rage with just a few sentences...

This useless fool has a knack for winning hearts!?

I must be careful—don’t let my own brothers get lured away by him.

Beside him, Bai Li Wunan glanced at Cang Luo with slight surprise; she felt he understood human nature perfectly—he knew exactly what people truly needed and how to exploit their deepest vulnerabilities, subtly earning their trust.

Such a person... is a master manipulator!

I must warn Yunjiao sister to stay away from him...

Cang Luo, seeing the crowd’s fiery emotion, felt deeply satisfied and continued: “Forming a gang is simple, but sustaining it long-term is difficult.”

“It cannot rely solely on the boss and deputy—it must depend on the collective effort of every member.”

“Nor can it follow a single voice or a tyrannical path—we must make the Warwolf Gang a shared home where everyone can have a say.”

“Therefore, I will establish a complete system of management and gang rules.”

After Cang Luo spoke, the crowd was baffled.

“Everyone can have a say?”

“The gang is a shared home?”

“No tyranny? What does that mean?”

The crowd didn’t understand Cang Luo’s words, because Cang Luo came from Earth—from reform-era China—raised with the education of equality for all.

But the Yuanwu Continent was still nearly a slave society; their worldview and values were utterly alien to his, so it was natural they couldn’t grasp his meaning.

Cang Luo continued: “Don’t be impatient—I’ll explain everything to you in detail shortly. But first, let me announce the Deputy General Affairs Officer.”

The moment he finished, the crowd fell utterly silent, leaning forward to listen.

Zhao Renwu’s heart skipped—he was nervous; this decision was crucial to his plan to seize the Warwolf Gang.

Liu Xuande, Li Zhan, and the others supporting Cang Feng were also tense, but while the emperor was anxious, the eunuchs were frantic—Cang Feng himself remained utterly indifferent throughout.

He had the Wu Saint’s legacy; naturally, he cared little for such matters.

Aside from Cang Feng, Wang Fuhai was the calmest—he was already the Deputy Internal Affairs Officer, so he had nothing to worry about.

After a long pause, Cang Luo shouted: “The position of Deputy General Affairs Officer goes to... Zhao Renwu, Brother Zhao!”

At once, Zhao Renwu’s faction of over twenty disciples erupted in cheers, celebrating wildly as Zhao Renwu was elected Deputy General Affairs Officer.

In contrast, Liu Xuande, Li Zhan, and the others who supported Cang Feng stared at Cang Luo with bitter expressions, their eyes filled with blame.

They had known Cang Luo first—Cang Feng had stood up for him against Chen Dahu and taken him into the Monster Forest for training—yet he didn’t choose Brother Cang?

What reason was there?

Zhao Renwu, overcome with excitement, immediately stood and bowed deeply: “Thank you, Boss, for your trust. I swear I will not fail your expectations—I will spare no effort to assist you in growing the Warwolf Gang.”

Zhao Renli and the others immediately clapped, thunderous applause filling the air.

Zhao Renwu lowered his hand, and the clapping ceased instantly; he felt immense satisfaction—this was truly the will of the people!

He exchanged a glance with his cousin Zhao Renli; unconsciously, their lips curled upward, both eyes gleaming with triumph.

The first step of seizing the Warwolf Gang had succeeded!

On the platform, Cang Luo observed Zhao Renwu and Zhao Renli’s expressions—he could easily guess their thoughts: they merely intended to sideline him and seize control of the gang.

Cang Luo silently sneered, unconcerned, and continued: “Now, I will explain how to build a proper system to ensure the gang’s long-term growth.”

Wang Fuhai said: “Boss, please speak—we are all ears.”

Zhao Renwu also said: “We are all ears.”

Cang Luo nodded slightly, organized his thoughts, then said: “Beyond the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise halls, I will establish one more hall.”

Named the Council Hall...