When Li Taixing woke up that morning, he was surprised to see the three Xiong Hu brothers in a peculiar state. They were lined up in a row, bowing neatly as they greeted him.
"Morning, Boss," they said in unison.
Li Taixing was momentarily taken aback by their overly formal demeanor.
"Uh, good morning. Hurry up and get ready. We need to head to the square soon."
"Yes, boss."
The three Xiong Hu brothers quickly moved to wash up.
Li Taixing, noticing that Lu Tong and Sun Bohu seemed unsettled, asked, "What's going on with you two?"
"Li Taixing, something seems off with the three Xiong Hu brothers!" Sun Bohu replied, looking concerned.
"Off? How so?" Li Taixing inquired.
"They're being way too serious. They act like if you told them to jump off a cliff, they'd do it without question. It feels like they might do anything you say," Lu Tong explained.
"Really? That sounds a bit exaggerated," Li Taixing said, skeptical.
Despite his disbelief, the three brothers' behavior was indeed unusual. As Li Taixing prepared to wash up, the three brothers appeared before him once more, standing rigidly as they reported, "Boss, we've finished washing. What's your next order?"
Lu Tong and Sun Bohu, frightened by the display, took a step back and hid behind Li Taixing.
Li Taixing, with a wry smile, said, "What's with the extreme formality? Even though you're my younger brothers, you don't need to be like this. If you keep this up, I might reconsider your role."
Xiong Hu looked anxious and asked, "Boss, did we do something wrong?"
"No, it's just that your behavior seems over the top," Li Taixing replied.
"Is it? We thought this was normal," Xiong Hu said, looking puzzled.
"Yes, boss. This is how we've always done things!" Xiong San added.
Li Taixing realized that there might be something more to their behavior. "You've always acted like this? Why?"
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Xiong Hu and his brothers exchanged glances. Xiong Hu then sighed and began to explain.
The three brothers had not come from a town but had been wandering as beggars. They were taken in by a local Beggar Sect with a strict rule: the lower-ranked members had to serve those above them with utmost dedication. Failure to do so resulted in punishment or even expulsion.
The three brothers endured hardships and worked hard, but their sect was destroyed after offending a powerful figure. They barely escaped and ended up in a town where they joined the Xuantian Sect.
To avoid being bullied, they had resolved to support each other and never let anyone take advantage of them. Their behavior was a result of this ingrained mindset.
Li Taixing listened and said, "Okay, I'm going to wash up. Please adjust your behavior to fit in better here."
"Ah?" Xiong Hu asked, confused.
"I'm off to work too," Sun Bohu said, hurrying towards the toilet.
Lu Tong added, "Don't worry. Li Taixing is different from your previous leader. He won't mistreat you. Just help him when needed and be yourselves."
"And don't be overly arrogant or cause trouble. That way, Li Taixing won't be upset," Lu Tong warned, echoing Sun Bohu's advice.
"Okay, Brother Lu," Xiong Hu responded.
"Alright," Lu Tong said, heading off to wash up.
Left behind, the three brothers looked at each other in confusion.
"Brothers, did we misunderstand something? What did we do wrong?"
"Second brother, maybe we overthought it. Li Taixing isn't like our old leader."
"Yes, he seems friendly and easygoing," Xiong Er said thoughtfully.
Though Xiong Er was often reckless, he had a good sense of character. Li Taixing gave off a different impression compared to their previous leader.
After Li Taixing finished washing up, he prepared some steamed buns for breakfast.
Lu Tong and Sun Bohu were surprised.
"Li Taixing, you brought these buns?" Lu Tong asked.
"Yes. For now, we need to manage our own food. We'll get sect-provided meals once we have our assignments," Li Taixing explained.
"That makes sense," Lu Tong and Sun Bohu agreed. They had brought money to buy food, but Li Taixing had other plans.
Li Taixing called the three Xiong Hu brothers over and said, "You can have some too. As long as you treat me well, I won't be stingy with you."
He presented more than a dozen steamed buns filled with various fillings. The three brothers were overjoyed.
"Boss, can we really eat these?" Xiong Hu asked eagerly.
"Of course," Li Taixing assured them.
"Thank you!"
The three brothers expressed their heartfelt gratitude. They had been hungry and barely had enough to eat in the past days, surviving mostly on water and occasional small game. They were deeply moved by the opportunity to eat such a meal.
Li Taixing noticed their intense reaction and remarked with a smile, "You don't have to be this excited over a few buns."
"Boss, we haven't had enough to eat lately," Xiong Hu admitted.
"Well, now you can eat your fill," Li Taixing said.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Boom."
The three brothers knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Boss, you're like a savior to us."
Li Taixing was taken aback and chuckled, feeling a bit overwhelmed by their reaction.
"You guys really have some issues. Eating a few buns shouldn't make you this emotional."
"Boss, you've been so kind. We'll make sure to do our best," Xiong Hu said sincerely.
"Alright. As long as you treat me well as my younger brothers, I'll make sure you're taken care of."
"Yes, boss. We won't let you down," Xiong Hu promised, and the three brothers vowed to be loyal.
Their primary goal in joining the Xuantian Sect was to make a living, and Li Taixing's kindness had given them hope.