Acquiring workforce

I stared at the moon, not as some novel symbolic gesture, but since I thought that would look cool. I mean, you gotta build the mystique up before breaking it, right?

"Ah, the masked lady! Where have you brought me? Why am I alone? What are you gonna do to me?" He cried as he hid his bare chest with his arms. Dude, do you think I'm some sort of sexual predator? What's up with your dirty thoughts?

"Pipe down, will ya? I'm not gonna do anything to you—nor have I done anything other than fix your damn arms." I spoke. I guess he realized it just then. He started staring at his arms, which were previously immovable, looking all elated about it. Good, the carrot and stick approach is working out pretty well.

"Ha, I can move them again! Amazing! Whoo-hoo!" He started rotating both his arms in a speed that normal humans wouldn't dare to. If this was someone else, he or she would've dislocated their shoulder already. I guess this is the perk of having a monstrous physique.

"So, since that's dealt with now, shall we talk about a slightly more important stuff?" I asked as I sat across him.

Seeing the seriousness of the situation, he stopped flailing his arms and sat in an upright position. "What is it?" He asked.

"You, Guo Ning. You're a person I respect. However, if you just walk in the path you were walking till this day, you'd die. And that's a fact that you and I both know. So, do the right thing. Be my subordinate." I put forth my offer to him.

"But, the weasel bandits—if I just vanish from their lives, they'd have no one protecting them." He sounded conflicted as he spoke. Seems like he never wanted to be a bandit, however he couldn't leave the weasel bandits as well. Sucks to be you, huh?

"You know, I could've forced you into being my subordinate. After all, you gave me your word. However, I didn't do it. Why, you ask? Because I don't want a yes-man who will eventually betray me, but a trustworthy subordinate who'd stand by me even if the world's gonna end. So, you want to protect the Weasel bandits? I will do that for you. However, there's one condition to it." I spoke. I could see him gulp when I spoke of the condition. I wonder what he actually thought.

"What is it?" After a lot of contemplation, he finally asked.

"The Weasel bandits must stop being bandits and lean into the good guy side." I placed my condition before him.

I saw him sigh when I told him about my condition. "Ah, I want that to happen as well!" He smiled.

"But?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, if you wanted that to happen, it would've happened. Then why? What made them not join a good sect? What made them continue their robbing? Why didn't they fall for your persuasions?" I asked.

"You see, I was scouted by many sects that work for the 'welfare of this world'. However, whenever I go on a one-on-one fight with someone from these sects, they always end up cheating to gain an upper hand over me. And this seriously pissed off the Weasel bandits. It's not like they won't join a sect at all. It's just that they won't join one who calls themselves the good guys and yet does dirty tricks like this!" Guo Ning explained. I guess they care a lot about Guo Ning. I don't know whether he himself knows that, however those men rejected those sects worrying that Guo Ning might get mistreated over there. Ah, to be this concerned about his well being—they somehow remind me of my father. He's a big softie too, after all.

"Then they'd be fine with me, right? I ended up beating you and it wasn't some two-on-one fight or anything!" I replied. I mean, that isn't technically wrong. Goldy never interfered in the fight. He came out to deal with the aftereffects.

"They should be. Even if they aren't, I'll persuade them to join your sect." He said with a smile on his face. He looked cute—not handsome, but cute like a child, even when he's such a huge meat shield. For some reason, I imagine Ao and Guo playing elephant now. How cute would that be!

"I see. Let's head back to the red mountains then!" I proclaimed. The night was still young, so I had plenty of time to persuade the Weasel bandits if they aren't willing to join us.

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People might think that having more people in an already broken down sect is a bad idea. However, I'd argue with them on that. What I'm gonna tell you right now isn't game knowledge, but one I found out when I read a lot of books to know about my enemy sects. It is said that if a minor sect can gather a certain number of members, they receive a grant to handle the cost of the new members. The major sect should directly provide this, until the said minor sect flourishes and branches off from the major sect, announcing themselves as the major sect.

So, get it now? Not only will I get hold of workforce if I got this deal, I will also be able to create a dent at the treasury of the villains—no matter how small that is. This is my version of a big brain play, and it would only work if I'm to lure these bandits to my sect.

"Fathers! I'm back!" Guo Ning cried as he saw the Weasel bandits frantically searching for him. He really called them fathers. Guess they're all adoptive fathers of him. Now, them trying to kill me makes sense—I'm a dangerous threat that could kill him after all.

"Guo Ning—and the masked lady!" The one who seemed like he was the eldest of the bandits had resentment in his voice. Again, understandable.

"Father, don't look at the masked lady with that eye of resentment. She actually healed me!" He spoke as he swung his arms to random places.

"Oh!" All of Guo Ning's fathers looked up to the young one's arm movements with excitement.

"I apologize for my misconduct. Thank you for healing our son." The eldest father's tone quickly turned modest.

"Nah, that's fine! I'm here to talk with you, actually." I got straight to the point, since there's no point beating around the bush.

"And what would that be?" He asked.

"I'm going to join the masked lady's sect!" Instead of me, it was Guo Ning who proclaimed it. And this proclamation just left the men with their mouths wide open. They never expected this to happen.

"Guo Ning, it's all too sudden!" One of his fathers argued.

"Doesn't matter. I have already given my promise to her. And she also saved me, so…" He was about to say something, when he got interrupted by the eldest father.

"Well, she's the one who injured you as well!" He spoke.

"But, father…" He was trying to say something, however he got interrupted yet again. But this time, it wasn't any of his fathers; it was me.

"Are you afraid?" I posed the question towards his eldest father.

"Huh?"

"I'm asking if you're afraid that your son would get mistreated in my sect." I elaborated my question.

"Yes." The fathers unanimously answered. They didn't even hide their concerns. It was kinda sweet, if you ask me.

"Understandable. However, I promise you, I will not mistreat him or you guys when you join my sect." I answered.

"Us? What?" The Dad's army got confused. Nice! They noticed my "slip of tongue" and are perplexed right now.

"Ah, the masked lady is asking you guys to join her sect as well." Guo Ning replied, trying to clear their confusion.

"This way, you can monitor my movements and check whether I'm mistreating your son." I replied.

"Hmm, what if the other sect members bully him when they learn about the truth—that he was formerly a bandit?" One of the fathers asked.

"As I said before, that's why you're there, right? And even if you weren't there, I assure you, such a thing would never happen in my sect. I'm sure about that." I assured him.

"How can you be so confident? You'll never know when someone tries messing with other people they deem inferior in large sects-" The eldest father was interrupted by yours truly before he spouted another word.

"Who said that we're a large sect?" I asked as I chuckled.

"You're from a minor sect?" He asked, to which I nodded my head vigorously. He sighed. "Then it's even worse. What if someone from your major sect tries harming our boy? What will you do about it?" He asked.

"You've seen how powerful I am, right? I promise you—I'll protect your son with all my might! If not, I'll pay the price with my blood." I proclaimed.

The eldest father sighed. "Very well. We would allow it, however, we don't know who you are or which sect you belong to." He spoke.

"Oops, I forgot." I actually forgot about my hair color thing and it seemed like it was white all along, thankfully. Anyway, I scattered the Qi that I focused in my eyes for the longest time and slowly the black hair returned. I then continued to remove my mask. "Hello, I'm Hua Liu from the Blue Moon Sect. Pleasure to be your acquaintance!" I gave out the brightest smile possible.

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