That man moved to the edge of the crowd and pointed at two people at random, "You two, come here!"

The two prisoners were trembling. As if playing a game of riding in a sedan chair, they put their hands together. The man lightly touched the ground with both hands, jumped up, and landed steadily on their hands.

Only then did I see the person's full appearance. The upper body was unusually burly, but the legs were just two exposed thigh bones.

The man waved his hand and patted the two prisoners lightly. They lifted him up and walked towards me. The man said to Old Bone again, "Old Maggot, you're willing to live like neither a human nor a ghost here, but I'm not."

"If you don't want to cooperate with the two little brothers, then get out of the way. I'll cooperate with them."

Old Bone sneered, "Ban Jie Ta, has your brain gone bad? You don't even know who they are, and you dare to cooperate with them?"

So, this person was called Ban Jie Ta (Half Tower).

His nickname was quite fitting.

Ban Jie Ta sneered, "What does it matter who they are?"

"Who are we? We are people who will either die in prison or on the execution ground."

"The two little brothers are people from the government. I'm willing to risk my life for a pardon. If they're not people from the government, then that's even better. I don't even have to bargain with them. I just need to get out."

Ban Jie Ta's words were full of Jianghu spirit (spirit of the martial world) and were echoed by many prisoners.

Old Bone sneered, "Ban Jie Ta, how many years have you been in here?"

"More than forty years! What's it to you?" Ban Jie Ta said coldly, "I haven't been here as long as you have, but this iron prison isn't a place where seniority matters. Whoever has the stronger wrist, that's who calls the shots."

Old Bone chuckled, "I'm not talking about who has been here the longest."

"You've been in here for forty years, and I've been in here for more than fifty years."

"The people here have been in here for almost twenty years."

"Do you know how much the outside world will have changed in twenty years?"

"What can we do after we get out?"

"If we can't solve our livelihoods after we get out, we'll have to come back in. Shouldn't we discuss these things before we cooperate?"

"After being in here for so long, I'm afraid we won't even have a place to beg for food when we get out!"

Now Ban Jie Ta became silent.

Old Bone's words reflected the common psychology of the prisoners.

Why would some Jianghu people rather give themselves two cuts than go to jail? That's the reason.

If Jianghu people are locked up for a few years, not only will their original connections and foundations disappear, but their ability to survive in the Jianghu will also decline.

If changing from an infinitely glorious big shot to an unknown person can be barely accepted.

Then, what they cannot accept the most is that after being released from prison, they can only rely on giving up their original dignity and asking those who followed them in the past for a bite to eat because they don't know how to survive.

Old Bone and Ban Jie Ta were the people who had been in here the longest. After forty or fifty years, their original relatives, friends, and old acquaintances might have already disappeared.

When they see no hope, staying in prison is better than going out.

Old Bone looked at me and said, "Little brother, to be honest, don't we want to go out? We want to go out. As far as I know, many brothers here have unfinished business."

"After we go out, I'm afraid we will be even more desperate."

"Little brother, I, Old Bone, admit that I'm negotiating terms with you now, with the intention of threatening you. But, I have to find a way out for myself, don't I?"

If Old Bone said that he was doing it for the prisoners in the prison, I would look down on him a bit.

It was more believable that he frankly said that he was doing it for himself.

I said lightly, "I can renegotiate terms with you. But, I hope that our negotiations are based on being a petty man first and then a gentleman."

Old Bone laughed, "I've already been a petty man. I can also be a gentleman."

I looked directly at Old Bone: "State your conditions."

Old Bone said, "First, you have to find a way out for the people who cooperate with you."

I nodded: "I am the master of a tang (hall) in the Jianghu. You can join my tangkou (gang). However, my Liangjie Tang (Two Worlds Hall) does not support idlers, and second, the rules of the tang are merciless. If you can't accept these two points, then we don't need to talk anymore."

Old Bone obviously breathed a sigh of relief: "This, I can accept."

Old Bone's words not only represented himself but also represented the group he led.

I asked again: "The first one is finished, what about the second?"

Old Bone said: "Second, before we go out, we are selling our lives to you. I have to ask for a life-buying fee. This money can be settled after we go out. Because, I don't know how much I want now."

"Of course, the price I want will not be too excessive, and my performance will be worth the money you pay."

"Let's just say this is our employment contract! If you are not satisfied, you can refuse to pay."

I nodded: "Okay!"

"This condition applies to everyone."

"Are there any other conditions?"

Old Bone tremblingly clasped his fist at me: "Sorcerer Gu Han, greets the East Master."

Old Bone stood up and slapped palms with me three times.

The art contract has been completed.

I have taken down Old Bone.

I also turned my head to Ban Jie Ta.