The Villain's Counterattack

"Duan Lang pays homage to the leader!" The advantage of having a high-level chess piece as a friend is that you can directly reach the ears of the emperor by owing him a little favor. You must know that as the leader of the Tianxiahui, not everyone is qualified to meet Xiongba. Even if someone requests an audience, not everyone is qualified to be summoned by him.

In the original novel, Lang Dexiong was summoned many times, and each time it was not a good thing. Good things never happened to him, who was a villain in the early stage and the villain boss in the later stage.

"I hope your next words won't make me feel like a waste of time." The power in the world at this time was considered huge, but it was by no means as invincible as it would be ten years later. Especially with the disappearance of Bu Jingyun, his ambition to dominate the martial arts world progressed slowly.

Duan Lang knelt on the ground and did not stand up. It was not that he did not want to stand up, but that he did not dare. Xiongba was an extremely domineering person who would not tolerate disobedience from others. Even if they were kneeling, others could only stand up after he allowed them to. This was his domineering nature.

"Boss, I don't want to continue." Duan Lang's inexplicable words almost made Xiongba unable to react, but as the boss of the gang, he couldn't show his cowardice. He picked up the teacup and took a sip carefully, then gave Duan Lang a look that asked him to continue, but he didn't even ask a question.

As a seasoned veteran who had weathered the storms of several worlds, Duan Lang was also a meticulous man. He continued, "My name is Duan Lang. My father, Duan Shuai, the Nanlin Swordmaster, is a renowned family. Though our family has fallen on hard times, our legacy lives on. Since I was young, my father has repeatedly urged me to take it upon myself to revive the family business. I have always worked towards this goal, until my father was trapped in the Lingyun Caves in Leshan, his life and death unknown. Nie Feng and I were brought back to the Tianxia Association by the leader."

"I am Duan Shuai, the Nanlin Sword Master. I am proud of my father and take it upon myself to revive the family business. The leader saw my intentions and, although he took me under his wing, he never entrusted me with any important tasks, merely training me as a groom." Duan Lang continued, "I have been waiting, waiting for my father to emerge from Lingyun Cave. I diligently practiced my family martial arts day and night, hoping for a word of praise from my father when he stood before me. But I have waited for four full years, and my father has never appeared."

"I'm already twelve years old this year. Relying solely on the family martial arts I remember from before the age of eight is no longer enough to allow me to rapidly improve my strength. If this continues, regardless of whether my father will appear or not, I will miss the period of rapid strength improvement and will eventually become just like everyone else."

"So, Gang Leader, I don't want to work hard anymore. It's too hard and tiring, and I don't see any hope." Duan Lang raised his head and stared at Xiong Ba with a sharp gaze. The latter was stunned for a moment and laughed coldly, "You are not qualified to be my disciple."

Duan Lang did not say anything after hearing this, but took out a newly bound book from his arms and held it high above his head with both hands. Xiongba gave him a look, and Wen Chouchou came over shyly and took it and handed it to Xiongba. He saw that the book was brand new, and there were four big words on the cover, which were: Eclipse Sword Technique.

Xiongba's eyes fixed on it, and he casually opened it, only to see that it was filled with densely written small characters, accompanied by some slightly rough but barely legible human-shaped pictures.

This is a top-level sword technique that is no less powerful than the Sky Frost Fist, Paiyun Palm, or Wind God Leg.

Xiongba watched the first move, White Sun Breaking Dawn, all the way to the eighth move, Fire Scale Eclipse Sun. He recalled carefully in his mind the sword techniques that he had seen once before performed by Nanlin Sword Master Duan Shuai, and nodded slightly.

"You are very sincere, but I still won't accept you as my disciple." Xiongba nodded with satisfaction, put the sword manual beside him, and did not return it to Duan Lang. The latter's face suddenly became gloomy, and he was obviously very disappointed.

God Duanlang took a deep breath and said, "I want to join the Tianxia Association and become a true disciple of the Tianxia Association instead of just a groom or servant."

"Yes." Now that he has gained Duan Lang's sincerity and his family swordsmanship, this boy no longer poses a threat to him. Xiongba has the confidence that he can easily control him, and it will not be more difficult than controlling Qin Shuang, Bu Jingyun, and Nie Feng.

"Every disciple of Tianxiahui has his own duties. Which position do you want?" Xiongba rarely let him choose.

"High pay, low effort, no danger." Duan Lang's words made Xiongba frown, while Wen Chouchou burst out laughing. "What a beautiful dream you have, kid! I also want such a position, but we in the Tianxia Association have always been fair. You want good treatment but don't want to put in the effort, and you're afraid of danger. How can such a good thing be possible?"

Xiong Ba was also confused. Did Tianxiahui really have such a position? If so, he would definitely clear it out immediately. "Tell me more."

"I am willing to be Young Master Nie Feng's personal attendant." Duan Lang proposed a specific position, but this position did not exist originally. Xiongba, Wen Chou and Wen Yan suddenly realized that this kid wanted to follow Nie Feng. With his friendship with Nie Feng, he would definitely not treat him unfairly and would protect him everywhere. Isn't this a job with high pay, little work and no danger?

"Haha." Xiong Ba glanced at him and said, "Feng'er has his own maid to take care of him. He doesn't need any personal guards around him. My disciple is not that delicate."

"I am willing to work as a mediocre doctor in Tianyi Pavilion." Duan Lang's second choice also made Xiongba and Wen Chouchou frown. Isn't it a bit too much to blatantly say that you are willing to be a mediocre doctor?

Duan Lang said with confidence that people who practiced martial arts were strong and healthy, so they could play around and generally would not die. As long as they did not die, they could be treated to death. If they could not be cured, it meant that their injuries were too serious and there was no way to save them. If they were cured, he could even collect some kickbacks.

Xiong Ba's mouth twitched wildly. Was this kid really the son of the renowned Nanlin Sword Master Duan Shuai? Why did he feel like a fool waiting to die? If he really recruited him into the Heavenly Doctor Pavilion, he would lose many elite disciples for nothing. Veterans are extremely valuable. Even if he couldn't be sympathetic to his men, he couldn't treat them like this. They were all chess pieces in his hands.

"Change another one. Tianyi Pavilion is not suitable for you." Xiongba rejected Duanlang's request again.

"Then, the library?" Duan Lang rambled on. "It only requires some daily cleaning and organizing books. There's no fighting or petty manipulation, and you don't have to rely on others. Although the salary is a bit lower, I can collect some commissions from people who come to ask for books. Overall, it's not bad."

Xiongba thought about it carefully and felt that this was indeed a leisurely job suitable for retirement. Apart from some elderly people who had no ambition, not many people were willing to do it. Moreover, there was one thing that was necessary to work in the library, and that was literacy.

Are there many people in the world who can read and write?

There are not too few people who can read, but there are almost no ones who can truly understand books. There are very few people like Duan Lang who come from a prominent family. Even if there are, they will not be as proactive as he was before, and they will definitely not be willing to work in a retirement office like the Library.

Should we help him?

Xiong Ba's heart moved. He casually took the "Eclipse Sword Technique" in his hand and shook it gently, saying lightly: "I don't hope that anyone in the world will practice this sword technique anymore."

"Everything depends on the leader. If you don't place this book in the library, no one will ever see this sword technique. As for me..." Duan Lang said with a wry smile, "The Eclipse Sword Technique is incomplete without the Fire Scale Sword, and I don't have the confidence to reach my father's level on my own. It would be more practical to change my martial arts early. Even if it's not as good as the Eclipse Sword Technique, it might still suit me."

"Which martial arts do you want to change?"

"It would be best if it is suitable for a doctor." As soon as Duan Lang said this, Xiongba and Wen Chouchou were speechless. Are you still thinking about Tianyi Pavilion?

"I'll grant you the position of a handyman in the library, but I don't want anyone else in the world to practice this sword technique." Xiong Ba stared at Duan Lang, who was silent for a moment with a complicated expression. Finally, he gritted his teeth and slammed his palm down, forcibly dispersing all his internal energy. "Thank you for your help."

"Okay!" Xiongba looked puzzled, then waved his hand to let him leave, and ordered Wen Chouchou to arrange a new position for him.

Watching Duan Lang's desolate back gradually receding, Xiong Ba was in high spirits, muttering to himself, "You're decisive when necessary, and you're a man who knows how to handle current affairs. It's a pity that the library doesn't have what you need. You've abandoned your own martial arts skills, and you're doomed to achieve nothing."

Duan Lang, with his hunched body, walked away step by step. His body unconsciously became straighter and straighter. The scattered true energy quickly strengthened his flesh and blood under the special rhythm of his body, and a trace of imperceptible golden light flickered slightly.

"It's not good to waste it like this. It's just right to use it to refine the Yellow Turban Warrior Technique."