Stronger by Killing

Snowflakes were swirling, the world was frozen in bitter cold.

A group of men knelt on the snowy ground; the biting chill was secondary—what truly pressed upon them was a sense of being crushed and humiliated. Every one of them, looking at Gu Zhan, who sat with his legs crossed on the chair, felt an overwhelming humiliation.

Yet, what filled their hearts even more was fear,

Especially those two Hundred Households,

Before coming, they’d intended merely to go through the motions. They hadn’t taken Gu Zhan seriously at all, just seeing him as an idealistic youth yet to taste the brutality of the Martial World,

They’d already decided to muddle things along with surface compliance and passive resistance,

After some time, that young superior would naturally have his edges worn away.

But after entering the Hundred Households Office, and seeing the Embroidered Uniform Guards in the yard kneeling in the snow, unmoving, as well as those several corpses, a vague sense of dread began to grow in their hearts—this was someone who thought nothing of taking lives,

And when Gu Zhan came down, twisting Horizontal Saber in his grip,

They didn’t even know why,

But with every step Gu Zhan took, it felt as if he was treading right across their chests,

And in the end,

They felt as if their lives themselves hung on his every move,

This kind of oppression, this kind of anxious unease,

Ultimately morphed into sheer fear,

The very moment they knelt down, humiliation surged up unbidden—but what they couldn’t admit was that, after kneeling, they strangely felt a bit more at ease inside,

This was the real humiliation,

To think that only kneeling could bring them peace of mind!

The wind and snow raged on, endless white flakes fell; the courtyard was bone-chilling, and snow had already begun to pile atop their clothes, but no one dared move—not even to drive the cold away with their Inner Strength True Qi.

The first few Embroidered Uniform Guards to kneel were already frozen, limbs stiff and numb, lips turning purple, minds afloat with dizziness, yet they still dared not make a single move.

Gu Zhan sat quietly on the chair, savoring his tea. After a long moment, he finally spoke slowly: "All of you may rise. It’s a freezing cold day."

"Thank you, my lord!"

The Embroidered Uniform Guards, in twos and threes, finally helped one another up, their bodies still stiff and awkward, yet even standing they dared not move a muscle.

Gu Zhan slowly rose and said, "I’ve finished explaining my rules. Does anyone still not understand?"

Everyone fell into silence.

Gu Zhan nodded, saying: "Very well. Since you all understand, that’ll do. You may all go, and pass the word: from tomorrow, the Hundred Households Office will strictly implement the new Embroidered Uniform Guard regulations of the first year of Qingli. Also, each of you will organize dossiers on the matters under your charge and submit them to the official records Room."

"Yes," the crowd cupped their hands in salute.

Gu Zhan looked again at the two Embroidered Uniform Guards lying in the snow, legs broken but gritting their teeth, not daring to cry out, and said: "Which of you is the Advisor to Internal Affairs Office? Grant each of these two one hundred taels as medicine expenses." Then Gu Zhan pointed at the corpses lying in the snow and said, "For each family, three hundred taels as funeral allowance."

Gu Zhan had finished speaking, yet still received no response.

He frowned slightly at the Hundred Households Office’s upper echelon, and said coldly, "Who is the Advisor to Internal Affairs Office?"

Seeing Gu Zhan’s expression turn icy cold,

Hundred Households Wu Xiang hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, saying: "Reporting, my lord, our Hundred Households Office doesn’t have an Internal Affairs Office."

Gu Zhan’s brow furrowed as he asked, "No Internal Affairs Office? Then which department at the Hundred Households Office handles finances?"

Wu Xiang replied, "Vice Thousand Households Gu Yuanzhong, Lord Gu is responsible."

"Vice Thousand Households?"

Gu Zhan was taken aback; this was the first time he’d heard the term. Back in Yundong, the Hundred Households Office had never had any Vice Thousand Households.

Still, given Yunxi’s peculiarities, an extra so-called Vice Thousand Households seemed natural enough.

Gu Zhan gazed over the office’s assembled higher-ups and asked, "Who is it?"

Silence fell. No one spoke.

Elder Huang, who had been silently standing at Gu Zhan’s side, quietly said, "My lord, Lord Gu isn’t here."

Gu Zhan looked at the Embroidered Uniform Guards who had been tasked to deliver the message and asked, "You didn’t notify him?"

The group of Embroidered Uniform Guards trembled. One hurriedly responded, "My lord, we did go to notify him, but Lord Gu’s steward turned us away. We didn’t see Lord Gu. His steward said new Thousand Households always go visit Lord Gu; never the other way around. There’s no such rule as Lord Gu coming to see you!"

Gu Zhan narrowed his eyes, "Those were his exact words?"

"Every word is true, my lord, I dare not deceive you," that Embroidered Uniform Guard, frightened, dropped to his knees. "My lord, perhaps you didn’t know—our Hundred Households Office replaces its Thousand Households every two or three years. Every single one goes to call on Lord Gu. Even if some don’t at first, after a while, they go on their own accord."

Gu Zhan looked at the two Hundred Households and asked, "Is that so?"

Hundred Households Zuo Yang, an elder with some graying hair, spoke with measured calm, cupping his hands: "Gu Qianhu, Lord Gu’s situation is unusual. He rarely interferes with the Office’s management, but of the several hundred Embroidered Uniform Guards at the Office, many only recognize Lord Gu."

Gu Zhan narrowed his eyes, signaling Zuo Yang to continue.

Zuo Yang continued, "Lord Gu has been in Pingyang City for decades, with deep roots. The various factions all give him face. From the Prefecture Government’s side, only if he intervenes do we get our funds released. Matters such as weapons, horses, and the like all require Lord Gu’s presence.

And within the Hundred Households Office, if you want orders acted upon quickly, Lord Gu must be involved, because most Embroidered Uniform Guards only joined out of regard for Lord Gu."

Gu Zhan gave a soft laugh and said, "So what you’re saying is, if I wish to take charge of the Hundred Households Office, I still need Lord Gu’s approval?"

Zuo Yang and the others remained silent, not daring to reply.

And indeed, that was the truth,

But this Gu Qianhu was a cold-blooded killer, his nature volatile and unpredictable. Who would dare respond? Who knew if, at a single word, Gu Qianhu would feel insulted and take their head off with a stroke?

"Heh, now that’s impressive."

Gu Zhan stroked his chin, then asked, "Very well, I suppose I do need to pay Lord Gu a visit. By the way, I hear the Inheritance Pavilion in our Hundred Households Office holds a cultivation technique named Creation Skill. Who manages the Inheritance Pavilion? Bring me that technique."

A certain Advisor, trembling, stepped forward. Swallowing nervously, filled with dread, he said, "My lord... forgive me... that Creation Skill is not in the Inheritance Pavilion!"

Gu Zhan asked, "Where is it, then?"

The Advisor stammered, "Reporting, my lord, because in the past many Martial World experts would come to borrow Creation Skill, later... later Lord Gu felt it unwise to have those Martial World People come and go, so he simply took Creation Skill away himself."

Gu Zhan sneered coldly, "Well, Lord Gu certainly knows how to play things—taking the Hundred Households Office’s property as his own to curry favor. Enough! No need to wait any longer. I will go pay Lord Gu a visit right now!"