Chapter Sixty-Seven: Reconciliation

Bear Gang crashed to the ground, thoroughly disheveled. Though he knew he could not withstand Taiyi, he refused to admit defeat. He pushed himself up with both hands, brushed the dust from his clothes, and lunged at Taiyi once more.

Taiyi understood that, despite Bear Gang’s overbearing and domineering ways, his nature was not inherently wicked. This contest was meant to teach him a lesson, so he would no longer bully others. Thus, Taiyi resolved to end the match swiftly.

Bear Gang threw several punches in quick succession, but Taiyi did not dodge. With his Nir Flame Hand, he dissolved each blow, turning what was once fierce force into feeble softness, and rendering the once exquisite technique into a muddled mess.

After a few exchanges, Bear Gang realized Taiyi could easily defeat him. Yet, as a martial artist, conceding was out of the question; he could only grit his teeth and continue the assault.

Taiyi sensed Bear Gang’s resolve had faltered—the strikes no longer carried the hostility they once did. Understanding his thoughts, Taiyi decided to finish the bout, granting Bear Gang a dignified exit.

Bear Gang launched another punch, its power barely half of what it once was. Taiyi, employing the Scorching Pursuit Feather Step, sidestepped just enough to catch Bear Gang’s fist with his Nir Flame Hand, absorbing the strength and pulling it aside. Bear Gang lost his balance, stumbling forward several steps.

Had Taiyi extended a foot, Bear Gang would have fallen—but Taiyi knew that, for martial artists, it was acceptable to lose, but not to be humiliated. He waited until Bear Gang regained his footing before launching his next move.

His techniques were swift and precise, leaving Bear Gang only able to defend and dodge. Seizing an opening, Taiyi swept his leg across. Bear Gang failed to react in time and was knocked to the ground.

Bear Gang quickly clambered up, cupped his fists toward Taiyi, and declared, "I am outmatched. You have won. As agreed, from now on, you are my elder brother. If you need anything, I will do my utmost to accomplish it."

"Please, I cannot accept such an honor," Taiyi waved his hands repeatedly, then pondered for a moment. He pointed to Ye Sansi and said to Bear Gang, "This man is my elder brother. His martial arts and talents far surpass mine. I always follow his lead. If you truly respect me, follow him instead."

Bear Gang nodded and approached Ye Sansi. Golden Bamboo, frightened, hurriedly hid behind Willow Frost as Bear Gang drew near, while Ye Sansi stood at the front.

Bear Gang came before Ye Sansi, bowed, and said, "You must be the great Ye Sansi?"

"I am called Ye Sansi, but I wouldn’t claim to be great."

Bear Gang bowed lower and said, "I promised beforehand: whoever bests me, I shall obey. That young man’s skill is far beyond mine, and I am deeply impressed. I wish to acknowledge you as my elder brother and follow your lead in all matters, if you will accept."

Ye Sansi scratched his head and replied, "Well…"

Taiyi also came over, leaned close, and whispered, "Sansi, he wants to call you his elder brother. You lose nothing by accepting—he’ll do as you say, which can only be convenient. Besides, Bear Gang is arrogant and bullies the weak. If you take him in, it’s a good deed."

Ye Sansi truly did not wish to accept Bear Gang. The man was not gentle, and Ye Sansi knew little of his temperament. If Bear Gang attempted a surprise assault, the consequences would be unpredictable—Ye Sansi himself could handle it, but he worried Bear Gang might harm Frost or Nian’er.

Yet, since Taiyi insisted, Sansi trusted there was reason. He reached out to help Bear Gang up and said, "If you are sincere, I’ll accept. But if you ever do anything dishonest or unjust, you must leave, and I will not recognize you as a brother."

"Elder Ye, I, Bear Gang, am true to my word. If I promise to obey, it is done. I truly admire your skills and pledge loyalty, never to betray you."

Bear Gang’s words rang with sincerity. He said, "You seem a few years older than me, so I shouldn’t call you younger, but since your heart is genuine, I’ll be your elder brother—with conditions…"

"Elder brother, say what you will. I will accept."

Ye Sansi coughed a few times and said, "First, you must not oppress the weak or consider yourself above others. Second, your followers, with their fierce eyes, are unsuitable for our company. Third, if danger comes, you must protect Frost and Nian’er’s escape, not me."

"Elder brother… I can do the first two, but the third…"

Ye Sansi turned away and said, "That is up to you; I have laid out my terms. Whether you agree or not is your choice."

Seeing this, Bear Gang quickly nodded and said, "I agree, I agree! Elder Ye, from now on, Bear Gang stands with you, sharing hardships. Ah, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll serve you food."

With that, Bear Gang dismissed his followers, sent them away, and went to fetch food from the border.

Once everyone dispersed, Ye Sansi leaned toward Taiyi and asked, "Taiyi, why did you have me take Bear Gang as a brother? I never wanted that. He’s overbearing and not like ordinary folk—how can I be at ease with him under me? Isn’t this inviting trouble?"

Taiyi laughed, "Sansi, you don’t know his background."

Ye Sansi thought and said, "Golden Bamboo mentioned he’s the son of a sect leader—is he very formidable?"

Taiyi answered softly, "He’s the son of the chief of the Manzhang Sect. Though the sect isn’t famous, it’s a recognized orthodox school. I’ve heard of its leader—his character is excellent, and his disciples value loyalty."

Frost pursed her lips and said, "He doesn’t seem scheming—quite straightforward. I hope he’s like the other disciples from Manzhang."

Taiyi smiled, "In terms of martial skill, Manzhang doesn’t make the top hundred, but in character, it’s among the best. A few months ago, a village a hundred miles from Manzhang suffered a flood. The authorities did nothing, but the chief ordered the entire sect to provide relief. They say a good father breeds a good son—if Bear Gang shares his father’s loyalty, it’s fortunate for us."

Golden Bamboo echoed Taiyi, "Elder Ye, I’m still afraid. I never dared provoke Bear Gang in the past. Once, I timed my meal to avoid them, but they were still there. When Bear Gang saw me, he said nothing, so I ran off. The next day, when I returned to my room, it was a complete mess…"

Frost snapped, "Outrageous, bullying you like that. Golden Bamboo, wait here—I’ll teach him a lesson, and see if my Spirit Flame Cannon has power!"

Ye Sansi hurriedly stopped her, "Frost, don’t be reckless. Your artifact is potent, and if Bear Gang is hurt it would be bad. Besides, since he’s acknowledged me as brother, we can speak to him and get an apology—it’s better than punishment."

Frost saw the sense in Sansi’s words. If relations soured, getting along would be difficult. She pulled Golden Bamboo toward the border, where Bear Gang beckoned, "Come quickly, the food’s been sitting, it’ll soon be cold."

"You know food gets cold? Golden Bamboo has always had to eat cold leftovers, what you left behind, and you felt no guilt?"

Bear Gang scratched his head awkwardly, "When I first came to this island, the dining hall felt crowded. I like holding my rice bowl, chest open, but that’s not proper with so many present. Still, it’s my habit—I couldn’t change, so I spent money for comfort."

Frost asked, "Spent money? What do you mean?"

Bear Gang laughed, "I’m a rough fellow, from Manzhang, and my family has some silver. I brought plenty when I came to the island. I negotiated with the residents on this stairway, paying for their meals, so they’d leave early…"

Golden Bamboo scratched her head, "What? Isn’t food on Fangcun Immortal Island free?"

"Little girl, where would you find such luck? We’re outsiders here—how could it be free? When you first saw me, you were scared and ran before I could speak. My followers thought you disrespected me, so they spoke harshly to frighten you. Later, I learned you had no silver, so I kept up the act of a villain."

With Frost standing before her, Golden Bamboo finally dared speak up, "My room—how do you explain that?"

Bear Gang smiled, "You ran off that day, so I had my brothers call you back. Then we followed you home, and heard you complaining about mice. They told me, so the next day we tried to help catch them—but those fellows are big and rough, and your room is tiny, so…"

Hearing this, Golden Bamboo recalled the scene and couldn’t help but laugh—it was quite endearing. Bear Gang joined in, "It’s good to see you smile at last. Every time I saw you, you wore a grim face—no wonder my friends wanted to scare you, haha."

"What do you mean, boy?" Golden Bamboo pouted, "I told you, I’m a girl—a girl!"

Bear Gang laughed heartily and nodded, "Alright, alright, young lady—Golden Bamboo, hurry and eat. It’s rare to be early, soon the food will be cold. Elder brother, second brother, and ladies, please, come and eat."

Everyone picked up their bowls and chopsticks. Taiyi laughed, "Second brother has a nice ring to it."

Willow Frost and Lin Nian’er introduced themselves. As the saying goes, you don’t know someone until you’ve fought them. Sharing a meal and conversation with Bear Gang, they discovered his heart was pure—his intimidating size and fierce features merely led to misunderstanding.

Golden Bamboo, who had always avoided Bear Gang, now found his temperament compatible after a few words. She was clever, courteous, and attentive; Bear Gang was honest, boisterous, and unconcerned with details—opposites, yet they got along splendidly.

Bear Gang checked the time and, seeing everyone had finished eating, said, "Others will soon be coming for their meal. We’d best go down now—if we wait for the crowd to come up, descending will be troublesome."

Frost covered her mouth and laughed, "I never thought you’d be shy, big fellow."

Bear Gang laughed along, "Lady Frost, you don’t understand—it’s not shyness. When I eat, I sweat, look messy, and feel embarrassed meeting people."

With laughter and conversation, they descended the steps. Ye Sansi and the others invited Bear Gang to their lodgings for a chat. Golden Bamboo followed, and chatting with Bear Gang, realized he was not so fierce—sometimes, she even found him a bit foolish.

No longer wearing a stern face, Golden Bamboo was lively and adorable. Bear Gang found her utterly charming. Though he was several years older, he lacked her innocence and joy. Interacting with her made him blush every now and then.