"No! Elder Song, we followed Vice Sect Leader Gongsun only because we couldn’t accept that the Gang Leader was a woman, we never thought of betraying the Beggar Gang!"
"Exactly. Several elders, and Sect Leader He, we have always been loyal to the Beggar Gang. If it weren’t for Vice Sect Leader Gongsun saying he would bring us back to the Beggar Gang, we would have never followed him!"
The confidants behind Gongsun He were not die-hard followers either.
They were all opportunists who would sway wherever they felt was more powerful.
Seeing that Gongsun He had been branded a traitor in front of all the heroes in the world and knowing his influence was waning, they dared not follow him any further.
They jumped out one after another, some pleading with the three major elders, others expressing their loyalty to He Tiantian.
The three major elders did not rush to agree but instead all turned to look at He Tiantian.
People noticed this subtle gesture and sighed secretly, "It seems that this beautiful woman has now gained a firm foothold in the Beggar Gang, succeeding Old Sect Leader Guo to become a Gang Leader who is convincing to all members."
He Tiantian nodded slightly.
Only then did the three major elders relent, "You are all brothers of the Beggar Gang. As long as you realize your mistakes and haven’t committed atrocities, the Beggar Gang’s doors will always be open to you!"
A flurry of activity ensued!
The vast majority of people switched to He Tiantian’s side.
Only a few stragglers remained behind Gongsun He, who also wanted to run, but they were too deeply entangled with him.
They knew too much of Gongsun He’s conspiracies and had participated in them.
Even if they returned to the Beggar Gang, they would probably be held accountable.
The old Vice Sect Leader who was also the Law Enforcement Elder may have died, but the Beggar Gang would surely choose another Law Enforcement Elder.
The rules of the Beggar Gang would not tolerate traitors like Gongsun He who had damaged the Gang’s reputation.
It was death either way, so they might as well follow Gongsun He to the end.
Gongsun He was known as a strategist within the Gang, sharp-witted, and he would surely think of a way to escape.
But, what followed proved to these few individuals—
In the face of absolute combat power, cleverness was simply worthless.
"Alliance Leader Pei, by rights I shouldn’t take action on your territory, but I would still like to ask you and the heroes here to witness—"
He Tiantian, holding the Dog Beating Stick, spoke with the majesty of a great Gang Leader in front of the crowd.
"First, the New Beggar Gang created by Gongsun He and Zi Yi has no relation to our Beggar Gang. If any of you encounter someone claiming to be a disciple of the ’New Beggar Gang’ in the future, please apprehend them and deliver them to the nearest Beggar Gang branch. Our Gang will surely reward you handsomely!"
"Second, the Beggar Gang has always had a good relationship with Jade Villa. The Beggar Gang certainly wants to unite more forces to protect the Tianchao Dynasty, but we always prioritize righteousness and chivalry and will never force anyone or any Gang!"
"Third, Gongsun He is a traitor to the Beggar Gang. He wilfully ruins our Gang’s reputation, and I, He Tiantian, will clean house!"
After speaking, without waiting for a response from the crowd, He Tiantian charged toward Gongsun He with the Dog Beating Stick.
In terms of schemes and plots, Gongsun He might not be the number one in this book "What is a Hero," especially since he had Pavilion Master Wenren behind him.
But his cunning was only slightly inferior to Wenren Jie, surely ranking in the top three among the plotters of the Itinerant World.
However, when it came to martial arts, he really wasn’t up to mark.
"Sect Leader Zi Yi! Come help me!"
Gongsun He was in a frantic defense but was nevertheless beaten and rolled around by the Dog Beating Stick.
In his desperation, he cried out loud for help from Zi Yi.
But Zi Yi was preoccupied with circling around Wenren Jie, who had just been injured by He Tiantian, and had no time to care for Gongsun He.
Seeing this, Gongsun He, driven by urgency, blurted out, "Pavilion Master Wenren, you can’t ignore me!"
The reputation of his Carefree Pavilion in the Itinerant World was not good, no matter how much he posed as a noble young master, behind his back people would curse him as "leader of killers," "a deviant."
Moreover, many of his schemes were conducted in secret as plots, naturally not to be exposed under the sunlight.
For example, dispatching Gongsun He to gather and control the Beggar Gang—such matters were not to be revealed.
Once his schemes were known, he would become public enemy number one in the Martial World!
That certainly wouldn’t do, as Wenren Jie was still hoping to use the forces of the Martial World to help him return to the Capital City and fight for the Emperor’s throne!
Wenren Jie clenched his teeth; despite his unwillingness, he could only be threatened by Gongsun He.
With a cold face, he quietly ordered Zi Yi.
Zi Yi was the most loyal slave, obediently heeding the words of her young master.