Chapter 394: Subduing

Chen Erbao simply stood behind Gesang. With a light press of his palm, he stopped the incredibly ferocious punch.

The two of them remained motionless, but the force of the blow radiated out in all directions, kicking up dust from the ground.

When the dust settled, Gesang was squatting on the ground, his expression blank, his entire presence devoid of its earlier power.

"To have such a performance right after entering the Grandmaster Realm, you're already quite impressive in close-quarters combat!"

Chen Erbao felt that this big fellow, Gesang, had practical combat skills that seemed even a notch above Hua Yueqing's.

Hearing Chen Erbao's words, Gesang didn't speak. He just sighed and slowly closed his eyes.

'I shouldn't have come.' After his last defeat at Chen Erbao's hands, he had started frantically taking on missions, honing himself through countless life-and-death situations until he finally broke through to the Grandmaster Realm. He thought he could finally have a real battle with Chen Erbao, but he never imagined the gap between them would be so vast.

That seemingly gentle palm strike contained a terrifying force that completely shattered his will to fight.

'When an assassin fails to kill his target and can't even escape, there's only one ending left.'

"Are you interested in working for me?" Chen Erbao asked lazily.

Gesang's eyes snapped open, and he stared at Chen Erbao in astonishment.

"What did you say?"

"I said, if you work for me from now on, I'll let you live."

Chen Erbao truly had no one reliable for certain tasks. On the business side, he had Bai Xiaoqing to manage things, but when it came to fighting, he had to handle it all himself.

Gesang's strength was decent. He was perfect for recruiting as a subordinate.

The only uncertainty was that this guy's background wasn't exactly clean. However, Chen Erbao felt he could probably sort it out with a phone call to Hua Yueqing.

As for whether Gesang might become disloyal later, Chen Erbao wasn't worried at all.

Gesang was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice:

"Aren't you an Ancient Martial Artist? I'm an international assassin. If you just take me in like this, won't the Security Bureau hold you accountable?"

Chen Erbao smiled.

"That's my business, you don't need to worry about it. Follow me, and I can get you to my current level of strength within a year."

Chen Erbao knew exactly what would motivate someone like Gesang.

Sure enough, upon hearing Chen Erbao's words, Gesang's eyes lit up.

"Are you serious?"

"Do I have any reason to lie to you?" Chen Erbao retorted.

"From what I know, Ancient Martial Artists place great importance on lineage. If you do this, will the Sect behind you agree?"

Chen Erbao actually didn't know about this rule, so he just bluffed:

"I'm the only one left in my Sect. My master is dead. Now I'm in charge, so my rules are the only rules."

Gesang mulled it over for a long while before finally nodding in agreement.

He had joined the assassin organization in the first place to pursue greater power and explore the pinnacle of Martial Arts. The fact that he could reach his current Realm relying only on the organization's basic Fist Technique, even without a master's guidance, was proof enough of his determination and talent.

Seeing him agree, Chen Erbao chuckled.

"Good. From now on, you'll follow me. Don't worry, I guarantee your strength will increase within a year. If you want money, I can satisfy you on that front as well!"

Gesang immediately dropped to one knee, about to kowtow to Chen Erbao.

This was a ritual from his homeland to show his loyalty to Chen Erbao.

Chen Erbao lifted a palm, and an unseen force raised Gesang's body back up.

"No need to kneel. You'll follow me, and I will teach you a new Cultivation Technique. All you need to do is follow my orders without question!"

"Yes, Master!" Gesang said respectfully, bowing his head.

Chen Erbao froze for a second. 'That form of address is too weird.'

He waved his hand and started walking out of the construction site.

"Don't call me Master. Call me… President Chen."

"Yes… President Chen."

...

The sky was just beginning to lighten as the construction workers got up one by one to start their day. The first worker to arrive at the site was making his rounds when his gaze suddenly fell on something in the distance. He stared at the giant cement mixer that had been knocked over and the obvious dent in its side, and fell silent.

...

Waking up, Chen Erbao stretched lazily. After gently moving Lin Zhiqing's jade-like legs that were wrapped around him, he tiptoed into the living room, sank his breath to his Dantian, and began his new day of Cultivation.

The Spiritual Qi within his body was almost tangible. The vortex of Spiritual Qi gathered in his Dantian spun slowly, rising and falling rhythmically with his breath.

Chen Erbao's eyes were slightly closed. After circulating his Spiritual Power through his meridians for one Great Circulation, he completed his daily refinement. Then, he began to stretch his arms, consolidating his Fist Technique practice.

He had gained a lot from last night's fight with Gesang.

Although Gesang had only managed to force out his Dragon Elephant Divine Fist at the very last moment, that didn't mean Gesang was weak.

Gesang's practical combat experience was something he was far from matching. Without the Misty Step and the Dragon Elephant Divine Fist, the outcome of last night's battle would have been uncertain!

He had won purely due to the advantages of his Cultivation Technique and Realm.

And practical combat wasn't something one could develop through daily Cultivation. It often required a great number of battles to truly master it, integrating every punch and kick into one's muscle memory so they could be unleashed without thought during a fight.

Chen Erbao practiced a set of his Fist Technique, ran to the bathroom for a quick shower, and only then began to think about what to do with Gesang.

He picked up his phone and called Hua Yueqing.

"Captain Hua?"

"What is it!"

Hua Yueqing sounded like she was still asleep. Her tone wasn't very good, and she seemed drowsy.

Chen Erbao glanced at the time, puzzled. It was already around seven o'clock.

'For a martial artist, this should be considered quite late. How could Hua Yueqing, a captain, still be sleeping in?'

Chen Erbao suppressed his doubts and said:

"Last night I ran into an international Grandmaster-level assassin… Long story short, he's my subordinate now. Can you help me sort out his identity papers?"

The other end of the line went silent.

"Captain Hua?"

"You're telling me you subdued a Grandmaster assassin?"

"That's right," Chen Erbao nodded.

A sharp exhale came through the phone as Hua Yueqing seemed to be composing herself.

"Are you sure he won't backstab you or endanger society?"

If a Grandmaster expert were to go on a rampage in a bustling downtown area, they could easily destroy half a city.

Chen Erbao said confidently:

"Don't worry. He can't escape my control. He'll be obedient."

"I'll handle this for you. But if he causes any trouble, you'll have to take full responsibility."

"Of course… Is Captain Hua not fully awake yet?" Chen Erbao readily agreed, then asked casually.

"You think I'm some idle person like you? I spent all night on the great plains chasing a few cunning stowaways. I had just gotten to bed and fallen asleep when you called," Hua Yueqing said, her voice full of resentment.

The corner of Chen Erbao's mouth twitched. 'Looks like the Security Bureau is pretty busy!'

"Well then, I won't keep Captain Hua from her work. I'll hang up now."

"Mm… oh, right. Since I'm helping you with this, you can't refuse when we need your help with the Celestial God Sect in the future. The Security Bureau has been short-staffed these past two years, and we're really spread thin!"

"Don't worry. Just let me know when you need me."

Chen Erbao agreed without hesitation.