Adam Brooks had never experienced anything like this before. At the moment, he stripped completely naked and jumped into the bath barrel, letting out a comfortable moan as the two ladies rubbed and scrubbed him, helping him wash his body. For someone like Big Boss Brooks, who usually considered himself clean if he could scoop up some creek water to wash his face every three or five days, when had he ever enjoyed such comfort? This single bath ended up taking more than an hour. Only then did he change into the new clothes Henry Clark had prepared for him, wrapped that Burmese knife around his waist as usual, and finally swaggered out to meet Henry Clark.

Henry Clark had already changed into a set of luxurious clothes. The dark brocade was covered in intricate floral patterns, and his fair face now carried a scholarly air. No one would have guessed that this man was the second-in-command of a bandit gang.

When Henry Clark saw Adam Brooks come out, he cheered and said, “My seventh brother, dressed like this, truly looks like a handsome young man. If you weren’t stuck in a bandit’s den, and instead became a chivalrous hero, who knows how many heroines of the martial world would be eager to approach you.”

Although Adam Brooks was still young, he was quite tall, not much shorter than Henry Clark. Originally a burly young bandit, after changing into these clothes, he really did have the air of a refined youth.

Adam Brooks didn’t care at all for this flattery. He just chuckled and said, “Second brother, you kept me guessing all the way here and wouldn’t tell me what’s going on. Now that we’re home, can you finally explain in detail?”

Henry Clark waved everyone else away, then smiled and said, “Seventh brother, what do you think of this residence I’ve acquired?”

Adam Brooks felt a warmth in his heart and replied with a smile, “Of course it’s excellent. Back on Tianma Mountain, we never had such luxury.”

Henry Clark laughed heartily and said, “As long as you like it, that’s wonderful.”

Henry Clark cleared his throat and said to Adam Brooks, “This residence was actually a gift to me from the third leader of the Bamboo Branch Gang. As long as you can persuade the chief to join them, you can enjoy as much of this kind of luxury as you want. The Bamboo Branch Gang has a great relationship with the prefect of this county, so they can openly settle down and do business in such a prosperous place, coming and going freely. Compared to us, who can only be bandits on Tianma Mountain—even if we have money, there’s nowhere to spend it—this is a hundred times better.”

Only then did Adam Brooks feel a chill in his heart, realizing that this second-in-command had already pledged allegiance to one of the three major powers, the Bamboo Branch Gang. By making this clear, he was also testing Adam Brooks. If Adam Brooks didn’t act reassuring enough, Henry Clark could just give a shout and dozens of Bamboo Branch Gang experts would rush in and hack him to pieces. Even against Henry Clark alone, Adam Brooks knew he couldn’t win; his Iron Bone Skill was only at the third level, still no match for Henry Clark.

Adam Brooks was quick-witted, and without missing a beat, he put on a dazzled expression and chuckled, “It’s a pity I’m with Tianma Mountain. Otherwise, joining the Bamboo Branch Gang as a low-ranking member wouldn’t be bad. I’ve never lived in such a big city before!”

Seeing Adam Brooks “take the bait,” Henry Clark was overjoyed and quickly said, “If you have the desire, it’s easy! Whatever benefits I get, I’ll share some with you. Besides, the three leaders of the Bamboo Branch Gang are all very generous people, and the third leader is especially close to me. With your skills, you’ll definitely be highly valued.”

Adam Brooks responded with a cheerful smile, acting overjoyed, but inside he felt a jolt, thinking to himself, “What does he mean by ‘with your skills’? Has he discovered my secret? I lost those three pages of the golden book—could it be that the second chief stole them?”

Back when Adam Brooks lost the three pages of the golden book, he had considered countless possibilities, and now he suspected Henry Clark. But then he thought, “He only took those three pages and didn’t get the Heshan Manual. If I train hard for a few days and master a technique, I’ll definitely be able to catch him off guard.” The three pages only contained some basic Qi refining formulas, no real techniques—Adam Brooks knew this well. After thinking it over, he had a plan and wasn’t too worried.

After all, Adam Brooks had grown up in a bandit’s den, ruthless and bold, meticulous and unafraid of death. Once he set his mind on dealing with Henry Clark, he actually became even more affectionate toward this “second brother.”

Ever since Henry Clark discovered that Adam Brooks possessed true Qi, he had started to see this “seventh brother” in a new light. His schemes had taken several turns, and now he genuinely wanted to “ally” with Adam Brooks. Adam Brooks was young and highly skilled, while Black Whirlwind was already over forty and would be old in another decade or so. In comparison, Adam Brooks was far more valuable.

Henry Clark had even thought that, at Adam Brooks’s age, to have reached the sixth or seventh level of the Iron Bone Skill, perhaps in another ten or twenty years he could open all his meridian points and become a top-tier master. Having such a future expert would make many things easier. The Yinshan Sect was considered a major sect, but Henry Clark himself hadn’t learned any advanced martial arts. After years in the martial world, he knew the importance of real skills. It was just that his own talent was lacking, and he would never make much progress in this life. The Bamboo Branch Gang was willing to recruit him only because they valued the foundation of Tianma Mountain. In the future, they might even turn on him without warning.