Today, summoned by Xu Fan to the Lingyan Pavilion Clubhouse, Zhou Zhanlong and He Si both were unclear of the reason for this meeting.

Now that Xu Fan had called for Shi Lei and Chen Dongdong, they roughly understood what Xu Fan intended to communicate.

Unlike Xu Fan, neither of them had any previous contact with Shi Lei and Chen Dongdong.

Even though they were verbally supporting Xu Fan, with decades of experience in society, they still didn't fully trust the two men.

Zhou Zhanlong just now gave He Si a look, then lowered his eyelids.

"…"

The meaning behind Zhou Zhanlong's gesture was most likely for He Si to test the loyalty of these two men. He Si curled his lip, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

Why should he be the one to do such an unpleasant task...

It was impossible for him to exchange glances with Zhou Zhanlong again at this point; likely the result would be Zhou Zhanlong sending a kick his way. He Si coughed and then looked over toward Shi Lei and Chen Dongdong, who were waiting respectfully to one side.

"Hehe, you two lads seem to value loyalty quite a bit, huh?"

"Four... Grand Tutor, you flatter us..."

Unable to discern He Si's thoughts from his tone, the two men responded to the compliment with a modest smile.

"What? You think I, He Si, am praising you?"

"This..."

Before they could smile for three seconds, He Si's face suddenly changed, and shooting them a cold look, Shi Lei and Chen Dongdong's hearts almost jumped up to their throats.

They were frantically recalling what they had said, genuinely puzzled about what they had done wrong to anger the other party.

"Hmph, to follow me and Boss Zhou? Yet you dare to call others 'boss'? What exactly are you two thinking?"

"If one day I were to become Xu Fan's enemy, would you two be charging into battle at the forefront, trying to kill me, He Si?"

"And you, Xu Fan, you've arranged for two of your trusted people to come here today, what are you trying to do?"

"This..."

The words that He Si was saying at the moment were like daggers to the heart, causing Shi Lei to break out in a cold sweat.

He never anticipated that his good intentions would bring such deadly trouble to Xu Fan.

As he racked his brain thinking about how to diffuse the situation, he saw Chen Dongdong step forward with a smile.

"Four... Grand Tutor, your words are quite frightening. We are just students, how could we dare to offend a figure like you? You think too highly of us."

"My boss is a man who values loyalty the most, how could he possibly betray you? Not to mince words, but you're being a bit paranoid."

"Moreover, 'birds of a feather flock together'. There's even less chance for me and Shi Lei to betray you."

"Oh? Chubby, you're quite the smooth talker, aren't you?"

Seeing He Si's icy expression dissipate somewhat, Chen Dongdong couldn't help but discreetly wipe the cold sweat from his hands.

To tell the truth, this was the first time he had faced such a situation, and his entire back was soaked with fear.

He had said all that he could think of; if He Si remained suspicious, there was nothing else he could do.

"…"

Xu Fan watched this scene unfold from the sidelines, feeling somewhat amused.

He clearly recognized that He Si and Zhou Zhanlong were considering testing the loyalty of his two "brothers."

To make the act more convincing, Xu Fan, imitating Shi Lei and Chen Dongdong's demeanor, respectfully said to He Si, "Grand Tutor, rest assured, I, Xu Fan, will definitely not betray you."

Thump!

Hearing Xu Fan speak with such reverence, He Si's legs turned to jelly, thankful for the chair behind him for support; otherwise, he would have collapsed straight to the ground.

Sitting imposingly in the Taishi Chair, He Si forced a commanding expression on his face, not wanting Shi Lei and Chen Dongdong to detect anything amiss.

Yet in his heart, he was crying to the heavens.

He had said it was a thankless task! Damn Zhou Zhanlong, relying on his martial skills to keep scapegoating him.

Now, he was worried about whether his master would be angered.

The play had already reached its halfway mark, and there was no reason to stop; He Si, suppressing his inner turmoil, continued his performance.

"You two, are you truly willing to follow me with absolute devotion?"

As he spoke, He Si looked towards Chen Dongdong and Shi Lei.

"As long as Fourth Master holds us in esteem, we are of course willing!"

"That's right, we just hope the Fourth Master will give us a chance! We will serve you diligently, before and after the saddle!"

If not now to demonstrate loyalty, when?

Chen Dongdong and Shi Lei were now fervently kneeling on one knee before He Si.

"..."

Taking advantage of the fact the two men could not see his face at the moment, He Si looked over at Xu Fan with a morose expression.

He really couldn't bear to continue what he was saying next.

This damned situation, where he's supposed to intimidate others but ends up equally frightened himself, wasn't fair at all.

Xu Fan, however, found it amusing and shook his head relentlessly, then mouthed a sentence.

"Fourth Master, please continue your performance."

"Hahaha..."

Zhou Zhanlong was at one side, munching on sunflower seeds; upon seeing He Si's frustrated demeanor, he couldn't help himself and burst out laughing.

Realizing his laughter had drawn Chen Dongdong and Shi Lei's attention to himself, he sheepishly touched his nose and said, "Good, these seeds are really good, um, really good..."

Good my ass...

Glancing at Zhou Zhanlong feigning innocence, He Si cursed inwardly and, seeing Chen Dongdong and Shi Lei look his way again, he continued.

"Lingyan Pavilion in Jinling is second to none. If you two follow me and put in the effort, I, He Si, guarantee that your names will be among those who can be called upon in Jinling. As for wealth and glory, that's without question."

"However..."

Just as the two men seemed tempted, He Si changed his tone and said, "But joining Lingyan Pavilion isn't so simple; you two must provide a Declaration of Loyalty."

Such a Declaration, a method of proving one's loyalty, was something Shi Lei had heard of. After contemplating for a while, he finally spoke up.

"Fourth Master, what exactly do you want us two to do?"

This Declaration of Loyalty required bloodshed, and Shi Lei was watching He Si warily, hoping he wouldn't set too difficult a target for himself and Chen Dongdong.

Otherwise, with just their strength, it might not be achievable.

"Heh, lad, you seem to get it, don't you?"

"You must have mixed with all sorts of people, haven't you?"

Narrowing his eyes, He Si scrutinized Shi Lei and then said, "The task Fourth Master has for you is, in fact, quite simple and straightforward."

"Recently, I've found some using their power for personal gain, which is a grave taboo in Lingyan Pavilion. Now, I want you two to kill this person. Are you willing?"

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